Obesity may save Social Security

While traveling in China with a retired World Health Organization physician, we discussed the fact that every male in sight was chain-smoking cigarettes. He explained there were two reasons for this cultural behavior. First, the government owned the tobacco industry. Second, the government understood that premature deaths from smoking would eliminate many pensioners from retirement benefits.

This was cynicism with a sharp edge.

Here in the USA, we worry about boomers placing massive demands on Social Security and Medicare.  Ten thousand Boomers per day will retire, for the next 19 years. Starting NOW!!

That is 3.6 million retirees per year, times 19. Those soldiers were very happy to come home in the 1950s.

However, many of them are obese. Obesity may do here what smoking will do in China; thin out the retirees.  Unless these 350-pound, overfed shoppers get to the gym real soon, the rest of us will enjoy their contributions to Social Security and they will be ashes.

Super Size me now!!