Can The Obesity Epidemic be Halted?
The Obesity epidemic is getting out of control and it is obvious that steps need to be taken to reverse the trend. There have been numerous TV and press campaigns urging the populace to become more active and to be more selective about the foods they eat. In a recent press conference however The NYC Health chief is suggesting that more radical action is required…..
“Governments should regulate food companies on unhealthy ingredients in products that contribute to obesity, an epidemic that now affects 1-in-3 Americans and costs the U.S. $150 billion a year, said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley.”
….More at Obesity Epidemic Needs Government Rules: NYC Health Chief – Bloomberg
One of Americas richest men is so concerned about the problems that arise from obesity he is prepared to invest in a new research project aimed at getting to the bottom of the obesity epidemic.
“Why would a billionaire energy trader-turned-philanthropist throw his foundation’s dough behind a new think tank that wants to challenge scientific assumptions about obesity?John Arnold, 38, whose move from Enron to a spectacularly successful hedge fund got him on the list of wealthiest Americans, isn’t crazy about talking to the press. But certainly his decision with his wife Laura to back a newly launched operation called the Nutrition Science Initiative, or NuSI, is an intriguing one.
. But NuSI says large-scale scientific studies that tackle fundamental questions — like how food really affects fat, hormones and the brain — are what’s needed to solve it more than anything else….”
More at Billionaires Fund A ‘Manhattan Project’ For Nutrition And Obesity – WNYC
The Trust for America’s Health has just released a report that suggests that the obesity epidemic could affect a staggering 60 per cent of the population by 2030 if it goes unchecked.
“According to a report by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) the number of obese adults, along with related disease rates and health care costs, are on a course to increase dramatically in every state in the country over the next 20 years. This analysis has also showed that states could prevent obesity-related diseases and dramatically reduce health care costs if they reduced the average body mass index of their residents by just 5 percent by 2030. This report says if obesity rates continue on their current trajectories, by 2030, “13 states could have adult obesity rates above 60 percent,…”
More at Obesity rates may soar in the U.S.A. by 2030 – Examiner.com
Tags: dramatically overweight, fighting obesity, obesity, obesity epidemic, overweight