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Opening Dialogue
The Mystery
In December 2001, the United States Surgeon
General issued a health warning. Americans are
experiencing an epidemic of overweight and obesity,
it’s out of control, and it’s getting worse. Estimates
suggest that 65 percent of adults are
HSI CLUE overweight, as are one out of every
The “logical” five American children. The latest
approach to government statistics indicate that
weight loss for the obese Americans outnumber
past century has overweight Americans, and the group
largely focused on that has been expanding at the
eating less. This fastest rate during the past decade is
approach the severely obese group, persons
matches our who are 100 pounds or more
intuitions about overweight. If the epidemic is allowed
how things should to continue on its current path, by the
be. Yet, as any year 2025, 40 to 45 percent of us will
dieter can attest, be medically obese and the amount of
dieting works people either overweight or obese
right up until it might well be upwards of 75 percent.
doesn’t. It What is causing this epidemic?
requires greater
and greater feats The conventional theory is that we, as
of abstinence to a society, as well as many individuals
lose incrementally within our society, do a poor job of
smaller and controlling our weight. We eat too
smaller amounts much and exercise too little. If we
of weight. The want to reverse this epidemic, if we
struggle does not
end when weight
is lost. It’s far
easier to regain
1: The Sherlock Holmes Way and the Mystery of Shape 5
Ending Dialogue