If these trends (obesity) continue, by 2030 50% (of) U.S. Me

Considering the number of adults between the ages of 25-35 that I know trying to get in their best shape ever, I will venture to guess this never comes true. I think the knowledge and information being shared now will eventually turn this epidemic around.

I think it's totally right and we all need to eat better, and I support taxing unhealthy foods!

It was on the news today, exactly the same thing about the UK. They are just basing it now what people are like now. With so many people changing and wanting a healthier lifestyle also and with lots of people joining the wagon, I don't think that those figures will come true. We are changing as unit!!! and many more people will too.


Good Luck

It's great to say that people should take control of their own health - and I 100% agree that they should. However, the U.S. government contributes to this epidemic through its subsidations. In some ways, on the surface, real food costs more than fake food. Now, once a person has adjusted their diet and they are actually getting what they need nutritionally from their food, people actually eat less and hence costs go down, because when one is eating junk that is devoid of nutrition, you have to eat more of it to feel satiated. Now, most people don't understand this and even if they did are unwilling to try and switch, they'd rather spend the money on a six pack of soda than the same amount on a pineapple or melon, for example. I live in a very poor state, and a whole heck of a lot of people are overweight, obese, or if thin still eat junk. I think the government needs to promote food/crop diversity and needs to repromote the idea of VICTORY GARDENS. How about new Victory Gardens in terms of seeing them as a way to fight for the health of people in our country?

Edit: Additionally, our healthcare system is largely focused on treatment of symptoms rather than on preventative medicine. That dynamic needs to change.

Unfortunately it will soon only be the rich that can afford to be healthy.

It is cheaper to buy high calorie junk food than healthy raw food. Good healthy food, grown in a sustainable way is really expensive. This is why Whole Foods puts their stores in affluent areas. Plus high calorie food tastes good. Our bodies evolved to like fat and sugar, which is what makes us fat.

So the poor will buy high calorie junk and the ultra poor won't be able to buy food at all. The rich can afford to have leisure time to work out and eat good food.

Until we make food distribution a priority as a nation we're going to have health problems related to nutrition. I consider myself lucky that our family made a decision to become more healthy and our budget can sustain our family's desire to eat fresh produce, healthy proteins and whole grains. I know it isn't possible for everyone to have this benefit.

it is cheaper for a mom to take a kid to McDonalds for a kids meal, than it would be for her to go to the store, buy ingredients for the kids salad............so, whats mom to do

and they wonder why teenaged kids are now being perscribed high blood pressure medication.

I live in the number one city for limb removal, and Im not talking about trees...........Diabetes is killing states like Texas, because of the foods and cultures that dominant food diets.............starchs, masa, lard, etc, ..........but its cheaper to eat like that than to eat an organic salad..........when youre poor your choices are limited............

it is cheaper for a mom to take a kid to McDonalds for a kids meal, than it would be for her to go to the store, buy ingredients for the kids salad............so, whats mom to do

So the average American spends less than 5% of their household income on food. The average Japanese family spends nearly 10%, the average French family 8%. The vast majority of American families can afford to eat well, they just choose not to.

I'm all for ending farm subsidies I think that's a good start.

But, I also think we need to take a look at our culture. Both parents working 10hr days, kids that are in 16 different activities and get home at 8pm to start their 3hrs of homework, video games, tv, the internet (not MFP of course!), all are getting in the way of a good home cooked meal for everyone in the family.

I'm NOT for government regulations on food. One reason is I think its too slippery a slope, they tried to do it in my state and so many things fell through the cracks that it was a mess. For example, you tax Ruffles potato chips...ok...but not Wheat Thins because crackers are good for you? Or you tax Coke but not CountryTime Lemonade?

it is cheaper for a mom to take a kid to McDonalds for a kids meal, than it would be for her to go to the store, buy ingredients for the kids salad............so, whats mom to do

and they wonder why teenaged kids are now being perscribed high blood pressure medication.

I live in the number one city for limb removal, and Im not talking about trees...........Diabetes is killing states like Texas, because of the foods and cultures that dominant food diets.............starchs, masa, lard, etc, ..........but its cheaper to eat like that than to eat an organic salad..........when youre poor your choices are limited............

no, i can make a meal at home for cheaper than i can buy 2 kids and 2 adults a meal from mcdonalds. so im going to have to disagree with that. For that same price i can make a meal, and have leftovers for the next day for lunch.

First off, I think just about anybody my age (48) or older will probably agree that that the phenomenon is real, regardless of the statistical arguments. When I was a kid, it was fairly rare to see a "fat" person. They stood out in a crowd. If your mom wanted to teach you good manners, she'd be sure to tell you not to stare or point or say anything about it. In a typical grade school class of 25-30 students, only a few would be noticeably chubby. These days, big and heavy is just what we as a country look like.

One big factor that contributes to this (and I'm sure there are many) is marketing. The US produces something like 2x the number of calories per year that our population needs to maintain healthy weight. Unless "big agriculture" can find ways to market those calories to us, they're going to stop growing, which is bad. So the marketing has become increasingly sophisticated, learning exactly what kinds of products and tactics are successful in getting us to consume more and more. Remember the "King Size" Coca-Cola ? A whopping 10 oz bottle. That was to tempt people away from the normal size : 6.5 oz.

Apart from the number of calories sold, there is the issue of how much profit can be made on each calorie. Go into any supermarket (or even health food store !) and compare the selection of simple ingredients to the number of food "products". Compare, say, the price of a potato to the price for the same weight of potato chips. Each step of processing represents added "value", hence more profit to be made.

Actually, that argument seems to contradict the comments about raw, organic, healthy food being so expensive. I think that is due to economy of scale, and the fact that processed food is more efficient to prepare, transport, store, etc., and its certainly easier to "brand" and advertise.

I spent a number of years living and travelling in Europe, and I've always admired how "resistant" Europeans are to marketing tactics, especially where food is concerned. Sure their lives have become hectic and stressful, but they are pretty stubborn about insisting on quality ingredients and preparing or buying food that is nutritionally and aesthetically good. And it's not a class thing. Even people whose lifestyle is pretty humble regard GOOD food as a basic human need. Even though so many other things cost more there (cars, gasoline, taxes, ...) they are still willing to pay more for quality food, even if they have to forgo a lot of the consumer goods that we find so essential.. They find it odd that Americans are willing to shovel so much awful cr^p into their mouths.

My sister teaches ESL at the grade school level. Most of her students are from lower income families. She told me about one student whose mother thinks the cafeteria food isn't any good, so just about every day she brings food to school and has lunch with him. I was thinking "That's awesome !" I was picturing homemade soup, beans and rice, and so on. Then she told me that the lunch was always McDonalds, KFC, or Popeyes.