What do you think is the primary reason for obesity?

lkcuts

looking back through the 50's people in general were smaller. They had set times to eat, had to fix it themselves (no fast food places ) and eating out or ordering in pizza was a treat not an everyday experience. You had to GO to the movies not sit at home and order them to come in your mail box, no shopping on line but actually going to the store and trying on clothes or buying your products you seek. Now days parents are so busy with work, then running their kids to ball games etc, eating is done on the run through fast food. (my mom made sack lunches ahead of time) every kid is drove every where instead of walking like they used to. Every one crams as much as they can in a day and food options are always thought of last so they grab something quick at a drive thru. Bed time was 9 oclock without fail, up at 6.more of a structured lifestyle.
I can't remember many food commercials on TV (when I was allowed to watch it) if there was, it was things like milk, ovaltien,Nestles products, soap commercials hair products and of course smoking was not banned everywhere so lots of ciggerette commercials. Of course the shows and channels were limited and actually went off the air at a certain time! Then in the 60's fast food was introduced and thats when it begun the era of going to get a burger and fries and that wasn't very often still. I remember eating out maybe once every two weeks or so useally after church. In the 50's you went to your local 5 and dime or soda shop and it was real food. real hamburgers, real potato fries. The low down, easier access to quick foods and less activity. To preserve foods for longer shelf life and being able to ship them without spoilage, MSG ,salt and high frutose sugar were introduced into the products we consume. Thats why we are now taught to eat less processed and more fresh foods. YAYYY back to the basics!

AtticusFinch

1 2 and 3 - simples

melsinct

I thought it might be interesting to see what our site feels might be the root cause(s) to our country becoming 66% overweight or obese.

Is it due to?

1. Poor food choices
2. Portion control
3. Lack of exercise
4. Lack of sleep
5. Physical problems (thyroid, hormonal imbalances, diseases, chronic illnesses, genetics)
6. Mental issues (lack of an equal quality of education)
7. Emotional problems (stress, finances, job loss, divorcee or a bad relationship. etc.)
8. Lack of self-control or will-power
9. Lack of availability to get quality foods in some areas
10. Sedentary lifestyles now common place in the work and home environments
11. Fast food restaurants
12. Regular restaurants who in many cases serve portion sizes twice what one should eat
13. TV/Cell phones/Internet/Gaming
14. Something else

All of the above, but mainly 1, 2, 3, 8 and 10 with a special emphasis on number 8.

jmoralesx5

laziness, slothfullness, convenience

heagler870

The primary reason I was overweight as a child is because my parents never taught me the correct way to eat or about proper nutrition. I don't blame them now for being over weight as an adult but as a child I certainly do blame them and my mother will be the first to admit a lot of it was her fault. I remember my parents and I ate out a lot, ordered pizza a lot, and got fast food quite often. I was never taught portion control or that food was a substance used to stay alive. I do believe that a lot of children that are overweight now is because of their parents *Aside from legitimate medical problems*

Now as I got older and was able to make food choices on my own I am going to conclude that the primary reason for being overweight was lack of self control and because the taste of food outweighed the benefits of being fit and healthy. I just didn't care for a very long time. I think for adults it can be a variety of different things besides just overeating. I mean obviously overeating and a lack of exercising are the primary reasons for being overweight but I also believe there are other factors that increase someone to overeat. I definitely believe emotional eating can be one of them. I did a lot of emotional eating while in my last relationship, thus the reason I piled on the pounds.

Sidesteal

We eat too much. That's simplistic, but that's it really. We eat more than we should, and move less than we ought, for a variety of reasons, both mental and physical, internal and external, big and small. Thankfully, reversing that process by eating less and exercising more does work.

^ That.

Going4Lean

I thought it might be interesting to see what our site feels might be the root cause(s) to our country becoming 66% overweight or obese.

Is it due to?

1. Poor food choices
2. Portion control
3. Lack of exercise
4. Lack of sleep
5. Physical problems (thyroid, hormonal imbalances, diseases, chronic illnesses, genetics)
6. Mental issues (lack of an equal quality of education)
7. Emotional problems (stress, finances, job loss, divorcee or a bad relationship. etc.)
8. Lack of self-control or will-power
9. Lack of availability to get quality foods in some areas
10. Sedentary lifestyles now common place in the work and home environments
11. Fast food restaurants
12. Regular restaurants who in many cases serve portion sizes twice what one should eat
13. TV/Cell phones/Internet/Gaming
14. Something else

All of the above, different combinations for everyone.

HeidiMightyRawr

A general slowing down of people's activity levels, and a need for convenience at every opportunity.

I don't blame fast food chains, or cars, or promotions in store for "bad" foods. They're just going by what will sell and make them money, which isn't a bad thing IMO.
Excluding medical conditions (which let's face it, aren't the reason for the obesity problem) people have a choice how they look. They can choose to cook fresh meals for them and their family, or they can choose to go to McDonalds or similar.
They can choose to get the car for a 5 minute walk (I've known people to do this) or they can choose to get some exercise and walk it!

People may not know how to cook good healthy foods, they may not be able to afford to go to the gym, but surely they know that what they're doing now is bad for them. Learn how to cook, it doesn't have to be fancy, you can find tons of cheap family recipes online. Go for walks on your days off, bike rides with the family. Especially when you have kids there are lots of things you can do with them that are active and don't even require much money.

Briski1411

1. Poor food choices
2. Portion control
3. Lack of exercise
4. Lack of sleep
5. Physical problems (thyroid, hormonal imbalances, diseases, chronic illnesses, genetics)
6. Mental issues (lack of an equal quality of education)
7. Emotional problems (stress, finances, job loss, divorcee or a bad relationship. etc.)
8. Lack of self-control or will-power
9. Lack of availability to get quality foods in some areas
10. Sedentary lifestyles now common place in the work and home environments
11. Fast food restaurants
12. Regular restaurants who in many cases serve portion sizes twice what one should eat
13. TV/Cell phones/Internet/Gaming
14. Something else

I suppose the simple answer is "Yes", it's all of those and more. When you get right down to it we eat more than we need. Why that's true is different for everyone.

If the problem were simple enough to pinpoint a single cause, we wouldn't have so many obese people, nor would we have a multi-billion dollar weight loss industry.

This is the most correct answer IMO

TheVimFuego

What this guy said

It's going to take a while for everyone to catch up but the science is there and backs it up, the food pyramid is a crock based on Bad Science perpetuated by politics dictated to by commercial interests.

There is no money to be made in good health, if there is no magic pill/statin/product to flog then why try to actually encourage people to be healthier just by pointing out that eating Real Wholesome Food will do the trick?

In the meantime the echoes of 'just exercise more, eat less ... a calorie is a calorie' will ring out ...

MrsSorenson

7. Emotional problems (stress, finances, job loss, divorcee or a bad relationship. etc.)

At least most of the people I know. Including myself !!

XFitMojoMom

#2 & #10

#2 - Portions are outrageous and plate sizes have increased
#10 - sedentary lifestyle home/work environment. Hard labor was far more prevalent 25-50+ years ago - now heavy machinery does it all for us, while we sit in front of computers programming the equipment to do the work.

jwaitman

I am not sure it is any one reason, but probably a host of many. Poor food choices being probably one of the biggest causes. It is so easy with our busy life styles to run through a drive thru for a quick fat filled meal than cooking healthy choices. We have also become a nation of TV zombies. Growing up we didn't watch TV and to this day my parents still don't have cable or satelite. Wish I could say the same. My kids are glued to the TV whenever possible. I just wish I was home more to keep them busier.

ninerbuff

I thought it might be interesting to see what our site feels might be the root cause(s) to our country becoming 66% overweight or obese.

Is it due to?

1. Poor food choices
2. Portion control
3. Lack of exercise
4. Lack of sleep
5. Physical problems (thyroid, hormonal imbalances, diseases, chronic illnesses, genetics)
6. Mental issues (lack of an equal quality of education)
7. Emotional problems (stress, finances, job loss, divorcee or a bad relationship. etc.)
8. Lack of self-control or will-power
9. Lack of availability to get quality foods in some areas
10. Sedentary lifestyles now common place in the work and home environments
11. Fast food restaurants
12. Regular restaurants who in many cases serve portion sizes twice what one should eat
13. TV/Cell phones/Internet/Gaming
14. Something else

All of the above. Also add in genetics.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

seardefilip

I just talked with someone about this the other day-
I have been watching the weight of the nation

in my opinion it boils down to a couple of things-

we used to be SO active as children and young people generationally things are different- now- we (including us with young people because as much as it is an epidemic in us who are a little older now- its a crisises that is facing our children more) - there is limited physical activity at school- we are afraid to let kids play outside like we did- and we generically eat CRAP-

Like they said on the documentary- we eat what is sold to us- you see cereal commercials and ice cream, and Just CRAP food- you rarely ever see a commercial about VEGGIES and FRUIT (on an ocassion you will see an orange commercial) but seriously we BUY what is marketed to our taste buds-

WE MUST CHANGE THIS!
I am saying WE as I am talking to ME- I have really been focusing on change but lately it has been much more intense- our lifestyles need to be refocused to what once was- we have to get out of the diet mentality- if we ate the edge of the grocery store, I bet we would see that there would not be as much of a need for DIETING

sorry I just went on a rant

kneazle22

I cant just narrow it down to one thing, genetics do play a part in our size, as do medical conditions. But i have to say one of the problems i have seen is portion size. Now if i want McDonalds I have it, but i have a Small french fry, a hamburger, and a diet soda. This is under 400 calories, as opposed to the quarter pounder with cheese meal even with a diet soda that tops out at a whopping 900 calories. We are always in a hurry and dont slow down to eat. I eat pretty much what I want in smaler portions. There are just so many things that contribute to weight gain its unreal even medications that are supposed to fix us can make us gain weight. I would say that all of the above are true, but certaintly dont apply to every individual. I hit a plateau recently and have discovered since using MFP that the problem was actually UNDER eating, since i began making sure i ate my calories i have dropped 2lbs in one week. A good start!

MessyLittlePanda

Western societies (particularly the English speaking ones) are obsessed with food and weight and appearance. On the one hand, we have fast food on every corner and food is a hobby, not fuel for our bodies, and on the other hand we fetishize perfect bodies, skinny models, Page 3 girls, Playboy bunnies, six pack abs and mega-guns for guys.

It's a bit weird, no?

GaglianiGirl

I grew ip on a family who had no knowledge of what eating healthy meant. My mom is a fabulous cook and an even better baker, but she never said, " no, one slice of cake is enough." I followed in the path laid before me. Now I am an adult, with children and I have made it my goal to change that path, not only for my kids, but for me and hopefully my 500lb brother and mother. I think nutrition should be taught more in schools. when I was in school, it was a subject barely touched. I also think it's a misconception that eating healthier has to cost a bunch more.I think it's really just a combination of many issues.

bigsis26

I think it's just being too lazy to do things right anymore.

vara123

All of these, but primarily a lack of exercise (i.e. a sedentary lifestyle). Diets in different indigenous populations across the world have historically varied wildly in terms of calories in and fat/protein/carb ratio in the diet, matching the the phsyiological demands of the different traditional lifeways of these groups - humans have adapted in this way to lots of different environments around the world successfully. Scarfing 3500 cals a day is fine, if you have to spend all day seal hunting or chasing buffalo off cliffs ;-) It's only when you mix high calorie diets (especially those filled with calorie-dense 'junk' food) and a lack of physical exertion that people really get unnaturally overweight.