This gallery explains why millions of Americans are obese…

Jestinia

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

Everyone quit your office jobs and go get a job on a farm. Sunshine, exercise, fresh air, personal responsibility. I bet the farmers won't care if we eat the occasional fresh fruit or veggie straight out of the ground, either.

Phoenix_Warrior

Thank you and I will read these. However, one issue remains: are people being forced to consume fat food? I'm pretty sure "eat 3 times a week at McDonalds" has not joined death and taxes as they things we can't avoid. People are fat because they CHOOSE to eat too many calories.

Those with the income and time to cook do choose it, and many are overweight. But those without the income and time to cook (especially those living in areas with no real grocery stores nearby) aren't choosing. It's what they're forced to do.

They're forced to buy the big burger, fries, and drink for 7$ Vs the grilled chicken salad for 5.50$? Cause I eat a southwest salad once or twice a week for about 400 calories, for less than my husband spends on his bacon quarter pounder meal.

Or do people choose the higher calorie/higher cost meal because...personal choice is personal?

You eat salad? I've always found it disgusting and it turns my stomach. Same with chicken, these days. But you also prove my point for me: 400 calories? How many are in the fries, burger and drink? I could get more than a day's worth of calories for $7, and you want me to get less than a quarter of my daily allotment for $5.50?

Sure I'll do that if I'm dieting or have the money to buy three or four more meals, but what if I don't? If I'm broke, I'm going with the surplus calories at $7.

I feel like we're in an endless loop. Where no responsibility for mindful eating is taking place and instead are replaced with an endless list of excuses. Am I in the twilight zone?

Holly_Roman_Empire

Thank you and I will read these. However, one issue remains: are people being forced to consume fat food? I'm pretty sure "eat 3 times a week at McDonalds" has not joined death and taxes as they things we can't avoid. People are fat because they CHOOSE to eat too many calories.

Those with the income and time to cook do choose it, and many are overweight. But those without the income and time to cook (especially those living in areas with no real grocery stores nearby) aren't choosing. It's what they're forced to do.

Eating McDonald's doesn't make people fat any more than eating potatoes makes people fat. There are plenty of filling, lower-calorie choices at McD's and elsewhere.

Actually if you do well as a vegetarian (but maybe not vegan) it is much easier to find healthy foods outside the home than it is for me. Try it as someone who does best on a low carb diet and you'll see just how expensive and difficult it is.

Also, pink slime, although I think many places have stopped using it due to the uproar. I used to wonder why my McBurger sometimes smelled like someone urinated on it.

Pretty sure the "pink slime" was used for chicken nuggets, not burgers. Maybe it smelled because somebody actually urinated on it. Hmm...

Sabine_Stroehm

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

Everyone quit your office jobs and go get a job on a farm. Sunshine, exercise, fresh air, personal responsibility. I bet the farmers won't care if we eat the occasional fresh fruit or veggie straight out of the ground, either.

So what's the answer then?

pinkraynedropjacki

The soda 250cals for 20oz? Since when? An 8oz bottle here will have about 300 or so calories. I think whoever made the photos up meant PER SERVE

Jestinia

No, I don't care to list you the ingredients because, well, I don't care. People are FAT because they consume too many calories. And IMO, the blame lies solely with them.

You can whine all you want about the quality of the food and the (gasp) processing, but the bottom line is you can get fat eating too much homemade Fried Chicken just like you can if you frequent KFC. Same result whether your food is "clean" or "processed".

Why do people consume too many calories?

Yes, but we overeat because the processed crap food we eat screws up our body chemistry and our brain no longer has the ability to tell us we're full before we've gone over the amount of calories we need every day.

Now that isn't true of everyone. Some people manage to adapt much better to a crap diet. Then there are the rest of us.

Our brains have never had the ability to tell us we're full before we've gone over the amount of calories we need every day. There's no calorie limit checkpoint.

The availability of high calorie food has increased and our overall activity has decreased. Unless you happen to be someone that loves noshing on low to moderate calorie stuff, if you don't educate yourself and make smart choices, you're likely to consume too many calories. Period. Has nothing to do with whether the food is processed or not.

Science AND logic in the same post. I feel better now about humanity. Thank You!

Well it's nice to know I'm a mutant. If I try to eat 3000 calories of meat, cheese, and oil, I will be barfing. I can easily eat double that of cookies, ice cream, and soda and be perfectly fine. Just fat!

You're not a mutant, but you are just one person with anecdotal evidence based on your unique physiology. Where you're going wrong is attempting to parlay your experiences into what others should or should not do.

That is true, but I've spent a lot of time listening to lectures from Harvard medicine this and Northwestern University lecture that ever since I got really interested in the subject, and it seems I'm not alone.

Sabine_Stroehm

Thank you and I will read these. However, one issue remains: are people being forced to consume fat food? I'm pretty sure "eat 3 times a week at McDonalds" has not joined death and taxes as they things we can't avoid. People are fat because they CHOOSE to eat too many calories.

Those with the income and time to cook do choose it, and many are overweight. But those without the income and time to cook (especially those living in areas with no real grocery stores nearby) aren't choosing. It's what they're forced to do.

Eating McDonald's doesn't make people fat any more than eating potatoes makes people fat. There are plenty of filling, lower-calorie choices at McD's and elsewhere.

Actually if you do well as a vegetarian (but maybe not vegan) it is much easier to find healthy foods outside the home than it is for me. Try it as someone who does best on a low carb diet and you'll see just how expensive and difficult it is.

Also, pink slime, although I think many places have stopped using it due to the uproar. I used to wonder why my McBurger sometimes smelled like someone urinated on it.

Pretty sure the "pink slime" was used for chicken nuggets, not burgers. Maybe it smelled because somebody actually urinated on it. Hmm...

It was used for burgers.

stealthq

No, I don't care to list you the ingredients because, well, I don't care. People are FAT because they consume too many calories. And IMO, the blame lies solely with them.

You can whine all you want about the quality of the food and the (gasp) processing, but the bottom line is you can get fat eating too much homemade Fried Chicken just like you can if you frequent KFC. Same result whether your food is "clean" or "processed".

Why do people consume too many calories?

Yes, but we overeat because the processed crap food we eat screws up our body chemistry and our brain no longer has the ability to tell us we're full before we've gone over the amount of calories we need every day.

Now that isn't true of everyone. Some people manage to adapt much better to a crap diet. Then there are the rest of us.

Our brains have never had the ability to tell us we're full before we've gone over the amount of calories we need every day. There's no calorie limit checkpoint.

The availability of high calorie food has increased and our overall activity has decreased. Unless you happen to be someone that loves noshing on low to moderate calorie stuff, if you don't educate yourself and make smart choices, you're likely to consume too many calories. Period. Has nothing to do with whether the food is processed or not.

Science AND logic in the same post. I feel better now about humanity. Thank You!

Well it's nice to know I'm a mutant. If I try to eat 3000 calories of meat, cheese, and oil, I will be barfing. I can easily eat double that of cookies, ice cream, and soda and be perfectly fine. Just fat!

You're aware that oil is processed, right? And cheese? Meat as well, but I'll allow the butchering to pass. You're countering your own statement.

Pretty sure you could eat 3000 calories worth of nuts and/or seeds. Plenty of people on this site have shocked themselves with the calorie content of their 'couple of handfuls of nuts'. They're so high calorie for the volume, it'd be relatively easy to do.

uconnwinsnc

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

It is a revolutionary idea, I know.

Jestinia

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

Everyone quit your office jobs and go get a job on a farm. Sunshine, exercise, fresh air, personal responsibility. I bet the farmers won't care if we eat the occasional fresh fruit or veggie straight out of the ground, either.

So what's the answer then?

Overhaul our society and system. Cut work hours to 30, then 20 gradually, since both parents are working outside the home now. People will then have more time to cook and exercise.

Start subsidizing expensive healthy foods.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Thank you and I will read these. However, one issue remains: are people being forced to consume fat food? I'm pretty sure "eat 3 times a week at McDonalds" has not joined death and taxes as they things we can't avoid. People are fat because they CHOOSE to eat too many calories.

Those with the income and time to cook do choose it, and many are overweight. But those without the income and time to cook (especially those living in areas with no real grocery stores nearby) aren't choosing. It's what they're forced to do.

Eating McDonald's doesn't make people fat any more than eating potatoes makes people fat. There are plenty of filling, lower-calorie choices at McD's and elsewhere.

Actually if you do well as a vegetarian (but maybe not vegan) it is much easier to find healthy foods outside the home than it is for me. Try it as someone who does best on a low carb diet and you'll see just how expensive and difficult it is.

Also, pink slime, although I think many places have stopped using it due to the uproar. I used to wonder why my McBurger sometimes smelled like someone urinated on it.

Pretty sure the "pink slime" was used for chicken nuggets, not burgers. Maybe it smelled because somebody actually urinated on it. Hmm...

It was used for burgers.

Hmm, okay, I retract what I said, but I still think that urine smell is from someone in the Burger King kitchen peeing on it. :laugh:

Achrya

Thank you and I will read these. However, one issue remains: are people being forced to consume fat food? I'm pretty sure "eat 3 times a week at McDonalds" has not joined death and taxes as they things we can't avoid. People are fat because they CHOOSE to eat too many calories.

Those with the income and time to cook do choose it, and many are overweight. But those without the income and time to cook (especially those living in areas with no real grocery stores nearby) aren't choosing. It's what they're forced to do.

They're forced to buy the big burger, fries, and drink for 7$ Vs the grilled chicken salad for 5.50$? Cause I eat a southwest salad once or twice a week for about 400 calories, for less than my husband spends on his bacon quarter pounder meal.

Or do people choose the higher calorie/higher cost meal because...personal choice is personal?

You eat salad? I've always found it disgusting and it turns my stomach. Same with chicken, these days. But you also prove my point for me: 400 calories? How many are in the fries, burger and drink? I could get more than a day's worth of calories for $7, and you want me to get less than a quarter of my daily allotment for $5.50?

Sure I'll do that if I'm dieting or have the money to buy three or four more meals, but what if I don't? If I'm broke, I'm going with the surplus calories at $7.

So you're saying that cheap food with lots of calories is a good thing then? So McDonalds and the like are actually providing a community service?

I like the way you think.

Holly_Roman_Empire

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

Everyone quit your office jobs and go get a job on a farm. Sunshine, exercise, fresh air, personal responsibility. I bet the farmers won't care if we eat the occasional fresh fruit or veggie straight out of the ground, either.

So what's the answer then?

Overhaul our society and system. Cut work hours to 30, then 20 gradually, since both parents are working outside the home now. People will then have more time to cook and exercise.

Start subsidizing expensive healthy foods.

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

jonnythan

The soda 250cals for 20oz? Since when? An 8oz bottle here will have about 300 or so calories. I think whoever made the photos up meant PER SERVE

A 12 ounce can of Coca Cola has 140 calories. A 20 ounce bottle has about 235.

Jestinia

No, I don't care to list you the ingredients because, well, I don't care. People are FAT because they consume too many calories. And IMO, the blame lies solely with them.

You can whine all you want about the quality of the food and the (gasp) processing, but the bottom line is you can get fat eating too much homemade Fried Chicken just like you can if you frequent KFC. Same result whether your food is "clean" or "processed".

Why do people consume too many calories?

Yes, but we overeat because the processed crap food we eat screws up our body chemistry and our brain no longer has the ability to tell us we're full before we've gone over the amount of calories we need every day.

Now that isn't true of everyone. Some people manage to adapt much better to a crap diet. Then there are the rest of us.

Our brains have never had the ability to tell us we're full before we've gone over the amount of calories we need every day. There's no calorie limit checkpoint.

The availability of high calorie food has increased and our overall activity has decreased. Unless you happen to be someone that loves noshing on low to moderate calorie stuff, if you don't educate yourself and make smart choices, you're likely to consume too many calories. Period. Has nothing to do with whether the food is processed or not.

Science AND logic in the same post. I feel better now about humanity. Thank You!

Well it's nice to know I'm a mutant. If I try to eat 3000 calories of meat, cheese, and oil, I will be barfing. I can easily eat double that of cookies, ice cream, and soda and be perfectly fine. Just fat!

You're aware that oil is processed, right? And cheese? Meat as well, but I'll allow the butchering to pass. You're countering your own statement.

Pretty sure you could eat 3000 calories worth of nuts and/or seeds. Plenty of people on this site have shocked themselves with the calorie content of their 'couple of handfuls of nuts'. They're so high calorie for the volume, it'd be relatively easy to do.

My coconut oil is chemical free organic cold processed. Costs way too much money, too. I don't even buy it deodorized.

I'm thinking of buying coconuts and figuring out how to make my own oil, though. Will that be processed? Yes. By me. Guaranteeing no strange chemical process that might leave traces of something I don't want to eat in my food.

ldrosophila

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

Everyone quit your office jobs and go get a job on a farm. Sunshine, exercise, fresh air, personal responsibility. I bet the farmers won't care if we eat the occasional fresh fruit or veggie straight out of the ground, either.

So what's the answer then?

Overhaul our society and system. Cut work hours to 30, then 20 gradually, since both parents are working outside the home now. People will then have more time to cook and exercise.

Start subsidizing expensive healthy foods.

in for subsidizing cheese and wine!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Thank you and I will read these. However, one issue remains: are people being forced to consume fat food? I'm pretty sure "eat 3 times a week at McDonalds" has not joined death and taxes as they things we can't avoid. People are fat because they CHOOSE to eat too many calories.

Those with the income and time to cook do choose it, and many are overweight. But those without the income and time to cook (especially those living in areas with no real grocery stores nearby) aren't choosing. It's what they're forced to do.

Eating McDonald's doesn't make people fat any more than eating potatoes makes people fat. There are plenty of filling, lower-calorie choices at McD's and elsewhere.

What matters is the calories.... for weight control. People still fail to grasp this very basic concept.

Clean eaters would be appalled at the amount of processed food, fast food, and restaurant food I eat. But I'm at a healthy BMI, healthy body fat percentage, can lift heavy things, ride my mountain bike 10miles, w/ 1500ft of elevation. I haven't had anything more than a cold or 'um a pregnancy in years. By all accounts I can think of I'm perfectly "healthy".

Jestinia

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

Everyone quit your office jobs and go get a job on a farm. Sunshine, exercise, fresh air, personal responsibility. I bet the farmers won't care if we eat the occasional fresh fruit or veggie straight out of the ground, either.

So what's the answer then?

Overhaul our society and system. Cut work hours to 30, then 20 gradually, since both parents are working outside the home now. People will then have more time to cook and exercise.

Start subsidizing expensive healthy foods.

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Yeah, I know. Never happen in a society where we're all getting worked to death for corporate profit.

Jestinia

Thank you and I will read these. However, one issue remains: are people being forced to consume fat food? I'm pretty sure "eat 3 times a week at McDonalds" has not joined death and taxes as they things we can't avoid. People are fat because they CHOOSE to eat too many calories.

Those with the income and time to cook do choose it, and many are overweight. But those without the income and time to cook (especially those living in areas with no real grocery stores nearby) aren't choosing. It's what they're forced to do.

They're forced to buy the big burger, fries, and drink for 7$ Vs the grilled chicken salad for 5.50$? Cause I eat a southwest salad once or twice a week for about 400 calories, for less than my husband spends on his bacon quarter pounder meal.

Or do people choose the higher calorie/higher cost meal because...personal choice is personal?

You eat salad? I've always found it disgusting and it turns my stomach. Same with chicken, these days. But you also prove my point for me: 400 calories? How many are in the fries, burger and drink? I could get more than a day's worth of calories for $7, and you want me to get less than a quarter of my daily allotment for $5.50?

Sure I'll do that if I'm dieting or have the money to buy three or four more meals, but what if I don't? If I'm broke, I'm going with the surplus calories at $7.

So you're saying that cheap food with lots of calories is a good thing then? So McDonalds and the like are actually providing a community service?

I like the way you think.

They actually are. As are grocery store foods of similar quality. Unfortunately the medical costs long term, plus quality of life issues, are expensive.

Phoenix_Warrior

We're obese because we eat too much and sit on our butts all day.

Personal responsibility for our health? Whaaaaat?!

Everyone quit your office jobs and go get a job on a farm. Sunshine, exercise, fresh air, personal responsibility. I bet the farmers won't care if we eat the occasional fresh fruit or veggie straight out of the ground, either.

So what's the answer then?

Overhaul our society and system. Cut work hours to 30, then 20 gradually, since both parents are working outside the home now. People will then have more time to cook and exercise.

Start subsidizing expensive healthy foods.

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Yeah, I know. Never happen in a society where we're all getting worked to death for corporate profit.

I'mma breakin out ma tinfoil hat.