“Why is America so fat?”/“Because these colors don’t run.”

“These colors don’t run” is frequently said about the American flag, meaning that America doesn’t back away from a fight. A joke is:
 
Q: Why is America so fat?
A: Because these colors don’t run.”
 
“‘Red, White, and Blue: these colors don’t run!’ So THAT’S why everyone at the mall is so fat!” was posted on Twitter on May 11, 2011. “These colors don’t run.  Seriously.  That’s why our country is so fat” was posted on Twitter on July 3, 2011.
 
         
Quora
What does “these colors don’t run” mean?
Joe Devney, Professional writer and editor, Master’s in Linguistics.
Answered Jul 10, 2016
If the sentence accompanies a picture of the American flag, it is a play on words. Colors and run both have more than one meaning, and the flag is both a piece of cloth and a symbol for something larger. That is the way I usually see this particular string of words used.
(...)
In the metaphorical sense with the picture of the flag, “colors” is another word for the flag. Then the flag itself stands in for America, or specifically the American military. In this context, “run” is meant more literally.The sentence is saying that Americans will not run away from a fight.
 
Twitter
Vincent James Wylie‏
@James_Wylie
“Red, White, and Blue: these colors don’t run!” So THAT’S why everyone at the mall is so fat!
11:50 AM - 11 May 2011
 
Twitter
Steve Svehla‏
@CoatCzech
These colors don’t run.  Seriously.  That’s why our country is so fat.
2:11 PM - 3 Jul 2011
 
Twitter
Nathan Kyle‏
@Nathissistic
“Why is America so fat?” - rest of the world
“These colors don’t run.” - U.S.A.
*U.S.A. chants in the background*
3:36 PM - 20 Feb 2014
 
Twitter
Jon Barr‏
@JonBarrTweets
Don’t diss America. These colors don’t run. That’s why they’re so fat just like the rest of America.
9:26 PM - 29 Mar 2015
   
Twitter
Creamy Smooth‏
@TheCreamySmooth
Americans are so fat, even our flag’s colors don’t run.
8:40 AM - 14 Aug 2015
   
Reddit—Jokes
Why are Americans so fat?
submitted July 8, 2017 by OliverWotei
Because these colors don’t run!
 
Reddit—Jokes
Why is America so fat?
submitted October 8, 2017 by Saetric
Because THESE COLORS DON’T RUN