WIN Wyoming and WIN the Rockies

Thought Bullets
for
October 2002

A World Perspective on Obesity in the United States

"You have a wonderful environment to make everybody obese and diabetic, and the rest of the world will look at you and know exactly what not to do." Those were the jokingly spoken words of Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, when he met recently with obesity prevention researchers in the U.S. James offered some world perspectives on the obesity epidemic in the United States. His observations were reported in USA Today on August 21, 2002, by reporter Nanci Hellmich.

• James predicts that Americans will continue to struggle with their weight unless drastic changes are made to the environments in which people live.
• Americans have been "mentally conditioned" to believe that maintaining a healthy weight is solely an individual’s responsibility. James argues it is a larger societal issue. Individualism is one of this country’s strengths, but when it comes to effectively preventing obesity, the trait can be disastrous.
• If you have genetic tendencies to gain weight, to avoid obesity in this country you have to behave abnormally and reject all pressures to be like other Americans.
• Children are bombarded with advertisements and most of those ads are for foods and drinks that should be consumed rarely, not regularly. Vending machines in schools sell soft drinks and high sugared foods that distract students from an appropriate diet.
• Streets in the U.S. are built for one thing: motored vehicles. In other countries, streets are filled with people walking, biking and playing.
• There are very few ways for Americans to have "spontaneous physical activities." You can’t go shopping for anything without getting in a vehicle. In many buildings, stairs are difficult to use and unattractive.
• In short, James states that American ingenuity has done everything possible to eliminate daily physical activity for the majority of people.
• It does not appear education is the solution. Millions of dollars have been spent to educate people about the problems of obesity, and the impact has been negligible with obesity rates increasing each year.
• James argues that Americans must make wholesale changes to the environment. He points to the success of community bicycle paths in Europe. He argues that research shows when you alter the environment, people will get on their feet and get moving.

Source: "USA wallowing in unhealthy ways," USA Today, Nancy Hellmich, August 21, 2002.

Philip James is a British nutrition researcher and serves as chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, a non-profit organization fighting obesity around the globe.

Compiled by Betty Holmes, MS, RD, Regional Project Coordinator, WIN the Rockies;  bholmes@uwyo.edu

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