Editorial August 5, 2002 Issue

Balance—found in the right scale

Editor

A report in The Wall Street Journal of July 1, 2002, under the headline "Obesity: A WorldWide Woe," points to the continuing need for balance, moderation, and self-discipline, in many areas of life. The report quoted data released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development revealing that obesity in the United States has doubled to 26 percent of the population in the past 20 years.

Figures like these—showing imbalance in our lifestyles—are dispiriting. But there's another trend that's encouraging. Some surveys, for instance, report growth in areas such as spirituality. They show that church attendance is up, spiritual healing is on the rise, and more and more people are unselfishly volunteering their time in community service.

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