Eating Our Way Into Bankruptcy
This column was written by The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
So you've heard no doubt about the halo effect at Subway. A new study claims that people who go to restaurants which advertise healthy food tend to eat too much of it and, in fact, a few hours later will snack more based on the idea that they thought they had deprived themselves earlier.
This is crazy, I know, but we are Americans and we are happily eating ourselves to death and bankruptcy.
New statistic just out show that adult obesity in America is twice that of Europe. Obesity carries with it a plague of chronic diseases that are incredibly expensive to treat. As a result of that added obesity, we're paying an extra $100 to $150 billion dollars a year in medical costs and as long as we keep getting fatter, those numbers will continue to rise.
We already spend about two trillion dollars on healthcare. All those extra pounds are a literal drag on the economy.
One of these days we'll realize we can no longer afford to be overweight.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on many CBS Radio News affiliates across the country.