Why America Is Fatter and Sicker Than Ever

Today America is fatter and sicker than ever. And the outlook is grim. According to a 2010 study released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 3 of 4 Americans will be obese or overweight by 2020. But this dire prediction doesn't have to come true. The solution lies in understanding how we got here and making some essential lifestyle changes to reverse this disturbing trend.Although we are all well aware of the epidemic of obesity, most of us do not appreciate its extent and its impact in both human and economic terms. One striking illustration of our sorry state is evident when you look at the progression of obesity by state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 1990 Colorado was among the thinnest states in the United States, with an obesity rate of 30%. (Figure)1 And this trend shows no sign of abating.Figure. U.S. Obesity Trends by State, 1985 to 2009. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.1Part of our obesity epidemic is attributable to the expression of a survival mechanism that helped our hunter-gatherer ancestors endure in the wild by encouraging fat accumulation in their bellies during times of feast. It was this belly fat that helped sustain them during the inevitable times of famine. Today this survival mechanism, called insulin resistance, leads to obesity, metabolic syndrome (prediabetes), …