Obesity Epidemic Threatens Our Society

There is an obesity epidemic in America and, not surprisingly, an epidemic of obesity related illnesses.  Here is an alarming graphic which demonstrates this growing problem.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/70457/watch-america-grow-fatter-in-one-scary-gif

While we worry about the unhealthy messages our thin-obsessed media is sending, unfortunately we are heading in the opposite direction.  What to do?  That is a difficult question about a multifaceted problem, but the solution it is likely to require a gigantic cultural shift.  We have become more sedentary.  More and more, jobs continue to require less physical effort.  We exercise less and spend inordinate amounts of time in front of TV and computer screens.   We eat bigger portions of more processed and less healthy foods.  We are under more stress.  We sleep less.  The changes in the way we conduct our lives over the past 60 years have lead this epidemic.  And, there is no end in sight.

Sure, it’s easy to say eat less and exercise more, but when the lifestyles our culture often requires create, or at least significantly contribute to the problem, that can be easier said than done.  While public awareness might be a helpful starting point, I am not confident that we have the ability, or even the desire, to make the necessary changes on a marco level.

We need to encourage individuals to take charge of their health and their weight, but we also need to give them the necessary tools to do so.  Banning large soft-drink cups or certain foods in vending machines is not going to cut it.  Individuals must have the will and the ability to have a lifestyle that promotes good health, including a healthy weight. Unfortunately, our cultural norms and expectations can make it difficult to find the time and opportunity to make that happen even under the best circumstances.

There is no clear path to recovery, but the current trend is not sustainable.  The costs of an obese population are staggering. From lost productivity to the inordinate consumption of health care, the synergy of the combined effects of this epidemic will eventually spiral out of control.  While it is not yet clear where this will take us, it is not someplace good.

It reminds me of what is going on with entitlement programs such as Medicare or Social Security.  We know something needs to be done to make those programs sustainable , but as a society we don’t have the will to do anything because the wall at the end of the tunnel is so far down the tracks.  I don’t know how to cure the obesity epidemic, but I do know that by that time we get to the wall, perhaps sometime in the next 100 years, it may be too late.

 

 

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