As a nation, we're getting steadily heavier - WHY?

AlabasterVerve

The OP asked why we were getting heavier since the 90's.

NO she did not. She just backed up her argument one piece of data from the 90's . Do you think that the reason we got fatter in the 90's and the 00' is somehow different than why we got fatter in the 80's?

Nope. I think it's always been the increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

You can't out exercise a bad diet...

Depends how you define "bad diet". You can have an unhealthy diet and still be slim. If you mean just calories, then yes, there will come a point where there are not enough hours in the day to exercise off what it's possible to eat. But when people were more active, they had less time to eat and they needed more calories.

You think the single mother working two jobs is obese because she has too much leisure time? Or doesn't get enough exercise when she's on her feet for 16 hours a day? What about the overweight and obese triathletes?

There are so many people who just don't fit into your theory, you need to account for them as well.

??? Individual outliers would not change the fact that we as a nation have gotten fatter because we have become more sedentary.

All of the active, obese people are special snowflakes but if everyone else would just do what they did they wouldn't be obese. Gotcha. lol

astrampe

As an outsider (Canadian) it seems to me to be the portion sizes and food options. When I go to the US and order a meal, I am utterly shocked at how much food is on the plate. It's also far cheaper. I suppose that makes it easier to serve and order more. And, perhaps, that's why there's a "get my money's worth" philosophy. And even at the grocery stores and corner stores, the selection is unbelievable! With that much food around all the time, it's no wonder weight is an issue.

I don't notice that much different in Canada. It is more expensive, but the portions seem to be the same. I've never eaten at a Canadian restaurant and thought, "wow, the portions are much smaller here". I always bring food home with me. I also see just as many heavy people in Canada. So, I think it's more than portion sizes and food options.

I've been living in Canada for the past 11 years - and there is not much difference in portion sizes between the USA and Canada - and bot are HUGE in comparison to portion sizes in South Africa and Europe....This site shows the portion sizes from 20 years ago and now... http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Food+Portions+Then+And+Now&FORM=IQFRDR

Silverkittycat

Yes, let's blame the food, Big Food, portions, restaurants, junk food, sugar, carbs, wheat, lack of education... and so on.
Might be dieting that causes the problem?

People people people. You are free to choose...don't place blame, stop pointing figures and looking for excuses. Who enjoys being a "victim"?

Bellefay

We recently had a program on TV in the uk showing how and why our nations are getting bigger. The men who made us fat! Anyone watched it? What an eye opener.
The primary cause is corn syrup as mentioned before. It is in everything and is very bad for us become in large quantities it switches our brain sensors off from recognising we are full or we have eaten. As its in everything it is hard to control also the body turns it to fat and keep it stored much more easily than other sugars and it therefore becomes the primary chose of the body for storage in case of crisis or starvation. The body stores it around thenorgans and you might slim but under MIR like the journalist did he was diagnosed by the doctor as a toffee. Hard on the outside And fat on the inside, you get the gist.
Secondly the program discussed the portion sizes and how in the Us and the Uk portions had been triple since the 70's to make us eat more food and therefore to buy more food. They looked at how manufacturers created food that appeal to our senses. Smell good, taste good but have no nutrient. They also looked at the number of food outlets on high streets and how with so many outlets it takes more than will power to resist buying some to snack on. The journalist also looked at how snacking which was frowned upon back in the day and how it was introduced to the mainstream with disguised advertising and how each decades competed with the last one on portion sizes and how they could get us to buy more food by using advertising incentives like by one get one free or the McD meal and supersize craze.
The program concluded with product labelling and how each country was reluctant to force companies to display cal contains of foods. And how the European parliament refused a proposition to introduce traffic light labelling. Red for high calories, green for healthy, and yellow for eat but not everyday. Each country decide to introduce their own system and I can tell you just being on holiday to Italy, France, and Spain in the last few days has been very difficult for someone like me who tries to see and control what I eat, because some label their foods on portion size and daily allowance which if you don't know what it is in the first place, can be difficult to work out. It would be so much easier if the work had been done for me.
The program ended which politicians trying to avoid the question or telling us that we are responsible for what we eat and that WE should be more careful of what we eat, what a farce.
So with that I make a conscious effort to do what they expect me to do, I stand in the supermarket scrutinizing every food labels whilst my kids runs riots and impatient. What else is there to do when the people we hope are looking out for us are digging their head in the sand. One more thing diet food, healthy option and even organic food are not necessarily good for you too! It is another gimmick to make us buy more food and this time in a new disguise!! Some of them are and can be more lethal than your regular foods. BEWARE!!!!
I hope this will motivate you in your journey and quest for healthing living.
That program has changed my life.

AlabasterVerve

Yes, let's blame the food, Big Food, portions, restaurants, junk food, sugar, carbs, wheat, lack of education... and so on.
Might be dieting that causes the problem?

People people people. You are free to choose...don't place blame, stop pointing figures and looking for excuses. Who enjoys being a "victim"?

They're not mutually exclusive. You can take charge of your weight -- that's why we're all here -- but that doesn't remove our obligation to find out what's causing the rising levels of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and all the other diet related diseases so an effective treatment can be found.

TauTheBull

Its simple really... We eat to damn much and dont move our *kitten* enough!!! One of my rants is that the human body needs X amount of rest between workout LMAO. I think this to some degree is what keeps us from moving less! Move daily, move quickly and eat way less!

vickycollo

Yes, let's blame the food, Big Food, portions, restaurants, junk food, sugar, carbs, wheat, lack of education... and so on.
Might be dieting that causes the problem?

People people people. You are free to choose...don't place blame, stop pointing figures and looking for excuses. Who enjoys being a "victim"?

They're not mutually exclusive. You can take charge of your weight -- that's why we're all here -- but that doesn't remove our obligation to find out what's causing the rising levels of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and all the other diet related diseases so an effective treatment can be found.

Victim? The food companies are so powerful, I don't think we as consumers stand a chance, regardless of how savvy, well-informed or well-educated we may be.

hag101108

Someone mentioned they thought it was more socially acceptable. I don't think that really is the case at all. I don't think it is anywhere near socially acceptable. We read these boards every day with people talking about their horror stories.

What I do think is that there are companies that have made it 'easier' to be overweight. You can now get some of the things that before only 'skinny' people could get. It benefits some for us to be overweight, even obese - so of course there are those that want to keep it there. With the ease of the internet to order these things, it doesn't really give many a benefit of becoming more health conscious.

jdploki70

Don't know if this has been said, but the increase in technology is a huge factor. When I was a kid we had to get up to change the channel. There wasn't much on TV, and Betamax and VHS had limited options, so we spent a lot of time doing stuff, going out, playing, working on the house, etc. Now we get thousands of channels to watch, all visible with remote controls, multiple game consoles, two or three computers in the house, and the whole of the internet can be had with only moving your index finger and a bit of your arm.

The other contributing factor is that people are growing taller. It doesn't factor in as much as the increase in technology, but the average height is increasing, which, by extension, means the average weight is increasing too.

Bellefay

You are so right Vicky. The journalist told us how the food industry lobby in the US threaten to withdraw food help to poor nations if they voted on the UN resolution to withdraw corn syrup from food which reduces cost and makes them loads of profits.

This war is not able eating less and exercising to death or being more active, please be more informed.

It is about Better quality foods choices. Re educating people on portion sizes and avoiding highly processed foods.
Blaming people for being overweight now a days is plainly an ill informed and an uneducated argument.

Companies have a responsibility to feed us good food not food produced with ingredients that ultimately cause us to develop diabetes and cholesterol.

TauTheBull

Yes, let's blame the food, Big Food, portions, restaurants, junk food, sugar, carbs, wheat, lack of education... and so on.
Might be dieting that causes the problem?

People people people. You are free to choose...don't place blame, stop pointing figures and looking for excuses. Who enjoys being a "victim"?

They're not mutually exclusive. You can take charge of your weight -- that's why we're all here -- but that doesn't remove our obligation to find out what's causing the rising levels of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and all the other diet related diseases so an effective treatment can be found.

Victim? The food companies are so powerful, I don't think we as consumers stand a chance, regardless of how savvy, well-informed or well-educated we may be.

WRONG! We all do have a choice BUT environment does play a huge role in how fat we get or how lean we get! The power of influence and socialism is all around us and yes its tough to stay on course but looking around me what makes ME stay on course is to be DIFFERENT! Why follow the pigs? Excuse my language but the food companies know exatly what to sell to keep us fat and get fatter! They may say they want to help but really help themselves to fatter wallets!

We all have a choice!

TauTheBull

You are so right Vicky. The journalist told us how the food industry lobby in the US threaten to withdraw food help to poor nations if they voted on the UN resolution to withdraw corn syrup from food which reduces cost and makes them loads of profits.

This war is not able eating less and exercising to death or being more active, please be more informed.

It is about
Better quality foods choices. Re educating people on portion sizes and avoiding highly processed foods.
Blaming people for being overweight now a days is plainly an ill informed and an educated argument.

Companies have a responsibility to feed us good food not food produced with ingredients that ultimately cause us to develop diabetes and cholesterol.

I dont trust any of the big food suppliers or food chains! No matter if organic or not! They still have the same purpose.

gldnlark

I agree with most everyone... It is a lot of reasons, none good.

Processed foods with too much preservatives, hormones and other additives is a BIG factor, I think...

Increased sedentary lifestyles...

Cheap fast food...

DestinyDarbi

When I was a kid my teacher would tell me at lunch time, "You don't get any desert unless you eat ALL the food on your plate first." Sure, sounds like a good trade-off at the time, but now, as an adult, I feel like I'm "failing" if I don't lick the plate clean. :drinker:

My step-daughter won't eat vegetables unless they come out of a can. :explode:

I think I big part of the problem starts with educating our children on what's good for our bodies and what isn't and then leading by example. My son will be potty training soon and my mother-in-law said I should use M&Ms to get him to "go." Yes because he's a dog and I should reward him with food. :huh: I don't agree with that at all!! I want to teach my kids that food is FUEL.

It all starts at home.

calvert6183

This is what is wrong with the world today. No one is a victim, if anyone is a victim is, its the people who actually like to treat themselves to some fast food sometimes. Because people claim victim for so many years, fast food places have been forced to change their recipes and methods to the point where it tastes like crap. No one forces you to eat at those places. People need to take responsibility for their actions and deal with the fact that most who are overweight are just not taking actions to fix it. Technically nothing makes you overweight if done in moderation.

There are many responses with gluten, this is a fad, people with real allergies need to stay away from it like people who allergies to milk and nuts. These gluten free diets actually causes people to intake more sugar and gaining more weight just like the fat free diets back in the day. Its always good to consult a doctor before ever going on a diet like this. You dont have the allergy, trust me, if you did, you would know it.

Also its not socially accepted to be overweight, ask any overweight person, people are mean to them. Its wrong but true. Skinny people judge others who are not like them. It might be easy for them but it isnt the same for everyone. Everyone is different and burns fat and calories differently. WIth many its mental and lack of control and others its genetics but without a doubt its not the restaurants.

GnochhiGnomes

The over consumption of calories. Simple as.