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Does where you live influence your weight & fitness?
Replies
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Show me pictures of obese inmates who've spent at least a year in prison. I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
If eating low quality food for years ACTUALLY caused chronic disease, then explain how prison inmates have been in penitentiaries for decades eating some of the lowest quality foods 3 times a day and NOT suffering many of the maladies that the average very overweight/obese population is suffering from?I also agree. I seriously doubt that you all are eating very much of those foods, and probably eat healthy most the time. You all know you're healthy despite eating a little junk not because of it! I grew up eating frozen dinners and junk food and hardly any vegetables except corn. If I hadn't gotten on a health kick at 16, I'd probably have the same chronic diseases, by now, that my parents have.Luluetduet8 wrote: »AliciaHollywood wrote: »laurenq1991 wrote: »Living in a non-walkable area definitely influences weight and fitness. It's easier to stay fit when you have the option of walking places, or running outside.
Any supermarket that removed junk food would face a huge backlash and probably go out of business. You can't dictate something as personal as food on that scale. Some communities do have a culture of healthy eating and tend to have lower rates of obesity. But you can't force people to change their culture, at least not without a backlash, and that raises ethical questions.
Also, even "healthy organic specialty" supermarkets have plenty of junk food. You have the causality backwards -- the supermarkets in your area stock more healthy foods because there is more demand due to the local culture of being healthy/fit.
And anyway, junk food doesn't make you fat. It's the quantity of calories that makes you fat, regardless of where it comes from.
Actually junk food does make you fat. All the salt, sugar and chemicals makes you crave more salt and sugar so you eat more junk food full of empty calories and chemicals. And healthy nutritional foods are used by the body as fuel while junk food just clogs arteries, is stored as fat, gives you high cholesterol, is conducive to diabetes and otherwise reeks havoc on the body. It’s not even all about weight, but health and nutrition. I can never understand how people are basically putting poison in their bodies every day and food corporations are getting away with poisoning Americans. There is literally no value whatsoever to “foods” like Cheetos or Twinkies and still people consume them. Why? Not only is there no nutritional value to them, they are BAD for you, poisonous! Sodas like Coke and Pepsi, even the zero calorie kind are pure poison! People have to think less about losing weight and more about nutrition. If people stuck to healthy, pure, non-prepackaged foods with high nutritional value, they would automatically lose weight and feel so much healthier!
I feel the same way.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Where are you getting this information from? I don't think this is accurate. Inmates in general gain weight during incarceration, and their risk of "maladies that the average overweight/obese population suffer from" isn't less than those outside prison.
I have never seen a study that shows prisoners are healthier than the general population. They might have some benefits in the treatment of chronic illness that perhaps very low income people wouldn't have access to for financial reason. But if you are going to hold them up as an example of good health you are going to have to provide some data for that.
NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do and that's because the prison population per capita isn't overweight/obese in the same percentage as general population. I KNOW for a fact that 65% of the prison population isn't in the overweight/obese category like the US population is.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I think it makes sense most wouldn't be overweight, since I'm assuming the amount they're allowed to eat everyday is controlled based on averages needed for their gender and possibly size. Of course I have no idea, as fortunately I have no personal experience with prison!1 -
There really isn't any. What you CAN do is just google "prison inmate pictures" and look at the groups of people and try picking out the overweight/obese ones. You might find more with female populations than male, but by in large you may be searching a long time to find a few that are a group of just overweight/obese inmates.MargaretYakoda wrote: »I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
An interesting insight.
I would love to see some peer reviewed articles about the difference between that 1% and the general prison population.
Although I would not be surprised if there aren’t any.
My guess (and it is only a guess) is there might be some genetic component. Either in an inability to feel sated. Or an incredibly efficient metabolism. But again. That’s just a guess.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
1 -
There is actually a guideline for meals calorie intake in the penitentiary systems.Speakeasy76 wrote: »
Show me pictures of obese inmates who've spent at least a year in prison. I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
If eating low quality food for years ACTUALLY caused chronic disease, then explain how prison inmates have been in penitentiaries for decades eating some of the lowest quality foods 3 times a day and NOT suffering many of the maladies that the average very overweight/obese population is suffering from?I also agree. I seriously doubt that you all are eating very much of those foods, and probably eat healthy most the time. You all know you're healthy despite eating a little junk not because of it! I grew up eating frozen dinners and junk food and hardly any vegetables except corn. If I hadn't gotten on a health kick at 16, I'd probably have the same chronic diseases, by now, that my parents have.Luluetduet8 wrote: »AliciaHollywood wrote: »laurenq1991 wrote: »Living in a non-walkable area definitely influences weight and fitness. It's easier to stay fit when you have the option of walking places, or running outside.
Any supermarket that removed junk food would face a huge backlash and probably go out of business. You can't dictate something as personal as food on that scale. Some communities do have a culture of healthy eating and tend to have lower rates of obesity. But you can't force people to change their culture, at least not without a backlash, and that raises ethical questions.
Also, even "healthy organic specialty" supermarkets have plenty of junk food. You have the causality backwards -- the supermarkets in your area stock more healthy foods because there is more demand due to the local culture of being healthy/fit.
And anyway, junk food doesn't make you fat. It's the quantity of calories that makes you fat, regardless of where it comes from.
Actually junk food does make you fat. All the salt, sugar and chemicals makes you crave more salt and sugar so you eat more junk food full of empty calories and chemicals. And healthy nutritional foods are used by the body as fuel while junk food just clogs arteries, is stored as fat, gives you high cholesterol, is conducive to diabetes and otherwise reeks havoc on the body. It’s not even all about weight, but health and nutrition. I can never understand how people are basically putting poison in their bodies every day and food corporations are getting away with poisoning Americans. There is literally no value whatsoever to “foods” like Cheetos or Twinkies and still people consume them. Why? Not only is there no nutritional value to them, they are BAD for you, poisonous! Sodas like Coke and Pepsi, even the zero calorie kind are pure poison! People have to think less about losing weight and more about nutrition. If people stuck to healthy, pure, non-prepackaged foods with high nutritional value, they would automatically lose weight and feel so much healthier!
I feel the same way.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Where are you getting this information from? I don't think this is accurate. Inmates in general gain weight during incarceration, and their risk of "maladies that the average overweight/obese population suffer from" isn't less than those outside prison.
I have never seen a study that shows prisoners are healthier than the general population. They might have some benefits in the treatment of chronic illness that perhaps very low income people wouldn't have access to for financial reason. But if you are going to hold them up as an example of good health you are going to have to provide some data for that.
NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do and that's because the prison population per capita isn't overweight/obese in the same percentage as general population. I KNOW for a fact that 65% of the prison population isn't in the overweight/obese category like the US population is.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I think it makes sense most wouldn't be overweight, since I'm assuming the amount they're allowed to eat everyday is controlled based on averages needed for their gender and possibly size. Of course I have no idea, as fortunately I have no personal experience with prison!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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There really isn't any. What you CAN do is just google "prison inmate pictures" and look at the groups of people and try picking out the overweight/obese ones. You might find more with female populations than male, but by in large you may be searching a long time to find a few that are a group of just overweight/obese inmates.MargaretYakoda wrote: »I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
An interesting insight.
I would love to see some peer reviewed articles about the difference between that 1% and the general prison population.
Although I would not be surprised if there aren’t any.
My guess (and it is only a guess) is there might be some genetic component. Either in an inability to feel sated. Or an incredibly efficient metabolism. But again. That’s just a guess.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I have a feeling this is not a good idea. Especially on your work computer.9 -
There really isn't any. What you CAN do is just google "prison inmate pictures" and look at the groups of people and try picking out the overweight/obese ones. You might find more with female populations than male, but by in large you may be searching a long time to find a few that are a group of just overweight/obese inmates.MargaretYakoda wrote: »I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
An interesting insight.
I would love to see some peer reviewed articles about the difference between that 1% and the general prison population.
Although I would not be surprised if there aren’t any.
My guess (and it is only a guess) is there might be some genetic component. Either in an inability to feel sated. Or an incredibly efficient metabolism. But again. That’s just a guess.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Oh. I believe your observation. You were there. I’m just curious about that 1% and why they remain obese after more than a year incarcerated.0 -
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corinasue1143 wrote: »
Thanks for the articles. 💐0 -
The person who originally commented about obesity in prison inmates may be Canadian. In Canada, it does seem to be the case that prisoners have higher rates of obesity and weight gain while incarcerated. The article below briefly mentions that the role of environment, restrictions on overall mobility, and discontinued tobacco use may impact weight gain too.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182125/
"Obesity rates increased by 71%, from 26.6% of participants (n = 378) on admission to 45.4% of participants at follow-up (n = 645). The proportion of inmates with a BMI in the normal range (18.5–24.9) decreased by 52%. Weight gain was found to be associated with older age, region (Ontario v. Atlantic), ethnicity (Aboriginal inmates showed the highest weight gain), longer incarceration, and longer total sentence. However, weight gain was not associated with sex, feeding system or spoken language."3 -
This is going to sound really silly, but I used to walk daily and this stopped due to where I lived, why? Because my ex's family live up the road and I was terrified of bumping into them (they aren't very nice people, which is why he is an ex).
Now I have moved I have a park LITERALY opposite my home, its huge and beautiful and I've started walking again! No gyms too nearby, so pleased to get my exercise anyway I can
10 -
The person who originally commented about obesity in prison inmates may be Canadian. In Canada, it does seem to be the case that prisoners have higher rates of obesity and weight gain while incarcerated. The article below briefly mentions that the role of environment, restrictions on overall mobility, and discontinued tobacco use may impact weight gain too.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182125/
"Obesity rates increased by 71%, from 26.6% of participants (n = 378) on admission to 45.4% of participants at follow-up (n = 645). The proportion of inmates with a BMI in the normal range (18.5–24.9) decreased by 52%. Weight gain was found to be associated with older age, region (Ontario v. Atlantic), ethnicity (Aboriginal inmates showed the highest weight gain), longer incarceration, and longer total sentence. However, weight gain was not associated with sex, feeding system or spoken language."
Just a question, how did they define "obesity"? Simple BMI chart?0 -
Show me pictures of obese inmates who've spent at least a year in prison. I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
If eating low quality food for years ACTUALLY caused chronic disease, then explain how prison inmates have been in penitentiaries for decades eating some of the lowest quality foods 3 times a day and NOT suffering many of the maladies that the average very overweight/obese population is suffering from?I also agree. I seriously doubt that you all are eating very much of those foods, and probably eat healthy most the time. You all know you're healthy despite eating a little junk not because of it! I grew up eating frozen dinners and junk food and hardly any vegetables except corn. If I hadn't gotten on a health kick at 16, I'd probably have the same chronic diseases, by now, that my parents have.Luluetduet8 wrote: »AliciaHollywood wrote: »laurenq1991 wrote: »Living in a non-walkable area definitely influences weight and fitness. It's easier to stay fit when you have the option of walking places, or running outside.
Any supermarket that removed junk food would face a huge backlash and probably go out of business. You can't dictate something as personal as food on that scale. Some communities do have a culture of healthy eating and tend to have lower rates of obesity. But you can't force people to change their culture, at least not without a backlash, and that raises ethical questions.
Also, even "healthy organic specialty" supermarkets have plenty of junk food. You have the causality backwards -- the supermarkets in your area stock more healthy foods because there is more demand due to the local culture of being healthy/fit.
And anyway, junk food doesn't make you fat. It's the quantity of calories that makes you fat, regardless of where it comes from.
Actually junk food does make you fat. All the salt, sugar and chemicals makes you crave more salt and sugar so you eat more junk food full of empty calories and chemicals. And healthy nutritional foods are used by the body as fuel while junk food just clogs arteries, is stored as fat, gives you high cholesterol, is conducive to diabetes and otherwise reeks havoc on the body. It’s not even all about weight, but health and nutrition. I can never understand how people are basically putting poison in their bodies every day and food corporations are getting away with poisoning Americans. There is literally no value whatsoever to “foods” like Cheetos or Twinkies and still people consume them. Why? Not only is there no nutritional value to them, they are BAD for you, poisonous! Sodas like Coke and Pepsi, even the zero calorie kind are pure poison! People have to think less about losing weight and more about nutrition. If people stuck to healthy, pure, non-prepackaged foods with high nutritional value, they would automatically lose weight and feel so much healthier!
I feel the same way.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Where are you getting this information from? I don't think this is accurate. Inmates in general gain weight during incarceration, and their risk of "maladies that the average overweight/obese population suffer from" isn't less than those outside prison.
I have never seen a study that shows prisoners are healthier than the general population. They might have some benefits in the treatment of chronic illness that perhaps very low income people wouldn't have access to for financial reason. But if you are going to hold them up as an example of good health you are going to have to provide some data for that.
NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do and that's because the prison population per capita isn't overweight/obese in the same percentage as general population. I KNOW for a fact that 65% of the prison population isn't in the overweight/obese category like the US population is.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I think your "facts" are wrong. Unless you have some actual peer reviewed studies on the effect of incarceration on obesity, other than what you have "seen" and pictures you have googled? I really am curious as to where you are getting your information from. It is contrary to everything I have read on the subject, but I am willing to keep an open mind if you can direct me to your sources.
The study I originally linked was Canadian. Here is an American one.
The Effect of Incarceration on Adult Male BMI Trajectories, United States, 1981–2006
"Cumulative exposure to prison increased BMI for all groups."
"By the last observation in 2006, mean BMI had increased almost 6 BMI units to BMI 25–29.9; that is, on average the respondents were overweight"
"Focusing on a single, continuous indicator of health (BMI), this study clearly links incarceration to weight gain. "
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4010134/
"NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"
Well saying that they don't suffer the many of the maladies that overweight/obese people do the implication I would take from that is that they are healthier. So are you saying that they suffer less maladies, and are also less healthy? I'd like to understand exactly what you mean by that if you would care to clarify it for me.
"I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"[/b]
Do you have a source for this statement?
I mean to be fair you are using statements you are making regarding prisoner health and weight to back up your underlying assertion regarding "healthy" and "unhealthy" food. If you are going to do that you need to be able to support those statements with more than your personal observations and pictures on google.7 -
Here are statistics from the US Bureau of Justice, that shows in 2011-12 73.6% of federal inmates were either overweight, obese, or morbidly obese - and clearly shows that incarceration is NOT protective against the "maladies that many overweight/obese" suffer from.
https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/mpsfpji1112.pdf
some highlights:
"The majority of prisoners (74%) and jail inmates (62%) were
overweight, obese, or morbidly obese."
"Both prisoners and jail inmates were more likely than
the general population to report ever having a chronic
condition or infectious disease. The same finding held true
for each specific condition or infectious disease. "
"High blood pressure was the most common chronic
condition reported by prisoners (30%) and jail inmates (26%)."6 -
I remember growing up the football teams from the mountains were all pretty tough, which we attributed partially to walking around on hills and slopes all day, every day, all their lives.1
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I remember growing up the football teams from the mountains were all pretty tough, which we attributed partially to walking around on hills and slopes all day, every day, all their lives.0
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YellowD0gs wrote: »Just a question, how did they define "obesity"? Simple BMI chart?
Yes, I believe so.
Here's a quote from that Canadian Prison study, regarding methdology (Ill and pregnant inmates were excluded from the study:
"The 3 main outcomes of the study were change in weight (difference between weight at admission and at follow-up), change in body mass index (BMI; difference between BMI at admission and at follow-up), and annual change in weight during incarceration (kg/yr; weight change during incarceration divided by the number of years of incarceration at the time of study). In addition, data on weight and BMI were compared with similar data from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey of the general Canadian adult population in 2015[6] to contextualize our findings."
Statistics Canada generally uses BMI with this disclaimer (link: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-625-x/2019001/article/00005-eng.htm ):
"Measures of BMI can be used to understand how the weight of a population changes over time and how weight is related to health risks. However, while BMI is useful to monitor the health of a population, it does not necessarily reflect health risks for a person. Individuals should be cautious if using BMI to classify themselves since this measure is not as precise for predicting health risks for people who are naturally very lean or muscular, or people from certain minority ethnic groups."
I should've included this originally - but here's another quote from the prison study comparing obesity and weight gain in Canadian prisons with Japan, UK, and USA:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182125/#!po=94.4444
"Penitentiaries in Japan have been shown to be less obesogenic than the general community. Most Japanese inmates lost weight, and BMI scores decreased during incarceration. Unlike Canadian inmates, Japanese inmates follow strict low-calorie diets and are obliged to work and exercise daily.[18,19] However, Japanese inmates were the only outliers in a recent systematic review that examined weight changes during incarceration.[7] The findings from 16 different studies showed that 50%–80% of inmates gained weight during incarceration in the United States and United Kingdom.[3,7,9,20–23] The amount and pace of weight gained varied by study, and ranged from a modest mean gain of 0.96 kg over 2 years[3] to a substantial 0.5-kg gain per week.[9] The latter study involved female inmates in the US and was based on weight gained during the first 2 weeks of incarceration.[7,9]"0 -
Using BMI is useless. Put it this way. I'm muscular at 190lbs and 5'7". I'm categorically OBESE. There are large populations of prison inmates that are "jacked" too.
Show me pictures of obese inmates who've spent at least a year in prison. I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
If eating low quality food for years ACTUALLY caused chronic disease, then explain how prison inmates have been in penitentiaries for decades eating some of the lowest quality foods 3 times a day and NOT suffering many of the maladies that the average very overweight/obese population is suffering from?I also agree. I seriously doubt that you all are eating very much of those foods, and probably eat healthy most the time. You all know you're healthy despite eating a little junk not because of it! I grew up eating frozen dinners and junk food and hardly any vegetables except corn. If I hadn't gotten on a health kick at 16, I'd probably have the same chronic diseases, by now, that my parents have.Luluetduet8 wrote: »AliciaHollywood wrote: »laurenq1991 wrote: »Living in a non-walkable area definitely influences weight and fitness. It's easier to stay fit when you have the option of walking places, or running outside.
Any supermarket that removed junk food would face a huge backlash and probably go out of business. You can't dictate something as personal as food on that scale. Some communities do have a culture of healthy eating and tend to have lower rates of obesity. But you can't force people to change their culture, at least not without a backlash, and that raises ethical questions.
Also, even "healthy organic specialty" supermarkets have plenty of junk food. You have the causality backwards -- the supermarkets in your area stock more healthy foods because there is more demand due to the local culture of being healthy/fit.
And anyway, junk food doesn't make you fat. It's the quantity of calories that makes you fat, regardless of where it comes from.
Actually junk food does make you fat. All the salt, sugar and chemicals makes you crave more salt and sugar so you eat more junk food full of empty calories and chemicals. And healthy nutritional foods are used by the body as fuel while junk food just clogs arteries, is stored as fat, gives you high cholesterol, is conducive to diabetes and otherwise reeks havoc on the body. It’s not even all about weight, but health and nutrition. I can never understand how people are basically putting poison in their bodies every day and food corporations are getting away with poisoning Americans. There is literally no value whatsoever to “foods” like Cheetos or Twinkies and still people consume them. Why? Not only is there no nutritional value to them, they are BAD for you, poisonous! Sodas like Coke and Pepsi, even the zero calorie kind are pure poison! People have to think less about losing weight and more about nutrition. If people stuck to healthy, pure, non-prepackaged foods with high nutritional value, they would automatically lose weight and feel so much healthier!
I feel the same way.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Where are you getting this information from? I don't think this is accurate. Inmates in general gain weight during incarceration, and their risk of "maladies that the average overweight/obese population suffer from" isn't less than those outside prison.
I have never seen a study that shows prisoners are healthier than the general population. They might have some benefits in the treatment of chronic illness that perhaps very low income people wouldn't have access to for financial reason. But if you are going to hold them up as an example of good health you are going to have to provide some data for that.
NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do and that's because the prison population per capita isn't overweight/obese in the same percentage as general population. I KNOW for a fact that 65% of the prison population isn't in the overweight/obese category like the US population is.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I think your "facts" are wrong. Unless you have some actual peer reviewed studies on the effect of incarceration on obesity, other than what you have "seen" and pictures you have googled? I really am curious as to where you are getting your information from. It is contrary to everything I have read on the subject, but I am willing to keep an open mind if you can direct me to your sources.
The study I originally linked was Canadian. Here is an American one.
The Effect of Incarceration on Adult Male BMI Trajectories, United States, 1981–2006
"Cumulative exposure to prison increased BMI for all groups."
"By the last observation in 2006, mean BMI had increased almost 6 BMI units to BMI 25–29.9; that is, on average the respondents were overweight"
"Focusing on a single, continuous indicator of health (BMI), this study clearly links incarceration to weight gain. "
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4010134/
I'll put it this way. We have more general population being hospitalized for obesity and weight related issues daily versus a prison population that gets hospitalized more for health issues due to drug use, chronic illness they had likely obtained going into prison and just bad conditions of prison alone. It's a wonder that many do more that 10 years in there and stay alive and somewhat fit for many. Unfortunately, I CAN'T provide studies that aren't done. There's very little even studied on this likely because it's not that interesting to the public and doesn't get funded. Whether you agree or not, that's fine. I have no reason to lie about what I've experienced with what I've personally seen and from people I know who were incarcerated. I pit that against my everyday observation of the public I see on an everyday basis. And I think I'm a pretty good knowledgeable person to see the difference. So we can agree to disagree."NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"
Well saying that they don't suffer the many of the maladies that overweight/obese people do the implication I would take from that is that they are healthier. So are you saying that they suffer less maladies, and are also less healthy? I'd like to understand exactly what you mean by that if you would care to clarify it for me.
"I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"[/b]
Do you have a source for this statement?
I mean to be fair you are using statements you are making regarding prisoner health and weight to back up your underlying assertion regarding "healthy" and "unhealthy" food. If you are going to do that you need to be able to support those statements with more than your personal observations and pictures on google.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
0 -
Using BMI is useless. Put it this way. I'm muscular at 190lbs and 5'7". I'm categorically OBESE. There are large populations of prison inmates that are "jacked" too.
Show me pictures of obese inmates who've spent at least a year in prison. I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
If eating low quality food for years ACTUALLY caused chronic disease, then explain how prison inmates have been in penitentiaries for decades eating some of the lowest quality foods 3 times a day and NOT suffering many of the maladies that the average very overweight/obese population is suffering from?I also agree. I seriously doubt that you all are eating very much of those foods, and probably eat healthy most the time. You all know you're healthy despite eating a little junk not because of it! I grew up eating frozen dinners and junk food and hardly any vegetables except corn. If I hadn't gotten on a health kick at 16, I'd probably have the same chronic diseases, by now, that my parents have.Luluetduet8 wrote: »AliciaHollywood wrote: »laurenq1991 wrote: »Living in a non-walkable area definitely influences weight and fitness. It's easier to stay fit when you have the option of walking places, or running outside.
Any supermarket that removed junk food would face a huge backlash and probably go out of business. You can't dictate something as personal as food on that scale. Some communities do have a culture of healthy eating and tend to have lower rates of obesity. But you can't force people to change their culture, at least not without a backlash, and that raises ethical questions.
Also, even "healthy organic specialty" supermarkets have plenty of junk food. You have the causality backwards -- the supermarkets in your area stock more healthy foods because there is more demand due to the local culture of being healthy/fit.
And anyway, junk food doesn't make you fat. It's the quantity of calories that makes you fat, regardless of where it comes from.
Actually junk food does make you fat. All the salt, sugar and chemicals makes you crave more salt and sugar so you eat more junk food full of empty calories and chemicals. And healthy nutritional foods are used by the body as fuel while junk food just clogs arteries, is stored as fat, gives you high cholesterol, is conducive to diabetes and otherwise reeks havoc on the body. It’s not even all about weight, but health and nutrition. I can never understand how people are basically putting poison in their bodies every day and food corporations are getting away with poisoning Americans. There is literally no value whatsoever to “foods” like Cheetos or Twinkies and still people consume them. Why? Not only is there no nutritional value to them, they are BAD for you, poisonous! Sodas like Coke and Pepsi, even the zero calorie kind are pure poison! People have to think less about losing weight and more about nutrition. If people stuck to healthy, pure, non-prepackaged foods with high nutritional value, they would automatically lose weight and feel so much healthier!
I feel the same way.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
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Where are you getting this information from? I don't think this is accurate. Inmates in general gain weight during incarceration, and their risk of "maladies that the average overweight/obese population suffer from" isn't less than those outside prison.
I have never seen a study that shows prisoners are healthier than the general population. They might have some benefits in the treatment of chronic illness that perhaps very low income people wouldn't have access to for financial reason. But if you are going to hold them up as an example of good health you are going to have to provide some data for that.
NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do and that's because the prison population per capita isn't overweight/obese in the same percentage as general population. I KNOW for a fact that 65% of the prison population isn't in the overweight/obese category like the US population is.
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I think your "facts" are wrong. Unless you have some actual peer reviewed studies on the effect of incarceration on obesity, other than what you have "seen" and pictures you have googled? I really am curious as to where you are getting your information from. It is contrary to everything I have read on the subject, but I am willing to keep an open mind if you can direct me to your sources.
The study I originally linked was Canadian. Here is an American one.
The Effect of Incarceration on Adult Male BMI Trajectories, United States, 1981–2006
"Cumulative exposure to prison increased BMI for all groups."
"By the last observation in 2006, mean BMI had increased almost 6 BMI units to BMI 25–29.9; that is, on average the respondents were overweight"
"Focusing on a single, continuous indicator of health (BMI), this study clearly links incarceration to weight gain. "
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4010134/
I'll put it this way. We have more general population being hospitalized for obesity and weight related issues daily versus a prison population that gets hospitalized more for health issues due to drug use, chronic illness they had likely obtained going into prison and just bad conditions of prison alone. It's a wonder that many do more that 10 years in there and stay alive and somewhat fit for many. Unfortunately, I CAN'T provide studies that aren't done. There's very little even studied on this likely because it's not that interesting to the public and doesn't get funded. Whether you agree or not, that's fine. I have no reason to lie about what I've experienced with what I've personally seen and from people I know who were incarcerated. I pit that against my everyday observation of the public I see on an everyday basis. And I think I'm a pretty good knowledgeable person to see the difference. So we can agree to disagree."NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"
Well saying that they don't suffer the many of the maladies that overweight/obese people do the implication I would take from that is that they are healthier. So are you saying that they suffer less maladies, and are also less healthy? I'd like to understand exactly what you mean by that if you would care to clarify it for me.
"I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"[/b]
Do you have a source for this statement?
I mean to be fair you are using statements you are making regarding prisoner health and weight to back up your underlying assertion regarding "healthy" and "unhealthy" food. If you are going to do that you need to be able to support those statements with more than your personal observations and pictures on google.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
"Using BMI is useless. I'm muscular at 190lbs and 5'7". I'm categorically OBESE. There are large populations of prison inmates that are "jacked" too."
The idea that the majority (close to the 3/4) of the U.S prison population are so "jacked" as to be outliers from the BMI charts is , frankly, unbelievable to me. I honestly think you have been watching too many movies.
"I'll put it this way. We have more general population being hospitalized for obesity and weight related issues daily versus a prison population that gets hospitalized more for health issues due to drug use, chronic illness they had likely obtained going into prison and just bad conditions of prison alone. It's a wonder that many do more that 10 years in there and stay alive and somewhat fit for many."
This is not indicated in the statistics (that I have already linked). Prisoners have MORE incidence of every chronic illness than the general public. (FWIW I never suggested that there were not factors other than diet and obesity that contribute to their health challenges. I am aware that there are many.)
"Unfortunately, I CAN'T provide studies that aren't done. There's very little even studied on this likely because it's not that interesting to the public and doesn't get funded"
You aren't looking very hard. There are loads of studies done. I could link them all day.
"Whether you agree or not, that's fine."
It's not that "I don't agree" - it's that the extensive data doesn't support your conclusions.
"I have no reason to lie about what I've experienced with what I've personally seen and from people I know who were incarcerated. I pit that against my everyday observation of the public I see on an everyday basis. And I think I'm a pretty good knowledgeable person to see the difference."
I don't think you are lying. I think you are confusing your personal observations and anecdotes with data. You are seeing something in your limited experience and applying it to a much larger scenario. But it doesn't play out that way. There are limitations to what you can personally experience, and using those personal experiences to draw conclusions, which are then used to support a debate position, is disengenous, but common. I mean we have all been subject to the "person who" logical fallacy in a debate scenario. (My mother smokes and is 87 years old therefore cigarettes are healthy".)
"So we can agree to disagree."
OK - if someone is going to disagree with facts then there is nothing that I can do about that, and further debate is pointless.5 -
Using BMI is useless. Put it this way. I'm muscular at 190lbs and 5'7". I'm categorically OBESE. There are large populations of prison inmates that are "jacked" too.
Show me pictures of obese inmates who've spent at least a year in prison. I've been to several prisons with friends who are CO's and if you compare the population of obese there you're talking maybe 1%.
If eating low quality food for years ACTUALLY caused chronic disease, then explain how prison inmates have been in penitentiaries for decades eating some of the lowest quality foods 3 times a day and NOT suffering many of the maladies that the average very overweight/obese population is suffering from?I also agree. I seriously doubt that you all are eating very much of those foods, and probably eat healthy most the time. You all know you're healthy despite eating a little junk not because of it! I grew up eating frozen dinners and junk food and hardly any vegetables except corn. If I hadn't gotten on a health kick at 16, I'd probably have the same chronic diseases, by now, that my parents have.Luluetduet8 wrote: »AliciaHollywood wrote: »laurenq1991 wrote: »Living in a non-walkable area definitely influences weight and fitness. It's easier to stay fit when you have the option of walking places, or running outside.
Any supermarket that removed junk food would face a huge backlash and probably go out of business. You can't dictate something as personal as food on that scale. Some communities do have a culture of healthy eating and tend to have lower rates of obesity. But you can't force people to change their culture, at least not without a backlash, and that raises ethical questions.
Also, even "healthy organic specialty" supermarkets have plenty of junk food. You have the causality backwards -- the supermarkets in your area stock more healthy foods because there is more demand due to the local culture of being healthy/fit.
And anyway, junk food doesn't make you fat. It's the quantity of calories that makes you fat, regardless of where it comes from.
Actually junk food does make you fat. All the salt, sugar and chemicals makes you crave more salt and sugar so you eat more junk food full of empty calories and chemicals. And healthy nutritional foods are used by the body as fuel while junk food just clogs arteries, is stored as fat, gives you high cholesterol, is conducive to diabetes and otherwise reeks havoc on the body. It’s not even all about weight, but health and nutrition. I can never understand how people are basically putting poison in their bodies every day and food corporations are getting away with poisoning Americans. There is literally no value whatsoever to “foods” like Cheetos or Twinkies and still people consume them. Why? Not only is there no nutritional value to them, they are BAD for you, poisonous! Sodas like Coke and Pepsi, even the zero calorie kind are pure poison! People have to think less about losing weight and more about nutrition. If people stuck to healthy, pure, non-prepackaged foods with high nutritional value, they would automatically lose weight and feel so much healthier!
I feel the same way.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Where are you getting this information from? I don't think this is accurate. Inmates in general gain weight during incarceration, and their risk of "maladies that the average overweight/obese population suffer from" isn't less than those outside prison.
I have never seen a study that shows prisoners are healthier than the general population. They might have some benefits in the treatment of chronic illness that perhaps very low income people wouldn't have access to for financial reason. But if you are going to hold them up as an example of good health you are going to have to provide some data for that.
NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do and that's because the prison population per capita isn't overweight/obese in the same percentage as general population. I KNOW for a fact that 65% of the prison population isn't in the overweight/obese category like the US population is.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I think your "facts" are wrong. Unless you have some actual peer reviewed studies on the effect of incarceration on obesity, other than what you have "seen" and pictures you have googled? I really am curious as to where you are getting your information from. It is contrary to everything I have read on the subject, but I am willing to keep an open mind if you can direct me to your sources.
The study I originally linked was Canadian. Here is an American one.
The Effect of Incarceration on Adult Male BMI Trajectories, United States, 1981–2006
"Cumulative exposure to prison increased BMI for all groups."
"By the last observation in 2006, mean BMI had increased almost 6 BMI units to BMI 25–29.9; that is, on average the respondents were overweight"
"Focusing on a single, continuous indicator of health (BMI), this study clearly links incarceration to weight gain. "
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4010134/
I'll put it this way. We have more general population being hospitalized for obesity and weight related issues daily versus a prison population that gets hospitalized more for health issues due to drug use, chronic illness they had likely obtained going into prison and just bad conditions of prison alone. It's a wonder that many do more that 10 years in there and stay alive and somewhat fit for many. Unfortunately, I CAN'T provide studies that aren't done. There's very little even studied on this likely because it's not that interesting to the public and doesn't get funded. Whether you agree or not, that's fine. I have no reason to lie about what I've experienced with what I've personally seen and from people I know who were incarcerated. I pit that against my everyday observation of the public I see on an everyday basis. And I think I'm a pretty good knowledgeable person to see the difference. So we can agree to disagree."NEVER said prisoners were healthier than general population. I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"
Well saying that they don't suffer the many of the maladies that overweight/obese people do the implication I would take from that is that they are healthier. So are you saying that they suffer less maladies, and are also less healthy? I'd like to understand exactly what you mean by that if you would care to clarify it for me.
"I stated they don't suffer many of the maladies that many overweight/obese do"[/b]
Do you have a source for this statement?
I mean to be fair you are using statements you are making regarding prisoner health and weight to back up your underlying assertion regarding "healthy" and "unhealthy" food. If you are going to do that you need to be able to support those statements with more than your personal observations and pictures on google.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
As 33gail33 noted, there are an abundance of studies and academic articles in health journals from around the world that look at the effects of prison systems on health and weight. It seems naive to assume that American inmates collectively have more muscle mass than those in Canada, UK, Italy, etc. And discount findings in those studies (which if you checked, you'd see often reference American-based studies when making cross comparisons). You can also read testimonies/case studies from ex cons and long term prisoners who did NOT go into a body building business (cherry picking best case scenarios much).
Like you, I have my own anecdotal evidence from working as an assistant in a law office which provides services to low income and vulnerable populations. I would not use ex-cons or long-term inmates as role models for desirable weight range - but that's me.
Its HARD to stay healthy and fit in prison long term; so many cards are stacked against you. Everything from weather/climate, chronic and mental health conditions, poor sleep regimes, nutritional deficiencies, history of recreational drug and tobacco use, a virulent health contagion, solitary confinement, interference of assignments/jobs, lengthy roll calls, social dynamics, access to feminine hygiene products (female), and available functional equipment & space per person would impact a hypothetical exercise regime. I can't imagine that during a heatwave, the majority of inmates in a Texas prison are collectively working on weights during their miday lunch block without AC, for example.
"Evaluations of Muscular Strength, Ability to Balance and Health Status in Prisoners during COVID-19"
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/8/4316/htm
"Many studies have shown that physical inactivity among prisoners has a higher incidence than the general population."
"However, studies have shown that people living in prisons are limited in the practice of physical activity due to the small size of prisons and the inability to perform physical exercises whenever they wish [22,23]. It would be desirable for criminal institutions to draw up special protocols allowing organized and guided physical activity through physical exercise."
It seems like common knowledge for the people who actually study this.. but I'll do some digging to see if I can find a more American-centric paper later!5 -
Having lived in a variety of areas and lifestyle/cultures here in the US, I would say the original question is a definite YES, with the caveat that some areas, just in how they are developed and set up, encourage a more active and healthier lifestyle than others.
I grew up in farm country, rural upper midwest. Most people were overweight and obese, including most of my family - my father was an exception, and thankfully I took after him. To this day, of most of my extended family, even 15-20 pounds overweight I'd be the skinny one - which is sad IMO.
I spent the better part of nearly 2 decades in the San Francisco area. Outdoor activity was easier, more people were just outdoors to begin with, and even transportation involved a lot more activity, and the infrastructure encouraged activity (I saw a similar model in Italy and Germany when I was there) as trains got you "close enough" and you would walk from there - but you weren't stuck MILES from your destination, and you could reasonably get to a train or other mass transit location. Bicycles and motorcycles were encouraged, and laws and roadways were often updated to make those alternative forms of transportation more reasonable and safer.
Then I lived in the Dallas, TX metro - walkability, even in an area that "should" have been walk-able, was AWFUL. Since no one walked, drivers had zero respect for "walkers" and boy oh boy, I think those drivers were the worst I have encountered in terms of being self entitled jerks - which make walking a scary prospect even for me. And don't try to be on a bicycle or motorcycle during commute hours unless you have a death wish. Public transit was a joke, and practically useless.
I currently live in the southeast Atlanta region. Drivers aren't as awful as they were in Dallas (but to be fair, I'm not in downtown Atlanta generally either). There is more outdoor stuff in the general region (parks, hiking, boating, camping, biking, etc) thanks to the mountains here. Weather isn't as accommodating as California, but it's not awful. Public and alternative transit outside of a motorcycle I would still consider a joke though - which means I drive to and from - well - everything. The site-seeing I've done in the city did not feel like most of it was as (safely) walk able as I was used to in most of San Francisco - but did remind me of what I would have considered the walkability of Oakland
When it comes to food and store choices - HUGE differences. Even in the same "chain" of stores. My mother, in Tennessee, has very obvious differences between, say Knoxville and where she currently lives, even at the same "store."6 -
I’ve been lurking on this thread a while lol
I think it’s cultural and yes I do believe our surroundings plays a part. (How large of a part? I don’t know) I also think our circle of family and friends play a role in our external influences.
The original poster was writing from Los Angeles… who is in LA? Lots of actors and models.. I’m in downtown Manhattan, NYC … what’s in my neighborhood… a lot of actors and models. So of course there is a bit of a trend to be fit and look good in these locations. (These are also TV/Film/Theatre/Fashion bubbles in the USA)
Beaches in the Hamptons or Martha’s Vineyard. ..: I see a lot of fit bodies. What’s the difference? Affluent neighborhoods.
Shopping centers in affluent neighborhoods also play a role. I was just walking in the meatpacking district in lower Manhattan and looking into a few shops.. there are no plus sizes in many of these shops.. Where do these affluent centers tend to cluster? Many on the coasts around US big cities ..NY or LA.
Are there outliers to this ? Of course/ there are all shapes and sizes everywhere.. but I do think culture, work place influences and neighborhoods play a conscious OR subconscious role in our weight and fitness.
7 -
I think living in Colorado instead of Louisiana has had a big impact on my fitness! It's the culture here to hike and ski and spend time outside all the time. The weather here is never too debilitating- never too hot, never too much rain, snow has it's own activities...8
-
Interesting article related to this thread. Didn't know so many drunks in TX and WI. Wow.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/05/15/the-drunkest-and-driest-cities-in-america/34901003/1 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »Interesting article related to this thread. Didn't know so many drunks in TX and WI. Wow.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/05/15/the-drunkest-and-driest-cities-in-america/34901003/
Wisconsin is a fun state. Just look at the northbound traffic leaving IL on the weekend and southbound going back Sunday evening.3 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »Interesting article related to this thread. Didn't know so many drunks in TX and WI. Wow.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/05/15/the-drunkest-and-driest-cities-in-america/34901003/
Oh yeah, in Wisconsin, bars outnumber grocery stores 3-to-1.
Add in the cheese and bratwurst, and it's probably not the healthiest of states.
We love to vacation there, though...there's some beautiful areas...just stay off the roads on a Saturday night.
That said, I think I'd be healthier if I lived in Wisconsin...I enjoy outdoor activities, and there's more opportunity for that there as opposed to the dense urban environment in which I currently live.4 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »Interesting article related to this thread. Didn't know so many drunks in TX and WI. Wow.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/05/15/the-drunkest-and-driest-cities-in-america/34901003/
Oh yeah, in Wisconsin, bars outnumber grocery stores 3-to-1.
Add in the cheese and bratwurst, and it's probably not the healthiest of states.
We love to vacation there, though...there's some beautiful areas...just stay off the roads on a Saturday night.
That said, I think I'd be healthier if I lived in Wisconsin...I enjoy outdoor activities, and there's more opportunity for that there as opposed to the dense urban environment in which I currently live.
Madison WI is ranked the 4th healthiest city in the US
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a33313169/2020-fittest-city-in-america/
Proof you can exercise away a bad diet. JUST KIDDING.5 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »Interesting article related to this thread. Didn't know so many drunks in TX and WI. Wow.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/05/15/the-drunkest-and-driest-cities-in-america/34901003/
Oh yeah, in Wisconsin, bars outnumber grocery stores 3-to-1.
Add in the cheese and bratwurst, and it's probably not the healthiest of states.
We love to vacation there, though...there's some beautiful areas...just stay off the roads on a Saturday night.
That said, I think I'd be healthier if I lived in Wisconsin...I enjoy outdoor activities, and there's more opportunity for that there as opposed to the dense urban environment in which I currently live.
Madison WI is ranked the 4th healthiest city in the US
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a33313169/2020-fittest-city-in-america/
Proof you can exercise away a bad diet. JUST KIDDING.
That’s cause those college kids don’t eat the cheese and brats.
They must run off the beer, though.2 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »Interesting article related to this thread. Didn't know so many drunks in TX and WI. Wow.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/05/15/the-drunkest-and-driest-cities-in-america/34901003/
Oh yeah, in Wisconsin, bars outnumber grocery stores 3-to-1.
Add in the cheese and bratwurst, and it's probably not the healthiest of states.
We love to vacation there, though...there's some beautiful areas...just stay off the roads on a Saturday night.
That said, I think I'd be healthier if I lived in Wisconsin...I enjoy outdoor activities, and there's more opportunity for that there as opposed to the dense urban environment in which I currently live.
Now I think the opposite to some degree when it comes to dense urban environments. I live in downtown Chicago and the short distances encourage walking or biking for everyday stuff as opposed to getting in a car. And I kinda think your day to day burn is more important than one off deliberate exercise.3 -
I would agree with the idea that where you live impacts your weight. I tend to think that diet is largely cultural and different areas have different 'cultures' attached to them. Hollywood is going to have a different culture than Memphis and there will be different popular food choices there than in Austin or Chesapeake, MD.
I think it also makes a difference with respect to how people react to seeing an overweight person. There might be some places that are more accepting of it than others. If you are the only overweight member of a group you might feel more of an inclination to conform and thin down to fit in.
I think weight issues as a cultural thing also makes sense with respect to the fact that America has such a tremendous obesity problem and there are other countries that do not.2 -
richardgavel wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »Interesting article related to this thread. Didn't know so many drunks in TX and WI. Wow.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/05/15/the-drunkest-and-driest-cities-in-america/34901003/
Oh yeah, in Wisconsin, bars outnumber grocery stores 3-to-1.
Add in the cheese and bratwurst, and it's probably not the healthiest of states.
We love to vacation there, though...there's some beautiful areas...just stay off the roads on a Saturday night.
That said, I think I'd be healthier if I lived in Wisconsin...I enjoy outdoor activities, and there's more opportunity for that there as opposed to the dense urban environment in which I currently live.
Now I think the opposite to some degree when it comes to dense urban environments. I live in downtown Chicago and the short distances encourage walking or biking for everyday stuff as opposed to getting in a car. And I kinda think your day to day burn is more important than one off deliberate exercise.
That's generally been my experience too. Downtown cores tend to have proper sidewalks and lots of crosswalks. The scenery and public transit systems are also deceiving when it comes to distance; you can cover a lot of ground but it feels like less (urban distractions take your mind off of things?).
The suburbs I'm currently living in don't have all the sidewalks, crosswalks, safe bicycle lanes, have limited routes and "destinations", can be monotonous, etc.
The many urban cores of a greater metro region can vary though! In Metro Vancouver, BC I work in the city of New Westminster- it's all inclines, wind tunnels and ice slides in winter, and subject to industrial fire and construction debris along the River's industrial sector in the summer. It can be a more of a nuisance to get around there than downtown Vancouver proper (flatter - has Stanley Park, and an array of entertainment attractions) but is still far more walkable than the city of Surrey, which doesn't believe in pedestrians, crosswalks, or city centers without long, congested roads intersecting them, and has a underdeveloped public transit system compared to population needs.
If you have to commute from one part of the metro area to another, depending on travel time, there's not always a lot of incentive (or time) to make healthier lifestyle choices; you may have to really work at developing an efficient routine and carving out space for yourself.2 -
Suburbs are generally not friendly to walking, cycling, or being alive. Let's not confuse them with the city, though. If a city is a family run Indian restaurant, the suburbs are Olive Garden.1
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