Last night, HBO kicked off The Weight of the Nation, a new documentary based on new reports about America's obesity rate. But one conservative says the numbers are "overblown."
As earlier reported on OneNewsNow, the Institute of Medicine estimates that two-thirds of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. Meanwhile, Duke University and the Centers for Disease Control say 42 percent of Americans will be obese in 2030, which is an increase from 36 percent that has held relatively steady in recent years. In response, David Almasi of The National Center for Public Policy Research has co-written an op-ed that calls the forecast "overblown." "There is a full-court press right now by what I would say is the activist scientist community to push obesity fear on the American public," he says. "Now, I'm not saying you can't walk down the street and see a lot of people that are overweight. But they're taking these reports and they're turning [them] into a way to force laws and regulations on the American people." To come up with the prediction of 42 percent, Almasi explains that the researchers plugged in all sorts of unforeseeable numbers, such as how many fast-food restaurants will exist in two decades. One young woman shown on the HBO documentary says, "You don't crave broccoli" and "our generation has grown up craving a Big Mac." In Almasi's opinion, therein lies the problem. He points out that no one is forcing that type of food on people, and things like moderation and exercise are the solutions.
As earlier reported on OneNewsNow, the Institute of Medicine estimates that two-thirds of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. Meanwhile, Duke University and the Centers for Disease Control say 42 percent of Americans will be obese in 2030, which is an increase from 36 percent that has held relatively steady in recent years. In response, David Almasi of The National Center for Public Policy Research has co-written an op-ed that calls the forecast "overblown." "There is a full-court press right now by what I would say is the activist scientist community to push obesity fear on the American public," he says. "Now, I'm not saying you can't walk down the street and see a lot of people that are overweight. But they're taking these reports and they're turning [them] into a way to force laws and regulations on the American people." To come up with the prediction of 42 percent, Almasi explains that the researchers plugged in all sorts of unforeseeable numbers, such as how many fast-food restaurants will exist in two decades. One young woman shown on the HBO documentary says, "You don't crave broccoli" and "our generation has grown up craving a Big Mac."
In Almasi's opinion, therein lies the problem. He points out that no one is forcing that type of food on people, and things like moderation and exercise are the solutions.
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