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Obesity among US adults reaches all-time high, 40% of adults and 19% of kids

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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Really sad state of affairs and nutrition education doesn't seem to be improving at all.
 

nekkid

It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
But a lot of restaurants featured on that show seem to have large portions of food as "eating challenges" on the menu. I mean, the large portions aren't just specially made for the show to entertain the viewers. To eat a lot in America is seen as some sort of achievement, normal even.

Is it really down to a lack a of education? I don't think it is. I think people in the US simply like to eat a lot of food regardless of the health consequences. That's the impression I get as a non-American. I live in the UK where we seem to be following in the US's footsteps, albeit at a slower pace. I see a lot of fat people who look educated loading up on unhealthy food at the supermarket. They know it's unhealthy because the packaging tells them it is, but they still do it.

Education =/= laziness, or gluttony.
 
One night in college my old roommate ate a pizza as big as a wagon wheel.

When I asked him why he was drinking a bottle of water with his giant pizza, he said "to make it healthier".


true story.
 

bigsnack

Member
Yikes. Nothing but water to drink in our house, pasta is a treat once a week for the kids, snacks are full fat yogurt or pistachios, etc. The kids are outside a minimum of 6 hours a day, and only get to watch about an hour of TV a week. It takes effort, but it can be done and is well worth it!
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
One night in college my old roommate ate a pizza as big as a wagon wheel.

When I asked him why he was drinking a bottle of water with his giant pizza, he said "to make it healthier".


true story.

Well, it's certainly better than drinking a 2L bottle of cola alongside his pizza like in that image posted earlier in the thread.

Also, why would you question someone for drinking water?
 

bigsnack

Member
Good god, no, that is not the answer for almost anyone.

+1. There is so much confusion about what causes the body to actually store fat, it would take a huge sea change from official channels and then years of re-education to turn things around.
 

Nipo

Member
Took me 4 days to encounter an actual edible apple on my trip to the USA. Not shocked.

Ended up shoving sweets as a snack into me until I had to throw up. Made me feel truly american.

So you avoided grocery stores, farmer's markets, and the fruit stalls all around big cities now a days?
 

RuGalz

Member
The portion size is just insane in America that's number one problem

On top of that you have over consumption of sugar and processed food

There's no real secret to Asian diet, it's pretty carb heavy too but the total amount of sugar is probably still less, although not what I would consider healthy level.
 

Breakage

Member
Education =/= laziness, or gluttony.

Whenever the topic comes up of obesity comes in the UK, people always like to point to a lack of education as the main reason behind why the population is becoming fatter. I've never bought into that theory myself.
 

Infinite

Member
+1. There is so much confusion about what causes the body to actually store fat, it would take a huge sea change from official channels and then years of re-education to turn things around.
And that won't happen because the republicans are committed to thoroughly gutting education. Kids in school can't even learn proper world history at this point. Rip

Whenever the topic comes up of obesity comes in the UK, people always like to point to a lack of education as the main reason behind why the population is becoming fatter. I've never bought into that theory myself.

I'm not convinced that 40% of people here are just lazy. Like what does that even mean?
 

Saya

Member
GettyImages-1133931-800x448.jpg


this still blows my mind
 

Nikodemos

Member
I love spices and herbs. I load up my food with them and don't add much oil when I cook and can count the number of savory dishes I regularly cook and add any sweetness to on one hand, and even then it's not much at all. I loves spice and lots of flavor and it doesn't even have to be hot/spicy.
Truth. There are so many herbs/spices that aren't hot (at least not in the amounts needed to flavour food) like tarragon, basil, marjoram, thyme, allspice, juniper berries, anise, dill, fennel, fenugreek, caraway, cilantro/coriander (both leaves and seeds), bayleaf etc.
 

siddx

Magnificent Eager Mighty Brilliantly Erect Registereduser
America realized it had an obesity problem a long time ago. And they did try to make some changes, which is why the health food industry is huge. But the issue is a lot of food advertised as healthy is far from it. I used to eat Kelloggs muesli for breakfast every day assuming it had to be healthy, until I actually bothered to look at the sugar content. I would keep a box of nature valley granola bars in my desk for when I wanted a snack, again assuming it had to be healthy, and again being blown away when I finally looked at how much sugar is in them.
People buy all this low fat crap, not realizing they shove tons of sugar in it to offset the taste.


It's also not even remotely a US only problem, countries all across the globe are facing huge and rapid gains in obesity, from Ghana to Vietnam
 

Yeoman

Member
Whenever the topic comes up of obesity comes in the UK, people always like to point to a lack of education as the main reason behind why the population is becoming fatter. I've never bought into that theory myself.
Yep. Everyone is well aware of which foods they should eat and which they shouldn't.
Almost every food available has the guided daily amount listed on it.

The truth is people are becoming increasingly obese due to unhealthy food tasting good and general laziness with regards to exercise and food preparation (easier to buy takeaways and microwave meals than cook your own).
 

MicH

Member
I don't even see how we can solve this outside of educating people. How's the rest of the world fighting this problem?
Where I'm from fast food and soda aren't the cheapest foods. A meal at McDonald's isn't very cheap, you can get pre-made salads for much cheaper in grocery stores. Hell, fruit and vegetables are quite cheap compared to fast food.
 

Zips

Member
People will go the path of least resistance on average. Especially if that path gives positive feedback in the form of pleasure or satisfaction.

Healthy food needs to be cheaper and/or more accessible than garbage unhealthy things. Things with high sugar content can be half the price or less than the alternative sometimes.

Aside from money, people need time to be able to eat healthier, exercise, and so on, as well as be supported by a culture that guides them towards healthier lifestyles. The easier it is to be healthy, the more you'll see it happen.

I eat a lot better than I used to, and avoid things with high sugar content, but a big part of that is I can afford to spend more on food to go for those healthier items, and have had time to educate myself on what to avoid.
 

Infinite

Member
They know they could make better food choices but can't be bothered.
And you're convinced that 40% of the population just dont care and are "lazy" without there being any sort of systemic issues influencing them and making these l"bad food choices" more probable to occur?
 

nekkid

It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
Whenever the topic comes up of obesity comes in the UK, people always like to point to a lack of education as the main reason behind why the population is becoming fatter. I've never bought into that theory myself.

I think you’re looking at common traits, rather than cause-effect. Someone who’s lazy is likely to be uneducated and eating crap. That doesn’t mean the lack of education causes them to eat that stuff.
 

Infinite

Member
I think you’re looking at common traits, rather than cause-effect. Someone who’s lazy is likely to be uneducated and eating crap. That doesn’t mean the lack of education causes them to eat that stuff.
Well, that same "lazy" person probably busts their ass working a job or two, managing a home, and raising children.
 

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Eating is fundamental to the human animal and the animal knows that eating is good and rewarding.

Combine this with a society that leaves people in a constant state of anxiety and fear, where everyone but the rich are pushed to the breaking point, and there is no refuge, and you're going to see any number of health crisis. Because people only have so much psychological energy available.

And the western style food industry has naturally capitalized on this, by creating a world of convenience foods.
 

Breakage

Member
Yep. Everyone is well aware of which foods they should eat and which they shouldn't.
Almost every food available has the guided daily amount listed on it.

The truth is people are becoming increasingly obese due to unhealthy food tasting good and general laziness with regards to exercise and food preparation (easier to buy takeaways microwave meals than cook your own).

Yeah, we got the traffic light system here that tells you how much sugar, salt, fat, etc is in the product you're about to buy. If people choose to ignore it because of they like taste and it's more convenient, what else can be done? Not much. That said, I do think food manufacturers need to reduce the amount of sugar in their products; a muffin does not need to have 10 teaspoons of sugar.
 

entremet

Member
Eating is fundamental to the human animal and the animal knows that eating is good and rewarding.

Combine this with a society that leaves people in a constant state of anxiety and fear, where everyone but the rich are pushed to the breaking point, and there is no refuge, and you're going to see any number of health crisis. Because people only have so much psychological energy available.

And the western style food industry has naturally capitalized on this, by creating a world of convenience foods.

Constant state fear? You mean lack of job security?
 

Nikodemos

Member
Well, that same "lazy" person probably busts their ass working a job or two, managing a home, and raising children.
But that's the issue. The same poor person worked two jobs to put food on the table 40 years ago, but wasn't fat, nor were his/her children. And that's because the food available at the time wasn't hyper-refined ultra-processsed garbage with a shitload of salt, sugar and (refined) fats.
 

Haines

Banned
All menu at items at food chains have to have calories posted right on them.noe here in Canada.

Does USA have that?
 

Shoeless

Member
Yep. Everyone is well aware of which foods they should eat and which they shouldn't.
Almost every food available has the guided daily amount listed on it.

The truth is people are becoming increasingly obese due to unhealthy food tasting good and general laziness with regards to exercise and food preparation (easier to buy takeaways and microwave meals than cook your own).

This is pretty much it. Obesity could be easily handled if people had a willingness to simply do some kind of exercise. I chose to spend a bit more money, so our home has an elliptical machine. I use it five times a week, for 45 minutes, watching Netflix, problem solved.

But even if you don't buy an exercise machine, or get a gym membership, just going out and jogging, or doing some kind of exercise routine at home would suffice. But most people won't even do that.
 

Replicant

Member
Your portion size is ridiculous. When I visited San Francisco, I ordered this for lunch:

D40dIFg.jpg


I was shocked when I got it as in the picture didn't look this big. This to me looks like it could feed 2-3 people. Normally when I order something here in Sydney, the portion would be 1/4 or at most, 1/3 of that bowl. I was already full by the time I ate 1/3 of that bowl so I thought I'll put it in takeaway container and eat the rest for dinner. But during dinner, I still couldn't finish the rest. It was just too much.
 
I mean some places have sugar taxes, etc., but there are basically two sprawling, entangled areas where the U.S. is falling down.

1. The food chain is completely compromised with additives and mass farming methods that are under-regulated and distorted by dumb federal and state incentives. Americans like cheap food--and many of them need cheap food because of widespread poverty--and aren't willing to pay for better ingredients. They also broadly oppose the government intrusions that would reduce sugar content and force producers to be actually honest about what their products contain. Americans en masse have chosen a culture where the aim is to drive down prices, not raise wages.

2. Broader cultural forces make American eating habits worse. Sprawl means people are farther from the places where fresh food is harvested or slaughtered. Autocentric culture means people cycle less and walk far, far fewer steps per day than, say, Europeans. Again, deep-seeded inequities mean many people can't buy fresh ingredients, fruit, vegetables locally even if they wanted to. And American work-life balance is so fucked that people exercise less, eat less with their families, have less time for food preparation (and food education), and snack more. The availability of fast food here--and the broad acceptance of it as a regular meal, not a treat--is staggering. Even small things, like free refills on drinks; in Europe, there aren't soda fountains, and you pay for each serving.

This is the best post in this thread, and I don't think I saw anyone quote it.

So basically, everyone since has just reiterated these points.

I started my diet in July. It's *so* *easy* to fall off the horse. You have to actively go out of your way to eat healthy. You're actively punished for it, too. At the grocery store, a head of romaine is about $1, but if you go out to eat, you're paying $10 for a gourmet salad (that actually tastes good and is filling) versus Wendy's 5 items for $4 double cheeseburger.
 

Infinite

Member
But that's the issue. The same poor person worked two jobs to put food on the table 40 years ago, but wasn't fat, nor were his/her children. And that's because the food available at the time wasn't hyper-refined ultra-processsed garbage with a shitload of salt, sugar and (refined) fats.
Yeah I know. But also wages remain stagnant social mobility doesn't exists neither does job security and workers rights have been gutted. So it's a different climate on a multitude of fronts. Contributing to things like people cooking for themselves less and opting for shitty convenience foods.
 
As someone who has recently lost 30KG I am pretty sure the simplest answer to this problem is to cut back on carbs. No need to go full keto, just dont have everything you eat be a carb. Don't eat 300g of carbs unless you are an athlete or working a HIGHLY active job.

The belief that fat makes you fat is too ingrained in everyone's mind to see the real problem in with carbs. Of course, there is a calorie issue too, but carbs on top of carbs all day every day without end is insane.

A lot of people say this was the problem (a horrible study that was parroted and echoed across all media in the mid-80w), at I think I fully believe them...

nrf8knN.png
 

Breakage

Member
And you're convinced that 40% of the population just dont care and are "lazy" without there being any sort of systemic issues influencing them and making these l"bad food choices" more probable to occur?

What makes a person pick a large apple-flavoured soda over an actual apple?
 

Cyframe

Member
And you're convinced that 40% of the population just dont care and are "lazy" without there being any sort of systemic issues influencing them and making these l"bad food choices" more probable to occur?

As I said with my own post, people don't want to solve this problem. It's very easy to just write people off as lazy than to address the underlying systemic factors at play.

When the topic of food deserts comes up, no one has anything to say. I live in a city that has 3 or 4 colleges/universities near each other and the entire avenue they're close to doesn't have a single grocery store. lot's of fast food options and pharmacy, no grocer though.
 
Your portion size is ridiculous. When I visited San Francisco, I ordered this for lunch:

D40dIFg.jpg


I was shocked when I got it as in the picture didn't look this big. This to me looks like it could feed 2-3 people. Normally when I order something here in Sydney, the portion would be 1/4 or at most, 1/3 of that bowl. I was already full by the time I ate 1/3 of that bowl so I thought I'll put it in takeaway container and eat the rest for dinner. But during dinner, I still couldn't finish the rest. It was just too much.

We like more bang for our buck.
 

Nipo

Member
As I said with my own post, people don't want to solve this problem. It's very easy to just write people off as lazy than to address the underlying systemic factors at play.

When the topic of food deserts comes up, no one has anything to say. I live in a city that has 3 or 4 colleges/universities near each other and the entire avenue they're close to doesn't have a single grocery store. lot's of fast food options and pharmacy, no grocer though.

This is one thing I'm actually really hopeful Amazon, Fresh Direct, Peapod, et al will solve. It would be great if they could get some government funding to offer free delivery to underserved areas.
 
The amount of posts blaming everything but people choosing not to be active and choosing to eat more than they need to is hilarious.

Can't make people do the right thing.
 

Nikodemos

Member
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I don't believe Hispanics and blacks are inherently more "lazy" than whites and asians. There is obviously more going on here than just lazy people overeating.

Yes, there is. Note the percentage of overweight black women.
It's way higher than average because systemic insitutionalised racism puts black men in prison (for slave labour), leaving them alone and poor. They give the better food to their children, so they end up eating the cheapest worst stuff. Cheap food is garbage in the USA, and it's plain to see in the graph.

(For Hispanic women it's relatively high, for similar reasons, but replace prison with deportation.)
 
Isn't the problem that fast food is cheaper than actual fruits and vegetables?

If some guy can go buy a burger and fries for $2, vs spending $10 having to buy all the ingredients to make a salad, then where's the incentive in eating healthy?

And with cost of living going up, with wages going down, the trend will only continue where people don't have time to cook proper meals because they're working more hours at a job.
Agreed on all points. Also, real groceries are nearly unavailable to inner cities. Many there have no choice but to eat unhealthy food.
 

Infinite

Member
As I said with my own post, people don't want to solve this problem. It's very easy to just write people off as lazy than to address the underlying systemic factors at play.

When the topic of food deserts comes up, no one has anything to say. I live in a city that has 3 or 4 colleges/universities near each other and the entire avenue they're close to doesn't have a single grocery store. lot's of fast food options and pharmacy, no grocer though.
I agree. honestly and I'm not calling anyone out in this thread but people just wanna shit on fat folks to feel better about themselves. I'm not convinced folks actually care about a healthier society based on how this conversation goes.

The amount of posts blaming everything but people choosing not to be active and choosing to eat more than they need to is hilarious.

Can't make people do the right thing.
You can't make people do the right thing, sure. But as a society you can make it easier for them to. It's why we have laws that deter people from doing bad things and punish them the ones that do. It kinda works
 
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