USA Today reports that a new study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that “the United States is the fattest nation among 33 countries with advanced economies ... Two-thirds of people in this country are overweight or obese; about a third of adults - more than 72 million - are obese, which is roughly 30 pounds over a healthy weight.” In addition, the report says that the US, Australia and England are the “advanced” countries with the fastest obesity growth rates.
Among the OECD recommendations for how to deal with this crisis - and the report makes no bones about the fact that this is a crisis, both from an economic and health care point of view - is the use of “health-promotion campaigns, compulsory food labeling and a serious commitment from the food industry to stop advertising unhealthy foods to kids.”
Among the OECD recommendations for how to deal with this crisis - and the report makes no bones about the fact that this is a crisis, both from an economic and health care point of view - is the use of “health-promotion campaigns, compulsory food labeling and a serious commitment from the food industry to stop advertising unhealthy foods to kids.”
- KC's View:
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So much for being advanced.
It is hard for me to read stuff like this without feeling some sympathy for the folks in places like New York City and San Francisco who want to find ways to legislate the population into healthier eating habits. I’m not sure their efforts will be rewarded; after all, just imposing rules and regulations is not the same as getting people to buy into the notion that unhealthy eating isn’t good for the economy because of the health care costs involved with taking care of them when they get sick, and isn’t consistent with our self-image of a thriving, innovative, even pioneering society.
But I’m sympathetic. Because it isn’t like the obesity crisis hasn’t gotten a boatload of publicity. And still, the obesity rates go up, we all get fatter, and there seems to be no hope for a turnaround in sight.
