WHO: Governments should regulate fast food to slow obesity

mccindy72

Let's stop obesity, cure AIDS, malaria, cancer, heart disease, and stop people from drunk driving and end gun violence. Then the population will explode and everyone will starve to death.

mumblemagic

Let's stop obesity, cure AIDS, malaria, cancer, heart disease, and stop people from drunk driving and end gun violence. Then the population will explode and everyone will starve to death.

Lol!

SJ46

I think people need to just be more accountable and stop making excuses.

Very true, but see my post above.

The problem is that all of society bears the cost and burden of people who refuse to take care of their health. I think that's important--I think we should all take care of each other regardless of whether any given individual is good at being responsible for his or her health . I look at my friends and family and there are so many people I love who do not take care of their health, and many of them it is obesity that is one of the things that consistently plagues them. Yes, I feel they should be accountable and stop making excuses. But I also want the healthcare network to be there to support them, regardless of the choices they make.

I can understand feeling helpless when your loved ones make choices that you feel are detrimental to their health but I disagree with the bolded. This type of thinking can be a slippery slope - who gets to decide what choices are "responsible"? you mention being "accountable," who should we be accountable to? will consequences be imposed on those who don't make "responsible" decisions? who gets decide what those consequences are? what about personal freedoms, should they be taken away because a select few deem your choices irresponsible?

MityMax96

Disagree
We don't need more government taking responsibilities away from people

People need to learn how to get up from the table and do some walking.

stealthq

So here is an interesting article.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/2/who-tighter-economicregulationneededtoreverseobesityepidemic.html

"Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity," said Roberto De Vogli of the University of California, Davis, who led the study.

The researchers compared the number of fast food transactions with body mass index (BMI) in 25 high-income countries between 1999 and 2008.

They found that, as the average number of annual fast food transactions increased from 26.61 to 32.76 per person, average BMI increased from 25.8 to 26.4.

Thoughts??

So, in 10 years, people ate fast food 6 more times per year, and the BMI metric increased by less than half a point. Yeah, I totally see the correlation there. Oh wait, no I don't. :huh:

Terrible idea, terrible conclusion, obvious agenda pushing.

Ever notice how summaries like this never state the actual strength of the correlation, nor any statistical power? Not that means it would be causal anyway, but when you have a lousy correlation value it makes this an even harder sell.

As far as agenda pushing, not Al Jazeera! They would never stoop so low!

MityMax96

I think people need to just be more accountable and stop making excuses.

Very true, but see my post above.

The problem is that all of society bears the cost and burden of people who refuse to take care of their health. I think that's important--I think we should all take care of each other regardless of whether any given individual is good at being responsible for his or her health . I look at my friends and family and there are so many people I love who do not take care of their health, and many of them it is obesity that is one of the things that consistently plagues them. Yes, I feel they should be accountable and stop making excuses. But I also want the healthcare network to be there to support them, regardless of the choices they make.

I can understand feeling helpless when your loved ones make choices that you feel are detrimental to their health but I disagree with the bolded. This type of thinking can be a slippery slope - who gets to decide what choices are "responsible"? you mention being "accountable," who should we be accountable to? will consequences be imposed on those who don't make "responsible" decisions? who gets decide what those consequences are? what about personal freedoms, should they be taken away because a select few deem your choices irresponsible?

Not to mention, I have seen in most cases people don't like to be told how to eat, or they need to exercise, or that they are fat.....

Usually it is met with stiff resistance.

jonnythan

As far as agenda pushing, not Al Jazeera! They would never stoop so low!

Al Jazeera America is one of the best news sources in the United States today, actually. I've been using them more and more for my primary news source. Their news reporting is consistently excellent and unbiased, and the staff opinion pieces are generally well-written and reasoned.

jsj024519

I like food.

RhonndaJ

~considers our little country~

Okay, so we have a KFC and a few generic 'fast' food places, but when it comes down to it, they're not getting enough business to be responsible for the level of obesity we have here.

What people are cooking at home, now, that's another matter.

Personally, if they want to regulate fast food, they should also regulate the size of portions served in ALL restaurants, because it's absolutely insane. We don't eat out often, except when we travel, and I'm always floored by the amount of food served.

brianpperkins

Cigarettes have put the risks on the pack for years. People still smoke. Hell, I just quit and I'm fit and eat 100% whole food diet.

People do what they want. Blaming advertising is a joke. Blaming fast food is a scapegoat for fat lazy ****s.

/thread

Not as much as they used to. Years and years of taxes, campaigning, and demonization have paid off to some degree.

The percentage of people smoking is down, the number of smokers is not. Cutting the rate in half is negated by a doubling of the population.

MityMax96

Personally, if they want to regulate fast food, they should also regulate the size of portions served in ALL restaurants, because it's absolutely insane. We don't eat out often, except when we travel, and I'm always floored by the amount of food served.

You couldn't regulate how much of the food you ate?

We need government to do that??

PikaKnight

In for aliens, pretty sure it's just a matter of time in here.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

crash_aly

Yes that's exactly what we need, more government intervention. Hey how'd the centrally planned green energy pushg go in europe?
[/quote]

^^ My thoughts exactly. People need to make their own decisions especially when it comes to their bodies and health.
And as bad as this sounds....if someone refuses to take care of themselves despite being told exactly what they need to do and given endless support, guidance, and direction...mother nature has this thing called natural selection.

I don't want anyone else being responsible for the choices I make nor do I want to be responsible for the decisions of someone else. It is THEIR life to do with as they please and to deal with the consequences accordingly.

jonnythan

Cigarettes have put the risks on the pack for years. People still smoke. Hell, I just quit and I'm fit and eat 100% whole food diet.

People do what they want. Blaming advertising is a joke. Blaming fast food is a scapegoat for fat lazy ****s.

/thread

Not as much as they used to. Years and years of taxes, campaigning, and demonization have paid off to some degree.

The percentage of people smoking is down, the number of smokers is not. Cutting the rate in half is negated by a doubling of the population.

No idea what point you're trying to make.

jonnythan

And as bad as this sounds....if someone refuses to take care of themselves despite being told exactly what they need to do and given endless support, guidance, and direction...mother nature has this thing called natural selection.

I don't want anyone else being responsible for the choices I make nor do I want to be responsible for the decisions of someone else. It is THEIR life to do with as they please and to deal with the consequences accordingly.

I don't think fat people really reproduce at lower rates than healthy-weight people.

ninerbuff

So here is an interesting article.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/2/who-tighter-economicregulationneededtoreverseobesityepidemic.html

"Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity," said Roberto De Vogli of the University of California, Davis, who led the study.

The researchers compared the number of fast food transactions with body mass index (BMI) in 25 high-income countries between 1999 and 2008.

They found that, as the average number of annual fast food transactions increased from 26.61 to 32.76 per person, average BMI increased from 25.8 to 26.4.

Thoughts??

This is a better way to win a war instead of with guns or chemical weapons. Kill off your opponent by letting them eat themselves to death. It's a win if you ask me.
People should be responsible for their choices. Government shouldn't be involved.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SJ46

~considers our little country~

Okay, so we have a KFC and a few generic 'fast' food places, but when it comes down to it, they're not getting enough business to be responsible for the level of obesity we have here.

What people are cooking at home, now, that's another matter.

Personally, if they want to regulate fast food, they should also regulate the size of portions served in ALL restaurants, because it's absolutely insane. We don't eat out often, except when we travel, and I'm always floored by the amount of food served.

Yes, serving sizes at restaurants are big but no one is forcing you to eat all of it nor does it mean we need government intervention to prevent you from doing so.

stealthq

And to address the actual topic ...

Regulations for this type of thing are just stupid. They won't have the desired effect since they're not addressing the underlying issue - overeating.

The best approach would probably be to push for more nutritional education - through public service announcements and through schools - except that the gov't isn't up on nutrition anyway. More crappy education is not likely an improvement over no education.

stealthq

And as bad as this sounds....if someone refuses to take care of themselves despite being told exactly what they need to do and given endless support, guidance, and direction...mother nature has this thing called natural selection.

I don't want anyone else being responsible for the choices I make nor do I want to be responsible for the decisions of someone else. It is THEIR life to do with as they please and to deal with the consequences accordingly.

I don't think fat people really reproduce at lower rates than healthy-weight people.

Interesting question - some women become infertile at higher weights. Does it affect enough women to make an appreciable difference?

MityMax96

Well we have seen how well out-lawing drugs has worked.....

We don't have any on the streets here in the USA.

RIP Phillip Seymour Hoffman