The number of obese Americans has more than doubled since 1980, affecting
one out of three persons, or a total of 59 million adults.

“Obesity is a critical public health problem in our country that causes
millions of Americans to suffer unnecessary health problems and to die
prematurely.”

Obesity is a disease, according to the largest US government health care
plan, which will pay for some treatments for overweight Americans, now in
epidemic numbers

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(news – web sites) published in March, obesity and overweight caused by poor
eating habits and lack of exercise could become the leading cause of death
in the United States by next year.

To allow coverage of the costs of treatment for obesity, Medicare removed a
phrase from its regulations that had said specifically it was not a disease.

He said that in coming months, surgical procedures used to fight obesity
will be evaluated.”

You know, it is possible that this epidemic of obesity is not
purely the result of overeating. Other civilizations have
had plenty oif food in the past, and they haven’t eaten
themselves into an early grave.

I’m wondering if all the chemicals in our environment – in
our food, in our air, in our water, stuff not found in
nature, stuff WE made and put there, intentionally or
otherwise – might be messing up our bodily chemistry and
causing all sorts of troubles, of which obesity is just
one symptom.

The problem might not be obesity, it might be chemical
poisoning.