Old, Round, Brown and Full

The results of three recent studies show that the United States is in for a paradigm shift within a bit more than one generation. According to a Johns Hopkins study, By 2038, 100% of the adult population will be overweight (if trends over the last 30 years continue). Over at the Brookings Institute (you know them right? over on 132nd St, above the Happy Donut), William Frey says that, by 2040, ethnic minorities will become the majority. Also by 2040, there will be over half a million centenarians (there are about 84,000 now). Oh, and the world population will reach 8 billion by 2050.

OK, so we're fat and getting fatter. I don't buy that EVERYONE will be fat- there will still be soccer players, models, the Olsen twins, crack addicts, and French ex-pats. Still, I have to wonder about the 12 year olds that I see everyday that are... well... round. I had my problems with snacks as a kid, but my parents at least tried to hide the Mars bars. When you bring a life into the world, that becomes your ONLY responsibility- everything else is a function of that primary responsibility. 150 lbs and 10 years old? Not the kid's fault, but I'm not going to get on the soapbox.

Next, minorities become the majority. What do we call them? They can't be minorities if they are in the majority. And you know we don't live in a melting pot. This is more like a chef's salad. All the ingredients can be mixed together, but each one is still separate, and can be pulled out, scrutinized and discarded at will. There won't be a majority of anyone, but I don't think that will be the end of racism, classism, sexism, or isn'tism (isn'tism noun [iz-uhnt-iz-uhm] a belief or doctrine that there are inherent differences among anyone who isn't the same, usually involving the idea that anyone who is the same is superior and has the right to rule over those who aren't).

Case in point, interracial marriages account for about 7% of all marriages in the US. Not that marriage is the last word in relationships, but if only 2 out of every 30 people marry outside of their race/ethnicity, then the melting pot still needs some stirring.

One last point- right now, 30 is the new 20, but with more teens popping out kids, and more adults waiting to become parents, it kinda means 15 is the new 30. Fast forward 40 years, when the retirement age will be around 78, 11 will be the new 40, 40 will be the new 30, and Michael Jackson will have succeeded in replacing his entire body with clear plastic, becoming ageless, sexless, raceless, and able to eat anything s/he wants.