2030: The End of the World as We Know It
By Shawn McKee
No one knows for certain what the future brings, but most hypotheses are bleak.
There is the constant cloud of global warming hanging over our heads, there's exponentially evolving technology that will, surely very soon, become self-aware and revolt against its human masters leading to a bloody man versus machine battle in which humankind is enslaved or altogether destroyed. Plus, there's nuclear proliferation, conquering alien overlords and, of course, the chupacabra.
Pick your poison.
While some of these doomsday scenarios may be slightly unlikely, the greatest threat to mankind is very real and, recent research suggests, only about 20 years away.
A recently published study suggests that 86 percent of Americans could be overweight or obese by 2030, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
The researchers collected national data over the past 30 years and conducted projection analyses based on those figures, which lead to a bleak assessment of the future of this country if nothing is done to curb the obesity epidemic.
"It's worrisome to think that obesity across the states will be worse in the future," Pam Ofstein, eDiets Director of Nutrition Services, says. "We seem to know more and more about how we can help prevent obesity with ongoing research, yet it still plagues us."
The slew of health risks for the overweight and obese includes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. If the obesity epidemic is left unchecked, researchers estimate that children may actually have shorter life expectancy than their parents -- an unsettling trend.
"National survey data show that the prevalence of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased steadily over the past three decades," says Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, and lead author of the study. Wang warns that along with a population of unhealthy citizens comes a greatly increased cost of health care.
"The health care costs attributable to obesity and overweight are expected to more than double every decade," says Wang, who estimates the related health care spending to reach roughly $956.9 billion.
"Due to the assumptions we made and the limitations of the available data, these figures are likely an underestimation of the true financial impact."
It's a terrifying vision of what's to come, but the fates of Americans are not set in stone. We can change. A future of subservience to super intelligent robots does not have to be our destiny. There are ways to prevent becoming a society of easily-conquered, overfed, carbon-based life forms.
"Living healthy through proper nutrition and exercise is within our reach," says Pam. "It is so important to focus on taking steps to better health today and trying to make small but significant changes in our daily lives. Consuming whole, natural foods, eating meals with the family, exercising daily and eating less processed foods are all ways you can start to change your future and avoid becoming a statistic, as well as improving your overall health. Take baby steps towards better health."
The benefits of eating right and exercising will help you live a longer, healthier, more satisfying life. Let's reverse the trend toward obesity in this country. Besides, when the robots revolt, we're going to need all the help we can get.
Courtesy: Glee (Worst Foods).
No one knows for certain what the future brings, but most hypotheses are bleak.
There is the constant cloud of global warming hanging over our heads, there's exponentially evolving technology that will, surely very soon, become self-aware and revolt against its human masters leading to a bloody man versus machine battle in which humankind is enslaved or altogether destroyed. Plus, there's nuclear proliferation, conquering alien overlords and, of course, the chupacabra.
Pick your poison.
While some of these doomsday scenarios may be slightly unlikely, the greatest threat to mankind is very real and, recent research suggests, only about 20 years away.
A recently published study suggests that 86 percent of Americans could be overweight or obese by 2030, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
The researchers collected national data over the past 30 years and conducted projection analyses based on those figures, which lead to a bleak assessment of the future of this country if nothing is done to curb the obesity epidemic.
"It's worrisome to think that obesity across the states will be worse in the future," Pam Ofstein, eDiets Director of Nutrition Services, says. "We seem to know more and more about how we can help prevent obesity with ongoing research, yet it still plagues us."
The slew of health risks for the overweight and obese includes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. If the obesity epidemic is left unchecked, researchers estimate that children may actually have shorter life expectancy than their parents -- an unsettling trend.
"National survey data show that the prevalence of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased steadily over the past three decades," says Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, and lead author of the study. Wang warns that along with a population of unhealthy citizens comes a greatly increased cost of health care.
"The health care costs attributable to obesity and overweight are expected to more than double every decade," says Wang, who estimates the related health care spending to reach roughly $956.9 billion.
"Due to the assumptions we made and the limitations of the available data, these figures are likely an underestimation of the true financial impact."
It's a terrifying vision of what's to come, but the fates of Americans are not set in stone. We can change. A future of subservience to super intelligent robots does not have to be our destiny. There are ways to prevent becoming a society of easily-conquered, overfed, carbon-based life forms.
"Living healthy through proper nutrition and exercise is within our reach," says Pam. "It is so important to focus on taking steps to better health today and trying to make small but significant changes in our daily lives. Consuming whole, natural foods, eating meals with the family, exercising daily and eating less processed foods are all ways you can start to change your future and avoid becoming a statistic, as well as improving your overall health. Take baby steps towards better health."
The benefits of eating right and exercising will help you live a longer, healthier, more satisfying life. Let's reverse the trend toward obesity in this country. Besides, when the robots revolt, we're going to need all the help we can get.
Courtesy: Glee (Worst Foods).
posted by Jacques Girard, Ph.D. at 12:52 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home