Keeping up with the Joneses?

TX_Aggie_Dad · May 2013

This is somewhat of an off-shoot of a few other threads today (i.e., "who do you surround yourself with" and "is fat the new normal").

I live in the suburbs of Houston, TX. We spend most of our evenings and weekends in the burbs doing what a family in the burbs does.

On occassion, we'll go into the trendier and more affluent part of town where there is a combination of a younger crowd plus the high roller husbands with their "trophy wives" (yes I'm stereotyping mostly to give you a visual). It doesn't take long to really notice in comparison how "normal" in our suburb has gotten pretty big while "normal" in the trendier and more affluent part of town is much more fit and healthy. I can definitely see where if we lived in that part of town, we'd feel quite a bit of peer pressure to keep up with the Joneses in regards health and fitness whereas in the suburbs we don't feel that pressure as 90% of the people likely fit into the overweight/obese category.

Has anyone else experienced something similar?

alisonlynn1976 · May 2013

I'm an American expat in Sweden, and I would say that I feel more pressure to get myself to a healthy weight here where most people are a healthy weight than I did in the US where many of my friends were bigger than me.

chaser1977 · May 2013

I think you are very correct. However I believe their is other factors that contribute to larger waistlines of those of us in the burbs. Cost of eating 'healthy' is higher, lets also assume us in the burbs are middle class. We watch our budgets (hopefully) and purchasing the healthy version of the same food say 80% lean burger vs 94% lean could be as much as 75% higher. Maybe we are busier with kids, 50+ hr work weeks, and end hitting the drive-thru more often. But I think the largest factor is still acceptance. It's ok to be overweight all my friends are, where the mindset of your upper class is every bit keeping up with Jones'. Another thought, look how current TV depicts social classes and how we identify with them. Does this strengthen the stereotype? Maybe it simply reinforces it.

micheleb15 · May 2013

I agree with you. It's a completely different lifestyle. I am from Florida and lived in the suburbs. We would spend our weekends at BBQs, having crab boils, etc and having all of our friends over for drinks. I wouldn't say everyone was overweight, but we certainly weren't being health conscious. It was just a laid back atmosphere, no competion, we went to work 8-5 to pay bills and then enjoyed life.

I now live in DC. I live in a very trendy, expensive area and everyone spends money on trainers, eating at nice places, dressing in the best clothes, driving the nicest cars. It's pure competition. Who makes the most, looks the best, who knows who, etc. It's how they are. Their enjoyment comes from being the best, not just in looks. There definitely is more pressure in these areas and it's not just body image.

kerrieanne1976 · May 2013

Here in England we have the "upper class" super rich, with personal trainers, chefs etc, "middle class" latest gym equipment at home, members at the bet gyms, "working class" ME!!! Working there *kitten* off to provide for the family, buying the cheapest healthy you can get on the money we have, exercise in the park and on a wii computer game, and lastly a new class "under class" who live off benefits, eat take ways, smoke, drink and take drugs. Lol, so think yourselves lucky you not here,

TX_Aggie_Dad · May 2013

I think you are very correct. However I believe their is other factors that contribute to larger waistlines of those of us in the burbs. Cost of eating 'healthy' is higher, lets also assume us in the burbs are middle class. We watch our budgets (hopefully) and purchasing the healthy version of the same food say 80% lean burger vs 94% lean could be as much as 75% higher. Maybe we are busier with kids, 50+ hr work weeks, and end hitting the drive-thru more often. But I think the largest factor is still acceptance. It's ok to be overweight all my friends are, where the mindset of your upper class is every bit keeping up with Jones'. Another thought, look how current TV depicts social classes and how we identify with them. Does this strengthen the stereotype? Maybe it simply reinforces it.

I somewhat agree with the cost argument, however I think most unhealthy individuals eat out 100% of the time. Take that money and I'd argue finding healthy alternatives at the grocery store isn't that difficult. Granted cooking is much easier when done by your personal chef or nanny. I do think there are ways to "buy" motiviation or at least spend away potential blocades to being healthy so income definitely comes into play. With that said, my idea of suburb is definitely upper middle class so the money is there. It is really the acceptance piece that I think is key. Peer pressure doesn't go away when you leave high school.

TX_Aggie_Dad · May 2013

I live in a very trendy, expensive area and everyone spends money on trainers, eating at nice places, dressing in the best clothes, driving the nicest cars. It's pure competition. Who makes the most, looks the best, who knows who, etc. It's how they are. Their enjoyment comes from being the best, not just in looks. There definitely is more pressure in these areas and it's not just body image.

So much truth to this.

clareyoung80 · May 2013

Here in England we have the "upper class" super rich, with personal trainers, chefs etc, "middle class" latest gym equipment at home, members at the bet gyms, "working class" ME!!! Working there *kitten* off to provide for the family, buying the cheapest healthy you can get on the money we have, exercise in the park and on a wii computer game, and lastly a new class "under class" who live off benefits, eat take ways, smoke, drink and take drugs. Lol, so think yourselves lucky you not here,

...that's pretty much an oversimplification of how it is in most countries.

Keeping up with the Joneses?

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