The non profit group Trust for America's Health reports that obesity rates have risen in 31 U.S. states, despite increasing focus and money being spent on what to eat, what not to eat, how to cook, exercise, and live. Top three fatty states are Mississippi, Alabama and West Virginia. Colorado, Hawaii and Massachusetts were the trimmest states, according to the report. TAH is actually calling for more government-funded research into creating better obesity-prevention programs.
What?! How difficult is this!? The word is in, long since, people. Move more, eat less, turn off the tube, take pleasure in a wide range of foods, stop snacking, say "no" to fast food joints, send your kids outside to play, toss out processed foods, reject supermarket blather, drink loads of water, buy locally whenever possible, stand up and prepare and cook fresh food, and sit down to enjoy meals with family and friends. Oh, and if you're not vegan ( and if you were, you would not be fat) eat full fat plain( good quality) yogurt, about half cup a day.
Frankly, my dears, each and every adult in this country has to wake up and take charge of his/her own health and well-being and that of their kiddies. Because endless more research and programs will never make a dent without personal responsibility. ( OhmygawdIsoundlikeaconservative..................a real one.)
On the other hand, The FOOD Museum could use an infusion of funding, so maybe we could turn this common sense understanding of obesity into a mega-funded research project!
p.s. We know that there is a segment of the U.S. population that is hard-pressed to get access even to a supermarket--only mini marts exist in their neighborhoods. For them eating better is exceedingly difficult indeed.
p.p.s. Evidently bad eating habits, quite likely inspired by the American fast food model, now abound around the world. So says the International Congress on Obesity, now convened in Sydney, Australia, in this AP report.
( Drawing from Slate.com)