As a nation, we're getting steadily heavier - WHY?
Replies
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- Laziness
- Lack of willpower
That or less healthy food is cheaper in bulk and we've decreased the *need* for physical labor.
I'm not saying people shouldn't take responsibility for their bodies, they absolutely should, but this type of attitude is an oversimplification of a complex issue that has social and financial influences.
Sounds like you're going down the "excuses" road. Yes, there are influences. You do what you can do, and how long does a healthy dinner take versus taking the kids to the McDonald's drive through?! It's absolutely inexcusable to say "Oh the kids had practice tonight, so we just went to McDonald's" time and time and time again. Do it, or don't do it. Your health is important, isn't it?
Sounds like you aren't entirely sure what empathy is like.
As someone who struggled for years to live moderately, and finally realized what it took- which was ultimately putting a lot of things I cared about on the back burner while I made healthy living and learning about same a hobby for the better part of a year- all I'm saying is I can understand how not everyone has that kind of time to devote or could see the point in even trying. There are plenty of things that aren't McDonalds, that can seem perfectly good for you and are crap.
The question was regarding an overall trend of a large populace and the answer is because our lifestyles are more sedentary and less nutritious food is very cheap. Those are two large factors, and the plain truth is, yes, people will do what is easiest unless given a very good reason to do otherwise.
But shaming people for being overweight isn't a helpful attitude, either.0 -
It seems like many people have changed their standards to suit themselves. I've told a few people that I've joined MFP and what my goals are and they're shocked. They think I'm already skinny and they know I'm already an active runner and I have lots of energy compared to others. However, I see a steady pound increase here and there and I could definitely use more muscle.
Even here, I see lots of people like a 5'3" woman with a goal of 150 lbs. That's chubby. It might be a drastic improvement but it's still chubby.
I've also noticed how little people know about food. Lots of people have already mentioned all the "diet foods" available. They're awful!!! I personally didn't know how to eat fresh fruit until I was out on my own. Growing up, I thought canned fruit was healthy. I also had my own personal struggles with diet food and it took me forever to figure out how bad they are.
My favorite answer.
Totally agree. When I see people who are shooting for weights that would have gotten me in trouble with my ob/gyn, when I was 9 months pregnant, AND I'M 5' 8", that's just a whole new world of societal acceptance, having nothing to do with health. And way too many people claim it's all muscle - no it's not.
Wow. People are trying to get healthier and set smaller goals so 100 lbs doesn't feel so insurmountable and then we get people like this who criticize our goals. Splendid.0 -
food industry tempting us with commercials0
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Ignorance plays a part too. I saw a person on here say they thought the deep-fried shrimp platter would be low in calories because it was shrimp. Every day there's another thread of people asking how to eat vegetables... one person thought "vegetables" meant those bags of frozen peas and carrots. I think a lot of people don't have a fundamental understanding of how to eat properly, so they just don't try.
Well, yes they are vegetables. And usually they are frozen fresh and still have a lot of their nutrients in them. A good alternative and a little cheaper than fresh.
And a gosend in the winter0 -
I blame the mice.0
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I think it is a sedentary lifestyle more than diet. I grew up in the 60's and 70's and while the diets of everyone I knew was healthier than it is now, it wasn't really healthy. We ate white bread and used white sugar and drank soda and Kool-Aid every day. There was far less fast food available, but preprepared meals were just becoming the rage. TV dinners, Hamburger Helper was fairly new and popular. KFC was what you got for mom's day off or picnics. There was a home baked dessert every night.
But we didn't sit around much.0 -
Fear of dietary fat consumption based on bad science, a food pyramid based on bad science, subsidising agriculture, politics and commercial interests overriding good health.
You are eating too much nutrient poor rubbish supported by recommendations that have no basis in fact.
Follow the money, there is no profit to be made in a healthy population.
Rampant diabetes and statins are a logical result of this madness.
Gluttony and sloth? Less so.
EXACTLY! It all comes down to the almighty dollar. The food industry will cut corners to save $$ in any way possible, all at the expense of the consumer's health. Additionally, BILLIONS of dollars are made annually off of marketing ploys touting health and fitness. If this stuff really worked, there would be no need for it, hence no money left to be made. Yet Americans are very accepting of these things and fall right into the trap because of the "I want it all and I want it now" mentality that has been ingrained in us.
On a side note, there seems to be this sudden "revolution" that we must eat clean, organic, unprocessed, yada, yada, yada. Has anyone noticed how this has played right in to the hands of the marketing companies? So much so, that the consumer has lost a significant amount of control over what he/she is actually eating, all because somebody stands to make a buck.0 -
huh?Obviously it is carbs that has caused all this, as they are the only thing that makes you fat0 -
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look what they put in our food :O and thank pink slime thing fpr example WHO DOES THAT its scary I want to eat all organic but its all so high! I am just going to have to cough up the extra dough or forever wonder what chemical can I eat today0
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Fattening and calorie-rich food is cheaper, and people are feeling less motivated to get off their *kitten* because of how society has brought down their self-esteems.0
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Not enough people on MFP.
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Everything is bigger in America. The large size pop from Mcdonalds in France is the U.S's small.
Most Americans don't know what proper portion sizes are. I didn't until I started MFP
This was true with me too. Now I really stop to say...do I really need such a huge portion? Or, this is really going to kill my calorie count.0 -
Why?
The Food Pyramid and fat phobia.0 -
this is fueled by technological advances and kids growing up in a society that is less blue collar that in past decades. Nowadays no one has to work for money or leave the couch to get something, they can just order it online, play games online or through a console, watch tv, and so forth. Texting your friends instead of meeting them to hang out and play a pick up game is common and kids are just getting dependent on technology that soon no one will have to leave their beds.0
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Stress, we don't have the time to take care of ourselves and our jobs and daily lives aren't as physically demanding as they may have been in the past.0
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-America likes us to believe that everything bigger is better. No, I don't think a 1/3lb hamburger is better for me. -> http://www.divinecaroline.com/22177/49492-portion-size-vs-now it's kind of gross when you think about it.
-Our lifestyles are less active than other countries.
The topic irks me.
I'm American and it stinks when people assume that we're all overweight. I know it's a growing epidemic and I feel like it's a losing battle. :frown: You can't tell a person to change their lifestyle. 0 -
Diet
Portion sizes are out of control; lack of will power.
Hormones pumped into animals to make them bigger- causing side effects on us
Chemicals/pesticides used on foods- causing side effects on us
Way to much processed foods/fast foods in our diet
Health
Too many excuses why we can't exercise
This is one of the clearest and to-the-point answers I've read so far. I especially agree with hormones pumped into the animals that we eat. The size of people 50-100 years ago were substantially smaller, not just in weight but their overall frames were on a smaller scale.
Another thing I would add is that many people are guilty of not getting enough sleep. Some still think it has no bearing on how much they eat but think again!!!0 -
I believe a large part of this is due to the fact that people stopped cooking. People stopped cooking at home and stopped teaching their kids how to cook so everyone started eating out a lot. And because when you order food you want it quick, you end up with a lot of fried stuff because it's quick to make. Seems like back when women started going to work lots of them gradually stopped cooking, and when you don't learn good eating habits at home, there really isn't many other places you can learn them. It's not uncommon now to find families where the parents of the household can't cook and rely on precooked, preprepared, ordered, or microwavable food...
But that's just one of my theories...0 -
Everything is bigger in America. The large size pop from Mcdonalds in France is the U.S's small.
Most Americans don't know what proper portion sizes are. I didn't until I started MFP
^^^^This!
I'm from Canada and although we have a lot of overweight people here, it's not nearly as bad. I've been to the U.S. a few times and it never ceases to amaze me how cheap food is down there compared to here. My boyfriend and I spend around $500 per month on healthy food for just the two of us (and we don't even buy organic!).....I've read posts on here where people from the States feed their family of four on $200-300 per month. I'm sure that makes it a lot easier to over eat.
Also, is it me or are there buffets EVERYWHERE in the States????.....I love buffets but It certainly makes portion control a challenge.0 -
Well really, its because we overeat... and do so for many reasons that's the thing.
Yes, we eat too much and move too little. That's the fact. But why do we do that?
For some, everyone they know is "doing it". Every social situation, there are people eating whatever they want. In some circles, hardly anybody or nobody is trying to eat healthy. Its not that you are lazy (at first), its that you aren't being presented another option - and you're not looking for it.
I also believe social support is really important too. You need to be having good supportive people in your life and doing fulfilling things... partly because people turn to food during times of entertainment and when they need comfort.
Servings sizes in restaurants are not an accident. They know if they give you more of their delicious foods, you will eat more, and crave more later. You will become accustomed to having that large portion and want it all. That's good for their business, because a fat person with a large appetite probably spends more (unless you are talking tons of organic maybe, but still) than someone with portion control knowledge and self discipline.
There are many other factors that lead to any individual to overeat and not exercise... I think this should be viewed on a micro scale and a macro scale. In a home, in a school, in a particular culture, in a country... what are the biggest factors for each?
People will become whatever direction the scale tips most in. So if their influences are largely Pro-food excess/lack of awareness or support... it will go that way. If their influences are more toward health... they will think act and be that.
EDITED: to correct a word.0 -
1 - Laziness leads to poor food choices (fast food) and lack of exercise (rather watch ESPN or play video games)
2 - Lack of personal responsibility. People chose to blame the video games and fast food instead of taking responsibility for their choice to eat the fast food and sit on their *kitten*.0 -
So much to read, I can't keep up. Sorry if this is a repeat.
Healthy, fast, cheap. You can only pick 2.0 -
Education - If there are McDonalds in high schools the kids don't stand a chance!0
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Various reasons:
1. Technology has taken over work that used to require muscle power, thus people are not burning off the calories that they eat.
2. Children are wrapped up in technology and no longer play outside.
3. Crime prevents many people from taking part in activities outside and parents are fearful for the safety of their children outside, so they keep their children inside if they can't be outside to watch them.
4. The food industry has been using many things to sale their products. Two of the major things used is sugar and fat. This makes their products taste better and people will eat more and buy more.
5. Food is made salty in order to get people to eat more and, in restaurants, salt causes you to drink more. Bars often serve salty food to boost their sales of alcohol.
6. The food industry has been supersizing meals and people will buy them. People buy them because they believe that they are getting more bang for their buck. Unfortunately, they don't realize that this kind of eating is costing them healthwise.
7. Food is less nutritious than it was in the 1940s and 1950s. It takes two apples today to match the nutrition of one apple from the 1940s. The calories are the same, but your body is going to be screaming for the nutrients, causing you to eat more. The reasons for this are several, one being that the ground is being stripped of its nutrients and the second being that GMO food is often less nutritious than organic.
8. Animals are being raised in feedlots and confined barns. This means the animal is not moving around and will have more fat than animals that are raised in open pastures. This fat is passed off in the food we eat. In the 1960s, chicken used to be about 13%-17% fat. Now they are around 25% fat.
9. Hormones that are given to animals to make them grow bigger and faster are passed down through the food chain and being eaten by humans. Thus, those hormones are affecting the growth patterns of humans.
10. Wheat has been hybridized to the point that the gluten content is very high. This is because when wheat is bred, the total number of gluten genes will be from the combination of both wheat forms used to hybridize the wheat. In order words, if wheat A has 12 gluten genes and wheat B has 5 gluten genes, then the new form of wheat will have 17 gluten genes. Why is this important? Because gluten has detrimental effects on the pancreas and insulin levels. It causes the body to store fat more readily, especially around the waist. Fat around the waist places the person at high risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Think of all the foods you eat that is made from flour and you will understand why this is affecting the weight of Americans.
11. Hidden sugar, high fructose corn syrup, flour, and other elements in our food. Sugar is a poison to the body. It affects just about every system in the body, but mostly the pancreas, liver, and nervous systems. If sugar is a poison, then high fructose corn syrup is the devil itself. HFCS is not metabolized the same way sugar is metabolized. The body is not satiated when HFCS is used, thus leaving the person hungry. HFCS is deposited as fat on the body. This means that the person has ingested 150-200 calories of HFCS and they are still hungry. That's 150-200 calories that are empty calories.
12. People are ignorant about what the food industry is thrusting upon us as food. Many 'foods' that people eat are actually food-like materials concocted in a laboratory. Like that yogurt that comes in the tube: It is all chemicals without one ingredient that even resembles real food.
13. People are so busy running here and there that they don't have time to cook. So these people pull out the latest convenience food that is loaded with either sugar or fat, or maybe both, to make them taste good and think that they are eating healthy. Additionally, labeling is deceptive. Something that is marketed as 'fat free' may not be any better for a person that the original that has fat in it. With all the running around that people do, they may be eating out more often. I look at some of my friends' journals and some eat out or use package foods all the time. They may not cook a single meal! Maybe they cook for Thanksgiving.
14. Deceptive packaging doesn't help. If you buy a package of chips, it may say that it contains 2.5 servings. Are you going to eat just under half the bag in order to get that 1 serving or the whole bag, since they taste so good?
In general, it is not about laziness or over-eating. There are a myriad of reasons why people are getting fatter and the food industry doesn't help with their deceptive advertising and making foods taste good so that they can sell more and more of the product. It used to be that even a simple-minded person could eat healthy. Now you almost need a PhD in order to understand the various reasons why people are obese and how to avoid becoming so yourself.
Yep, this just about covers all bases!0 -
Obviously it is carbs that has caused all this, as they are the only thing that makes you fat
^^^ This.
Check out Fat Head on Hulu. This topic is discussed.
Sarcasm missed.....0 -
I am not from the USA but live just across the border and frequently go south for shopping. One thing I have noticed that totally astrounds me is the size of the servings in the restaurants! I believe this is one of the main reasons contributing to obesity. So often two of us share a dish as there is no way one person can finish the meal. And the size of the soft drink cups! Who needs to drink four glasses of coke in one sitting! People are eating way more than they need and excercising way less.
Also agree with the previous post re technology. So many kids are planted in front of their videos games or on their hadn lend devies rather than getting out and doing something.0 -
Why?
The Food Pyramid and fat phobia.
Hmm, pretty sure those were around long before the 90's.0 -
We're older. The median age is 36.4 in 2011. The median age in 1994 was 33.7. As people age they gain weight, so this can account for some of those statistics.0
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You know I see a lot of people talking about how the meals you get at restaurants are too big. When you get your meal, divide your plate in half or 3rds and take home leftovers. Suddenly your meal got cheaper because it's also your lunch tomorrow or dinner tomorrow night.
It's what I do and it makes lunch tomorrow as easy as opening the fridge instead of having to cook. At 7 dollars a day, I'm not going to stop brown bagging. That's like 150 dollars a month I don't have to spend.
We do the same thing with our meals at home. We make enough to have for lunch the next day or two, unless it won't keep/reheat in which case we only cook enough for dinner.
We are also primarilly peremeter shoppers which helps with the whole healty food part.0
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