My Weighty Questions About America's Obesity

NPR has been airing "Living Large: Obesity in America," which focuses on not only the facts related to obesity but also the contributors.  If you haven't heard it, check it out here. It's informative, factual, compassionate, and sobering.

What gets me about this series is the gap between what we know (we need to be healthier) and what we do (keep celebrating food). It brings up a lot of questions.

Fat Acceptance: should we accept overweight as a lifestyle? I'm a compassionate person; I don't feel at all comfortable with someone feeling shameful because of their size. On the other hand, I feel strongly compassionate about the need and responsibility we all have to manage our weight. Are television shows like Mike and Molly great because they celebrate people as they are, or harmful because they mainstream one of our biggest national epidemics?  I don't know.

The Cost of Being Healthy: it tears at my soul to hear stories about low-income families who feel like they have to max out their calorie-per-dollar in food that is keeping their children in a state of malnutrition. There are numerous resources for eating healthfully on a budget, but the message isn't reaching the populations who need to hear it and learn it. What can we do?

The Behind-the-Scenes Agenda: there are plenty of conspiracy theorists, myself sometimes included, who will evangelize that at the root of our obesity problem lies a politician with a big fat wallet.  Food manufacturers are called to task for their marketing tactics, but if their sales drop, people lose jobs and our economy suffers. Pharmaceutical companies are dependent on people being unhealthy. Plenty of advocates would be out of work if our problems were suddenly solved. The cynic in me asks, "what does America gain from this?"  I don't want to know.

It's on my mind. I'm getting out there and getting healthy, but that won't be enough for long.

What's next?

Not Buyin' It

On Friday I was listening to NPR, as usual, and heard this report on the new "regulations" that will be imposed on food marketers in five years or so, related to how they can market junk food to kids.  It was all about how the "regulations," (in quotes because they're pretty much optional) are not likely to make much of a difference in how food is marketed to kids, and what a shame it is.

And it is a shame.

But here's the thing - the whole time I was listening, nodding, and pumping my fist while grimacing at my radio, one thought was going through my mind:

Just don't buy it.  Don't buy the crap!

Food marketers spend a lot of money selling food to kids.  But the last time I was at the grocery store, all of the people pushing the buggies and swiping the debit cards were adults.  I don't know any kids who are making the grocery list, going to the store, and buying the family's food for the week ahead.  Guess what: it doesn't make one lick of difference what the food marketers say. YOU CHOOSE. 

I have a kiddo, I know how it is.  They have their sweet little faces and they use their magic words and you love them.  Uh huh.  Been there!

Here's how to limit the number of times your darling angel asks if he can please, pretty please, clog his arteries with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil:

1. Turn off the TV and radio.  Listen to your iPod.  DVR your shows and fast forward through commercials. Watch PBS. The only food I've seen advertised there is raisins.

2. Learn about nutrition so you can explain why you're saying no. 

3. Remember, they may hold the air time, but you hold the wallet.

Food marketing regulations may not go into effect for five years, but you can start creating a healthy family now! 

Good day!