My husband points this out all the time at the hospital. Yes, people are getting fatter overall, but morbid obesity is what's really climbing. 20 years ago, if a 300+ pounder came in once every few months, it was treated like a freakshow. Now, 300 pounds is no big shock. They get at least 1-2 400+ a week (according to the older staff). And the growing number of super-obese people normalizes the smaller fats - "Well, I'm not that big, so I must be okay."