Obesity kills over 100,000 people in the US every year - that's 3 times the number of people killed by guns. Two-thirds of the US population is now overweight, the US Center for Disease Control says at least one in three Americans are obese, and 20% of the US health care budget is spent on obesity related conditions such as Diabetes. 30% of all meals in the US were consumed in restaurants and fast-food businesses.
One of the saddest statistics today is that over 30% of children in the USA are obese - a fact that inspired The First Lady, Michelle Obama to dedicate her time to the Let's Move campaign, a nationwide program dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping children become more physically active.
In the adult world, men are now getting fatter faster than women! It is well known that women talk about their looks and their figure, but the trend has also hit the male of the species. 80% of men interviewed in a recent British survey admitted that they were unhappy with their bodies and the biggest body issue they mentioned was their "Beer-Bellies". Over a third of those interviewed said that they would trade a year of their life to be able to regain their ideal body form.
Every year just after Christmas we are bombarded with media and advertising diets and fitness programs and we all feel winter-heavy and guilty for being out of shape. And recent years have produced a new trend to see ourselves through each other's "rose-colored glasses" as we all grow fatter. Models are larger, clothing sizes have been adjusted an X size bigger and the ideal of a good figure has grown so much that what is normal today would have been considered overweight just 20 years ago. Beer is not the reason for the obesity epidemic, but it does put on extra weigh faster than you might think. Its not the alcohol which causes fat, its the calories. Women tend to store fat on their thighs and hips and men store fat around their midsection causing a "Beer-Belly" in men. copyright©2012:Tim Newlin & timtim.com