Why is the United States the Fattest of 33 Nations?
Martha Rosenberg In a report just released by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development), the United States has the highest rate of obesity of 33 countries. Mexico and New Zealand are next runners up in obesity and India and Indonesia have the lowest rates of obesity. While half of Americans were overweight in 1980, 70 percent now tip the scales at unhealthy weights says the report. By 2020, three-fourths of all Americans are expected to be overweight, says OECD, an organization that advises governments on economic growth, social development and financial stability. The prognosis could be even worse for 2030. By then, 86 percent of Americans could be overweight says an 2008 article in the journal Obesity. Most food researchers indict a sedentary lifestyle that revolves around television and video games for US obesity, especially among children. Instead of playing outside, children and teenagers engage in activities which consume no calories at the same time they
