The Surgeon General and Obesity

The current Surgeon General has testified before Congress on the issue of childhood obesity. The irony of this is that if one looks at the Surgeon General one could see possibly a rather obese person, not the example one wants to set telling others to reduce their weight.

This is not a singular observation. The NY Times wrote a story on this at the time of her appointment. The Times states:

Despite her impressive résumé, Dr. Benjamin has been criticized for her weight. Critics have raised questions about whether Dr. Benjamin will have a credibility problem as she tries to address the nation’s obesity problem.

In an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Dr. Benjamin responded to the criticism.

“Health and being healthy and being fit is not about a dress size,” she said. “It’s about how fit you are at that moment in time. I’m just like 67 percent of Americans. I struggle with my weight just like they do, so I understand. And I want to have them help me, and I’ll help them, and we’ll work together to try to become a healthier nation.”

No madam, you are obese and almost morbidly so. Further your rather than having people help you all it requires is that you shut your mouth! Input less output is net accumulation. The fundamental law of physics. It works all the time and you are accumulating at an astonishing rate. Your response is to attack and then place the responsibility on others.Admit the fact that you are morbidly obese and do something about it. For how could you ever tell anyone else to do the same.

Since obesity costs us more than $300 billion annually, one wonders why we have such a poor example in such a significant position. It is akin to having a chain smoker in a smoking cessation program. Her testimony today just further raises the issue of true leadership.

What do we have for our children to look up to. It takes will power and character to reduce the weight and keep it off. I know, I have done it for eight years now. I remember my last root beer, my last vanilla wafer, and my last three musketeers! I guess there is nothing more critical than ex smokers, recovering alcoholics and former fattys! But the ability to show others that you can do what you are asking of them goes to the heart of integrity!