“Are Americans so unwilling to tackle the obesity problem that the Government has to get involved?”

In an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jean-Luc Picard argues with his brother Robert about “modern technology.” Robert is quite adamant that life is already too convenient. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a replicator so that dinner could be prepared at the touch of a button? How nice would it be to travel from place to place through a transporter? Ok, back to reality…or maybe not. Hungry? For $2.99 get a whole meal! Convenient foods have not always been healthy foods. There is no question that being overweight causes health problems. There is no question that Americans are struggling with being overweight. “The average 10-year-old in the United States weighs 10 pounds more than the average child in the 1960s, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And that translates into adult obesity: The average adult now weighs roughly 25 pounds more than his or her 1960s counterpart. Over the past two decades, the obesity rate for children has doubled, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. For adolescents, the picture is worse: More than three times as many are now obese.” The reasons are many. The solutions are just as varied. “A new national study suggests that pre school-aged children are likely to have a lower risk for obesity if they regularly engage in one or more of three specific household routines: eating dinner as a family, getting adequate sleep and limiting their weekday television viewing time.”

There is NO question that something needs to be done. Here is the statement that really struck me. Don George, Neutraceutical Consultant for the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program at the National Center for Education Statistics said, “This is a huge problem and I am thankful the Federal Government is finally getting involved.” After reading this, I ask myself the question, “Are Americans so unwilling to tackle the obesity problem that the Government has to get involved?” What are your thoughts?