The current scare in our global environment centers around the Swine Flu. The Flu can be deadly, but the greatest pandemic that we face is the Obesity Pandemic. We have been dealing with this silently creeping and deadly killer in our midst for decades. Slowly, the Pandemic of Obesity has crept up and it is now spreading throughout all industrialized nations.
The first thing that we have done is a good thing. We recognize that we have a problem and are taking steps to address it. Some of the fast food businesses are acknowledging the problem, and just as in the cases of tobacco, we are slowly gaining ground with the right to know what is in the fast food we are consuming on such a massive scale.
The public is trying to eat healthier diets but this is a slow process. We are a nation consumed with the “Super Size” syndrome and the portions we are served are far too large for the average humans daily consumption. And we are often not aware of what constitutes a “serving.” For example, in the past shoppers were able to buy “serving size” portions of chips and these are extremely difficult to find in a store. But when you buy a bag of potato chips, measure out one “serving size” of chips (1 ounce). These are about 9 potato chips for one meal or snack per person.
The average consumer now opens a bag of chips and can mindlessly eat their way through about 5 portions of potato chips in one sitting! The same holds true for serving sizes of French fries. When I was a child (many years ago) McDonald’s offered one size of fries. The size is now the smallest size offered at McDonald’s and what was once the large size of McDonald’s Coca Cola is now the small size.
In the past 40 years, we have “Super-sized” our way to the problems of the 21st century including an increase in diabetes, the pandemic of obesity coupled with childhood obesity, and all of the problems that go hand-in-hand with being obese.
Heart problems, the problems associated with lack of exercise and “couch potato” syndrome, as well as asthma, diabetes, self-esteem issues associated with obesity and a host of other related health problems. The 800-pound gorilla in the room is not Swine Flu, but the continued onset of weight creep that we are finally beginning to acknowledge.
Pandemic Obesity is here and we are fighting the biggest battle of all. This battle will make any epidemic of the flu seem like child’s play in comparison. Awareness and public participation, plus early detection, (i.e. learning to eat healthy meals from a very young age) is our best hope for containing this problem before it is way too late.
