The one abiding feature of the news report showing the protestors in Louisville, initially marching quietly together, about half black and half white and mostly only in their twenties, was obesity.
It was extraordinary and explains in part, first why America covid statistics are so bad and also, why for the last four years, U.S life expectancy has dropped each year.
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https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2228rank.html
I see the US is ranked at #12 in obesity worldwide, but interestingly, New Zealand is not far behind, at #22…
I used to work in a clothing business. The body model used for 1st world countries has changed drmatically in just 20 years. Sizes are being bumped “upwards” (women don’t like buying anything above size 12 etc etc) but the actually size has increased by about 40%.
I wonder what the % increase in the consumption of hamburgers, fried chicken etc etc has been in this period? Certainly more than 40%
Along with obesity, there is a penchant for tasteless urban art (see the Federal Court House in Seattle), iPhones to record the fashionista conscious looting at high-end stores such as Gucci, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales as well as an attraction for Big Screen TV’s. Not true socialists but prisoners of Fromm’s marketing archetypes.
Sir Bob. How dare you raise this issue in the day of “anti body shaming”?
Messages now abound how everyone should be happy in their skin no matter how taunt or stretched that skin may become.
Decades of health warnings about the health effects of obesity are ignored. The added acknowledged cost of obesity on our health system means that this “affliction” does infact affect ALL of us one way or another.
Peter above quotes our world status but as NZ now has 2 languages perhaps we should separate our obesity stats to lets say Polynesian v European. I am guessing but I suggest the former catagory may be pushing for a gold medal and definitely challenging the US.
Personally I carry 5 kgs I shouldn’t (I blame the red wine and single malt)
But I’m all in favour of a fat (sugar) tax with a difference. For every kg we are over weight, Doctor reported, you must pay tax. $200 a year per Kg. This will have 2 effects. Cause immediate weight loss or fund the future inevitable cost of obesity to our health system. Simple really.
I’m a big believer in user pay.
The obesity epidemic now gripping most of the industrialised world has its roots in the industrial model of food production that is now the norm in these countries. Food production is one activity that should not have been linked so enthusiastically to the pursuit of profit – and the result is now all too plain to see. In some countries1000 years of food culture has been swept away by bland characterless gloop that is designed to be consumed in ever increasing amounts of to satisfy ones appetite – with the all too obvious result.
They eat too much and the food they eat is rubbish
On the plus side (pun intended) there isn’t likely to be a pension problem…