I came across an infographic today (included below) that lays out the costs of obesity. In the USA, one out of every 3 adults clocks in as obese; in Canada it is currently 1 in 4. Not only shocking, but I don’t see it shrinking anytime soon…
My view on why we have a society-wide obesity problem: #1. Sedentary lifestyles at work (desk/cubicle work) and rest (TV & PC screen time); #2. Companies with business models structured around getting us addicted to salt, sugar, and fat have strong incentives to — well — get us addicted, and; #3. The “enjoy it all now and pay for it later” drumbeat of our consumer society dissolves most personal discipline, whether related to financial management or personal health management. Bottom line: It is very hard to remain focused on what you really want when you are bombarded hundreds or thousands of times per day with some perspective on “what you should want” or “what you deserve”. Consequently I have the up-most respect for anybody that has ever mastered an addition of any kind, whether that be smoking, gambling, or whatever. Tough stuff indeed…
Here’s the infographic:
