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Study: Half Of America Will Be Obese By 2030
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 31, 2011
Modified Aug 31, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 31, 2011
Modified Aug 31, 2011
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A study conducted by esteemed UK medical journal The Lancet has revealed that if the United States continues on its current country-fried path, roughly half of American men and women will be obese, and the UK isn't faring any better.
Read this excerpt slowly, while you dunk your Triple Double Oreo in buttermilk:
These trends project 65 million more obese adults in the USA and 11 million more obese adults in the UK by 2030, consequently accruing an additional 6-8.5 million cases of diabetes, 5.7-7.3 million cases of heart disease and stroke, 492,000-669,000 additional cases of cancer, and 26-55 million quality-adjusted life years forgone for USA and UK combined.
For all those worried about the deficit and government spending, the Lancet notes that "medical costs associated with treatment of these preventable diseases are estimated to increase by $48-66 billion/year in the USA." The totally not anti-science GOP, including presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, has derided First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move anti-obesity campaign as the ultimate sign of a nanny state, saying, "She wants the government to be in charge of what's in our fridge!"
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie disagrees, and even went as far as to call obesity a "national security issue," a conclusion that this study certainly supports. But 2030 is so far away! Just give everyone a Shake Weight and we'll be juuussstt fine.
Tagged
2012
fat people
health
obesity
obesity epidemic
oreos
tea party
the lancet
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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