What do you think of the obesity epidemic in the U.S.?

Phrakman

actually 100% of what you eat has chemicals in it.

Acg67

ITT: Conspiracy theories and excuses from overweight and formerly overweight people

no they put things in my grains to make me over eat. Being fat is not my fault.

I absolutely did not say that. It IS my fault I couldn't close my mouth and quit eating. I have dealt with MY issue. I do not eat 'fast food' and never have. I cook at home and always have. My problem was not eating 'processed convenience food' it was simply portion control.

90% of the stuff people eat that comes in a bag, box or wrapper has some kind of chemical in it . - this is not a 'conspiracy theory' it's fact. Normally those chemicals are used to improve the flavor so that people will eat more of it. It is also a fact that the driving force of a corporation is to make money - if they didn't make money they wouldn't be around very long. It is also a fact that fatter people have more health issues and require medicine or other aides to get around (wheelchairs etc) It is also a fact that these things cost money and with more fat people spending more money on things that they need because they are fat the companies are seeing huge profits - FACT: a company will NOT act in any way to reduce it's profits deliberately.

People STILL have the control, no one forces them to eat it. That was not my point at all. My point is that if a company can figure out a way to make their product virtually irresistible to someone by tweaking the ingredients, which then increases the sales of that product they WILL do it. If they can create 'food' out of the cheapest ingredients that are heavily subsidized (ie. corn and wheat) they can sell more of it for less and because people have no idea what they are eating or don't care, or think they can't afford better or never learned to cook or whatever million other reasons people have for eating junk that's better for the corporations. If people do not educate themselves and pursue a better way why would the corporations change anything..they are making millions.

The control is still with people, but my faith in humanity is on very shaky ground these days.

Chemicals like MSG? Are you able to stop eating broccoli and parmesan cheese? Or are those things so irresistible due tot heir glutamate content?

cityjaneLondon

The part of the thread that commented on French eating habits- yes, on the whole it is better, but they are catching up, especially in deprived areas. The downside of French women's preoccupation with weight is that they smoke a lot, even middle class women. They think it will keep their weight down. Sad! I notice it a lot, coming from the UK as most middle class people in the UK don't smoke these days.
I have lost 39 lbs and most of my friends/family are now bigger than me when I used to be the biggest. I try not to talk about it.
It is definitely a socioeconomic thing in the UK. In posh bits of London people are slim and fit. In some towns in depressed areas there is a lot of obesity. I was obese.
Now I'm a few pounds away from normal. People don't want to know how I did it. It sounds too simple, they would rather believe idiotic myths that have been pushed by the media. There is a lot of good stuff on TV so I hope people are beginning to take notice.
I really hope so. The Hairy Dieters did a lot of good in the UK.

lloydrt

Promote more activity at schools and at home

parents need to watch kids and what they eat when they are young, instill good eating habits........

and mostly, AVOID processed foods..............

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Wanna blow your mind? Go ahead and take a look at YouTube footage of any public event from the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and the start of the 80's (concert, political event, sporting event, etc) and take particular notice to pay attention to any audience shots.

Do you notice anything strange? I sure do - where are the fat people.

Compare those images to the audiences/crowd at any random public event that you've been to recently. Quite a difference.


Case in point:

Elvis in Vegas - 1970 / Hell, even Elvis is skinny in this footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvoVMmcR3Wg


Rufus Thomas/Funky Chicken - Wattstax concert at LA Memorial Colliseum 1973 - Audience dancing footage is epic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lCI63H1neY


Cal Jam rock concert 1975:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj9uH3iUp48



Woodstock - 1969:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8b9HEIx5J8

Deep! Ya know, I grew up in the 1960's and 1970's and I could literally count one 1 hand the number of overweight people I'd ever see--obesity and morbid obesity just didn't exist...and if it did, I certainly didn't know of it...because obesity and morbid obesity just wasn't the norm at all...I also remember how food drastically changed, in the 1980's. That's when people really started eating fast foods more often and regularly. People I knew and our family RARELY ate out except for special event or occasion. People also didn't spend money on the majority of highly processed sugar laden foods--because back then junk foods and processed foods were expensive and considered an extravagance rather than the cheap food it is now. Thanks for posting these!

verdancyhime

I think too many people are whining about how other people are fat, and not enough people are offering to do the work to change it.

We have a perfect storm in our lifestyles to make us as fat as possible.

The hormonal and psychological effects of stress, including feeling "tired" and wanting to stay inside where we feel more comfortable.

The lack of physical activity, especially the lack of public transport and the way our cities are laid out to encourage driving everywhere.

The massive increase in treating the symptoms of depression with medication instead of the root causes in society that cause so many to be depressed

The psychological effects of body shaming everywhere

The food deserts, the scarcity and costs of healthy food

Short lunch breaks and jobs that encourage people to be on call 24/7

And of course the way grocery stores and the food industry is allowed to hijack our brains indiscriminately with store layout and advertising to make sure we have less conscious control over our food decisions and what goes into our kid's mouths.

With children, a lot of it comes down to both parents working so often or one parent working so hard that they don't feel up to cooking nutritious meals at the end of the day.

This is the first time in the history of humanity where we've had to worry about getting too MUCH food instead of not getting enough. We are not biologically programmed for that. Instead of shaming fat people, or even "educating" people we think don't know any better, we need to be seriously looking at why the lifestyle we are designing our society around is massively unhealthy, even for skinny people, and changing it for the better.

Gidzmo

What do you think of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. ?

What do you think when you see soooooo many obese, morbidly obese and overweight people(men, women, children, teens and even babies) far out numbering the so-called normal weight (I like to call slim and trim---NOT skinny...I did see a couple/few skinny people (mostly girls) but hardly any skinny/underweight people at ALL). What do you think of this--or do you think about it at all?

What do you think will happen to us as a society--because this isn't news, but obesity seems to be spreading outta control--it looked terrible and sad and scary and I'm super concerned--are you?

I think that there IS a problem. However, I disagree with how some would like to solve it.

I don't think you can legislate what people can have (as Bloomberg in NYC and others have been trying). I think more could be done through education instead of legislating. My ideas:

1) Children learn behaviors from the parents/adults around them. Thus, education should be geared towards BOTH the parents and the children.

2) EBT can be used in the fast-food places and convenience stores. This needs to end. The rule, as I remember it, was that EBT was to be used for nutritious food (fruits, veggies, etc)--not candy, sodas, etc. Those are treats.

3) School lunches should, when possible, include the whole grains, fruits, and veggies. There are whole-grain pastas.

4) How about community/school gardens? Exercise, fresh air, and eating what you grow--not to mention learning about plants.

verdancyhime

2) EBT can be used in the fast-food places and convenience stores. This needs to end. The rule, as I remember it, was that EBT was to be used for nutritious food (fruits, veggies, etc)--not candy, sodas, etc. Those are treats.

I'm on food stamps and the problem with this is complex.

First of all, you're basically saying "It's not okay to legislate what people buy- Unless those people are POOR, because they don't know any better!"
Second, you can not use food stamps to purchase any premade foods legally. Someone might be abusing this system, but you are not supposed to be able to buy mcdonald's or something.

Poor people know just as much as any other average people know about food choices. They also know that they need to be able to eat every day until the end of the month, and sometimes that includes buying less expensive foods. Grocery stores that sell healthier foods are often not located in poor neighborhoods, and poor people have less transport access. Many poor people have less ability to store or cook healthy foods. Many of us also work long or unstable hours and go without a lot of sleep, and therefore at the end of the day we have less time and energy to prepare foods. Not to mention the hormonal effects of stress as mentioned earlier ITT. Plus... there are special occasions to keep in mind. For a lot of poor people, food stamps are their only source of food money. You have no idea what those people eat on a regular basis. You don't know when they are eating "treats." You don't know that they are buying cake because it's their son's birthday or if they are buying a big bag of chocolate to eat one piece every friday evening for 6 months. I'm sure I could find some "unhealthy" things in your shopping cart, too.

SanteMulberry

I think too many people are whining about how other people are fat, and not enough people are offering to do the work to change it.

We have a perfect storm in our lifestyles to make us as fat as possible.

The hormonal and psychological effects of stress, including feeling "tired" and wanting to stay inside where we feel more comfortable.

The lack of physical activity, especially the lack of public transport and the way our cities are laid out to encourage driving everywhere.

The massive increase in treating the symptoms of depression with medication instead of the root causes in society that cause so many to be depressed

The psychological effects of body shaming everywhere

The food deserts, the scarcity and costs of healthy food

Short lunch breaks and jobs that encourage people to be on call 24/7

And of course the way grocery stores and the food industry is allowed to hijack our brains indiscriminately with store layout and advertising to make sure we have less conscious control over our food decisions and what goes into our kid's mouths.

With children, a lot of it comes down to both parents working so often or one parent working so hard that they don't feel up to cooking nutritious meals at the end of the day.

This is the first time in the history of humanity where we've had to worry about getting too MUCH food instead of not getting enough. We are not biologically programmed for that. Instead of shaming fat people, or even "educating" people we think don't know any better, we need to be seriously looking at why the lifestyle we are designing our society around is massively unhealthy, even for skinny people, and changing it for the better.

^^^THIS^^^ Yes, I believe that the causes are many but the cure is actually rather simple. Avoid empty calories, move a bit more, lift a bit of weight and generally pursue a more healthy lifestyle. I would personally add, stay away from modern medicine and the "pill for every ill" mentality. Preventing illness through healthier habits is ALWAYS a better idea than treating it with medication once it appears.

lloydrt

The schools could start programs dedicated to nutrition and health, as well as have PE...............

the parents then could work with the kids as well and do it as a family

NewLIFEstyle4ME

The USA is ranked #1 and eating itself into economic abyss.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

This is a deep chart and a terrific website. Thanks for posting it!

magerum

Take personal responsibility. If you're a parent, then take responsibility for your kids too. Stop expecting someone else to help or looking for someone else to blame. Personal accountability.

Timshel_

Marketing and society have embraced self-indulgence and self-centeredness for the last few decades and it has manifested itself in degraded self-sontrol and moderation. People don't think to deny themselves anything, and then they will blame all their issues on everyone and everything else.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Take personal responsibility. If you're a parent, then take responsibility for your kids too. Stop expecting someone else to help or looking for someone else to blame. Personal accountability.

Hmmmph, like my daddy used to say..."that's too much like RIGHT!"

highervibes

People want fast, cheap, and easy. I used to do daycare for a fat kid that would regularly turn down omelettes and English muffin quarters and strawberries for breakfast in favour of eating "bear paws" before she came. My kid would prefer to eat crap food over healthy food if we had it available, but since we're the - you know - PARENTS, we decide what to bring into the house and what to cook for dinner. My kids have gone without dinner/lunch/breakfast MANY times. If you give them what they want to eat (which is usually the tasty but crappy option) do you think they'll EVER choose the healthy option? Better they miss one or two meals and then eat the nutritious food when they're hungry vs. filling their bellies with crap and starving for nutrients for not just one or two meals, but for MOST of them. No brainer at our house. Not hungry for "that"? Don't eat.

abbyrae1

people are lazy. they pick convenience foods over healthy, the fall victim to advertising (when was the last time you saw a commercial for grapes or green beans), and they don't want to put in the work. People don't want to change their habits in order to become healthy. they would prefer a quick fix pill or surgery if they think it would work instead.

and the worse part is, obesity costs US taxpayers an obscene amount of money every year! I hate to say it, but it is only going to get worse because people who are overweight tend to teach their bad habits to their kids too, and its unfortunate but I think its just going to continue.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

People want fast, cheap, and easy. I used to do daycare for a fat kid that would regularly turn down omelettes and English muffin quarters and strawberries for breakfast in favour of eating "bear paws" before she came. My kid would prefer to eat crap food over healthy food if we had it available, but since we're the - you know - PARENTS, we decide what to bring into the house and what to cook for dinner. My kids have gone without dinner/lunch/breakfast MANY times. If you give them what they want to eat (which is usually the tasty but crappy option) do you think they'll EVER choose the healthy option? Better they miss one or two meals and then eat the nutritious food when they're hungry vs. filling their bellies with crap and starving for nutrients for not just one or two meals, but for MOST of them. No brainer at our house. Not hungry for "that"? Don't eat.

{{{{ :drinker: }}}} You're what I call an "old school mom"...that's the way I was raised and most of the people I knew were raise (hence a slimmer and trimmer generation). BUT, that said..today, we live in a "child-centered" society, rather than an adult/parent centered nation. Children rule the roost today and "old-school" thinking and raising and dare I say "training" of your children are considered Draconian at best and abusive at worse

Also, I find that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"...meaning children follow what they see and hear and eat and drink and live at home. Many parents today are living and eating like "spoiled children" themselves (you know...I want what I want and I don't care how it makes me look and feel...I WANT IT and I WANT IT NOW way of thinking and living. Today, words like "restriction, diet, self-denial and self-control" are considered to be the ultimate in backwardness and to be ignored and forsaken at all cost. We live in a world where the idea of "less is more" is almost criminal and certainly considered foolish and wrongheaded--that's what I see anyway.

egresik

I guess I don't like the term epidemic. In my mind, an epidemic is a communicable disease. I don't believe being overweigh is communicable nor do I believe it is a disease. (That is not to say there are not real diseases that cause weight gain.) It is sad to see overweight children. The adults I don't feel sad for because they chose that. As far as the economic/weight association I see often, I understand that it is more expensive to buy organic produce, but healthy foods (carrots, dried beans, apples, leaf lettuce not bagged,etc.) are cheaper than fast food. It takes more time, but that is a choice people have to make. Parents need to step up and decide what their children will or will not eat and not cave in when junior throws a fit. People need to step up and decide what they will eat and not cave in when they "don't feel like it." You have control over you. I have control over me. This isn't a country problem. This is a personal accountability and character problem. I am sure this sounds horribly caustic and mean, and I don't intend it as such. However, I think if each person takes personal responsibility instead of listing all the reasons it is difficult then we will see a change.

I agree:)

sharon_moyer

I believe that the obesity epidemic is out of control especially amongst the teens and kids of today. We need to get back to being a healthy nation and caring about ourselves and our kids.

PeachyKeene

I blame McDonald's, plus the parents of the children. McDonald's can be very addicting.