"Fat" America

One huge sociological problem that the world faces today is obesity.  To narrow this down a bit more we must look at the best of the best of obesity... The United States!  But is it true that we are the fattest country?  And if so, why do other countries seem to be "skinnier"?

Obesity- grossly fat or overweight; exceeding 30 or more on the BMI scale

First and foremost, lets take a look at the percentage of obesity among the individual states:

How do we know America is fat?  Well, as of 2010, not one single state had an obesity rating lower than 20%.  And the sad reality behind this is that it continues to climb from year to year.  But how does this compare to the rest of the world you might ask?

In relation to the rest of the world, we are "normal" with our rate of obesity, but still the number one in the world for fattest country.  Worldwide obesity has doubled (almost tripled) since 1980, with America being the primary cause.  Although we may think we are the only ones getting fat, we are wrong.  But yes, it is true, we are the ones to blame.  With our innovative ideas of food packaging and processing, we have implemented a fleet of "Westernized" foods to the rest of the world.  These foods contain high amounts of fat, oils, and preservatives which in turn are extremely unhealthy.

Statistically, the percent of obese men in the world went from 4.8% to 9.8% from 1980 to 2010.  And as for the women, they went from 7.9% to 13.8%.  So from this we can see that we are not the only country who fails to "watch what we eat."  Only eight countries worldwide didn't have a change in body mass index ratios.

Even with the weight loss programs, gym memberships, and catchy tv commercials promising weight loss it will be hard to change anything we do.  We keep making the fatty foods, eating McDonald's daily, and skipping workouts.  But many people are trying to attempt a healthier lifestyle.  Here are a few links if you want to start a new healthy path in your life!

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/10-tips-for-a-healthy-lifestyle-783833.html

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/04/50-ideas-for-healthy-lifestyle-that.html

http://healthylifestyletruth.com/blog/33-healthy-lifestyle-tips/