Final answer:
Obesity is indeed on track to potentially surpass tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., given its association with various diseases and the alarming increase in obesity rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that obesity is about to surpass tobacco as the most preventable cause of death in the U.S. is indeed grounded in the growing health concerns over obesity-related diseases. While smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death globally, contributing to a myriad of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, obesity is on the rise and associated with health conditions such as type-2 diabetes, cancers of the colon and breast, and cardiovascular disease. Notably, the sedentary lifestyle and high trans-fat diets prevalent in the United States contribute significantly to heart disease, the nation's top cause of death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report alarming increases in obesity rates, indicating that by 2010 nearly 36 percent of adults over 20 years old were obese. In particular, the southern states show higher levels of obesity, with childhood obesity rates also climbing. Obesity's societal costs are substantial, including reduced life expectancy and elevated healthcare expenses.
Given these trends, it is plausible to affirm that obesity could soon overtake tobacco as the most preventable cause of death in the United States, making the initial statement true.