Nearly every day we hear about the dangers of smoking, and see commercials shaming smokers, with the assumption that the greater American population that does not smoke is substantially healthier. In reality, while smoking has been on the decline, obesity rates continue to rise rapidly. Roughly one-quarter to one-third of Americans and Canadians are obese, while two-thirds are overweight. An estimated one-third of American children between the ages of 2 and 19 are also overweight.

In Florida alone, the combined obesity rate in 10-17-year-olds, according to stateofobesity.org, is 36.6%, which ranks fourth among the rest of the States and Washington DC.

“A new Foresight study has shown that obesity is far more deadly than smoking, and can drastically shorten the lives of millions of people. The Foresight report, written and crafted by 250 leading scientists, says that being overweight can reduce life expectancy by about 13 years on average, as compared to smoking’s average toll of 10 years. Not only does obesity have more negative health consequences than smoking, drinking, or poverty, but it also affects a wider range of people. Approximately 23 percent of Americans are obese. An additional 36 percent are overweight. By contrast, only 6 percent are heavy drinkers, 19 percent are daily smokers, and 14 percent are in poverty.

“We put so much pressure on smokers, and even drinkers to change their unhealthy habits, but we forget to look at our own. We focus on material, fleeting objects, or the savory tastes of our self-provided poisons, and ignore the vessel that will stay with us in all of our existence; our bodies.