Houston Is Fattest City Again

[MidtownCoog]

From Lynn Ashby:

Because this place is so spread out, each day the average Houston motorist drives 30.7 miles. (Remember our driving slogan: "Shoot safely.") In area, Houston could contain the cities of New York, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Boston, San Francisco and Miami with room to spare.

[tamtagon]

Consistent media coverage like this leads to stereotypes. The method of calculating the outcome may be questionable, it is not totally invalid, so there is real truth in the directive nature of this silly list. Too many overweight folks, in general, and Houston is the poster child for an unhealthy condition. Including similar problems with air quality, and you've got a second high profile driver of perception that the standard of living in Houston is low. Houston gets the dingy reputation because the causal observer can recognize that local leaders do nothing to allay the problems. Until something changes, the less than stellar reputation will persist despite the overwhelming advantages of the city.

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[N Judah]

I'm sure Men's Fitness just wants to make money. They probably already sell well in Seattle and Honolulu and are just looking to get people in Houston and Philadelphia interested in their publication.

[westender]

Men's Health magazine's ranking Houston as the "Fattest City in America" does give the city and it's residents a bad perception to the rest of America and the world and has a possible economic impact to Houston as a result. Add the fact of the ranking's not being an true gauge of a cities health or weight. Wouldn't the ranking then be tantamount to slander, and could we propose litigation against the magazine? One or maybe two years, ok, ha ha ha you had your fun but 3 years. Come on!!!!!! If it was a scientific study then we should listen but their skewed way of doing it.....?

[VelvetJ]

I say we all go celebrate our victory with a nice fattening dinner at Niko Niko's.

[Talbot]

Maybe we can fit those cities' city limits in our metro, maybe. But I certainly find it hard to believe that we can fit all of those cities in our metro due to their sprawl. People make our sprawl sound so bad because were less dense, but come on, you can't deny that these cities sprawl like crazy.

[Guest danax]

I think we're fat because we're lazy. We're lazy not by choice, but because we're overworked. That's the American way though I guess.

Glen

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

American are fat because they overeat, mostly. You shouldn't have to work out just to not get fat. The genetic thing, well, in 1990 53% or something of Americans were overweight, 2000 I think it was 66% and that's not genetics.

I hope I don't sound like a new-age health snob but I've come to understand that the adult human body needs very little food, but high quality food. Eating, for most, is a sensual pleasure, not a maintenence procedure. That's why we're fat.

Also, flour of all types causes insulin reactions in most people you see with guts, men and women, and I think they'd lose weight if they limited their eating of anything with flour or sugar. There's some possible indications just something I've read) that insulin sensitivity is also related to hair loss, thus, the fat/bald man syndrome, and also causes female fat-gut and polycystic ovary syndrome.

My weekly splurge is usually a Chipotle burrito, not the best, but decent.

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[ricco67]

Actually, Glen, I think it's a combination of factors; but I believe that portions that we eat are generally larger portions that would be considered "necessary."

Here in the states, we generally enjoy Value with the foods that we purchase and we enjoy large portions as a result.

Generally half the size of the current portions of any burger, steak, or dinner we order is generally enough to fullfill our nutritional needs. anything else is strictly being a pig (this is the part where *I* oink) and being excessive.

But that's just my opinion.

Ricco

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[ricco67]

Well, I'm not even talking about Fast food, I'm talking about going to Outback, Olive Garden, etc.

The portions are HUGE.

Europeans generally eat less healthy then we do, but their portions are SOOO much smaller than ours.

I generally try to keep myself from having larger portions. I generally ask for half portions at some of the resturants that I frequent, and they generally don't mind doing it.

Then again, on most days I go there with friends and family, I damn near dominate the resturant and order huge amounts of food. so I guess they generally give me a LITTLE leeway.

Ricco

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[ricco67]

Something from the outback would be an appitizer, a12-16oz steak with two sides, then of course there is the wine,and if you're STILL hungry, there is desert. Let's not forget all those annoying little breads they keep feeding you.

I generally just order a steak and one side and stick with some whine and take a FEW bites of that bread (it's too damned good to pass up).

Olive Garden's meals are REEK with fat. I'm talking Alfredo and a majority of their sauces. Their portions are huge, so I generally just get a half portion of whatever I'm ordering.

I don't have the information or even a way to track it down off hand, but food portions have been increasing significantly for the past few years. I'm sure someone on here can probably find the information by tomorrow night if I don't get around to it by then. (i.e. a PROPER portion sized beef patty was no bigger than a deck of cards.)

Ricco

[N Judah]

Sooooo....I'm looking for a big salad (texas sized), made from fresh ingredients (not from a bag at the grocery store), that's tasty (i prefer greek salads, but other kinds are ok too) and is around $5 (or less). Anyone know where I can find that?

[ssullivan]

When was the last time anyone in here cooked a meal from scratch?

I actually do it a few times a week, and am doing it right now. My wonderful organic homemade garlic mushroom marinara sauce is just starting its long simmer and will go nicely with some pasta tonight. Of course I won't be making the pasta from scratch. And I'll add a nice Italian salad (lightly dressed with a very low fat but flavorful dressing) to finish it off.

A few other things I try to do right are not eating a lot of red meat. It's rare you'll find beef of any form in my kitchen, but there's almost always fish and chicken around. And I try to avoid sodas and alcohol with meals and stick to water. When I do order a soda I usually go diet, although I do wonder about negative health effects of some of the stuff in those. But sometimes I just have to have my caffienated carbonated beverage. And drinking just water is great because it usually doesn't cost anything and most of us don't get nearly enough of it anyway. I honestly think some people could easily lose 10-15 pounds if they just replaced a soda or two a day with several glasses of water.

Of course there are guilty indulgences I love making. I've got killer recipes for a hot spinach/artichoke dip (that has probably a month's worth of fat and calories in it), brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. Hungry yet?

But I'm quite guilty of not eating as well as I should. I'll honestly admit to being a "stress eater" -- the more stress in my life, the more I eat and the less I exercise. And it doesn't help that genetically I'm somewhat predisposed to gaining weight. Oh well. Admitting the problem is the first step. Now I'm concentrating on taking off the nearly 20 pounds I've gained since the end of August and getting back to the size I was in 2000 when I moved to Houston. And part of that plan for me is cooking more at home, eating smaller portions and healthier food when I do go out, and starting back to the gym three times a week next week.

[ricco67]

I rarely make a meal from scratch unless it's seafood based.

My favorite is Scallops cooked with garlic, chives, and celantro served over rice with a rich heavy cream.

Yum!

Ricco

[VelvetJ]

I'm hungry.