America the Obese
I've long been disturbed by how many overweight
people there are in this country. What's worse, the
problem continues to worsen.
In the year 2000, 31 percent of adults in America
were obese (defined as being more than 30 percent
above ideal body weight). That percentage will rise
to nearly 40 percent in 2008—just five years
from now. And this health issue is not limited to
adults; a study
conducted a few years ago found that 15 percent of
children and adolescents aged 6-19 are
overweight.
Though the tyranny of political correctness
ruling this country prevents even the word "fat"
from being uttered without a cultural slap on the
wrist, this problem—this
epidemic—needs to be addressed openly
and frankly. Though many obese and overweight
people might be sensitive about their condition,
it's not about personal appearance—it's a
health issue. Some of the risks associated with
obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure,
asthma and several forms of cancer. The medical
costs tied to obesity amount to as much as $93
billion annually, approximately half of which is
borne by the government (read: by you, me and our
fellow taxpayers).
Weight-loss programs of all shapes and sizes
have become more popular than ever, perhaps as a
result of the increased awareness of our nation's
obesity crisis. Yet, as I see it, some of these
programs require less and less effort on the part
of the person trying to lose weight, which in
effect treats the effect of the behavior without
changing the behavior. Dietary supplements such as
Metabolife and Slim-Fast (or even a Subway
sandwich) offer an easy way to shed some pounds
simply by popping a few pills or replacing a meal
with a shake. Liposuction literally sucks fat right
out of the body. Perhaps most drastic,
stomach-reduction surgery ties off the stomach,
reducing its capacity from two quarts to less than
an ounce, making it physically impossible to ingest
much food.
This latter procedure has quickly become the
latest weight loss fad. This year, more than
100,000 people will undergo stomach-reduction
surgery—a 60 percent increase over last year.
In fact, it was an interview piece about this
procedure (a thinly veiled infomercial, in my
opinion) on a Sunday morning news program that
prompted me to write this editorial. What struck me
most was the doctor's casual admission that the
mortality rate for this type of procedure is
approximately 1 in 250. What that means is that, of
the 100,000 people who will undergo the surgery
this year, 400 of them will die as a result of the
procedure.
I freely admit that I cannot understand what
would prompt a person to undergo such a high-risk
surgical procedure. I'm sure many such people have
tried other weight-loss programs without success,
and choose the procedure as a sort of last-ditch
effort. But—and I know I may offend some
people with this statement—I believe most
weight problems can be managed by an effective
application of diet and exercise; it's a lack of
real effort that drives most people to
stomach-reduction surgery and other high-risk
medical procedures.
Granted, many obese people may be genetically
predisposed to collect extra fat, thus making it
difficult to lose weight. However, that collected
fat has to get there in the first place. The pounds
don't just magically materialize. The local weekly
San Diego Reader ran a feature article
recently in which many morbidly obese people told
their stories. Virtually all of them described
their massive overeating habits and complete lack
of exercise. I contend that, if a person eats
sensibly and exercises regularly, it is impossible
for he or she to remain seriously overweight or
obese.
Unfortunately, we've become a fat nation because
we're a lazy nation. You don't see many obese
Asians because, as a culture, they're generally
hardworking. You don't see many obese French people
because, as a culture, they eat sensibly (which
requires more work than throwing a TV dinner in the
microwave). We get fat because we eat Krispy Kreme
donuts for breakfast, Big Macs for lunch and Pizza
Hut for dinner. We stay fat because we pop diet
pills and go on and off diet fads, instead of
eating right and staying fit. We may laugh as
people start filing lawsuits against fast food
restaurants, but it won't be long before the
widespread health consequences of obesity make
themselves felt, just as the effects of cigarette
smoking did.
If you have an opinion of your own, or want
to blast the writer for his controversial
contentions and stereotypes, send your comments to
Daily@Strick.net.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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