I have been frantically reading Fat Land by Greg Critser in preparation for a developmental psychology paper about obesity in children. I have become increasingly depressed about the state of our nation from learning statistics like more than 20% of all adults in the US are considered obese, a number which is consistently on the rise. Thanks to the abundant snacks, fast foods, fad diets and empty calories available to Americans, we are slowly killing ourselves. Cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol are more prevalent now than ever. But people are starting to take notice, and hopefully we'll all start to live longer as America slims down.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has recently sprung the Small Step campaign to promote health and fitness through simple changes in daily life, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, doing sit ups in front of the tv, drinking plenty of water and leaving a few bites of dessert on the plate.

McDonald's is in the process of eliminating the "super size" option, reducing the number of calories in a combo meal drastically. This step may have been spurred by one man's eye opening film experiment.

As much as I hate to admit it, the Atkins craze of late may be a good thing, but only for the attention to health and weight it has spread across the country. In 2003, Atkins books outsold other non-fiction books three to one, which shows in increased awareness of obesity and a desire to slim down. [Disclaimer: I am most definitely not promoting this idiotic unhealthy diet plan, I'm just noting it's effect on the state of mind of the American people.]