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What do you think are the environmental factors of obesity and how best can we reduce their impact?
squatsanddeadlift
Posts: 117 Member
in Debate Club
Interesting discussion point.
Causes of Obesity
Obesity occurs when energy intake from food and drink consumption is greater than energy expenditure through the body’s metabolism and physical activity over a prolonged period, resulting in the accumulation of excess body fat. However there are many complex behavioural and societal factors that combine to contribute to the causes of obesity. The Foresight report (2007) referred to a “complex web of societal and biological factors that have, in recent decades, exposed our inherent human vulnerability to weight gain”. The report presented an obesity system map with energy balance at its centre. Around this, over 100 variables directly or indirectly influence energy balance (Figure 1).
Factors
- Biology: an individuals starting point - the influence of genetics and ill health;
-Activity environment: the influence of the environment on an individual’s activity behaviour, for example a decision to cycle to work may be influenced by road safety, air pollution or provision of a cycle shelter and showers;
-Physical Activity: the type, frequency and intensity of activities an individual carries out, such as cycling vigorously to work every day;
-Societal influences: the impact of society, for example the influence of the media, education, peer pressure or culture;
-Individual psychology: for example a person’s individual psychological drive for particular foods and consumption patterns, or physical activity patterns or preferences;
- Food environment: the influence of the food environment on an individual’s food choices, for example a decision to eat more fruit and vegetables may be influenced by the availability and quality of fruit and vegetables near home;
-Food consumption: the quality, quantity (portion sizes) and frequency (snacking patterns) of an individual’s diet.
http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/causes
Causes of Obesity
Obesity occurs when energy intake from food and drink consumption is greater than energy expenditure through the body’s metabolism and physical activity over a prolonged period, resulting in the accumulation of excess body fat. However there are many complex behavioural and societal factors that combine to contribute to the causes of obesity. The Foresight report (2007) referred to a “complex web of societal and biological factors that have, in recent decades, exposed our inherent human vulnerability to weight gain”. The report presented an obesity system map with energy balance at its centre. Around this, over 100 variables directly or indirectly influence energy balance (Figure 1).
Factors
- Biology: an individuals starting point - the influence of genetics and ill health;
-Activity environment: the influence of the environment on an individual’s activity behaviour, for example a decision to cycle to work may be influenced by road safety, air pollution or provision of a cycle shelter and showers;
-Physical Activity: the type, frequency and intensity of activities an individual carries out, such as cycling vigorously to work every day;
-Societal influences: the impact of society, for example the influence of the media, education, peer pressure or culture;
-Individual psychology: for example a person’s individual psychological drive for particular foods and consumption patterns, or physical activity patterns or preferences;
- Food environment: the influence of the food environment on an individual’s food choices, for example a decision to eat more fruit and vegetables may be influenced by the availability and quality of fruit and vegetables near home;
-Food consumption: the quality, quantity (portion sizes) and frequency (snacking patterns) of an individual’s diet.
http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/causes
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Replies
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In the US, three things are easy to pick out: it's the "food environment" - plenty of it, high in calories, fat, salt, low in fiber and nutrients; it's the lack of infrastructure designed to promote healthy lifestyles - for the "typical" American living in the suburbs, walking to work or to shopping, cultural, social sites isn't practical - distances are too great, suburbs aren't designed to be "pedestrian friendly"; and the culture is fixated on passive entertainment - watching sports rather than participating in them, video games instead of children playing outside, watching tv, movies, online entertainment constantly day and night.11
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That's interesting. I think it is mirrored in the UK1
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DannyYMi54321 wrote: »In the US, three things are easy to pick out: it's the "food environment" - plenty of it, high in calories, fat, salt, low in fiber and nutrients; it's the lack of infrastructure designed to promote healthy lifestyles - for the "typical" American living in the suburbs, walking to work or to shopping, cultural, social sites isn't practical - distances are too great, suburbs aren't designed to be "pedestrian friendly"; and the culture is fixated on passive entertainment - watching sports rather than participating in them, video games instead of children playing outside, watching tv, movies, online entertainment constantly day and night.
I agree with you on the food, but have we really fallen so far as a species, that we need "infrastructure designed to promote a healthy lifestyle"? I wonder how our great-grandparents managed to not be fat, what with no bike lanes, sidewalks, or even paved roads in most places. I've never heard a hiker complain about a lack of infrastructure. If anything, quite the opposite.
The sad fact is, if people are going to be physically inactive, sinking millions of taxpayer dollars into said infrastructure isn't going to change that.15 -
Gallowmere1984 - I don't think it is "falling so far" as much as adjusting to the ever-changing infrastructure/society. Our grand/great grandparents didn't get fat because they likely worked more physical jobs and got more activity because their towns/lives were actually structured that way.
My grandfather was a milk man for years (driving a horse-drawn cart) and then an insurance salesmen (door to door) he lived within walking distance of his grocery store, church, barber shop, etc. I work a 50 hour a week deskjob and grew up in a nice suburb with no sidewalks and had to be driven everywhere that needed going.
Physical infrastructure has dramatically changed in the last 100 years to specifically limit activitiy while caloric abundance has drastically risen at the same time - a recipe for disaster.
I think the idea of creating healthy infrastructure is about "forcing"/allowing people to be active. I will not bike on a busy road that does not have a nice bike lane- it scares me. But give me a nice wide bike lane and I will happily bike.
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StarBrightStarBright wrote: »Gallowmere1984 - I don't think it is "falling so far" as much as adjusting to the ever-changing infrastructure/society.
Yes, basically this.
In addition to having more physical jobs on average, it wasn't that long ago that driving everywhere was unusual and that people lived in places where walking for errands and other reasons was both normal and expected. And tasks around the house took a lot more physical effort (I am not complaining about all of these changes).
I live in a city that in some ways is not structured that differently from how it was, so I still do walk most places or take public transportation (which involves walking), go to a bunch of different shops vs. one or two huge ones, etc. But that's not the norm for a lot of people, even though it was for my mom and dad as young people, and my grandparents and great grandparents. There are suburbs where it's really hard to just get out there and walk, because no sidewalk -- it's weird. There was a local controversy in one suburb not far from here about whether or not to have a sidewalk. I went out to the 'burbs for a meeting a few years ago and too a cab from the train and then planned to walk back to the train as it was only a few miles. I ended up walking along a road not that conducive to walking which would have been okay, but I guess it looked weird since a cop pulled up and asked me what I was doing and then offered me a ride (I don't think it was that I seemed dangerous or anything -- I was wearing a conservative suit and heels).
I live in a reasonably health conscious neighborhood and don't really see fat kids, and I do see parents doing all kinds of active things with their kids and soccer, etc., games at the local school on weekends, but I also see parents consistently taking their kids to scheduled active play activities and know my friends with young kids spend a lot of time doing that, whereas we just went out and ran around outside and wouldn't have wanted to be indoors/had much to do indoors (part of that is difference in where I live now, though, but I do think it's somewhat broader).2 -
@lemurcat12 - I'm actually similar to you. I lived in a city through my 20s and then a job changed necessitated a move to a suburb with no sidewalks (not even in our neighborhood) - Gained 10 pounds.
We've recently moved again and we purposely bought a house in an old small town that pre-exists the nearby large-ish city. We are within walking distance of our children's schools, library, restaurants, a small grocery store, farmer's market, etc. We walk everywhere on weekends even when it is cold. I think Urban and Community planning are going to be SO important in the next 50 years.
Interestingly, on another thread this morning someone mentioned that they moved from a town with a big food culture (Vegas) to a town with a big outdoor culture (Reno) and all of the sudden they found weight loss so much easier. It made me think of this thread and environmental factors.
Thanks for the thought provoking thread @squatsanddeadlift!3 -
As a kid we used to run around, play outside, spend days playing, biking, doing activities walking to the shops, doing errands etc .... Not like many of the kids these days, stuck on a couch in front of the TV or game console, or on the computer, or stuck inside because of the "dangers" outside.
I think how kids are brought up is going to have a huge effect on the health of the population in the future
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I'm going to go with "being over sensitive about talking about your weight". That's a big thing that's different in North American culture that isn't present (apparently) in "thin" cultures.3
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StarBrightStarBright wrote: »@lemurcat12 - I'm actually similar to you. I lived in a city through my 20s and then a job changed necessitated a move to a suburb with no sidewalks (not even in our neighborhood) - Gained 10 pounds.
We've recently moved again and we purposely bought a house in an old small town that pre-exists the nearby large-ish city. We are within walking distance of our children's schools, library, restaurants, a small grocery store, farmer's market, etc. We walk everywhere on weekends even when it is cold. I think Urban and Community planning are going to be SO important in the next 50 years.
Yeah, that's a good point. There are some newer suburbs here where walking isn't that tough, but I do see a real difference between the older ones, that are often former small towns and are built around a center with shops vs. many of the newer ones where it can be just subdivisions and malls. And in some cases the subdivisions are walkable, but in some they are not.2 -
StarBrightStarBright wrote: »@lemurcat12 - I'm actually similar to you. I lived in a city through my 20s and then a job changed necessitated a move to a suburb with no sidewalks (not even in our neighborhood) - Gained 10 pounds.
We've recently moved again and we purposely bought a house in an old small town that pre-exists the nearby large-ish city. We are within walking distance of our children's schools, library, restaurants, a small grocery store, farmer's market, etc. We walk everywhere on weekends even when it is cold. I think Urban and Community planning are going to be SO important in the next 50 years.
Interestingly, on another thread this morning someone mentioned that they moved from a town with a big food culture (Vegas) to a town with a big outdoor culture (Reno) and all of the sudden they found weight loss so much easier. It made me think of this thread and environmental factors.
Thanks for the thought provoking thread @squatsanddeadlift!
No worries!
It got me thinking because left to my own devices I am racking up 2,500 calories a day... which obviously is down to me to adjust and personal responsibility etc etc but it is so easy. Literally without thinking about what I bring into my environment is making me overweight.
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I think it largely has to do with the example set for us by our parents. If you see your parents living an active, healthy lifestyle, getting regular exercise, and making healthful food, we grow up thinking that's normal and are more apt to continue that lifestyle into adulthood. But if are parents come home from work and sit down in front of the TV, and serve frozen pizza for dinner every night, that's what we learn.
Yes, as adults we are responsible for our own actions, but when everyone around us is living the same way, it's hard to know that there's another way to live.5 -
VioletRojo wrote: »I think it largely has to do with the example set for us by our parents. If you see your parents living an active, healthy lifestyle, getting regular exercise, and making healthful food, we grow up thinking that's normal and are more apt to continue that lifestyle into adulthood. But if are parents come home from work and sit down in front of the TV, and serve frozen pizza for dinner every night, that's what we learn.
Yes, as adults we are responsible for our own actions, but when everyone around us is living the same way, it's hard to know that there's another way to live.
I completely agree with this. Also, social groups and partners in adult life, how they are can influence you food choices.
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What are these suburbs with no sidewalks? I live in a suburb of Albuquerque...we have side walks. I have a grocery store about a mile away and we often walk if we're just picking up a few things. There's a nice little local restaurant about 1.5 miles away that we often walk to for breakfast on weekends as a family...in fact, there are any number of places that we could walk to around us, including school if we were so inclined. I've never lived in the city...I and my extended family have always lived in the burbs so I'm really not sure I'm buying that.
Basically, people have gotten lazy IMO...too lazy to get up and do anything...too lazy to cook (if they even know how anymore) so they rely on lots of low nutrient, high calorie processed food goods and restaurant eating. It's become all about convenience.
Growing up, my grandparents were accountants...so desk jobs...but they both walked pretty much every evening after dinner. My grandpa started off every morning with calisthenics. They both loved golfing and/or playing tennis on weekends and living near the mountains, they were avid outdoor enthusiasts. They basically ate three squares per day and it was pretty much home cooked meals most of the time...dining out was a rare treat and ice cream deserts were reserved for Saturday evening barbecues.
As kids these days go, they're only going on the example set by their parents...if their parents are lazy *kitten*, chances are they will be as well. My wife and I set the tone and lead by example...my family is pretty active and we spend a lot of time doing stuff...going for walks and family bike rides and hikes in the mountains, etc. My kids see mommy and daddy working out all of the time, and to them that's just a normal way to go about life and my oldest keeps asking me when he will be able to start going to the gym with me. Both of my boys do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and love that, and it's a good workout.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »What are these suburbs with no sidewalks? I live in a suburb of Albuquerque...we have side walks. I have a grocery store about a mile away and we often walk if we're just picking up a few things. There's a nice little local restaurant about 1.5 miles away that we often walk to for breakfast on weekends as a family...in fact, there are any number of places that we could walk to around us, including school if we were so inclined. I've never lived in the city...I and my extended family have always lived in the burbs so I'm really not sure I'm buying that.
[snip]
I live in one of those suburbs without sidewalks. Our neighborhood, and most of the neighborhoods in our town, were built in the sixties and seventies and apparently this was normal in our rural county at the time. Before our developments were built, there were no real neighborhoods in our county.
BTW, I'm in California6 -
We tend to look like our genetic group. Eskimos tend to be short and round to retain heat, the Sudanese tend to be tall and then to dissapate it. I read a scientific study that identical twins adopted out are as fat/non fat as their adoptive parents. We also moved from physically working in the fields that expended calories. That why the Amish who still do can eat a big meal and shoe fly p pie for dessert. We also replaced the nutrition and non processed carb of roast beef, veg and baked potato with a sugary coke and carby, fattening Big Mac that we can eat while driving to the mall and not even notice that we have consumed a meal and eat again afterward. To overcome my peasant body type I PLAN to eat for strength with lots of protein, Dr Gabe Fuhrman's GBOMBS diet G(bitter greens like collard, kale, turnip top, watercress), Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds because eaten together these foods catalyze each other's disease fighting properties. I am SHOCKED at how happy I feel eating like this, and believe that people are under nourished and overfeed. If I have remaining calories, I sprinkle in some junk but no longer subsist on it.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »What are these suburbs with no sidewalks? I live in a suburb of Albuquerque...we have side walks. I have a grocery store about a mile away and we often walk if we're just picking up a few things. There's a nice little local restaurant about 1.5 miles away that we often walk to for breakfast on weekends as a family...in fact, there are any number of places that we could walk to around us, including school if we were so inclined. I've never lived in the city...I and my extended family have always lived in the burbs so I'm really not sure I'm buying that.
I think the town I live in is actually considered 'rural suburban.' 15k-ish population, about 1.5 hours north of Dallas metroplex. My neighborhood was built in the 1950's and is 1/2 block from the intermediate (4-6th grade) school. It was a hospital when the neighborhood was originally built. No sidewalks. The same is true for virtually all of the rest of the town. I really resent that I either have to get in my car and *drive* to a park with paths, walk along the side of the road and hope I don't get mowed down, or else walk across people's front yards.
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Reduced activity levels have reduced our avg TDEE. I read there was a documented inverse relationship between a state's avg step count and their obesity level.
Increased portion sizing, or fast food becoming more the norm than an exception. Your standard burger, fries and drink runs from 1200 to 1800 calories, and that's without a desert item or some extra like chicken nuggets. It's easy to get >75% of our calorie need from what we consider a regular meal.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »What are these suburbs with no sidewalks? I live in a suburb of Albuquerque...we have side walks. I have a grocery store about a mile away and we often walk if we're just picking up a few things. There's a nice little local restaurant about 1.5 miles away that we often walk to for breakfast on weekends as a family...in fact, there are any number of places that we could walk to around us, including school if we were so inclined. I've never lived in the city...I and my extended family have always lived in the burbs so I'm really not sure I'm buying that.
Basically, people have gotten lazy IMO...too lazy to get up and do anything...too lazy to cook (if they even know how anymore) so they rely on lots of low nutrient, high calorie processed food goods and restaurant eating. It's become all about convenience.
Growing up, my grandparents were accountants...so desk jobs...but they both walked pretty much every evening after dinner. My grandpa started off every morning with calisthenics. They both loved golfing and/or playing tennis on weekends and living near the mountains, they were avid outdoor enthusiasts. They basically ate three squares per day and it was pretty much home cooked meals most of the time...dining out was a rare treat and ice cream deserts were reserved for Saturday evening barbecues.
As kids these days go, they're only going on the example set by their parents...if their parents are lazy *kitten*, chances are they will be as well. My wife and I set the tone and lead by example...my family is pretty active and we spend a lot of time doing stuff...going for walks and family bike rides and hikes in the mountains, etc. My kids see mommy and daddy working out all of the time, and to them that's just a normal way to go about life and my oldest keeps asking me when he will be able to start going to the gym with me. Both of my boys do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and love that, and it's a good workout.
I lived in a suburb in the Memphis area that had no sidewalks.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »What are these suburbs with no sidewalks? I live in a suburb of Albuquerque...we have side walks. I have a grocery store about a mile away and we often walk if we're just picking up a few things. There's a nice little local restaurant about 1.5 miles away that we often walk to for breakfast on weekends as a family...in fact, there are any number of places that we could walk to around us, including school if we were so inclined. I've never lived in the city...I and my extended family have always lived in the burbs so I'm really not sure I'm buying that.
Basically, people have gotten lazy IMO...too lazy to get up and do anything...too lazy to cook (if they even know how anymore) so they rely on lots of low nutrient, high calorie processed food goods and restaurant eating. It's become all about convenience.
Growing up, my grandparents were accountants...so desk jobs...but they both walked pretty much every evening after dinner. My grandpa started off every morning with calisthenics. They both loved golfing and/or playing tennis on weekends and living near the mountains, they were avid outdoor enthusiasts. They basically ate three squares per day and it was pretty much home cooked meals most of the time...dining out was a rare treat and ice cream deserts were reserved for Saturday evening barbecues.
As kids these days go, they're only going on the example set by their parents...if their parents are lazy *kitten*, chances are they will be as well. My wife and I set the tone and lead by example...my family is pretty active and we spend a lot of time doing stuff...going for walks and family bike rides and hikes in the mountains, etc. My kids see mommy and daddy working out all of the time, and to them that's just a normal way to go about life and my oldest keeps asking me when he will be able to start going to the gym with me. Both of my boys do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and love that, and it's a good workout.
Three years ago I bought my first house in a neighborhood with sidewalks. I was *really* excited because I've always had to walk/run/bike in the street. I live in Houston. We have virtually no public transportation and nothing is in walking distance. Plus it's like a billion degrees 9 months out of the year, so that kind of infrastructure isn't exactly in demand by most of the population.1 -
squatsanddeadlift wrote: »StarBrightStarBright wrote: »@lemurcat12 - I'm actually similar to you. I lived in a city through my 20s and then a job changed necessitated a move to a suburb with no sidewalks (not even in our neighborhood) - Gained 10 pounds.
We've recently moved again and we purposely bought a house in an old small town that pre-exists the nearby large-ish city. We are within walking distance of our children's schools, library, restaurants, a small grocery store, farmer's market, etc. We walk everywhere on weekends even when it is cold. I think Urban and Community planning are going to be SO important in the next 50 years.
Interestingly, on another thread this morning someone mentioned that they moved from a town with a big food culture (Vegas) to a town with a big outdoor culture (Reno) and all of the sudden they found weight loss so much easier. It made me think of this thread and environmental factors.
Thanks for the thought provoking thread @squatsanddeadlift!
No worries!
It got me thinking because left to my own devices I am racking up 2,500 calories a day... which obviously is down to me to adjust and personal responsibility etc etc but it is so easy. Literally without thinking about what I bring into my environment is making me overweight.
I think this is so true, and I think weight management for many of us means coming to terms with the fact that without some kind of external structure (self imposed) it's easy to just overeat.
As a kid and young adult (through school), I never gained weight, because I had set meal times, didn't have a bunch of food around me, didn't think about food most of the time. Sure, I ate lots on special occasions, restaurants, drank too much from time to time, so on, and I paid no attention at all to how much I ate when I ate, but I was reasonably active and didn't overdo it. I thought (wrongly) that I was just someone who was naturally the weight I was (not fat, not thin).
By my mid 20s I had a job that was stressful, let the activity go too much (although I was in a city, so walked more than the average still, probably), had lots of dining out and order in to the workplace paid for by the firm as compensation for working past 9 every night, was in a city where it was easy to order from ANYWHERE and have it delivered, and had food of all sorts around me much of the time. I gradually started gaining weight and realized in my early 30s that I was unacceptably (for me) fat.
Now I again find that being mindful when I do go out to eat (since I still do 1-2 times a week, to nice restaurants), not eating between meals, accepting that just because there's food around me at all times doesn't mean I should eat it is important. Because I know myself and it's really easy for me to mindlessly graze all day and end up eating over my TDEE.
For me it's NOT about parental models or even what I do at meals. It's environment and being aware of it. I naturally tend to eat well at meals, have vegetables and other healthful balanced choices, etc. But I still can hedonistically eat (or stress eat) any time if I let myself. Type of food doesn't really matter, although of course if I were to snack on cucumber I wouldn't consume that many calories.2
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