There is no doubt that obesity is a major health problem. Obesity is a risk factor for several conditions, including: cancer, diabetes, gallbladder problems, gout, heart disease, high blood pressure, and breathing problems such as sleep apnea and asthma.
Over 32 percent of the adult population in the U.S. is obese. Europe is quickly approaching the U.S. level. This problem now is even staring to face developing countries as processed items from industrialized countries are becoming cheaper than traditional local items.
The U.N. now says that there are more obese people than starving ones. Obesity worldwide is soon projected to be a bigger health problem than AIDS and malaria combined.
There is concern about the increased in health care costs due to obesity. A recent study in the Netherlands however, found that over a lifetime obese people cost less to treat than regular weight people because they die sooner. That is likely to be small comfort to obese people and national health services that are facing raising health care costs now.
Worldwide governments are scrambling to come up with solutions.
Some Proposals:
Maryland - is in the process of making walking the official state exercise.
New Mexico - has a proposal to tax video games to fund promotion of healthier lifestyles. This legislation is cleverly titled “No Child Left Inside.”
Mississippi - legislators have introduced a bill that would ban restaurants from serving obese people. The bill is short on specifics and is widely seen as being a publicity stunt.
France - will ban commercials for certain food products during children’s programming. In addition there’s plans for this vague sounding paragraph: “The French government’s plans include the setting up of a food quality watchdog and focus on supermarket groups reviewing their sweet and chocolates display policies and withdrawing stocks from checkouts.”
European Union - thinks that better labeling on food products might help.
Perhaps the biggest news story related to obesity the last couple of weeks has come from the United Kingdom. The result of a survey of doctors was published, showing that 60% of doctors thought that the National Health Service (NHS) could not afford to provide full health care to everyone. They suggested that the unhealthy (obese, smokers, heavy drinkers) and the elderly might have to be denied certain treatments.
The reaction to this was predictable. People were outraged that anyone would deny them their right to full health care. But once government is in charge of health care, isn’t this pretty much inevitable? If I take pains to avoid any lifestyle health risks, why should my tax money be used to pay for those who don’t?
Will we see more governments restricting freedoms in order to combat obesity?
Just when I was going to Ton’s for lunch…
I don’t have anything particular to add, just wanted to take a breath before jumping back into the Weekly Links debate.
Good article though… reminds me of Martin Niemoller’s poem.
First they came for the smokers, and I didn’t speak up because I didn’t smoke.
Then they came for the alcoholics, and I didn’t speak up because I didn’t drink.
Then they came for the trans-fat producers, and I didn’t speak up because I didn’t like trans-fat.
Then they came for me, and by that time, no one was left to speak up.
^^^ Hmm, guess ZFT didn’t like my tags.
All the politics and infringed-upon liberties aside, I wouldn’t mind if they didn’t allow certain advertising during children’s TV programming.
And if we go to universal health care, maybe we could even things out by giving people some kind of health tax credit if they turn in a good report from their annual physical. You know, a carrot (not a jelly donut) instead of a stick.
I agree with your blank statement, thainamu.
*breathes*
You jumped onto an anti-Universal Healthcare rant there…but does Universal Healthcare mean government intrusion? does Mississippi have Universal Healthcare?
People are already being denied service in America for lifestyle reasons. Imagine what will happen when government completely controls the method to pay for health care.
Universal health care does mean government intrusion. That doesn’t mean that governments can’t also intrude if there isn’t universal health care.
OK, if it won’t show the before and after photo, here’s the URL you can click on:
http://linda.simons.googlepages.com/2jasens2.jpg
That’s more of an after and before picture.
Amazing Jasen!
It’s like people are being conditioned toward government intrusion when they think its the responsibility of the government to regulate the food industry. People see kids getting fat and they think, “The government should step in and stop this madness!”
But in reality if people at healthier they wouldn’t have such a problem. If you eat Mickey Disease, that’s your choice. If you feed it to your kids, that too is your choice. I say this as someone who has eaten quite a bit of fast food, until I realized I was making a bad choice. And I didn’t even need government intervention to figure that out.
Fast food in itself isn’t inherently bad. People seem to repeat that mantra too easily. However, like anything, overeating of fast food is bad for your health. McDonald’s offers some pretty decent food these days, and in moderation you can eat any of their stuff.
“Fast food in itself isn’t inherently bad.”
You’ve got to be kidding me!
I believe it can be eaten in moderation without damaging one’s health, but I still believe it is inherently bad pseudo-food. Even McDonald’s healthy stuff isn’t the best. They’re chicken salads have MSG and sugar in them.
Once after I had eaten healthy food for an extended period of time, I decided I would “treat myself” to some Mickey Disease. All I had was a two cheeseburger meal, you know with the fries and a drink. Man, was I ever sorry! I felt horrible for the rest of the day. When people come from foreign countries where they are accustomed to eating natural food, they can scarcely eat fast food without getting sick. Most Americans have developed an immunity to it, that’s why we don’t think its so bad.
There’s nothing wrong with sugar and MSG in appropriate amounts. I can certainly see adding MSG to a chicken salad–MSG is a flavor enhancer. Some people are really sensitive to MSG and can’t eat it, which is unfortunate of course, but that doesn’t make it dangerous or unhealthy. Really, it’s no more unusual than saying the chicken salads have some salt added to them–which I’m sure they do.
You guys are encouraging me to drive down to Carl’s Jr. for lunch today… must… resist… $1.29 hamburger… fried… zucchini…
Exactly, Jew. Our society gets on the bandwagon against MSG, trans fat, CO2, DDT, etc. without realizing that none of these are inherently bad when used in moderation. People call CO2 a “polluter,” when it is most emphatically not. It occurs naturally, thus it can’t really be a polluter.
“Exactly, Jew. Our society gets on the bandwagon against MSG, trans fat, CO2, DDT, etc. without realizing that none of these are inherently bad when used in moderation. People call CO2 a “polluter,” when it is most emphatically not. It occurs naturally, thus it can’t really be a polluter.”
Yeah, I see where you’re going with this. And I completely agree on the C02 thing. But all I can tell you is that I used to frequent a local Chinese restaurant. I started to realize that afterwards I would have chest pains. It was actually quite frightening. I then found out that was a side effect of MSG. Maybe I’m just one of the people who is sensitive to it, but it can definitely mean potential hazards for some of us. What percentage of the population do we constitute? I don’t know. No one does.
I agree that people tend to get on the bandwagon about the latest diet data, but that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t avoid eating certain things. I don’t know one single fat or overweight person who doesn’t eat fast food. There must be a connection. Obviously personal responsibility and moderation are the main things, but if a person eats fast food (or junk food) more than a couple times a week, odds are they are overweight.
Good point, Chris A. American cuisine doesn’t tend to have MSG, but Asian food is full of it. For those who are sensitive to it, that can be a real trial. Avoiding MSG is getting harder because companies are adding it to more and more processed foods.
True enough, but the same can be said about peanut butter that you’re saying about MSG. Some people are quite “sensitive” to it (allergic in fact) and can die with minimal contact. Furthermore, eating large quantities of peanut butter is not good for you, since it is quite fatty. But I don’t think anyone would push for a ban on PB from a health perspective (schools have been banning it on the off-chance that an allergic kid dies from contact with it).
I’m saying that moderation applies to almost everything (except most hallucinogenic drugs and rat poison). Eating at the Golden Arches a couple times a month is fine (especially if you take advantage of their more “healthy” options). I know some people who come very close to calling fast food a “sin.” I’m wary of labeling anything as sin that isn’t explicitly or implicitly done so in the Bible. Another example is a cigarette or cigar. Now I’ve never smoked either, but in moderation, I don’t see the harm. Running a marathon can be more detrimental to your health than smoking a cigar.
Darius said, “I’m saying that moderation applies to almost everything (except most hallucinogenic drugs and rat poison).”
Maybe not such a good example. Many people take “rat poison” in moderation as a blood thinner.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warfarin
lol
Nice.
You proved my point even more… people can eat rat poison but not McDonald’s???
ACK! Beat me to it. I was about to say “Warfarin (Coumadin) IS rat poison!”
As we say sometimes in medicine, poison is in the dosing.
Amen. Rat poison has saved countless lives, including my dad’s.