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ok. many people do argue that hence the confusion.
i think there is a big genetic component as you see more obesity in black and hispanic people than whites. the south has more of both black and hispanic. slower metabolism maybe.
i rarely see people that i would call obese, regardless of skin color.
I've thought about that but I don't think it is. I live in Alabama and I run everyday for at least 1 hour and 30 mins despite the weather. I enjoy sweating while I run because it feels like I'm actually doing something. I'm gonna go for a run in 1 hour!
If I had to guess, I think it might have more to do with poverty and culture than climate.
Traditional Southern food tends to be fried or not very calorie/fat conscience. And the South struggles with Poverty probably as much as any section of the country - and poor people as a general rule do not make the healthiest food choices - but then it is probably due to their budget restraints.
I live in a Southern state and although it is hot and humid here, you still see many people out walking, running, jogging and riding bikes - they seem to do it earlier in the day or later in the evening during the summer months though. (But I live in a health conscious part of a city - we have a farmers market, Whole Foods, Good Foods Co-op and a Trader Joe's just a few minutes away.)
ok, but statistics show a higher percentage of black and hispanics are obese. i didn't come up with the statistics if they are wrong. There are other diseases/disorders more prevalent in a certain race, like sickle cell anemia being more prevalent in dark colored skin people, although this is probably more related to people living in areas where malaria is still an issue rather than associated wth skin color.
but people are always saying there is more obesity in the south, and obviously there are more black people and I assume hispanics (other than southwest, CA) in the south compared to other parts of the country. so it is not an illogical hypothesis.
I said yes because heat does play a role in lack of activity. People from Africa were preferred as slaves in hot climates because they had a better tolerance to heat than most others. It's a medical fact that that when it gets really hot (100f plus) it is very hard for the body to shed heat generated by work and you will shut down, humidity plays a role too.
This is just a small part of it though and I think it is actually due more to eating habits.
I have noticed my appetite changes drastically with the mean temp of where I'm at. Here in Seattle on a hot stretch I tend to eat like a mouse. Put me in a cold environment like Moscow in January and I will eat like a horse. It's due to calorie consumption and what is needed for me. I work outside and an exposed to whatever weather there is so I probably burn more than an office worker does.
I wonder how much this dynamic affects people that work in the office? Sit at a desk in a warm place and eat normally and gain weight?
While climate does the play a roll... For an example I know people who live in snowy places and they don't like to run errands in the snow (like go to the gym or do groceries) so they stay in side for as long as possible. Same goes for hot climates for some people, if it's hot enough, I'll avoid the outdoors like a plague.
But the South is fat because they deep-fry everything. It's a gold mine of flavor, but also a gold mine for obesity.
we don't deep fry everything. you are assuming that. but fried food is popular all over the country.
many high calorie foods are not fried such as pasta, pizza, snacks, etc.
the south has better weather on average across te year than cold places , so the getting outside excuse doesn't make any sense. and don't need to go outdoors to get exercise. gyms are the primary exercise locations.
i think in terms of number of obese people, there are many large population states outside of the south that have a larger number of obese people than a southern state. looking at percentage of population obscures this.
it is difficult to make the case a state with more obese poeple is healthier than one with less.
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