...we're just big-boned
It's not easy being a Minnesotan these days. The weather's cold, our best known sports star is Randy Moss, Mark "Dazed and Confused" Dayton is one of our US Senators, and uber-elitist (and big time limousine liberal) Garrison Keillor is dubbed the "voice of Minnesota." Sigh.
And now, according to an e-mailer, our governor has appeared on national television to talk about how fat we are:
This desperate housewife is not ashamed to admit that she TiVos "Dr. Phil". I enjoy his straightforward advice, especially on parenting. I don't suppose you caught this but Governor Pawlenty was on his show yesterday, promoting the "Weight Loss Challenge" from the Mall of America. According to the Governor we have an obesity problem in MN (I believe we are the 2nd or 3rd most obese state). Also he wants to reduce healthcare costs.
In fairness to the North Star State, my research indicates that we're actually not in that bad of shape. This 2004 study shows that Minnesota is 25th in obesity rates (Ohio is #10), while this 2002 study puts us at in 17th place looking at it from an "obese/overweight" designation. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) data from 2003 shows that 20-24% of us should mix in a salad or two, but that we're not among the top of the scale-tipping states (for some reason the CDC doesn't list individual state rankings).
Still it doesn't help our state's image to have Governor Pawlenty (a lean mean fighting machine himself) telling the country that we're all a bunch of buffet-loving bovines. I understand his desire to reduce health care costs and agree that there are more than a few folks around these parts who should probably be taking the stairs instead of the elevator, but do we have to whine about our widening waistbands in so public a forum? Can't we just hold on to what few shreds of dignity we have left?
By the way, for those Minnesotans who are interested in Dr. Phil's Weight Loss Challenge, there will be weekly weigh-ins at the Mall of America. Word is that livestock scales will be on hand.
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