Obesity is not a problem

There are a lot of community-based obesity initiatives underway around the country. My guess is that most, if not all, of them are focusing on environmental and public policy angles. I think that's great, and those are the only two areas in which a large number of people can be reached at one time. Unfortunately, that approach will fall short of reversing the obesity trends in the U.S.

You see, the problem is much deeper than that. It actually deeper than nutrition and exercise. Most of it originates in that funny looking organ in your head. No one wants to be obese. Add to that, the fact that most people already understand that you have to take in less calories than you expend if you want to lose weight. Based on those facts, how can people possibly be obese? For many, food is a source of reward and satisfaction. For someone not getting sufficient rewards from other sources such as career and relationships, food is probably playing a disproportionate role in his/her reward profile. The only good news about that is, at least it's not drugs playing that part.

Obesity is not a problem. It is a symptom of other problems lying beneath the surface. Until we recognize that as a society, we will not make sustainable progress. My goal is to take what groups like the CDC have already done in terms of environmental and policy focus, and add to that a focus on the underlying causes of obesity. This could be an interesting journey. First stop is a conference call next week with a senior scientist from the CDC.