Can't Fit Through the Kitchen Door

Americans are fat. This is a problem that is getting no way but worse. Go to the store and I guarantee you will see at least five people who are unhealthily large. I'm not talking about the people with a little extra weight around the edges here, but the full blown elephants. You've seen them. They have seven chins, their bellies sag so low they could act as pants, and they have knees on the back of their calves. We, as a country, continue to gain more and more weight, and something should be done about it.

It saddens me to go out to eat and see overweight people stuffing their faces. A short while ago I was dining at Pizza Hut and a lady was sitting close by who easily weighed 500lbs. She was alone, but certainly didn't need any help polishing off her meal. No carryout box was required when she was ready to leave. I'm certainly not saying people shouldn't be allowed to eat what they want, but if you look like that, is going into public and scarfing down an entire pizza really the best thing to do? It shows the world that you've given up. Maybe that woman would say she was happy with herself, but even so, her life expectancy has to be drastically reduced by all that extra weight.

I was fortunate enough to be able to take a trip to China a couple years ago. I do not remember seeing a single overweight person during my entire two weeks there. The Chinese just generally eat healthier. Their lives don't revolve around junk food and quick meals. Not to mention, they walk and bicycle a LOT. Even in the smaller cities I visited, people could be seen outside walking or riding their bikes to their destinations. The majority of people in this country wouldn't even consider walking to the store, even if it was right down the street. You might argue that people walk all the time in larger cities like New York, but just look at the streets. The streets are flooded with bumper to bumper traffic almost 24 hours a day. There may be those who walk, but there are just as many, if not more, out there in cars and taxis.

Bicycle parking lot in China

Even the army is feeling the burdens of overweight America. I ran across this article today. New recruits are entering the army increasingly overweight. The army is in the process of completely altering its training program, eliminating sit-ups and running so that these physically unfit recruits can survive. Granted, from what they say in the article, it sounds as though the training program was ready for a few changes, but should overweight and unhealthy recruits really be the driving force behind such change?

Some people may think it is easy for me to sit here and preach in my buck fifty body and metabolism that wouldn't let me gain weight if I tried, and you are certainly right. Believe me when I say I feel for those working hard to drop a few pounds. I've never had to lose weight, but I have no doubt it is a daunting task. Instead of working so hard to promote weight loss programs and diet pills, maybe this country should focus more on fighting obesity before it happens. Parents today are quick to toss their child a hamburger from the fast food restaurant on the way home from work because it is quick and easy. Instead, they should be taking the time to prepare something for their children that is actually healthy and contains the nutrients for proper growth. With every generation becoming more and more overweight, if nothing changes, you have to wonder what we'll be like a few years down the road. In my head I picture a nation of Rascal Scooter riding lard buckets who no longer wear clothing because it takes too much effort to dress. Let's try and avoid that shall we?