http://muller.lbl.gov/TRessays/33_Gluttony.htm Richard A. Muller, a 1982 MacArthur Fellow, is a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he teaches a course called "Physics for Future Presidents." Since 1972, he has been a Jason consultant on U.S. national security.
I don't have the studies at hand, but I've read enough to see that his premise is faulty. Despite contentious arguments over supersized portions, caloric intake today isn't significantly higher today than in the more svelte 1960's. What has changed: less exercise, due in part to longer commute times and longer working hours. In at least one study (unfortunately not at hand) positive correlation has been shown between work hours, commute length, and obesity. This shouldn't be a surprise to urban/suburban households with two working parents. Fixing the commute problem will require downsizing major coastal urban centers, possibly by distributing portions of their economic bases to smaller cities in the Midwest. This might require financial incentives and a level of federal investment too detailed for presentation here. As for reinstating a culture of exercise, perhaps a good first step would be to restore the Sabbath. Close the stores and restaurants, encourage congregations to spend the balance of Sunday in physical acts of worship, caring for the bodies God has given us. I would like to see Sunday afternoons filled with church softball, soccer, and flag football leagues for all ages.
