Wealth and Waistlines

Come on. Is that really so hard?
I have a fairly well-paying job, but it keeps me at the computer for about 50 hours a week. The choice for me to quit my job and get one that's more active would mean a huge drop in pay. It's not worth it to me. Many people are in that situation. And when you get out of work, there are all these other things to do. A lot of people just aren't interested in carving out the time it would take to be physically active. Plus, it's cheap and convenient to consume lots of great-tasting food. I argue that obesity is a side effect of any advanced economy. When you mechanize a society to the degree that no one has to do anything, no one's going to do anything. Combine that with cheap, prevalent food, and the result is bound to be weight gain. We're seeing this now all over the world, including China and India, two countries whose economies and waistlines are growing rapidly.

You put part of the blame on well-intentioned government policies. Why?
Look at how we subsidize farmers, encouraging corn and soy production over other vegetables and fruit. Corn is used for high-fructose corn syrup, and soy is used in hydrogenated fats. They have become the sweetener and fat of choice because they are so cheap. As a result, any product with lots of added sugars and fats will generally be cheaper in part because of government subsidies. Another example is the way we build communities. Many communities have zoning laws that prevent mixed-use buildings, so homes go up in one part of town and businesses in another, and you can't get anywhere without driving your car. This really discourages pedestrian traffic. Or look at the No Child Left Behind Act. Many schools cut out PE because they need all the time they can [get] to teach the core classes. And kids are studying more, so there's less time for sports or other activities. Like many well-intentioned policies, this act may be inadvertently making kids less active.

Should the government step in?
When it comes to adults, the answer is not so obvious. But when it comes to America's youth, I say the answer is definitely yes, because they are unable to make rational decisions the way Uncle Al does. I would be in favor of mandatory PE with testing. No Child Left Behind should apply to physical education, too. I think that we should get the chips and cookies that are sold next to school lunches out if they are unhealthy, or price them in a way that discourages choosing them. I'd certainly remove soda from vending machines on school grounds.

Employers could adapt some of those ideas to combating obesity in the workplace.
Employers should use the types of strategies that are profit-maximizing. After all, that is what most [companies] are in business to do. I would subsidize healthy food in the cafeteria, maybe even have a fitness center. It's a nice perk and a great way to attract young, healthy workers.

But you don't think implementing weight-loss programs makes sense economically?
In order to be a cost-saving program, employees would have to lose enough weight, keep it off long enough and stay with the company long enough so that the reduction in health-related costs would be borne by the company. In reality, people change jobs every five years on average, so these programs are unlikely to pay off for most firms. Moreover, many of the costs of obesity occur after the age of 65, when Medicare covers the costs. Employers are likely not interested in saving these costs.

How optimistic are you that the economy that helped make Americans fat will also provide the solution?
People would prefer not to be fat; they just don't want to go through all the effort it takes to be thin. But if someone can make it easier for them, there will be a huge demand, even at significant cost. Markets are pretty amazing. If the demand is there, and I think it is, I am certain that there will be a lot more products and services to help people get thin. The solution could be a pill or a procedure. Public health folks won't be happy about that outcome, but Uncle Al probably will.

© 2007