America is FAT!

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lolo406
lolo406 Posts: 71
in Fitness and Exercise
Just an article on the obesity in America and how it affects our country and economy etc...

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/obesity-big-fat-problem-america-future-193852066.html
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  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
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    Considering the content of most posts on here, it won't be changing any time soon either.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    On the bright side I hear its actually leveling off
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
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    Go to the motivation and support section, I'd say you're in trouble! How many binge or eat junk food? Lack of self control and discipline from a fast food nation.
  • pixelberry
    pixelberry Posts: 167 Member
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    Last week there was a National Donut Day, a day or two later, National Rocky Road Ice Cream Day, and a day or two ago National Chocolate Ice Cream Day... SMH. And some wonder why there's an epidemic.
  • Swopkin
    Swopkin Posts: 53 Member
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    Let's not be pessimistic. I believe that awareness about healthy food is being raised. In Britain, for instance, doctors are rooting for a ban on all advertising related to fast food or soda. Just like a ban against cigarette comercials was raised in the 70s (?). I sincerely hope they win the battle and the trend will spread to other countries so we are less exposed to such temptations...
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
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    Let's not be pessimistic. I believe that awareness about healthy food is being raised. In Britain, for instance, doctors are rooting for a ban on all advertising related to fast food or soda. Just like a ban against cigarette comercials was raised in the 70s (?). I sincerely hope they win the battle and the trend will spread to other countries so we are less exposed to such temptations...

    I just saw something about this on the news where Disney is trying to ban fast food commercials or something like that? I'll try to find a link.

    Edit: Here's one from CNN

    http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/05/news/companies/disney-junk-food/index.htm
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Let's not be pessimistic.

    Noone is being pessimistic, just realistic. We are fat. Normally above average is a good thing but not when you are talking about your waistline. We are fat and we celebrate it, we coddle it, we treat the fatness but don't prevent the problem. We are not proactive, we are reactive.
  • Swopkin
    Swopkin Posts: 53 Member
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    Let's not be pessimistic.

    Noone is being pessimistic, just realistic. We are fat. Normally above average is a good thing but not when you are talking about your waistline. We are fat and we celebrate it, we coddle it, we treat the fatness but don't prevent the problem. We are not proactive, we are reactive.

    Alright, I phrased it the wrong way. "On the brighter note!".
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    The government can always just make more money to pay for it as usual. I believe that's the plan.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
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    Let's not be pessimistic.

    Noone is being pessimistic, just realistic. We are fat. Normally above average is a good thing but not when you are talking about your waistline. We are fat and we celebrate it, we coddle it, we treat the fatness but don't prevent the problem. We are not proactive, we are reactive.

    I think gradually becoming aware of what fast food and junk has done to people in general is making us start to really think about what we eat, what is in our food and how it's prepared. Before we started getting bigger as a nation, I don't think nutrition information was as widely available as it is now, people just didn't stuff their face with fast food three times a day because it wasn't available.

    Also, with the internet and the information so readily available, this is the first time that nutrition and exercise health information is just THERE. With smart phone apps we finally have the tools right in our hands to become healthier and fit. Now, it's a learning process for everyone.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Until junk food and fast food routinely cost more than healthy food we will continue to be a fat country.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    Yes, we are.

    It's embarrassing.
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
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    ...but not as fat as Qatar.
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    It's not just the US.

    http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

    7 are above 20%. It is a world wide issue not just one country.
  • Jladd42
    Jladd42 Posts: 23 Member
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    Until junk food and fast food routinely cost more than healthy food we will continue to be a fat country.

    This and people are lazy-it's easier to just grab fast food than to plan out your grocery list, shop, and prepare your own food. It takes me at least 2-3 hours to sit down, write out what I'm going to make for the week, plan the list and then shop for it. But I would never stop doing this; i love to cook, and its healthy, and ultimately cheaper. But sometimes a pain in the a** when short on time!!
  • bigf00t
    bigf00t Posts: 6 Member
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    It's funny. People used to be skinny because they were poor and didn't get enough to eat (and this is still true in 3rd world countries).

    But now, there is such an abundance of food, that they've found a correlation of weight to income. So the more money you have the less likely you are to be overweight.

    Cheap food tends to be unhealthy. And it tends to be hyper-palatable -- engineered in factories to appeal to your taste buds.
    Cheap foods tend to be made out source foods that are subsidized.
  • mangobadango
    mangobadango Posts: 294 Member
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    I just saw something about this on the news where Disney is trying to ban fast food commercials or something like that? I'll try to find a link.

    That's funny, it is when I am at Disneyland that America's obesity epidemic truly comes out. I don't know if it is because I am so focused on a healthy lifestyle right now, or because living in Orange County the main trend is toward being thin. But it always makes me sad to see all of the extremely obese people there, especially when it is morbidly obese parents with morbidly obese kids.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    fast food nation is a big buck economy. you try and slow down this monster and the economy suffers BIG TIME. the government knows fast food nation causes a huge stress on health services and quality of life, but I'm afraid the cynic in me says $$$$'s come first before the health and welfare of a population. fast food nation helps governments get elected. I wonder how many of Macdonald's or KFC's board of directors are morbidly obese?
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    It's funny. People used to be skinny because they were poor and didn't get enough to eat (and this is still true in 3rd world countries).

    But now, there is such an abundance of food, that they've found a correlation of weight to income. So the more money you have the less likely you are to be overweight.

    Cheap food tends to be unhealthy. And it tends to be hyper-palatable -- engineered in factories to appeal to your taste buds.
    Cheap foods tend to be made out source foods that are subsidized.

    Or . . . . to more money you have, the more likely you are to be educated, and the more educated you are, the more likely you are to pay attention to diet.
  • Biggipooh
    Biggipooh Posts: 350
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    It's funny. People used to be skinny because they were poor and didn't get enough to eat (and this is still true in 3rd world countries).

    But now, there is such an abundance of food, that they've found a correlation of weight to income. So the more money you have the less likely you are to be overweight.

    Cheap food tends to be unhealthy. And it tends to be hyper-palatable -- engineered in factories to appeal to your taste buds.
    Cheap foods tend to be made out source foods that are subsidized.

    Or . . . . to more money you have, the more likely you are to be educated, and the more educated you are, the more likely you are to pay attention to diet.

    I work in a grocery store and noticed, that most people on foodstamps are pretty fat. Makes me wonder....

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