Couch potato contentment - MSNBC

Seventy percent of respondents said they were completely or somewhat satisfied with their physical health and 66 percent said the same about their physical appearance, according to the survey, commissioned by the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), an industry trade group in Boston.

And just over half (52 percent) of the more than 1,400 people polled last September said they were generally satisfied with the amount of exercise they get.

But federal health statistics show that most Americans aren't getting very much: Two-thirds are not physically active on a regular basis and a quarter get practically no exercise at all.

Sedentary lifestyles are a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic, and a full two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese.

I'm amongst the majority, I fear. I've not seen it noted elsewhere, but since obesity is linked with early death, this "crisis" could be the answer to the Social Security crisis. On the other hand, if that's right it means the system isn't actuarily fair, and the obese are being short changed. Such thoughts aren't completely novel of course, and have been discussed here and here.