However, since the federal government began promoting a low-fat diet, obesity rates in the U.S. have soared.
It is estimated that about a third of cancers are caused by smoking, diet, alcohol and obesity.
What about those old standbys for treating obesity, diet and exercise?
But as we said in this earlier story about ways to play the obesity epidemic, diet pills can be disappointing if not dangerous.
As the author, Professor Bernard Stewart, an internationally-noted expert in cancer causation, points out, there is a remarkable scientific consensus on the causes of avoidable cancer, and they relate to lifestyle choices that people can actually do something about: smoking, poor diet, excessive drinking, obesity, physical inactivity, and exposure to the sun.
But since the disease is associated with obesity, exercise and diet are crucial to prevention.
"That risk can be reduced by simple lifestyle changes, such as not smoking, drinking alcohol sensibly, exercising regularly and eating a healthy, balanced diet to reduce the risk of obesity - a major contributory factor increasing the risk of diabetes and eventually cardiac disease, " he added.
In terms of what features of the American lifestyle or culture could be contributing to an increased risk of these diseases, previous studies from the same team of scientists suggested that factors such as climate, obesity, the Western diet and various types of infections could play a role.
More must be done to maintain momentum and reduce the major risk factors - obesity, smoking, poor diet and lack of physical activity.
Poor diet is a key cause of the current obesity epidemic.
BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | 'Make cookery compulsory' demand
Nor does it tax the brain much to work out that the causes of these explosions in obesity and diabetes are the Mexican diet and a lack of exercise.
"Obesity is not being adequately addressed by diet and lifestyle changes or currently available therapies, " the company said.
When that happens, look for China to add to its obesity totals, giving rise to a market for diet books in the Inner Kingdom.
But scientists are unclear about the role improved diet has played in helping to cut cancer rates, because obesity in the United States has become more common.
Pregnant women mustn't eat too much as it may raise the baby's risk of obesity or diabetes, but they mustn't diet as that could have a similar effect.
Physicians can legally prescribe medications for uses not specifically approved by the FDA. But most obesity doctors do so cautiously given the history of diet pills removed from the market due to serious side effects including death.
And the Tex-Mex diet has contributed to a thirty-eight-per-cent obesity rate.
Poor diet and insufficient physical activity are two key factors in the modern rise of obesity rates, with genetics a surprisingly minimal contributor to weight gain.
Nevertheless, there is a burgeoning problem with obesity, both in the UK and the US, where the Atkins diet is extremely popular.
The findings come from a study of nearly 1, 000 US people that looked at diet, calorie intake and body mass index (BMI) - a measure of obesity.
Physicians who treat obesity hailed the Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of two new diet drugs the first in 13 years as a new era in weight-loss management.
But are diet drinks in fact worse for you than the sugary beverages already so demonized in the health and obesity conversations in this country?
There is only limited evidence that taxes would help reduce obesity, the group said, adding that only 7% of the calories in the American diet come from sugar-sweetened beverages.
Obesity could prove similar to another American killer, high cholesterol, which was once treatable primarily by diet.
These days, however, due to heightened awareness of obesity and tooth decay, as well as an increased emphasis on eating a healthier, more balanced diet, candy makers are watching their calories.
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