Are you part of overweight America? It's a chronic problem with obesity more than doubling since 1980 from 15 to 32 percent. While a 2006 report identified the root of the epidemic as poor nutrition combined with a lack of physical activity the heart of the problem is simple -- cruise liners.

I recently returned from an Alaskan cruise, witnessing an eating frenzy on a boat the size of Rhode Island. Folks crowded into elevators heading to an All-You-Can eat, 24 hour, buffet with a veritable cornucopia of goodies. Many were huge people, the kind you pray don't sit next to you flying coach to Detroit.

I was no better, falling into the gluttony trap before the first sunset. It wasn't long before consuming dessert four times a day was commonplace. One night I woke at 2:30, contemplating a light snack of fruit tarts, prime rib, and a hazelnut crème brulee.

Sea sickness didn't even turn the tide. A day into the cruise the handrail bobbed against the distant horizon, rendering me ready to puke at any moment. Like a lost puppy, I followed my wife around waiting for the next sea-sick pill dispensing.

Yet, as queezy as I felt, I still swayed into seated dining and ordered a five course meal, fearlessly giving our Romanian server my order even though I couldn't pronounce any of the entrees. With my stomach in my throat I'd find a familiar word, then using my best suave Montana accent would say, "I'd like the chicken."

Everyone was ordering mass quantities of food including Skip, a cruise veteran and self-professed 1950s Charles Atlas course dropout. One meal he personally devoured a crab legs entrée then a salmon entrée, finishing with a healthy slice of New York Cheese Cake. I envied his stamina.

What seemed odd was I felt like a hung over skid row wino (please make the boat stop moving!), but I was willing to mix Fettuccine Alfredo with Tom Turkey, topping it off with Baked Alaska. I didn't even notice the voracious symptoms as the cruise food demon took possession of my soul.

I resorted to hording food should a shortage break out. Starting with healthy bananas and apples. Before the week was out, though, I was taking fists full of cookies and little boxes of Frosted Flakes. Pathetically, I couldn't even get back to my room before opening a box.

The day before we disembarked I was looking in the mirror, wearing underwear that used to fit and grossed out by the image staring back. I'd known being overweight increased the risk for serious health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. These were facts long forgotten as small tears started to form in my eyes.

Are you kidding?! I was wondering what was on the evening menu!

Getting on the plane to head home I pondered the overweight/obesity issue. The cruise taught me to appreciate the epidemic bloating America. It was apparent I'd forgotten some of the basic laws of modern physics:

Obviously, the energy imbalance from eating too many calories and not exercising leads to being overweight. It's the other factors of genetics, metabolism, behavior, environment, culture, and cruise departure date that really complicate the issue.

By being patient and paying my taxes, the FDA will eventually solve the problem. Not! Come on, my wife is the only one capable of controlling my lifestyle. It's back to healthy foods and exercise for me. I'd love to share all of "Joe's Recovery Plan" but I need to clean the dang Frosted Flakes from the keyboard.

For more information on how to deal with overweight and obesity check out: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm