In other health news, researchers warned Monday that obesity is a major reason for the nation’s rising health costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said medical costs of treating obesity-related diseases soared as high as $147 billion last year, or nine percent of all US medical costs. In the eight years leading up to 2006, the proportion of Americans weighing in as obese shot up 37 percent. Doctors said the average healthcare costs for obese individuals are nearly twice as high as those for individuals who are not obese. The average American is about twenty-three pounds overweight. Proposals to counteract obesity have included banning televisions from children’s bedrooms, taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, and making it easier for people to buy fresh produce.