2/3 of Adults overweight, 1/3 of Children

[fskimospy]

So it is your duty, government's duty, to stop them from doing that?

No, but I think that giving people information about how many calories they are taking in is a good thing so that people can make informed choices.

Are you against nutrition labels on food too? This is basically the exact same thing, but for restaurants.

 

[Modelworks]

States should pass laws requiring their public schools only serve healthy meals in cafeterias (no more pizza, french fries, buttered corn, etc.), with skim milk, juice or water being the only beverage options (no more chocolate milk or whole milk). Not to mention, they should add an extra 45 minutes to the school day for a 30 minute exercise program.

Our local schools removed all vending machines and only serve skim milk.
30 minutes of exercise for kids that eat what they eat today will not make a difference. It needs to be several hours.

The impoverished tend to be disproportionately represented in the obese population. Food stamps should come with the stipulation that they can only be used to purchase healthy food. We should consider how we can get alcohol and tobacco consumption by those on welfare under control (as I mentioned before, it sickens me when I see mothers buying smokes with cash and food for their kids with food stamps at the grocery store, although I realize that this is likely a small portion of welfare recipients). The less healthy they are, the less chance they have of becoming self-sufficient.

Food stamps are a problem. The people using them typically do not try to make them stretch and will buy high calorie quick foods like frozen meals, snacks and drinks. It isn't because they are bad people it is lack of education on how they can change their eating habits. They are doing what they have always done.

WIC is one program that has got it right. With WIC mothers can only buy what is on the approved list. They can get juice, milk, some cereals, cheese if it is not imitation, bread, etc. It is done with vouchers and not cash amounts. If food stamps did the same thing they could insure that what was bought was healthy.

People have sacrificed convenience for longer lives. I hate to see the number of weight related deaths in 20-30 years when all these younger overweight people get older. My niece for example comes home from school and goes directly for the tv remote. Grabs some soda from the fridge and sits on the couch for the next 5 hours. Try to get her outside or doing something and she is too tired . If she wants to go to a friends house 3 blocks away she needs to be driven, walking is too hard.

 

[Modelworks]

It's as if this country has turned into a bunch of self-indulgent, undisciplined whiners who want government to make their lives as easy as possible because we're not willing to work on them ourselves.

It has turned into that . Look at all the people that are daily complaining about jobs and the government and when will the government fix things. Out of work ? complain to the government. Need food ? ask the government.

There was once a generation in the USA that was actually ashamed if they received government support. I can remember growing up when things like food stamps were considered something shameful to be on. Not saying it should be, but it doesn't need to be a goal in life either.

 

[Mursilis]

My niece for example comes home from school and goes directly for the tv remote. Grabs some soda from the fridge and sits on the couch for the next 5 hours. Try to get her outside or doing something and she is too tired . If she wants to go to a friends house 3 blocks away she needs to be driven, walking is too hard.

Your neice's parents are failing her badly. Exercise is NOT optional for my kids, and we don't even have TV.

 

[Mursilis]

There was once a generation in the USA that was actually ashamed if they received government support. I can remember growing up when things like food stamps were considered something shameful to be on. Not saying it should be,

Being on public assistance SHOULD be shameful. Every adult should strive to be non-dependent on the rest of society.

 

[Doppel]

Diet is the main reason we're fat now, not lack of activity. The percentage of carbohydrates, particularly simple insulin-spiking ones, as a portion of diet has gone stratospheric in recent decades and coincides very nicely with the weight problems. There were plenty of office workers back in the 50's and they weren't fat because they weren't eating simple carbs in absolutely everything they got their paws on.

Active people burn more calories but also take more in. There is a balancing effect. The reason particularly active people are generally leaner can easily be argued that it's as much a part of their lifestyle to not eat crap.

Also, BMI is a good overall scale. It's not perfect, but most people with a high BMI aren't benching 400 lbs and shredded up. They are, simply, fat.

 

[fskimospy]

Diet is the main reason we're fat now, not lack of activity. The percentage of carbohydrates, particularly simple insulin-spiking ones, as a portion of diet has gone stratospheric in recent decades and coincides very nicely with the weight problems. There were plenty of office workers back in the 50's and they weren't fat because they weren't eating simple carbs in absolutely everything they got their paws on.

Active people burn more calories but also take more in. There is a balancing effect. The reason particularly active people are generally leaner can easily be argued that it's as much a part of their lifestyle to not eat crap.

Also, BMI is a good overall scale. It's not perfect, but most people with a high BMI aren't benching 400 lbs and shredded up. They are, simply, fat.

This is totally correct. Exercise in general is actually not a particularly good way to lose weight. It's diet, diet, diet.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Diet is the main reason we're fat now, not lack of activity. The percentage of carbohydrates, particularly simple insulin-spiking ones, as a portion of diet has gone stratospheric in recent decades and coincides very nicely with the weight problems. There were plenty of office workers back in the 50's and they weren't fat because they weren't eating simple carbs in absolutely everything they got their paws on.

Active people burn more calories but also take more in. There is a balancing effect. The reason particularly active people are generally leaner can easily be argued that it's as much a part of their lifestyle to not eat crap.

Also, BMI is a good overall scale. It's not perfect, but most people with a high BMI aren't benching 400 lbs and shredded up. They are, simply, fat.

Well-said, all of this. It never fails though that anytime any criticism of the obese is made, the first retort is - but but but, BMI is flawed!

 

[mchammer187]

The BMI is funny. When playing football in college I was considered borderline obese by the BMI. I was 190 pounds at 5% body fat lol

BMI may not be the best way to measure but you have to admit the American population as a whole has an obesity problem and it is definitely getting worse

 

[mchammer187]

Well-said, all of this. It never fails though that anytime any criticism of the obese is made, the first retort is - but but but, BMI is flawed!

True, does anyone seriously think we have pervasive steroid or bodybuilding problem in the US?

 

[artikk]

I love it that the 'impoverished' have one of the highest obesity rates in this country. I think the definition of what it means it means it to be poor is flawed. People in Africa are poor.

 

[werepossum]

Problem: People are fat
Solution: Government

Of course.

What else would you like to do with government property, beside telling them what to eat? I know, tell fat people they can't have kids. Fat people have fat kids. Sterilize them if they want handouts. Rich people need not apply, of course.

But he has a point in that government is often feeding and educating fat people already. I'm not big on additional government intervention either, but if government MUST do something, then it should do that thing without making other problems worse.

 

[Mursilis]

I love it that the 'impoverished' have one of the highest obesity rates in this country. I think the definition of what it means it means it to be poor is flawed. People in Africa are poor.

Maybe conservatives are partly right - the poor are poor not because they're victims of circumstances (although somre are), but because of their own lack of effort and self-discipline.

 

[Doppel]

I love it that the 'impoverished' have one of the highest obesity rates in this country. I think the definition of what it means it means it to be poor is flawed. People in Africa are poor.

This also supports what I said earlier. Note also that poor people in the US are more likely to be in laborious, blue collar professions. And yet, they're fatter, I wonder--oh, now I know. It's because they eat more crap, in part related to education, in part cost of foods. And although richer people are more likely to be regular gym goers even if you remove all of those out of the pool you're still going to find that poor people are fatter and still working in professions that demand more movement. Too much of their diet is highly processed rubbish food. For God's sake, we have enriched bread. The bread is so highly processed, so devoid of anything beneficial, that we have to enrich vitamins back into it.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I could not agree with you more. Obesity is far and away the number one health issue in the United States. The direct economic costs due to increased healthcare payouts are likely outweighed by the indirect loss in workforce productivity, too.

Yes, but it's not the problem. It's really a symptom.

It's like every other problem our nation faces, like the debt issue. But telling people that the government will not solve their problems, that they are ultimately responsible for their own health, and that it's their irresponsible behavior causing them to be a fatty is not going to win a politician an election.

"Irresponsible behavior" isn't the root cause. Yes we're getting there.

lol. Where do you even start at this point? Hell Social Security is nothing more than forced retirement savings for people who are too stupid to budget and save.

Many people did have retirement savings. They were called pensions, and back in the day of Ronny RayGun companies and individuals bought businesses and raided the pension funds leaving countless with nothing overnight. Happened to my father who worked (and contributed in part) to a retirement fund for almost 30 years. Too many like him still collecting. That doesn't mean there aren't those who look at SS as a retirement, but knowing what I know it would be unfair to label everyone as you have.

I say we bring back public shaming and ridicule. Start making morbidly obese people pay for two airplane tickets. Take away their handicapped parking permits so they have to walk more. Can't pass certain thresholds of physical fitness? You should be forced to pay more for your health insurance.

You're a science guy so think about this. Take a mammal of your choice and let it forage for it's food. Now take the same critter and put it in a cage. What happens?

Also (forgive the melodramatic posting style) this is related to the phenomena of falling vitamin D levels in the general public, which I can assure you isn't due to a moral failure.

Think about the big picture.

 

[Doppel]

I think this is a confluence of personal failure and government/leadership failure. Yes, there are those who excel above this and avoid the habits that so many millions go into. But it's an uphill battle, our culture throws food into our faces constantly and it's crap. The government subsidizes corn so much that high fructose corn syrup, a basically new invention, has gone from not existing to being in f**king everything.

 

[bfdd]

skim/non-fat milk is one of the absolute worst things ever to be pushed on our people. then we decided they should all eat starches. fucking horrible. STOP EATING THAT NON-SENSE. Feed your kids goddamn whole milk and don't cut the fat, there is some correlation between low fat diets and the rise of ADD and other mental diseases in children.

 

[spidey07]

I think really the problem is many fold, it's not the "evil food companies" or anything of that nature. Now hear me out and then call me a conservative racist.

1) Breakdown of the family. No more mom making good home cooked meals keeping her family's nutrition and nourishment in mind providing a well balanced diet of things on the table because she had time to do so. No mom and dad in the home = no nice home cooked meals as one parent shoulders everything. Hell, Mom/Dad can't even pack a lunch for the kids as school won't allow it in the compound.

2) Kids not outside playing - already mentioned, sedentary lifestyle, all part of the bigger picture, that lifestyle carries over into adulthood

3) Basic nutrition not being taught in school (screw what they serve, teach them about what is good food and balance, which was the parents job in the first place and now you have removed that from the household, good job).

4) A basic lack of know how in taking care of oneself is rooted for a generation or two now because of #1.

Add it all up, and no wonder people are eating crap and not exercising. They know no other way because of #1 - nobody to teach them how to live well, only rely on others for basic calories because tummy grumbles.

Like fucking cattle.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Many people did have retirement savings. They were called pensions, and back in the day of Ronny RayGun companies and individuals bought businesses and raided the pension funds leaving countless with nothing overnight. Happened to my father who worked (and contributed in part) to a retirement fund for almost 30 years. Too many like him still collecting. That doesn't mean there aren't those who look at SS as a retirement, but knowing what I know it would be unfair to label everyone as you have.

Ok, acknowledged. Forgive me for speaking in broad generalities in a casual conversation. That said, when Social Security was implemented, corporatist politicians hadn't loosened the reins on oligarchs so far that this kind of shit happened.

You're a science guy so think about this. Take a mammal of your choice and let it forage for it's food. Now take the same critter and put it in a cage. What happens?

If you feed it ad libitum, it gets fat. If you feed it a controlled, balanced diet, it doesn't get fat. People in the US have access to tons and tons of information about what constitutes a balanced diet, and generally have access to that diet. Unlike rats and mice, humans ostensibly have higher-order thinking capabilities that allow us to realize that ad libitum feeding is a bad idea. I'm very aware of legitimate diseases and disorders that cause obesity - but there are not 100,000,000+ Americans with such diseases!

Also (forgive the melodramatic posting style) this is related to the phenomena of falling vitamin D levels in the general public, which I can assure you isn't due to a moral failure.

The latest research on the topic I've seen indicates obesity causes vitamin D deficiency, not that vitamin d deficiency causes obesity.

Think about the big picture.

Is this big enough?

 

[Gigantopithecus]

I think really the problem is many fold

I think that is EXACTLY the problem.

HA HA HA.

 

[spidey07]

I think that is EXACTLY the problem.

HA HA HA.

I see what you did there.D:

 

[bfdd]

spidey, i see you saying "teach them what good food is in school" they have been doing that FOREVER. Shit I'm 26 and I remember being taught what a "balanced diet" was in school. That doesn't make it right. They have been teaching us to eat a fucked up diet for years.

 

[Doppel]

spidey, i see you saying "teach them what good food is in school" they have been doing that FOREVER. Shit I'm 26 and I remember being taught what a "balanced diet" was in school. That doesn't make it right. They have been teaching us to eat a fucked up diet for years.

Basically. The food pyramid is pretty screwed up and preaches a very carb-heavy diet.

 

[bfdd]

Basically. The food pyramid is pretty screwed up and preaches a very carb-heavy diet.

300g DV of carbs is the recommended... WTF?! That is SO MANY FUCKING CARBOHYDRATES. Seriously, we have been lied to for years and years by assholes. Fucking vegetarian/vegan pricks who want us to not eat meat are behind the majority of it too. I know that sounds like a whack conspiracy theory bs, but it isn't.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

spidey, i see you saying "teach them what good food is in school" they have been doing that FOREVER. Shit I'm 26 and I remember being taught what a "balanced diet" was in school. That doesn't make it right. They have been teaching us to eat a fucked up diet for years.

There are so many ways for a human to have a balanced diet it's astonishing. The idea that there is an 'ideal' diet is absurd. From my research on human evolution, one of the most salient trends for millions of years is a steady increase in the array of stuff we can eat. Tool use opened up legion previously inaccessible foods like nuts and bone marrow. Hunting/trapping added meat to an already diverse primate diet. Cooking added even more vegetables and made meat safer. Domestication made loads of foods more nutritious. Humans have a greater dietary breadth than any other mammal alive on this planet. "Eat like a pig" should really be "eat like a human" - because with the right processing, we can eat nearly anything that's organic and not spoiled. Hell, even some spoiled foods can be made safe by cooking and palatable with a condiment, haha.