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I believe in watching what you eat. Doesn't mean that everyone who does, will be thin. Some of us, just weren't meant to be skinny. Also, please don't harp on this 'personal responsibility' thing. I know that it's popular to assert this nowadays, but it's been done to death. So much so, that if anything bad ever happens to anyone, someone is bound to pipe-up with the phrase; 'too bad, you didn't take personal responsibility'. Enough already!
Many folks are genetically predisposed towards a more heavy frame......but that percentage should have remained constant throughout the decades and without Thyroid and other treatments there may be very little that those people can do about weight gain.
These are NOT the people I mean to address in the thread and I mean no offense to any posters....we are...what we are. I simply am trying to ascertain the reasons for the recent accelerating trends toward being overweight in the United States..
Perhaps this problem is more widespread than I thought.. And as another poster mentioned.....our habits have changed and people do not walk etc...enough these days.
I too remember as a kid, walking across yards etc...to get to where we wanted to go; these days that would be unthinkable so as a society our "priorities" have shifted and people are more defensive about property and other parameters..
I still think blaming food alone is a typical modern response......it's never my fault or our fault, but somebody else's fault....this is omnipresent in American society from politics to family issues.....always blame somebody/something else, rather than searching within ourselves for solutions.
Could be that kids no longer hunt, gather or explore physically.
Could be that kids no longer hunt, gather or explore physically.
No physical fun or physical life.
They're hoarders now - food hoarders.
Like living silos.
ROFL.....I do agree that it's partly a mindset problem...no walking, biking...playing outdoors, etc..... like in the 1950's and 1960's. Some people these days frown upon walking around the neighborhood or to do light shopping etc....I've been yelled at and had things thrown at me countless times by rude passing motorists as I walk/bicycle..
Location: Back in Melbourne.....home of road rage and aggression
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I think the problem is the foods we're now eating, the quantities we're eating them in, and the fact that we've been so gung-ho on increasing efficiency in EVERYthing, that we've actually pushed ourselves into a chair and there we stay.
Kids are the most affected, because they only eat what they're given or have access to and they're a product of their environment; they model themselves on the adults around them.
Everything is now digital, from communication to entertainment. In our "need" for efficiency and higher productivity by way of advancement we have really just taken several steps backward. Gone are the days of hard manual labour. Gone are the days of 98% of what you eat coming from your garden or from what you raised yourself.
If I'm ever lucky enough to have a child(ren) to raise, they will be raised the "old-fashioned" way.
Good thread. I think it is a combination of the foods we eat as well as the more sedentary lifestyles we seem to be living. Live, whole foods are more difficult to find. Look in your average grocery store and most items are highly processed. It is the quick fix and easiest way out.
in addition to what's already been said, I think it's harder now to have kids get the physical activity we used to get as kids. With security and safety being the issue, we just can't let them walk, or bike, or go play unsupervised at parks due to the new dangers of predators and other such criminals. In addition, schools with tight budgets do away with many sports related activities or charge for participation in them and parents don't always have the extra funds to defray the cost.
I've often wondered why kids (at least I was) are taught to memorize all the state capitals (very useful!) but scant, if any, attention is given to nutrition? Yet it's eating wisely and exercising that affects our entire life--from childhood to old age.
Our kids are exposed to all sorts of sugery cereal and other unhealthy food commercials on TV or the internet, but no no one speaks up for broccoli or spinach...
Insane, just nuts... we're a fast-food, growing ever fatter nation...
Happy Meals make us sad...as does the Standard American Diet (SAD). Well-named, eh?
Let's start a new trend and re-name the American Diet as GLAD-- Green, Lean, Active, Delicious--Real Food.
1. Additives to food, including growth hormones to animals.
2. Too much sugar and refined carbohydrates.
3. Not enough water.
4. Lack of exercise.
5. Huge portions.
Pretty clear to me. The obesity problem will continue until people stop eating junk and decide to cook again.
I tend to agree that the obesity epidemic is probably due more to lack of exercise than anything else, and I don't necessarily mean lack of working out at gym, but general lack of body movement period. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. We had Coke in the house all the time because my mom loved it, and we drank it too. We stopped at fast food restaurants at least once a week if not more. We ate out every Saturday and Sunday night. However we didn't have computers, video games or 300+ TV channels. Heck, we even had to get up off of our butts to change the channel! We played outside, rode our bikes, swam in the pool and had recess everyday at school (many schools in many places due to the NCLB Act don't even have it anymore). Even when we were indoors we moved around a lot more because we couldn't plant ourselves in front of a computer or video game screen. I never had a weight problem until after the birth of my second child and I think a lot of that is because once I recoved from my C section I never returned to the gym until a few years ago. As far as adult obesity, and I of course am not referring to everyone (I know for a fact we don't fit into this category because we just cannot afford to do it), but look at how many adults now have lawn and housecleaning services! I also find it interesting that they say the obesity epidemic started about 30 years ago. If I am calculating correctly, the first Atari games came out 34 years ago. Correlation? Most likely! As far as food is concerned, yeah, it has an effect on our weight, no question, but exercise does burn calories and increase metabolism, so making sure we move our bodies enough still has a major effect on our weight. And where food is concerned, I think portions are a much bigger issue than what we eat. If we eat less and move more, period, we'll gain a lot less weight and maybe even lose some!
Good thread. I think it is a combination of the foods we eat as well as the more sedentary lifestyles we seem to be living. Live, whole foods are more difficult to find. Look in your average grocery store and most items are highly processed. It is the quick fix and easiest way out.
Thanx.....I agree it's partly food but I still think it's more lack of exercise and our "mindsets". Real food like potatoes is readily available....but it's just easier and faster to cook "tater tots"....until we realize that family/nutrition etc... are more important than saving a few minutes cooking....nothing will change.
When I was younger we were forced to take Physical Education throughout our school years....including College....I think this is no longer the case. It's our priorities that have changed. Rather than spending time cooking in the kitchen and interacting as a family...we seek the fast and easy way out.....so we can get back to the television and computers...each insulated from each other in our own "entertainment bubble". As kids we used to interact more, especially in a physical sense playing/exploring...now kids do that alone and electronically....we need to evaluate our priorities and adjust them accordingly.
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. And as another poster mentioned.....our habits have changed and people do not walk etc...enough these days. 
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