Obesity is NORMAL in America. The idea of “healthy habits” and positive psychology are nothing new. “7 habits of this” and “7 habits of that” books have been best sellers for the last 30 years. Even when given a national stage and expensive trainers, like on the television show, “The Biggest Loser,” Americans continue to battle with food. It’s a sign of the times. It’s quite possibly the first time in modern human history that a civilization has too much food. We PAY people to help us not eat so much. Think about that statement for a second. If you tried to explain that to someone living in third-world squalor, they wouldn’t even understand. “Wait a minute … you pay someone to help you NOT eat?! Huh?”
Given that fact, we can’t beat ourselves up over this. It’s not our fault that we have so much food. But it has caught up with us. Parents are now obese and passing that down to their children. For most Americans, the refrigerator is a place where food exists … and has ALWAYS existed. Most children in America today have never wondered if they were going to be able to eat. The irony, perhaps, is that most people in America don’t have much money … but that’s just it: you don’t need much money to buy tasty, fast food.
There’s an old saying: “You can never get enough of what you don’t really want.” Some people will never be able to reconcile themselves with fitness and a constantly full refrigerator. But having a food surplus is not a “habit.” It’s a life, a society, an entire nation. If and when health becomes a priority for parents in America, it’s conceivable that we’ll be able to lessen the obesity wave. Until then, it is an individual choice … and sadly, immediate pleasure usually wins out against long-term pleasure in human animals.