Obesity on the rise in the U.S.

Since the mid-1970s, the number of people living with obesity has tripled. Roughly one-fifth of children and adolescents in the United States aged 2 to 19 years are obese. The number for American adults living with obesity is even more striking: two-fifths are obese.

MPR News guest host Tiffany Hanssen spoke with two guests about the roots of obesity and how to prevent it:

Guests:

Marion Nestle is the author of "Unsavory Truth: How the Food Industry Skews the Science of What We Eat."

Dr. Deborah Cohen is a senior physician policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and the author of "A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Influences Behind the Obesity Epidemic — and How We Can End It."

Use the audio player above to hear the full conversation.