Jane Brody reports the staggering statistics — but mentions no solution

Veteran NY Times health writer, Jane Brody

In a recent Times article (9-12-11, see link below) entitled “The Numbers Behind an Urgent Fight,” Ms. Brody chronicles the latest numbers when it comes to the costs of treating obesity and the obesity-related increase in the number of cases of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. She predicts that if the current trend continues, “about three of every four Americans will be overweight or obese by 2020.” She continues…

By 2030 there could be 65 million more obese adults in the United States than in 2010, according to the epidemiologist Dr. Y. Claire Wang and her colleagues at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. The health consequences of such a rise in obesity are staggering. It would mean 8 million more cases of diabetes, 6.8 million more cases of atherosclerotic heart disease and stroke and more than 500,000 more cases of cancer.

Certainly the above numbers would warrant an “urgent fight” as the title reads. But, my question is “Where is the fight?” Who’s fighting? Over 90% of Americans are still chowing down on meat, dairy and highly processed foods three times a day. And yes, that means over 90% of the doctors, the dietitians, nutrition professors, the pharmaceutical execs, school teachers, etc. — almost everyone is still eating some version of our toxic, disease-promtoing Western diet.

This could be your grandchildren in 20 years. Want to join the FIGHT?

Where’s the fight? Oh, some would say that Michelle Obama is fighting. She planted a vegetable garden at the White House, she’s pitching for healthier school lunches and she’s partnered with Wal-Mart to promote healthier food choices. But, at the same time, she’s serving a big spread of brats, cheeses and other obesity-driving Western diet foods at her own Super Bowl party.

Where’s the fight? How about a serious effort to educate the American public about the plethora of negative consequences of the way most of us are eating? How about Jane Brody sitting down with Michelle Obama, Sanjay Gupta, and Bill Clinton and mapping out an educational strategy that would include a piece about “preventing and reversing obesity” in both the New York Times and on CNN every single day — forever — or until obesity is eliminated, whichever comes first.

The closest thing that I saw in Ms. Brody’s article to addressing the cause of obesity was this statement about the projected 500,000 additional cases of cancer, “The cancer statistics alone should be enough to keep one’s mouth from closing on a double cheeseburger and fries.”

I believe there are some knowledgeable people of integrity in the media who might be ready to join the FIGHT on a full-time basis. How about it, Sanjay?

If I can write a blog every single day, why can’t the premier media organizations of the world each write an educational piece every day about what is quite possibly our nation’s single biggest problem — our cost of health care? Why is the media not reminding us every chance they get about the blinding flash of the obvious solution to the mess we’re in?

We all know the answer to that question. MONEY. There is simply no money to be made by everyone getting healthy. If we all got healthy, we’d shave $2 trillion off the cost of health care — and those $2 trillion are currently going into someone’s pocket. That said, no politician could ever get elected if he/she even hinted (in New Jersey for example), that we may be able to completely eliminate the need for prescription medicine by 2030. We all know that our “system” won’t permit our elected officials to lead the FIGHT. That leaves US.

Where’s the fight? As for me, I joined the fight on February 9 of this year and this is my 219th consecutive daily blog since. You want to join the fight? How about sending my daily blog every day to someone you care about? There’s a SHARE button at the bottom of every post — making it real easy for you to email, tweet, or post on Facebook and a few other social media sites. You might want to start by sharing a few of these earlier posts dealing with obesity:

Obesity, diet and the CEO of the American Heart Association

Obesity, diabetes — still getting worse, with no end in sight…

Michelle, it’s time to tell the world about “meat & dairy.”

Michelle Obama…coming up short on healthy eating

Eskimos, obesity, diabetes and unsustainability — NPR

NYT…”Obesity Epidemic Points to Workplace” — I say Baloney!

****************

J. Morris Hicks, author and activist. Working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

Health and Financial Costs of Being Overweight or Obese – NYTimes.com

SHARE and rate this post below…One more thing, occasionally an unauthorized ad may appear beneath a blog post. It is controlled by WordPress (a totally free hosting service). I do not approve or personally benefit whatsoever from any ad that might ever appear on this site. I apologize and urge you to please disregard.