I read somewhere where the adult obesity rate in the US is like 38% and in children 17%. Those numbers were 30 and 14 in 2000. All the relevant fat boy and girl diseases go along with it. We all know what they are.

As a nation, we are clearly going soft.

Here's another example from a different view but in the same vein. I was at my parents house the past few days because my Mom (80) was in the hospital for some serious vertigo issues. She is fine now and our last day there we took a drive around the country near the home place. As we drove past the foot of Sugarloaf mountain, my Mom asked me how old I was when I first walked to the top. I was 12 when I climbed it with my Uncle Gerald. He was 14. It ain't a huge mountain but its a mountain and was quite a challenge. I'll never forget the thrill of finding the geodetic survey marker on the top.

How many 12 and 14 years would be able to do that today on their own. My 80 year old Mom by the way found out about that hike day before yesterday. So I didn't ask for permission. But how many would be allowed? I don't think any of my four kids could have done it. They could have if they had walked and biked as far as I had at 12, but then again that's part of it.

But its another example of the generational changes that have happened to Americans. And IMO not in a good way.

I am a believer in global warming and I think we are causing it. But I truly truly wished that as many people were alarmed by the disintegration of, hell I don't know what to call it, global fattening maybe. I wish they would care about this problem like they do about the climate.

Read Herodotus' account of the Greeks kicking the Persian's ass all over Asia minor. They got soft too.

BKB