Type 2 diabetes and its main risk factor, obesity, have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. A staggering 68 percent of adults over the age of 20 are overweight (with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of 25–29.9), and more than 35 percent are obese (BMI of 30 or higher), according to an ongoing CDC-supported study. Other serious health problems are linked to obesity, as well, including heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea.