ON THE RISE
A HARD LOOK AT OBESITY IN AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD
Breaking news – it’s a scary world out there. And,
it seems that every day there’s more to worry about,
too, whether it’s the economy, threats of terrorism,
or the war in the Middle East. But, former Surgeon
General Richard Carmona believes that there’s one
thing we don’t worry enough about – an issue of
such magnitude, that unless we do something to
curb it, has the potential to dwarf any terrorist event
we can think of, even 9/11. ... That issue is obesity.
By Linda Hepler, BSN, RN
Pandemic Proportions
Appearing in the recently released documentary film “Killer
at Large,” produced by Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., Carmona calls
the rising rate of obesity “the terror within.” The grim facts: A
full two thirds of our nation’s population today is overweight
or obese – some 60 million people. And, obesity, defined
by most experts as having a body mass index (BMI) above
30, is a major contributor to the national burden of chronic
disease and disability – not to mention untimely death. The
Centers for Disease Control estimates that at least 110,000
16 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM ı APRIL 2009
people in the United States die each year of obesity related
disease, a number expected to rise dramatically over the
next decade. And, for the first time in history, life expectancy
for an American child born today is not as long as our own.
But, that’s not all, folks. Obesity has reached epidemic
proportions globally. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), there are more than one billion adults
in the world who are overweight, at least 300 million of them
clinically obese. Obesity rates have risen threefold since
1980 in parts of North America, the United Kingdom, Eastern
Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, Australia and
China. In fact, there are more obese people in developing
countries today than there are hungry people.
Complex Roots of Obesity
What is happening here? Are we simply becoming a society
of lazy gluttons? Or is there a virus that causes obesity? And,
where do fast-food restaurants fit into the picture? While there
are a few scientists who suggest certain adenoviruses may
contribute to overweight in some persons, experts generally
believe that the global rise in obesity is a multifaceted issue,
with roots more complex than an obesity bug, gluttony and
laziness, or even simply too many fast food restaurants.

Marlene Schwartz, Ph.D., Deputy
Director of the Rudd Center for Food
Policy and Obesity, believes that
there are three major causes for the
obesity trend. “In my opinion,” says
Schwartz, “the main causes of the
obesity pandemic are aspects of the
dramatic changes in our environment.
Specifically, the increased availability
of inexpensive, highly processed
foods that are high in fat, sugar and
salt; the decrease in eating meals
prepared at home; and the decrease
in naturally occurring physical activity
due to sedentary jobs, sedentary
leisurely activities and an over-reliance
on cars.”
The Toxic Food Environment
While fast foods play a part in the
dilemma because they’re typically
energy dense and nutritionally deplete,
says Schwartz, it’s the modern food
environment itself – both here and in
other countries – that is key. In other
words, fast food, whether the burger
and fries at the restaurant, the pizza
by the slice at the gas station, or the
hot dog and chips outside of the
home building supply store – are more
available and more convenient than
food prepared at home.
The trade-off for this convenience,
according to William Dunn, MD,
radiation oncologist and author of
“Aquavore Diet,” is our health. “Home-
cooked meals, which are typically
less fattening and more nutritious, are
becoming a thing of the past,” claims
Dunn.
And, sadly, nutritious meals prepared
at home are expensive – often more
expensive than junk or convenience
foods. “Overweight and obesity are
more prevalent in the poor,” says Dunn.
“The reason may be in the fact that
foods that are cheap to manufacture
are typically high in calories. Fruits
and vegetables are becoming quite
expensive, pushing shoppers towards
cheaper, but more obesity-generating
foods,” he adds.
Fast foods as well as snack foods
are also more heavily promoted than
healthy foods like fruits and vegetables
– especially to children. According to
the Rudd Center for Food Policy and
Obesity, food and beverage industries
spent $15 billion marketing products
to children in 2004; at least a third of
HealthMatters
those advertising dollars were spent inches for men (the average waist size
on food advertising, particularly for for men in the U.S. is 39) or 35.4 inches
sugared breakfast cereals, fast foods, for women (average U.S. woman’s
soft drinks, snacks and candy. What is waist is 36.5) – you’re required by law
more, the use of celebrity and cartoon to lose weight. If this doesn’t happen
characters, free gifts and toys and within three months, you’re sent for
movie tie-ins to market these products, aggressive dietary counseling.
all add to the overall appeal and fuels Sounds ludicrous? Perhaps, but
children’s “pester power” – or the ability because the Japanese government has
to influence parental purchases. attached financial penalties
Another food environment for those companies
factor: how portion size whose employees fail
affects consumption. That 20-ounce cola to meet national
Research shows that you grab from the vending weight standards,
people eat more there’s a greater
machine at work? It’s the
when given larger motivation to
same product that used to be
portions, and portion comply. Too,
sizes in restaurants sold in 6.5 ounce bottles. And nobody wants
and in packaged a “small” fry at McDonald’s to be singled
foods have grown today is what this fast food out as the cause
from moderate to restaurant used to call of an exorbitant
monstrous. That 20- “large” in years past. company fine.
ounce cola you grab As for other
from the vending machine countries, there are
at work? It is the same a variety of fat-fighting
product that used to be sold in strategies being employed –
6.5 ounce bottles. And a “small” fry at with varying degrees of success. Sweden
McDonald’s today is what this fast food has eliminated all advertising directed
restaurant used to call “large” in years toward children less than 12 years of
past. age. In Great Britain – where more than
With all the calories we take in half of all people are anticipated to be
these days, we expend relatively little obese by mid-century, the National
energy. Instead of burning calories Health Service is paying for people to
hunting for food as our predecessors take weight loss classes. And residents
did (or even just gardening), we grab in some UK cities are wearing electronic
something while out or simply take out tracking tags to measure daily calories
a box and pop it into the microwave. burned – with the potential for rewards
Television, computers, video games of store coupons – and even days off
and other sedentary activities have from work. Germany is launching some
taken the place of much of our out- $47 million worth of healthy-eating
door recreation; cars have replaced and sports programming, and France
bicycles and feet for transportation, is considering an anti-obesity tax on
and we often choose elevators over sweet and fatty foods.
stairs. And in many areas, it’s not safe
for children to play outdoors – even if U.S. Action
they wanted to. And, what about the United States?
A variety of organizations, companies
Global Concern and individuals are beginning to take
The good news is that concern about action to stem the rising tide of obesity.
the obesity crisis is beginning to mount. One of these persons is Talbott. With
The results of a September 2008 an educational background in both
Nielsen survey in 52 countries conclude exercise science and nutritional bio-
that there is a global trend in working to chemistry, Talbott has spent his entire
improve health through better diet and career lecturing and writing on obesity
exercise. But, the trend takes different issues. His latest project was executive
forms in different regions. If you’re producing the film “Killer at Large,”
older than 40 and you live in Japan, which was released in March of 2009,
for example, your waistline is checked and funded with a second mortgage on
at work each year. If the measurement his house. “I did it because the current
exceeds the national standard of 33.5 messages about the dangers and
APRIL 2009 ı WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM 17
 HealthMatters
health impacts of obesity are clearly Freewheelin’ bike-sharing program, Statutory Regulations
not getting through to people,” says which debuted at the Democratic Still, with all of the voluntary efforts
Talbott, who believes that the “eat less and Republican national conventions by various organizations, such as
and exercise more” message has failed in 2008. Subsidized by Humana the American Heart Association’s
millions of people who are overweight and Bikes Belong, a foundation that widely publicized Start! Walking for
and frustrated. promotes bicycling, the Freewheelin’ a Healthier Lifestyle, there are those
“Killer at Large,” which won three best program offers citizens an opportunity who believe that it will take a massive
documentary awards at film festivals to reduce carbon footprints, decrease government-backed effort to end
across the United States and was traffic and parking congestion, reduce obesity. A 2008 annual report from
recently discussed on Oprah, shows transportation costs – and burn calories the Trust for America’s Health and the
how little is being done to combat – at bike stations throughout the United Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
the obesity epidemic and discusses States. calls on the federal government to
potential actions to help reverse it. With There are also many initiatives at the convene partners from state and local
a cast of bestselling authors, renowned state level. One recent effort is “Scale governments, businesses, communities
experts and notable public figures – as Back Alabama,” a joint effort between and schools to create and implement
well as a graphic depiction of a 12- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, a comprehensive National Strategy
year old girl who has a controversial Alabama State Hospital Association, to Combat Obesity. Some of the
liposuction procedure to fix her weight the State Department of Health and recommendations of the report include
gain, the film is an eye opener. Talbott Barber’s Dairy. According to Mariesa improvements at the school level, such
hopes that the documentary, slated Woodring, account executive at Luckie as improving the nutritional quality of
to be shown throughout the country, and Company PR, Alabama is the food served to children and increasing
sends a message of urgency much like second fattest state in the nation – and the amount and quality of physical
“An Inconvenient Truth” relayed about they don’t want to be number one. The education and activity in schools.
global warming. “I’m hoping that ‘Killer Scale Back program, which involves There is also a call for government
At Large’ can become a wake-up call online support such as tips on healthy intervention to eliminate the marketing
to our generation who will accept the shopping and cooking and simple ways of junk food to children, a regulation that
challenge to stem the rise in obesity – to get moving, is highly successful. thus far has been voluntary for the food
and reverse it – before it becomes too “The 10-week program encourages industry. And, communities should also
late,” says Talbott. people to form teams of four – then to be supported by the government to
Health insurance companies, aware pay attention, eat healthier and move provide programs to increase physical
of the dollars-and-cents costs to more – all to lose just 10 pounds in activity and good nutrition for all ages.
being overweight and obese, have 10 weeks,” says Woodring. “Last year Many experts believe that the current
jumped on the bandwagon, too. One we collectively lost more than 200,000 federal subsidies for corn and soy,
recent initiative by Humana was the pounds. This year our goal is 500,000.” used to produce cheap and largely
unhealthy foods, should be replaced
by subsidies on fruits and vegetables.
Helpful Information: Other novel ideas include restricting
www.yaleruddcenter.org where food can be sold (do we really
need access to candy and other treats
www.americanheart.org in the hardware store?), restricting
www.obesityinamerica.org portion sizes in restaurants, requiring
Images courtesy of Dr. Shawn Talbott and “Killer At Large,” the movie.

employers and insurance companies

“Killer at Large” Trailer: to provide wellness programs and
http://obesitymovie.com nutritional counseling, and even placing
an excise tax on calorie dense foods.
ica’s obesity
epidemic in or obes
try is overweight sive picture.”
s beyond
a way that move e; 9 million “Takes a broad look at many causes of overweight including our toxic food environment, the problems with
While we can’t expect the federal gov-
explores Amer school lunches and vending machines and the impact food lobbyists have on determining government policies.”
hirds of the coun
ernment to solve the obesity problem
“Killer at Large comprehen
statistics—two-t er—to offer a complex,
DIS053
City Weekly – Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
the alarming that numb – Scott Rensha
w, Salt Lake
among
children rank WINNER WINNER

without a lot of hard work on the part of

Best Documentary Best Political Documentary
Silver Medal Philadelphia Independent
Killer _ at _ Large

International Filmmakers Festival Film Festival

United Kingdom Pennsylvania, USA

Obesity is fast becoming the single greatest killer

communities and individuals, it’s a start,

of Americans, causing some experts to claim that SPECIAL FEATURES
we are on the cusp of an evolutionary disaster. • 45-Minute Educational Version
• New York City Premiere with Chevy & Jayni Chase
Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona says, • Chevy Chase’s Congressional Testimony

“obesity is a terror within; it’s destroying our

society from within and unless we do something
• Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes:
Whiskey: The First National Health Crisis
says Talbott. “The government can do
a lot to put programs in place to make
about it, the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf The Sugar Lobby vs. the WHO
9/11 or any other terrorist event that you can Tavistock’s McDonald’s Closes
Menu Labeling
point out.”
Hidden Camera Interview with the VP of

junk food and sedentary lifestyles less

McDonald’s & Supersize Me
The rates of obesity in the United States are Religion: Extended
climbing at unprecedented rates, with 75% of

attractive (or at least more expensive) –

Americans projected to be overweight or obese
Why Obesity is America’s Greatest Threat

within a decade.

and individuals will have more incentive

Killer At Large uncovers this epidemic, examining
the causes and suggesting ways to reverse this
deadly trend.

to take advantage of the course of

action that is best for them. We need a
lot more emphasis on ‘health’ and a lot
www. k i l l er at l arge. com
ISBN: 978-1-934708-25-5

ENGLISH
COLOR
102 MINS Why Obesity is America’s Greatest Threat
less on ‘care.’ Because if we take care
of the health part, we can prevent a lot
+ 80 MINS BONUS FOOTAGE myspace.com/disinfo
DIS053 © 2009 The Disinformation Company Ltd. Disinformation is a trademark of The Disinformation Company. All Rights Reserved. Manufactured in USA.

of the care part.” MS&F

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