Views When will we say enough is enough to obesity, diabetes?

I’m a big fan of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” And judging from the number of e-mails I get from benefits professionals who have created their own version of the show at their workplaces, I’m guessing a few of you out there are fans as well.

I love the show’s inspiring stories of triumph and redemption. But it as I’ve been watching this new season, it always pains me to think that after 10 seasons TBL’s producers still are able to find hundreds of thousands of people willing to try out for the show.

After seven years, and 10 seasons. And not only are there still thousands of would-be participants, the ones who actually make the cut are larger than ever.

I wonder why, as a nation, are we doing this to ourselves? What psychology or physiology about us makes the obesity epidemic so uniquely American?

And now, recent news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that by 2050 one in three Americans will have diabetes. As if that weren’t horrifying enough, nine out of 10 of the new cases will be linked to obesity.

Obesity already is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States; diabetes, according to CDC, is seventh. Both conditions cost billions (billions!) annually.

All of this, as noted above, is preventable. As in, within our control to keep from happening.

Then why is it still happening? Please don’t mistake the question for condescension. Truly, I don’t understand why and am just putting the query out there to get your thoughts.

So, hit the comments to discuss why — with all we now know about health and wellness, and the medically advanced times we live in — are preventable conditions like obesity and diabetes still at epidemic proportions? And secondly, what in the world are we going to do about it?