Whether or not you agree that there is an obesity epidemic, you would have to have on some pretty serious blinders to not see that lifestyle changes over the past 40 years have definitely packed the pounds on the average US citizen, if not the whole world.

An article I read today was referring to an “obesigenic environment”, a world where we walk less, eat poorly, and basically sit on our butts so much that they widen by the day.

It really does come down to lifestyle choices. I sit behind a desk every day for 10+ hours, and if I didn’t watch what I eat and go for a run instead of watching TV at noon everyday, I can see me weighing 250 instead of 175. I’m not bragging and I darn sure won’t be caught saying that it is the easy path to go down. But don’t tell me it’s too hard. If my 85 year old dad who is recovering from cancer treatment can get out and walk a few miles several times a week, well, all it takes is a desire to live and live well.

Unfortunately the lifestyle changes that adults have adopted over the past few decades are the only lifestyles that our children know. Long gone is physical education. Completely ingrained is fast food and video games. Most kids don’t walk anywhere.

From a life insurance standpoint we are a nation that is, because of obesity, on the brink of epidemics of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity related cancers. While someone who is overweight, even obese, can still get fair rates, they need to do it before the health issues start crashing in.

Bottom line. Globesity is real. The world is getting larger every year and breaking the cycle is something that has to be attacked at every level.