Americans just keep getting fatter

You would have thought that all the news, the campaigns, the TV shows warning against obesity and praising exercising and being fit, would have by now resulted in less obese people and reduced incidence of sedentary lifestyles. Still, Americans are set on consumerism and this mill stone keeps them away from any form of exercising. This situation is not only persisting but it’s actually becoming more prominent.
And who would have thought it’s possible to get any fatter anyway? Apparently, the American dream isn’t too fond of restrictions, even if they are an integrated part of common sense. This has been scientifically proven through a recent study released by the Trust for America’s Health and apparently 28 states report an increase in the rate of obesity cases. Statistics show that Mississippi is still for the sixth year in a row the country’s fattest state. Not surprisingly, this state also ranks first in what concerns physical inactivity and hypertension. On the good side, it’s only second as far as the rate of diabetes is concerned, a lesser bad to say the least.

Unfortunately, grown ups have fallen victims to a sedentary life of easy consumerism but their children have fallen victims of the parents. This serves to perpetuate and even aggravate the problem. Many parents are oblivious to the weight problems their kids might have. This seals their fate so to speak and things can only get worse from there.

Fortunately, the media, the internet and public space are all full of awareness campaigns and surveys have shown that there’s more awareness on the subject of child obesity than before and parents are becoming more responsible about giving their children just what they need and not all they want.

This threat on public health is a national issue and it has now spread to all generations. As clear as the issue has been made, results fail to rise to expectations. Many programs are available, nutritionist urge us to be more careful and the media is hosting shows about the weight loss struggle. Still, people don’t seem to get that this is happening to none other than them, not people on TV, in statistics and so on. So they may acknowledge the crisis without actually stepping towards fixing it.

People should understand they are part of the crisis and they should take baby steps until their lifestyle gets back on the right track.

New surveys have found that 84% of parents believe their children are at a healthy weight. This wouldn’t worry us and might even put our minds at ease if it wasn’t for the fact that other statistics show that a third of all American children and teens are actually obese or overweight. This clearly point to the fact that Americans have already adapted their perceptions of normality to an excessive weight. This is very serious and it is very difficult to surpass. It would be like somebody trying to tell a person with not weight issues that they should become anorexic if they want to be healthy. The American media and other educational institutions are going to have a hard time with changing the eating habits of millions of Americans.

80% of the people surveyed however acknowledge the dangers and risks of childhood obesity. How can the link be made between knowing you must avoid obesity and the inability to see obesity when it’s right under your nose?

Obesity in adults consists of having a body mass index of 30 or more. This is a more severe condition and incredibly frequent in USA. Morbid obesity is also a condition that knows more incidence in USA than in many parts of the world. It’s hard to believe that the more developed a country is the more people indulge themselves. Hopefully, they’ll soon realize this is not the life they wish for their children and that the world is much bigger than the living room.

Being overweight is easier to turn around. This means that your body mass index is between 25 and 30.

Obesity rates of over 30 % were reported last year in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and West Virginia. Unfortunately, 30% obesity rates were reported in four more states, namely Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

In fact, after all the work around combating obesity and educating people to improve their lifestyle, only one state reported a decline in adult obesity rates. New and more detailed research is necessary to find out exactly what moves people and reaches them in a way that moves them in the direction of turning a new leaf and realizing life is better lived with a better physical condition.

This rise has actually been constant for the last 20 years and almost 70% of all states have adult obesity rates above 25%.  In 1991 all states had an obesity rate under 20%. How is this possible and what can we do about it? More explaining needs to be done to see to what needs food and consumption answers so dearly. There must be a different way to reach satisfaction. Is it stress, is it just the appeal of more and more cheap foods? This needs to be established.11

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