A few months after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Tommy G. Thompson, then secretary of health and human services, urged all Americans to lose 10 pounds as “a patriotic gesture.”
As Americans coped with the attacks, a cultural anxiety developed about rising obesity rates and what it meant for military readiness. On TV, a flood of new shows like “The Biggest Loser” pitted contestants against each other as they fought to shed pounds. Social scientists began noticing anti-fat attitudes that went beyond these programs into other aspects of entertainment media. America, it seemed, was ready to battle the bulge.
Obesity rates, however, haven’t declined in the past two decades. Americans continue to gain weight each year and a new study finds that younger adults are one of the most susceptible groups.
