Obesity and diabetes are affecting the people of the Americas at high and increasing rates. National surveys demonstrate that obesity is increasing in prevalence among all age groups; 7% to 12% of children under 5 years old and one-fifth of adolescents are obese, while rates of overweight and obesity among adults approach 60%. Obesity is the major modifiable risk factor for diabetes. The estimated number of people with diabetes in the Americas is expected to increase by 45%, from 62.8 million in 2010 to 91.1 million by 2030. Diabetes and obesity are no longer “diseases of affluence,” and disproportionately affect the poor and the less educated of the Region.