Obesity

[HBK-aholic]

According to our governments, we have an obesity epidemic upon us. They're supposedly doing everything they can in order to stop this, for many reasons. Most likely, the healthcare costs, as much as they say it's for our health.

Anyway, what do you think is the cause of this sudden increase in overweight people? There are many things it could be from availability of fast food to pure laziness to television.

One things for sure, the healthy eating policies are certainly everywhere. A few months ago my sisters, who's 6, got told the school decided what she had in her packed lunch as it has to be healthy. No way would I let that happen, and I ended up arguing with the head.

Do you think the government are going the right way about everything? If not, what would you do that's different, to tackle it yourself?

 

[Ryukuma]

First off I just want to address for your sisters, and ask if there school is an idiot. I mean short of shoving food down the childs throat, they don't really have much authority to force what the children eat. They can ban foods from the schools yes, but I just see the kids eating the junk at home anyways.

However I do believe obesity is a problem because you have so many kids, that eat however they want and throw there lives away, and the parents don't do everything in there power to help.

I mean what I figure is the best way to fix it, is to go the traditional way with family dinners, so it could promote togetherness along with a far healthier lifestyle. But there isn't much that can be done once people have grown a certain way, because they have adapted to a specific way of life, and to change that seems very difficult in my opinion

 

[klunderbunker]

While obesity is an issue, it's still free choice to do this. If someone wants to be healthy and slim, then it's not something they can't stop on their own. It's about their free choice to eat whatever they like. In Becca's sister's case, she's 6 years old. She can't make decisions for herself. She didn't make her lunch, her parents or sister did. You can't punish her like that for something that's none of the school's business. I have no problem at all with letting a kid have sweets etc to eat, because it's going to happen one way or another. The obese kids are that way due to a combination of what they do and their parents never saying no to them. How does the school know she doesn't eat perfectly healthy at home? While it is an issue, it's not something the government should get involved in.

 

[Kasey]

I hope people eat whatever they want for a long, long time. It'll ensure that I always have a job and that way the weaker members of society can be weeded out in the long run. Oh, and school isn't a democracy, so there is no way to act like it is. My thought has always been that if you don't like the policies of school, go elsewhere...even if that means home-schooling.

 

[Sparky]

Australia is having the same problem three years ago it was obesity is a huge problem, they banned junk food from most schools changed the menu's at the canteen and everything elso to stamp out junkfood even banning any ad at all to do with junk food. three years later the same docters that started it are now complaining that kids are to skinny eating to healthy and not eating enough. its so confusing i wish that they would make up their mind.

Its not really what people eat obesity depends on so many other factors like excersise. if you excersised and ate junk food you would still be skinny. i dont think its anybodys fault that people are obesid exept for their own or the parents if they are under 7. The schools have no right to say what you can and cant eat its none of their buisness. I think they have forgotten the banning rule. If something gets banned every kid will eat it just to rebel. the schools need to unban the ban and just make them excersise.

 

[Father:_Polley]

Obesity epidemic - The only thing this conjures up to me is the line of a song talking about the issue 'It was horrible Johnny, there was cheesecakes and porkchops everywhere'. I believe this is a misnomer. The term epidemic conjures up images of an infectious disease, spreading throughout the community. Obesity is not that, it is purely a societal issue, like immigration and other such concerns.

With obesity, there are a large number of factors which in my view contribute to the problem:
1. Lack of activity - When I was younger, I remember playing football in the street, and generally running around outside. Now, kids either don't want to go outside, content with playing on their Playstation, Xbox or Wii, or else their parents won't allow them for fear of being abducted or hit by a car. Given kids are meant to be active for 1hr a day, they just don't get this.

2. Diet - Fast food is cheap, kids like it and it's convenience. Problem being a Big Mac meal and a large (UK) drink is around the calorie intake for a whole day. Add to that the portion sizes in America are absolutely enormous and you can see why it's a bigger problem there. Add in sugary drinks, sweets and a general distain for fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy meats such as fish, and it all adds up to a big problem.

3. Alcohol - We live in an alcohol obsessed society. The thing is that it's called a beer belly for a reason. Alcohol is broken down into sugars, and on top of the sugar in the drinks, this leads to a high calorie intake. Drink vodka if you must...less sugar.

4. Genetics - this is not an excuse for obesity, but there are people who have a naturally slower BMI. I can put on weight by thinking about eating I reckon and have to try really hard to keep my weight level.

5. Mental health - Obesity breeds obesity. Low self esteem may lead to self-esteem problems, comfort eating, guilt and a vicious cycle

6. Parents - fat parents = big portions of crap food = fat kids.

The problems with obesity are the burdens it places on healthcare - Type II Diabetes, heart problems, breathing difficulties, stroke, cancer, depression, eating disorders... all these areas are linked to obesity.

There is no easy cure to obesity, simple because there are no pills people can take to make it happen. Look at the diet pills people would rather take than putting the fork down and getting up off their fat backsides and going for a walk. why? because that would require effort and the potential for failure, then they would have no-one to blame but themselves, instead of blaming McDonalds, the drug manufacturer of their wonder diet pills, the Atkins diet.

Conclusion - obesity isn't a problem that can be tackled by telling people what to do, they have to want to do it, and we live in a lazy society where that just won't happen.

 

[NYSandman]

First off, this is not a problem. I'm overweight because I, as an adult, refuse to deny myself certain pleasures. You cannot try and force adults to be healthy. That is Government interference in our lives.

Example. I went to Wendy's recently to have one of their delightful baked potatoes. When I requested sour cream, I was given low-fat, which is basically the same consistency as semen. I told them I didn't want that chemically altered garbage, and they said they carried no regular sour cream!

Um, pardon me. I PAYED for the potato and should be able to choose if I want good ol' thick, regular sour cream. Who, excuse my language, the FUCK has the right to force that disgusting garbage on me? I want real sour cream DAMNIT!

Okay, back from my tirade. When it comes to kids however, if a parent lets their child become extremely obese, that IS child abuse. Children cannot make choices for themselves, and lazy parents who cook nothing and feed kids fast food 3 times a day are, IMO, committing a crime.

I also love when 250 pound, 5 year old Mark has a heart attack, and the parent SUES the fast food chain! WTF? As if McDonald's put a gun to the parent's head!

Government needs to stop trying to tell people how to live. People will smoke, eat shit, get high, drink and do what they want.

Now, I know a cost of heath insurance argument may result from my comments. Fine. If an adult chooses to be fat, then I would support a higher premium for insurance. That is fine. But, DON'T TELL US HOW TO LIVE AND WHAT TO EAT!

Burger anyone?

 

[Kasey]

Conclusion - obesity isn't a problem that can be tackled by telling people what to do, they have to want to do it, and we live in a lazy society where that just won't happen.

Bingo. People do what they want to do. As a whole, America has become fat and lazy and the obesity epidemic is just one example of that trend. I used to be that way, myself. I ate shit all the time and didn't have a clue that it was all my fault and that on the whole I really wasn't happy with myself. It took me actually unfucking my head from my own ass to realize what I needed to do. There's a snowball's chance in Hades of a reversal of operations in this country where that is concerned, though.

 

[Father:_Polley]

The irony being I saw a programme tonight, and it had a gene test for a gene linked to increased body fat. Every fat person on the programme was saying they had it. The main irony was that almost all the people who had a pair of the genes, most of them were thin and not blaming genes. Elevated body fat levels, but they weren't obese.

The fact is, people want a reason to blame anyone but themselves. They'd rather blame medicine or genes than the inability to to go for a smaller portion or less fast food.

Sandman, don't get me wrong on this, I'm not going after you here, but there are people who just don't know when to stop. Medically, I'm overweight, but the fact is, I enjoy my food, but I do it in moderation. I manage to enjoy my food, but exercise to burn it off and there are a lot of people who refuse to do that.

 

[Downward Spiral]

I'll offer an Australian perspective on the matter...

We seem to be following America's lead in the climb towards obesity. The major thing that hinders the health of our nation is not the lack of exercise, as that is an area that hasn't drastically changed for a number of years and thus cannot be linked to this epidemic, but definitely the unhealthiness of the food in this nation that is readily available and hastily consumed.

Fast food is an issue with any country. Like someone said, fast food is CHEAP. This is an imperative point. In a price-hiking world that is so money-crazed, the simple idea of a cheap meal is going to bring in big dollars from people. A family that's not making a lot of money isn't going to neglect this cheaper option in favour of spending money on high-priced goods and spend a long time slaving over the preparation of a meal.

In this money-crazed world, as is implied, money is the sole care for the majority of families. This neglects things like health. So, the unhealthiness of fast food is not given a second thought, whereas the cheap price of this food is the only thing seen by the majority of Australians, who sadly are developing into some of the fattest in the world.

The major demographic that I see with this problem, are middle aged adults of either gender. These are the ones working 9-5 jobs with families that don't have the time to be going out to the gym or getting their diet to be as precise and healthy as possible.

Obviously, these adults should have the responsibility to watch their health, but can you possibly blame them? Can you possibly blame a world desperate on getting through life, earning meagre amounts of money to make a living, for not neglecting convenience and price in what they eat?

I'd just like to restate an opinion shared by most in this thread...the Governments of this world cannot possibly do any more about this issue than they already are. It is up to the citizens of obese countries to find a way to help themselves out. They can't stuff their faces and then complain that it's the government who isn't preventing them. 'Healthy initiatives' programs do not do a damn thing for anyone, and only waste taxpayer dollars. People these days, just don't seem to want to be told what to eat. This, in the end proves that goverments can have little to no control and influence on obesity in a country.

It may seem like I'm drawing false links between an income and time issue and the epidemic of obesity, but the correlations are there. Those with families and long-houred jobs are the ones that are suffering here. They are the ones that don't have the time to be eating healthily. They are the ones who are obese. They are the ones who desperately need to find ways to add health as a priority into their lives. They are the ones that will die early deaths if they cannot do this.

 

[RVDgurl]

Obesity has been a huge issue for about 20 years now. That's not a coincidence that 20 years ago is when technology started to boom. The obesity problem can largely be attributed to the fact that kids don't play outside anymore. They play video games and sit on the computer for hours upon hours. Society as a whole has made it so easy for everyone to be as lazy as possible. How many of us take the elevator instead of the stairs just to go 1 or 2 flights? Or hop in the car to drive a few blocks instead of walking? It happens all the time.

 

[a7xoff]

There are so many simple reasons for the obesiety epidemic that seems to be sweeping many countries right now. Just about all of them are choices that people make on their own, or are parents choosing for their kids. Lets review some of the basics...

Fast Food: Everybody blames fast food for them being obese. My friend for example always bitches that fast food made him as big as he is. Now two things about that. 1.) if you are of age where you can understand what fast food can do to you... Why eat so much of it. Seriously I go into a fast food place probably once a week and whenever I'm, in there I see the same group of huge kids all the time. I even worked up the nerve to ask them how often they eat there and they say everyday. Then they complain that they are fat... 2.) After eating the stuff... DO SOMETHING... Don't sit around and watch tv... Walk around... excersise... DO SOMETHING...

Lazy: Straight up I am lazy... However I am smart enough to know when I am being too lazy. People who sit around, play videogames with no breaks to do something outside, watch tv from dawn until dusk, and flat out don't move much are going to gain a lot of weight... It's not just humans... Animals that just lay around and eat alot get fat too...

Those are just two of the big reasons that obesity is runnin wild... There are many more of which I'm sure we all know so I won't go on... My personal opinion on the matter is that if you are obese and don't like it do something about it. If you have a genetics issue... Then you may need to see a doctor about it, but there are still ways of getting around it. Overall obesity I see as a choice that people make on their own, and for those who cannot make the descision based on age... Its up to the parent/guardian as to how they want them eat...

 

[Shocky]

My archeology professor always said, the two greatest mistakes in the history of mankind was the invention of electricity, and ultimately, the invention of the air conditioner. All this has done is lead to increase in sedentary lifestyles in most of the "civilized" world, or all of Western Civilization at least.

We have mastered agriculture so well that we no longer need to work on things that are essential to living. If you look at most of the big jobs here stateside, it's mostly frivolous jobs that deal with entertainment or stuff non essential to basic human survival.

The problem is, that with these jobs and new technologies comes a rise in prices, which forces both parents out of the household instead of having the stay at home mom while dad went to work. Long gone are the days of a disciplinarian being at home with the children teaching them essentials like cooking and cleaning, or giving the child a swift kick in the ass out of bed and outside to play.

Now, we live in a country here where both parents are in debt and must work 40 plus hour weeks. We live in a country where the children are left at home to take care of themselves in the evening. We live in a country where there simply is no time to come home and cook a well prepared meal because fast food is cheaper, albeit unhealthy as holy hell.

It's pretty much a giant social problem that we live in now, that I would love to go into but simply won't due to fear of lack of interest. People in the media will point to technologies such as multiple hundred channel cable, video games, or the internet as to reasons why children don't go outside. Or could it be the paranoia that the media puts on the commoner with stories of if you let your child play outside, a sexual predator will take them if you blink your eyes? (when in reality, these types of crimes are down all over the country).

As I said, there are multiple multiple factors in this, genetics at some level, the lack of time spent at home because to be a good American and fight terrorism, you must spend spend spend (thank you George Bush) and inevitably that means work work work to pay off your debt, paranoia by the media, or silly doctors and their ridiculous ways of declaring someone over weight (technically every wrestler would be over weight by most BMI scales, Schwarzenneger, Sly Stallone are also considered over weight).

 

[NYSandman]

The irony being I saw a programme tonight, and it had a gene test for a gene linked to increased body fat. Every fat person on the programme was saying they had it. The main irony was that almost all the people who had a pair of the genes, most of them were thin and not blaming genes. Elevated body fat levels, but they weren't obese.

The fact is, people want a reason to blame anyone but themselves. They'd rather blame medicine or genes than the inability to to go for a smaller portion or less fast food.

Sandman, don't get me wrong on this, I'm not going after you here, but there are people who just don't know when to stop. Medically, I'm overweight, but the fact is, I enjoy my food, but I do it in moderation. I manage to enjoy my food, but exercise to burn it off and there are a lot of people who refuse to do that.

Didn't take it as you going after me at all. You're right. People don't take responsibility. I had a thyroid condition which is now corrected, but I'm fat because I like to eat Italian food, and often my fat ass won't exercise.

Interestingly, two summers ago I started walking like 2 miles a day, and actually lost almost 100 pounds over the course of two years.

I don't tolerate excuses. Yes, some people may be fat because of a genetic problem, but mostly it's just people not taking care of themselves.

However, I stand by my belief that no one should force a competent person to take care of themselves. Druggies will do drugs, fatties will eat, and pervs will jerk-off to porn. As long as it's legal, the Government or food industry has no right to tell me what to do, nor does it have a right to force chemically altered low-fat abortion food on us.

I STILL WANT MY SOUR CREAM!

Also, I'm not saying everyone who *********es is a perv. If I weren't at work, I'd be jerking right now.

 

[Pinocchio]

I agree with a lot of the stuff that's been said, especially about wanting to become healthy. If you don't want to get healthy then it's your own choice. I also think that this is a "scapegoat" as you may call it. Such are teenagers for example, myself, I hate the image us teenagers get, we don't all wear hoodies and go around holding knives, which is what the media in the UK seem to think. This is just one of many reasons of the goverment interference that I believe is happening.

Though I can't comment from first hand, i'm quite skinny myself, I do believe it's down to the beliefs of the person. If they don't want to, leave them, it's their life they are wasting. I know that may sound harsh, but to be honist it's what I see. And I think it's being magnified due to the media.

 

[mouthforcombat]

Polley:wanna_cracker has hit the nail on the head. While I definitely agree with all of your reasons why obesity is such a growing problem, the two I emphasize, in America, the most are lack of activity and poor eating habits. Americans are LAZY. Nobody can deny this. TV and video games have got complete control over kids' attention and interest and I doubt that will change any time soon. As mentioned already, as well, fast food is the other big deal here. What really cracks me up is the "Subway" customers. They see that Jared lost nine thousand pounds (slight exaggeration) by eating Subway so that means they can too. Really, this is a brilliant scheme for Subway's marketing department to convince people they can actually lose weight by eating. So what happens? People go get foot long Subs, or even multiple subs, with all the fattening sauces and garbage they can pack in to it, some fattening chips, and then some soda to top it off. When it's all said and done, they feel like they've done their body a favor but in reality, the calories they just took in are not too distance from Burger King or Taco Bell.

You can not help people unless they want to help themselves, it's that simple. And as mentioned above, the society we live in is far too lazy to do anything about it.

 

[streicher187]

My fatass blames myself.. I hate the skinny *******s who blame us for the medical problem.. I have been "Obese" for over 20 years none of which I have had medical problems.. The one time recently that I did go to the doctor for a physical he ordered all kinds of stupid and wastefull tests and then bitched because they came back normal.. He actually told me because I was obese the tests SHOULDN'T be normal..

Just as many skinny and muscle people die as fat people maybe skinny is killing them

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

The problem with obesity is that there are too many things working against staying fit:

1) Stress - Nowadays, more people are stressed out than the numbers in the past. Too much to do, too little time to do it in, a struggling economy, nobody cares and you're on your own, etc. Many people eat as a comfort to cure their stress. Lower the stress levels, less people would eat in response to it.

2) Time Management - So you're stressed out of your mind and you need to work more hours to make ends meet. Are you really going to have the time to plan out healthier meals? Fast food is the only way some people get to even have a dinner, unfortunately.

3) Taste - Everyone would agree, in general, the healthier foods don't simply taste as good. Salt-free baked potato chips versus regular chips? Come on. How much fat-free food seems to also be taste-free? Its a shame that nobody can invent a machine to change the taste of any food to anything else (or if they could, its a shame the companies won't let them make it as entire industries would cease to exist) because then we'd all be eating the healthiest foods possible and thinking we're eating a pound of chocolate or something.

4) Exercise - Its a pain in the ass. If you can even find the time to do it, you're not exactly looking at a thrill ride. You're tired, you're in pain, and you may not see ANY results even if you exercise every day for weeks on end.

5) Foolishness - I always find it hilariously pathetic that there are so many overweight people out there in the world that think if they eat a salad before a meal and have a diet Coke that they're really going to drop 20 pounds, but what they don't realize is that their meal consists of the most fattening ingredients on the planet. My dad's obese, always has been, and he's guilty of the same thing. For some reason it doesn't click in some heads out there that drinking a glass of water instead of a soda doesn't save you much when you're eating a solid block of cheese before you have a full dinner and a dessert.

All this being said, unless you have a genetic problem, obesity is essentially a choice. Every time I feel like I'm gaining a little bit of weight, I simply watch what I'm eating and exercise a little more and the weight goes down. I don't have a remarkable metabolism, but I don't have a deficiency, and by simply not eating a pint of ice cream every night after half a pizza or whatever, I'm able to maintain the physique I have. If I found the time and put in the effort to exercise, I'd have a great body, but what the hell, I'm fine with being average (and average as in the old type of average, not as in "well, most people are obese, so if I'm fat, then I'm average"). Will power is one of the only ways you can get around all the problems above that contribute to weight-gain.