being fat in Japan

Laces_0ut

the article isnt talking about lean meat vs fatty meat.. its talking about foods that would add more potassium, vitamin d, and other nutrients to your diet. fruits and vegetables vs boxed/canned/processed stuff

"Fix the fact that unhealthy, fattening foods cost less than healthy foods for starters." thats what i was responding to.

so boxed/canned/processed isnt unhealthy and fattening, compared to fresh fruits and veggies?
not trying to argue here - just pointing out that fatty vs lean meat isnt the only change that people need to make to eat healthier. its more expensive to buy enough produce and whole foods to feed a family than it is to buy some hamburger helper and ground beef

where did i say boxed/canned/ processed isnt unhealthy and fattening compared to fruits and vegetables? fat vs lean meat was one example. i didnt say it was the only thing to be concerned about. you seem to be confused.

rockerbabyy

where did i say boxed/canned/ processed isnt unhealthy and fattening compared to fruits and vegetables? fat vs lean meat was one example. i didnt say it was the only thing to be concerned about. you seem to be confused.

im not confused at all.
other than maybe why fatty vs lean meat was the only thing you brought up when theres obviously bigger issues.
you asked what needed to be "fixed" - i gave a useful example.

Laces_0ut

where did i say boxed/canned/ processed isnt unhealthy and fattening compared to fruits and vegetables? fat vs lean meat was one example. i didnt say it was the only thing to be concerned about. you seem to be confused.

im not confused at all.
other than maybe why fatty vs lean meat was the only thing you brought up when theres obviously bigger issues.
you asked what needed to be "fixed" - i gave a useful example.

you are clearly confused when you say "so boxed/canned/processed isnt unhealthy and fattening, compared to fresh fruits and veggies? " because nowhere did i imply that. not sure what your issue is or why you feel like you need to go on like this. lets just agree to disagree. /shrug

janesmith1

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/04/us-food-costs-idUSTRE7734L620110804

"Eating healthier food can add almost 10 percent to the average American's food bill -- and that is just to boost a single nutrient like potassium."

Fix the fact that unhealthy, fattening foods cost less than healthy foods for starters. Then go from there. If regular Americans can't afford to eat healthy, no program in the world is going to change that except programs that lower the cost of healthy food.

While I agree, I am not sure what the answer is. All sides of the coin have their pluses and minuses. WF costs big bucks, but if you try to shop their 360 brand which is less and use their bulk bins it's less too. If you're in the areas where there's a Winco Supermarket they have bulk bins that have pretty incredible prices. For instance a friend of mine lives near a Winco and her bulk bin pinto beans are .69 / lb and my bulk bin pintos are 1.99 / lb

There's also Costco and ethnic groceries too which tend to have great prices. Again, for instance I found cilantro at a local Mexican market that was .25 a bunch and at my local store it was 1.99 / bunch.

There's other factors too. Many of us want to make sure we eat FDA approved American groceries which tend to be more expensive than ones grown in Mexico. The problem is when you eat things from out of the USA you can't be sure of the pesticide content of the fruits and veggies that you're eating, many times it's higher. For instance I saw this video of someone in Mexico that was spraying the hell out of his agave plants that he was going to sell off eventually to the USA as "agave syrup", I was kind of appalled when I saw that.

Of course, it's always best to try to eat locally and organically but not always possible. I think bulk bins are pretty awesome and a huge savings, and sometimes Farmer's Markets are too. I love them as well.

In this day and age it seems we have to "shop smart" and go to different places to shop for our groceries. I can go to 4 places on my shopping day. Unfortunately, most people don't have the time to do that.

BroiledNotFried

The people in Japan eat much more sodium, and have an increased risk of hemorrhagic strokes. We, however, our fattter. Our blubber gives us an increased risk of diabetes heart attacks, blockages, and cancer.

I know of an insurance company that covers a major Georgia company. It is charging workers (including any dependants) that smoke 20% more on premiums. The insurance company also requires an annual physical. If the worker and all dependants missed their physical, the bill increases by 15%. In the physical, the insurance company had the physician's offices take BMI and waist size, as well as a good blood work-up.

MaraDiaz

You can fix it with price controls, as long as you're willing to ignore the howls from various sectors that profit from not having price controls.

janesmith1

You can fix it with price controls, as long as you're willing to ignore the howls from various sectors that profit from not having price controls.

Well, as long as you don't live in a capitalist system (and I'm not counting China since they have a thriving capitalist system, they do social controls, not price controls at this point). Iran has price controls and 70% unemployment. Even when there was a rice shortage China & India did not do price controls and the rice went back down to normal price levels. Price controls in Cuba don't work because there's a thriving black market for goods and services.

SerenaFisher

I see people blaming food... work... time. What about the fact that this country is just lazy and entitled? I bet I could eat MCDONALDS for a month (eating their "better options") and unlike the movie done on it not only lose weight but be healthier than I am now with excersize and self control. No one says you have to buy a big mac when you go, furthermore no one says you have to supersize it! Its funny how we pass the buck here.

Oh I also have raw vegtibles, home grown meat, and other natural food... because I grow my own. Sadly. Live in a city you don't have that option. really

i_love_vinegar

i Iive in japan and the people are not thinner because of the food or genetics LOL...i am pretty certain anorexia is extremely common here ^^ in hong kong, for instance, women will eat tape worms to lose weight...here they have 0 calorie jelly "meals" at every grocery or convenience store. In thailand (i think it is) women get botox on their legs to make them thinner...

i am 4'10" and when i came here i was 100 pounds -- thin in the u.s. but fat here. ^^ i am currently 95 and still considered fat.

before i came here, i understood that japanese are thin...but it is much different in reality...basically a bmi over 18.5 is fat.

so...the ppl getting punished by this law are...considered the morbidly obese of america (but on japanese terms).

i could go on and on...but really there are a lot of unnaturally thin ppl here...and I'm positive its because a lot of ppl here are obsessed with diets and women compete to be the thinnest (and a lot of men here find very thin attractive) ^^ ok thats all~

umachanxo

Anorexia may be common and what you're seeing and experiencing is most likely by all means accurate, but that does not mean that genetics and the different builds have nothing to do with it.

mfpseven

as long as they measure waist not hips i could do 35inches if they want narrow hips I'm smooth out of luck

krist3ng

I'm surprised no one here finds it a little offensive/degrading to get measured and fined for being overweight. Sounds like a nightmare! WE'RE PEOPLE, NOT CATTLE!
However, it would provide a nice incentive.

Responding to the earlier "debate" about good foods being more expensive, this is so true and also very sad. $3 for a small pack of raspberries. I could inhale those things in about a minute, with gusto; I hate that I have to limit my fruit intake because it's so durn expensive. They had a proposed 'fat tax' a while back that would raise the prices of cheap empty-calorie foods, but I don't know what happened about it. They should mix the fat tax with lowering prices of health foods, and see what happens. Also, while I'm not sure I want to live in a world where a cinnabon isn't at least theoretically available, I think the government should make rules about super-unhealthy food, at least making it LESS unhealthy by using better ingredients and making smaller portions.