OTHER VOICES

“The medical care costs we incurred from obesity in the United States were about $147 billion.”

“Severe obesity isn’t merely a health hazard, it’s a health epidemic in the United States. The striking development is that there is no development. Health officials have publicized obesity statistics for decades. They’ve preached about the need for healthy eating and exercise habits, particularly for children. The result: America’s still fat. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data that makes health officials shudder: More than one-third of adult Americans and 17% of U.S. children were obese in 2009-10. The ramifications, physically and fiscally, are significant. … This epidemic is neither new nor surprising. … Food-related legislation hasn’t worked. Rants about the evils of high-calorie fast foods haven’t worked. Today, we’ll appeal to the human element: your health, and ultimately your life, may depend on it.”

—Anniston (Ala.) Star “And don’t think the pain is just when we look in the mirror. Check your wallet: In 2008, the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimated the medical-care costs we incurred from obesity in the United States were about $147 billion. … And the Journal of the American Medical Association published two studies this week that show obesity remains prevalent and persistent, despite what one of the researchers termed a ‘fair job’ our society is doing of educating people about the risks associated with excessive weight. (Duke Diet & Fitness Center director) Howard Eisenson summed it up when he said the battle we’re fighting is a cultural shift.”

—Herald-sun, Durham, N.C.

“Sadly, however, the public debate over the deficit is full of misconceptions and falsehoods. … (One myth) is that America has a generalized problem of runaway spending, one that requires cuts across the board. No. The truth is that we have a huge problem of exploding healthcare costs, part of which shows up in Medicare and Medicaid spending. … We have a humongous healthcare problem.”

—Princeton economist Alan Blinder in the Wall Street Journal