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What do you think are the environmental factors of obesity and how best can we reduce their impact?
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Aaron_K123 wrote: »squatsanddeadlift wrote: »
First, do you actually believe the weight loss industry really want people to lose weight?
Yeah, I do think they want their products to work. Do you believe the auto industry really wants people to be able to drive when they sell a car? Yeah, I do.
The act of losing weight doesn't prevent the sale of weight loss products anymore than the act of driving prevents the sale of cars. I know its a victimless crime to snark about the morality of a faceless company but come on, I don't think people producing exercise equipment or protein bars are malicious...they are just supplying a demand.
What a horrible analogy. Buying a car does not prevent me from buying another car, second cars go obsolete, breaks down completely, so the market for new cars is sustainable.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I would bet most of them have, at least the ones with access to internet. NAAFA was founded in 1969 (according to them)
That something is on the internet doesn't mean that people with internet access have heard of it, let alone find it significant. You grossly overestimate the significance/influence of HAES, IMO.
Look at how many "plus size" women have crept into the media.You are completely missing the point. The problem is fat people have supports that tell them being fat is ok, beautiful or whatever, (and given the rising obesity level, it's working), those threads are symptoms of this disease.
I'm not missing the point, I'm disagreeing.
You can disagree but you are wrong. Another example, one woman made a post saying something like "I lost 15 pounds why isn't my belly gone". I took a look at her profile pic and told her "based on your profile you have a loong way to go". My post was immediately flagged, and at least three people called me rude for giving her an honest appraisal. That's how far the fat acceptance movement have crept.I don't think most fat people think it's better/socially desirable to be fat, and I don't think most people are going to decide what is desirable/okay (whatever "okay" means in this context) based on some activists on the internet. Most people focus on their social group.
IMO, that obesity is more common, especially in certain social groups or socioeconomic groups tends to make it more acceptable in those groups, yes. I think there's good research also that shows that the extent to which your social group focusing on being thin, being into fitness, eating well, etc. also will influence you (well, the average person). Claiming that the existence of some "fat is great" activist group makes a difference is a stretch.
What makes you think bad decision making won't include nutrition.The social group I am most familiar with (on average: middle or upper middle class, liberal or liberal leaning, computer literate, somewhat feminist, political, college-or-above educated urban professionals) are probably more, not less, likely to be familiar with HAES and even sympathetic to their stated goals than the average person, I'd bet (although I still think most would not have heard of it). And yet obesity is quite rare, especially compared with the US average, in this group, while a focus on healthy eating and fitness is common. I think this is because whether one thinks that fat shaming is very bad (and they do, as do I), one still has one's ideas about what is appropriate for oneself which one's social group plays a role in.
Obesity is quite rare in that group you described? Thanks for the laugh and confirming that you are an enabler.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »I would bet most of them have, at least the ones with access to internet. NAAFA was founded in 1969 (according to them)
That something is on the internet doesn't mean that people with internet access have heard of it, let alone find it significant. You grossly overestimate the significance/influence of HAES, IMO.
Look at how many "plus size" women have crept into the media.You are completely missing the point. The problem is fat people have supports that tell them being fat is ok, beautiful or whatever, (and given the rising obesity level, it's working), those threads are symptoms of this disease.
I'm not missing the point, I'm disagreeing.
You can disagree but you are wrong. Another example, one woman made a post saying something like "I lost 15 pounds why isn't my belly gone". I took a look at her profile pic and told her "based on your profile you have a loong way to go". My post was immediately flagged, and at least three people called me rude for giving her an honest appraisal. That's how far the fat acceptance movement have crept.I don't think most fat people think it's better/socially desirable to be fat, and I don't think most people are going to decide what is desirable/okay (whatever "okay" means in this context) based on some activists on the internet. Most people focus on their social group.
IMO, that obesity is more common, especially in certain social groups or socioeconomic groups tends to make it more acceptable in those groups, yes. I think there's good research also that shows that the extent to which your social group focusing on being thin, being into fitness, eating well, etc. also will influence you (well, the average person). Claiming that the existence of some "fat is great" activist group makes a difference is a stretch.
What makes you think bad decision making won't include nutrition.The social group I am most familiar with (on average: middle or upper middle class, liberal or liberal leaning, computer literate, somewhat feminist, political, college-or-above educated urban professionals) are probably more, not less, likely to be familiar with HAES and even sympathetic to their stated goals than the average person, I'd bet (although I still think most would not have heard of it). And yet obesity is quite rare, especially compared with the US average, in this group, while a focus on healthy eating and fitness is common. I think this is because whether one thinks that fat shaming is very bad (and they do, as do I), one still has one's ideas about what is appropriate for oneself which one's social group plays a role in.
Obesity is quite rare in that group you described? Thanks for the laugh and confirming that you are an enabler.
That probably isn't Fat Acceptance at work, it's more likely just different expectations around tactfulness and civility.5 -
Packerjohn wrote: »IMO, saying our minds evolved in a scarcity economy is a cop out/victim mentality. The vast majority of overweight/obese people in the US have never been lacking for enough food in their lives.
What this mostly tells me is that you don't know what 'evolved' means.
Are you interested in solving the problem, or are you having too much fun berating people for having it?
We've also 'evolved' to have large brains for problem-solving, and this particular problem is easily solved by consuming less. Many of us here do it. Are we less 'evolved' because we've chosen to limit our caloric intake? Or are we more 'evolved' because we've overcome the biological imperative to eat everything we possibly can at all times?Identifying barriers to healthy lifestyle is a major component of tackling widespread obesity and changing population trends.
The only barriers are education and personal choice. Society isn't preventing anyone from eating less and moving more.
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Aaron_K123 wrote: »squatsanddeadlift wrote: »
First, do you actually believe the weight loss industry really want people to lose weight?
Yeah, I do think they want their products to work. Do you believe the auto industry really wants people to be able to drive when they sell a car? Yeah, I do.
The act of losing weight doesn't prevent the sale of weight loss products anymore than the act of driving prevents the sale of cars. I know its a victimless crime to snark about the morality of a faceless company but come on, I don't think people producing exercise equipment or protein bars are malicious...they are just supplying a demand.
What a horrible analogy. Buying a car does not prevent me from buying another car, second cars go obsolete, breaks down completely, so the market for new cars is sustainable.
Getting lean and strong does not prevent me from wanting to get leaner and stronger either.1 -
You can disagree but you are wrong.
That's not a convincing argument. You made the assertion, surely you have some actual supporting evidence.Another example, one woman made a post saying something like "I lost 15 pounds why isn't my belly gone". I took a look at her profile pic and told her "based on your profile you have a loong way to go". My post was immediately flagged, and at least three people called me rude for giving her an honest appraisal. That's how far the fat acceptance movement have crept.
This is not evidence, it's not even a supporting anecdote. The woman was apparently trying to lose weight and bothered by her belly, after all. That people think you were being rude doesn't mean they think that people shouldn't lose weight. I don't think it's okay to be ignorant about basic American history or gov't (if one is an American), but if I said something unsolicited (and I probably would not) I'd do it in a kind manner, or try to.
When I was fat I don't think it would have been helpful for random people to say "wow, you should lose weight" but I knew I was fat and thought about what I should do about it, and did lose weight. Given that, I act accordingly when dealing with other people.
Me:I don't think most fat people think it's better/socially desirable to be fat, and I don't think most people are going to decide what is desirable/okay (whatever "okay" means in this context) based on some activists on the internet. Most people focus on their social group.
IMO, that obesity is more common, especially in certain social groups or socioeconomic groups tends to make it more acceptable in those groups, yes. I think there's good research also that shows that the extent to which your social group focusing on being thin, being into fitness, eating well, etc. also will influence you (well, the average person). Claiming that the existence of some "fat is great" activist group makes a difference is a stretch.
You:What makes you think bad decision making won't include nutrition.
This seems like a non-sequitur. When did I say bad decision making doesn't include nutrition? I think it does, but that for most (or all) it has nothing to do with the FA movement. (One aspect of FA seems to be that nutrition is more important than calories, that eating healthfully is better than trying to lose weight and the two aren't necessarily connected. I think that's wrong -- and that people preach it more than they do it -- but I don't think people who don't eat vegetables or who want to eat more than they should do so because of FA.
Me:The social group I am most familiar with (on average: middle or upper middle class, liberal or liberal leaning, computer literate, somewhat feminist, political, college-or-above educated urban professionals) are probably more, not less, likely to be familiar with HAES and even sympathetic to their stated goals than the average person, I'd bet (although I still think most would not have heard of it). And yet obesity is quite rare, especially compared with the US average, in this group, while a focus on healthy eating and fitness is common. I think this is because whether one thinks that fat shaming is very bad (and they do, as do I), one still has one's ideas about what is appropriate for oneself which one's social group plays a role in.
You:Obesity is quite rare in that group you described? Thanks for the laugh and confirming that you are an enabler.
Yes, obesity is quite rare in the social group I am most familiar with, in my specific neighborhood, etc. When I was fat I stuck out more than most people would, which is perhaps one thing that caused me to care enough to lose, who knows.
Glad you think you know more than me who I spend time with and live around, though.
I'm 5'3, 125 now and am pretty average for the people I spend the most time with. Many are much thinner. (Kids in general are not overweight in this neighborhood, which is consistent with the difference in stats by socioeconomic background with child obesity.) Some are heavier, of course, but like I used to know I was fat, they aren't in denial.2 -
squatsanddeadlift wrote: »Interesting discussion point.
Causes of Obesity
Obesity occurs when energy intake from food and drink consumption is greater than energy expenditure through the body’s metabolism and physical activity over a prolonged period, resulting in the accumulation of excess body fat. However there are many complex behavioural and societal factors that combine to contribute to the causes of obesity. The Foresight report (2007) referred to a “complex web of societal and biological factors that have, in recent decades, exposed our inherent human vulnerability to weight gain”. The report presented an obesity system map with energy balance at its centre. Around this, over 100 variables directly or indirectly influence energy balance (Figure 1).
Factors
- Biology: an individuals starting point - the influence of genetics and ill health;
-Activity environment: the influence of the environment on an individual’s activity behaviour, for example a decision to cycle to work may be influenced by road safety, air pollution or provision of a cycle shelter and showers;
-Physical Activity: the type, frequency and intensity of activities an individual carries out, such as cycling vigorously to work every day;
-Societal influences: the impact of society, for example the influence of the media, education, peer pressure or culture;
-Individual psychology: for example a person’s individual psychological drive for particular foods and consumption patterns, or physical activity patterns or preferences;
- Food environment: the influence of the food environment on an individual’s food choices, for example a decision to eat more fruit and vegetables may be influenced by the availability and quality of fruit and vegetables near home;
-Food consumption: the quality, quantity (portion sizes) and frequency (snacking patterns) of an individual’s diet.
http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/causes
All of the above factors are relevant, but from the thread title I thought you were referring to environmental factors such as growth hormones and pesticides.0 -
squatsanddeadlift wrote: »Interesting discussion point.
Causes of Obesity
Obesity occurs when energy intake from food and drink consumption is greater than energy expenditure through the body’s metabolism and physical activity over a prolonged period, resulting in the accumulation of excess body fat. However there are many complex behavioural and societal factors that combine to contribute to the causes of obesity. The Foresight report (2007) referred to a “complex web of societal and biological factors that have, in recent decades, exposed our inherent human vulnerability to weight gain”. The report presented an obesity system map with energy balance at its centre. Around this, over 100 variables directly or indirectly influence energy balance (Figure 1).
Factors
- Biology: an individuals starting point - the influence of genetics and ill health;
-Activity environment: the influence of the environment on an individual’s activity behaviour, for example a decision to cycle to work may be influenced by road safety, air pollution or provision of a cycle shelter and showers;
-Physical Activity: the type, frequency and intensity of activities an individual carries out, such as cycling vigorously to work every day;
-Societal influences: the impact of society, for example the influence of the media, education, peer pressure or culture;
-Individual psychology: for example a person’s individual psychological drive for particular foods and consumption patterns, or physical activity patterns or preferences;
- Food environment: the influence of the food environment on an individual’s food choices, for example a decision to eat more fruit and vegetables may be influenced by the availability and quality of fruit and vegetables near home;
-Food consumption: the quality, quantity (portion sizes) and frequency (snacking patterns) of an individual’s diet.
http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/causes
All of the above factors are relevant, but from the thread title I thought you were referring to environmental factors such as growth hormones and pesticides.
Oh I see, as in the physical environment. Would you say growth hormones and pesticides effect obesity?
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Great discussion! Where does the "culture of snacks" fit in? When I was a kid I had 3 meals and an occasional "treat" (2 cookies, a half cup of ice cream etc). People nowadays with the incessant snacks and the mindless drinking of soda IMO is a contributing factor of the epidemic!1
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Great discussion! Where does the "culture of snacks" fit in? When I was a kid I had 3 meals and an occasional "treat" (2 cookies, a half cup of ice cream etc). People nowadays with the incessant snacks and the mindless drinking of soda IMO is a contributing factor of the epidemic!
Things are more available now. I work near a starbucks, any given afternoon it's filled with kids who just got out of school. They aren't getting iced teas, majority are buying the full cream/sugar/bombs. I think one factor of obesity is that it starts early. And I think it has a lot to do with education. A lot of people are thin their young lives, reach adulthood.. bam, obese.
There are a million things we can look at, but I think if we start on educating our children about nutrition and calories and exercise, etc - it'll be a great nip in the butt. It's a rabbit hole, when looking at adults - emotional, behavioral, medical, list goes on.
Another thing, if people knew how "easy" it was to lose weight, more people might attempt it. I remember thinking I had to go fat free, eat cardboard, be miserable if I wanted to shed a pound. CICO was a godsend when I learned/understood what it was. Obviously, there are outliers, but the vast majority can be helped with that knowledge. Heck, people now will argue with me that they have to follow this, overly restrictive, diet. Or these crazy rules that if they eat after a certain time they'll gain weight. Starvation mode will happen, I'll get bulky heavy lifting, and on and on and on.
To be blunt, a lot of people don't want to put the effort in. It's uncomfortable eating at a deficit. Working out is challenging. Eating less sucks sometimes. Calorie counting is tedious. Those people need to make the decision of what's more important to them.1 -
xmichaelyx wrote: »We've also 'evolved' to have large brains for problem-solving, and this particular problem is easily solved by consuming less. Many of us here do it. Are we less 'evolved' because we've chosen to limit our caloric intake? Or are we more 'evolved' because we've overcome the biological imperative to eat everything we possibly can at all times?
There's no such thing as 'less evolved' and 'more evolved'. No part of what you have just said makes any sense at all.xmichaelyx wrote: »The only barriers are education and personal choice. Society isn't preventing anyone from eating less and moving more.
If the only factors are education and personal choice, what is your explanation for the increase in obesity rates over the last century?
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xmichaelyx wrote: »We've also 'evolved' to have large brains for problem-solving, and this particular problem is easily solved by consuming less. Many of us here do it. Are we less 'evolved' because we've chosen to limit our caloric intake? Or are we more 'evolved' because we've overcome the biological imperative to eat everything we possibly can at all times?
There's no such thing as 'less evolved' and 'more evolved'. No part of what you have just said makes any sense at all.xmichaelyx wrote: »The only barriers are education and personal choice. Society isn't preventing anyone from eating less and moving more.
If the only factors are education and personal choice, what is your explanation for the increase in obesity rates over the last century?
There's a distinction between "the only barriers" and "the only factors."
I think there are two ways to discuss the obesity issue that sometimes get conflated.
(1) What can I do about being obese? For this question. societal difficulties do no matter, and it's true that nothing is preventing you from taking action (although that doesn't make it easy at all in all cases, as discussed in the is it psychological thread).
(2) Why are we fatter now than before? and is there something we, as a society, can do about it? Clearly (IMO) the answer to the first question is not "we are dumber or have less will power." It's that the environment is different in a lot of ways that affect food availability, how often we eat, what we eat, and how active we are. As for the second, beats me.3 -
This is an awesome discussion. I wish I had something especially meaningful to contribute, but I don't think I do. Here it is anyway though!
I think if it's a contest between food and activity, food is the bigger culprit. Of course activity is so important, but as has been mentioned, it's entirely possible to be active and overweight or obese. A person can get food without leaving the house much more easily than in the past. Got a phone or the internet and some money? You've got food at your doorstep. I think there's also this idea that bigger is better, which translates to more food is better. The idea of value plays into that, I think, such that the more people get for their money the better they feel about it, regardless of actually needing all that food or not.
I don't discount personal responsibility in the slightest. (Although, I would like to point out that people who are not members of disadvantaged / marginalized groups of people tend to put more emphasis on personal responsibility while people who are members of such groups tend to recognize how their membership affects their lives. For example, a middle-class high school student gets good grades and gets a college scholarship and sees that as a product of hard work while a poor high school student fails to get the grades needed to get the scholarship and doesn't end up going to college and sees how his class status played into that. The middle-class student looks at the poor student thinks, "well, he didn't work as hard as I did. He didn't make the choice to do that," while the poor student looks at the middle-class student and thinks, "well, he was in a better position to more easily do well in school." It's not that the middle-class student is wrong. Maybe the poor student didn't work as hard as he could have, but the point is the middle-class student is less likely to take into account the challenges of being poor that may have influenced the outcome. Likewise, it's not that the poor student is wrong either. Maybe the middle-class student did have more advantages that helped him get better grades, but the point is that the poor student is less likely to take into account the individual actions and hard work it took to get the scholarship.)
Anyway, back to my point. I don't discount personal responsibility. I do think, however, it's easy to gain weight if one isn't careful. I wonder if complacency and eating without careful consideration nowadays are more likely to result in weight gain than in the past because portion sizes are bigger and because food and soda and other drinks are available everywhere and more easily. I wonder also if, in general, people are just busier and have less time and energy and attention to give to food.6 -
I'm loving this discussion. I'm also interested in why people would try anything (fads, gimmicks, surgeries etc) all while discounting the CICO "theory." People will assume I am starving myself because I deny food but go on to drink their shake and do their "wraps" all in the name of bikini season. This is why I believe psychology is a huge part of the deal.2
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I'm loving this discussion. I'm also interested in why people would try anything (fads, gimmicks, surgeries etc) all while discounting the CICO "theory." People will assume I am starving myself because I deny food but go on to drink their shake and do their "wraps" all in the name of bikini season. This is why I believe psychology is a huge part of the deal.
Those were always the same people who were complaining to me about how they weren't losing anything and demanding to know what my secret was.
It's like... you're seeing it. Right here. Me not eating nonstop from the second I wake up until I fall asleep. Calorie restriction - it actually does work.4 -
I'm loving this discussion. I'm also interested in why people would try anything (fads, gimmicks, surgeries etc) all while discounting the CICO "theory." People will assume I am starving myself because I deny food but go on to drink their shake and do their "wraps" all in the name of bikini season. This is why I believe psychology is a huge part of the deal.
The wraps, miracle pills, etc are tried and are a multi billion dollar industry because people are looking for a solution that doesn't involve a bit of effort, "self denial", etc4 -
Exactly. Then when you tell them that they look at you like you've got 3 heads.heiliskrimsli wrote: »I'm loving this discussion. I'm also interested in why people would try anything (fads, gimmicks, surgeries etc) all while discounting the CICO "theory." People will assume I am starving myself because I deny food but go on to drink their shake and do their "wraps" all in the name of bikini season. This is why I believe psychology is a huge part of the deal.
Those were always the same people who were complaining to me about how they weren't losing anything and demanding to know what my secret was.
It's like... you're seeing it. Right here. Me not eating nonstop from the second I wake up until I fall asleep. Calorie restriction - it actually does work.
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Exactly. Then when you tell them that they look at you like you've got 3 heads.heiliskrimsli wrote: »I'm loving this discussion. I'm also interested in why people would try anything (fads, gimmicks, surgeries etc) all while discounting the CICO "theory." People will assume I am starving myself because I deny food but go on to drink their shake and do their "wraps" all in the name of bikini season. This is why I believe psychology is a huge part of the deal.
Those were always the same people who were complaining to me about how they weren't losing anything and demanding to know what my secret was.
It's like... you're seeing it. Right here. Me not eating nonstop from the second I wake up until I fall asleep. Calorie restriction - it actually does work.
3 heads and a goat's tail...2 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I'm loving this discussion. I'm also interested in why people would try anything (fads, gimmicks, surgeries etc) all while discounting the CICO "theory." People will assume I am starving myself because I deny food but go on to drink their shake and do their "wraps" all in the name of bikini season. This is why I believe psychology is a huge part of the deal.
The wraps, miracle pills, etc are tried and are a multi billion dollar industry because people are looking for a solution that doesn't involve a bit of effort, "self denial", etc
Most people do not want to lose weight. They want to have lost weight.
And they will always fail.6 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »
Exactly. Then when you tell them that they look at you like you've got 3 heads.heiliskrimsli wrote: »I'm loving this discussion. I'm also interested in why people would try anything (fads, gimmicks, surgeries etc) all while discounting the CICO "theory." People will assume I am starving myself because I deny food but go on to drink their shake and do their "wraps" all in the name of bikini season. This is why I believe psychology is a huge part of the deal.
Those were always the same people who were complaining to me about how they weren't losing anything and demanding to know what my secret was.
It's like... you're seeing it. Right here. Me not eating nonstop from the second I wake up until I fall asleep. Calorie restriction - it actually does work.
3 heads and a goat's tail...
Because those of us who actually have it figured out, clearly made a pact with Satan in exchange for arcane knowledge.
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Google walkabilty..fascinating stuff. Weve chosen a suburb where we can walk everywhere (except to parents house)..heaps better for environment and health.3
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As with the food desert thing, criteria will be debatable, though. I live in a city neighborhood, did not have a car for years, still rarely use my car. I also bike a lot, including to work when weather is decent (lots of people commute by bike way more than me), and frequently run home from work (I use a backpack). I walk for most errands.
However, according to one of the sites, my walkability score is 92, the transit is only 80, which seems too low and I am puzzled why so low, and bikeable is only 74 (again weird, unless points are taken off for winter or the fact that there is a lot of traffic). It also weirdly tells me my commute times to Evanston when I live closer to downtown Chicago (and in Chicago).1 -
12Sarah2015 wrote: »Google walkabilty..fascinating stuff. Weve chosen a suburb where we can walk everywhere (except to parents house)..heaps better for environment and health.
Very interesting! I live in area I think of as incredibly walkable - within 1 mile (with sidewalks) of church, grocery, pharmacy, gym, elementary and middle schools, library, several parks, a half dozen restaurants etc - my address has a score of 65.
My old address, in a sketchy city location, had a score of 78 - but I rarely walked anywhere because it wasn't safe to go to the grocery or pharmacy or places like that.2 -
12Sarah2015 wrote: »Google walkabilty..fascinating stuff. Weve chosen a suburb where we can walk everywhere (except to parents house)..heaps better for environment and health.
I looked up our address on this site: https://www.walkscore.com/
As I sort of expected, it got a 0 as we are about 5-6 miles away by car from a bunch of stores, food places, etc.
On the other hand, not sure if this is realistic. There are about 500 homes in our neighborhood that surrounds a golf course. There are wide streets (about a 5 mile loop) with little traffic suitable for recreational biking as well as sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Yards are big enough for kids to play in, there is a large park (baseball diamond, tennis courts, wide open areas) on one side of the neighborhood. Can use the golf course for cross country skiing in season. Nobody is afraid to be walking at night.
Seems pretty activity friendly if people want it to be.4 -
The physiology of it is black and white. All the things you mentioned have various levels of influence on said physiology.1
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wackyfunster wrote: »Ignoring diet/exercise, thermal environment is likely the most important, followed closely by gut microbiome.
We spent a long time believing that brown adipose tissue was something that was only active in babies, but it turns out that this is untrue. In normal, healthy adults in countries with cold weather, BAT is active in significant quantities. In short, never being exposed to cold (for long enough to cool surface temperature enough to induce non-shivering thermogenesis) and/or being overweight/obese both disable BAT.
Why does this matter? In addition to providing a way for the body to use white adipose tissue ("fat") to generate heat when cold, BAT also allows the body to efficiently burn off a large caloric surplus (diet-induced thermogenesis), helping to prevent excess fat storage.
The negative is, once you are obese, you've already broken most of these systems in your body, and it is unknown whether they can ever return to normal, even after attaining and maintaining a healthy weight, as it appears that obesity leads to permanent hormonal and metabolic changes.
There is a pretty substantial amount of research validating this already (just grabbed the first decent looking one I found as I am short on time, but scholar.google.com will turn up a bunch):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3975627/
or for a more layman friendly article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-gravity-weight/201606/body-weight-in-the-time-climate-control
Maybe this explains the cold - intolerance experienced by many who are formerly obese1 -
Great discussion. IMO if one does not take responsibility for his/her own health there is no infrastructure that would help him/her to loose weight. The most important "tool" for weight loss - simply eating less - is available to all of us. So, technically no mater where we live and how health-consious our environment is we already have opportunity to loose weight by simply eat less.
I don't think we should rely on being taken care by society.
That being said, society is developing anyway. We are social beings, we live in communities, we connect to make our lives easier, safer and more fulfilling.
IMO part of our self-care is to put an effort to shape that society the best way possible.
I think we should take responsibilities not only for things that directly affect us, but also for things that comes to us in return.
I think we, as society, should support more those who put effort to keep themselves healthy,i.e. for example people willing to walk to work vs. those who are not. And that is rarely the case. We can build a new parking spot or we can build a new sidewalk - in any case we are promoting something and supporting some kind of behavior.
Scandinavia is an awesome example of societies promoting active lifestyle. I was amazed when I saw full town of people at 8am dressed up going to work by bike (Malmo). In my country, if I would go by bike at that time I would come to my destination all sweaty from all sorts of traffic stress due to the lack of cycling infrastructure.
On the positive side we (Croatia) still have pretty strong home cooking culture (most of the people cooks at least one meal every day, and many people cooks two meals a day - lunch and dinner). I am kinda proud on that and I will do my best to pass that to my kids if I would ever have them.
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While I agree obesity is largely a matter of individual responsibility, I do think that certain things should be considered from a public health standpoint. For example, when planning towns or infrastructure upgrades and repairs...nothing wrong with considering bike lanes and walkability as factors within the planning. For example in PA and Ohio they did the rails to trails program...when they went through and streamlined all the railroads instead of just tearing them up and leaving nothing but wasteland behind, they made paved trails which are now used to bike and walk and carry on for miles and miles connecting towns and even going between the states. Another example is school lunches...when planning what to feed the captive children, healthy choices should be made available instead of purely focusing on feeding them for cheapest cost. Community centres created from closed schools where fitness instructors can hold martial arts, dance, and other fitness classes are also a good community investment. Don't get me wrong, I know it's up to the individual ultimately but I think that communities can take health into account as the grow and adapt to the changing times. It should be about creating opportunities to be fit and healthy.4
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Food and lack of movement are the biggest contributors. We eat more calories, saturated fats, and pretty much sit all day. We wake up, commute on the road for 1-3 hours per day, sit down all day (while consuming calories), then we commute back home. Change into comfortable clothes. Sit on the couch to watch some t.v. and then go to bed.
We all know this, but the real question is, Why do we keep doing the things that we know that is not good for us? Why do we continue to practice bad habits? Why is food addiction or content with our lifestyles a struggle to change?1
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