it's all part of france's biannual hot air balloon festival. more than 1,000 balloons are expected to participate in the week-long event. that is terrific. >> oh, wow. that's beautiful. >> that's our broadcast for now. weight problem. on our broadcast tonight -- the heavy cost of america's weight problem. now there is a price tag on obesity and health care, and it's staggering. summertime blues. summer camps shutting down because of swine flu. what will the fall look like? moving on. sarah palin's parting shotnd when we might hear from her again. driven to distraction. tonight, the definitive videotape showing the dangers to drivers. and children of war. when the parents are deployed far away, who's making a difference for the kids back home? "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. we all know how it works. there's the health care debate going on in washington, almost impossible to follow. and then there's real life. in real life, the millions of americans who are badly overweight, obese, know about the struggle. they're aware of the high cost to their own lives. but tonight someone has finally put a price tag on the cost of obesity to this country. and this is part of the health care debate going on right now. we have two reports tonight. savannah guthrie is at the white house. robert bazell will start us off here in our new york studios tonight. bob, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. 34% of american adults are not just overweight but obese, as are 17% of children and adolescents. and a study out today shows those numbers do not just affect how

people look, they impact our entire health care system. this time the experts are rising the alarm about our everatter nation by focusing on cost. in a new partnership between former president clinton's foundation and the cdc. >> when all of these people get sick, we're going to pay for it, aren't we? >> reporter: a report out today concludes america now spends an alarming $147 billion a year on obesity-related health care. type 2 diabetes is by far the most costly fat-related disease. but being overweight also increases the risk of heartdise ailments. the report concludes that an obese person spends $1,400 a year on average on health costs compared to someone who's normal weight. why have americans gained so much weight in the past decade? >> we are hardwired to like sweet and salty food. what has changed is our environment, and if we are to make a change in the obesity

epidemic, we're going to have to change the environment again in order to gain control. >> reporter: 13-year-old william miles is working to change his environment. >> how was your day? >> fine. >> reporter: he gets medical care through medicaid. last year when his mom ann took him to his primary care doctor, he got bad news. he was so overweight, that he was prediabetic and had high cholesterol. >> before i couldn't run very long, and i couldn't do what mostly i can do now. >> reporter: the doctor enrolled him in what is called the children's healthy lifestyle program run by duke university, also paid by medicaid. it is teaching him to spend less time with video games and tv, more time exercising -- >> apples. >> reporter: -- and mom is learning to stock the house with healthy foods. >> we just decided to do it as a family, because i think that will motivate all of us into losing weight and eating great. >> reporter: many experts say that programs like that one, that involve families, schools, and even whole communities

represent the best hope to try to overcome the environment that's led, brian, to so much obesity in america. >> robert bazell with the health angle on this story tonight. bob, thanks. and now to the policy being decided in washington that we will all have to live by when it becomes law, the health care law of the land. savannah guthrie is at the white house with the latest. savannah, this has become a fight. it's often very partisan. so where does that fight stand tonight. >> reporter: brian, here at the white house they're touting progress but you're right, this has been a heavy lift. in fact, the president's own goal of having some health care reform bill passed by both houses of congress by the august recess is almost certain not to happen now. what's the most likely scenario is something will pass out of each committee by the august recess. and how complicated is all of this? well, today on the house se, democratic staffers actually met with their members to walk page by page through this very long bill, almost a seminar-like setting. and on the senate side, the

senate finance committee is still working feverishly behind closed doors to try to come up with a bipartisan deal. the biggest issue still, how to pay for reform and how to control health care costs over the long term. now, the president took the day off today from the public sales pitch, but he's back at it again tomorrow. he's going to have what they're calling a tele town hall at the aarp. they are expecting more than 100,000 callers trying to get a question in to the president, brian. >> savannah guthrie at the white house with the latest for us tonight. savannah, thanks. the large march of the swine flu continues. the h1n1 virus is having an active and resilient summer, raising fears about a brutal flu season when it arrives, as the race is on now for a vaccine. it's already ruined the summer for a lot of folks. with kids being sent home from summer camps, and summer camps closing up shop in some cases. our report tonight from nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: in georgia, these boy scouts were sent home from camp and put in quarantine after catching swine flu.

>> scouts always get sick at camp. it's a usual thing. but to find out it's something more than that is just amazing. >> we take it at morning and night. >> reporter: in englewood, colorado, 10-year-old cole vick, just out of quarantine, said a lot of children in his camp came down with the flu. >> there were like 50 beds in the infirmary, and almost all of them were full. >> reporter: elsewhere in colorado, at a sleepover camp in empire, today's daily announcements included a warning about sanitation. >> don't forget things like doorknobs, handles, all of those public areas. >> reporter: they're trying to head off the spread of swine flu, sanitizing anything that campers touch repeatedly and telling everyone to keep washing their hands. >> when children are in close quarters, in cabins or tents, there's a lot of chance for infectious diseases to spread. >> reporter: in an effort to reassure parents, the american camp association put up this video on its website -- >> we have all been very

proactive with the primary goal of keeping your child safe and healthy during their camp experience. >> reporter: the next question is, what happens when these children return to school in the fall? some health officials predict a resurgence of swine flu in the coming school year. >> good. >> reporter: many school districts plan to be extra vigilant, watching for any children with flu-like symptoms. >> the schools are wching out for the health of the students and the employees by making sure that kids stay home when they're sick. >> reporter: and while the kids are still at camp this summer, you can bet they'll be told over and over to do this. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. something new today in the controversy over the arrest of professor henry louis gates at his own home near the harvard campus in cambridge, mass. almost two weeks ago now. and the national conversation on race that it ignited. the whole thing started with a call to 911. today for the first time, we got to hear how that conversation

went. the story from nbc's ron allen in cambridge. >> i don't know what's happening. >> reporter: just after 12:30 p.m. on july 16th, lucille whalen was walking to lunch and ran into an older women near professor gates' home. concerned by what she was told, whalen called 911. >> she had noticed two gentlemen trying to get in her house at that number, 17 ware street. anthd ey kinof had to barge in and they broke the screen door and they finally got in. i noticed two suitcases. >> reporter: the caller never mentioned the race of the men on the porch until she's asked by a dispatcher. >> were they white, black or hispanic? >> one looked kind of hispanic, but i'm not really sure. >> reporter: sergeant james crowley is the first officer to arrive at gates' door. >> i'm up with a gentleman says he resides here. a little uncooperative. but keep the cars coming. >> reporter: then minutes later -- >> can you please also send that harvard university policeman in? >> oh, we can send him in.

>> reporter: the tapes do not reveal what happens next. gates' voice is never heard. minutes later he is handcuffed and led away, charged with disorderly conduct, later charging crowley with racial profiling. today as crowley returned to work and gates was filming a documentary, cambridge tried to turn the page. >> we are confident that we can ultimately come out stronger and more unified community. >> reporter: city leaders have asked policing experts to look at training, conduct community focus groups and suggest new practices. but officials emphasize that panel will not investigate the officers involved in the gates' arrest. >> the response and the incident speak for themselves. there's no reason to dwell on the incident. it's time to move forward. >> reporter: he did not rule out the possibility that some officers could be disciplined. and no date has been set yet for crowley kd gates to have that much-anticipated beer with president obama. that's expected to happen soon, though, as the city tries to move on. ron allen, nbc news, cambridge. re cockpit recording transcripts have come out of

that plane crash in buffalo this past winter. it was a commuter prop plane, you'll recall, operated by colgan air for continental express. you will also recall, perhaps, it started a debate over crew training and pay and often grueling work schedules. on the new transcripts, first officer rebecca shaw, who was sick with a cold, can be heard telling the captain, marvin renslow -- quote, oh, i am ready to be in aotm.elle roo renslow -- i feel bad for you. shaw -- well, this is onof ose times that i felt this when i was at home, the's no way i would have come all the way out here.no but now that i am out here -- >> renslow -- you might as well. >> shaw -- i mean if i call in sick now, i have got to put myself in a hotel until i feel better. you know, we'll see how it feels flying. 50 people died when flight 3407 crashed back in february. when our broadcast continues here on a monday night -- sarah palin's farewell address. but not for long.

tonight, what she said and where she might turn up next. and later, t highway hazard from texting. we will see what happens to the driver of a big rig. we will see what happens to the driver of a big rig. triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help prove all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information.

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how's that for going green? why ford? why now? why not? visit your ford or lincoln mercury dealer. tell 'em mike sent you. if you think it would help. her term wasn't supposed to end for another year and a half, but former alaska governor sarah palin is now a private citizen after stepping down yesterday as promised, out of office but hardly out of sight. our own norah o'donnell has been following all of this, is with us tonight from fairbanks. norah, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. you're right, tonight sarah

palin is a private citizen. she has promised to protect the interest of the state like a grizzly guards her cub. but she's not said how she's going to do that or what's next. >> some still are choosing not to hear why i made the decision to chart a new course to advance the state. and it should be so obvious to you. >> reporr: sarah palin quit her job as governor, she said, to avoid an unproductive politics as usual, lame duck, final year in office. >> i will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right and for truth. and i have never felt that you need a title to do that. >> reporter: before more than 5,000 people at fairbanks pioneer park, she scolded her opponent. >> we are facing tou challenges in america with some seeming to just be hell-bent maybe on tearing down our nation, perpetuating some pessimism and suggesting american apologetics. >> reporter: she also lashed out at hollywood. >> because you're going to see

anti-hunting, anti-second amendment circuses from hollywood. and here's how they do it -- they use these delicate, tiny, very talented celebrity starlets. by the way, hollywood needs to know we eat, therefore we hunt. >> reporter: but she saved her toughest attack for the media. >> democracy depends on you, and that is why -- that's why our troops are willing to die for you. so how about in honor of the american soldier, you quit making things up. >> reporter: palin believes there is a double standard for her family, with children of other politicians off-limits. >> one other thing for the media, our new governor has a very nice family, too. so leave his kids ale. >> reporter: it's clear palin is angry about the past year in the national spotlight. her approval ratings are at record lows. >> she has the goldwater problem.

there's enormous intensity behind her. there's enormous affection and support and admiration for her, but her base does not reach 50%, and half of the country is still skeptical of her. >> reporter: sarah palin's raised over $1 million for her political action committee. advisers say she's raised more than $300,000 since she announced she was going to step down three weeks ago. and, you know, that can fund a lot of political travel. her first expected stop -- california, to address a group of republican women in just two weeks. brian? >> norah o'donnell in fairbanks for us tonight. norah, thanks. another republican announced today he will be leaving office. senator jim bunning of kentuy said he won't seek a third term in 2010. the 77-year-old baseball hall of famer was considered the single most vulnerable republican in the senate. when we continue on "nightly news" for a monday night, sending a message about the most dangerous thing they say you can do behind the wheel.

every sunday, lasagna at mom's was a family tradition. when she started forgetting things, i was hoping it was nothing. grandma! what a nice surprise! mom, it's sunday. that's when i knew i couldn't wait. mom's doctor said these were signs of alzheimer's, a type of dementia, and that prescription aricept could help. he said it's the only treatment proven effective... for all stages of alzheimer's. studies showed aricept slows the progression... of alzheimer's symptoms. it improves cognition... and slows the decline of overall function. aricept is well tolerated but not for everyone. people at risk for stomach ulcers... or who take certain other medicines... should tell their doctors... because serious stomach problems... such as bleeding may get worse. some people may experience fainting. some people may have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bruising, or not sleep well. some people may have muscle cramps... or loss of appetite or may feel tired. in studies, these were usually mild and temporary. mom. talk to your doctor about aricept. don't wait. alzheimer's isn't waiting.

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but a ruling on whether he can play in the regular season does not come until october. now to the subject of distracted drivers, and this question -- you're at the wheel. an urgent text comes in. you feel compelled to reply, and at that instant do you realize you've become as dangerous as a drunk driver? we have convincing videotape proof tonight. our report from nbc's michelle kosinski. >> reporter: this is a study of driving to distraction, smoking, sightseeing, using cell phones, that involves actual drivers, not just a simulation of life on the road. and what virginia tech researchers found is even among some of the most seasoned drivers, truckers, text messaging was by far the most dangerous task keeping them from the task at hand, taking their eyes off the road the longest, and making their risk of a crash 23 times more likely. we have certainly seen the consequences of texting behind the wheel. this bus driver in texas was

tapping away just before this. no one was hurt, unlike this california train disaster last year in which the driver had been texting. 25 people died. as a result of those collisions and many others like them, 14 states and the district of columbia now ban texting while driving. but it could be tough to enforce. these teen textersere caught on tape by their parents, even though they knew there were cameras in their cars. "the new york times" snapped this shot of a teen texting friends while his buddy helped him with that other important machine he was supposed to be handling. several studies have shown that reaction time and steering ability were worse while texting than while the drivers were actually drunk. but a new survey of drivers by aaa reveals while almost all of them see texting as just as frightening on the roads as drunk driving, more than one-fifth still do it anyway. >> those people that admitted to

texting or e-mailing while they drive, eight out of ten of those same individuals said they knew it was dangerous. and that's outrageous to me. >> reporter: aaa wants a culture al shift, saying drivers need to recognize that behind the wheel any message that is not on a road sign can surely wait. michelle kosinski, nbc news, miami. this next story is in the category of things we choose not to think about every day. we all know that bridges are engineered to have some give in them, especially suspension bridges. they're made for some way and bounce. and here's proof. a photographer in new york made this. it's two hours of time-lapsed photos of the manhattan bridge. the problem is, watch the bend in the span. every time a train comes across, you can see the headlights repeatedly on that lower level. when the video was posted on the web, it gave some daily commuters pause. manhattan bridge, after all, was first opened in 1909. it's in the middle of a big reconstruction program.

the author of the only book out on the bridge says it was badly designed and underbuilt at the time. how many people use the bridge? a number roughly equal to the population of the cities of miami and cleveland every day. full video, by the way, is on our website, nightly.msnbc.com. when we come back, "making a difference" for the kids when mom and dad are serving far from home. in your hands... knees... and back. for little bodies with fevers.. and big bodies on high blood pressure medicine. tylenol works with your body... in a way other pain relievers don't... so you feel better... knowing doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand of pain reliever.

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the next time you hear us report about a new deployment of soldiers or marines to a place like afghanistan, remember, please, every one who serves leaves people behind. and when it's one or both parents in uniform and far from home, it can be a long and lonely summer. but a program in california is proving to be a solution by being a great distraction for the kids, and it's "making a difference." the story from nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: for 13-year-old

diamondique thomas, whose mother is in the navy, deployments are long and stressful. >> i miss not beinable to talk to her. >> reporter: at operation purple, more than just a summer camp, diamondique can find support with other campers who are just like her. >> it's good to talk to someone who can understand. >> reporter: a place for kids to be kids. >> a lot of things, the courses, the swimming, everything. it's amazing. >> at nighttime, we tell scare yab stories. >> reporter: beyond those scary stories and all of these smiling faces, these children share a bond. each child has a mother or father serving in the military. >> it gives them a week to be a fun as a kid and gives them friendships to build support on. >> reporter: funded by the sierra club, operation purple is now up and running in 30 states across the country. by the end of the summer, some

10,000 kids will have gone through the program but success is measured one child at a time. stevie bloomfield's father is a u.s. marine who served seven months in iraq. >> it's just really hard not knowing if your dad's alive or dead. >> reporter: at operation purple, stevie's tears turn to triumph as he leads another successful pole climb. >> good job. >> those are mpgs. >> reporter: military day is part of the experience, too, and the boot campers get a chance to paint their faces, try on flak jackets -- >> they're heavy. >> reporter: -- climb into a humvee. the motto is simple and true, kids serve, too. >> i'm proud of her because she wants to support her family in everything she does and she stands up for what she believes in. >> reporter: children who unrstand what it's like to have a parent at war. >> hi, mom. i love you! >> reporter: and get a small break from their own private battle with worry. >> good shot. >> reporter: miguel almaguer, nbc news, santa barbara, california. and that's our broadcast for this monday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams.

we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-esting condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%.