The Obesity Pandemic

[BlueGin]

You think only republicans are fat? Have you seen the hispanic and black population lately?

Where did I say that? I said "Americans".

Do you think that all Hispanics and blacks vote for Dems?

I said that Repubs/RWs don't take responsibility for their own choices. And, they don't. A constantly recurring theme here is that its all Barry's and Mitzi's fault. Name it - its their fault.

The right is against good nutrition in schools and accurate labeling of food products.

Yeah? If dems are the only folks taking responsibility for themselves. Why are they still fat?

Think they are spending all their money on the vending machine granola bars do you? Or are the vendors losing money do ya think?

I said "Americans" and I meant Americans. We are a fat country and getting fatter.

And its not the left that is fighting against good nutrition in schools and accurate food labeling.

I used to have a small side business of selling condoms in vending machines and sold it before I left Tucson. I don't buy "food" from machines, don't drink sugary sodas and wouldn't touch a so-called "granola bar". Sorry, but beyond that, I can't comment on vending machine sales.

No... You just implied that only republicans are fat because they don't take responsibility for themselves. Don't evade now.

And speaking as a person that works in a place that only allows health food to be sold in the vending machines...care to guess what the most popular fund raisers are in the work place these days?

You implied that all Hispanics and blacks vote for Dems and I let it pass.

BFD

Right. Throwing your tactics back on you. Worked too obviously. lol

 

[BlueGin]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Yes it is because over-eating is a choice & results in a whole host of illness' resulting in the raising of the price of premiums Skull Pilot

Sent from my BN NookHD+ using Tapatalk

Wrong. The majority of price increases in the health industry are hospital and doctor bills that are written off because patients and insurance companies refuse to pay them. Doesn't matter if the patient is fat or thin.

I was saying that many hospital admissions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease are brought-on by obesity shit stain

Plenty of thin people with those ailments.

More prevalent in obese people, ask you doctor or read something.[/

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Yes it is because over-eating is a choice & results in a whole host of illness' resulting in the raising of the price of premiums Skull Pilot

Sent from my BN NookHD+ using Tapatalk

Wrong. The majority of price increases in the health industry are hospital and doctor bills that are written off because patients and insurance companies refuse to pay them. Doesn't matter if the patient is fat or thin.

I was saying that many hospital admissions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease are brought-on by obesity shit stain

Plenty of thin people with those ailments.

More prevalent in obese people, ask you doctor or read something.

Hospital Admissions include sick people that are thin and democrats. Just so you know.

 

[BlueGin]

Anyone that is inactive or even over 45 years of age is at high risk for diabetes and heart attacks. Not just people that are overweight.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Ask any adult which is healthier a hot fudge sundae or a plate of steamed veggies and I will bet that all of them will say the veggies.
People know what is healthy and what isn't. Fat people just don't care so they eat the junk

Look deeper.
The small plate of steamed veggies cost twice as much as the ice cream sundae.
Fresh produce is outrageously high. Fresh bakery items are also. And good meats? Get out of town.
A lot of people eat crap because the crap is CHEAP.
24 cans of coke at Walmart - $.24 cents a can. $5.98
A large bag of Doritos this week is $1.98...oh wait..a can of Pringles is $.88
Oh look - one of those big packages of Oreos - $2.29!!!
A package of bologna - $1.99
Total = $13.12
How far will $13 get you in the fresh produce section?
Or in fresh meats?

Frozen produce is cheap and just as healthy as fresh.
And it's funny how I ate a bologna sandwich every day for lunch when i was a kid and was never fat.

It's the eating of 4 or 5 sandwiches for lunch that's the problem not having one.

There was a time in my life where I lived on Mac and cheese and ramen and was never fat. It's all a matter of degree and everyone knows it.

Ask any fat guy who lives on bologna sandwiches chips and Coke if eating only 2 slices of bologna on a sandwich instead of 20 will result in weight loss or if eating only 10 chips instead of half the bag and having a diet coke will result in weight loss and what do you think the answer would be?

Everyone already knows all this. The fact is they do not care and choose to be fat

where is your medical degree from again?

Thank you for illustrating your idiocy.

If you can't figure out that eating less helps you lose weight maybe you need to be in a home where other people are making choices for you.

Actually, "idiocy" lies in presuming one's hypersimplistic one-size-fits-all armchair ideas of how the body works like a gas tank and that's that.

With a side of arrogance, extra clueless.

so tell me what percentage of people will not lose weight if they eat less and exercise more.

 

[Skull Pilot]

The Right has cruelly attacked Michelle Obama for trying to promote healthy foods and exercise. The Right just can't be satisfied.

Being fat and having fat kids has become a badge, a way to show you disagree with her efforts to give kids healthier food. It's the same ignorant, 'that'll show those nanny-state Dems' crap we read here every day.

No matter what, the RWs will find a way to blame either President or Mrs Obama for their own obesity.

Go traveling and you can easily pick out the Americans.

You think only republicans are fat? Have you seen the hispanic and black population lately?

Where did I say that? I said "Americans".

Do you think that all Hispanics and blacks vote for Dems?

I said that Repubs/RWs don't take responsibility for their own choices. And, they don't. A constantly recurring theme here is that its all Barry's and Mitzi's fault. Name it - its their fault.

The right is against good nutrition in schools and accurate labeling of food products.

Yeah? If dems are the only folks taking responsibility for themselves. Why are they still fat?

Think they are spending all their money on the vending machine granola bars do you? Or are the vendors losing money do ya think?

I said "Americans" and I meant Americans. We are a fat country and getting fatter.

And its not the left that is fighting against good nutrition in schools and accurate food labeling.

I used to have a small side business of selling condoms in vending machines and sold it before I left Tucson. I don't buy "food" from machines, don't drink sugary sodas and wouldn't touch a so-called "granola bar". Sorry, but beyond that, I can't comment on vending machine sales.

Funny how we were less fat as a nation when there wasn't all this mandated labeling.

Why is that do you think?

Could it be people just don't care and eat whatever they want IOW they are fat because they are choosing to be fat

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Could it be people just don't care and eat whatever they want IOW they are fat because they are choosing to be fat

Overall I don't disagree with where you are coming from, but at the same time I believe you are simply looking at the surface, and not appreciating other factors beside eating too much.
A big part of the problem Skull is what is in American foods.
It is all about caloric content...what makes up the calories in a particular product.
Of course you have noticed that after eating a whole plate of spaghetti in a little over an hour - you are hungry again! Why is that?
Well the caloric content of pasta is 89% carbs and only 6% protein.
On the other hand - shrimp, it fills you up big time - why is that? - 82% protein!
The point?
The nutritional value, the protein and vitamin content per caloric unit, in American foods is HORRIBLE.
But our bodies keep telling us to eat, because in America you have to eat 2000 calories in food to get MINIMAL nutrition. Thus why we have so many obese people who are still malnourished.
And then there is the economic cost of high nutritional foods vs. crap food.
Crap foods are heavily-heavily-heavily subsidized. Quality foods are not.
You can feed FOUR people spaghetti and the main ingredient only cost $.99!!!
But again the nutritional value of that meal is almost nothing.
Sit down to a meal of FRESH non-frankenChicken meal with FRESH Broccoli and a salad with green lettuce etc. and that meal cost 10 times as much. But packs 100 times the nutritional value.
Am I getting anywhere here?

 

[auditor0007]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Honestly, I'm kind of sick of the "it's none of your business" crowd. Obesity should be a concern for everyone. We have permitted food companies to sell us absolute junk that is no good for us, telling us that it is healthy at the same time. We allow our kids to play video games while eating chips and drinking soda for five or more hours per day and never seeing to it that they get any real exercise. There are answers to these problems and we should be having discussions on how to make positive changes for everyone, because in the end, we are all paying for it through higher medical costs.

 

[auditor0007]

I admit that I don't get out much, but spending a weekend amongst the crowds at the Smithsonian and other tourist venues this past weekend has strongly reinforced my belief that we Americans are just toooooo fat.

Looking around me it seemed like almost everyone has this problem (I know that's an exaggeration, but...), and the older we get the worse it is.

As if to illustrate the point, I went to the hotel buffet breakfast on Sunday, and seated at a large table near me was what appeared to be several generations of the same family, ranging in age from 5-6 to 70. The obesity was almost linear. The little kids were thin, the highschool age kids were chunky, the adults (20-45) were significantly overweight, and the grandparents were morbidly obese.

This is worse than smoking. At least smokers can function (can't run but they can do everything else), but when you are fat you are shut off from a lot of the activities that, for me anyway, make life fun.

And ironically, we are obsessed with sex. I can't even imagine wanting to copulate with a woman who is built like Rosie O'Donnell. I'm sure the same is true of women looking at all the fat men. There must be a lot of sexually frustrated people out there. Thank God for internet porn and self-help.

I personally don't claim to be in wonderful physical condition, or to have any self-restraint for that matter. I have made a deal with my body: I eat like a pig and work out five days a week. With that deal, I'm not svelte, but presentable.

What could the Surgeon General do about the obesity pandemic?

Not sure the Surgeon General is the answer. My issue is that everyone makes a big deal about kids' diets. Obesity begins with our kids. They learn bad habits and then they just get worse as they become adults. But here is the real problem; it's not how much kids eat, and to a great degree it isn't even what they eat. The biggest problem by far is the lack of exercise. Kids today, as well as adults, are just not active enough. When I was in high school, I consumed over 6000 calories per day. At 50 plus years of age, I still consume 3000 to 4000 calories per day. I never diet, and I weigh 135 to 145 lbs. So how do I consume so much food without gaining weight? I run 20 to 25 miles per week and I lift weights at three days per week.

What I believe should be done is that real physical education classes should be required of all students grade 1 through 12 five days per week. In addition to that, any child not involved in school sports should be required to participate in intramural sports after school, through 8th grade. Yes there would be a cost to taxpayers, in the short term. But in the long term, the savings would be astronomical. Besides helping to greatly reduce childhood obesity, which would lead to a much greater reduction in adult obesity, kids would learn better. Kids who are overweight and lethargic are not usually good learners. Healthy active kids usually fair the best when it comes to academics, so the reward would be two fold.

 

[auditor0007]

Honestly, who the **** is the "surgeon general" to begin with? And SG hasn't done anything about smoking, so nothing will get done about obesity.
I partially blame the horrid convenience of all the fast food (part of Big Corporation). We need to wipe out the fast food and all the other highly processed food from the grocery stores.
I'm almost 200 lbs, but I'm pregnant and tall so it's okay. I'm (mostly) comfortable with my body.
Fast food companies and food factories are thriving right now because the majority chooses to buy those products. Most people don't realize the damage they're doing to their bodies by eating all those processed foods. I guarantee that 80% (if not more) of food contain GMO's, antibiotics, and God knows what else---fast food included. Not only do all these chemicals add up, but we aren't the only ones getting the short end of the stick. The animals are the first to have to endure this horrible experiment.
Anyways, if you keep buying something unhealthy (that also causes environmental waste and pollution) then the products will still be produced.

In the 70's, 40% of Americans smoked cigarettes. Today it is 18%. Whether it be the SG or many things combined, the war on smoking has been very successful. Of course we will never get everyone to quit smoking, but the success rate to date is admirable. We can do the same thing with obesity, but it's going to take a generation or two to see real results.

 

[auditor0007]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

By that logic it's none of your business if somebody notices an epidemic that reaches everybody, is it?

Obesity is not an epidemic.

In case you haven't figured this out yet obesity is a choice not a disease.

Absolutely wrong. People do not make a conscientious decision to be fat. I've never heard a thin person say they wanted to be fat. Kids don't choose to get fat. Where do you come up with this nonsense?

 

[auditor0007]

--- said the army of one to his mirror.

Ha, ha ... you've got nothing so you resort to joking.

Here, since you have no choice in what you put in your body and no way to find the nutritional information on food. Down the hatch!

And you actually believe that because you and I know better -- that everyone else does too. Not only that but everybody has the same alternatives we do.

Life in Da Bubblez....

Again, feel free to essplain those dated maps in post 11 and how we all just suddenly decided to go that route. Funny, nobody wants to touch that one. Wonder why.
.

Most people have access to the internet, and most of them can do it on the go. Why is obesity increasing? Because people are choosing to not inform themselves, choosing to eat crap, choosing to sit on their ass and watch whatever is on. By product of that? Fat and/or obese.

Go on....
answer the question WHY the nation, as a nation, suddenly decided in the last two decades to do that. Aye, there's the rub.

Actually that time frame coincides with the emergence of the Internet. By your logic obesity should have decreased thanks to the well of information.

Speaking of the last twenty years, technology has boomed during this time and is also playing an enormous part in people being/becoming fat. It's both a blessing and a curse. Kids sit on their asses in front of a tv/computer/gaming system/phone munching away. Blimpy happens. School's nixing recess is a big mistake as well. Just wait until pot is legal all over and the munchies set in! It's a choice that people make, why are you just putting blame on big food companies?

The lack of exercise with our kids is the biggest problem by far. What they eat definitely could be better, but the lack of exercise is the killer that is the main cause of childhood obesity. Once kids become fat, it's difficult for them to change as they become adults. Usually, they just continue to get fatter.

 

[Skull Pilot]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

By that logic it's none of your business if somebody notices an epidemic that reaches everybody, is it?

Obesity is not an epidemic.

In case you haven't figured this out yet obesity is a choice not a disease.

Absolutely wrong. People do not make a conscientious decision to be fat. I've never heard a thin person say they wanted to be fat. Kids don't choose to get fat. Where do you come up with this nonsense?

At some point in time every fat person knows they are fat

If they know they are fat and they know how to lose weight (and everyone knows how) and yet they stay fat then they are choosing to stay fat.

 

[Skull Pilot]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Honestly, I'm kind of sick of the "it's none of your business" crowd. Obesity should be a concern for everyone. We have permitted food companies to sell us absolute junk that is no good for us, telling us that it is healthy at the same time. We allow our kids to play video games while eating chips and drinking soda for five or more hours per day and never seeing to it that they get any real exercise. There are answers to these problems and we should be having discussions on how to make positive changes for everyone, because in the end, we are all paying for it through higher medical costs.

No one is forcing people to buy junk.

It's funny how I can walk into a supermarket and buy whatever I want.

You can too

So tell me who is putting the Twinkies in your cart?

 

[gipper]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Honestly, I'm kind of sick of the "it's none of your business" crowd. Obesity should be a concern for everyone. We have permitted food companies to sell us absolute junk that is no good for us, telling us that it is healthy at the same time. We allow our kids to play video games while eating chips and drinking soda for five or more hours per day and never seeing to it that they get any real exercise. There are answers to these problems and we should be having discussions on how to make positive changes for everyone, because in the end, we are all paying for it through higher medical costs.

No one is forcing people to buy junk.

It's funny how I can walk into a supermarket and buy whatever I want.

You can too

So tell me who is putting the Twinkies in your cart?

The problem is most Americans have no idea what a healthy diet consists of. They have been told so many lies by the government, big food, and other corporate special interests, that they have no clue.

Most Americans are too lazy to research nutrition and learn the facts, even though the internet readily provides it for them. They want to believe that diet does not affect health...it is all about your genes, they are told and foolishly believe.

For example, Americans are told endlessly to eat whole grains to be healthy. That is total BS. Sugar is everywhere in our food and it is well known that sugar is toxic and as addictive as cocaine. So the food industry offers sugar substitutes, which are even more harmful.

Like so much in America, corruption and lies rule the day. A sick population generates lots of profits for the drug companies, physicians, and healthcare operations. The establishment's treatment of cancer is a perfect example.

Trying to eat a healthy diet is difficult, even when you know the facts. The powers that be have contaminated our food supply with all sorts of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, etc...which enriches another special interest..chemical companies like Monsanto.

Our huge expensive federal government, which is suppose to protect the people, is doing the opposite.

 

[gipper]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Honestly, I'm kind of sick of the "it's none of your business" crowd. Obesity should be a concern for everyone. We have permitted food companies to sell us absolute junk that is no good for us, telling us that it is healthy at the same time. We allow our kids to play video games while eating chips and drinking soda for five or more hours per day and never seeing to it that they get any real exercise. There are answers to these problems and we should be having discussions on how to make positive changes for everyone, because in the end, we are all paying for it through higher medical costs.

No one is forcing people to buy junk.

It's funny how I can walk into a supermarket and buy whatever I want.

You can too

So tell me who is putting the Twinkies in your cart?

The problem is most Americans have no idea what a healthy diet consists of. They have been told so many lies by the government, big food, and other corporate special interests, that they have no clue.

Most Americans are too lazy to research nutrition and learn the facts, even though the internet readily provides it for them. They want to believe that diet does not affect health...it is all about your genes, they are told and foolishly believe.

For example, Americans are told endlessly to eat whole grains to be healthy. That is total BS. Sugar is everywhere in our food and it is well known that sugar is toxic and as addictive as cocaine. So the food industry offers sugar substitutes, which are even more harmful.

Like so much in America, corruption and lies rule the day. A sick population generates lots of profits for the drug companies, physicians, and healthcare operations. The establishments treatment of cancer is a perfect example.

Trying to eat a healthy diet is difficult even when you know the facts. The powers that be have contaminated our food supply with all sorts of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, etc...which enriches another special interest..chemical companies like Monsanto.

Our huge expensive federal government, which is suppose to protect the people, is doing the opposite.

 

[Abishai100]

The Hero of Washington Square

How can we feel better about the consumerism culture (i.e., Burger King) that builds a psychology of obesity tendencies?

Imagine going on a cross-country drive across the USA in a vintage Pontiac Fiero on which you play an audiobook tape of "Sleepy Hollow" (Washington Irving) as you journey across the nation.

You'll feel better about Burger King and perhaps about laissez-faire living. Lifestyle-integrative activity must be part of the social treatment for obesity. Since culture affects the psychology of obesity communities, you have to address the facets of American culture.

 

[Skull Pilot]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Honestly, I'm kind of sick of the "it's none of your business" crowd. Obesity should be a concern for everyone. We have permitted food companies to sell us absolute junk that is no good for us, telling us that it is healthy at the same time. We allow our kids to play video games while eating chips and drinking soda for five or more hours per day and never seeing to it that they get any real exercise. There are answers to these problems and we should be having discussions on how to make positive changes for everyone, because in the end, we are all paying for it through higher medical costs.

No one is forcing people to buy junk.

It's funny how I can walk into a supermarket and buy whatever I want.

You can too

So tell me who is putting the Twinkies in your cart?

The problem is most Americans have no idea what a healthy diet consists of. They have been told so many lies by the government, big food, and other corporate special interests, that they have no clue.

Most Americans are too lazy to research nutrition and learn the facts, even though the internet readily provides it for them. They want to believe that diet does not affect health...it is all about your genes, they are told and foolishly believe.

For example, Americans are told endlessly to eat whole grains to be healthy. That is total BS. Sugar is everywhere in our food and it is well known that sugar is toxic and as addictive as cocaine. So the food industry offers sugar substitutes, which are even more harmful.

Like so much in America, corruption and lies rule the day. A sick population generates lots of profits for the drug companies, physicians, and healthcare operations. The establishment's treatment of cancer is a perfect example.

Trying to eat a healthy diet is difficult, even when you know the facts. The powers that be have contaminated our food supply with all sorts of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, etc...which enriches another special interest..chemical companies like Monsanto.

Our huge expensive federal government, which is suppose to protect the people, is doing the opposite.

Most Americans don't know that eating less junk and more lean meats, veg and fruits is good for them?

Sorry but I don't buy it.

Ask anyone if a salad is better for you than a bag of chips and see what answers you get.

Ask anyone if eating less and exercising more will help them lose weight and be healthier and see what answers you get.

And seriously are you telling me that if one eats a diet of solely organic vegetable and another etas the exact same diet but with some modified peppers etc that the latter will be fat and the former won't?

It is not difficult to lose weight and get healthier. it's just easier to sit on your ass and eat Ben and Jerry's

 

[gipper]

It's none of your business if someone else is fat, is it?

Honestly, I'm kind of sick of the "it's none of your business" crowd. Obesity should be a concern for everyone. We have permitted food companies to sell us absolute junk that is no good for us, telling us that it is healthy at the same time. We allow our kids to play video games while eating chips and drinking soda for five or more hours per day and never seeing to it that they get any real exercise. There are answers to these problems and we should be having discussions on how to make positive changes for everyone, because in the end, we are all paying for it through higher medical costs.

No one is forcing people to buy junk.

It's funny how I can walk into a supermarket and buy whatever I want.

You can too

So tell me who is putting the Twinkies in your cart?

The problem is most Americans have no idea what a healthy diet consists of. They have been told so many lies by the government, big food, and other corporate special interests, that they have no clue.

Most Americans are too lazy to research nutrition and learn the facts, even though the internet readily provides it for them. They want to believe that diet does not affect health...it is all about your genes, they are told and foolishly believe.

For example, Americans are told endlessly to eat whole grains to be healthy. That is total BS. Sugar is everywhere in our food and it is well known that sugar is toxic and as addictive as cocaine. So the food industry offers sugar substitutes, which are even more harmful.

Like so much in America, corruption and lies rule the day. A sick population generates lots of profits for the drug companies, physicians, and healthcare operations. The establishment's treatment of cancer is a perfect example.

Trying to eat a healthy diet is difficult, even when you know the facts. The powers that be have contaminated our food supply with all sorts of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, etc...which enriches another special interest..chemical companies like Monsanto.

Our huge expensive federal government, which is suppose to protect the people, is doing the opposite.

Most Americans don't know that eating less junk and more lean meats, veg and fruits is good for them?

Sorry but I don't buy it.

Ask anyone if a salad is better for you than a bag of chips and see what answers you get.

Ask anyone if eating less and exercising more will help them lose weight and be healthier and see what answers you get.

And seriously are you telling me that if one eats a diet of solely organic vegetable and another etas the exact same diet but with some modified peppers etc that the latter will be fat and the former won't?

It is not difficult to lose weight and get healthier. it's just easier to sit on your ass and eat Ben and Jerry's

No doubt laziness plays a part. Misinformation does too.

Most Americans think eating grains is good. Most do not know suger is toxic. Most do not know about all the chemicals, GMOs, etc in our food.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Reason this problem exists is food is designed to be addictive. Consequently, eating such foods is now a recreational activity, not a life-sustaining activity like prior. So people get fat which leads to numerous other issues and problems.

Since most food aquisition now is a matter of going to a store, instead of going hunting, we don't get the exercise that led our evolution to our current state. Refrigeration allows us to store food for long periods whereas prior we'd give it to our neighbors ala the Eskimo addage, "the best place to store extra food is in a neighbor's stomach." So as a community we suffer from the loss of that sense of community. Instead of valueing food and not wasting it because of how readily available it is now, we waste much of it. Could eliminate global hunger giving the world what just the US throws away.

 

[dblack]

Obesity is obviously a serious problem. But there's no reason the government should be involved.