Our society sends a muddled, murky message when addressing obesity.
One school of thought preaches that obesity is a objectively bad for you. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death. This is rooted in science. Facts. Void of political pleasantries.
A newer, increasingly more prevalent ideology is more abstract. The ‘you’re perfect just the way you are’ message has followed in the wake of the bully-shaming initiative that has infiltrated our society in recent years. And while it’s important to instill confidence and self-worth in all shapes and sizes of people, it’s misleading, reckless, and literally deadly to deliver this sentiment without some fine print. Because some people aren’t perfect just the way they are. They’re sick. And I, for one, would rather be labeled insensitive than condescendingly pat them on the head, and tell them they’re perfect while they’re airways are being restricted by their fatness.
You don’t know me, bro. I have underwear older than you, you little piss ant. How many of these little dick face philosophers/Vine “stars”/Bieber knockoffs exist today? If you’re guessing a billion, I’ll take the over. I’m digressing.
Anyhoo, I can’t expect to be taken seriously on the issue of obesity when I took down an entire Papa John’s pizza over the weekend.
I’ll leave it to the experts.
According to Business Insider, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released new data from their annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) program, which surveys hundreds of thousands of Americans each year on their health habits, including obesity rates.
The below graphic depicts the adult obesity rates by state.
Arkansas, sit down for this. Never mind, you probably are already. You sloth.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
- No state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%.
- 5 states and the District of Columbia had a prevalence of obesity between 20% and <25%.
- 23 states, Guam and Puerto Rico had a prevalence of obesity between 25% and <30%.
- 19 states had a prevalence of obesity between 30% and <35%.
- 3 states (Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia) had a prevalence of obesity of 35% or greater.
- The Midwest had the highest prevalence of obesity (30.7%), followed by the South (30.6%), the Northeast (27.3%), and the West (25.7%).
Predictably alarming.
America, I thought you said you were going to go on a diet?
K. Sorry I asked. You’re perfect.
[h/t Business Insider]