More than half of Ventura County is overweight/Obese (Oxnard: home, neighborhoods)

[user_id]

I guess its pretty obvious from walking around but:

Bulk and hunger add up to hefty issues in Ventura County » Ventura County Star

Unfortunately the article focuses on the "its more expensive to eat healthy" gibberish....instead of the real reasons people are overweight.

And this reminds me, doesn't anybody else think its a bit odd for an overweight "homeless" person to be holding up a sign that says "hungry"?

[LadyKLO]

Thanks for posting the article. I am personally trying to beat the odds! As of today, I have lost 120 pounds. I still have 40 more to go but I am still a work in progress. The key is to cook and learn to say no to junk foods that will cause your body to expand. Also, I don't buy into the cheaper to eat junk food stigma...it sure is "cheaper" when you find yourself in the hospital with diabetes and other crap like that.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by LadyKLO

...it sure is "cheaper" when you find yourself in the hospital with diabetes and other crap like that.

I'm not even thinking of that, just the cost of food. I've heard it claimed that its expensive to eat healthy numerous times, in documentaries, etc but when I do the math I just don't see it. In fact, it seems like its more to eat junk.

[Fontucky]

You should see what I can do with a 10qt pot, tap water, a turkey carcass (or some chicken carcasses), some fresh veg, herbs and spices, and some rice or barley.

Cost per bowl of the result is minuscule.

[Charles]

Obesity rates are higher in poorer and minority neighborhoods. (This is everywhere in the US, not just Ventura County.) Most parts of Oxnard will have higher obesity rates than most parts of TO.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I think I read somewhere that the USA is the only place where the poor people are fatter than the rich people. LOL

Saying that, it does seem that poorer people seem to make food choices that are poor in nature. High fat, high in sugar content while at the same time costing more than if they had purchased raw food. I can buy a 10lb bag of potatoes at Food4Less for less money than it cost to purchase a family size bag of potato chips. That bag of potato chips would be gone in a day at my home with all of our kids while the bag of potatoes will last into the next week.

We also eat a lot of beans and rice. The cost to buy that is low. What you can do with it is endless. I can take rice, cook it up, and put vegetables and some chicken on top and that is a meal. The combinations are almost endless on what you can use that base of food for.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I think I read somewhere that the USA is the only place where the poor people are fatter than the rich people. LOL

Saying that, it does seem that poorer people seem to make food choices that are poor in nature. High fat, high in sugar content while at the same time costing more than if they had purchased raw food. I can buy a 10lb bag of potatoes at Food4Less for less money than it cost to purchase a family size bag of potato chips. That bag of potato chips would be gone in a day at my home with all of our kids while the bag of potatoes will last into the next week.

We also eat a lot of beans and rice. The cost to buy that is low. What you can do with it is endless. I can take rice, cook it up, and put vegetables and some chicken on top and that is a meal. The combinations are almost endless on what you can use that base of food for.

Could also be genetic. As crude as it sounds, there's a lot of truth to "A man will marry the best looking woman he can afford" and "Tight butts get rich husbands". So, if you're a good looking (not fat) woman, you tend to marry a wealthy man and have good looking, not fat kids. This perpetuates.

You can always spot a rich guy:

[user_id]

Originally Posted by Charles

Could also be genetic. As crude as it sounds, there's a lot of truth to "A man will marry the best looking woman he can afford" and "Tight butts get rich husbands". So, if you're a good looking (not fat) woman, you tend to marry a wealthy man and have good looking, not fat kids.

Genetic problems resulting in obesity aren't that common, before the modern food industry obesity wasn't common. Doubt it has much to do with genetics, rather that wealthier people tend to be more knowledgeable about food and feed their kids differently.

I'm often surprised when talking about food with people, even the basic science often isn't known. For example, I find it really common for people to think that eating fat is what makes you fat....as if the fat from the food goes directly to your stomach, butt, etc.

Anyhow, I'm sure the high rates of obesity in Ventura County is related to the high Hispanic population in Oxnard, etc....but still surprising that its more than half.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by user_id

I find it really common for people to think that eating fat is what makes you fat....as if the fat from the food goes directly to your stomach, butt, etc.

There's a certain amount to truth to that though as fat has more than twice as many calories per gram than either carbs or protein do, 9 calories per gram to 4 calories per gram.

[LadyKLO]

Great points everyone...being that I am an advocate for health these days, people really do not believe that eating healthier is cheaper. I look at it like this..look how many fields of fresh produce we have in this county...if you just go to a farmer's market, side of the road stand, discount supermarket or whatever, you can get some really great deals.

Look at eating out at McDonald's...a family of 4 could spend $25 and up on 4 Value Meals. That same $25 could be used to purchase some lettuce for a salad and some turkey and beans for LadyKLO's killer turkey chili..it's not hard but people claim they don't want to cook!