What if no one were fat?

pmkelly409
pmkelly409 Posts: 1,646 Member
edited September 18 in Fitness and Exercise
From MSN this morning - this is just bits and pieces of the article....

In the United States today, 66% of adults are overweight. Almost 33% of adults are obese, and 4.7% are morbidly obese, or more than 100 pounds overweight. But . . .

What if nobody in America were fat?

We'd save billions of dollars in gas. Airlines would double their profits. A dearth of diabetes and other diseases would save billions of dollars more -- and put thousands of doctors on the street. McDonald's would sell not Big Macs but little steamed chicken snacks -- or watch its profits melt away. Productivity would rise, potentially creating tens of thousands more jobs or higher wages all around.

Add up the savings up on health, food, clothing and efficiencies, and you could buy a professional home gym for every U.S. household -- or hand each $4,270 in cash.

Yes, it sounds a little wild, but the implications of a leaner, meaner country add up to a weighty $487 billion. That's almost 3.5% of gross domestic product, no small sum.

Because 3,500 calories translates into a pound of fat, somewhere along the way, America's 227 million adults have eaten 16 trillion calories too many. That's 14 billion Big Mac meals, with fries and a soda. Eliminate those and you wipe out $81 billion, or McDonald's past four years of sales.

there is sooooo much more to the article. Go to www.msn.com and read the entire thing. Great info, stats and "food" for thought!

Replies

  • pmkelly409
    pmkelly409 Posts: 1,646 Member
    From MSN this morning - this is just bits and pieces of the article....

    In the United States today, 66% of adults are overweight. Almost 33% of adults are obese, and 4.7% are morbidly obese, or more than 100 pounds overweight. But . . .

    What if nobody in America were fat?

    We'd save billions of dollars in gas. Airlines would double their profits. A dearth of diabetes and other diseases would save billions of dollars more -- and put thousands of doctors on the street. McDonald's would sell not Big Macs but little steamed chicken snacks -- or watch its profits melt away. Productivity would rise, potentially creating tens of thousands more jobs or higher wages all around.

    Add up the savings up on health, food, clothing and efficiencies, and you could buy a professional home gym for every U.S. household -- or hand each $4,270 in cash.

    Yes, it sounds a little wild, but the implications of a leaner, meaner country add up to a weighty $487 billion. That's almost 3.5% of gross domestic product, no small sum.

    Because 3,500 calories translates into a pound of fat, somewhere along the way, America's 227 million adults have eaten 16 trillion calories too many. That's 14 billion Big Mac meals, with fries and a soda. Eliminate those and you wipe out $81 billion, or McDonald's past four years of sales.

    there is sooooo much more to the article. Go to www.msn.com and read the entire thing. Great info, stats and "food" for thought!
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Frightening!
  • pmkelly409
    pmkelly409 Posts: 1,646 Member
    I am on a personal mission to put fast food out of busines!! My kids hate me, but one day they will thank me!!!

    This is me yelling - THEY ARE PUTTING AN ARBY'S IN THE SAME PARKING LOT WITH MY GYM!!!!! WHO THE H*** THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA!?

    Anybody with me!!?? :laugh:
  • lietee
    lietee Posts: 189 Member
    thats insane people may as well not even try when they are looking out the gym window at a fast food resturant. Lets have good will power everyone!!
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    I'm with you pmkelly409!!! To me, it smells like a garbage can in McDonalds! I almost get nauseated if we go to the Wal-mart where they have a McD's inside...

    My kids are completeing loured into McDonald's because we went once for a birthday party, and now they LOVE the play land! We are pretty healthy whole food/ organic eaters, so they didn't really care for the taste of the food, but that darn play land gets them every time!

    I took them last Sunday, and I ordered an apple juice, and we brought our own snacks in! :blushing: My kids ate bananas and popcorn, shared a bottle of juice, and had a great time!
    :tongue:
  • prettyinpink
    prettyinpink Posts: 94 Member
    I am on a personal mission to put fast food out of busines!! My kids hate me, but one day they will thank me!!!

    This is me yelling - THEY ARE PUTTING AN ARBY'S IN THE SAME PARKING LOT WITH MY GYM!!!!! WHO THE H*** THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA!?

    Anybody with me!!?? :laugh:

    Without temptation life would be easier but would we be stronger-willed? Knowing that you can walk by a fast food stand and not give a second thought about it makes you stronger than if it were not there!! We all have temptations but how often do we give in?

    Take care!
  • pmkelly409
    pmkelly409 Posts: 1,646 Member



    Without temptation life would be easier but would we be stronger-willed? Take care!

    This is a GREAT thought for today!

    thanks for making us think! :wink:
  • ali106
    ali106 Posts: 3,754 Member
    true!!!

    but I'm not a fan actually of fast food, never been actually....well maybe as a child.:blushing: ...but as my folks would tell me you don't need mcdonalds I'll make burgers and fries at home for you....:sad: but they were not the same!!!! lol

    but now...ewwww we drove down south this past June and stopped alot on the way and sometimes we had to stop at Wendy's and things like that....I'd try to get something healthy but even w/ those I'd get sooo sick after....well probably because I still want the fries! lol

    My son as weird as this may sound hates fast foods...chicken nuggest and happy meals no thanks!....lol....he loves homemade chicken cutlets and fries at home .....he would have loved my parents LOL....

    hugs...I'm w/ ya too!
    Ali
  • KrisKabob
    KrisKabob Posts: 1,250 Member
    I am also not a fan of fast food restaurants, however, I have been pleased to see that in recent years many of them have made a conscious effort to improve the health of the menu by adding many different salads (but you need to choose a better dressing than usually offered), grilled chicken sandwhiches, soups, fruit, etc. Now all they need to do is eliminate the gross food or at least decrease the portions!

    I guess what I am saying is that if I DO HAVE to pick up something quick while I'm out then at least I know that some places such as Chick-fil-A and Wendy's offer better choices.
  • Kayley
    Kayley Posts: 327 Member
    That's really interesting. Thanks for the article. :bigsmile: :flowerforyou:
  • I saw the article too this morning, very interesting! As for motivation to stay away from fast food, mine is that I used to work at Burger King for my first job...ewwwww. Seriously, if you look at how the food is made and at all the ingredients, you will pretty much never want to even look at a Whopper, fries, etc !!!!!!!! So stay strong, and if anyone would like extra motivation to avoid fast food, come talk to me hehehe
    :bigsmile:
  • cheri822
    cheri822 Posts: 62 Member
    Thats a great article, thanks for posting!!

    There is a gym by my house and in the same parking lot there is a drive-thru baskin robbins. Its just evil :happy:
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