U.S. food programs 'make the poor obese'

[308nato]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

Of course, what history shows is that socialist and communist populations have always reaped something so much better from what they have sown.

Clearly, reading comprehension is not your strong suit. The broader context of my comment is that in order to get ahead you have to dedicate the requisite time to productive enterprises. Issues which fall outside that sphere are of lesser priority. Our capitalist society has promoted the easy meal (b/c buying groceries and fixing meals wastes valuable time). The outcome is that America is quite productive but also quite fat. It is possible to be productive and lithe but our capitalist society requires consumption . . . the more the better.

No, my reading comprehension is fine. Your writing is cryptic and very Cliff Clavenesque at times.

 

[SuperTool]

We are talking about food stamps here. McDonalds doesn't take foodstamps, I don't think. They can only spend it at the supermarket.
Hi Carb foods are usually cheaper at the supermarket than healthy stuff, so that's why we have this problem.
Also, a lot of these poor people gave up on themselves long ago, which is why they are poor, and also why they don't take care of themselves.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

This is not a fault of our economic system, merely our culture.

I'm wary to agree but I doubt we would have much success in trying to distinguish American culture from its economic system. I believe the economic system is deeply integrated into American culture . . . akin to a Windows programming.

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

This is not a fault of our economic system, merely our culture.

I'm wary to agree but I doubt we would have much success in trying to distinguish American culture from its economic system. I believe the economic system is deeply integrated into American culture . . . akin to a Windows programming.

Everything about this country contributes to its culture. Our history, our diversity, our freedom, etc. You could try pinning it equally on any of those things and would not be entirely correct, the culture is the product of a society's values which are shaped in this nation differently because of our free press (on a national level) and our political involvement (on an individual level).

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

I won't disagree with your lofty ideals and view of America . . . but it's a lot more dream than pipe.

 

[tcsenter]

65% of the population is overweight, 35% of the population is obese, and the poor typically have rates of 75% and 40% respectively. The difference may be statistically significant but lack clinical significance. American eating habits are horrible but the primary culprit is not federal food assistance programs . . . it's capitalism.

Horrible eating habits are the result of ignorance, apathy, or gluttony (pathologic self-indulgence).

It could be said that capitalism offers people far more choices and opportunity, good and bad, what they then choose to do with those choices and opportunity is their business. What is perfectly good in moderation can be, and virtually always is, bad in excess. Unfortunately, not everyone makes wise or prudent choices, even in the presence of informed risk. I mean who doesn't know that smoking is terribly injurious on one's health? Yet ten years from now, there will be no shortage of new smokers.

However, the antithesis of this is not "whereas, people always make good choices in socialism". People may make good choices in socialism ONLY to the extent they HAVE NO other choices. While I'm sure subsisting on boiled potato and cabbage soup is wonderful at helping the collective farm laborer keep that romanticized 'lean if not slightly malnourished' figure, I'm as sure that, if given other choices, many of those people would never have potato and cabbage soup again as long as they shall live.

I agree that blaming federal food programs because poor people are even fatter than the general population is a little absurd, I find it equally absurd to blame "capitalism". Unless one's logic is that capitalism has been responsible for sustained times of plenty and ensuring there is plenty of food to go around. I don't find that a "bad" thing for which one might find appropriate the word "blame" or "culprit".

My parents came from a generation where obesity was virtually non-existant among the classes except for the wealthy. The reason they were "lean" for generations was not by choice, there wasn't enough to eat in order to make one fat. Plus, they washed their clothes by hand, they carried water by hand, they cultivated gardens using hand tools, they walked several miles per week, they removed snow by hand, etc. A few hours of arduous and brisk physical activity every day has never hurt anyone.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
So what is your point?

65% of the population is overweight, 35% of the population is obese, and the poor typically have rates of 75% and 40% respectively. The difference may be statistically significant but lack clinical significance.

American eating habits are horrible but the primary culprit is not federal food assistance programs . . . it's capitalism.

You can not be serious.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I used SF b/c it's such a small city in size but exemplifies the disparity in availability. In large US cities, entire regions are devoid of grocery stores. Assuming someone wanted to socially engineer better food consumption in welfare recipients you could restrict (ration) stamps based on certain criteria (stamps for fresh produce, lowfat milk, lean cuts of beef/poultry) but you still have to insure availability.

That's exactly what's being considered... The inner cities & rural areas that were horrible examples of poverty 30 years ago & has photo ops of starving paint chip eating kwashiorkor children, is now a prime example of obesity & morbid obesity. I coded a 450 lb woman (welfare recepient) about 6 months ago, it was horrible, EMS couldn't put her on a stretcher, they put her on a freaking tarp & needed to call for a ladder truck for enough help to put her in the ambulance. She was 40, god rest her soul....

 

[Wheezer]

Gotta make em fat somehow....the bigger they are the more Soylent Green they make....

LOL..not cool man I just blew pepsi all over my monitor 😀