The Weight of a Nation

So I wouldn't normally endorse something like this prior to actually viewing it, but in this case I decided to share this with you all in the hopes we can have a conversation about it after it airs. On May 14th a new 4-part HBO mini-series will begin. It will highlight some alarming facts that frankly we don't talk about in relation to obesity; instead we usually talk about the way people judge obese individuals (personality, attractiveness, motivation, etc.) or the way many feel when suffering with their weight (hopeless, exhausted, lacking self-esteem and self-worth, etc.).

The truth is, with the rise in obesity, we observe a massive increase in the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, kidney failure, back injury, osteoarthritis and other serious medical conditions. This implies that obesity is MAKING US SICK. This is a matter of public health. This is a matter of national importance. And it matters to all of us, because we all know somebody struggling with obesity. It's important to know that obesity is not just making us feel bad about having photos taken or make it hard to find jeans that fit - that's not even close to the biggest problem. It's so important the United Nations now hosts an annual summit on non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, primarily) as these now pose a greater threat to humans in western civilization than any other disease.

The message is, obesity is making us sick. Now, let's have a conversation about THAT and what we do about it, because we can ALL. Do. Something.

Looking forward to it!!

The Weight of a Nation - http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-04-29/weight-of-the-nation-hbo-documentary/54632914/1