There is no disputing the fact that we are the generation that has benefitted the most from technology and the constant flow of information and, nowhere is this more obvious, than when we start talking about health, fitness, dieting and obesity.
For the most part, it is nearly impossible to walk by a TV, newspaper, magazine or even the Internet without coming face to face with, yet again, another piece of “must know” information about how to lose weight and “get that body you have always wanted”
So, with all this over abundance of “weight related” information, how is it possible that approximately 64% of adult Americans are currently considered overweight or obese? While obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, the US can enjoy the dubious distinction of being one of the “world leaders”, with some of the highest numbers. Alarmingly, this trend simply seems to be growing, in leaps and bounds from year to year – quite a feat indeed!
Incredibly, despite the huge number of overweight and unhealthy people in this country, an article in Business Week stated that the diet industry still managed to rake in over 40 million dollars in 2008, thanks to their slick marketing campaigns that are constructed around empty promises and outright lies.
The reality is that Americans and, for that matter, people around the industrialized world, is looking for that “quick fix” – something that has become more and more evident since the advent of remote controls, take out and microwaves. Somehow, it has become about “immediate gratification” and a lot of it. Unfortunately, unscrupulous marketers and manufacturers, within the fitness industry, have figured this out quite some time ago and, are using it as a means of making as much money as they can off of our ignorance, fear and, in many cases, unwillingness to change.
As we continue to eat junk food, sit on the couch to watch TV or play video games, instead of spending some quality time enjoying the fresh air and giving our body the opportunity to stretch and move, we also simply feeding our minds and souls into the fallacy that any damage we do to our health and our bodies can simply be “undone” by eating the right “diet supplements or replacement meals”. All of this – despite the fact that we have done it all before – with nothing to show for it but extra poundage!
Unfortunately, while it would be wonderful to be able to end this article by stating that people are starting to realize that obesity can kill you faster than cancer, heart disease or any other illness put together, it seems as though this is not necessarily the case – as THE next generation – our children seem to be the next victims.
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