Americans Tipped the Scales

We’ve finally done it America- we are now living in a country with more obese citizens than overweight ones, according to the latest federal government statistics.

“Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. It said just under 6 percent are ‘extremely’ obese.”

So how is it that only one third of the entire nation is considered to be at optimal weight? For one, we have a virtually endless supply of high energy foods and drinks. That, paired with the lack of physical activity due to our busy lives, is the recipe for a caloric epidemic. Unfortunately, our north-of-the-border neighbors are not such a good influence themselves. EpicMealTime, a popular YouTube cooking show, stars five Montreal natives who prepare and devour what looks like a lethally-saturated feast each Tuesday. Sure, they’re disgustingly entertaining, but it’s safe to assume that videos such as these are major contributors to the social norms we have created around food.

(Photo by Tobyotter under a Creative Commons license)