Support NeoGAF

[Jasup]

There is no systemic institutionalized anything that prevents someone from shutting their phone off and going for an hour walk a day. Or buying chicken breasts and cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes that cost nothing and can be cooked on a $30 George foreman grill.

Most protien heavy fresh meats are very cheap, and most vegetables are cheap as well. At least as cheap or cheaper than an equal quantity of sugary snacks or crackers or pasta. And certainly cheaper than frozen meals or eating at a fast food place.

I say this as someone who is overweight and has struggled with it since being out of college. My fitness pal is free to track calories, going for a walk is free, and simple healthy food with non-salt heavy seasonings are cheaper than most unhealthy options.

If you don't have motivation everything else is irrelevant. A team of specialists could make it it's personal mission to get you healthy but you need motivation to make it happen.

There's also some recent studies that believe that the types of food we eat enable certain types of gut bacteria to thrive on that type of food and send signals to our brain demanding those types of foods more.

That means if you eat healthy, your brain will want healthy foods. But you have to break that cycle first.

Ok, so how to get people motivated to do all these things?

I think you've scratched the surface here a bit, motivation. The question is why do you need special motivation to be healthy? Isn't that a clear indicator of an unhealthy living environment?

I'd like to make an example of your first point. Yes, nothing (outside some health related factors) is not preventing you from going to a walk and nothing is preventing you to buy healthy food and cooking it. But the thing is it's much easier to not do all these things. One factor driving the crisis is the convenience of making those choices.

In terms of physical exercise, in modern world, it's increasingly becoming something that you have to do on top of your daily schedule instead of something that happens in our everyday lives naturally. I'm talking about how we get around. There's something really wrong about the idea that you have to drive to a gym to have physical activity or especially needing motivation to walk, which is one of the most natural things for humans. In a well built environment that happens almost automatically as you can walk or take transit from a to b.

Now take the food. It's not hard to understand why people go for processed foods instead of fresh produce. It's not all about money, but the convenience - that's what the original sales pitch for them was: why spend time and effort cooking, when you can just have ready made food. Cooking, however easy it is, is something you have to add to your daily schedule. This isn't much of a problem for those who are adept cooks, for them the time and effort used is really not a problem. But for unseasoned cooks, even the simplest things can seem overwhelming - in my work I've had to teach young adults in their 20's how to hold a knife and cut vegetables because they just couldn't figure out how to make a simple salad. They'd never had to.

These are obstacles that are made worse by our society and living environment. Education and information can only go so far as long as you don't need to implement what you've learned to your daily life. The thing about motivation is that whatever the task it's something that is needed to achieve something that requires extra effort to accomplish. Why is the default setting in our societies unhealthy living?

 

[Aeriscloud]

We need to better educate people on nutrition. We need to start in elementary school. Just by cutting soda out of your diet will automatically get you to lose weight from that change alone. We also need to stop telling fat people that they are beautiful because if they feel comfortable while not being able to walk without losing their breath, they will never get healthier. PLUS, I feel if you are considered obese than by default all medical co-pays should be double or triple in cost, all medical procedures should cost double or triple, all medications should automatically cost double or triple, and the same for any surgery. Really show that being obese is a detriment to the health system because it is. It is easier to eat unhealthy than healthy so that simple fact alone proves it is all a choice!!! You chose to eat garbage and refuse to exercise, no one is going to feel bad for you when you develop the list of health issues that comes with being obese.

In the mean time, I will continue to fat shame and make it known how repulsive obese people look- I don't go out of my way to do this, if I'm with some friends and I say something, you might be able to hear it which is the point. And I hope the trend continues that healthier people get the raises or promotions over the obese person. I've yet to meet an obese person who wasn't lazy and a slob in other aspects of their life.

You actually might need mental help.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

still hanging in there, 5' 10", 160lbs.

 

[Shadax the wizard]

Wasn’t the number going down just recently?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

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?

Because of the fucking irony involved. He's eating a pizza as big as a wagon wheel by himself. Adding water because it's "healthier" constitutes a fundamental failure to understand the fulls scope of the problem, as if drinking some water is going to make solo eating a pizza pie for dinner a net positive. If the concern is for health, then you don't eat a XL pizza by yourself. You probably don't eat pizza at all, but certainly not that much by yourself.

I'm sure he was aware of the irony in the moment. He was pretty self-aware.

 

[Kickz]

Sugar is the key, sugar is the gasoline that keeps the hunger fire burning.

Meanwhile I clock in at a nice 120 at a height of 5'7.

Going to the other extreme isn't healthy either

 

[Dreadnought]

This, it isn't a matter of overeating for a lot of people. It's the fact that 20 pieces of chicken nuggets is cheaper than a salad or a decent home cooked meal.

20 nuggets from Burger King is only $3 how can you say no to that

 

[norm9]

Meanwhile I clock in at a nice 120 at a height of 5'7.

I'm 5'9", around the same weight. Trying to gain weight is a real bitch too.

 

[Escape Goat]

Commander in chief leading by example

What the hell does this have to do with Trump? Lol

 

[Infinite]

What the hell does this have to do with Trump? Lol

Trump is overweight and is the president lol

 

[Haines]

The only post that needs to be made. People are fat because it's the life style they choose. Simple as that.

My uncle will blame everything but his lifestyle.

He will have so many baked treats and unhealthy foods and be like i never eat like this, oh this is so rare for me blah blah blah.

Its kind of sad really bc he knows whats healthy, and does eat healthy. Just isnt honest when he fucks his diet at all

 

[Hashmal_Bringer_of_Order]

20 nuggets from Burger King is only $3 how can you say no to that

If you had a banana for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and that BK menu for dinner, you'd still lose weight.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Wasn’t the number going down just recently?

For america? Hell no.

 

[Plum]

My uncle will blame everything but his lifestyle.

He will have so many baked treats and unhealthy foods and be like i never eat like this, oh this is so rare for me blah blah blah.

Its kind of sad really bc he knows whats healthy, and does eat healthy. Just isnt honest when he fucks his diet at all

That's a classic sign of addiction. An addict will never admit that what they're doing is harmful even if they know it's so, to use that symptom as a reason to place their addiction 100% on personal responsibility is just wrong.

 

[Valhelm]

Don't blame the obese, this epidemic is a consequence of class and race war. For decades poor communities, especially poor communities of color, have been denied access to healthy food and exercise. This isn't an accident but the direct result of neoliberal attitudes on social welfare and the amorality of the market.

 

[jmdajr]

Just eat it

 

[TheOfficeMut]

Don't blame the obese, this epidemic is a consequence of class and race war. For decades poor communities, especially poor communities of color, have been denied access to healthy food and exercise. This isn't an accident but the direct result of neoliberal attitudes on social welfare and the amorality of the market.

What are these neoliberal attitudes?

 

[ClosingADoor]

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.

The only post that needs to be made. People are fat because it's the life style they choose. Simple as that.

Bullshit, we make laws for a ton of things where people acting better would just fix it also. Don't tax cigarettes, people just need to decide to stop smoking. Don't make cars safer, people just need to watch where they drive. Don't limit gambling, people need to know themselves whether to waste their money.

We make laws and try to change circumstances, because on a larger scale sometimes people don't do what is best for them and that hurts everyone in the end.

20 nuggets from Burger King is only $3 how can you say no to that

Damn, is that the actual price in the US? Over here that would cost you around €8, which is about $9,50. But we are still getting more obese people in Europe also. Only higher prices is not the fix, but it can help, if offset with better food prices for healthy food.

 

[Valhelm]

What are these neoliberal attitudes?

"let the market decide"
"personal responsibility"
"welfare is wasteful"
"we need to cut back on spending"

 

[Cyframe]

Let's talk about the US's poor transportation infrastructure. There are food deserts. So many people who go shopping have to make time to go to the store and back which can take 3 hours there and back(total). I'm not sure if people ever carried groceries for a family of 4 on the bus...but that's difficult, to say the least. So foods that last, foods that are on sale, and foods that can be heated up with little clean up afterward are appealing.

No app is going to address poor transportation. I've also lived in a rural area and you weren't going to the store without a car and you really only had one option to do your shopping. You got what was on sale. You fit in healthy food you could afford. That's what you could do.

And...are people unfamiliar with healthcare in the US? I heard that was a pretty big topic recently. People aren't able to go to the doctor for mere physicals and meeting with a nutritionist is out of the question. Have depression and anxiety? Can't go to the doctor.

I just don't understand how, with a variety of other topics we talk about broad ways to tackle them but with obesity, you get "you fat pig you lose weight."

Honestly addressing food deserts, housing concerns, healthcare, wages, that would do so much to motivate people because they have time to focus on other things. But if we're refusing to look at factors right in our face, this obesity issue will get bigger (pun not intended).

 

[Afro]

People love dopamine.

 

[mrkgoo]

Education is the only way. Just throw it out there constantly the way to be healthy.

It maybe too late for the older generations en masse but with enough awareness, especially parents, you can turn it around for the next generation.

But yeah there are so many factors. JUnky food being relatively cheap is a problem. If it's easier to get a meal by throwing $5-10 than it is to actually get something healthy, especially of it hits more craving buttons, people will do that. And yet, that alone isn't the issue. I don't there's one single problem, but multiple.

Tackle them all. Make people aware.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

They know pizza, burgers, fried chicken, soda, and cookies are bad for them. They know fruits and vegetables are good for them.

People can download MyFitnessPal and have a pretty good idea of what they need, the problem is that they dont care. Fat, sugar, and salt taste good and they'll keep earing it until they cant afford it anymore.

If the government doesnt step in the obesity rate will continue to rise.

The government stepping in and subsidizing corn while issuing a bunch of bullshit nutrition guidelines is what got us here in the first place.

I'm like the least libertarian person out there, but the US government has been nothing but trouble when it comes to this issue.

Going to the other extreme isn't healthy either

120 at 5'7" is a perfectly healthy weight.

 

[Euler007]

Sugar is the enemy (high-fructose corn syrup should be taxed, not subsidized). Trying to avoid sugar is practically impossible if you don't cook your own food. Every restaurant and food companies puts it in their food to make it as tasty and addictive as the competition.

You can't out exercise bad food. It can take hours of exercise to burn bad food you can eat in minutes. I was in my early twenties working 25 hours a week and working out 25 hours once too, but that person knew fuckall about the life of someone that works 60 hours a week with a wife waiting for him to get back from work.

 

[Valhelm]

Education is the only way. Just throw it out there constantly the way to be healthy.

It maybe too late for the older generations en masse but with enough awareness, especially parents, you can turn it around for the next generation.

But yeah there are so many factors. JUnky food being relatively cheap is a problem. If it's easier to get a meal by throwing $5-10 than it is to actually get something healthy, especially of it hits more craving buttons, people will do that. And yet, that alone isn't the issue. I don't there's one single problem, but multiple.

Tackle them all. Make people aware.

poor people aren't stupid dude

how the fuck is education gonna change somebody's ability to buy and prepare a healthy meal if they're working 2 shit jobs and barely have time to run to the store to buy some frozen corn dogs

 

[Hashmal_Bringer_of_Order]

poor people aren't stupid dude

how the fuck is education gonna change somebody's ability to buy and prepare a healthy meal if they're working 2 shit jobs and barely have time to run to the store to buy some frozen corn dogs

If you had 3 meals a day each composed of a Mcdonalds Double Cheeseburger (445 kcal) and Water, 95+% of Americas obese population would rapidly plummet in weight.

This stuff won't balloon you unless you eat too much.

 

[Shadax the wizard]

For america? Hell no.

Huh, pretty sure I read an article not long ago about the decrease of obesity in US. I guess I’m mixing my countries up :/

 

[mrkgoo]

poor people aren't stupid dude

how the fuck is education gonna change somebody's ability to buy and prepare a healthy meal if they're working 2 shit jobs and barely have time to run to the store to buy some frozen corn dogs

I don't know what it's really like in the US - are the mega poor people the ones who are morbidly obese? Working two jobs to make ends meet?

Like what portion of this 40% are poor? One solutions isn't going to be able to solve it for everyone, but lack of awareness or care for the issue is fundamentally there. Show that it is an issue and that something CAN be done. The attitude of "what can we do?" is part of it. Making excuses doesn't help.

And I'm not saying poor people are making excuses - those cases may require a different solution, ultimately.

But start with education and awareness.

That's not the secret key that will work for everyone, for sure. But as a whole I think that's where it needs to start.

 

[Apt101]

I've found that giving people meal ideas that use ingredients that can be used for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner helps. I've helped a few friends and coworkers shed 20-ish pounds this way. Though, counting calories while getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily is still the best bet (assuming they don't have physiological problem that makes weight loss next to impossible without medication).

Like this:
- 100 calorie english muffins
- Thick cut turkey bacon
- Eggs

Assuming people also keep other staples around (sandwich bread, lettuce and tomato, etc), the above can be used for low cal breakfast and lunch. English muffin, bacon, and egg sandwich for breakfast - less than 300 calories even with a brush of butter. You can use that turkey bacon for a big ol' BLT for lunch - also around 300 calories with mayo. Or boil some eggs, add low cal mayo, and you have egg salad. Etc.

You can extrapolate from there. Get in the habit of walking through the grocery store and thinking about how you can use each ingredient / item in multiple meals. Before you know it you'll have half as much food in your pantry and fridge, but be making a larger variety of healthier meals.

 

[Jetku]

I’ve lost 60 lbs in the past year. I’m no longer a negative statistic here!

147 at 5’11”

 

[Haines]

I’ve lost 60 lbs in the past year. I’m no longer a negative statistic here!

147 at 5’11”

Awesome. Stick to the healthy life style and avoid sugar cuz that shit is addictive.

That's a huge accomplishment man.

 

[Valhelm]

I don't know what it's really like in the US - are the mega poor people the ones who are morbidly obese? Working two jobs to make ends meet?

Like what portion of this 40% are poor? One solutions isn't going to be able to solve it for everyone, but lack of awareness or care for the issue is fundamentally there. Show that it is an issue and that something CAN be done. The attitude of "what can we do?" is part of it. Making excuses doesn't help.

And I'm not saying poor people are making excuses - those cases may require a different solution, ultimately.

But start with education and awareness.

Obesity and income and race are pretty tightly correlated. Only exception is that poorer adult men, mostly black and Hispanic, buck the trend because they're more likely to work physically intensive jobs.

 

[Zoe]

They and most of the world do not put sugar in everything. We started doing this In the 70s. obesity has risen since. Stop consuming insane amounts of sugar.

Maybe this is a recent change, but I see a shit ton of Japanese and Korean recipes from Japanese and Korean natives that call for sugar. Some of the Korean ones I've seen even use corn syrup.

I think portion size, particularly the ratio of the main dish to the side dishes, plays a big part.

 

[ElephantShell]

One thing I don't understand is why obesity in Canada is so much lower when our culture and eating habits seem relatively similar. Hockey is good cardio I guess??

 

[Haines]

One thing I don't understand is why obesity in Canada is so much lower when our culture and eating habits seem relatively similar. Hockey is good cardio I guess??

Umm have u crossed the border.

There fast food is on a whole nother level

 

[Euler007]

One thing I don't understand is why obesity in Canada is so much lower when our culture and eating habits seem relatively similar. Hockey is good cardio I guess??

Food is more expensive and portions are smaller. I was shocked at the size of portions the first time I went to the southern US.

 

[Zoe]

One thing I don't understand is why obesity in Canada is so much lower when our culture and eating habits seem relatively similar. Hockey is good cardio I guess??

Shivering burns calories

 

[mrkgoo]

Obesity and income and race are pretty tightly correlated. Only exception is that poorer adult men, mostly black and Hispanic, buck the trend because they're more likely to work physically intensive jobs.

Oh the kids.

But isn't education still an important thing for them? Is it entirely about not being able to afford more nutritious meals or have the time to educate the kids?

I know part of it will be that the parents won't have the time to say, take their kids for an hour walk or be able to supervise them to ensure they get a balanced meal and stuff but I still think in those situations it starts with education and awareness.

It's not a magic bullet no. But I do feel that this kind of thing is that people don't care or feel that is an issue they can deal with when there is always something you can do and letting them know or showing them those little things is important.

Like don't give your kids soda dammit - it's probably the least you can start with. Moderate that stuff.

 

[Demon Lizardman]

Maybe if we halved the amount of sugar we put in everything it would be a good start?

 

[Sohter.Nura]

I don't even see how we can solve this outside of educating people. How's the rest of the world fighting this problem?

Coming from Brazil, been in the US for 11 years now, the portion sizes really need to be controlled in the US. You don't get buckets of soda and humongous fries when you order food in Brazil, and when you order regular food at restaurants the portions are similarly big.

Couple regular restaurants / fast food joints serving huge, huge servings as well as the average american eating out a lot more often than the rest of the world due to various circumstances, and it's a huge contributor to the obesity in the US

 

[Lord Fagan]

Trump is overweight and is the president lol

40% of adults and 19% of kids aren't obese because of the last 10 months of Donald Trump's administration.

But you're probably being sarcastic.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

There is no systemic institutionalized anything that prevents someone from shutting their phone off and going for an hour walk a day.

Yes there is. A poor person working two jobs to feed their kids might not have this free hour/day.

Most protien heavy fresh meats are very cheap, and most vegetables are cheap as well.

Depends where. At my grocery store, unless they're on sale, fish and fresh vegetables are incredibly expensive. Even poultry, the cheapest of the meat, is still not that cheap, though it's pretty much the only mean I ever buy when not on sale. I'm not overweight, but I can see why it'd be a struggle for someone poor trying to eat healthier.

It's not about being poor.

Many of the richest people with the most free time and that could afford personal trainers and cooks are fat and overweight.

Like I said motivation is the biggest factor.

Sigh. You say this and don't even realize how motivation and poverty can be inextricably linked? And you completely ignore studies that show immediate links between poverty and obesity in the US?

Why are some people so damn immune to facts and reality?

Get help.

I read the beginning of that post and thought "what, this seems reasonable, education, cutting soda, yep --" and then... O_O thatescalatedquickly.gif

That last part especially was all kinds of gross. Goddamn.

 

[Clockwork5]

Hey. Fresh fruits and vegetables are much cheaper than fast food. FYI.

 

[chromatic9]

UK is 27% obese

Contrary to the US according to the report is UK urban areas have the most obsese people.

 

[TAJ]

Damn, is that the actual price in the US? Over here that would cost you around €8, which is about $9,50.

It's actually 10 for $1.50, but basically yes.

 

[Infinite]

Hey. Fresh fruits and vegetables are much cheaper than fast food. FYI.

Fast food is more convenient than buying fresh food you have to fix into a meal.

 

[Clockwork5]

Fast food is more convenient than buying fresh food you have to fix into a meal.

Sure, I was commenting on those who were saying people save money by eating fast food. Which is insanity.

 

[Dice//]

Sure, I was commenting on those who were saying people save money by eating fast food. Which is insanity.

Prep time might suck but really buying/making your stuff is often still the best way to go.
I guess the problem is when kids get factored into the equation and you're feeding a family with the already precious time in the day there is.

....small aside, I would totally take a tasty pill-form food if it meant I could save the time and get all needed nourishment. C'moooon space-age tech.

 

[curiouscharles]

For the people who are saying they don't got time should invest in meal prep

Basically you do your food for the week in one day then put them
In microwave containers and put them
In the fridge and freezer so it ain't cutting into your time during the week to cook food

lol, GL with that buddy.

"oh, people who say you don't have the time? you should just change the way your fucking brain works entirely and become extremely A-type - it's totally possible because I and at least one other person I've met have been able to do this f'real!"

people pointing out that the lower classes have more demands of their time and hence make worse choices with regards to their diet are 100% spot-on.

it's definitely a compounded / complicated issue.

the "i love fat-shaming dude" might be a sociopath, but it's funny because i swear that's how i've stayed fit my whole life, my mom used to point out fat kids and say to us [as kids], "isn't that just so sad....".

REALLY stuck with us as kids.

One thing I don't understand is why obesity in Canada is so much lower when our culture and eating habits seem relatively similar. Hockey is good cardio I guess??

someone clearly hasn't been to the States before...

[also, catch the fuck up on your science, cardio doesn't make you skinny]

 

[Dice//]

lol, GL with that buddy.

"oh, people who say you don't have the time? you should just change the way your fucking brain works entirely and become extremely A-type - it's totally possible because I and at least one other person I've met have been able to do this f'real!"

Actually a good on-the-go solution is to split off some of your dinner for tomorrow's lunch; 2 meals for 1 prep. That way you don't have to spend an entire sunday on meal prep (that said I do know quite a lot of people who do this anyways).