State's obesity problem rapidly increasing

The widening girth of California's residents costs an estimated $41 billion a year - an amount equal to one-third of the state budget, a study to be released today says.

In updating statistics from 2000 with data collected in 2006, the study shows a 33 percent rise in obesity rates contributed to sharp increases not only in health care costs but also in lost productivity, according to the Sacramento-based California Center for Public Health Advocacy. Click here for full article.