Jump to content

America's Getting Fatter


Recommended Posts

Have you guys ever noticed that the medias favorite states (California Florida, New York) always have favorible results in any kind of poll. They all ways vote the same and always have better health etc. I think they do it on purpose to make there states look good and the other states look bad. Expecialy New York and California. Same goes for cites in those states.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you guys ever noticed that the medias favorite states (California Florida, New York) always have favorible results in any kind of poll. They all ways vote the same and always have better health etc. I think they do it on purpose to make there states look good and the other states look bad. Expecialy New York and California. Same goes for cites in those states.

Are you suggesting that all obese people vote Republican? Or, maybe voting Republican makes you obese.

Actually, that would be a study that I'd like to see. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"We have reached a state of policy paralysis in regards to obesity," said Shelley A. Hearne, DrPH, Executive Director of TFAH. "We need more and better data so we can make decisions to get out of the debate limbo in which we are stuck. We have a crisis of poor nutrition and physical inactivity in the U.S., and it's time we dealt with it."

"We need more and better data...".

(then why are you releasing a flawed study?)

In other words:"More money, please."

Whatever methodology was used to compile and analyze these data is not mentioned on TFAH's website. However, DONATE NOW is the first button one sees on their menu.

Yes, there's an obesity problem. It has to do with a glut of money going to so-called researchers who are compelled to poop out this tripe on an annual basis, or risk lose their funding - and their jobs.

As I've noted before, no one has knocked on my door and forceably weighed me. In fact, I don't know of anyone who's had that experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, bigtex, my unofficial study today revealed that I was surrounded by fatasses. Surely, you don't believe that there is not an obesity problem, do you?

My opinion is that it took a holistic approach to turn us into a country of lardasses, and it will take a holistic approach to get us out. Since the 70s, we have had much more disposable income. Much of this income was spent on leisure. In other words, where we used to walk and ride bikes, we now drive. Where we used to eat at home, we eat out. Where we used to exercise through various activities, we now are spectators, and television and gameboys have become our activities. Where we used to cook our food, now we eat over processed food.

While certainly there are those among us who do not do all of these things, the average American has increased all of these weight gaining activities. How do we get out? It is a holistic approach. Instead of looking for the easiest or most leisurely approach to life, we have to look to being an active part of it again. Park and walk, instead of valet. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Watch less TV, which coincidentally, has commercials for the processed food and la-z-boy that kills you. Walk. Walk. Walk.

Is changing easy? No. But, if we want to stem the obesity tide, we have to. And one of the biggest contributors is the sedentary lifestyle that we've adopted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RedScare, I'm not denying that obesity is rampant. Further, I'm pretty much in agreement with the points you made.

What bothers me about Trust For America's Health's website is that they don't show their work. What data did they gather, and from whom? And how were these data interpreted? I'm not saying that they're full of it, but they haven't proved otherwise to me. How much should be taken on faith?

As an aside, I think we should be more concerned about the steroids we're pumping into our cattle than the steroids being used by sports figures. Unless, of course, you're a cannibal, or being breast-fed by an Astro.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, bigtex, and I wasn't sticking up for the Trust necessarily, either. We been pretty well bull____ted by our food industry into thinking the crap they sell us is good. And worse, they lobby the government to help them. The first food pyramid recommended something like 11 to 17 portions of bread and pasta because the grain lobby pushed them to.

Not coincidentally, American weight gains started right after that pyramid came out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not trying to agree or disagree with the study (I haven't even read the link to the full article; just read the summary and looked at the above map), I would say that there's probably a lot of truth to this. As a very frequent traveler, I've noticed a MUCH higher number of overweight people in Texas and throughout the deep South than I see when I'm on the west coast, in the northeast, or the Rocky Mountain states.

Some of this may also be climate-related. I love getting out and doing things like hiking but around here it's just too darn hot and humid nine months of the year to make it pleasurable. Many of the states with lower obseity rates also have much better opportunities for outdoor recreation and climates that make such activity much more pleasant.

And southern cooking doesn't help the situation at all. If you don't believe me, watch Paula Deen's show on the Food Network sometime and count how many whole sticks of butter and how much oil she uses in one 30 minute episode. I know a ton of people in this state who cook every meal like that.

But I can't just accuse others of being the problem. I could definitely stand to lose some, and am trying hard to work on that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not trying to agree or disagree with the study (I haven't even read the link to the full article; just read the summary and looked at the above map), I would say that there's probably a lot of truth to this. As a very frequent traveler, I've noticed a MUCH higher number of overweight people in Texas and throughout the deep South than I see when I'm on the west coast, in the northeast, or the Rocky Mountain states.

Some of this may also be climate-related. I love getting out and doing things like hiking but around here it's just too darn hot and humid nine months of the year to make it pleasurable. Many of the states with lower obseity rates also have much better opportunities for outdoor recreation and climates that make such activity much more pleasant.

And southern cooking doesn't help the situation at all. If you don't believe me, watch Paula Deen's show on the Food Network sometime and count how many whole sticks of butter and how much oil she uses in one 30 minute episode. I know a ton of people in this state who cook every meal like that.

But I can't just accuse others of being the problem. I could definitely stand to lose some, and am trying hard to work on that.

And from the looks of Paula she eats a lot of her own cooking. But she seems happy though. Is it my imagionation or do Southerners seem happier than Northerners? I'm only basing this on my experience in being from Cleveland, Oh. and now living in Houston (thank God).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Come on, that is pushing it.  Maybe for three or four, but 9??  I just did a quick two mile run a few hours ago.  It is not that bad.  But then again it didn't feel as hot today.  I think it was only 94.

Well to me anytime the temp gets much above 85 I think it's getting a little warm, especially when there's not much breeze and the humidity level is climbing.

I might be in the minority; I just tend to handle cooler temps a lot better. I can't stand the feeling of being moist and sweaty when all I've done is walk out the front door. And the thought of running even 1/4 mile outside during the May-October period in this city sounds crazy to me. I stick to the gym during that time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To me, I don't care if someone is fat or thin or muscled, as long as they are happy.

If they die young, so what, they chose that pattern for there life.

I chose to work out and lift weights and I think I feel better for it.

I just don't like people who are perpetually unhappy with there bodies and don't do anything about it. Those are the people who really get on my nerves.

Despite what some people might say, it's not hard to eat right and excercise. You just have to be dedicated. It's not a something that is a second thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alot of people do not understand what it means to eat healthy. If it says low fat, some think its "good for you", they don`t realize the 700 calorie tv dinner will turn to fat unless they exercise. Point being, alot of weight problems we have in U.S. is related to education. I`m sure advertising doesn`t help either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, marketers have a job to sell, we have a job to understand what they are really selling.

It's all our fault for not taking what we place in our bodies and truly realizing what it is. Just assuming something is good are it wont adversely affect your health becasue "they" say so isn't good enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...