If these trends (obesity) continue, by 2030 50% (of) U.S. Me

qkiley

Not sure if you have seen this article on CNN today, I have a lot of thoughts on it, but would be interested to hear about reactions from the MFP community on it.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/25/study-world-is-getting-fatter-needs-to-stop/

First off, I will say that I am proud of all of you for making the choice of a healthy lifestyle. I myself have been overweight for quite some time. But I am working on changing that. And like all of you, I won't be there tomorrow, but I will be closer with each day, week and month that I work on this.

After reading this article on CNN, it scares me that within 20 years roughly half the U.S. will be obese and it will cost $66 billion a year to treat the diseases that are a result of obesity.

Disclosing calorie counts on restaurant menus is a good start. But it is ultimately up to us to make the choice of a healthy lifestyle.

How do you all feel about these numbers?

infamousmk

Considering the number of adults between the ages of 25-35 that I know trying to get in their best shape ever, I will venture to guess this never comes true. I think the knowledge and information being shared now will eventually turn this epidemic around.

lloydrt

qkiley, some numbers can be disputed....its hard to lable an entire population on certain criteria..........one is the BMI scale, that 90 percent of doctors laugh at.........My weight is 198, I ve never looked better for a 6"0 man with a large build, but the BMI scales says Im overweight ,and 11 lbs away from obese...........again, I have a 34 inch waist and am in excellent health

also, how can you use a scale that says one day your of normal weight, yet you gain one pound and that makes you scientifically overweight.............not a lot of variable in that equation...........

Im kind of blown away with what is defined as "overweight' I think the BMI scale is govt propaganda, just something to put another lable on us......................nice topic, thanks

Fairysoul

I think it's totally right and we all need to eat better, and I support taxing unhealthy foods!

vim_n_vigor

I think that until the food industry is forced to stop using unnatural products in the 'food' they are selling, it will be very difficult for most. Our food no longer has food in it. My goodness, even 'all natural' chicken breasts are pumped full of solutions before we buy them.

martina123321

It was on the news today, exactly the same thing about the UK. They are just basing it now what people are like now. With so many people changing and wanting a healthier lifestyle also and with lots of people joining the wagon, I don't think that those figures will come true. We are changing as unit!!! and many more people will too.


Good Luck

MrBrown72

http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/NIDDKLabs/LBM/HallAJCN2008.htm

is a link to Dr. Hall's spreadsheets talked about in the article.

veganbaum

It's great to say that people should take control of their own health - and I 100% agree that they should. However, the U.S. government contributes to this epidemic through its subsidations. In some ways, on the surface, real food costs more than fake food. Now, once a person has adjusted their diet and they are actually getting what they need nutritionally from their food, people actually eat less and hence costs go down, because when one is eating junk that is devoid of nutrition, you have to eat more of it to feel satiated. Now, most people don't understand this and even if they did are unwilling to try and switch, they'd rather spend the money on a six pack of soda than the same amount on a pineapple or melon, for example. I live in a very poor state, and a whole heck of a lot of people are overweight, obese, or if thin still eat junk. I think the government needs to promote food/crop diversity and needs to repromote the idea of VICTORY GARDENS. How about new Victory Gardens in terms of seeing them as a way to fight for the health of people in our country?

Edit: Additionally, our healthcare system is largely focused on treatment of symptoms rather than on preventative medicine. That dynamic needs to change.

cmsiemsen

It's great to say that people should take control of their own health - and I 100% agree that they should. However, the U.S. government contributes to this epidemic through its subsidations. In some ways, on the surface, real food costs more than fake food. Now, once a person has adjusted their diet and they are actually getting what they need nutritionally from their food, people actually eat less and hence costs go down, because when one is eating junk that is devoid of nutrition, you have to eat more of it to feel satiated. Now, most people don't understand this and even if they did are unwilling to try and switch, they'd rather spend the money on a six pack of soda than the same amount on a pineapple or melon, for example. I live in a very poor state, and a whole heck of a lot of people are overweight, obese, or if thin still eat junk. I think the government needs to promote food/crop diversity and needs to repromote the idea of VICTORY GARDENS. How about new Victory Gardens in terms of seeing them as a way to fight for the health of people in our country?

Edit: Additionally, our healthcare system is largely focused on treatment of symptoms rather than on preventative medicine. That dynamic needs to change.

I love this. So true. and what a GREAT suggestion! It's my plan for next summer, my own garden!

qkiley

Thanks for weighing in on the subject all.

lloydrt - I definitely agree with you. BMI isn't the best tool. My ultimate goal weight is still considered obese.

Ultimately I think the most important thing is that people are healthy. That can be something very different for everyone.

My biggest concern is that companies aren't held accountable for disclosing calorie figures properly and therefore people aren't able to make informed decisions. It already frustrates me when I pick up a drink that appears healthy but the serving size is listed as 1/3 of the bottle/can, etc.

Really happy to hear that the general feel of the group is people are choosing a healthy lifestyle. That is awesome to hear.

Genem30

As long as corporations are allowed to report misinformation and incorrect dietary values in most cases with little or no consequences, getting a majority of Americans to reconsider their lifestyle is going to be tough. You have one set of corporations thriving off of health problems created by people with weight issues and one set who spend 90% of their time trying to get out of paying for the problems that arise from it.

I don't know what the answer is, I can only look out for myself and hope that this time my knowledge and discipline will allow me to shape up and not be in the wrong 50%

MABmom

Unfortunately it will soon only be the rich that can afford to be healthy.

It is cheaper to buy high calorie junk food than healthy raw food. Good healthy food, grown in a sustainable way is really expensive. This is why Whole Foods puts their stores in affluent areas. Plus high calorie food tastes good. Our bodies evolved to like fat and sugar, which is what makes us fat.

So the poor will buy high calorie junk and the ultra poor won't be able to buy food at all. The rich can afford to have leisure time to work out and eat good food.

Until we make food distribution a priority as a nation we're going to have health problems related to nutrition. I consider myself lucky that our family made a decision to become more healthy and our budget can sustain our family's desire to eat fresh produce, healthy proteins and whole grains. I know it isn't possible for everyone to have this benefit.

brittanyjeanxo

This may seem silly to some people, but while I'd be an advocate for a healthier lifestyle to anyone that wants it, those numbers don't scare me because I refuse to be a statistic anymore. Yes, I do think that healthy lifestyles should be supported more (I would love nutritional facts on menus!) but I think that over all, the obesity rate is so high because Americans are so lazy. We're constantly coming out with the next new thing to make it so you don't have to get your fat *kitten* off the couch to do something. Before you know it we'll have the iPad 7GS, fully equipped with the ability to wipe your *kitten* for you. A lot of people try to blame the food that's offered and, while I do think that has something to do with it, no one is holding a gun to our head forcing us to choose that piece of cake over those carrots. I think it's sad, yes, but like I said, as long as I'm not a part of that statistic any longer, I don't care.

lloydrt

it is cheaper for a mom to take a kid to McDonalds for a kids meal, than it would be for her to go to the store, buy ingredients for the kids salad............so, whats mom to do

and they wonder why teenaged kids are now being perscribed high blood pressure medication.

I live in the number one city for limb removal, and Im not talking about trees...........Diabetes is killing states like Texas, because of the foods and cultures that dominant food diets.............starchs, masa, lard, etc, ..........but its cheaper to eat like that than to eat an organic salad..........when youre poor your choices are limited............

brittanyjeanxo

And I actually really disagree with the BS fact that it's cheaper to buy fast food than make, say, a salad. A head of iceburg lettuce that will easily feed 4 people costs about $1.79. Let's say you get one full-sized cucumber. That's anywhere from .79 cents to 1 dollar. Let's say croutons are 2 bucks. A bag of carrots is about $1.89. Let's say you even decide to do dressing, that's $3.00. You now have a salad to feed, let's even say just three people for a total of $9.68, but let's just round it up to $10.00 for the sake of argument.
Now, this same family can go to McDonald's and (assuming this 3 person family is two parents and a child) they get two small meals, and one happy meal. Around here, though I know it's different in different states, a small chicken nugget meal is about $4.50 each. A happy meal is about $3.50. You now have an unhealthy meal for three, for about $12.50. Not only is that more expensive, but even if it were the same price, it's still massively unhealthy, and still takes the time of getting up, going to the drive thru, and going back home.

hml1976

it is cheaper for a mom to take a kid to McDonalds for a kids meal, than it would be for her to go to the store, buy ingredients for the kids salad............so, whats mom to do

So the average American spends less than 5% of their household income on food. The average Japanese family spends nearly 10%, the average French family 8%. The vast majority of American families can afford to eat well, they just choose not to.

I'm all for ending farm subsidies I think that's a good start.

But, I also think we need to take a look at our culture. Both parents working 10hr days, kids that are in 16 different activities and get home at 8pm to start their 3hrs of homework, video games, tv, the internet (not MFP of course!), all are getting in the way of a good home cooked meal for everyone in the family.

I'm NOT for government regulations on food. One reason is I think its too slippery a slope, they tried to do it in my state and so many things fell through the cracks that it was a mess. For example, you tax Ruffles potato chips...ok...but not Wheat Thins because crackers are good for you? Or you tax Coke but not CountryTime Lemonade?

calibri

Considering the number of adults between the ages of 25-35 that I know trying to get in their best shape ever, I will venture to guess this never comes true. I think the knowledge and information being shared now will eventually turn this epidemic around.

Hopefully they don't fall off the wagon and stick with it.

The projection is unfortunate, but society and regulations can only do so much. We cannot force everyone to embrace a healthy lifestyle. I hope I see you on the other side of the 50%.

JennsLosing

it is cheaper for a mom to take a kid to McDonalds for a kids meal, than it would be for her to go to the store, buy ingredients for the kids salad............so, whats mom to do

and they wonder why teenaged kids are now being perscribed high blood pressure medication.

I live in the number one city for limb removal, and Im not talking about trees...........Diabetes is killing states like Texas, because of the foods and cultures that dominant food diets.............starchs, masa, lard, etc, ..........but its cheaper to eat like that than to eat an organic salad..........when youre poor your choices are limited............

no, i can make a meal at home for cheaper than i can buy 2 kids and 2 adults a meal from mcdonalds. so im going to have to disagree with that. For that same price i can make a meal, and have leftovers for the next day for lunch.

bcattoes

no, i can make a meal at home for cheaper than i can buy 2 kids and 2 adults a meal from mcdonalds. so im going to have to disagree with that. For that same price i can make a meal, and have leftovers for the next day for lunch.

That's absolutely true. Maybe the reason my kids were never fat is that I was struggling single mom and we simply could not afford to eat out, even fast food, often. The fact is parents feed their kids fast food because it's EASIER. Easier for them. They don't have to shop, cook and wash the dishes. It's just good old fashioned laziness. But even if it were cheaper, it's still a cop-out because as a parent you have a resposibilty to keep your kids healthy. They shouldn't feed them junk anymore than they should allow them to play in traffic.

jjs22

First off, I think just about anybody my age (48) or older will probably agree that that the phenomenon is real, regardless of the statistical arguments. When I was a kid, it was fairly rare to see a "fat" person. They stood out in a crowd. If your mom wanted to teach you good manners, she'd be sure to tell you not to stare or point or say anything about it. In a typical grade school class of 25-30 students, only a few would be noticeably chubby. These days, big and heavy is just what we as a country look like.

One big factor that contributes to this (and I'm sure there are many) is marketing. The US produces something like 2x the number of calories per year that our population needs to maintain healthy weight. Unless "big agriculture" can find ways to market those calories to us, they're going to stop growing, which is bad. So the marketing has become increasingly sophisticated, learning exactly what kinds of products and tactics are successful in getting us to consume more and more. Remember the "King Size" Coca-Cola ? A whopping 10 oz bottle. That was to tempt people away from the normal size : 6.5 oz.

Apart from the number of calories sold, there is the issue of how much profit can be made on each calorie. Go into any supermarket (or even health food store !) and compare the selection of simple ingredients to the number of food "products". Compare, say, the price of a potato to the price for the same weight of potato chips. Each step of processing represents added "value", hence more profit to be made.

Actually, that argument seems to contradict the comments about raw, organic, healthy food being so expensive. I think that is due to economy of scale, and the fact that processed food is more efficient to prepare, transport, store, etc., and its certainly easier to "brand" and advertise.

I spent a number of years living and travelling in Europe, and I've always admired how "resistant" Europeans are to marketing tactics, especially where food is concerned. Sure their lives have become hectic and stressful, but they are pretty stubborn about insisting on quality ingredients and preparing or buying food that is nutritionally and aesthetically good. And it's not a class thing. Even people whose lifestyle is pretty humble regard GOOD food as a basic human need. Even though so many other things cost more there (cars, gasoline, taxes, ...) they are still willing to pay more for quality food, even if they have to forgo a lot of the consumer goods that we find so essential.. They find it odd that Americans are willing to shovel so much awful cr^p into their mouths.

MABmom

I can go to Little Ceasers and get a pizza for $5 that will feed my family.

Or I can make my own (granted pizza isn't "healthy" but a home made pizza from sratch really isn't too bad if you pair it with a salad and keep a reasonable portion.)

So I have to buy:
Flour
yeast
water (granted it is cheap but we pay a water bill every month and I use a brita filter because the tap water here tastes like dirt)
cheese
tomatoes
basil
olive oil
garlic
cheese
AND whatever toppings we want.

Yes I have to pay for the gas to drive to the Little Ceasers but I also have to pay for the energy to bake my pizza at home. At home I also have to make the dough which requires me to let it rise, clean my mixer, clean the bowls, clean my pizza stone, clean my paddle, clean the kitchen, etc. That takes time, a lot longer than it would take me to drive to the pizza store.

So it costs more for me to make it at home in both money and time than to drive to the store and just buy a pre-made one. I like the pizza I made better, fewer calories, healthier, fresh, but I could be spending that time with my familiy or relaxing.

It is just one example trying to compare apples to apples. Mc Donalds is chaper than doing it yourself if you are making the same thing (for nuggets you have to buy the chicken, the batter ingredients, the oil, the spices, etc.) You might break even. Yes salads will be cheaper at home but the convience is what you are buying at Mc Donalds with salad. Can you feed a family cheaply at home, sure, but there are other costs. It is so easy to get cheap food that is high calorie vs. making stuff yourself is my point.

jjs22

My sister teaches ESL at the grade school level. Most of her students are from lower income families. She told me about one student whose mother thinks the cafeteria food isn't any good, so just about every day she brings food to school and has lunch with him. I was thinking "That's awesome !" I was picturing homemade soup, beans and rice, and so on. Then she told me that the lunch was always McDonalds, KFC, or Popeyes.