Obesity: Who is Really to Blame?

 

 

There is an old expression that goes "Success is always a father whereas failure is most surely an orphan." Most of us have heard in the current health care debate various opinions on what the drivers are for the skyrocketing cost of health care. Smoking, alcohol, sedentary lifestyles and obesity are the most common lifestyle causes I have heard. For the purpose of this posting, I will address only obesity.

One of the many things the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is currently investigating is why obesity is epidemic among our population in general. Some racial subgroups are more prone to affliction from this disease and our children have shown the greatest increase in the last 30 years. For example, over the last 30 years, the obesity rate for Americans has risen from 10% to 20%. Some experts predict if we do nothing to curb this problem, the number could climb as high as 40%. In addition, 30 years ago, our children had an obesity rate of 4% - it is now 20%. African Americans have a slightly higher propensity for obesity than Caucasians so their overall numbers are higher.

We live in a society that gravitates towards food. Listen to the radio, watch TV, drive around town and all you see are temptations for eating. We now live to eat rather than eat to live. We have all you can eat buffets, happy hours (snacks included), two for one specials, Wednesday freebies and so on. The temptation to stuff our pie holes is with us 24/7. Many people blame McDonald's - they deserve part of it for sure. However, it goes much beyond Micky Dee's. It goes to our grocery stores, restaurants, as well as other fast food establishments. There is plenty of blame to go around, including us. If we did not crave over indulgence, there would be no market for it - period.

As obesity is caused by over and incorrect eating, it is also caused by sitting on our butts from sun up to sun down. We get in a car to go to work, sit at a desk for hours, get back in a car to get home, have supper, and then watch the tube until bedtime. The next day it starts all over again. Groundhog Day.

For our kids it is worse. Take the bus to school, sit in class all day (PE has become elective in many schools) eat some government subsidized crap for lunch, take the bus home and sit in front of the computer or TV until it is time for bed. We are hurting our kids, sentencing them to a shorter, unhealthier life style by allowing this to go on.

So what to do. It is easy to see the problem and complain about it, but are there some simple things we can do right now? I believe there are. First and foremost, this has got to be a cooperative effort between government, industry and us. Schools should have mandatory PE, even if it means extending the school day to fit it in. All companies and institutions should encourage flex time, telecommuting,  or flex days to help us from being too stationary, too long.

We need to stop buying the types of fast food garbage with the regularity we do. The market will prevail - companies like McDonald's will start offering more healthy (yet tasty) alternatives. We all need to walk more. Mark Twain, a voracious walker, use to say he had two doctors - his right leg and his left leg. Walking, bike riding, treadmills need to become a mandatory part of our daily regimen rather than something we will get around to eventually.

We need to buy healthier at the grocery store. The stores could continue to put up nutritional guides and suggestions for shoppers on what to buy for maximum health benefits yet minimal costs. As obesity is also a poverty issue, encourage through the food assistance programs healthier choices and more restrictions on foods which are high in starch, sodium and empty calories.

This problem started with us and will end with us. There is no evil company that started this and made many of us fat. We just have companys that are reacting to supply and demand. Good habit are like bad habits - both take a while to develop. Lets start with the good habits to fix this problem once and for all.