NEWS > HEALTH > AMERICANS FREEING THEMSELVES FROM BELT CONSTRAINTS

AMERICANS FREEING THEMSELVES FROM BELT CONSTRAINTS

September 13 2009

Washington, D.C. – Much has been made in recent years of the ever growing obesity problem across the United States. With the obese and morbidly obese becoming more common, many health officials are becoming concerned with the future burden being
placed not only on the health of citizens but also on the already taxed health care system. Despite efforts to stem the obesity tide more and more it seems the waistlines of Americans are going to continue to increase putting their future, and the future of their children, at risk.

Some though don’t see the obesity crisis in such dire terms. For some, specifically fast food companies, the ever growing waistlines of Americans are providing untold riches. The exercise industry has also prospered in recent years with unused memberships providing huge margins. Businesses though aren’t the only ones
benefiting from the obesity issue and more and more frequently a growing number of overweight people are finding fresh freedom in their increasing waistline. A new study by the Department of Health and Human Services indicates that many obese Americans are embracing their blubber for a number of reasons, the most dominant of which is the freedom it offers from belts.

“Many of our findings contravened our expectations quite significantly. We had anticipated a lot of guilt and self-consciousness regarding one’s weight but that really hasn’t been the case by and large. There are still significant numbers of people who have those hang-ups and issues but by and large people are embracing their weight in ways that we had not anticipated,” said a spokesperson for the DHHS. “More often than not the reason for that embrace is due to the freedom obesity offers from belts. In fact many people we spoke to reported efforts to bulk up when they find their pants getting a little loose. This is going to make any efforts to reduce obesity a challenge but now we at least have a motivation and a rationale for people stuffing their faces.”

It’s not clear from the study if it is the costs associated with belt purchases or some other social stigma related to the donning of such restraints.

“Seeing the cold hard data does make it a little surprising but when you actually take the time to think about it such an attitude makes perfect sense. It has been well known for decades that obesity causes serious health issues and can expedite death but people continue to eat as though there’s no tomorrow. Now we have a rationale and sound understanding behind that effort,” said Scrape TV Health analyst Rebecca Phelps. “A lot of obesity experts had anticipated some solid motivation behind people eating at the levels they do but a lot of that revolved around the theory that people were dissatisfied with their shoes. It was a kind of out of sight out of mind attitude. Now though we can see that the reasons behind this gorging is something different and could in fact provide more significant challenges to health officials.”

Many doctors across the country have been offering coupons for stores such as Payless in hopes that people would become happier with their footwear choices and thus reducing their desire to increase belly size.

“The first and best way to attack this would be to increase the acceptance of sweatpants. That would eliminate the need for belts without having to dramatically increase gut size and go a long way to helping fight the obesity issue. It may be a tough thing but the fashion industry could go a long way to aiding in that effort,” continued Phelps. “Until we free people of their belt obsessions we may never have a solution to the obesity issue meaning a never ending growth in waistlines.”

So-called ‘sagging’ amongst younger pants-wearers is not seen as a motivator behind the belt prejudice.

Lauren Hebert, Health Correspondent

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