The Obesity Peak

One of my theories is that many human behavioral and cultural trends are directly tied to the expansion and contraction of the economic system. If credit expands, so do waistlines. As stated in my New Years Day post, I believe that as credit contracts so will many other things....materialism, gluttony, obesity (aka The Supersize Me Era). The Wall Street Journal reported this week that obesity may have peaked. Peak oil and now peak obesity!

One-Third of American Adults Are Obese, but Rate Slows
WASHINGTON—"One-third of American adults are obese, according to new U.S. government figures released Wednesday, but the rate of increase seen in recent decades has slowed. Figures from the National Center for Health Statistics showed 34% of American adults age 20 and older were obese in 2007-08 while 68% were considered overweight or obese. In children ages 2 through 19, 17% were considered obese while 32% were considered overweight. Broadly, the figures are similar to rates seen in 1999-2000. 'Obesity remains high and is a significant public-health problem in the U.S.,' said Cynthia Ogden, one of the main researchers involved in tabulating the data and an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's health-statistics unit. But, she said, the rapid increases in obesity rates seen during the 1980s and 1990s are slowing for most groups." Source: The Wall Street Journal

"Gluttony and obesity will evolve back to more natural levels."
Random Roving - January 1, 2010

The Rising Tide

The rise in credit drove the rise in the financial markets, home sizes, debt levels, confidence, waistlines, car sizes, and childhood obesity. It’s all intertwined and some might say it was all artificially created. The “supersize me” era has ended. History will show that 2000 was the beginning of the end of this massive credit orgy. While everyone is blaming the mortgage market, I believe that this situation or cycle dates back to 1982 with Reagan/Voelker. That’s when the credit and greenback printing presses started warming up. Bush Sr./Greenspan participated. Clinton/Greenspan accelerated to a higher level and Dubyah/Bernanke continued the process. ALL were participants. Both political parties. To hear Greenspan interviewed last week and state that he knew this was coming is outrageous. He was the mastermind behind the majority of the credit cycle. The Fed continues to destroy the U.S. dollar. At some point, the printing presses will run out. Two years ago the Fed quit reporting M3 figures. They said that it was too expensive to track!!! Zimbabwe did the same thing with their inflation rate. Don’t worry, we got ya covered!