•  
  •  
 

Abstract

While the obesity rate in the Unites States has been reported to have hit a plateau, the overall percentage of obese Americans remains alarmingly high (27% self-reported, 33% population estimate). While the subgroup with the highest 2010 obesity rate is Black, non-Hispanic women (41.9%), there remains a disparity in the research with regards to this population group. The implication of an elevated obese population puts a strain on health care, overall quality of life, and is associated with a number of other co-morbidities. Given this background, pilot work to evaluate a disease analog model for obesity would be useful with the potential for identifying seemingly normal-weight individuals who are most susceptible to developing obesity.