The Trend Begins

While doing some research for my project, I came upon this video, Childhood Obesity Epidemic, which highlights a specific obesity trend observed in children. The video includes a mini interview with an eating disorder specialist, Dr. Polly Rost, who points out that our growing trend of obesity starts at an early age. Lifestyle changes over the years, along with television and other technological advances have created a more sedentary environment.
(video courtesy of YouTube, posted by WCVBtv)

After seeing this video, I felt that it did a great job of outlining the American perspective. I also really liked the "shock factor"; it's hard to believe that there are kids out there today who may weigh twice or even three times what I weighed at their age. Thoughts like those really hit home and make you wonder about the future.

The Obesity Epidemic

A major issue impacting our world today is the growing trend of obesity. Obesity poses both economic and cultural challenges, and as nations continue to grow and progress, obesity becomes more and more prominent. China is an up and coming nation, showing great potential to become one of the world's leading global powers. It would be extremely interesting to compare obesity trends of China with those of the United States from cultural and economic perspectives and determine how it affects each nation. It is also important to consider what triggers a trend towards obesity, and if the success of the nation plays a role in its obesity trend. Also, is there anything that can be done to "fix" this problem? Should anything be done? Does lifestyle or standard of living play a role in determining the relative obesity of a nation?