Monika Sumpter did what many women dream of -- she set a goal to lose weight and dropped 50 pounds... Sumpter is not alone. As many as 30 million Americans who are considered average weight may actually have what scientists call "normal weight obesity," according to a recent study by the Mayo Clinic...

The study, which followed 6,171 Americans over nine years, found 20 percent to 30 percent of people considered normal weight still have an alarmingly high percentage of body fat…

"Women with normal weight obesity, meaning those who have high fat and a normal weight have a two times increased risk for death or dying from heart problems or a stroke," said Dr. Francisco Lopez Jimenez, who led the Mayo Clinic study.

Good Morning America - ABC News, By Angela Ellis, 1/27/2010

Also mentioned on CBS Early Show

Tags: Cardiology, normal weight obesity