She might not have much of a shot at winning, but
Marianne Williamson
is running to President
Joe Biden’s
left in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary.
Although Williamson takes some hard-left positions on issues such as
reparations
and healthcare, she is right about at least one thing: America is
too fat
. She correctly points out that poor diet and nutrition are major problems in our society. She acknowledges that fewer Americans would face premature death if they had better diet and exercise regimens.
“Nutrition plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases, diet being one of the most significant risk factors for disability and premature death,” the Williamson campaign website says. “Leading causes of death in the United States include heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes — all of which have a high correlation to poor diet and nutrition.” Williamson says that she supports more nutrition education in schools; creating more parks, walking and cycling paths, and physical recreation equipment for the public to use; tax credits for gym memberships; and government support for healthy eating, among other proposals.
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The facts suggest that Williamson is on to something. Nearly three-quarters, or 73.6%, of adults 20 and older are either overweight or obese,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
; 41.9% of the public are obese or morbidly obese, the data say. America’s weight problem obviously fuels increasing healthcare costs.
In 2019, obesity created $173 billion in medical costs,
according to the CDC
; it also unnecessarily increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Not to mention, obesity is part of the reason why the U.S. has endured
more than 1.1 million coronavirus deaths
; 78% of hospitalized coronavirus patients were either overweight or obese,
according to the CDC
. It is also partially why America has a lower life expectancy than other highly developed countries.
The average U.S. life expectancy was 76.1 years in 2021,
according to the CDC
; it was a far lower rate than many other highly developed countries such as South Korea, at
83.21 years
, Japan, at
84.79 years
, and Singapore, at
83.80 years
, where
fewer than 10%
of the population is obese. Not to mention, obesity harms people’s mental health. Obese people are 55% more likely to become depressed than nonobese people,
according to the National Council on Aging
.
Top line: Most Americans need to eat less, eat better, and exercise more. However, Williamson’s advocacy for improving nutrition and promoting healthy lifestyles is great, even if some may disagree with her policy proposals.
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Tom Joyce (
@TomJoyceSports
) is a political reporter for the New Boston Post in Massachusetts.
