We have Failed

Today the Trust For America's Health (TFAH) released it's report on the state of our growing waistlines and it is not pretty. In fact, the name of their report is F as in Fat. What is most alarming is that now the obesity percentage is higher than the overweight percentage.

By this I mean, by review of recent years data, TFAH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 67% of adults are a combined overweight and obese. (Of course this means that only 33% of us are of normal or low weight.) The overweight and obese categories are not however, 50-50, but uneven, with the plurality of adults being OBESE. It is close, 34 %obese to 32% overweight.

The report offers reasons why this is so and how states have gotten worse or stayed the same, with only ONE state having a rate of obesity below 20%.

Children's rates of obesity did not rise in the past year, but they have tripled since 1980. Children also have a combined overweight/obese rate over 30% but in their case the overweight is slightly higher than the obese.

This is so important. This is NOT a matter of beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or accepting oneself no matter the size. Obesity is a disease. Obesity leads to high blood pressure and diabetes which both can lead to fatal outcomes, including heart attacks. With our children so terribly overweight the crisis is only going to get worse and the future for our country is grim.

The financial costs and burdens are also noted in the report which you may view here.
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2009/Obesity2009Report.pdf


The CDC has an interactive map that you can see as well.


http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html


Please listen to the following PSA on Obesity.



Remember, cutting calories can reduce weight.
Try the link to the Stand Up and Eat Org below this post for evidenced based safe weight loss.
For cooking tips see Deerunstoo on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/deerunstoo