Obesity in America: To Win, We Have to Lose Government

Can the government make you lose weight? Officials sure think so.

In May 2012, an HBO documentary and a Washington conference, both named "The Weight of the Nation," made the case for government intervention in your workout, your workplace and your kid's lunchbox. They argue that lack of individual willpower is not to blame for obesity, and that it will take a serious government overhaul to shrink waistlines on a national scale.

"It's an access issue. We live in an obesogenic environment," says Dr. Lisa Santora, chief medical officer of Southern California's Beach Cities Health District. President Obama agrees. He has already bundled $15 billion in with his healthcare reform bill, and we've seen government programs intervening in nutrition time and time again.

So far, the programs haven't worked out too well.

"The reasearch shows that we haven't been very good at trying to, through government, control obesity," says Cal Poly economics professor Michael Marlow. He says that even when the government realizes that their solutions don't work, they will only try more aggressive regulations that will further impend on your freedom to choose whatever you want on the menu.

Produced by Tracy Oppenheimer. Shot by Paul Detrick, Sharif Matar and Oppenheimer.

About 5.40 minutes.

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• Category

  News & Politics

[jcn35]

After watching this i really want orero's :^)

[Gallart82]

Against sanitarism and structurally authoritarian bodypolicing.

Live your life respectfully, relaxed and joyfully. Love your body, it's the one you have. If you want to loose weight -> lose weight. If you want to gain weight -> gain weight.If you want to shave -> shave. If you want to make yourself up -> do it. If you want to dress in un-mainstream colours and styles. Do it.

It's often hard to be beyond the chains of social hegemony and superficiality.But if you sometimes can transcend it: cool.

[bensmusicworld]

I think Britain has its fair share of obese people aswell.

[garybsg]

THE SOVIETS MURDERED 60 MILLION PEOPLE FOR THE "COMMON GOOD"

THE NAZIS MURDERED 6 MILLION JEWS FOR THE "COMMON GOOD"

ISLAMIST ARE MURDERING INFIDELS FOR THE "COMMON GOOD"

I VOTE FOR THE "COMMON SHIT"

[Lovegainers5]

When the government fight something it shrews the pooch! If you do not want to be fat don't be!

[Nick Jacobsen]

hey bruh, unlike any of the examples you provided, choosing to gain weight has a produces a number of negative externalities that affect everyone, such as increased insurance premiums and higher energy costs. If I'm literally paying for another's selfish choice to gain, than I ought to have a say as to how much they can

[Leggs013]

McDonald's Healthiest Fast Food in The World.

[Manwolff Duece]

In America "pizza is a vegetable " lmfao

[tom3bohne]

I'm glad we are teaching our youth that they aren't personally responsible for their own acts and the government has to do it for you.