the bad news: 68% of americans are overwt or obese. the good news: the numbers are holding steady enough that some think we’ve topped out. the bad news: while maybe fewer will get fatter, it’s likely the fat people will simply get fattier – and that means more risk of disease and disability. some suggest that obesity, like tobacco use, has a limit, lower and upper. over the past 40 yrs, fewer people still smoke. one reason, of course, is that the generations who started before it became taboo have nearly passed on – maybe due to smoking, maybe just due to aging. however, some stats show that people are smoking in greater numbers, esp among the young. so, at the bottom, it can only go up. likewise with obesity, except nothing’s really changed- – people still eat poorly and our lives are becoming more sedentary in general. therefore, while the numbers of overwt/obese may have plateaued, the risk that others will join the multitude remains; and the likelihood that those who are there will run into the same problems that those who have tried for eons to not get there will only increase in weight. what’s the solution: hate to say it but, eat less, move more. everything else is window dressing….
