What do you think is the primary reason for obesity?

Momjogger

I DO NOT agree with the laziness arguement. Many overweight people I know are driven and caring people, but they don't spend enough time on themselves. They are too busy taking care of everyone else. I also blame a lot of it on busy lifestyles and not being superficial (not caring what you look like and wanting to help others, etc.). A LOT of people on this site are FINALLY taking care of themselves, and good for you I say!

ronadams52

So far I have read through about half the comments (and will continue). I think the replies have been very good, honesty and somewhat varied with however many saying all the factors were true that where mentioned as possible problems. Personally I am beginning to think, as one person mentioned, that society has made the greatest changes and our lack of properly adapting and adjusting to our ever changing world has left us carrying the bag (literally and figuratively)

robinhardysmall

I agree with many of the previous posts~ however I also wonder how many percentage points obesity rates have gone up in the past 10 years or so.

I went through a very nasty divorce- I worked 3 jobs to pay my bills and paid my way- but paid a very dear price of eating from the Dollar Tree because it was cheap- For $10 I could buy a loaf of bread- pottted meat and two bags of chips to make it through the week.

So- if you are so tight on money- and too proud to ask for assistance- you make some bad choices to get you through. My family was mortified when they came to visit and wanted a snack!

...but you know what- I made it through and back on my feet now with a wonderful husband who supports my journey.

So what I have learned- is dont' always judge a morbidly obese, obese or overweight person- there might be alot more to their story than we see...

dyannajoy

processed foods......hands down. When I was growing up on a farm, we ate almost no processed foods and cake, pie etc was a once in a while treat. Everything was home grown and made from scratch. My parents still eat this way and still live on the farm. They are 91 and 82 and are VERY healhy, and can still run circles around me.

magerum

Eating too much.

dyannajoy

processed foods......hands down. When I was growing up on a farm, we ate almost no processed foods and cake, pie etc was a once in a while treat. Everything was home grown and made from scratch. My parents still eat this way and still live on the farm. They are 91 and 82 and are VERY healhy, and can still run circles around me.

I should also add that it was very rare to see anyone overweight when I was growing up (I am 62). We had ONE chubby girl in our class the entire 12 years I was going to school. In my family we were all on the thin side until we grew up and settled into city life and started eating out and eating processed food.

I remember having an exchange student when our children were younger, who came here from Spain. One of his first comments was "there are so many fat people!" and he was astounded that we sat in front of the tv and ate. He had never seen that before. He said, in Spain, we either watch tv, or we eat, but never both. So we have created many bad habits in our country too. And of course I absolutely believe that our sedentary/technologic lifestyles do not help either.

annew1952

Hi I think there are a few reasons for the obesity issue. First off the children nowadays hardly take
gym classes in school. The reason I say this I work in the high school in my district and I see
what the kids do every day or do not do. First off they go out to the school track and they are not
dressed in gym clothes so most of them sit on the grass and watch. All I ever see is kids throwing
a frezzbie. Maybe once in a while they hit a softball. Also I am positioned outside the lunchroom
and see what some of the children walk out with. They serve healthy options to eat and the kids
who need to be eating healthy are the ones who are not eating healthy. The habits begin at
home. Kids are too immobile. I am not an authority on everything but I have seen this for the
past 15 years. I was raised active. I played tennis. I swam; I ice skated. Played softball and so much more.
I guess every generation is different.

HausfrauB

SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR!!!!

Too much sugar directly from: high-fructose corn syrup, table sugar, fruit juices...

Too many carbs that quickly break down into sugar: all refined flours, cereals, crackers, bread, tortillas...

Sugar has a devastating effect on blood sugar and insulin response. Sugar drives a vicious circle of highs and lows in the blood sugar that lead to insatiable appetites.

http://www.pvnutritionaltherapy.com/sugar-why-its-killing-us-and-what-to-do-about-it/

albayin

Eating habit. Seriously. I didn't want to admit that I was a big eater. Then when talking to my "skinny" friends, I notice how they eat and how little they are eating. So all in all, calorie in/calorie out. There's not too much anything else in it. Of course we are not talking about medical issues here.

AbbsyBabbsy

I think snacking, especially with children, is an issue. We no longer eat 3 meals a day. We eat all day long, around the clock. Growing up, I couldn't open the pantry door without asking first, but I've noticed now most kids seem to have run of the kitchen. I know parents super frustrated that every single activity their children are involved in includes a snack. Our bodies never get a break from eating. Our pancreases are working 24/7 to ward off all the carby snacks.

WendyTerry420

I think it's all of the above, if you are talking about all obese Americans.

It's different for different people. Some people have self-esteem and other emotional issues. Other people sit on the bums all day at work then go home and plop in front of the TV. (guilty!) Some people just eat too much. Others just eat the wrong things.

xSinfulUndeadx

I think Americans have just become more lazy and also bad food choices. Today people are on their computers, phones, gaming systems, watching tv more than going outside and being out and about. Also we have sooooo many fast food restaurants in our country and it's cheap and you get your food fast.

wolfi622

There is no vast conspiracy in the food industry to addict (literally) us to junk to guarantee profits. That is just fantasy. Everything has "chemicals". Everything you don't pick yourself is "processed". I could eat nothing but frozen dinners the rest of my life and remain healthy and maintain my weight. There is no science that supports the notion that HFCS is any different than any other sugar.

The food industry is heavily into the organic trend now - to the tune of billions. They will, rightfully, make a profit regardless of what the eating trends are, as soon as they get ahead of the next trend. They don't need to be evil lab coat dude to make money.

People are overweight, in the vast (vast, vast) majority of cases, because of the choices they make and their own behavior. Nobody is doing it to them.

There have been no studies that refute the long standing evidence that, barring under-nutrition, the fewer calories you eat during your lifetime the longer you will live.

WendyTerry420

SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR!!!!

True! They add sugar to things that you would never put sugar in if making it at home!

AmbyrJayde

Lack of Self Control. Because regardless of how food tastes you have to have the control to either stop eating it as much (if its bad) or eating it more (if its good.)

kyle4jem

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.

I didn't realise MFP belonged to one country :huh: - there are just as many non-US citizens here :bigsmile: ... but then few nations have such an acute obesity crisis...:ohwell:

Is it due to?

1. Poor food choices Perhaps, but more often choices are made for convenience rather than nutrition or taste.
2. Portion control The culture of SUPERSIZING certainly doesn't help
3. Lack of exercise This would be my #1
4. Lack of sleep Doubt this has much to do with obesity at all; only a secondary concern at best
5. Physical problems (thyroid, hormonal imbalances, diseases, chronic illnesses, genetics) Again a very small proportion of overweight people have a genuine medical condition; having said that there is some research that suggests some of us have issues that cause us to produce too little ghrelin thus we don't realise we've over-eaten until it's too late!
6. Mental issues (lack of an equal quality of education) Not sure what this alludes to???
7. Emotional problems (stress, finances, job loss, divorcee or a bad relationship. etc.) Yes, emotional eating can be a common factor - food, booze, drugs, all are used as crutches in times of stress.
8. Lack of self-control or will-power This is probably my #2
9. Lack of availability to get quality foods in some areas Nope, this is an excuse.
10. Sedentary lifestyles now common place in the work and home environments This goes hand-in-hand with lack of exercise; we don't have the physical demands of our grandparents' generation.
11. Fast food restaurants This is another excuse - just because they are there doesn't mean you have to frequent them and eat their calorie-dense, nutrient-light foods.
12. Regular restaurants who in many cases serve portion sizes twice what one should eat Certainly in the US portion size in restaurants is ridiculous. Food should be savoured and I prefer to go to establishments where they understand that concept and not just pile obscene amounts of food on a huge, serving-sized dinner plate.
13. TV/Cell phones/Internet/Gaming Again this is an excuse.
14. Something else ... see below...

The primary reason for obesity is simple: we consume more than we expend!

It's not rocket science, however, if you are looking for a reason why we eat more than we need then look no further than cultural changes in the last quarter of the 20th Century. We in the West became wealthier and food became cheaper. But corporate greed meant we were brainwashed into eating more and more to ensure their profit margins weren't similarly diminished. Convenience was the name of the game and our lives became less active as we spent more time at work. More and more people work in offices and/or behind computer screens. And people drive to work rather than walking or cycling. Media-hype has a paedophile on every street corner so we no longer allow kids to play outside and encourage them to stay at home playing computer games and/or watching TV. Kids are fed snacks and sugary drinks such that we are effectively fois-gras-ing our kids and in many cases ourselves too.

916lude

Simple.

How long does it take to burn 600 cals (~60min)

How long does it take to eat 600 cals (~6min)

And of course the sedentary lifestyle a lot of office workers live.

MsSharie

My main issue was eating based on my emotions and lack of activity. I am still learning to realize when I'm under stress, excited, etc and choosing to handle the situation appropriately.

Jesse_Hunter

There have been no studies that refute the long standing evidence that, barring under-nutrition, the fewer calories you eat during your lifetime the longer you will live.

I know a few studies that have been around for thousands of years.

Rural Asia. Rural India. Rural China

The only people that every got heart disease, diabetes, cancers were the kings and emperors who practiced affluence.

Really, how much proof do you need?

I have come to realize that people will say anything to attempt to justify bad eating habits, lol.

Vailara

There is no vast conspiracy in the food industry to addict (literally) us to junk to guarantee profits. That is just fantasy. Everything has "chemicals". Everything you don't pick yourself is "processed". I could eat nothing but frozen dinners the rest of my life and remain healthy and maintain my weight. There is no science that supports the notion that HFCS is any different than any other sugar.

The food industry is heavily into the organic trend now - to the tune of billions. They will, rightfully, make a profit regardless of what the eating trends are, as soon as they get ahead of the next trend. They don't need to be evil lab coat dude to make money.

I agree about the processed food. It might be a bit of a red herring. We've been processing and preserving our food since long before the "obesity epidemic".

Also, I remember us eating MORE "processed" food in the form of tinned and dried food when I was younger, because not so many people had freezers. So much food was fried, often deep fried. Remember when everybody had a deep fat fryer? From what I can see, the food we eat now is more "healthy", not less. People watch cooking programmes on TV and spend a fortune on cookery books. In the ready meals section at the supermarket, so many of the meals or of the "just cook" variety, using much the same ingredients you'd use at home.

I know that for years, while I was a healthy weight, I changed my level of activity and didn't think about what I was eating. Whether I was sedentary or active, it seemed that my calorie intake adjusted to keep my weight within a few pounds. In recent years, that system has stopped working, for some reason. It's nothing to do with me eating junk food, because if anything, I eat "healthier" food (lots more veg, for instance). The same thing has happened to many of us - we're eating healthier, and getting bigger, and somehow our appetite doesn't adjust to our activity any more.

Bobby_Clerici

Gluttony and laziness......a no brainer......:bigsmile:

Cold_Steel

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

I read them all and all I saw was

number 1.

1. Excuses....

marz42

I think it's a whole bunch of things all changing in the last 30 years, that take a concerted effort to fight against. Lots more sedentary jobs, expectation to work more and more hours at those jobs (at least that is certainly the case in I.T.), labor saving devices like tv remotes that weren't around or as common not that long ago (and tvs that weren't around at all before that), the internetsucking people in to more sitting and puttering on facebook, or playing xbox for hours when they might have done something active 30 years ago. Restaurants and fast food being FAR more available on every corner, and families where both parents work outside the home making ordering out or nuking something far more tempting after a long day.

Something I was thinking about the other day...the crazy portion sizes and added crap in restaurant foods. The other day my family was going to order from PF Chang's and I looked at the menu. The items I was looking at were mostly stir fries, none of which had batter dipped meat or super sweet sauces, so they certainly appeared to be "healthy". Then I looked up the nutrition info...omfg....according to their website many of those dishes have 2 or 3 "servings" ..some even 4. Most of those "servings" have 700-1200 calories. IE Kung Pao Chicken - 1100 calories, 66 fat grams, over 2000 sodium....and thats in ONE serving ...the order contains 3 servings. Insanity. No doubt the peanuts don't help that dish, but it's more than that.

So if you go into a place like that on autopilot with a group of friends, maybe you order that AND an springroll or soup and a drink and you've just consumed WAY more calories than you'd think for a "stir fry". It's also easy to think that what they have listed as an entree or entree combo is somehow a "normal" thing to eat for dinner...ie Fridays' deal of an appetizer, entree, and mini desert, when the entree alone might be 2500 calories. I've read about studies where if you put people in a room with a small bowl of m&ms or a really big bowl, they eat more m's if the bowl is big. Or if the soup refils itself. And the entrees at restaurants are usually very big bowls. You have to read very carefully and look up the nutrition info and then resist the urge to eat more than a third of what you get (full of fat and salt that makes you want more), or you've pretty much blown it for the day.

It's definitely not all lazy that's causing the problem.

marz42

processed foods......hands down. When I was growing up on a farm, we ate almost no processed foods and cake, pie etc was a once in a while treat. Everything was home grown and made from scratch. My parents still eat this way and still live on the farm. They are 91 and 82 and are VERY healhy, and can still run circles around me.

I should also add that it was very rare to see anyone overweight when I was growing up (I am 62). We had ONE chubby girl in our class the entire 12 years I was going to school. In my family we were all on the thin side until we grew up and settled into city life and started eating out and eating processed food.

I remember having an exchange student when our children were younger, who came here from Spain. One of his first comments was "there are so many fat people!" and he was astounded that we sat in front of the tv and ate. He had never seen that before. He said, in Spain, we either watch tv, or we eat, but never both. So we have created many bad habits in our country too. And of course I absolutely believe that our sedentary/technologic lifestyles do not help either.

I'm 44, there weren't a lot of fat kids when I was in grade school and junior high either, just a few of them, and I was one of the few.
I have to think at least part of it is some kind of genetic pre-disposition. When I was a kid we didn't own a microwave, mom home cooked nearly everything, we never went out to restaurants as a family ..ever..and maybe if we were lucky dad might get us burgers once every couple weeks, we had to ask permission to split the 8oz Pepsis, and rarely had a lot of treat foods. Ie, we had Wheaties, but dad wouldn't allow Fruit Loops. I had two brothers and a sister, one was fat, two were sliim, and looking at the pictures I started gaining weight in maybe 3rd grade, when the only control I had over what I ate was if I had a second helping. Yet I was still a chubby kid. I always did like reading and blocks more than racing around outside like the skinny brother. Though I think the processed food and eating out is a big contribute to why there are *more* fat kids and adults now.

Someone else mentioned gym class. Honestly the only thing having gym class in school did for me was making me absolutely hate exercise. Seriously. There never seemed to be much concept back then of working at your own level, competing with yourself to improve, and if you were at the bottom end of the class fitness or ability wise it was a very very humiliating experience. Not just for the fat kids..one small dainty girl in my gym class actually puked during the running (for 10 minutes straight, not allowed to stop or walk) because it was just beyond what she could comfortably do. [this would have been around '80] People made fun of her for weeks poor thing. I got it for not being able to do sit ups without the gym teachers help and not being able to catch a baseball if my life depended on it. And I wasn't a huge kid like some I see now, just a chubby one. If there is to be gym in school there needs to be a major change in mindset..toward teaching kids a joy of movement and improving their own level regardless of the others. It took almost 30 years to convince myself that moving around is actually pretty fun and exercise can feel good.

What we did do differently though was play outside. For hours. Even me the bookish one, would ride my bike all over or run around the yard playing games or climbing in trees. I hardly ever see my young relatives do that these days, they'd rather play video games.

curvygrl297

The reason is delicious food. If all food tasted kinda "icky" I would be skinny.

stephm112

For me personally. I was lazy. I could never stick to eating healthily and I didn't like exercising. My portion size was ridiculous and covered in cheese so yeah.

zaaden

Points 1 and 2 and all the others run of these. Food choice and portion control are the problems.

Pebble321

Gluttony and laziness......a no brainer......:bigsmile:

Yes, of course this is right... but why? WHY are we more lazy, WHY are we more gluttonous, WHY do we all make excuses?

Have humans fundamentally changed in two or three generations to become lazy slobs with no self control?

I don't know the answers, but it's a fascinating discussion!

honkytonks85

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

Flooding of market of cheap calorie dense foods
Fast food availability and peoples busy lifestyles
Portion sizes have gone up both at restaurants and at home
More sedentary lifestyles - desk jobs and the like
The diet industry I feel is actually making people more obese through promotion of crash dieting, teaching people to eliminate entire food groups and so on.

I also think emotional factors such as depression and anxiety can contribute to people who have compulsive eating disorders

MonkeyBars

we've not evolved to eat grains, we're meant to eat fat for fuel!

join the revolution!!!!

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/