Intro

Welcome friends - I'm posting published articles and sundry items as time allows. Most subjects pertain to conservation, photo trekking and tourism in borderlands Arizona, USA. More of my articles can be seen on my publisher's website www.TubacVillager.com.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Opinion: Obesity (again) - Have shame for fatness, pride in fitness

Michelle Obama has had a positive impact on the war against obesity (see link below).

Thank goodness there is progress being made. National (international, now) obesity is a problem I never envisioned when I was younger. Overpopulation, yes. Destruction of the environment, yes. But the shock came when I realized that starting around 1980 (the advent of high fructose corn syrup and the decline of smoking) this problem "ballooned" to such proportions that it's truly a disgrace, and much more important than most folks even today realize.

The implications about so many things, not the least of which is our health care costs, are monumental.
The corporate food companies are largely to blame and must be held accountable. But of course, the main problem is with the people. Folks must start, once again if they ever did, take pride in fitness and have shame for fatness.

Making obesity the new "normal" is the most frightening prospect. For older folks it may be largely too late, but it's not too late for the kids. The obesity trend must not only be stopped, it must be reversed. And not be replaced by some other vice, like going back to cigarettes.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/lets-move-she-said-and-we-have