Killing Us Sweetly: Conservatives’ role in the growing burden of American obesity

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Killing Us Sweetly
Conservatives’ role in the growing burden of American obesity.

BY Theo Anderson


Conservatives interested in defining and defending American exceptionalism should really love our waistlines. The United States may not lead the world in much anymore, but its citizens are easily among the fattest in the industrialized world. And there is no end in sight to our growing size. Our political system, paralyzed by a lethal combination of conservative dogma and corporate interests, is completely unprepared to face the realities underlying America’s obesity epidemic.

One-third of the country’s adults were classified as obese in 2010. That’s double the adult obesity rate in 1980. The state with the highest overall obesity rate in 1995 was Mississippi. Its rate at the time–19 percent–would now be the lowest in the nation. Mississippi’s obesity rate remains America’s highest, at more than 34 percent, while Colorado has the lowest rate, at 20 percent.

Those numbers will almost certainly continue to rise, and it’s plausible that half of America’s adult population will be obese within the next two to three decades.

The medical costs related to obesity are enormous, because it’s closely linked with diabetes–a chronic disease requiring costly, long-term treatment. In 1995, only four states had a diabetes rate above 6 percent. But as rates of obesity have soared, so has the incidence of diabetes. All but eight states now have a diabetes rate above 7 percent. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/12286/killing_us_sweetly

[Stuart G]

1. How does one respond to this one???Here is how..K and R..

I went to Japan in 2007..about 11 days.

It was so clear that we/ Americans were bigger than the Japanese.
Not a little...but a lottle..a whole lot..
I recall all the walking that people seemed to do in Tokyo.
I could go on, but what Marmar has posted is very very important.......

[MH1]

5. In many (most?) office buildings, people are forced to take the elevator rather than the stairs.

Because of security, if you take the stairs you will find the door locked when you get to your floor. Unless building owners are required to treat those doors (which are usually fire doors) also as access doors (i.e. you can swipe your badge to unlock it), people will be forced to take elevators.

Sure, a lot of people will take the elevator anyway. But those who would choose the stairs would be healthier, and lighter, for it.

[izquierdista]

2. ...conservatism cherishes “rugged individualism”...?!?!

I hadn't noticed. What I do notice is that they all read off the same page of talking points, denigrate diversity, and want everyone to have their same beliefs and values.

[chervilant]

4. hmph

Fat prejudice does not help. Blaming and shaming does not help.

FYI, both sugar and hydrogenated oils can be found in almost every processed food. I encourage you to watch "Supersize Me" and "Food, Inc." before you start absolving 'conservatives' of their role in producing fattening foods.

[Overseas]

6. They should be able to resist all multi-million dollar ad campaigns arrayed against them

since childhood. The USA can't be like other countries that have banned junk food advertising from kids' programs. That's socialist. We banned cigarette ads and liquor ads on TV but we did that when we were less afraid of prioritizing public health. When we understood that some government regulations were necessary to help a majority of our people. But that was the era when Republicans supported environmental and other regulations.

We're now in the 30 years of Voluntary Self-Regulation by big business. And diabetes care is a billion dollar business.

We can say that we trust that parents will have enough hours in their days to train their toddlers to resist the hundreds of commercials designed to appeal to young minds.

Food companies are just spending millions on ads everywhere because they want you to eat Twinkies instead of Klinkies. You can just ignore all those ads.

Soda pop companies are just spending millions on putting their products into schools to help education in America.

Kids like breaded deep fried sweetened chicken nuggets. If you want slim children it is up to you parents working two jobs, with just a few hours with your kids, to teach them not to eat it even if you are so poor that you qualify for the school lunch program.

[Odin2005]

7. What an offensive post.