Why people get fat.
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I'll agree that people overall aren't aware of calories in food they eat. But honestly, how overweight does someone have to be to realize they may be eating too much? People are very overweight and obese because their weight isn't a priority to them. I also understand that some will view themselves as never ever being thin and continuing just to consume large amounts because they give up already."zamphir66 wrote:
Ok, deep breath. I think I'm being misunderstood. I'm not at all disputing any of that. I am currently losing weight at a healthy clip following those best practices.
What I'm saying, and I guess just not communicating very well, is that there seems to be a widely held perception -- and maybe this is just my own heightened sensitivity to trollish commentary -- that the diet of someone who becomes obese must be substantially and obscenely different from a "normal" person's diet. I.e, fast foot and pizza and donuts, hooray!!! When really, that's rarely the case. If you're not relatively aware of what's "in" your food, then it's super easy to eat 3000 calories in a day, no sweat. I remember a YouTube video with two identical-looking days' worth of food. Yet one of them was X calories and the other was like 1.5X or 2X calories.
If a person is serious about weight loss, they take the steps necessary to achieve it. Using the food industry as an excuse as to why they can't do it is still an excuse. And trust that this is something I've dealt with for years with clients.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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ithrowconfetti wrote: »
The reality and direct result based on physiology is that eating more than you burn will result in weight gain. That's NOT disputed amongst any journal of medicine or science.
The reality also is that the solution to reducing obesity is to get oveweight and obese people to eating less that what their body needs. Choice of foods aside, weight loss still comes down to calories in/out.
Ok, deep breath. I think I'm being misunderstood. I'm not at all disputing any of that. I am currently losing weight at a healthy clip following those best practices.
What I'm saying, and I guess just not communicating very well, is that there seems to be a widely held perception -- and maybe this is just my own heightened sensitivity to trollish commentary -- that the diet of someone who becomes obese must be substantially and obscenely different from a "normal" person's diet. I.e, fast foot and pizza and donuts, hooray!!! When really, that's rarely the case. If you're not relatively aware of what's "in" your food, then it's super easy to eat 3000 calories in a day, no sweat. I remember a YouTube video with two identical-looking days' worth of food. Yet one of them was X calories and the other was like 1.5X or 2X calories.
1. What sparked your need to bring in this "widely held perception"? Did anyone in this thread insist that the typical diet of an obese person is largely based on "junk" food?
2. You're essentially saying that obese people do eat more than they burn, because they're not aware of the calories in their food, and that's caused them to gain weight, since CI>CO. So... what are you actually arguing against/for in a thread that centres on blaming environmental factors for weight gain?[/quote]
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I'm pretty sure fat people and skinny people are eating basically the same foods in the population at large. The same foods are available to everyone and I think most people give it little thought. Time and again I walk into restaurants and fast food places to see people of various sizes/apparent fitness levels ordering. Joe Average and Joe Obese probably only differ in the amounts of said food consumed (and probably only slightly so) and in their activity levels and awareness of the calories in their food. The solution for Joe Obese to look more like Joe Average in the same neighborhood with the same foods would be to either 1) get more active or b) keep better track of his calories and lower them to be in line with his lack of activity level. I think this a far superior and more effective solution than for Joe Obese to sit around bickering that Joe Average has more access to Whole Foods Market or more money for it, or some other imagined advantage. If only CI/CO could be taught in HS for the whole 15 minutes that would take, maybe most of the populous would not be so obese. Instead everyone's weight loss info comes from infomercials for products with skin in the game and it's just mass confusion for the average person to figure out how to change their situation.
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I'll agree that people overall aren't aware of calories in food they eat. But honestly, how overweight does someone have to be to realize they may be eating too much? People are very overweight and obese because their weight isn't a priority to them. I also understand that some will view themselves as never ever being thin and continuing just to consume large amounts because they give up already.
If a person is serious about weight loss, they take the steps necessary to achieve it. Using the food industry as an excuse as to why they can't do it is still an excuse. And trust that this is something I've dealt with for years with clients.
Here's what I think in a nutshell:
Losing weight is a physics problem that individuals pose to themselves and then must take ownership of solving. Injecting guilt and blame into the equation can often create a feedback loop, if you'll pardon the pun.
@SLLRunner -- You are probably right.
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Very interesting, thanks!0
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Yeah I saw that article on Facebook but there are some salient points there and yes the graph for Sugar consumption is hilarious but we as Americans have more fad diets and diet foods, nutritionists, exercise guru's in the whole world and we are still the fattest nation in the world. Sugar, calories in, type of food = processes vs healthy fresh foods, fast food and an overall sedentary life style. Most of my day is spent sitting for example. I do walk twice a day but I have to spend at least an hour to get 10,000 steps in. I used my fitbit to track my day that did not include an hour of spin. I only walked less than 2 miles for the entire day. Sad although my Fitbit has made me more aware of how much I need to get out during the day and walk, even if it's for 10 mins at a time.0
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I blame the patriarchy.0
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The reality and direct result based on physiology is that eating more than you burn will result in weight gain. That's NOT disputed amongst any journal of medicine or science.
The reality also is that the solution to reducing obesity is to get oveweight and obese people to eating less that what their body needs. Choice of foods aside, weight loss still comes down to calories in/out.
Ok, deep breath. I think I'm being misunderstood. I'm not at all disputing any of that. I am currently losing weight at a healthy clip following those best practices.
What I'm saying, and I guess just not communicating very well, is that there seems to be a widely held perception -- and maybe this is just my own heightened sensitivity to trollish commentary -- that the diet of someone who becomes obese must be substantially and obscenely different from a "normal" person's diet. I.e, fast foot and pizza and donuts, hooray!!! When really, that's rarely the case. If you're not relatively aware of what's "in" your food, then it's super easy to eat 3000 calories in a day, no sweat. I remember a YouTube video with two identical-looking days' worth of food. Yet one of them was X calories and the other was like 1.5X or 2X calories.
[/quote]
I think I know what you mean. A lot of my weight gain was from 100 calorie snacks (they add up if you eat enough). and portion sizes. I didn't make the most nutritious or low calorie choices either, but it all adds up.0 -
Or there's this version
http://s3.amazonaws.com/theoatmeal-img/comics/dieting_pie_chart/dieting_pie_chart.png
In the context of OP link - and graphs for why we don't lose weight0 -
MyChocolateDiet wrote: »That article did not mention "The Food Network", notepad/cellphone/laptop immobility diversion anchors, or Starbucks' pastries. Those are three things we did not have prior to the 70's that I think are rampant now.
I blame pinterest. Nothing but food porn there.
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This I can understand. The assumption sometimes is that people who are overweight and obese are just people who are lazy, uneducated and lack self discipline. I would just say that I can see developing those habits over time if one keeps going up in weight, however unless we know the person, we just can't assume that that is their character/personality.How insane, eating less would never work for weight loss
Again, communication breakdown on my part. I'm not disputing any of the science of weight loss. I'm using the science myself and am seeing it work.
I *think* what I'm trying to push back against is the notion that becoming overweight is some sort of character flaw.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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This I can understand. The assumption sometimes is that people who are overweight and obese are just people who are lazy, uneducated and lack self discipline. I would just say that I can see developing those habits over time if one keeps going up in weight, however unless we know the person, we just can't assume that that is their character/personality.How insane, eating less would never work for weight loss
Again, communication breakdown on my part. I'm not disputing any of the science of weight loss. I'm using the science myself and am seeing it work.
I *think* what I'm trying to push back against is the notion that becoming overweight is some sort of character flaw.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I agree with you. There are assumptions people make based on weight/looks before getting to know someone.0 -
People get fat because they eat too much for their activity level.0
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But, this is a generalization. Not all people do this. In fact, I've met more people who don't than who do.
This I can understand. The assumption sometimes is that people who are overweight and obese are just people who are lazy, uneducated and lack self discipline. I would just say that I can see developing those habits over time if one keeps going up in weight, however unless we know the person, we just can't assume that that is their character/personality.How insane, eating less would never work for weight loss
Again, communication breakdown on my part. I'm not disputing any of the science of weight loss. I'm using the science myself and am seeing it work.
I *think* what I'm trying to push back against is the notion that becoming overweight is some sort of character flaw.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I agree with you. There are assumptions people make based on weight/looks before getting to know someone.
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But, this is a generalization. Not all people do this. In fact, I've met more people who don't than who do.
This I can understand. The assumption sometimes is that people who are overweight and obese are just people who are lazy, uneducated and lack self discipline. I would just say that I can see developing those habits over time if one keeps going up in weight, however unless we know the person, we just can't assume that that is their character/personality.How insane, eating less would never work for weight loss
Again, communication breakdown on my part. I'm not disputing any of the science of weight loss. I'm using the science myself and am seeing it work.
I *think* what I'm trying to push back against is the notion that becoming overweight is some sort of character flaw.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I agree with you. There are assumptions people make based on weight/looks before getting to know someone.
Sorry, yes I meant some people. I know most people don't
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This I can understand. The assumption sometimes is that people who are overweight and obese are just people who are lazy, uneducated and lack self discipline. I would just say that I can see developing those habits over time if one keeps going up in weight, however unless we know the person, we just can't assume that that is their character/personality.How insane, eating less would never work for weight loss
Again, communication breakdown on my part. I'm not disputing any of the science of weight loss. I'm using the science myself and am seeing it work.
I *think* what I'm trying to push back against is the notion that becoming overweight is some sort of character flaw.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I agree with you. There are assumptions people make based on weight/looks before getting to know someone.
what does it matter if people get fat overeating on ding dongs or over eating on steak? At the end of the day it boils down to the fact that people are obese because they overeat, regardless of dietary choice.0 -
Some people do have physical issues that cause them to be over- or underweight.
Other than those with physical issues, most people become over- or underweight due to mental or emotional issues. Those issues are not as easily solved as it sounds when someone says, "Just eat less!" or "Have a cheeseburger!"
Those who make fun of other for being too fat or too thin...those people have their own issues. I wouldn't worry about them.0 -
How insane, eating less would never work for weight loss
Again, communication breakdown on my part. I'm not disputing any of the science of weight loss. I'm using the science myself and am seeing it work.
I *think* what I'm trying to push back against is the notion that becoming overweight is some sort of character flaw.
This point was brought up in the below book, that I have not finished reading yet but some may want to check it out, some of his opinions are really thought provoking, it is available on amazon:
"Why we get Fat: And What to do about it" by Gary Taubes
Now before I get roasted, I am of the move more eat better group and then you'll lose it
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