Obesity

For years politicians and gym teachers across America have pointed to your massive obesity rates. Finally, our obesity rate has leveled out for it’s massive level of “... 68 percent of adults and nearly one-third of children ... [meaning a] ... body mass index of 25 or higher. For a 5-foot-8 person, that would be 164 pounds.” If this follows the same pattern as man other vices, the rates will soon drop as well.
This relates to our curriculum because eating disorders –sprouting from problems in either the digestive system or nervous system – are examples of what can go ‘wrong’ with the systems we learned about in class. This helps us learn because only showing a perfect body leaves out the problems that make biology interesting.
Personally, I liked the piece, but not because of its scientific fact. I liked the piece because it is a pure example of what reporting should be – meaning without bias or spin, just cold hard facts.
I would like to ask somebody how you could tax fatty foods more-so than lower fat foods, considering that – unlike a cigaret – it is healthy to have fatty foods every once in a while. This question was raised because of something Dr. Gortmaker said, “If you look at the reversal of the smoking epidemic, substantial change didn’t really happen until there were bans on advertising and limits on consumption through things like taxation. We have to make some substantial changes.”
Another question I have is why does the author think that obesity is highest in African-American women, nearing 50%?