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Obese America
Ouch:
Back in 1991, there were zero states in the U.S. that had an obesity level over 15 percent.
Today, Colorado is the only state with an obesity rate below 20 percent. Another 12 states have levels over 30 percent.
SEE — F for Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011
16 Responses to “Obese America”
It’s an epidemic and this is unfortunately where government needs to lead. I’m just skeptical that they can do very much without being draconian.
As am American living overseas, it is striking to see how comparatively heavy we Americans are. There are two things that non-Americans are doing that we aren’t:
1. Water — Most of the world drinks water. We drink sugary drinks — Coke, fruit juices high in sugar, etc.
2. Activity level — Where we live, people walk everywhere. In the U.S., whole cities are set-up to discourage walking (or bicycling, for that matter).
When I was a kid, moms were home. That meant that kids played outside in the neighborhood, and moms up and down the street kept a loose eye on kids. So, after school, it was baseball, kickball, playing army, riding bikes, etc. Now? Kids go home, and since the house is empty, they have instructions to stay inside where it’s safe. That means computer, video games, etc. — little exercise involved. I don’t think we ate any less back then, we just ran around a lot more.
My two cents worth.
It might help a little to end corn and wheat subsidies. Making high-carb food cheap isn’t a great weight-loss strategy. How many countries are there where poor people are the ones most likely to be obese?
Plus stop the ethanol subsidies which causes food prices to rise. Corn is over $7.00 a bushel, there shouldn’t be corn for fuel instead of for food. Even some Reps want the subsidy and the tax on imported ethanol of 57 cents a gallon killed. Hello, Obama.
I agree 100% with redbus1.
Calories in minus calories out= weight change. As stated above, you could eat most anything and as long as you excercised, you did not gain weight, Staying inside where it is safe is really not safe in the long run.
And for all the individuals that beleive government can solve the problems that plague our nation, the governemnt is part of the problem. How many government schools now have recess and P.E. outside where kids can run around and play games. In some schools that still have outside activities, the game of tag is not allowed since it is considered violent or kids that are fat are considered “targets” as they are easier to tag.
RP, I don’t think you can blame the govt for the lack of recess and phys ed (which I greatly believe in); I think that’s more the fault of a ridiculously litigious society.
“It’s an epidemic and this is unfortunately where government needs to lead.”
Agreed duck, but can you imagine how the GOP/TP and libertarians would react to any moves in that direction?
Yes, and they would be foolish. but as pointed out above the gumint can’t do much except to try and limit SOME of the more fattening “food” and “drink’ the kids consume. Perhaps sending the parents to a reeducation camp run by Al Gore would help.
Conservatives and libertarians have already freaked about recent cases where child protective services were called to intervene in the cases of dangerously obese children (I’m talking multiple hundreds of pounds). The solution is simple, end corn subsidies and our addiction to oil. People won’t drink mountain dew and eat skittles if each costs 7 dollars a pop, and will stop commuting an hour each day if gas costs 12 dollars a gallon. Poof, watch waistlines shrink.
Or we can continue this GATTACA-like experiment of dividing our population into obese, dull-witted, diseased Morlocks vs. thin, artistic, longer-lived Eloi.
Uh, JSpencer … ending subsidies (which go almost exclusively to high-carb crops) IS a libertarian answer.
Well Prof, that would be a good beginning. How would libertarians feel about mandatory phys ed and outdoor recess? Not so enthusiastic I think.
wHY THE “COMMENT IS WAITING MODERATION” ON SOME POSTS?
We should force companies to give 30 days paid vacation each year like the rest of the modern world does. Gives people time to distress and reevaluate their goals.
“How would libertarians feel about mandatory phys ed and outdoor recess?”
Considering that they’re done in 50 out of 50 states (and the home school associations that I know of), it seems like a moot point. Some things happen on their own, even when there’s no government mandate.
The linked article has a lot of interesting statistics, but not much content. So we’ve got a problem of rising obesity. The keys to the “why” of it are somewhere in the statistics, but not touched on at all. The huge numbers associated with poverty and race need to be understood, because that’s where the answer lies, I think. Taxing soda and fattening foods won’t do much.
I think the solutions need to include changes to food policy and the Farm Bill, working with local communities to fill in food deserts, put in effort for safe public spaces for outdoor activities, city planning for walkability, etc. Of course there needs to be education on nutrition and excercize, but if you make it easy and affordable to eat well and get enough activity, most people just do. I much prefer the strategy of creating a good environment to do the right thing than scolding people to go on diets (which only add to the problem), fat shaming (which, again, only adds to the problem), and mandatory nannying. The problem is that this environment where eating well and getting activity are affordable and safe doesn’t exist now, particularly for those in poverty. This is reflected in the numbers, and it’s something governments at all levels can and should get involved in.
I see statistics as simple tracking math, not harboring any reasoning.
The reason is a sociology problem not a statistical problem. A culture of people not ever being secure regarding their future supports businesses narrow minded views of productivity and absolute power over workers.
Reduce people to their lowest intellectual and creative potential by replacing their self worth with the corporate automaton daily kabuki, or just leave them aspiration free to merely dream of becoming an employed automaton, and they will seek reward from the simplest of the human senses. Probably because they have nothing else since life is certainly not rewarding. Or maybe it’s just fear.
Education is the answer, but unfortunately Republicans seek only reduced spending for the poor.