Watch it!!!
If you don't have HBO, that's OK. It's available for free on the internet at http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/.When you're done watching it, watch it again. Then go to the website and watch all of the companion videos and read the materials. After that, talk to everyone you know, your spouse, your kids, your parents, your friends, your neighbors, and tell them to do the same. Then, talk about it with them. More than anything I've ever seen, this really puts into perspective the risks the entire nation is under from the obesity epidemic.
Part 1 - Consequences
The first part looks at the magnitude of the obesity epidemic and the serious health consequences of being overweight or obese. It shows interviews with numerous people and medical experts to talk about the real internal and external struggles that obesity inflicts. One of the biggest topics is the strain that being overweight places on your heart. As the hardest working muscle in your body, if it has to work even harder, the risk of heart disease and stroke rises considerably.Part 2 - Choices
The second part in the series examines the question of why there still isn't an effective drug or procedure to reduce or prevent obesity. We all eat for many different reasons, including mindless eating and stress eating. Many of us also have jobs where we are chained to a desk all day, every day, and then just want to unwind on the couch in front of the TV. But, by having a long-term outlook with attainable short term, nutrition and fitness goals, we can make lifelong lasting changes to improve our health and wellness and begin to reverse the obesity trend.Part 3 - Children in Crisis
Childhood obesity is a real threat, beyond just physical appearance. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma can all be brought on early in life as an effect of being overweight. Some experts now fear that this may be the first generation in modern history with a shorter life-expectancy than their parents. This part looks at the food and exercise choices available to children and what can be done to get children moving and making better choices about the foods they eat.Part 4 - Challenges
The fourth part in the series looks at the challenges that the fight against obesity faces. The financial costs of care for the obese are skyrocketing, costing business and the government billions of dollars. All of this inexpensive food available to us is causing huge costs on the backend with healthcare costs. The battle against obesity will eventually be won - not by a “silver bullet” government program, pill or fad diet - but by the combined and diverse efforts of individuals, organizations, businesses and governments. We must attack the problem from all directions and with all the tools at our disposal, from building new parks to operating healthy food trucks, opening new grocery stores and other healthy food outlets to planting community gardens and everything in between.Here's the trailerso you can see a little more about it.
Like I said, this was incredible moving to me. I have put myself on a path to better health. If you're reading this, you probably have as well. I can't stress enough how dangerous and costly obesity is to each of us and our loved ones. Knowing the enemy is half the battle and HBO's documentary, The Weight of the Nation, shows us that enemy.
Please watch The Weight of the Nation
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