At this point, 30% of the American population is obese, up from just 13% of the population 20 years ago. That number will be 41% by 2015. On the other hand, only about .6% of the American population is anorexic, a number that’s stayed fairly constant over the years. Yet the mortality rate of people with anorexia is only slightly higher (.56%) than that of people that qualify as obese (.43%).

From The Anorexia Scare: How Too-Thin Models May Save Your Child’s Life on EyelessWriter.com. Interesting stats that result in a somewhat ridiculous premise: “We need thin and healthy role models, and - failing that - simply thin role models” and use of fear “We need to make people more afraid of carrying around too much weight, not less.”

The author hits it on the head with diet and lifestyle, but doesn’t seem to fit that into the solution. Also like this quote: “obesity is the unhealthy side effect of successful anti-anorexia campaigns, and anorexia is the unhealthy success of anti-obesity campaigns”.

Maybe it’s just me, but any health campaign should be built on being healthy (physically, emotionally and mentally), not the polar opposite of the “bad” state—though I guess abstinence and drug education shows that people don’t think like me.