Battling Obesity in America

(CBS)  In its "Where America Stands" series, CBS News is looking at a broad spectrum of issues facing this country in the new decade.

The evidence of an epidemic is everywhere.

Two-thirds, more than 190 million Americans are overweight or obese.

Obesity-related diseases are a $147 billion dollar medical burden every year.

Childhood obesity has tripled in the last thirty years.

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As CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports, this could be the first generation since the Civil War to have a shortened life expectancy.

The Problem

To gauge the problem, a team of doctors and cardiologists from Houston's Memorial Hermann Hospitalset up a MASH unit of sorts in a middle school gym, where they run a battery of tests on 97 seemingly healthy children.

But the results reveal an alarming reality here: three out of every four children are either overweight or obese.

Heart Screening for all Sixth Graders?

That means about seventy of the children are on a high-risk trajectory for coronary artery disease by their 30's and 40's.

Doctor Joshua Samuels treats kids with blood pressure levels of an unhealthy adult. Back at his clinic, 11-year-old Wesley Randall has dangerously high blood pressure, and is 60 pounds overweight.

"I just eat," Wesley said, "to solve my problems."

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"A few years down the road these are the people who are going to be flooding into our hospitals and emergency rooms," said Dr. Samuels.

Fifteen-year-old Emily Allen is trying to avoid just that. "What I look like now, she said, "it upsets me."

The Hudson, Michigan teen was healthy at age five. But by age ten, she could no longer fit into kids clothing. She became obese.

"I just feel guilty," she said, "that I couldn't change earlier."

On doctor's orders, Emily joined a weight loss program called "m-power" at the University of Michigan. She's already lost 26 pounds, thanks, in part, to support from other teens.

Other teens, like Amber Bell, who is in an even scarier life or death struggle. She's shed 50 pounds, but still weighs nearly 400 lbs.

"What made you say, 'I'm going to make a change here,'" Doane asked.

"I didn't want my parents to feel like I was a failure and I wanted to have friends," Amber replied.

(CBS)

For Amber, Emily, and so many families - the battle started with money. Emily said she started gaining weight when her family started buying cheaper foods.

Kelly Brownell studies obesity at Yale University, and says the government doesn't help by subsidizing corn - an ingredient in virtually every sweetener. Corn farmers were paid $56 billion dollars over the last ten years by the federal government to grow their crop.

(CBS)

Produce farmers? Not a dime.

"If you go to McDonald's today, you can buy a quarter-pounder with cheese meal that means the large drink and the large french fries - for less than it costs to buy a salad and a bottle of water," Brownell said. "There's something wrong with that picture."

More Obesity Links
The Obesity Society
Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity
Calorie Burner Chart
CDC: Food groups and diet
CDC: Body Mass Assessment

The Norman Rockwell picture of 1950's America has certainly changed. Today, we consume more than 500 more calories a day - than a quarter century ago.

It's easy to see why in a place like Baldwin Park, California, population 81,000.

With six fast food restaurants or convenience stores for every one place that sells fresh produce - this community might seem to be at the root of the problem. But, in fact, it's at the forefront of a grassroots solution. Here, they're trying to innovate.

Connie Gonzalez and her mother Maria volunteer with the program "Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities."

The group pushed for a ban on new drive-thru windows. Since 2006, not a single fast-food restaurant has opened. Fresh produce is now stocked in stores that never carried it.

Connie helped convince the school board to make salad bars a staple, and 100-minutes of weekly physical-education is mandatory. With all this, in five years - 135 kids here are no longer overweight.

"All of us are working together to better our city," Maria said.

"Why does it take a whole community," Doane asked.

"One individual can't really change much," Maria replied. "But if a city comes together - we can change a whole lot."

(CBS)

But that's not enough, said Kelly Brownell. He likens the war on obesity to the one against tobacco.

"The parallels are stunning," he said. "Marketing to children, distorting the science, influencing policy makers and the like."

The consumer is bombarded by the food industry which:

spent $30 billion dollars on advertising last year

makes eye-catching claims that products are "healthy" - when they are anything but

And even the world's largest nutrition group -- The American Dietetic Association" -- has a list of sponsors that includes the very companies selling unhealthy products.

"The single best thing to ever happen to fight tobacco were high taxes on cigarettes," Brownell said.

Those taxes that increased the cost for a pack of cigarettes led to a drastic drop in smoking.

Brownell's studies show a penny per ounce tax on sugared beverages - like soda - would cut consumption and raise billions that could fight obesity.

"Isn't it our own responsibility to moderate our behavior," Doane asked.

"The personal responsibility approach is a fine place to start," Brownell said. "But we've been doing that for forty years now and we're losing the battle with obesity -- that's been an experiment that has failed."


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[Em64]

We need to take a look at the bigger picture and look at the changes that have occurred in our lifetimes. I'm 47 and there were very few obese people, adult or children when I was younger. And we ate all the "wrong" things.

This "epidemic" is manmade and government sponsored. The low fat foods that we pay extra for and consume in ever increasing amounts have done nothing but make the diet industry rich, people fat and sick and USA a punchline in fat jokes.

Read author Gary Taubes books and articles and you will be amazed to see the marketing machinations and faulty "science" that have fueled this so-called epidemic.

Since realizing that fat in my food is a natural appetite suppressant and that simple carbs are just body fat's best friend I have dropped over 20 pounds and never been hungry.

And interestingly, the first area of fat I lost was the dreaded and high-risk belly fat. We are killing ourselves listening to a bunch of moronic government sponsored "scientist and researchers" who are paid to only view evidence that supports the industries agenda. We are literally cash cows who have been over fattened for slaughter.


http://www.garytaubes.com/writing/articles/if-its-all-been-big-fat-lie/

[sforeaker]

Check out to www.oa.org. For the majority of people with weight problems it can be summarized as "It's what you're eating and it's what's eating you.". Most people eat due to cravings which in general are caused by stress. The stress is what's eating you. And what is it that we choose to eat when we're stressed? Not fruits and vegetables. If people could deal with their stress (depression, anger, rush hour, work, money, etc.) and learn new behaviors (make better healthier choices). Overeaters Anonymous is a 12 step program that costs you nothing. No joining, no paying fees, no paying for food...simply helping people learn to deal with what's eating them and how to make healthier choices. www.OA.org

[EarthScientist]

Oh and let me not forget that there are nerves in the stomach that signal fullness and hunger and when they are shunted,the person is constantly hungry until that organ is full,guaranteed and let me tell you supposed Doctors of Medicine,you have one hell of alot of science tio catch up on if you are ever to survive the onslaught that is protocoling our paradigm,let me tell ya.

[EarthScientist]

The process that has transpired against the humans on this planet has people tasking against people,calling names,and pushing the obese into further and further processes that deplete them in society,and yet the ones who task against someone based on their health problems are amongst the worst problems we face,NOT.
I know,you thought that my opening statement was the same old psychological ploy that has been trained into all of the "schooled" social psychologists that come out of the cookie cutter institutions you all support every day,even those psychotic folks who task daily against any of the souled beings you can get to.
Obesity and overweight bodies is caused by a very certain set of someones who are paid by "Big Corporations" to "Adjust" the bodies ability to use its energy from carbohydrates and store what cannot be burned for heating and energy. Everyone who has trouble with their weight "NEVER" has their body heating properly adjusted. A pin into the pitutiary nerve feed stops the body from using the carbs to heat. Pins put into enxyme bags to stop the proper digestion of complex foods furthers the process against bodies.
Every single disease ,and of course cancers are included are brought to the body,it is not hereditary or self inflicted.
When you look at certain genetic factions,you will find very little health problems,and that statement speaks volumes.
The process that depletes bodies gets paid,as I said,and certain people do not work much,or they have easy ability to open businesses from the monies gleaned.
There are no accidents,everything happens because "Someone" makes it happen.
Heart attacks are not accidental and anuerisms either,and you can question a person such as me for the mechanism,and yet certain politicians are depleted with these processes daily and their families tasked against,and some are threatened with these processes to keep them quiet.
So bottom line for now is that you people who negatively task against peole who cannot control their weight and store their carbs should be sanctioned for your processes,and by the way,I am not obese or fat,Im just the scientist with a Doctorate in Hyperdimensional Physics who understands what you do NOT.

[from_the_north]

Why can't people just get up off their obese ..... and be active? We have become a country full of lazy stupid people. It's not even manditory for kids to have sports anymore!!! Cell phones thumbs are well developed now-a -days, computers help sitters develope fat bottoms, where are all the energetic young people? Playing nentendo, not learning anything useful or educational. Just like Palin didn't know Africa wasn't a country our kids don't know where Europe is.

[badger4149]

Leave things as they are. Soon enough all the obese slobs will kill themselves, and we'll be a fit, healthy society again!

[formrusmcsgt]

We don't need to battle obesity... most overweight and 'obese' people who I know are IN BETTER HEALTH than the people who are very thin or underweight for their body size and type.

by Lerianis4 January 8, 2010 9:49 PM EST
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As born out by the $150 billion extra we all shell out for the "healthy" obese.....

Sheesh.

[dpffun]

Blaming the US farmers for fat people is like blaming the auto workers for building cars that have wrecks and kills someone. Yes the farmers produce really cheap corn and for a few years those subsides were the only thing keeping farmers going.

[dsnj1-2009]

It is easy-eat right (if you can't pronounce it, or don't recognize it on the label, don't eat it), and exercise (aerobics, running, something to get the heart rate up) for 30 minutes a day (yes, everyone can do 30 minutes), there is no excuse, 5 days a week. Easy, just a change of habit and priority.

[ddog88]

And when the golden arches crumble to the ground-the obese shall rise up and feast on the fit.