Deaths from Covid-19 Versus Obesity: We Seem It Have Missed a Larger Epidemic

The graph below shows the death rate from Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants. The worst area is the United Kingdom, at just over 64. We shut down most businesses, we shut down schools. We closed the parks. We were told to stay inside. We were advised to remain six feet from each other when going out and wear masks. Toilet paper mysteriously disappeared. I can go on and on. You get the picture. You lived through it. Our politicians claimed that if even one life was saved through all of these measures, it would have been worth it.

Now take a look at the graph below. The death rate from obesity for the world is 60.14 per 100,000-almost as bad as the worst region for Covid-19! The United States is even worse at 71.95 per 100,000. How come our politicians have not locked us all in a health clinic and created a healthy weight reduction program until nobody dies from obesity? According to some politicians, if we saved one person dying from obesity, it will be worth it. Hmmm…

Obviously, I am being facetious. I believe I am not alone in the belief that we should be responsible for ourselves as individuals. Proper nutrition, sleep, sun exposure, movement, stress reduction, and positive personal relationships should be the foundation of a healthy life, physically and emotionally. It is up to us to choose how we want to be healthy and prosperous, not the government. Heck, they gave us the FDA food Pyramid and Trans-fat-laden margarine that helped make us all fat and sick. You don’t have to believe me, Louise Light was given the task of creating the food pyramid. To her horror, the government perverted it. Here’s what she had to say about it, “I vehemently protested that the changes, if followed, could lead to an epidemic of obesity and diabetes — and couldn’t be justified on either health or nutritional grounds. To my amazement, I was a lone voice on this issue, as my colleagues appeared to accept the “policy level” decision. Over my objections, the Food Guide Pyramid was finalized, although it only saw the light of day 12 years later, in 1992. Yet it appears my warning has come to pass.” (1)

Covid-19 is going away, the obesity epidemic has been with us for decades, has claimed millions of lives, and it is not going away unless we do something about it.

I think one reason we don’t notice the obesity problem is that it has crept up on us slowly. It’s like that story about the frog in the pot getting warmer, and it doesn’t notice until it is boiling to death. I think another reason we don’t seem to notice the obesity health epidemic is that each individual has the right to choose how they live. It’s not up to me to make sure anyone else stays trim. There is no law against obesity, nor should there be, in my opinion. It is still a free country. If you want to have a beer gut and prediabetes, have at it. Let me know how that works out for you. I simply don’t want that for myself.

Excuse my little rant. I, for one, am concerned about our obesity epidemic. Obesity is a huge problem. It is actually worse than Covid-19, according to the numbers. Let’s not forget the monetary toll of obesity. By one estimate, the U.S. spent $190 billion on obesity-related health care expenses way back in 2005. If you are overweight or obese and are okay with it, you have a right to be, and don’t let anyone bother you about it. On the other hand, if you want to do something about it, good for you. No one else will be better at helping you than yourself.

The good news is that making a few changes in your daily routine will result in extraordinary changes. Sleeping about eight hours each night use to be an everyday act. Eating unprocessed whole foods was the only way humans ate for millennia. Moving about each day was just plain ordinary. Going outside and getting sun exposure was not considered life-threatening-just normal and usual. Socializing among close friends and relatives every day was expected. Chances are if you choose to do all of these things, your life will improve and you will lose weight. Do the ordinary and become extraordinary!