A BIG problem that no one seems to be talking about when the debate about health care reform is discussed at dinner tables around America is the fact that many of the health problems facing Americans could be alleviated if Americans would adopt a healthy diet and exercise. It is greater access to gyms, and not hospitals, that this country needs! With all the interest in Health Care Reform Plans going on in the United States, I think it is time we start talking about who should really be responsible when poor lifestyle choices lead to a greater need for healthcare. If tax dollars are going to be used to subsidize healthcare, then the government needs to step in and tell people the truth that they seem oblivious to. Americans are fat!

A 2009 American Heart Associate study (http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1236358025411OVRWGHT.pdf) shows that nearly a third of all Americans are obese, and nearly one-quarter of our children meet the clinical guidelines for obesity. It is not the fat, alone, that is the problem, it is all the associated conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, respiratory problems, arthritis, and psychological problems that will become a drain on the health care system.

No one is disputing that there is a size problem in the United States, the real problem is that no one wants to address the causes of the problem and point that finger of blame. And not in the direction you are thinking…obesity in America is a problem caused, not by the individual, but by society.

Culturally, different groups have different perceptions of beauty and what is an acceptable physique. African-Americans are the obvious group to look at because many young African-American musical performers don’t have a problem espousing a “big is beautiful” theme in their lyrics. Who doesn’t remember Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back?” But it is not just the big-butt-loving African American males that celebrate a rounder figure, the mothers also tend to over feed their children in a misguided attempt to make sure that they are “healthy.” Hispanic populations tend to have a food-centered family life, and also value roundness, especially in their females. Asians are the anomaly, as they are typically smaller than the other ethnic groups, but as they assimilate into American culture third and later generations are becoming taller and fatter. Caucasians are the clear example of how income and weight are correlated as the numbers in all social brackets are greater than for any other racial group. It is clear that the poorer the family, the larger the BMI. So perhaps the earlier assumptions about ethnicity being a key factor are less important than social status. More minorities are, according to the latest census in lower income brackets.

So who, besides the people who are getting fat, can we blame? According to a 2003 study by the National Institutes of Health entitled, “Epidemiologic Research in Hispanic Populations: Opportunities, Barriers and Solutions,” populations in their native country, eating the same typical diet are less fat. Apparently the ingredients in their native food are loaded with hydrogenated fats, corn syrups, and other obesity-inducing components that are an American additive. The way the US Government subsidizes farming artificially lowers the cost of unhealthy foods, making them more available to the American population as a whole. If you are a Mexican-American shopping for groceries, are you going to get the healthy tortillas made like they are back home, or are you going to buy the less expensive option because you don’t know, or could care less about the differences beyond cost. Anyone who has been inside a grocery store in the past decade can vouch for the well-known fact that it is expensive to eat healthy. And when you combine the cost variances with American laziness, more and more people are just going to opt for the dollar-menu at the local fast-food restaurant.

Should fast-food restaurants share in the blame for the American obesity epidemic? Can they really be blamed for selling people something that they want and making a profit doing it? In the spring, the Senate Finance Committee discussed the creation of a “sin tax” to be tacked onto sales of unhealthy beverages, such as alcohol and soda, but opposition believed that this would become a tax on the poor (http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/2009/august/Tackling-Fast-Food-Habits--With-a-Tax.html). But isn’t that exactly the point if one wants to create a healthier America. The CDC shows that obesity effects lower income Americans at a much higher rate than more affluent Americans, so shouldn’t we do the poor a favor and price unhealthy choices out of their budgets? If Americans were making good choices, there wouldn’t be a problem, but there is…perhaps it is time for the government to step in and save us for ourselves. This is not a time to talk about body acceptance, this is a time for action, and if feelings have to get hurt, then so be it for saving lives should take priority!

Who do you think is responsible for making Americans fat? And what do you think should be done about the problem before it starts to bankrupt us faster than our tendency to go to war?