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

zillah73

I watched that on HBO – it really was very informative and compelling. I highly recommend it as well.

I wept often while watching that doc.

As did I. It also really inspires me to finish my own journey then find a way to pay it forward – becoming a trainer, nutritionist, we'll see. I just had so much support at the times I really didn't feel like it was possible. Maybe that's how it changes – maybe we all become more compassionate and help each other rather than putting each other down and shaming each other.

ApexLeader

i think it has a lot to do with stress and misinformation and general ignorance of the public.

olDave

I'm not concerned about other people being overweight simply because it's none of my business.

nokanjaijo

As did I. It also really inspires me to finish my own journey then find a way to pay it forward – becoming a trainer, nutritionist, we'll see. I just had so much support at the times I really didn't feel like it was possible. Maybe that's how it changes – maybe we all become more compassionate and help each other rather than putting each other down and shaming each other.

Well put.

the_texreb

Hey Animal Mother, What do you think of the obesity epidemic in the U.S.?

What do I think of the obesity epidemic in the U.S.? I think we should win.

OddChoices

I'm not concerned about other people being overweight simply because it's none of my business.

It is when your insurance premium will go up to support a generally obese population of often sick people. A healthy society is good for all.

olDave

I'm not concerned about other people being overweight simply because it's none of my business.

It is when your insurance premium will go up to support a generally obese population of often sick people. A healthy society is good for all.

Nope...still none of my business if others are overweight.

nokanjaijo

Hey Animal Mother, What do you think of the obesity epidemic in the U.S.?

What do I think of the obesity epidemic in the U.S.? I think we should win.

You shoot obese people? How can you shoot obese people?

Easy, you just don't lead quite so much.


I feel like you forced me to make that joke and now I'm going to hell and it is your fault.

majones_orl

You are so correct, it is cheaper to eat unhealthy.
In FL we have lots of poor and homeless people. I did a tour of one of the pantry places for the homesless and disadvantages. I want to believes parents want to feel there kids healty. But when you can get the starch food, you can stretch your dollar further. The pantry was remodeling to have more fresh veggies an fruits and making contact with local farmer to supply the fresh food.

It is a start, but we have been a society of convenience for a while and it is going to take a lot to reverse that trend. I am guilty of stopping to pick up dinner on my way home, and it's cheap. I am sure working mom's and dad's have had a long day an want convenince also.

DawnieB1977

I'm English, and while we have an increasing obesity problem, it's nowhere near as bad as in the US. I've only been to the States once, and that was in 2003. We went to San Francisco, LA and Las Vegas. I don't recall that many obese people except in Vegas, and I assume most were tourists anyway. What I do recall is the huge portion sizes, stupidly big portions that I couldn't finish. I also noticed that people drive everywhere. In England we walk. I rarely use my car. My kids walk loads or use their scooters.

I lived in France for a year as part of my degree and as a rule they are slimmer there than in the UK. I think they have a healthier attitude towards food and meals tend to be a family occasion and enjoyed and eaten slowly.

What makes me sad about the OP is the mention of the obese babies and children. They don't have a choice. I have 2 young children and I am proud to say they have never been to McDonald's or KFC or anywhere like that. I went to Costa (like Starbucks) with my 3 year old yesterday and he chose a fruit smoothie. Both kids eat what I make for dinner and don't eat processed crap. I can take them to the supermarket and not have them ask for chocolate and sweets, and if they do and I say no, I don't get a tantrum. It breaks my heart to think kids the same age could be obese.

olDave

You are so correct, it is cheaper to eat unhealthy.
In FL we have lots of poor and homeless people. I did a tour of one of the pantry places for the homesless and disadvantages. I want to believes parents want to feel there kids healty. But when you can get the starch food, you can stretch your dollar further. The pantry was remodeling to have more fresh veggies an fruits and making contact with local farmer to supply the fresh food.

It is a start, but we have been a society of convenience for a while and it is going to take a lot to reverse that trend. I am guilty of stopping to pick up dinner on my way home, and it's cheap. I am sure working mom's and dad's have had a long day an want convenince also.

If you weigh foods you will see that...pound for pound...fresh fruit and veggies are cheaper than processed food. For instance...compare a potato to a bag of chips. Food for thought.

DawnieB1977

You are so correct, it is cheaper to eat unhealthy.
In FL we have lots of poor and homeless people. I did a tour of one of the pantry places for the homesless and disadvantages. I want to believes parents want to feel there kids healty. But when you can get the starch food, you can stretch your dollar further. The pantry was remodeling to have more fresh veggies an fruits and making contact with local farmer to supply the fresh food.

It is a start, but we have been a society of convenience for a while and it is going to take a lot to reverse that trend. I am guilty of stopping to pick up dinner on my way home, and it's cheap. I am sure working mom's and dad's have had a long day an want convenince also.

I think for a family eating healthier is cheaper. Not that I have ever eaten unhealthily, but I imagine the cost of microwave meals and oven pizzas and rubbish is a lot more than loads of veg and a bit of meat. Maybe if it's just one person then the junk is cheaper?

If you weigh foods you will see that...pound for pound...fresh fruit and veggies are cheaper than processed food. For instance...compare a potato to a bag of chips. Food for thought.

DawnieB1977

My reply ended up in the middle of that quote!

devilwhiterose

You are so correct, it is cheaper to eat unhealthy.
In FL we have lots of poor and homeless people. I did a tour of one of the pantry places for the homesless and disadvantages. I want to believes parents want to feel there kids healty. But when you can get the starch food, you can stretch your dollar further. The pantry was remodeling to have more fresh veggies an fruits and making contact with local farmer to supply the fresh food.

It is a start, but we have been a society of convenience for a while and it is going to take a lot to reverse that trend. I am guilty of stopping to pick up dinner on my way home, and it's cheap. I am sure working mom's and dad's have had a long day an want convenince also.

It all comes back down to education. My husband and I work full-time and we get 2 hours a night with our kids before bedtime. I throw some seasoned chicken breast on the grill (george foreman knockoff), toss a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave... Bam. Dinner. I also make meals on Sundays to freeze for later in the week (chili, soup, etc.) And when summer hits, I garden alot so our bill shrinks even more. We have some time, we'd just rather be playing on our phones or watching MTV reality shows.

c_faulkenburg

I agree with the poster who said it's all about food prep. Kids and families will eat better if they have the ingredients ready in the house.

Francl27

It's easy really...

1) less walking overall because cities are designed so differently than Europe (where towns have a city center with small shops you can easily walk to instead of big cities spread out over miles) and public transportation here sucks.
2) huge portion sizes and very limited healthy choices in restaurants (even salads come with 200 calories / 20g of fat dressing)
3) horrible food choices and less recess time in schools --> more overweight kids (you can't totally blame the parents on that one IMO)
4) Europeans (at least French people) buy a lot of groceries from farmer markets, which are in pretty much every town twice a week. And there are much more individual/private shops that use natural ingredients instead of chains that use GMOs.

I moved from Paris to the US and gained 40 lbs in 12 years (for a while I could eat whatever I wanted and was stuck at 200 lbs, then it started creeping up on me).

rosatter

I work third shift at a 24 hour major retail center and I have noticed that even though very few customers actually come in during my shift, many of the ones who DO come in are so obese that they require those motorized shopping carts to get their groceries. Two in particular (a father/son pair) have regularly asked me to help them reach things for them on the top three shelves because it was so difficult for them to stand and reach upward, even for a few moments. They once admitted to me (with a shame I know all too well) that they choose to shop at 3am because there are fewer people there to stare, point, and make hateful comments. It is not my place to pass judgement, but the food choices I've seen them make are absolutely awful. Sugary cereals, jumbo bags of candies, and never a veggie or fruit in their baskets. It's a terrifying health epidemic. I, myself, am morbidly obese, but seeing these people who have gotten so out of hand that they can't even walk anymore? That scares me. I never want to be like that, so I'm doing my best to reverse the damages I've already done.

There's also another side to the 3AM shopper story, though. I'm a fan of shopping late at night for a similar reason: Less people to judge. The big difference is, I buy lots of fresh produce, lean meats, dairy staples (butter, milk, cheese), and the occasional frozen pizza for nights I don't feel like cooking. People still give my romaine hearts and bell peppers scathing looks and would smirk stupidly after giving me the up down. Yes, I know I'm fat. I'm beyond fat, at 245 lbs. I AM the obesity epidemic in America! But making fun of me for TRYING to make better choices, while their (skinny OR fat) *kitten* is loading up on pizza rolls and little debbie cakes is more than I can handle.




As to OP's question: I think that the obesity epidemic is a combination of willfull ignorance and laziness and the idea that food feels good. I didn't get to be 268 lbs because I didn't know any better. I got that way because I like to eat. Cheeseburgers taste good. Being lazy FEELS good. Eating a cheeseburger while being lazy is the best!

We can make excuses all day long, blame it on our fear culture (KIDS DON'T PLAY ANYMORE BECAUSE STRANGER DANGER) or our capitalist culture (BUT I HAVE TO BUY THIS PIZZA IF THEY KEEP ADVERTISING IT) but when it comes right down to it, it's the culture of stupidity and pleasure that we've fostered that's led us to what we are now.

"Ohh, but healthy food is less easily accessible and is more expensive". False. I spend about $20 less than what I used to a week at the grocery store. It's really simple to read labels. It's even simpler to get things without labels (produce, meat). If it's in a box, you probably shouldn't buy it.

"Fast food is so much more convenient and cheap!" Really? Because I have to get in my car, waste gas to get a $2 cheeseburger, which I also have to wait for. I could have spent that 20 minutes baking salmon and steaming vegetables. It's THAT FAST. And better for you.

"But I don't like broccoli/asparagus/green beans/potatoes/cauliflower" Well, I hope you like heart attacks.

In the end, the power to lose weight is within ourselves. The power to not get fat in the first place was also there. We ignored it because deep-fried cheese dipped in ranch tasted better.

khall86790

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 come from England, currently live in France but I have been to the states and have a lot of american friends who I discuss this with. Their opinion is that fast food is so accessible in the states that it becomes an option, apparently it's also cheaper than it is over here.
Something else I have been told is that in countries like France, they have a skinny mentality when it comes to the women and a lot of clothes don't come in very large sizes so it makes the women here a lot more conscious. Whereas the states have "made it ok to be fat". Again, this is all opinions of my friends.

I do feel like the US has a big problem with obesity and needs to do something about it, however England is going much the same way now and it's all down to fast food in my opinion. Also, everything is available at the click of a finger and nobody has to go out and do anything anymore if they don't want to.

bgelliott

If you weigh foods you will see that...pound for pound...fresh fruit and veggies are cheaper than processed food. For instance...compare a potato to a bag of chips. Food for thought.

^^^^ THIS!!!!

I've read almost the entire 7 pages of responses and it really blew me away to see how many people say it's cheaper to eat unhealthy. I used to be overweight and let me just say that I know first hand that I save a boatload of money now that I eat healthy. I've compared my grocery bills filled with the easy to make boxed foods vs. the meats, veggies, fruits etc that I buy now and my grocery bills are about 1/2 of what they used to be. Not to mention, I used to eat out for lunch a lot and would average about $5-7 per lunch and now that I make all my lunches at home and bring them to work, it costs me about $1.00 per day.

Ed98043

As to OP's question: I think that the obesity epidemic is a combination of willfull ignorance and laziness and the idea that food feels good. I didn't get to be 268 lbs because I didn't know any better. I got that way because I like to eat. Cheeseburgers taste good. Being lazy FEELS good. Eating a cheeseburger while being lazy is the best!

We can make excuses all day long, blame it on our fear culture (KIDS DON'T PLAY ANYMORE BECAUSE STRANGER DANGER) or our capitalist culture (BUT I HAVE TO BUY THIS PIZZA IF THEY KEEP ADVERTISING IT) but when it comes right down to it, it's the culture of stupidity and pleasure that we've fostered that's led us to what we are now.

"Ohh, but healthy food is less easily accessible and is more expensive". False. I spend about $20 less than what I used to a week at the grocery store. It's really simple to read labels. It's even simpler to get things without labels (produce, meat). If it's in a box, you probably shouldn't buy it.

"Fast food is so much more convenient and cheap!" Really? Because I have to get in my car, waste gas to get a $2 cheeseburger, which I also have to wait for. I could have spent that 20 minutes baking salmon and steaming vegetables. It's THAT FAST. And better for you.

"But I don't like broccoli/asparagus/green beans/potatoes/cauliflower" Well, I hope you like heart attacks.

In the end, the power to lose weight is within ourselves. The power to not get fat in the first place was also there. We ignored it because deep-fried cheese dipped in ranch tasted better.

*slow clap*

I didn't get fat because I couldn't afford the right food, or because "bad food" is more accessible, or because I didn't know any better. I got fat because I ate too much of the wrong things, and even too much of the right things. Fattening food tastes good. It releases more endorphins in my brain. A full belly feels good. Carbs are yummy. Self-discipline is hard. I got fat because I was self-indulgent and chose immediate pleasure over long-term consequences. Add to that that even at 224 lbs I was still the smallest person in my extended family - and it was very easy to go down that road to fatness and to justify it to myself.

As for the "healthy food is more expensive" theory...sure, calorie for calorie it would probably be more expensive (and challenging to figure out how) to eat 3,500 calories a day of whole foods than it is to eat 3,500 calories a day of fatty, carb-laden processed foods. If people cut down their portions as well, it wouldn't be any more expensive. But they don't want to do that. They don't want to feel hunger, or eat in moderation, or eat anything that isn't creamy, cheesy, greasy, sweet and delicious. I'm of course talking about adults here. Kids whose parents are feeding them soda and sweets from the time they're old enough to hold a sippy cup and then plopping them in front of the XBox for hours on end are 100% responsible for their child's obesity.

mfpcopine

I've never been overweight and joined this site first to maintain my weight during recovery from an injury and now to try to lose a few remaining vanity pounds, but the epidemic affects me because so many have a distorted idea of what constitutes a normal weight, appropriate food portions, not to mention what is rigorous exercise. They believe in the myth of starvation mode.

It gets tiring.

ZipperJJ

I don't understand why people keep pointing their fingers at restaurant portion sizes as a reason for obesity. That implies that everyone eats out 2-3 meals a day and have no other choice, and must always clean their plates.

Instead you should be asking: Why do people eat out so much, if they do? Why do people clean their plates even if the amount of food is too much? Why do people make poor choices at restaurants?

People can binge on bad food without going to a restaurant. People can make poor choices at a grocery store instead of a restaurant. People can eat out too much because they don't have the time to cook, or the knowledge.

Blaming obesity on the fact that the Big Gulp or the Baconator exists is a huge leap from the more academic question of "why do they exist?"

The answer is more like higher stress, harder work for lower wages, less time for shopping and cooking and lack of education...among other things.

SanteMulberry

"...The whole point of a vaccine is to give a person a weakened version of the specific virus, so the immune system is able to recognize the antigen and create antibodies against it..."

Well, that's the theory anyway. In practice, it just doesn't work that well. Take the influenza vaccine for example. Sometimes it misses the mark completely (because the "guesstimate" of which microbe would be the prevalent one was wrong). But even if they guess right, those who are most vulnerable to influenza and its complications (the very young and the elderly) are often unable to respond appropriately to the vaccine and get influenza anyway. Some experts have judged influenza vaccines to be "97% ineffective"---so tell me again, why are we continuing to line up for them every fall? Couldn't be that we have been sold a bill of goods, could it?

"...Then if a person were exposed to that same antigen again, the body would be at the ready to attack and eliminate it. So of course, if you're injecting even a weakened version, there is going to be a chance to have a fever, etc. because that's how the body fights off infection..."

You didn't really understand the point of the study. In any case, a three-month old has essentially no ability to respond to a vaccine. The antibodies received in the mother's milk are FAR more important in the warding off disease and this study suggests that the vaccine actually made the infant more open to infection.


"...And chances are, it's going to be a lot more mild of an illness than if they had the full blown virus..."

First of all, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT--which is what the study looked at) are ALL caused by bacteria, not viruses. Secondly, a three-month old infant has little ability to form antibodies. Let's just look at tetanus, for example. There is neonatal tetanus (caused by cutting the umbilical cord with a non-sterile instrument). It is extremely rare in developed countries and the infection would have either been cleared (or killed the infant) by the three-month mark anyway. Since three-month-olds aren't usually out stepping on rusty nails it makes little sense to vaccinate them against tetanus (in any case, if the mother has been vaccinated against tetanus, her breast-milk antibodies would help fight any potential tetanus infection in her baby. In any case, since the diseases are caused by bacteria, IF they occur, they can be treated with antibiotics---vaccines give false assurance as can be seen in the more recent outbreaks of pertussis in California. So, again, why are we doing this?


"...If you look at the leading causes of death from the early 1900s, it was mostly infectious diseases, whereas now it's chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. A lot of this has to do with vaccinations..."

No. The leading causes of death were: 1) maternal childbirth deaths which were caused by poor and unsanitary, birthing conditions---there is no vaccine to be used against that. 2.) Infant mortality which occurred early in the life of the infant--there is no vaccine to be used against that either and infant deaths yielded much more to improved sanitation, maternal nutrition (so that she could properly feed her infant) and improved childcare.http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=384237
3) Influenza and tuberculosis---and we have already looked at influenza vaccines which, along with tuberculosis vaccine are not routinely given either AND 4) War. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for that either.

"...In the US, we don't even give kids the polio vaccine, because it's essentially been eliminated from our area..."

Polio epidemics wax and wane. Polio was already on its way out before polio vaccine was utilized. In any case, the "effectiveness of the vaccine in eradicating polio" is NOT the reason why the polio vaccine is not given today. The CDC has admitted that the polio vaccine CAUSED more cases of polio than it prevented: http://whale.to/vaccines/polio.html

ApexLeader

I'm not concerned about other people being overweight simply because it's none of my business.

It is when your insurance premium will go up to support a generally obese population of often sick people. A healthy society is good for all.

Nope...still none of my business if others are overweight.

it is your business the moment you absorb some of the liability

carrieous

it is shocking, really. I find it especially interesting that i can almost predict what year a movie was made in by the size of the people in it.

ApexLeader

"Well, that's the theory anyway. In practice, it just doesn't work that well. Take the influenza vaccine for example. Sometimes it misses the mark completely (because the "guesstimate" of which microbe would be the prevalent one was wrong). But even if they guess right, those who are most vulnerable to influenza and its complications (the very young and the elderly) are often unable to respond appropriately to the vaccine and get influenza anyway. Some experts have judged influenza vaccines to be "97% ineffective"---so tell me again, why are we continuing to line up for them every fall? Couldn't be that we have been sold a bill of goods, could it? "

We continue to line up for them every year because the influenza virus mutates and changes enough that every year they need to come out with a new vaccine.

carrieous

i dont follow what youre saying at all about flu shots but i always get one and always will. i havent been sick in 5 years at least- i think all those vaccines in my body are making me super human LOL

countrygirl7mels

I've noticed that it's definitely related to family income. I drive around a lot for my job and I go to the high-end and low-end areas. In the more affluent areas, obese people are not the norm. I got stuck a school crosswalk the other day in a better neighborhood and had about 150 kids pass in front of my car, and I didn't see a single fat one. But if I'm in an area with cheaper housing, more than half would be chubby or bigger. It's cultural as much as anything. I have a theory that kids tend to be about the same size as their mom, and financially successful men don't generally marry obese women.

I don't make much money, but I am educated, and I am an perfectionist. I get very irritated with those poeple who do use income as an excuse to be overweight. You can't tell me that healthy food costs more when an apple costs less than a candy bar. Eating healthy on a budget is about planning. I did it 8 years ago when I had just had a baby, was a single mom, and lost my job. I still do it now, although I am better off than I was at that time. Exercise can be cheap too. You don't need to spend a lot of money to work out at home or take a walk!

SanteMulberry

"Well, that's the theory anyway. In practice, it just doesn't work that well. Take the influenza vaccine for example. Sometimes it misses the mark completely (because the "guesstimate" of which microbe would be the prevalent one was wrong). But even if they guess right, those who are most vulnerable to influenza and its complications (the very young and the elderly) are often unable to respond appropriately to the vaccine and get influenza anyway. Some experts have judged influenza vaccines to be "97% ineffective"---so tell me again, why are we continuing to line up for them every fall? Couldn't be that we have been sold a bill of goods, could it? "

We continue to line up for them every year because the influenza virus mutates and changes enough that every year they need to come out with a new vaccine.

Did you read what I said? You missed the point completely.

olDave

I'm not concerned about other people being overweight simply because it's none of my business.

It is when your insurance premium will go up to support a generally obese population of often sick people. A healthy society is good for all.

Nope...still none of my business if others are overweight.

it is your business the moment you absorb some of the liability

Nope...I'm not laible for someone's elses food intake or health. If insurance companies want to raise rates that's between me and the insurance companies. It's none of my business if someone's overweight.