Some Fat Stats: BBC NEWS | Health | US people getting fatter, fast

Fat Stats, or maybe Fat States

"Currently, about 119 million, or 64.5%, of US adults are either overweight or obese."

It's not just apparent in our waistlines. Our corporal girth is reflected in other areas: US new home construction patterns where new houses have doubled in average size since the 1950s. And of course many of our best selling cars are unnecessarily huge. Fuel efficiency has actually declined since 1987! But this is what sells.

consumption, consumption, consumption. . .

We're witnesses to a time when the average per capita national savings rate is zero. Yet the US economy continues to "recover."

As someone who is fortunately able to choose a healthy, active lifestyle, my sympathy extends only so far to those w/ similar opportunity who continue to pig out. I resent high healthcare costs because some choose gluttony over restraint and moderation. It is time for municipal officials, who often make decisions impacting the pedestrian and bicycle access of areas to wake up to these Fat Stats.

The biggest rises in obesity have been seen in the south-eastern states. Oregon in the north-west was the only one not to see an increase between 2003 and 2004, maintaining a steady adult obesity rate of 21%.

Is Oregon's stagnant obesity rate attributable to lifestyle and public infrastructure options that encourage people to drive less, exercise and/or vacation more than the national norm?

And back to the opportunity that I'm fortunate to have: I can bike, run, kayak, surf, swim in a safe area, virtually year-round. Oregonians might have, on average, higher than average opportunities as well. I'll look into this.

Here in my corner of the South, a bike lane proposal is scoffed at as a concession of defeat against the majority easy-motoring crowd. I've heard members of my Rotary club sarcastically joke to others about "putting you on the bicycle advisory committee," as if nothing could be more unfashionable. There is currently only one true designated lane/rout in the greater Wilmington area, and most cyclists have to drive to it!

( note: I learned yesterday that the route, which parallels a rural, exurban road, will soon be flooded with the traffic created by a 3,300 single-family home community. )

This mentatlity that has impaired our local leaders for too long. There are densely populated areas in Wilmington where you simply cannot (safely) cross the road on foot or bike for miles in either direction. Negligence towards the needs of non-private automobile-based transportation has gone on long enough.

We've been building our communities to be viewed at 60 MPH +. 80% of all construction in the US today was built after WWII! We know the problem: our fat asses have been sitting in our cars longer than Russian peasant women stood in breadlines.

Oh, and get the soda vending machines out of the schools; sheesh!