A Growing Concern

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Millions of Americans have an unhealthy relationship with food. Our obesity rate has been on a dangerous increase since the 1990's, and it's affecting fundamental elements in our society. A staggering one third of our nation's adults qualify as obese; that's over 78 million Americans.

The changes this weight gain has wrought are many. For example, specific design criteria, which had been standardized for years, are now being challenged and increased. I remember some years ago hearing about high school and college desks for students. While the desks had been a standard size for decades, they needed to be increased because of the increased size (weight) of the average student. I remember thinking, "wow, that's just not right..." The eating and lifestyle habits of the average student were unhealthy enough to warrant larger accommodations...

Jennifer saw this article about crash-test dummies, with the same premise and result. Because the average American has grown larger, the 167 pound average crash-test dummy was no longer appropriate to run accurate trials - he / she needed to be enlarged. Here are the details from FoxNews:
As people get heavier, crash-test dummies gain weight



And if there's any doubt millions of us have an unhealthy relationship with food, check out the CDC stats on obesity from the 1990's until now.

• CDC's Obesity stats (from 2011 to present)
• Here is a powerpoint from the CDC from 1994 to 2010 showing the dramatic, regional increase of obesity in America: CDC PPT

This is sobering data, and strangely mimics a pandemic. No wonder our government is aggressively trying to instill healthy lifestyle choices in our nation.

So, what can we do about it? Individually, we can invest some time and thought into our own lifestyle habits. I'm content being an 80/20 or 90/10 eater. In other words, I try to get 80% to 90% of my calories from plant-based whole foods. I cheat every so often, and that's okay... hopefully it keeps me 'normal'. But my wellness lifestyle choices are radically improved over where they were just 5 years ago, and I'm so grateful for the health benefits which have come my way. Maybe it's time to set some simple, attainable goals for healthier eating and activity - I have no doubt you'll be thankful for it in no time at all.

By the Way

Our military has also recognized that, as a nation, we're "too fat to fight". It's almost becoming a national security issue. Check out the initiative at Mission Readiness; this is right from their home page:

"Currently, more than 70 percent of 17- to 24-year olds in the U.S. cannot serve in the military, primarily because they are too poorly educated, too overweight, or have a serious criminal record. Investing early in the upcoming generation is critical to securing our nation's future."

Whew... that's serious stuff...