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[entremet]

For some people living in what we call a food desert those may not even be options. And once again when do we start to educate people en masse about these healthy cheaper foods? When do we grant the chance to actually prep them on a daily basis? When do we think about addressing this issue systematically instead of going "stupid poors, eat rice"

(I know this isn't your argument just using your post as a springboard for my own)

Obviously.

Im just saying that eating well can be cheaper. Saying it's costs alone is simplistic.

It's more complex than just costs.

Also there are poor ppl everywhere, why are they getting fat faster in the US more than other countries?

 

[Terareflection]

I have the hardest time controlling portion size. Sometimes I just crave snacks and start binge eating. I get full meals and just have to eat it all. I can't save it for later. And throwing food away is wasteful.

Probably th biggest factor in me not losing weight.

 

[Infinite]

Obviously.

Im just saying that eating well can be cheaper. Saying it's costs alone is simplistic.

It's more complex than just costs.

It's not obvious to others in this thread. Once again I wasn't contending your point but people who were apart of the line of discussion were way to focused on the price of ramen versus what they think are healthy foods.

 

[entremet]

It's not obvious to others in this thread. Once again I wasn't contending your point but people who were apart of the line of discussion were way to focused on the price of ramen versus what they think are healthy foods.

No worries, but see my edit.

 

[bman94]

Not surprising when you eat fast food trash every day.

I cringe at the thought of eating breakfast at McDonalds.

Why? If I actually eat breakfast in the morning before work that's my go to.

 

[Plum]

You're right. I didn't mean to say that adults don't need help. They do. I honestly think this is something that needs to be looked at sort of like a national emergency. This is a disaster waiting to happen because like you said, these are obese adults who will likely be obese seniors putting strains on already overburdened health services. I think the NHS in the UK which is already badly funded, is now denying obese patients surgery in a bid to save costs. But if over 30% of the UK is or is going to obese, that is tens of millions of people who will struggle. Are you able to find out exactly why you cannot lose the weight? For me it was that I consumed unhealthy amounts of pop/cola. To the point where I didn't overeat but liquid calories and sugaes had me over 1000 calories more per day.

Yeah, sorry if I came off a bit standoff-ish I just don't really like the whole "diets rarely work" talk as all it does is discourage people. But yeah, it's an incredibly difficult issue to solve and I would be running for parliament if I actually knew any way we could legitimately fix it. The punishment-like systems that may be put in by the NHS aren't really a solution because the last thing an obese person needs to lose weight is even more treatable medical issues on top of it. Treating obesity, an addiction, as a crime is, in my opinion, the worst thing it can be treated as; it's why I think the ludicrous sentences people can get in America for being addicted to drugs are just that.

Personally I'd like to see drastic bans on sales promotions for shitty food. You ask exactly why I cannot lose weight and it's because, mostly due to stress and/or anxiety, I tend to drastically overeat when it comes to chocolate and sweets. It's a terrible habit to be in and of course it's mostly my fault but if I could walk in to my local Tesco and not be faced with twenty different £1 offers for shitty chocolate and cheap-as-hell gigantic bags of crisps I'd at the very least start thinking twice. When I'm tired and just want something filling to eat I'd never go for generally unsatisfactory (I'm fat, of course they aren't) nuts or fruits over a massive bag of crisps at the same price. Introducing monetary restrictions like that creates an in-the-moment barrier between you and the food, so "I shouldn't buy this because I'll gain weight in the future..." turns into "I shouldn't buy this because it's £2 for a small amount of chocolate," which both achieve the same results despite the latter being much, much easier.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Never did. Onion rings are laden with sugar and fried oils. But you certainly cannot judge someone's entire nutritional profile on a few ounces of fried onion.

If someone eats Burger King onion rings every single day, then yes, I'm happy to judge their eating habits to be 99% likely to be be unhealthy.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

My relationship with food is so different compared to so many people I know. When I travel I don't give a shit about the best restaurants or the kind of food. It's always, "What's a cool activity I can do?"

When I'm bored I never think about eating to alleviate boredom. That's what video games are for. When I was a kid it was such a chore for me to eat. Eating just got in the way of everything else. I'm better now and I can eat 3000+ calories, but it's almost always to hit my macro and calorie goals to sustain my workouts. I eat the exact same food pretty much day after day. Lol

 

[truly101]

I have the hardest time controlling portion size. Sometimes I just crave snacks and start binge eating. I get full meals and just have to eat it all. I can't save it for later. And throwing food away is wasteful.

Probably th biggest factor in me not losing weight.

Portion size is still a big problem for me. I think we're taught to eat until we feel full, and for some of us, reaching that point far exceeds the amount food we should have eaten. I've been more assertive in reducing how much I eat, but its still probably more than I need to. Its a work in progress.

 

[RDreamer]

I have the hardest time controlling portion size. Sometimes I just crave snacks and start binge eating. I get full meals and just have to eat it all. I can't save it for later. And throwing food away is wasteful.

Probably th biggest factor in me not losing weight.

I think the biggest way to fight this is to decide before you start eating how much you're going to eat, and force yourself to stick to that decision. If you're at a restaurant, ask for the to-go box right away. It might be weird, but this is your health. If you're not at a restaurant, put the food away and eat what's on your plate, no seconds.

The biggest thing for me was making hard rules and not breaking those. It's so easy to have little excuses here and there but if you have a hard rule and can't break it, that seems to work. That and counting calories helped because there was incentive to keeping those hard rules.

For me my big hard rule is that I cannot skip more than 2 days in a week for biking. I can't do it and I won't do it. I've gone nearly two years like that.

Portion size is still a big problem for me. I think we're taught to eat until we feel full, and for some of us, reaching that point far exceeds the amount food we should have eaten. I've been more assertive in reducing how much I eat, but its still probably more than I need to. Its a work in progress.

As I just told him, try being proactive. Decide beforehand how much you can eat and stick to that. Even if you don't have a hard rule, it forces you to get up and make a separate decision, which might make you realize you're full. It's the same sort of psychology that goes into marketing. Marketing people know that there's a psychological barrier to opening your wallet twice. There's a psychological barrier to making that food decision twice rather than once. Use that to help.

 

[RenegadeXV8]

And beans, rice and potatoes take far longer to cook than hot pockets or instant noodles.

I've been in that situation before, I used to work 12 hour shifts...with no time at all to boil beans or rice...I'd rather sitck two hot pockets in the microwave for 2 mins or stop by McDonald's and grab a burger for 2 dollars

I'm not sure why people think it's either cook everyday or nothing. If you cooked enough rice to last an entire week, it would take the same amount of time to reheat in the microwave as that hot pocket or instant noodles.

 

[Skinpop]

Obviously.

Im just saying that eating well can be cheaper. Saying it's costs alone is simplistic.

It's more complex than just costs.

Also there are poor ppl everywhere, why are they getting fat faster in the US more than other countries?

eating cheap is a skill.
is stuff like cabbage, rice, eggs, carrots/potatoes that expensive in usa?
I make stews that I eat all week.

 

[entremet]

The US can solve this.

We almost eradicated smoking.

The issue is that food lobby is rather powerful. And they learned from Big Tobacco.

The US also lacks a long standing food culture so we're prone to fads and convenience foods.

But it's doable.

 

[Oxn]

eating cheap is a skill. is stuff like cabbage, rice, eggs, carrots/potatoes that expensive in usa?
I make stews that I eat all week.

try to give them a good suggestion, and the response will be "well cup noodle".

 

[Bulk_Rate]

I am sure they're out there, but when I was last in Europe (Germany and France) in 2012 I didn't see a soda fountain anywhere.

 

[entremet]

eating cheap is a skill.
is stuff like cabbage, rice, eggs, carrots/potatoes that expensive in usa?
I make stews that I eat all week.

Those are all dirt cheap here.

Problem is a combination of time poverty, that affects the poor more and the addictive nature of fast and convenience foods.

A kid raised on chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and pizza won't be feeling rice and beans.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Beans, rice, potatoes, corn. All rather cheap and filling and very hard to get fat on if not cooked in gobs of fat.

Poverty and obesity are complex. There is a correlation.

There isn't much variety there which is something everyone wants.

Obviously.

Im just saying that eating well can be cheaper. Saying it's costs alone is simplistic.

It's more complex than just costs.

Also there are poor ppl everywhere, why are they getting fat faster in the US more than other countries?

Costs is the big factor, though, prices may vary applies all over the world. You can be obese in Mexico while poor because soda is more available and cheap in many places. Taking it to global and wondering why poor people in country X aren't obese just means the markets there are most likely very different.

 

[Skinpop]

Those are all dirt cheap here.

ingredients like that with some clever seasoning and cheap protein is enough for endless variation. Maybe the problem is that people don't know how to cook and plan?

 

[Madness]

The US can solve this.

We almost eradicated smoking.

The issue is that food lobby is rather powerful. And they learned from Big Tobacco.

The US also lacks a long standing food culture so we're prone to fads and convenience foods.

But it's doable.

You need a government not paralyzed from any sort of unified federal action. Too much 'states' rights stuff. A fat American in Texas is as much of an issue as a fat American in New York and California etc. Heck, I posted how just 3 weeks ago, the Trump administration rolled back Michelle Obama's school lunch health policy under the guise of letting school professionals decide and not being federal overreach. But I mean how else do you tackle it.

Even the meat industries. How many people could afford to eat meat more than once a week in 1950. Now you can eat chicken and beef and pork more than 3x a day easily. It is why 87% of adults are not getting enough vegetables. Because why eat some broccoli when you can eat 4 pieces of buttermilk fried chicken etc.

 

[Condom]

My relationship with food is so different compared to so many people I know. When I travel I don't give a shit about the best restaurants or the kind of food. It's always, "What's a cool activity I can do?"

When I'm bored I never think about eating to alleviate boredom. That's what video games are for. When I was a kid it was such a chore for me to eat. Eating just got in the way of everything else. I'm better now and I can eat 3000+ calories, but it's almost always to hit my macro and calorie goals to sustain my workouts. I eat the exact same food pretty much day after day. Lol

I'm the same, having to eat regularly can be a nuisance to me.

 

[ryutaro's mama]

#blessed not to be in that 39%

 

[Noema]

BMI doesn't really make sense at least as far as overweight is concerned though.

It's extremely easy to be considered overweight even if you are very fit because of muscle mass. Lots of people have an "overweight" BMI but it's not because of fat.

Also BMI seems to skew kind of low. 135lb male at 5'11" is a normal BMI but it seems pretty underweight to me.

BMI is extremely effectively at determining whether large chunks of the population are overweight or obese.

It's an statistical instrument. It's not meant to point at individuals to determine if they are fat; it's a quick and dirty way to get an estimate of how fat a population is, specially because most people have no idea of what their body fat percentage is. BMI can be obtained via a simple calculation if you have weight+height. And if you can determine that a certain segment of a population hovers in at 30 BMI, you can safely state that those people are overweight; most people aren't bodybuilders / athletes carrying around a ton of lean body mass. The extra weight is 99% certainly fat.

 

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

The US can solve this.

We almost eradicated smoking.

The issue is that food lobby is rather powerful. And they learned from Big Tobacco.

The US also lacks a long standing food culture so we're prone to fads and convenience foods.

But it's doable.

Saying that we almost eradicated smoking is quite a stretch

 

[TickleMeElbow]

When I was discharged from the hospital this one time, I was sitting in the lobby waiting for my ride to pick me up, and it dawned on me that almost everyone was fat. It was such a surreal moment, because I never really paid attention to it like that.

Then I remembered how the guy in the bed across from mine was fat and diabetic, yet his wife was bringing him Wendy's and shit. She kept doing it even though the nurses were telling her not to. They were all "we can't eat the food here!". She even asked if I wanted some, which was a nice gesture, but when I told her I was put on an all liquid diet she was like "well, do you want a Coke or something?" lol.

Sad shit.

 

[johancruijff]

what the hell is a soda fountain?

also the stats for Italy are wrong iirc

but you can't say we eat like shit here too, you kill an entire economy

 

[R10Neymarfan]

It's incredibly hard to eat well while being poor. You don't understand that. It's not like people can go to the dollar store and get fresh veggies or buy a big bag of apples for $2. Bananas are about $2 and there's probably 6. Even then it's not enough to sustain 4 people for a while so bulk is the preferred method. I don't believe you understand how this all works and just want to say poor people should stop making bad decisions because it's super easy to eat well.

But you can go to the dollar store and get fresh and frozen produce

Dollar tree and 99 cents only stores can provide this along with other healthy opyions. They also have crap too but you know

Also there are farmers markets and produce markets where you can get good quality food for quite a decent budget. You have to look for it indeed. There are programs started up to get quality food to the poor in food deserts. There are solutions to your problem but you want it to be like as if poor people can get it like they can get McDonalds and Popeyes and it's not the same. There definitely needs to be more education towards buying health food on a budget, along with cooking in 5-15 minutes whatever and what exercise you can do inside your home or local park. The info is there.

 

[Rentahamster]

Yup. My Brother eats far more unhealthier than I do. Chips, pizza, fast food like every day. Drinks soda. Thin as a stick. I eat a piece of pizza and it feels like I gain a pound instantly.

Metabolism does matter. People with fast metabolisms in my experience have no sympathy for those that are heavy because in their minds, it's easy.

But how much does he eat? You can eat like shit every day, but if your overall daily caloric intake isn't that high, you're not going to gain weight.

 

[entremet]

Saying that we almost eradicated smoking is quite a stretch

Right.

We have lowered smoking rates very successfully, across many age groups.

People still smoke but our smoking rates are low comparatively speaking.

All I'm saying that is that US can mount a public health campaign with success.

 

[Zoe]

what the hell is a soda fountain?

Machine that mixes the drinks on demand.

 

[Nordicus]

Finnish milk consumption may be a factor among others, but I'd say the difference between other nordics and us is a sum of small/negligible things that alone don't amount to much, both dietary and lifestyle.

At one point I was going to agree with the poster that it may largely be the alcohol consumption...

...But Finns apparently drink about as much as Danes so that's not it.

 

[NaDannMaGoGo]

So, I've got a question concerning sense of taste and such for people who had very unhealthy food habits over long terms: can their sense of taste, craving etc. be adjusted so far towards highly sugary, fatty and maybe salty foods that it becomes irreparably damage to a degree? Or would those folks be able to appreciate healthier foods eventually even if it might take a very long time in some cases.

Because damn must it be difficult for people that are completely used to unhealthy food and drink mostly soft drinks to make a change when everything else just tastes so much worse to them.

 

[Rentahamster]

Right.

We have lowered smoking rates very successfully, across many age groups.

People still smoke but our smoking rates are low comparatively speaking.

All I'm saying that is that US can mount a public health campaign with success.

While both smoking and over/unhealthy eating is both addictive and bad for you, I think the fact that eating is basically key to your survival while there are no positive benefits to smoking is a big difference. There is also no "second hand eating" phenomenon.

 

[entremet]

While both smoking and over/unhealthy eating is both addictive and bad for you, I think the fact that eating is basically key to your survival while there are no positive benefits to smoking is a big difference. There is also no "second hand eating" phenomenon.

Good point.

Definitely a much harder problem.

 

[GoutPatrol]

I don't live in the US but I was there recently and the idea that 38% is obese is hard to believe to me. But, I always considered obese to be fat to the point it hampers movement and ability to exercise. As in 300+ pounds. But apparently my perception is incorrect and obese is a wider spectrum.

In the end who am I to judge though. I work out 5 times a week, I cut most sugar from my diet, and I am active during the day. Yet I'm still fat. So I ain't going to judge others for struggling with their weight unless they aren't doing shit about it.

200 pounds would be obese. I'm 176 cm/94 kg, that's is 30.3. I started out at 300 pounds and made my way down to here 8 years ago now and was never able to get off of this plateau. It is so much better than I was before, but that is still obese. At the same time I watched my brother start off at around 160 pounds and make his way up to my weight and pass me.

 

[Onlinehero]

Finland what are you doing.

 

[tmarg]

Right.

We have lowered smoking rates very successfully, across many age groups.

People still smoke but our smoking rates are low comparatively speaking.

All I'm saying that is that US can mount a public health campaign with success.

The key to our success against smoking was banning advertising, something we can't really do against the food industry.

 

[SeanR1221]

The sad part is meal prep can be very easy and quick.

I just bought a 5.00 costco rotisserie chicken and shredded it up into a container.

While I did that, I boiled 3 ounces of whole wheat pasta shells

I then used a table spoon of olive oil, and stir fried 4 cups asparagus and 4 cups kale

Portioned 3 ounces of chicken in one container with a 1/3 of the veggies, half the pasta, 3 ounces chicken and another 1/3 in a container and then the last half pasta, 3 ounces chicken and the last 1/3 of veggies into the final container.

A snack, lunch and dinner for tomorrow all cooked within 20 minutes. Super healthy, cheap and delicious.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Portion sizes are out of control in the States. It's insane. Gluttony has become the norm, it isn't just socially acceptable, it's celebrated. Also we panicked and started avoiding fat in the 80s, and fat makes you feel full. Free refills became the norm for soda fountains; the only soda anybody should really drink is diet soda and instead people drink sugared soda and get refills. It's all pretty damned simple.

I've found it quite easy to eat plenty of processed foods and still lose weight and keep it off by counting calories. Hell, McDonald's helps me control my weight because they publish their calories unlike small mom and pop restaurants.

 

[GalacticToast]

People are lazy. Being fit is hard. Being fat is easy. What's new?

 

[entremet]

People are lazy. Being fit is hard. Being fat is easy. What's new?

Oversimplification to the max lol.

Being fit wasn't hard in our natural history as a species.

It's a very recent thing.

 

[GalacticToast]

Oversimplification to the max lol.

Being fit wasn't hard in our natural history as a species.

It's a very recent thing.

Maybe fit is the wrong word. How about not being fat then? Apparently it is a struggle. Speaking as someone who was 100 lbs heavier than I am now at one point. I've been both.

Being fat was easy. Not being fat was the hardest thing I ever did.

I don't see how I'm wrong.

 

[entremet]

Maybe fit is the wrong word. How about not being fat then? Apparently it is a struggle. Speaking as someone who was 100 lbs heavier than I am now at one point. I've been both.

Being fat was easy. Not being fat was the hardest thing I ever did.

I don't see how I'm wrong.

I think we're looking to solve problems at a global level here.

The default should not be fat. We've created a toxic food environment were the default is fat. That's not a good thing.

In other countries, the default is skinny.

 

[GatorBait]

People are lazy. Being fit is hard. Being fat is easy. What's new?

As entremet said, being fat is a recent development on a macro scale. Do you think 2.5 times the amount of people in 2017 are lazy compared to the mid-1970s? If so, what made people not lazy in the 1970s?

 

[Hephaestus]

As entremet said, being fat is a recent development on a macro scale. Do you think 2.5 times the amount of people in 2017 are lazy compared to the mid-1970s? If so, what made people not lazy in the 1970s?

Physical labor for one, When I started working in the trades I started in roofing, 8-10 hours a day going up and down ladders with my shoulders loaded with shingles in hot weather. As time went on people got more concerned with occupational health and safety.
Manual portable hand winches were temporally installed on roofs. They had to be hand cranked but was 100 times less intense then before. Now they are electric as well. Even zoom booms and scissor lifts are common on even small construction jobs.

Also how many people worked in a office in the 70`s compared to physical labor whats the ratio now?

When you physically carrying bags of concrete, or lumber, or coal, or piping, hell even pipe wrenches use to weigh a 100 pounds, forged steel. Now they are aluminium and weigh a tenth of that..... you couldn't over eat calories if you wanted to.

I cant talk about any one else but myself, but in the winter when I`m behind a desk planning jobs all winter I put on 20-25 pounds easily. But when summer comes along and I`m working shutdowns and doing 12 hour days of climbing stairs and carting tools and equipment around I drop the weight. Zero change in diet, other than in the summer I drink alot more (empty calories)

How am I able to drop the weight but I dont change what I eat at all?
I could take any individual that says that cant loose weight, bring them with me too pull wrenches for 3 months 12 hours a day in the summer working the oil sands and I promise you you will drop weight without changing a thing with your diet.

 

[CornBurrito]

The sad part is meal prep can be very easy and quick.

I just bought a 5.00 costco rotisserie chicken and shredded it up into a container.

While I did that, I boiled 3 ounces of whole wheat pasta shells

I then used a table spoon of olive oil, and stir fried 4 cups asparagus and 4 cups kale

Portioned 3 ounces of chicken in one container with a 1/3 of the veggies, half the pasta, 3 ounces chicken and another 1/3 in a container and then the last half pasta, 3 ounces chicken and the last 1/3 of veggies into the final container.

A snack, lunch and dinner for tomorrow all cooked within 20 minutes. Super healthy, cheap and delicious.

Wait, you're eating the exact same thing for the entire day?

 

[chekhonte]

whoohoo! i'm only overweight according to my bmi.

 

[Fox318]

Sugar is a drug

 

[Dazza]

So, I've got a question concerning sense of taste and such for people who had very unhealthy food habits over long terms: can their sense of taste, craving etc. be adjusted so far towards highly sugary, fatty and maybe salty foods that it becomes irreparably damage to a degree? Or would those folks be able to appreciate healthier foods eventually even if it might take a very long time in some cases.

Because damn must it be difficult for people that are completely used to unhealthy food and drink mostly soft drinks to make a change when everything else just tastes so much worse to them.

I don't think it's unreverisble, it just takes time and effort to break ingrained habits. It's hard because of food companies they have their addiction science down pat and reinforce it with continual advertisement bombardment.

Even though some might find it extreme I know you can easily reset your tastebuds by fasting. If you water fast for say 5 days, even unsalted, no added sweetener, no spiced foods will taste like the best thing you've ever had in your life.

 

[TAJ]

Things were already going south fast, but kids being raised on leashes (sometimes literally) is going to make this situation blow up.

 

[Sandfox]

People just don't eat properly. I think there's also a lot of misconceptions on what they would have to give up in a proper diet alongside food addictions and sicknesses.

Portion size is still a big problem for me. I think we're taught to eat until we feel full, and for some of us, reaching that point far exceeds the amount food we should have eaten. I've been more assertive in reducing how much I eat, but its still probably more than I need to. Its a work in progress.

Recently I've started weighing my food and counting calories to cut my portion sizes down. That alongside cutting down the amount of sugar I intake has done wonders.