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The prevalence of diabetes in the US continues to rise by epidemic proportions. This increase parallels the rising rates of obesity and overweight observed over the past decade (1, 2). Indeed, as BMI increases, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases in a “dosedependent” manner (3, 4). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is 3–7 times higher in obese than in normal-weight adults, and those with a BMI 35 kg/m2 are 20 times more likely to develop diabetes than those with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2 (5, 6). In addition, weight gain during adulthood is also directly correlated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (3, 7–9). Obesity also complicates the management of type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin resistance and blood glucose concentrations (10). It is an independent risk factor for dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (6, 11–14) and, thus, increases the risk of cardiovascular …