Since 1980, the obesity rate has doubled in 73 countries and increased in 113 others. And in all that time, no nation has reduced its obesity rate. Not one. Huffington Post
That is a startling statistic.
It is worse than the frustrating statistics on education, which, in the U.S. at least, never seem to get better. Nobody can point to a school system that is doing the thing that gets better results and which can be adapted to all the other school systems so that they all improve. There are systems that have improved their results somewhat, but never, it seems definitively. Nobody can go to a failing system and say, “it’s simple: just do what these guys did and you will get the same results”.
We know that Finland does great with their schools. They don’t give their children homework. There: try that in Peoria.
Anyway, back to obesity, reread that quote: not one nation has succeeded in reducing the obesity rate.
So, obesity is normal. It really is, when you think about it. Developed nations have certain things in common about it’s food production: the massive overproduction of sugary calories in junk food and excessively sweetened other foods. These are profit centers for the “food” industry. As long as governments refuse to legislate policies that diminish the supply of bad foods, the populations will not resist stuffing themselves with them.
Every single one of those nations is doing something fundamentally wrong and can’t see it.
I’m perpetually perplexed by the obesity issue.
Just 4 percent of agricultural subsidies go to fruits and vegetables. No wonder that the healthiest foods can cost up to eight times more, calorie for calorie, than the unhealthiest—or that the gap gets wider every year.
What if a town decided that it would no longer allow the food industry a free hand in providing endless supplies of fattening foods? What if banned displays at store counters of racks and racks of sugar-coated candies and chocolate bars? What if it required restaurants, like car makers, to meet a certain set of standards so that the average nutritional value of the foods served meets a certain minimum?
What if– simplest solution ever– it imposed a tax on sugary foods that reflected the increased costs of health care caused by their consumption? What if a bag of sugar candies cost $15? But a bag of carrots and celery cost $2? You want to sell sugar-carriers to children? Well, the cost will now include the amount required to provide the additional health care required by an entire generation of diabetics.
The Republicans, in the U.S., would rise like giant waves of ogre faces and scream at the top of their lungs, “the Nanny State is coming to take away your french fries!” And they would win the next election. “I don’t want the government telling me what to eat. I want Nestle, Coca Cola, and Unilever to tell me what to eat.”
And the food industry will speak gently, through their highly qualified public relations people: fat people are lazy! They need to exercise more! We’re all about choice! Candy can be part of a “balanced” wholesome nutritious diet.
[whohit]Global Total Failure[/whohit]