Fat nation

How are we going to close in on No. 1 if we're going in the wrong direction?

We're still fat.

Indiana ranked ninth out of all states in the Trust for America's Health annual report of obesity in the United States.

And while Indiana fell a notch from last year, when it was tied for eighth, the percentage of overweight adults here rose slightly from 26.2 to 26.8, according to the report.

Just kidding -- lighten up. Actually we don't look that bad in comparison to everybody else when you consider that the rates went up in 31 states and down in none.

I'd like to register a small voice of dissent to the notion that this is an "emergency" and a "crisis" amounting to an urgent "national problem" that must be quickly solved. I'd even disagree that it is "the nation's" responsbility to help people make better choices in taking responsbility for themselves. We can provide people all the information they need -- on nutrition, tobacco, alcohol, teen sex, drugs and everything else -- but it's up to each individual to heed it or ignore it.