Obesity: our new health epidemic.

We are fat in America. But we know that. My clothes don’t fit. I can’t wear a belt anymore; they don’t make them that big. And as the husband tell his wife: “No dear, that dress doesn’t make your butt look big. It’s all the éclairs, chocolate and cakes you eat.” Well the government says we aren’t getting fat as fast as we used too. Thank heavens for that news.

The rate of rise has slowed—but not by much. Overall, one of three adult Americans are now overweight. The second is obese and the third, of normal weight. The rate of rise has dropped a whopping 0.7% over the last few years. See what not eating that ice cream cone does for the country. The medical experts hope this stabilization in weight gain continues. The number of extremely obese people in the American population has enlarged by over 5% in the last 40 years. If we keep on this trend for another 20 years, the experts say there won’t be many skinny Minnies left in America. Only one in three is now in a normal weight distribution.

So what does it mean to our health? Can I be fat and fit at the same time? It depends on how you measure it. If you take mortality and morbidity, the answer is no. Death rates are higher in the obese. Higher rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes occur. Thromboembolism is also higher. Obese patients have greater surgery and anesthesia risk. They don’t heal as well. They have less cardiac and respiratory reserves to fall back on if a problem occurs. How are rates of cancer, arthritis or joint disease and other diseases altered by obesity? On the other hand, the issue is not totally cut and dry. A national survey showed that almost one fourth of normal weight individuals had two metabolic abnormalities compared to almost half who were overweight and two thirds who were obese. Thus, some of the overweight folks had normal healthy metabolic profiles. What does this mean? We don’t know yet. Will subgroups of normal weight and obese people have different health outcomes? Are there un-healthy skinnies and healthy fatties? Of course. Obesity is just one of many factors determining health.

We all know the economic law that the rich get richer. We have confirmed the biologic fact that the fat get fatter. It looks like the latter law will overcome the former. The epidemic of obesity will add millions to health care costs. We will all be made poorer by increased health care costs, and the great toll illness will take on the obese.

Some doctors now urge us to not only weigh ourselves but to monitor our belt size. Where the fat is located seems to be important too. But we need not worry. Our government is here to help us–again. What would Americans do without their Uncle Sam? Yes, they recently tried, tongue in cheek, to pass a law not allowing restaurants to serve us fatties. They have taken away the fats we cook our fries in, and now they put calorie counts on the menu. Junk foods and sodas are removed from schools. They want to tax them too. Can you believe it: they actually expect schools to provide nutritious meals? Wow, I wonder how I ever grew up so healthy without Uncle to guide me along the way.