History shows that as modern<br >chnology geared up， our bodies<br >slowed down--and spread out.<br >It s a problem you can overcome.<br >orty years ago， in the wintry Ardennes<br >forest of western Europe， American soldiers<br >and their Allied compatriots fought a great<br >struggle that came to be known as the Battle of<br >the Bulge. The fighting was desperate， and for a<br >few days the outcome was in doubt. But<br >eventually the tide was turned， the Allies were<br >victorious， and they swept on to ultimate victory<br >in World War II.<br > Today， Americans are engaged in another<br >"battle of the bulge." While it is far less dramatic<br >and its outcome can t be determined in the course<br >of a few days， or even a few weeks or months，<br >evidence of the struggle is everywhere. You can<br >see it in the proliferation of health spas，<br >racquetball clubs and sidewalk joggers; in<br >bookstores featuring a succession of diet books<br >and exercise books sizzling on the bestseller list;<br >in fast food restaurants that now include salad<br >bars; and in supermarkets bursting with<br >low-calorie this and low-fat that.<br > Make no mistake about it: This is no mere<br >tempest in a teapot， for Americans as a group are<br >indeed bulging. A National Health and Nutrition<br >Examination Survey conducted a few years ago<br >determined that 32 percent of adult men and 36<br >percent of adult women were 10 percent or more<br >above average weight. Nor has the situation<br >improved; indications are that the incidence<br >of overweight is still rising. By any standard<br >of measure， obesity is commonplace in the<br >United States.<br >