New Orleans launches anti-obesity campaign

The United States has seen a dramatic increase in obesity over the past two decades, prompting officials to call the problem an epidemic. One-third of people over the age of 20 in the country are reportedly obese and about 20 percent of children and teenagers also fall into this category. Studies show that the country's poor, who have to rely mainly on unhealthy fast food, are more likely to be excessively overweight. In the US city of New Orleans, which is considered to be one of the country's fattest cities, officials have started dozens of projects, including organic gardens, in a campaign that aims to encourage people to pursue a healthier diet. In the latest in our network's series on the epidemic, Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports from New Orleans.