“The Weight of the Nation”: HBO Documentary

Written by Lucas Figueroa on May 14, 2012 8:43 am

May 14–15, HBO will premier their highly anticipated documentary “The Weight of the Nation.” The four-part series declares war on our country’s obesity epidemic by closely examining the causes of our growing collective waistline and decreasing desire to exercise. Parts 1 and 2 of the four-part series preview this evening (May 14) at 8 p.m. EST, and parts 3 and 4 will show tomorrow (May 15) at 8 p.m. EST.

Working in association with the nation’s leading research institutions—including The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—HBO and The Institute of Medicine (IOM) tackle this chronic problem from all angles with interviews from both leading experts and individuals who are struggling with their weight.

“If we don't take the obesity epidemic seriously as individuals and as a nation, we will pay a serious price,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., who appears in all of the main documentaries in the series.

Here are just a few of the startling statistics from the film:

Nearly 69% of US adults are overweight or obese.
In the 25 years between 1987 and 2010, the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes almost tripled to 20.9 million.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity every week for adults.
One study showed that obese people are 83% more likely to develop kidney disease compared to normal-weight people.
Food obtained outside the home tends to be higher in calories and fat than food prepared at home.
The obese workforce costs American business an estimated $73.1 billion per year.
79 million Americans are pre-diabetic.
About 46% of adults' added sugar intake comes from sugary drinks.

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