Obesity is a threat to health and longevity. Given that over one-third of the adults in the United States are obese, practices causing major weight gain deserve careful consideration. Obesity and weight gain have been associated with hypertension, type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea and respiratory problems, and some types of cancer (endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon). Moreover, obesity is a common concomitant of schizophrenia, and schizophrenic individuals appear to be at increased risk for certain obesity-related conditions such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease.