Workout lovers seek smaller, closer facilities

America is getting heavier.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, about 300,000 deaths each year in this country are associated with obesity and being overweight. In 1999, an estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults were overweight, along with 13 percent of children.

Obesity among adults has doubled since 1980, while the number of overweight kids has tripled.

Contributing to these statistics is the fact that less than one-third of Americans engage in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity daily at least five days a week.

“(Being) overweight and obesity are among the most pressing new health challenges we face today,” U.S.…