On a recent trip to South Korea, we met a Japanese government official who was traveling with his parents. As we waited for a bus at the Korean Folk Village, his father asked us whether we were British.
Responding in a voice that is influenced by the Southern region of the United States, it seemed that even to the untrained ear, the twang would be a giveaway.
It was not.
The British inquiry had nothing to do with our tone of voice but with our physical size.
He looked at us and said, "You are not fat. Americans are fat. You must be British."
So in addition to the United States being blamed for H1N1 (swine flu) in China and South Korea, the Japanese believe Americans are "supersized."
Perceptions are reality and that dose resulted in knowing that it was time to engage in a new battle of the bulge: the waistline.
The Times Free Press has launched a year-long series on obesity: a silent killer. The series will examine the fight to lose weight and keep it off and the consequences of an unhealthy diet. It will also focus on children and ways to improve their eating and exercise habits.
As we developed the obesity approach, we needed an understanding of the numbers.
The first fact is that a high percentage of Americans are overweight. We eat too much, too often. We exercise too little or not at all. We love potatoes, particularly those that are fried or grow on couches.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report in June stating that the cost of treating obesity-related diseases may have exceeded $147 billion last year. The cost of treating obesity doubled over a 10-year span, reaching 9.1 percent of all U.S. medical costs.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the CDC's new director stated that "the average American is 23 pounds overweight. Obesity is causing disabilities and exacerbating health disparities. The average American consumes about 250 calories more a day now than two or three decades ago."
Closer to home, Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey launched Step One, administered by the local health department, as a means to address childhood obesity.
"We were a little bit ahead of the curve in addressing the consequences of obesity, particularly with our young people," Mr. Ramsey said.
The numbers for students in Hamilton County schools tell the tale of the tape:
* Forty percent to 45 percent of local students are overweight or obese.
* There has been a 600 percent increase in diabetes-related incidents the past seven years.
* There has been a 300 percent increase in asthma and allergy-related incidents the past seven years.
Russell Cliche, director of the Hamilton County Schools Coordinated School Health Department, said while students are more aware of healthy living, many continue to be sick, obese and sedentary, and to discount healthy food.
Mr. Cliche shared with Times Free Press education writer Kelli Gauthier that "there is just not enough of a focus on changing schools' unhealthy culture and habits."
Or as one school official said, "I think it is important but, on the other hand, there's only so many minutes in the day -- when do you get everything in?"
As the pitch is made in the commercial (with a little license): You can either change now or change later. Your health and that of our children is all that is in the balance.
To reach Tom Griscom, call (423) 757-6472 or e-mail tgriscom@timesfreepress.com.
Or login with:
New Account