But the majority are and here's the proof: obesity rates have doubled in the last 20 years. That can not be explained by skyrocketing thyroid problems, increased medicine intact or an outbreak of people feeling depressed after a spouse dies.
Weight gain comes down to simple mathematics: calories in minus calories out equals net calories. If net calories is a positive number, then there will be weight gain. If net calories is a negative number, there will be weight loss. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
If your calorie intake is increasing, then in order to prevent weight gain, one must increase calorie output. That could mean running, swimming, biking, taking the stairs or playing with the kids. Not only will you keep the weight off, but you'll feel better in general too.
There is no excuse, the knowledge of the above math is available to everyone. The knowledge of what comprises a healthy diet and active lifestyle is available to everyone. Whether they CHOOSE to use that knowledge is their CHOICE, but then they have no one to blame but themselves for the outcome of those choices.
Just because there is a Wendy's down the street does not make you purchase a Biggie-sized extra value meal five times a week. The consumer made that choice and the consumer can make the choice to layoff the grease.
I'm not defending anorexics or promoting anorexia. I believe that people should be CHOOSING to follow a healthy lifestyle, one that incorporates healthy eating and physical activity. Those two, properly balanced, should not result in obesity or anorexia.
Furthermore, how do overly skinny people cause more of a societal expense? How are the rates for anorexia increasing compared to obesity?
No kidding. For you and I it may be easy to go for 10 miles, but I do not buy the arguement that there is not some form of physical activity that someone can find fun in, nor that there are people who are incapable of understanding what a healthy diet comprises of. We're supposed to be living in an educated society.
So that means we should just stick our heads in the sand, ignore the statistics which tell us very clearly that western society is eating more and more junk, is getting less and less physical activity and therefore getting fatter and fatter? Yes, I'm sure things will improve if we just wish really hard that everyone all get along and be happy in who they are, with their Monster Thickburger in one hand and diet Coke in the other, sitting in their SUV.
The facts are there. The knowledge to do something about it is there. It just needs the willingness of individual people to take their lives in their own hands, to excerise their grey matter and make the best CHOICES for their own life.