America's Big Problem (Pun absolutely intended)

I know you all have been dying for a post from me, I was away for the weekend but don't worry, I'm ready to rock this blog.

A recent survey shows that 63.1% of adults in the U.S.A. were either overweight or obese in 2009, up from 62.2% in 2008.

There were 673,000 telephone interviews conducted, meaning 424,663 of them were overweight. If the survey is any indication about everyone in America, then that is a lot of bulge.

It's no secret America is one of the most unhealthy nations in the world, and it would appear we're not doing much about it. Sure, there are programs in place and there are initiatives to bend childhood obesity with the gym programs, but Americans themselves aren't doing much to combat it.

The health risks from obesity are obvious, but so are the health risks for smoking and there are still plenty of smokers. Our society would much rather buy a 1 dollar burger than spend the extra money at Whole Foods and eat healthy. Mostly anywhere you can go you can shell out 1.50 for a Pepsi or Coke but it would probably be harder to find OJ and milk.

What is striking to me is that America is contradicting itself. Fat people are generally looked down upon, yet it is surprisingly easy to become fat. There's a McDonald's on every corner and all you need is a 5 dollar bill to scarf down a few thousand calories, eat up.

"But Matt, they don't have to eat there, they can go to gyms," is what some would say. I agree, but then again Americans are lazy, and in our go go society there's not enough time for gyms, not enough money to buy health food, and not enough will to sit down and eat homemade dinner when you can drive down the street and get a heart attack on a sesame seed roll.

Unless the government shuts down the fast food nation and mandates gym time, America will probably continue to grow. As a bigger guy who has lost a lot of weight and is a former division 1 athlete, I can say from experience that losing weight starts with yourself, and lazy America probably won't get motivated anytime soon.

-Matt

(to lighten things up, I found a video of Kels Dayton at the gym, looks can be deceiving but I know this is him. Enjoy)