Fatten up, America!

Yes, we're fatter. And it's a news story.

Mississippi is the biggest, with over 30% of their adult population being obese. A few other southern states are right behind it. Colorado is the thinnest state. Minnesota comes in 28th and Wisconsin 22nd (in this case, the higher - closer to 1st - you are, the more obese, so 28th is better than 22nd).

One of the first purchases my wife and I made after we got married was a scale. Over the last two months we've been making a concentrated effort on eating healthier and have been attempting (though too often in vain) to be more active. I just really didn't want to let myself spin out of control, because I've seen how unbelievably difficult it is to turn yourself around when you're older.

So far, it's paid off, with each of us actually shedding about 10 pounds. It's minimal and probably not really noticeable to people around us, but that's not the point. The point is to understand that our bodies are a gift to us and we need to treat them as such. Hopefully if we start understanding that while we're young, we'll be able to more easily continue it as we get older and our metabolism slows down.

I know, it's not all about weight. Plenty of people are thin and are still very unhealthy. But, it's still half the battle, and if I can win just half of the battle, the other half comes a lot easier!