Why can't the US obesity crisis just go away?

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Feyokien
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15 Oct 2015, 9:45 pm

Fnord wrote:
Even so-called "diet" soda is bad for you!


I've heard it's actually worse on the body.

I don't think liquid consumption is a major factor in weight gain as I used to drink maybe three cans of mountain dew a day and I remained a very lean 140 lbs and I'm 5'11''. I barely exercised at that time either. My metabolism is good, but not that good if these kind of liquids are supposed to have made me weigh 250 lbs. I've wised up though and these days I drink strictly water unless I have the occasional beer with friends and I also run a lot. It has to do mostly with food quantity consumption, most people eat way too much during meals and that's where the bulk of Americas obesity problem comes from, food it too abundant and some people lack self control or picked up bad habits in their childhoods. Especially in the last generation, baby boomers, my father always says something about "cleaning his plate", which isn't a good idea if you're plate is "man sized". He put on a lot of weight the last 5 years and is now battling diabetes.



jkrane
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17 Oct 2015, 9:46 am

Fnord wrote:
Which part of "No excuses" is hard to understand?

Burn off more calories than you consume, and you will lose weight.

It's a law of nature, and it works the same for everyone.

Everyone, that is, who doesn't snack between meals, or who doesn't stop moving the moment they start breathing hard, or who doesn't make up phony excuses about why it won't work for them without even trying to lose weight.

Of course, if you're a bed-ridden invalid, then you can't exercise, so this isn't about you.


I agree with fnord.

Also, it's not a US obesity problem, its a DISCIPLINE PROBLEM.

The US also has a drug problem, a gambling problem, a mental illness problem, a gun violence problem...it seems the problems are endless.

People have no self control. Period.

They have no sense of when to take no for an answer, and when to say no to themselves. They do not take responsibility for their actions. They don't keep themselves or their living spaces clean. They don't care about their communities.

Obesity, like a addiction is not a disease in and of itself, but a symptom of poor self-control. Unless of course, as fnord says, you're an invalid or disabled in a way that renders you permanently obese.



MaxE
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17 Oct 2015, 10:34 am

K_Kelly wrote:
Why can't the US obesity crisis just go away?...
Read this: Why It's Harder to Lose Weight Now Than 30 Years Ago (from the Daily Beast).


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CommanderKeen
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18 Oct 2015, 10:25 am

The media plays a role in this as well. During the 80s to mid 90s being strong and fit was really popular. It was promoted greatly. Remember all the fitness videos and exercise commercials. I was born in 88, but even as a kid, I remember how popular being fit was. Now there is this demonization of fitness, as well as masculinity. Slogans like "All women are beautiful." not only teaches that it's okay to be lazy, but slogans like that are also sexist. Why, because it doesn't state "Everyone is beautiful." Think of the way fit and muscular people are portrayed in media. Unless it's an action movie muscular men are portrayed as idiots and muscular women are portrayed as grotesque monsters. Welcome to America the docile. A place like Planet Fitness couldn't have existed in the 80s. People would have laughed at the concept of a "gym" that's "not a gym" that hands out pizza and bagels. A place to caters to lazy people. Another reason is, corporates like Coca Cola HATE commercials that promote fitness. Remember back in the 90s how many commercials you saw that promote going out and exercises? Where are they now? Big corporations hate commercials like that. Don't get me wrong, I am a capitalist. I am all for a free market, but I am 100% corporatism. Remember things like this?




glebel
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18 Oct 2015, 10:38 am

People have to make a conscious decision to go out and exercise. The government can't force people to work out, and corporations can't force them to eat their mass produced crap.
You can't blame anyone else because you're fat, it's your fault. The L.A.-L.A. Land city council tried some nonsense to force fast food joints out of low income neighborhoods and encourage markets that sold meat, vegetables, etc. to move in. Guess what? People in those neighborhoods went out of their way to buy fast food, thus blowing a hole in the council's " If they only had access to healthier food..." argument. Apparently they're too lazy to cook their own food.


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xxZeromancerlovexx
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18 Oct 2015, 10:51 am

I'm technically obese, but people have said that I don't look my weight. Occasionally I do have junk food but that's usually when I visit my grandparents and don't have access to the kind of fruit I like. I am very picky about fruit and what I eat in general.

My health is good and my confidence gets better and better every day. I also exercise. I don't have access to my treadmill right now, but I still do my physical therapy exercises.

My mom did tell me last night that if I weighed, like, 260 pounds, I would probably die. I'm short. I'm 5'2 just so you all know.

Due to reasons, I seldom get hungry. We went out to eat recently and I spent more time on my phone looking at clothes than I did eating. When I do get super hungry, I get full rather quickly.

I've been told that i have a nice figure. According to this size chart:

http://fashion.about.com/blpluschart.htm

I am a size 20, but to be honest it all depends on the store. My wardrobe ranges from sizes XL to a 4x. Most of the time, I wear a 3x in top and I take a solid size 20 short in jeans. My dress size is an 18/20 but like I said it all depends on stores size chart.

So, health comes in many sizes. I'm just too short to weigh anywhere over what I weigh now and be physically comfortable and confident. I was actually told that I'm too self-conscious about weight to let myself gain above what I do know. I'm health conscious too so it all works out.


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Marvin_the_Martian
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18 Oct 2015, 11:11 am

K_Kelly wrote:
Why are we such a deprived people?


You're kidding, right?

The UN Human Development Index (a study of per capita income and life expectancy) places us at #3 in the world.

Our Gross Domestic Product places us at #7.

All told, we are among the top 20 countries in the world with the highest standard of living.

On a personal note, I have spent two years in Ghana, five years in Thailand, two years in El Salvador, and a year in Beirut, Lebanon. You think we're deprived? Tell that to the hordes of the poor in these countries who live in shanty towns made of cargo containers, wooden crates, cardboard and other materials. They have no running water or electricity, little or no access to schools or health care, and no government welfare programs



The_Face_of_Boo
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18 Oct 2015, 11:37 am

^
**waving from my Beirut**



The_Face_of_Boo
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18 Oct 2015, 12:11 pm

Obesity was rare here but this changed quickly over few years, new foreign restaurants were introduced (macdonald's, BBK), tablet life style for kids, newly introduced breakfast meals (ie. corn flakes)...etc.
It's increasing, everywhere. http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=le&v=2228


Look at Japan how well they are doing: http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?v=2228&c=ja&l=en so little increase.



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18 Oct 2015, 1:06 pm

Marvin_the_Martian wrote:
K_Kelly wrote:
Why are we such a deprived people?


You're kidding, right?

The UN Human Development Index (a study of per capita income and life expectancy) places us at #3 in the world.

Our Gross Domestic Product places us at #7.

All told, we are among the top 20 countries in the world with the highest standard of living.

On a personal note, I have spent two years in Ghana, five years in Thailand, two years in El Salvador, and a year in Beirut, Lebanon. You think we're deprived? Tell that to the hordes of the poor in these countries who live in shanty towns made of cargo containers, wooden crates, cardboard and other materials. They have no running water or electricity, little or no access to schools or health care, and no government welfare programs

I believe the poster meant to say "depraved" not "deprived".



wowiexist
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24 Oct 2015, 6:51 pm

I feel like some people confuse obesity with just being overweight. I think for some people it is harder than others to achieve an ideal weight even if they are healthy. Being obese means that someone is extremely overweight to the point where it is damaging to their health. People generally wont get that overweight unless they just dont take care of themselves.