Hey America! You’re fat!
-The rest of the world
Obesity in America a biiiiiiiiiig issue. This morning I was sent two separate infographics about this growing problem, and I thought I would put together a joint post. We’re not just talking about overweight anymore, we’re talking obese, and even morbidly obese. So what are the stats saying? Have a look at these infographics.
Highlights
- Lower income households have the highest obesity rates
- Currently, Mississippi has the highest obesity rates in the US (Way to go guys!)
- It is projected that 44% of Americans will be obese by 2030
- Soda is the leading cause of obesity in the US
From Reece at Webstaurantstore
The soda connection
There has also been some heated talk surrounding soda, and perhaps even limiting sizes available to purchase. The New York City Board of Health has decided this week to implement Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s controversial proposal to limit the sale of super-sized sodas. This has also been talked about in a few other states, and could spread to other disctricts.
Here’s what others are saying about soda:
Instead of banning soda, maybe we should ban stupid government bans
NYTimes
HuffPost
From Blaine at Everyday Health
Overall, I think that poor decisions are the root cause of obesity in America. Poor decisions in government for not looking at the trends 10 years ago, poor decisions by the companies who helped us realize “Bigger is Better!”, and poor decisions by the consumer for reaching for the worst possible things available. We all have to take responsibility, and fix this problem one meal, or one drink, at a time. Will banning things help? Maybe… but it also sets some dangerous precedents. At least people are trying something!