Obesity in America

Obesity in America

(From 'The Waisteland' Mother Jones)
In 2006, the surgeon general called obesity "the terror within" and said it could "dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist attempt."
A recent anti-obesity ad campaign featured a "suicide bomber" with bars of butter strapped to his chest.
A 2002 study found that 13% of men and 17% of women of recruitment age are too fat to serve in the military.
Recent studies have attributed obesity to low-fat foods, lack of sleep, ear infections, intestinal bacteria, pollution, plastics, poverty, air conditioners, socializing with obese people, your mom's age when you were born, and your maternal grandmother's diet.
Researchers say obese Americans contribute disproportionately to global warming by consuming 18% more food and 938 million extra gallons of gas every year.

The Obesity Crisis: What's it all about?
The nation's scales are going up...up...up...and it's clear that we have an obesity health crisis on our hands. So what can we do about America's obesity epidemic? It's not just a case of telling people to eat fewer doughnuts and walk around the block each day. Scientists--including specialists called endocrinologists--are looking into the many biological angles behind adult obesity, childhood (pediatric) obesity, and obesity-related health problems (diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, and are working to figure out how to combat the obesity epidemic.

The Domestic Impact
While obesity rates have increased in adults nationwide, the obesity epidemic has increased more dramatically in specific areas of the country. The following chart depicts a regional breakdown of the obesity epidemic among people in the U.S. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is highest overall in the Southern region of the country.