A new documentary was released last week on HBO, called “The Weight of the Nation”. This four part documentary details the obesity epidemic in the U.S. I highly encourage everyone to watch these films. The documentary left me reassessing my eating and exercise habits and the long term effects of the little things I do that I consider to be harmless. A little unnecessary snacking every day or a soft drink (soda) with each meal can result in a 2 pound/app. 1kg gain in a month. That doesn’t seem like much but how about doing that every month for a year. That is 24 pounds/10 kg and it can creep up on even normal, healthy, active people.
Also, there is research that shows people who lose weight will have to work out and diet harder to maintain the new weight than someone who never gained it all. To me, that was a shocker but it makes so much sense. It’s one of the reasons why 2 people can eat the same things and one will gain weight while the other remains the same.
These films are FULL of great advice. You will hear personal stories from people who have gained weight and lost it, facts about the food we eat, how poverty and obesity are very closely related and how to tackle obesity in young children and teens. More importantly the coverage of the diseases related to obesity is dense, yet easy to understand. Obesity is the leading cause of heart disease and diabetes, and it doesn’t take a lot of weight gain to be at risk.
As you read this, the first mistake you will make would be to assume that this is not a problem you should be concerned about. Or its a problem with the western world. We are all interconnected, the world is getting smaller and we are all beginning to eat the same things sold by large corporations as the cost of processed food is cheaper than fresh. Coca cola and Indomie noodles, anyone? So, arm yourself with information, check your habits and you can help others as well.
Links to Films:
You may also download and listen to a radio broadcast on this topic here.
Really Informative, its a small world we are in…. Don’t say, it doen’t concern my country or so…. cool article.