U.S. No Longer the Fattest Country

[KestrelBike]

Some of them just went home with the bad economy and the numbers see-sawed (omg am I going to get banned?)

[Ronin13]

We all know why... Obese folks aren't good at climbing fences or running across open desert...

[ImNtUrBuddyGuy]

I thought they were a poverty sticken country and can't hardly afford to live?

I think part of it has to do with NAFTA and Mexico's access cheaper US corn markets. Cheaper foods tend to be the most fattening and loaded with corn byproduct. Check out these graph charting both the rise in high fructose corn syrup and obesity rates (a very strong correlation?):



I would love to see a graph correlating the rise of obesity in Mexico with NAFTA/free trade, I saw a documentary about this subject a few years back. Believe it or not a lot of small time Mexican farmers got put out of business because they were forced to compete with US Mega-farms.

EDIT:
Here is also a graph showing the rate of poverty and weight, it shows the wealthy have a lower obesity overall. It's so strange, 100 years ago this graph would have been exactly the opposite:

[Jer]

So when I'm done with my juice fast a week-long Mexican food bender isn't a good idea? Noted.

[RonMexico]

I bet Michelle Obama will try and take credit for this one.