This article only mentions adult obesity rates, so I have added childhood obesity rates below.

In the US, the percentage of children affected by obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s. Data from 2015-2016 show that nearly 1 in 5 school age children in the US has obesity (CDC). Children with obesity are, among other things, more likely to have obesity as an adult: increasing risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and many types of cancer.

Chronic diseases are leading causes of death and disability. And according to the article, the costs to treat these conditions are putting a huge strain on our health care system - which makes me wonder: can it keep up with these increasing rates?

So my questions are:

Do you think about “the big picture” when it comes to your health? To your child’s health?

What do you do on a daily basis to help prevent chronic disease?

What do you think can be and should be done on a community or national level to help prevent chronic disease?