As a nation, we're getting steadily heavier - WHY?
Replies
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The problem is overconsumption of calories.0
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The problem is overconsumption of calories.
WRONG! It's Totinos Pizza Rolls. God, you never listen to me, SS!
:sad: :sad: :sad:0 -
The problem is overconsumption of calories.
WRONG! It's Totinos Pizza Rolls. God, you never listen to me, SS!
:sad: :sad: :sad:
You are correct. And if those were wheat-pizza rolls we'd all be dead.0 -
Why?
The Food Pyramid and fat phobia.
Hmm, pretty sure those were around long before the 90's.
Pretty sure the US was getting fat before the 90's
The OP asked why we were getting heavier since the 90's.0 -
Lack of raspberry ketones in our diet0
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I have not read all these posts- too busy, so if this is a quote or paraphrase of someone else, that's ok.
Sidesteal said over-consumption of calories. True. But why?
Until the late 1800s the world was an agrarian society. Not only that, but an agrarian society that used man and animal power to get tasks done around the farm.
When the industrial age began, and the automobiles and tractors got rid of the horse and ox as beasts of labor, we no longer had to walk everywhere, and we no longer had to manually saddle up the horse or yoke up the oxen. As technology improved, our playtime outside (running, jumping, climbing, and skipping) was replaced with playtime inside (sitting, sitting, sitting and sitting). As we moved from an agrarian society to a manufacturing society, at the beginning, it was not so bad- there was much manual labor to be had to burn off calories. Now, with a more service oriented economy, with desk jobs, standing in one spot without aerobic exercise, fewer calories were/are being consumed.
We require fewer calories to live, but we consume way to many calories to be healthy. Also, with the mass-production of ready-made foods with salt and fat added for flavor, and the convenience of fast food, we are exploding out of our pants, skirts, shirts and blouses, our weight and waistlines ever ballooning upward until we have now become a nation of fat folks.
And I am changing my life here with MFP and Weight Watchers. Having lost 22.4 pounds so far, I have 127.6 more pounds to lose. I refuse to be a part of the problem. Cut the calories, increase the aerobic exercise and strength training. Problem solved.0 -
There's research being done right now that shows one of the biggest indicators of childhood obesity is the diet of the mother while she was pregnant. It seems that it can "turn on" the fat gene (or some such) and even though these children are born a normal weight they just get fatter in an environment with abundant food.
Not that I expect anyone to care. It's much more satisfying to believe there's no biological and environment reasons for the obesity epidemic and that it's "their own fault" for being bad, lazy people instead of something driving people to overeat. Everyone seems to absolutely revel in this idea that being fat is a well deserved punishment for a lack of character and thinness is a reward for a good, virtuous character. Truly bizarre.
"They get fatter in an environment with abundant food". That would suggest they would not get fat if they did not overeat.0 -
Sidesteal said over-consumption of calories. True. But why?
That's an important question.Until the late 1800s the world was an agrarian society. Not only that, but an agrarian society that used man and animal power to get tasks done around the farm.
When the industrial age began, and the automobiles and tractors got rid of the horse and ox as beasts of labor, we no longer had to walk everywhere, and we no longer had to manually saddle up the horse or yoke up the oxen. As technology improved, our playtime outside (running, jumping, climbing, and skipping) was replaced with playtime inside (sitting, sitting, sitting and sitting). As we moved from an agrarian society to a manufacturing society, at the beginning, it was not so bad- there was much manual labor to be had to burn off calories. Now, with a more service oriented economy, with desk jobs, standing in one spot without aerobic exercise, fewer calories were/are being consumed.
We require fewer calories to live, but we consume way to many calories to be healthy. Also, with the mass-production of ready-made foods with salt and fat added for flavor, and the convenience of fast food, we are exploding out of our pants, skirts, shirts and blouses, our weight and waistlines ever ballooning upward until we have now become a nation of fat folks.
And while I can't comment on our history, the above seems like a very reasonable assessment.
Bottom line is, we aren't as active and we eat too much. And the rather ridiculous availability of calorie dense food is not helping.0 -
The problem is overconsumption of calories.
WRONG! It's Totinos Pizza Rolls. God, you never listen to me, SS!
:sad: :sad: :sad:
You are correct. And if those were wheat-pizza rolls we'd all be dead.
I'm sure i read somewhere that wheat is BAD for you.0 -
Sidesteal said over-consumption of calories. True. But why?
That's an important question.Until the late 1800s the world was an agrarian society. Not only that, but an agrarian society that used man and animal power to get tasks done around the farm.
When the industrial age began, and the automobiles and tractors got rid of the horse and ox as beasts of labor, we no longer had to walk everywhere, and we no longer had to manually saddle up the horse or yoke up the oxen. As technology improved, our playtime outside (running, jumping, climbing, and skipping) was replaced with playtime inside (sitting, sitting, sitting and sitting). As we moved from an agrarian society to a manufacturing society, at the beginning, it was not so bad- there was much manual labor to be had to burn off calories. Now, with a more service oriented economy, with desk jobs, standing in one spot without aerobic exercise, fewer calories were/are being consumed.
We require fewer calories to live, but we consume way to many calories to be healthy. Also, with the mass-production of ready-made foods with salt and fat added for flavor, and the convenience of fast food, we are exploding out of our pants, skirts, shirts and blouses, our weight and waistlines ever ballooning upward until we have now become a nation of fat folks.
And while I can't comment on our history, the above seems like a very reasonable assessment.
Bottom line is, we aren't as active and we eat too much. And the rather ridiculous availability of calorie dense food is not helping.
Amen to what you said.0 -
White bread...
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Of course?There's research being done right now that shows one of the biggest indicators of childhood obesity is the diet of the mother while she was pregnant. It seems that it can "turn on" the fat gene (or some such) and even though these children are born a normal weight they just get fatter in an environment with abundant food.
Not that I expect anyone to care. It's much more satisfying to believe there's no biological and environment reasons for the obesity epidemic and that it's "their own fault" for being bad, lazy people instead of something driving people to overeat. Everyone seems to absolutely revel in this idea that being fat is a well deserved punishment for a lack of character and thinness is a reward for a good, virtuous character. Truly bizarre.
"They get fatter in an environment with abundant food". That would suggest they would not get fat if they did not overeat.0 -
White bread...
The whiter your bread, the sooner you're dead.0 -
White bread...
The whiter your bread, the sooner you're dead.
Def maybe0 -
White bread...
OMG! You're a genius! I knew it had to be white bread, I just knew it! Now, I need to throw away my sandwich... Does a hamburger bun count as white bread? Maybe I can replace my sandwich with McDonalds.0 -
Of course?There's research being done right now that shows one of the biggest indicators of childhood obesity is the diet of the mother while she was pregnant. It seems that it can "turn on" the fat gene (or some such) and even though these children are born a normal weight they just get fatter in an environment with abundant food.
Not that I expect anyone to care. It's much more satisfying to believe there's no biological and environment reasons for the obesity epidemic and that it's "their own fault" for being bad, lazy people instead of something driving people to overeat. Everyone seems to absolutely revel in this idea that being fat is a well deserved punishment for a lack of character and thinness is a reward for a good, virtuous character. Truly bizarre.
"They get fatter in an environment with abundant food". That would suggest they would not get fat if they did not overeat.
So ... how would that not be their fault (or in the case of children, their parents fault)? The environment is not making anyone overeat. People choose to overeat.0 -
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.0
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Of course?There's research being done right now that shows one of the biggest indicators of childhood obesity is the diet of the mother while she was pregnant. It seems that it can "turn on" the fat gene (or some such) and even though these children are born a normal weight they just get fatter in an environment with abundant food.
Not that I expect anyone to care. It's much more satisfying to believe there's no biological and environment reasons for the obesity epidemic and that it's "their own fault" for being bad, lazy people instead of something driving people to overeat. Everyone seems to absolutely revel in this idea that being fat is a well deserved punishment for a lack of character and thinness is a reward for a good, virtuous character. Truly bizarre.
"They get fatter in an environment with abundant food". That would suggest they would not get fat if they did not overeat.
I am fat. F-A-T. As in I still have 128 pounds to lose FAT. It's not a bad word. Why? Because I was lazy. L-A-Z-Y. Because I made bad choices and ate too much. It might not be politically correct to say it, but the truth is the vast majority of people would lose weight without surgery, pills, etc. if they would just get off their well-cushioned butts and exercise and eat less, and ate better. IT TAKES WORK. People ARE lazy, and it takes WORK to lose it. Sadly enough, people want surgery or a pill to lose the weight for them, so they turn to that, without ever getting the problem fixed in their heads first.
Edit: Also, I seriously considered surgery too, so I speak from experience in this matter.0 -
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.0 -
If we didnt as a nation have to work so dang much there would be more time to be active, and be able to cook healthy meals at home... look at europe they don't work so much.. and you don't see anywhere near as much obesity and stress over there!0
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White bread...
OMG! You're a genius! I knew it had to be white bread, I just knew it! Now, I need to throw away my sandwich... Does a hamburger bun count as white bread? Maybe I can replace my sandwich with McDonalds.
If you toast your bread, your body won't recognize it as white bread and you're in the clear0 -
If we didnt as a nation have to work so dang much there would be more time to be active, and be able to cook healthy meals at home... look at europe they don't work so much.. and you don't see anywhere near as much obesity and stress over there!
I used to use work as an excuse. Now I make time to walk and run. I look for opportunities to turn "no burn" into "some burn".0 -
White bread...
OMG! You're a genius! I knew it had to be white bread, I just knew it! Now, I need to throw away my sandwich... Does a hamburger bun count as white bread? Maybe I can replace my sandwich with McDonalds.
If you toast your bread, your body won't recognize it as white bread and you're in the clear
Oh, thank God there is a toaster in the office! You saved my day!0 -
There's a war going on in America, in the world, and many of us didn't even know about it. Each restaurant in the 90s waged a war with each other for the consumers' dollars. Many of us didn't realize this war was taking place; and the people that understood what was happening, didn't have the power to stop it. Each restaurant tried to give the average person more food for their dollars, including all-you-can-eat buffets for only a few bucks. The lunch time crowds that ravished the buffets took that style of eating to their kitchens. They traded in the small plates for the plus-sized platters, and still maintained this attitude: you gotta clean that plate. We took two for the price of one to the house, and never looked back.0
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100% lack of willpower0
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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?The OP asked why we were getting heavier since the 90's.0 -
I think part of the problem is that fat people have such low self esteem they can't even consider that there are underlying causes for overeating. We're so consumed by our own problems we can't step back and see the bigger perspective. You're so wrapped up in blaming yourself for eating the bags and bags of chips and sodas when you KNEW you shouldn't and yet you did anyway. You KNOW you're to blame -- I get it.
Of course?There's research being done right now that shows one of the biggest indicators of childhood obesity is the diet of the mother while she was pregnant. It seems that it can "turn on" the fat gene (or some such) and even though these children are born a normal weight they just get fatter in an environment with abundant food.
Not that I expect anyone to care. It's much more satisfying to believe there's no biological and environment reasons for the obesity epidemic and that it's "their own fault" for being bad, lazy people instead of something driving people to overeat. Everyone seems to absolutely revel in this idea that being fat is a well deserved punishment for a lack of character and thinness is a reward for a good, virtuous character. Truly bizarre.
"They get fatter in an environment with abundant food". That would suggest they would not get fat if they did not overeat.
I am fat. F-A-T. As in I still have 128 pounds to lose FAT. It's not a bad word. Why? Because I was lazy. L-A-Z-Y. Because I made bad choices and ate too much. It might not be politically correct to say it, but the truth is the vast majority of people would lose weight without surgery, pills, etc. if they would just get off their well-cushioned butts and exercise and eat less, and ate better. IT TAKES WORK. People ARE lazy, and it takes WORK to lose it. Sadly enough, people want surgery or a pill to lose the weight for them, so they turn to that, without ever getting the problem fixed in their heads first.
Edit: Also, I seriously considered surgery too, so I speak from experience in this matter.
It also doesn't help that "eat less, exercise more" makes perfect sense so why look for another cause? Regardless of popular opinion, I'm just glad that the research is finally moving in another direction other than calories in, calories out.0 -
White bread...
OMG! You're a genius! I knew it had to be white bread, I just knew it! Now, I need to throw away my sandwich... Does a hamburger bun count as white bread? Maybe I can replace my sandwich with McDonalds.
If you toast your bread, your body won't recognize it as white bread and you're in the clear
Oh, thank God there is a toaster in the office! You saved my day!
Many people think the body is color blind, but in fact it can tell the color of the food you're eating, hence why the eliminate everything white diet works cause your body knows white = bad and stores it as fat0 -
I think part of the problem is that fat people have such low self esteem they can't even consider that there are underlying causes for overeating. We're so consumed by our own problems we can't step back and see the bigger perspective. You're so wrapped up in blaming yourself for eating the bags and bags of chips and sodas when you KNEW you shouldn't and yet you did anyway. You KNOW you're to blame -- I get it.
It also doesn't help that "eat less, exercise more" makes perfect sense so why look for another cause? Regardless of popular opinion, I'm just glad that the research is finally moving in another direction other than calories in, calories out.
Don't misunderstand me- there are some conditions that cause obesity. But it is a very, very small number. And research has shown the HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) increases weight disproportionately in animal studies. I am aware of this. But it makes no sense that humans maintained a decent weight for thousands of years and now all at once we are fat, thus something else is to blame. Again, the cause of vast majority of the problem is indeed to many calories in, not nearly enough exercise.
Oh, and I read a study somewhere that obesity is not nearly as a big a problem (no pun intended) in countries that do not have a high level of machination.0 -
White bread...
OMG! You're a genius! I knew it had to be white bread, I just knew it! Now, I need to throw away my sandwich... Does a hamburger bun count as white bread? Maybe I can replace my sandwich with McDonalds.
If you toast your bread, your body won't recognize it as white bread and you're in the clear
Oh, thank God there is a toaster in the office! You saved my day!
Many people think the body is color blind, but in fact it can tell the color of the food you're eating, hence why the eliminate everything white diet works cause your body knows white = bad and stores it as fat
This is known as the NAACP approach.0
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