By Stephen Sears
“Only in America,” an e-mail I received read, “do people order a double cheeseburger and large fries with a Diet Coke.”
There lies the quandary where our ever self-indulgent populace exists. We want the sweets. We do not want to get fat. Can we have both?
The government does not seem to think so. Last week, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said obesity is fast becoming the number one preventable killer in the United States. Data from 2000 shows obesity resulted in 400,000 deaths that year, trailing smoking by 35,000. In addition, the CDC proclaimed 129.6 million Americans were overweight, a staggering 64 percent of the population.
“We’re just too darned fat, ladies and gentleman,” observed Tommy Thompson, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Department as his department released statistics on obesity. “And we’re gonna do something about it.”
What exactly? The FDA plans on developing healthy foods and encouraging restaurants to list nutritional information. Some politicians are suggesting the marketing of junk foods to children be barred. McDonald’s is even trying to do its part. By the end of the year, they will eliminate the “super-sizing” option on their menu. All of these steps could provide the cure, but their chances are slim.
America is a country of convenience. We can shop, do our banking and talk to our friends — never having to leave our computers. So it is no wonder eating healthy and exercising regularly do not seem too appetizing. There are McDonalds’, Burger Kings, Wendys’ and Dunkin’ Donuts’ everywhere. They are cheap, easy to access and fast. The healthy places are not.
Washington has justly joined the anti-obese campaign and so has the news media, but the fact remains: eating junk food is much easier than eating healthy. When you step into a CVS, the movie theater, a sporting event, or a supermarket, you are bombarded by candy and other junk food. There are no fresh fruits at 7-11. No one munches on a celery stick while watching a movie at the theater or Celtics game at the FleetCenter. When you are waiting in line to buy groceries, vegetables are not stacked neatly on the shelves beside you, waiting for an impulse buy. There is little Washington can do about this.
Most of us stand little chance against Ben ‘ Jerry’s, Ding Dongs or whatever your personal vice happens to be. They are cheap. They never go stale. The “Family Guy” taught us Twinkies could even survive the apocalypse. Apples can barely survive a week. Most important of all, junk food tastes good.
It is that simple.
Obesity is a problem many Americans acknowledge and many millions of them are trying to defeat. However, many try to defeat the pitfalls of snacks while also indulging in them. The e-mail at the top is one example. Many go to McDonald’s for salads which, in some cases, contain more calories than a cheeseburger.
Americans also want to eat reduced-fat cookies, fat free ice cream or drink diet soda. We want our food to taste like an Oreo but have the nutritional value of broccoli. Unfortunately, this is impossible. While these new fangled sweets might be healthier, they are no replacement for fruits and vegetables.
Then there is exercising, which can be expensive. Most people do not want to exercise in freezing temperatures, so they purchase gym memberships. Not everyone can afford this. Finding the time to exercise can also be a hassle. The average American wakes up at 7 a.m., goes to work at 9, leaves at 5 p.m. and goes home to eat. Before they know it, darkness has settled in. In these parts, more often than not, it is 20 degrees outside and an early bedtime is already calling.
Last but not least, there is plain laziness. Our nation’s children are getting fatter and fatter playing video games, watching TV and never exercising. Adults are no different. Many take the elevator to go up one flight of stairs.
I find it ironic that our popular culture is so obsessed with thinness and being in shape but two-thirds of our populace is overweight. We idolize models and body-builders and we buy exercise videos in droves. We are simultaneously a health-nut culture eating ourselves to death. This, more than anything I can think of, shows pop culture and reality are two very different things. The culture demands we stay in shape but shoves junk food down our throats everywhere we go. We can pay lip service to exercise and health foods all day, but in the end, the compulsions for convenient, tasty foods are too strong.
There are plenty of people who exercise regularly and eat healthy, but they are the minority. It will take a fundamental shift to reverse this trend and finally blend our idealizations with reality. I fear it will get worse before it gets better. That is, if it can get any worse.
— Stephen Sears can be reached at [email protected].
