Americans are Fat

[Douger]

Obesity statistics - Countries Compared - NationMaster

 

[Rockerchick1]

More diet and exercise! That's all I have to say!

 

[Ropey]

Get off the couch, Americans! And put down that doughnut!

29.5% — Percentage of population 20 and over who are obese

America’s spare tire keeps growing. This year, 29.5% of the U.S. population over 20 was obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 21.8% in 2000. That’s creating not just a big health problem for the country, but a big economics one.

Economists John Cawley at Cornell University and Chad Meyerhoefer at the Lehigh University have estimated that annual cost of treating obesity in the U.S. accounts for as 16.5% of national spending on health care.

Higher health costs are just the start. Research at Shell Oil Co., for example, found that obese employees missed 3.7 days of work compared to normal-weight coworkers. Shanjun Li of Cornell, Yanyan Liu of the World Bank and Junjie Zhang the University of California San Diego found that higher obesity rates increase people’s predilection for bigger, less fuel efficient cars, increasing the country’s energy tab.

If current trends continue, nearly half of the U.S. adults will be obese by 2020, calculate Harvard University economists David Cutler and Susan Stewart with University of Michigan medical researcher Allison Rosen. That would overrun the positive health effects of the continued decline in smoking.

But even though obesity is a growing problem, it doesn’t seem to be registering with many Americans. In a Gallup poll conducted in November, 29% of respondents said they weighed more than 200 pounds. That compared to 15% in a similar poll from 1990. But the share of people who considered themselves very overweight or somewhat overweight fell from 48% in 1990 to 39% this year.

Number of the Week: The Economics of Obesity - Real Time Economics - WSJ

Toro's just worried we'll stretch over into Canada.

Wadda ya' want us to do...buy two seats????

You think Toro's worried?

This new IMF reach-around that has Canada tied to America through Europe is worrisome to me also.

 

[uscitizen]

we're just big boned

I think more just "big bone" in my case.

 

[masquerade]

For a lot of people, me included... it's a problem of addiction. There just isn't any sort of framework in this country to cope with the addictive problems people have been developing over their lifetimes when it comes to food.

No, the diet and exercise industry and all their gimmicky inventions are not a solution. Those are simply money-making industries designed around the knowledge that people will typically fail.

One needs to look within for the solution to the problem. Commitment along with the desire and willingness to make the necessary changes in one's life. In any aspect of one's life.

 

[Tank]

 

[Cowman]

For a lot of people, me included... it's a problem of addiction. There just isn't any sort of framework in this country to cope with the addictive problems people have been developing over their lifetimes when it comes to food.

No, the diet and exercise industry and all their gimmicky inventions are not a solution. Those are simply money-making industries designed around the knowledge that people will typically fail.

One needs to look within for the solution to the problem. Commitment along with the desire and willingness to make the necessary changes in one's life. In any aspect of one's life.

Of course... but when you're fighting with an addiction that's just as seemingly powerful as that of a heroin addict with a society that has these temptations around you without any of it being illegal... it's remarkably difficult when simple willpower is the only way to beat it.

I've been down a deep dark road of fast food addiction and compulsive overeating that would absolutely terrify you.

 

[masquerade]

For a lot of people, me included... it's a problem of addiction. There just isn't any sort of framework in this country to cope with the addictive problems people have been developing over their lifetimes when it comes to food.

No, the diet and exercise industry and all their gimmicky inventions are not a solution. Those are simply money-making industries designed around the knowledge that people will typically fail.

One needs to look within for the solution to the problem. Commitment along with the desire and willingness to make the necessary changes in one's life. In any aspect of one's life.

Of course... but when you're fighting with an addiction that's just as seemingly powerful as that of a heroin addict with a society that has these temptations around you without any of it being illegal... it's remarkably difficult when simple willpower is the only way to beat it.

I've been down a deep dark road of fast food addiction and compulsive overeating that would absolutely terrify you.

I used to enjoy a Big Mac a couple of times a year but besides that, I can not relate to a fast food addiction. Though I have suffered my own addictions to some foods and compulsive overeating as well. Not to a degree that it was terrifying or that I couldn't get it under control on my own. I think most of my 'eating issues' were due to fears and insecurities. Eating made me feel safe and comforted even though most times I felt physically gross for what it was I ate.

A couple years back I found myself down a deep dark road of despair ... personal issues ... nothing to do with food, yet food was always there with me to help ease the sadness. Anywho, I started seeing a social worker and was introduced to books and websites for positive thinking and affirmations. I started meditating regularly and worked with some hypnosis. Long story short, I came out of that dark place and my Life has been so much better because of the changes I made. With that said, I used (use) the same tools in my health and nutriton, diet and exercise.

By taking the negative thoughts about the way I saw myself, the food I ate and the exercise I continiously blew off and turning them into positive ones, I was able to make the changes needed. The willpower and commitment came easy and effortlessly. Releasing fears about overcoming an addiction is one of the first steps. Along with acknowledging one's addiction and the willingness to overcome it.

Life, in my opinion, is really very simple.
What we believe about Life and about ourselves becomes true for us. What we put out, we get back. It's really that simple. So keep your thoughts about yourself, food, diet and exercise, positive!



Americans ... if they really wanted ... could become leaner and healthier. Many unfortunately, are not willing to give up the fattened life-syle they have grown accustomed to.

 

[Douger]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7lYzUAGPDM]Fat America - YouTube[/ame]

 

[9thIDdoc]

Americans are Fat

True but we also have teenage girls starving themselves to death due to the predjudice against fat people. Do you think that predjudice is any less nasty than any other?

 

[Cowman]

One needs to look within for the solution to the problem. Commitment along with the desire and willingness to make the necessary changes in one's life. In any aspect of one's life.

Of course... but when you're fighting with an addiction that's just as seemingly powerful as that of a heroin addict with a society that has these temptations around you without any of it being illegal... it's remarkably difficult when simple willpower is the only way to beat it.

I've been down a deep dark road of fast food addiction and compulsive overeating that would absolutely terrify you.

I used to enjoy a Big Mac a couple of times a year but besides that, I can not relate to a fast food addiction. Though I have suffered my own addictions to some foods and compulsive overeating as well. Not to a degree that it was terrifying or that I couldn't get it under control on my own. I think most of my 'eating issues' were due to fears and insecurities. Eating made me feel safe and comforted even though most times I felt physically gross for what it was I ate.

Two XXL chalupas(the really large ones they had) from taco bell with two crunchy beef tacos, and then making a detour over to Whataburger to get a double whataburger combo and a regular whataburger.

Or some days 2 big macs with a large caramel frappe, and then straight on over to braum's for a bag of deluxe burgers(5 burgers) because the mcdonald's meal seemed light.

I've spent more than 20 dollars for one combined 'meal' before... for one person. (that's fast food, mind you... so it's a LOT of food)

I would feel fairly stuffed... but then an hour later I'd be hungry again.

It's awful and it makes you feel awful and leads to a very quick death at a young age. The addiction is overwhelming. It was mostly the hundreds of dollars every month that prevented me from escalating things further. I was financially incapable of going even further beyond.

 

[lizzie]

Yes- alot of Americans are fat, and it's eating up our healthcare dollars. The government and society in general have decided to demonize smokers for high health care costs associated with smoking, but I have been an RN for almost 30 years, and I assure you, we treat many more obese people than smokers. It's just not politically correct to call out people on their eating habit like it is to call out smokers.

 

[9thIDdoc]

I don't find fat people or smokers nearly as obnoxious as people who don't know how to mind their own business. Why not live your life the way you wish and allow others that same freedom?

 

[Mad Scientist]

I don't find fat people or smokers nearly as obnoxious as people who don't know how to mind their own business. Why not live your life the way you wish and allow others that same freedom?

My Aunt and Uncle are morbidly obese. My Aunt since the mid 70's. She calls it a "life style choice" and goes ballistic if anyone mentions she should lose a few pounds.

But on the phone, in private, she cries that she's "trapped in a fat body" and would love to be thin.

I'll bet the vast majority of fat people would chose to be thin again if they could.

 

[Cowman]

I don't find fat people or smokers nearly as obnoxious as people who don't know how to mind their own business. Why not live your life the way you wish and allow others that same freedom?

My Aunt and Uncle are morbidly obese. My Aunt since the mid 70's. She calls it a "life style choice" and goes ballistic if anyone mentions she should lose a few pounds.

But on the phone, in private, she cries that she's "trapped in a fat body" and would love to be thin.

I'll bet the vast majority of fat people would chose to be thin again if they could.

As an obese individual, I never did understand the "lifestyle choice" line.

 

[lizzie]

I don't find fat people or smokers nearly as obnoxious as people who don't know how to mind their own business. Why not live your life the way you wish and allow others that same freedom?

My Aunt and Uncle are morbidly obese. My Aunt since the mid 70's. She calls it a "life style choice" and goes ballistic if anyone mentions she should lose a few pounds.

But on the phone, in private, she cries that she's "trapped in a fat body" and would love to be thin.

I'll bet the vast majority of fat people would chose to be thin again if they could.

They can. It's a numbers game, and it works every time, unless there is a serious metabolic disorder, and that is uncommon.

 

[Katzndogz]

My mother was morbidly obese. It finally killed her. She must have weighed 600 pounds.

Instead of being fat, or even chubby, her weight had a profound effect on me. After she died I stopped eating until I almost died too! To this day, junk food isn't on the menu ever. I love my cake, pie and cookies. I buy ONE. One slice of cake. Two cookies. Maybe a couple of times a month. I can eat two french fries and throw the rest away.

Maybe I'm just lucky in a twisted bizarre way.

 

[Bill O'Olberman]

As a former fat kid from age 9 to 17 I have to say it really is a matter of being lazy, compulsive, bad habits, and/or just being repugnant. Of course the lifestyle that we as Americans have become accustomed to doesnt help. The more convinent/affordable the food the worse it is for you, our jobs have us sedentary for 8 hours a day and when we are done with work we love our tv, our internet, our video games, etc and you have to look after your kids, and your significant other wants you to do that inane task that will take all day. And of course work is stressful so you eat more to cope with the stress. The best advice I can offer is to stop drinking soda with sugar, start watching what you eat, and find some workout routine you enjoy and keep at it.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Get off the couch, Americans! And put down that doughnut!

I blame the former more than the latter. Our main problem is our inactivity. When I lose weight, its always because I'm more active. Two times in my life where the pounds just came off were 1) hiking the appalachian trail. Ate like a PIG, still lost 35 lbs in about two weeks 2) moving out of old place and into new owned house, and then spending the first month working on it. didn't change eating habits. Lost 20 lbs.

I think if you look at where folks are less overweight - new york city, for instance - their eating habits aren't much different than elsewhere, they just get a lot more activity. The average new yorker walks 4 miles a day.

 

[mskafka]

Obesity is an easy problem to solve. All we have to do is redefine what obesity is in terms of a "normal" BMI and a new normal and PRESTO!! No more obesity!! lol

That's right! I love it!