Increasing interest and concern over the effects of chronic obesity on public health reflects growing evidence that obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country [1]. It is now well-known that chronic obesity is associated with an increased risk of a variety of different diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer [2,3], Obesity is also associated with a number of neurological disorders, most notably stroke and sleep disturbance [4, 5], as well as psychiatric and psychosocial problems [6]. The pathophysiological bases for the relationships between obesity and some of these co-morbidities are relatively well understood. For example, obesity is a primary determinant of metabolic syndrome, which is strongly linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke [7].
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