When did it become the norm that poor people are obese? Right now, 1 in 3 Americans are obese, and nearly 2 in 3 are overweight or obese. Throughout history, the poor have been HUNGRY...and thin. Meat has become cheaper than grains and vegetables, while we super-size and sugar everything. Check out the CDC's latest info on obesity in America for some shocking statistics...
Remember when going to the ice cream store meant picking out a single scoop of your favorite one of 31 flavors? Now the ice cream is simply the base, and we put multiple toppings of fudge and CANDY on top of our multiple scoops. In simply the past decade, fast food sales climbed from $107,147 BILLION to $164,836 BILLION dollars per year. Hmm...what if we spent some of those BILLIONS on health promotion, instead?
Obesity has numerous health consequences: Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancers (such as colon, breast and uterine), liver disease, sleep apnea and joint problems (especially knee and hip.) Our estimated obesity-related medical costs as a nation are $147 Billion annually. The obese INDIVIDUAL spends at least $1400 more on their medical care than a normal weight person.
BOTTOM LINE: Stop looking for the perfect diet, diet pill, or most amazing gym, and start making common sense small changes, like focusing on eating MORE vegetables and fruits and getting MORE active!
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