checkout my idea for improving America's health

FlaxMilk

OP, what entire generation has avoided drugs?

Shaming the overweight has been a part of American culture for as long as it has been socially unappealing to be heavier. Shamed children and adults don't give up easy, available coping methods. There are very few overweight people who want to be overweight. Many shame themselves more than any campaign could do.

If you want to try some education initiatives, teach impulse control and how to deal with temptation and stress. Teach other ways of rewarding, soothing, and celebrating other than food. (Not instead of, but in addition to, because delicious food is rewarding, and you can't fight biology.) Comparing a fried egg to your brain is catchy, but when you are older and a number of your peers are shaming you for not trying it, that egg doesn't do much to teach you how to be ok saying no. (Does it help some kids? I'm sure. ) Take drugs out of it; there is no realistic world where temptation won't be readily available to most of us and most of our children when it comes to food. This is a part of culture that has just changed. (In populations with sufficient resources, anyway.)

Shame all you like, but if the person feeling miserable already struggles with moderation and comforting himself, he's just going to go grab a bag of chips and eat the whole thing. Because it was a couple of bucks, it was good, and he's so fat, people think it's ok to treat him as less than. He'll feel, "I'll always be this way, why try? May as well stay this way and feel good." Or, "I'll change tomorrow. Today I feel like crap." Will it reach someone? Probably. But as you pointed out, this isn't about individuals. If you are trying to help the most people possible, shame won't work.

Anita_hoar12345

. Shame people who are fat, in a similar way that we do with people who smoke cigarettes.

It's not acceptable to shame people or make fun of them WTF everyone has the right to exist without feeling like a piece of **** even if they smoke or are fat who cares

Except it's entirely acceptable to shame people.


We did just that with people who smoke cigs. As a kid, I remember watching kid shows, and in commercial breaks I'd normally see commercials that would shame cigarette smokers. You know, giving us the impression that people who smoke cigarettes and what have you are losers.


They didn't worry about hurting people's feelings, and it indeed gave a generation of kids that smoking is lame. I'm sure it was the same in the 80s and perhaps 70s, too. No doubt the same with 2000s kids, and on up.


This is what we need to do with fat people.

We need to convince the public that overeating is about just as bad as cigarette smoking. This whole 'fat acceptance movement' is 100% illogical, and needs to abolished in the same way we abolished the image that smoking is cool.

Period.

Everywhere I go I see someone with a smoke hanging out of their mouth everyone and their mother smokes cigarettes so obviously shaming doesn't work. I don't smoke and don't pick on people who chose to do so. Same goes for fat shaming I am not saying we have to make extra wide chairs and have them only pay for 1 seat on an airplane when they need 2 I am fat and I have the right to walk around in public without being made fun of or called a fat *kitten*.

ndj1979

hmmm sounds like more government involvement….brilliant! I mean they are doing such a great job of running the post office, health are and every other aspect of our lives..why not them have more involvement in taxing what we eat and drink….

can we also get everyone a free gym membership while we are at it?

OP - whatever happened to personal responsibility…

your program = fail

ndj1979

Many of your ideas are great, but the Food Industry, Big Pharma, the corporations involved fight using highly financed ads and commercials--- so people are always encouraged by those industries to buy more, eat more then take pills to control the predictable results.

oh yes blame the "big corporations" so its not the persons fault that sites around and stuffs their face with donuts all day …oh no, it is the big bad corporations that made them do it…

the food overlords tell us when to eat, how much to eat, and what to eat…we have no choice..

rollz eyez….

geebusuk

Everywhere I go I see someone with a smoke hanging out of their mouth everyone and their mother smokes cigarettes so obviously shaming doesn't work. I don't smoke and don't pick on people who chose to do so.

Generally I see a lot less people smoking than 20 years ago, say. If anything, you expect to SEE more now, as they tend to be forced out on to the streets and so on.
Do you disagree with all sorts of 'shaming'? What about drunk driving? How about sexual abuse? Violence?

Jestinia

hmmm sounds like more government involvement….brilliant! I mean they are doing such a great job of running the post office, health are and every other aspect of our lives..why not them have more involvement in taxing what we eat and drink….

can we also get everyone a free gym membership while we are at it?

OP - whatever happened to personal responsibility…

your program = fail

Or how about we elect a government that passes generous write offs and tax breaks for buying fresh meat and fruit and veggies and for gym usage and for being as healthy as one can be given their financial circumstances and past health history? Tax breaks good, right?

Anita_hoar12345

Everywhere I go I see someone with a smoke hanging out of their mouth everyone and their mother smokes cigarettes so obviously shaming doesn't work. I don't smoke and don't pick on people who chose to do so.

Generally I see a lot less people smoking than 20 years ago, say. If anything, you expect to SEE more now, as they tend to be forced out on to the streets and so on.
Do you disagree with all sorts of 'shaming'? What about drunk driving? How about sexual abuse? Violence?

Drunk drivers and sex offenders hurt other people. Fat people and smokers only hurting themselves. I wouldn't shame someone for getting a dui even if I don't think they should be drinking and driving. Sex offenders are an exception because they are predators and hurting women and kids

Jestinia

Fat shaming and controlling everything I ingest? No thank you.

This post is utterly ridiculous.

Believe me, I'm sure some cigarette smokers were furious when they were stereotyped as the degenerates of society, in anti-smoking propaganda aimed at kids, but imagine all the lives were saved as the result.

This is true, actually. But in the case of unhealthy eating habits, I think rewards in the form of massive tax breaks for living healthy rather than punishment for bad habits is the better way to go.

Oh, and food stamps and social security will have to be overhauled, and we better look at raising the minimum wage, too, because right now a lot of people can't afford to eat healthy.

Phoenix_Warrior

Fat shaming and controlling everything I ingest? No thank you.

This post is utterly ridiculous.

Believe me, I'm sure some cigarette smokers were furious when they were stereotyped as the degenerates of society, in anti-smoking propaganda aimed at kids, but imagine all the lives were saved as the result.

right now a lot of people can't afford to eat healthy.

Sounds like a nice excuse, doesn't it? That's all that is. I can stay within a healthy weight range, get proper nutrition and exercise on a very low budget. It requires the ability to read, which I know under special circumstances some can't, but a majority of the populace has this capability.

geebusuk

Sex offenders are an exception because they are predators and hurting women and kids

Or they might be women doing stuff to men.

BUT - you've said you don't think 'shaming' works, but you do still think it's ok to do.

Personally, I wish more people DID 'shame' me for being overweight - I hide it well with a big chest* so I tended to get people saying "oh, you don't need to lose weight", which doesn't really help.

(*Current BMI is 26.5, I just checked, do have a bit of muscle but still need to lose maybe 25lb of fat - however my belly does go IN below my ribs/upper abs because of said big chest.)

Plenty of times I've had people 'shaming' me for things which I don't care about or am happy with - (for instance that I'm calorie counting and so on) - I don't let it bother me because I'm happy with my choice. If someone did come up to me and point out I needed to lose a few lb then also, I would tend to agree with them rather than denying it and trying to hide away from reality.

Greytfish

Everywhere I go I see someone with a smoke hanging out of their mouth everyone and their mother smokes cigarettes so obviously shaming doesn't work. I don't smoke and don't pick on people who chose to do so.

Generally I see a lot less people smoking than 20 years ago, say. If anything, you expect to SEE more now, as they tend to be forced out on to the streets and so on.
Do you disagree with all sorts of 'shaming'? What about drunk driving? How about sexual abuse? Violence?

Drunk drivers and sex offenders hurt other people. Fat people and smokers only hurting themselves. I wouldn't shame someone for getting a dui even if I don't think they should be drinking and driving. Sex offenders are an exception because they are predators and hurting women and kids

Well, no. We all pay for the hoorendous food choices made by some.

Also, a pedophile has a mental illness. Like most pervasive MIs, it's not something anyone would choose. Overating is a choice.

The excuse that people cannot afford to eat sufficient to maintain health body composition is just talk. There are people who are so poor that they are forced to rely on food banks which are notorious for processed and nutrient decisient foods. That group is the most stable group in the economic spectrum. what has changed is how people who can afford shopped-for food have made their choices.

WendyTerry420

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The number of people with genetic conditions is always low... until you're the one who has it

So? You shouldn't govern based off the chance of hurting a few people's feelings, or you won't get anything done.

Obama knew that people would lose some health care when he was campaigning for Obamacare, but lied about it anyway. He did this because he knew that when everything is said and done, some time from now more people will be on healthcare than without it. If you govern based off emotions rather than fact you won't get anything done.

It's not about hurting people's feelings: it's about doing the right thing. Shaming doesn't work. Period. Shaming someone and not knowing if they have a health condition based on assumption is borderline psychopathic. Furthermore, people who are fat are more at risk to be depressed. But that's OK, because in your mind it's probably a good thing to push someone to the edge of suicide.

Bottom line: your assertions aren't researched and offer no real solutions to the ever increasing problem of obesity. You can say all you want "decrease the cost of food" but it doesn't address how. I'm also pretty sure that low income families have access to this wonderful program called food stamps that help with the cost of food. Same with WIC. Did you know you can take WIC vouchers and food stamps to farmer's markets? If there are other programs in place that subsidize the cost of food why is there still a heavy obesity epidemic among the lower class? We should just shame them for being poor, right? Because obviously the correlational evidence suggests that they are fat because they're poor. Please, go do some research into your assertions and how they're ALREADY being addressed and find constructive solutions.

But shaming DOES work. It entirely works.


My entire generation avoided drugs because we didn't want to end up like the losers we saw in every TV commercial when watching our cartoons and what not growing up. Really, half the PA campaign for getting kids to not smoke cigarettes or do drugs was shaming the people who do that.

This needs to absolutely done, and the Fat Acceptance movement needs to be completely eradicated.

Clearly you have not met everyone in *your* generation. I have several 24 yr old tweakers in my neighborhood that were DARE graduates.

kgeyser

Fat shaming and controlling everything I ingest? No thank you.

This post is utterly ridiculous.

Believe me, I'm sure some cigarette smokers were furious when they were stereotyped as the degenerates of society, in anti-smoking propaganda aimed at kids, but imagine all the lives were saved as the result.

right now a lot of people can't afford to eat healthy.

Sounds like a nice excuse, doesn't it? That's all that is. I can stay within a healthy weight range, get proper nutrition and exercise on a very low budget. It requires the ability to read, which I know under special circumstances some can't, but a majority of the populace has this capability.

It also depends on where you are located geographically. I live in northern Virginia. The cost of living and food prices here are outrageous. The same food budget went twice as far when I was living in NC. Even buying produce locally from the farmer's market isn't a cost savings, because their prices are comparable to the grocery stores. Meat prices are through the roof at the groceries and even higher at the farmer's markets.

ndj1979

hmmm sounds like more government involvement….brilliant! I mean they are doing such a great job of running the post office, health are and every other aspect of our lives..why not them have more involvement in taxing what we eat and drink….

can we also get everyone a free gym membership while we are at it?

OP - whatever happened to personal responsibility…

your program = fail

Or how about we elect a government that passes generous write offs and tax breaks for buying fresh meat and fruit and veggies and for gym usage and for being as healthy as one can be given their financial circumstances and past health history? Tax breaks good, right?

government subsides just distort the market....no where in my post did I say anything about tax breaks...you have tried to once again stereotype me into something I am not...nice try though..

Greytfish

Sounds like a nice excuse, doesn't it? That's all that is. I can stay within a healthy weight range, get proper nutrition and exercise on a very low budget. It requires the ability to read, which I know under special circumstances some can't, but a majority of the populace has this capability.

It also depends on where you are located geographically. I live in northern Virginia. The cost of living and food prices here are outrageous. The same food budget went twice as far when I was living in NC. Even buying produce locally from the farmer's market isn't a cost savings, because their prices are comparable to the grocery stores. Meat prices are through the roof at the groceries and even higher at the farmer's markets.

The problem with that logic is that it misses the point. In NoVA food is considerably higher in price than in states above and below it on the eastern seaboard. What doesn't change is the relationship between the costs of healthy food in NoVA relative to the cost of unhealthy foods. It is more expensive to eat across the board.