The political question

Submitted by Michael on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 09:36

I am astounded by how often, and intensely, political views enter the obesity debate. Conservatives rail against the "food police," and hammer on "personal responsibility" as the solution. (As a former 365-pounder with 20 years of diligence toward achieving and maintaining a normal-sized body, I know about personal responsibility, and agree that each of us needs to claim our own part.)

But I don't want to recapitulate the arguments today. I want to ask: Do you, whatever your political leanings, see a problem in the state of American physical fitness? Two of every three American adults are considered overweight or obese. That's 145 million people. One out of every three kids is obese, too. Is that a problem?

I say it is, in ways stretching from individual well-being to national security — how do you staff an army when, on average, a third of potential recruits are out of shape? What about the lost productivity and higher health costs borne by all?

If you think it's a problem, what do you propose to do about it? Is "people should take responsibility for their own actions" going to cover it? That was true yesterday, and the day before, and we're still the heaviest nation on earth.

 

I do think obesity is a problem, both individually and collectively. Accordingly, I think the solution is both individual and collective.

 

 

 

 

Speaking at Commonwealth Club

I will be speaking on the topic of food addiction at the Commonwealth Club of California, the oldest public affairs forum in the country, on Feb. 28. I'll be joining a fabulous panel of researchers and clinicians: Nicole Avena of Princeton and the University of Florida, Eric Stice of the Oregon Research Institute, Vera Tarman of Renascent Center of Toronto, abd Elissa Epel and Andrea Garber, both of the University of California at San Francisco. I am very excited to be part of the roster, not to mention to be appearing at such a great institution. Ticket information here; if you come, please stay afterward to say hello.

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