The Baconater

Carol Forsloff - "This is creating a potential threat to national security," said a group of
retired armed forces leaders. The threat is grave enough to worry our military leaders and comes wrapped in our fast foods, like the baconater.

Even as the world worries about ISIS, there are additional ones which involves the capability of the military. That means the health and well being of those who are designated to go to war and need to be ready for serious conflict.

The United States is embroiled in wars in the Middle East and while there is great strain
on the military, experts say what undermines the country's security is the fact it is too fat to fight.

This means our guys and gals are battling not only in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but should be fighting the battle the bulge if we are going to have troops healthy enough to defend the country. What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic to the nation's security?

The obesity epidemic is already leaning too hard to the finances of the future, that financial experts tell us will create serious problems in paying the costs of certain diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

But now the threat is the national security if we don't turn around and do something about an epidemic that is killing us in all directions at once.

So we are told before you eat that "baconater" at Wendy's, ask yourself where that fast food is really
going, because in the long run too much of a good thing can create problems when you want
to do things that are really important, like fight for the country's
freedom.

Ingredients of Wendy's Baconater

Baconator Double

two
hamburger patties with two slices of American cheese, 6 strips of
Applewood smoked bacon, mayonnaise and ketchup on a premium bun

Nutrition summary:

Calories

980

Fat

63g

Carbs

46g

Protein

58g

There are 980 calories in 1 serving of Wendy's Baconator Double.

Calorie breakdown: 58% fat, 19% carbs, 23% protein.

In other words, fast food and too much of it in big helpings, contributes to the nation's obesity epidemic. Therefore in some indirect fashion do foods like Wendy's baconater undermine the national security?

Perhaps it isn't so bad if it is the only major meal of the day, because it represents about
one-third or more of the calories, but then there is the salt, fat and carbohydrate content that has to be figured in.

There are other choices at Wendy's folks say we should consider:

side salad - 35 calories

broccoli and cheese potato - 330 calories

Caesar chicken salad (no dressing or toppings) - 190 calories

taco salad (no sour cream, chips, or salsa) - 360 calories

small chili - 220 calories

kids meal fries - 280 calories

ham and cheese kids meal sandwich - 240 calories

Here's the skinny on the fat problem. The obesity epidemic is skyrocketing. According to
statistics, nearly 36 percent of Americans are overweight and 31 percent are considered obese. At the present rate of growth, experts tell us by the year 2018 nearly half of all adults will be considered obese if the current rate continues. These are huge numbers that surpass anything ever seen in the history of the human race.

Other statistics, like the cost of obesity, are also significant, reflecting nearly 10% of all health care spending.

Obesity can lead to serious medical issues that are costly, including heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, hypertension, and hypothyroid, just to name a few. These costs add up to over $1,500.00 per year for each overweight person in America.

So are we too fat to fight?According to a study conducted by the Department of Defense nearly one quarter of our military aged youth do not meet the minimum physical requirements to join.

"It's not drug abuse, it's not asthma, it's not flat feet - by far the leading medical reason is being
overweight or obese," said retired U. S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman Seip at a news conference.a few years ago.

Why the recent increase in obesity among our youth? Some say that it is the lack of physical activity. We have cut out recess and required physical education at school that causes our young people to be very sedentary.

Some say that it is the lack of proper nutrition by the school lunch program that is causing our
children to become obese. Both of those are definitely contributing factors, however, there is an approach that is overlooked today.

In the 1940's and 1950's Dr. A.T.W. Simeons studied obesity as a disease. He concluded that the hypothalamus, a gland in our brain, can become damaged and cause us to become obese.
Some folks believe he was on the right track when he said the damage to hypothalamus by extreme stress and chemicals in our food and water was at the heart of reducing the body 's power from normally burning the fat that is stored.

The Centers for Disease Control, however, tells us the disease epidemic of obesity is caused by multiple factors,including the emphasis on quick meals and fast food where folks are eating more and getting less real nutrition, so compensate by eating more.

Whatever the cause, the unique factor of how weight gain might impact the ability to fight in a war tells us something about both security and weight in the same "value meal," something to chew on and digest rather than that baconater you were dreaming of this morning before you sign up for the Marines.