Blobby Britain - Getting Fatter

The cost of the ever expanding waistlines of Blobby Brits grows ever bigger ....

Blobby Brits - Fatter Than Ever .....

Figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggest that the cost of obesity in the UK to the taxpayer now amounts to £409 ($517.32) per annum in 2019. 

From Humans To Hobbits

More evidence that Blobbiness really does matter. Apart from the obvious health and well-being factors, the consumption of the world resources by large people (Bigger clothes, more food, more space - larger chair room on air planes for example ... the list goes on when you think about it), is a major additional drain on the worlds resources. Recent estimates suggest that currently its equal to at least 1 billion additional people on the planet .... in other words another 17% added to of the population.

And here's a fact that might shake a few people - the USA represents just 6% of the worlds population, but accounts for over 30% of its obesity .... think on that, over 30% of the worlds fatties live in the USA, while Asia accounts for 61% of the global population, but it only accounts for 13% of the weight of the world due to obesity. In fact based upon World Health Organization data from 2005, its been calculated that the average global body weight was 137lb (62kg). But there were huge regional differences. In North America, the average was 178lb (80.7kg), while in Asia it was 127lb (57.7kg) ....

So what happens when the resources available no longer meet a societies needs?

Well obviously, initially scarcity and hoarding push up the prices, creating vast wealth for those who control and have the resources, while great suffering for those who don't, or who can't afford to get them .... then, if the supply issue isn't resolved quickly, and its food, petrol or drinking water that's in shortage, comes the fighting, as first nations, then individuals try to get enough of the resource to meet their actual or perceived needs. Famines, and societal collapses, would appear around the globe once the fighting broke into inter-communal, and individual family levels.

The Future, From Humans to Hobbit?

Then in the much longer term, a smaller race may emerge, with growth restricted by diets (rather than birth control, which humans rarely practise), with less protein and calories available .... there is evidence for this dwarfism happening to different mammal groups who experienced restricted protein for any length of time, with both the hobbit people of Indonesia, and the mini mammoths of the Cretan islands, where in both cases, restricted food supplies led to smaller and smaller individuals to keep the population numbers in tune with the resources available. 

 

If we carry on consuming the equivalent of 1.5 of the Earth's resources, resource famine for both humans and other creatures inhabiting this planet will be inevitable.

The Big Country

The other day, I was discussing the idea of a trip to the USA with colleagues at work. One of them mentioned that he had been there last March. I asked what he thought of it and he said that he and his family enjoyed it, but that it was like entering the 'land of the giants' and laughed.

I asked him what he meant and he said it wasn't like TV, where all Americans are portrayed as fit, healthy, and with good teeth. Oh no, he said, the streets were populated by 18 - 25 stone behemoths. It was eerie and disconcerting to be surrounded by such obesity. The 'standard' meal sizes in fast food outlets or restaurants were massive, and he said that they generally ordered meals for three, and shared between the five of them. Now admittedly he was exaggerating for the stories sake, but he said that the US is a 'Big' country in every sense of the word.

Typical Americans?

This made me wonder what other sins TV and movies hide by their stereotypical portrayals?

Frank Cannon - the first fat American?

For instance apart from the American private eye Frank Cannon (played by William Conrad), I can't remember ever seeing a fat American lead character until Peter Griffin in 'Family Guy'.

Peter Griffin - First true American hero?

Blobby Britain

It appears that Britain is the new European home of the "Fat Bastard" ..... we used to be able to laugh at the Americans, who for some decades were far and away the fattest nation on Earth ....


Fat American Children - Body Shamed?

 

..... but not anymore.

Lazy Bastards Drug

Yep, for millions of fat gits out there, scientists have developed a new 'fitness pill' whereby watching TV whilst stuffing your faces will still give the benefits of exercise.



The Anti Fat Pill Had Just One BIG Problem 

Obviously this pill will not only benefit the totally lazy, it will make 'Olympic' athletes gain up to 40% from any training they can perform. This could well mean that endurance events are transformed e.g. marathons and we have to wonder if these pills will be 'banned', although how they could enforce a ban is open to some doubt.

It's a shame that having to work hard to keep fit is likely to be a thing of the past and all those 'exercise freaks' will have wasted all that time running about to achieve what a pill can perform.

As one who has to watch the calories, I personally look forward to replacing the weights with a tablet.