Post Covid Boston - Restaurant and Entertainment closures (insurance, restaurants)

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I hate to say it but the majority of overweight kids seem to be hispanic or black. Maybe their families dont have enough money for good food? I really dont know. It used to be that lack of good food kept people thin. Now apparently lack of good food makes people fat. I also think instant gratification has something to do with it. Things like mac and cheese and pizza dont cost much and they just taste better to kids than vegetables. Why wouldnt they eat what tastes good to them? I often have to battle it out with my 7 year old to eat his veggies. There is just so much bad food available to kids these days why would they waste time eating healthy food that doesn't taste good to them? in lower incomes families maybe parents are tired of the battle and dont bother anymore. There is too much bad food available (even to poor people) and dont eat the way they should.

Quality/type of food is a component, but there's ample research suggesting it's also cultural differences in feeding practices (e.g., associating a strong appetite with good health) and notably the consumption of sugary drinks.

I remember reading a research paper on NCBI which stated Latino children were ~40% more likely than non-Latino whites to consume 1 or more high sugar content drinks per day. I don't recall the specifics of of how they qualified a drink as 'high sugar content', but I do recall that it did not include diluted fruit juices. That behavior alone would be a huge driver of obesity.

[msRB311]

My 7 year old boy eats like a bird...i get so irritated with his appetite and he seems slimmer to me than other kids his age. He just doesn't care to eat. Getting him to eat a piece of pizza is a struggle and he doesn't like mac and cheese. He does of course like sugary snacks and things like chips. He doesn't drink much juice because we don't allow it but when it's around it's like he's an addict dying to have a taste. Thankfully my daughter is a better eater and doesn't go nuts over sugar.

I guess i'm one of the people who thinks a good appetite equals good health but only if it's children eating vegetables.

I guess Latino culture has some different ways when it comes to food. They still do formula with rice cereal for babies less than 6 months which maybe starts out some bad habits.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

Add the Red Hat to the list. No more mudslides!

This is one of those that stings for nostalgia's stake. I went here as a kid with my father on the regular. It was where I first saw rodents brazenly walking across the floor during peak dinner hours and by the service stand and was met with a shrug and a very casual "oh yeah, there's nothing we can do about them" from the server. It wasn't too far from the office and we used to meet for drinks every now and then until right before the pandemic. So it's been a background player in all phases of my life until this point. But very few of those memories include particularly good food or a quality drink. In fact, remember burned nachos, overcooked burgers, and lukewarm, and flat beer being the hallmarks of most visits. Tough to continue to draw new clientele when your biggest draws are convenience (for a few) and nostalgia (for a shrinking few) rather than good food, a standout atmosphere, or even particularly wonderful service.

I hope someone can do something better with the space, but I may have to swing by for one more crappy beer.

[wolfgang239]

Probably doesn't help that the ownership got hit with a big fine for not paying workers on time. Very hard to overcome the combo of scumbag ownership and a pandemic.

[mdovell]

Diet is about as controversial as politics and religion these days. I just saw a reality show where someone is trying to lose weight so she cut down her green smoothie with...grape jelly and apple juice? seriously?!? Anyways I'm not a fan of the whole fat acceptance movement. Diabetes is no joke and neither is hypertension. I can understand being body positive but at the same point there's realistic limits to what is and is not healthy (over and under). This morning I weighed myself at 173 lbs and I'm 5'9. yeah I put on a bit with covid shutdowns ok. If I gained 30lbs I'd be obese. There's no plans for me to do that at least on purpose but it would be a toll on my body and its organs. Sure being fat back in the day might have been wealthier but that was before cheap fattening food. Now it isn't.

In the past I used to think fitness was a joke but growing up I just saw more fatter people. Much of this compounds and eventually you see a class divide. Affluent people don't smoke and haven't for decades, middle class gave it up quite awhile ago but now it just caters to poorer people. An affluent place might have a liquor store but they probably aren't promoting the cheap stuff on their windows. Gyms are usually those in the middle and upper class. Buying actual gym equipment (new or used) is more that way as well.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by lrfox

This is one of those that stings for nostalgia's stake. I went here as a kid with my father on the regular. It was where I first saw rodents brazenly walking across the floor during peak dinner hours and by the service stand and was met with a shrug and a very casual "oh yeah, there's nothing we can do about them" from the server. It wasn't too far from the office and we used to meet for drinks every now and then until right before the pandemic. So it's been a background player in all phases of my life until this point. But very few of those memories include particularly good food or a quality drink. In fact, remember burned nachos, overcooked burgers, and lukewarm, and flat beer being the hallmarks of most visits. Tough to continue to draw new clientele when your biggest draws are convenience (for a few) and nostalgia (for a shrinking few) rather than good food, a standout atmosphere, or even particularly wonderful service.

I hope someone can do something better with the space, but I may have to swing by for one more crappy beer.

Back in 2011 I was at some place in DC for lunch. Well some single mom was there with her kid and apparently on some support column some giant bug showed up. She screamed. The manager then proceeded to take off his shoe and bat the thing to death. Uh....

[msRB311]

I think the whole fat acceptance thing is more about not treating fat people like crap. It doesn't necessarily mean it's ok to be fat, however people don't need to constantly be fat shamed or told they're ugly etc. some people have a really hard time losing weight and put on weight easily. Not everyone has a supermodel/athlete body or should be expected to.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I think the whole fat acceptance thing is more about not treating fat people like crap. It doesn't necessarily mean it's ok to be fat, however people don't need to constantly be fat shamed or told they're ugly etc. some people have a really hard time losing weight and put on weight easily. Not everyone has a supermodel/athlete body or should be expected to.

I never understood why some adults think it's okay to make fun of anyone over something personal that is none of their business and doesn't affect them. But, some people never really grow up.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I think the whole fat acceptance thing is more about not treating fat people like crap. It doesn't necessarily mean it's ok to be fat, however people don't need to constantly be fat shamed or told they're ugly etc. some people have a really hard time losing weight and put on weight easily. Not everyone has a supermodel/athlete body or should be expected to.

Agreed, though I do think much of the critique on 'fat acceptance' is regarding the societal impacts of lifestyle choices.

As someone who has spent much of his professional life in med device, I can say with confidence that whether it be ortho, cardio, spine, whatever ... being obese greatly increases one's odds of requiring medical intervention, but also severely complicating that intervention. Orthopedics are a prime example, or even the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

I would never shame someone for being fat, but it does create down stream issues which impact both personal health and society (e.g., health insurance premiums, transportation design packaging). So while I internally cheer on the obese person grinding out a walk or run in the neighborhood, I reject the idea that society should 'normalize' being overweight as a lifestyle choice. The current messaging is rather muddled, therefor the critique over what should and shouldn't be normalized.

[mdovell]

I'm all for encouraging exercise. There can be a separation from activity and the end results. Imagine if streaming services would remind people to get up like a fit bit does.

When we try to normalize things is when damage is made. We shouldn't normalize drug use, we shouldn't normalize unemployment etc. If it gets to the point where no one can be judged on the basis of their decision and somehow everything was predetermined by some policy then there's just a lack of thinking and confidence. I know people that have successfully lost weight. A old friend of mine at his peak was 330 lbs then 300 and then 270 (mostly walking and cutting back no surgery). I'm pretty sure he's less today.

Yes there are policies and programs we can do to increase health but it's beyond just insurance. How many places don't have sidewalks? How many don't have nighttime lighting, what water systems don't have fluoride?, how many have bike lanes, how many public parks are in bad shape etc.