Approximately 35.1% of adults are considered obese in the United States (University of Maryland). This surprisingly high percentage of the population strongly indicates that obesity is not a problem we can turn a blind eye to. In fact, experts at the University of Maryland Medical Center say that “…more than half of American adults will likely become obese by 2030” (University of Maryland). It's a shocking reality that Americans must recognize as a serious health problem before obesity consumes the entire population. A silver lining to this sad and unfortunate disease is that it is “curable.” Obesity is measured by body mass index (BMI), which determines the percentage of fat in the body. To be classified as obese, the fat percentage must be equal to or greater than 30 (Women's Health). However, no matter how high someone's BMI, healthy eating and exercise can progressively lower BMI. We all need to eat and changing our diet to less appetizing foods is a feat in itself, yet the word exercise poses an intimidating challenge to most people. The frivolous and overly indulgent eating habits linked to the lack of any type of exercise or activity, exhibited by most obese people, make it even more difficult to entertain the idea of ​​exercising again. Unfortunately for them, exercise cannot be ignored. There are numerous ways in which exercises are beneficial to your life, mind and body; and it is these improvements that make it irrefutably clear that increased exercise can help reduce obesity and its negative side effects in the United States. Exercise targets the body first by burning calories, the most basic and almost ancient way that people use exercise to promote weight loss and therefore weight reduction...... middle of paper.... .. Strange. MSNBC, February 1, 2011. Web. December 6, 2011. .Dunn, Andrea, Madhukar Trivedi, James Kampert, Camillia Clark, and Heather Chambliss. “Physical Treatment for Depression.” Research articles. Np, nd Web. December 1, 2011. “Obesity.” University of Maryland Medical Center. Np, nd Web. December 1, 2011. “Fact Sheet on Overweight, Obesity, and Weight Loss.” Women's health. Np, March 6, 2009. Web. December 1, 2011. Powers, Scott K., and Stephen L. Dodd. Total fitness: exercise, nutrition and well-being. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999. Print.