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It is not the body that has changed; it is all the junk stuff that the young ones are stuffing. Back then there was a housewife in every household cooking fresh meals, and nowadays kids are getting just money and buy chips, coke burgers and fries all the time. The reason why obesity is not only an American issue, is the fact that American fast food chains have expanded to so many nations. When I was a kid there was just one fat one in class, and now I see fat kids everywhere.
Kudos to all those who emphasized poor food supply (ubiquitous industrialized products with heinous ingredients that are not food), poor food education as lack of policy, and poor food choices - plus poor time management I would add - among consumers.
It is possible to obtain real, good, whole, sometimes fresh, nutritious food and prepare it daily, but it takes dedicated effort mentally, physically and in terms of time management. But not too great an effort: the onus is still on the individual.
We could certainly solve many national problems if we focused policy on nutritious food supply, consumption choices, and time management skills. Alas!
I just object to one thing: a lot of people point to "carbs" as something bad, but that is far from the truth. As such, carbohydrates have become a scapegoat. Such propaganda is useless and damaging.
To be sure, most "carb"-filled foods in an average supermarket or convenience store aisle are not nutritious, but not because of carbohydrates, but because the "carbs" in them are impoverished (they call them "enriched") and because they are full of other crappy ingredients such as corn syrup and chemicals whose names no one can pronounce.
Carbohydrates are the main staple in my diet, but I buy a variety of whole grains in both kernel and flour form, either from a supermarket and often through online vendors straight from a farm/mill - including rice, wheat, rye, millet, teff, oats, potato, yucca, even fava beans in flour form - and make my own bread three or four times a week, both leaven bread with home-grown yeast or flat bread on a cast-iron skillet made in USA.
I exercise lightly, eat sensible portions, don't feel hungry between meals (two a day, one day a week only one meal) and maintain my ideal weight.
Carbohydrates are the building blocks of organic substances and living creatures. Read about it any chemistry and biology textbook: we eat what we are and we are what we eat, carbohydrates.
Not only is it a shame that "carbs" have a bad name nowadays, it is downright deceitful, potentially dangerous, and only exacerbates the nutrition-related problems at the base of other very serious problems.
Who cares about the food anymore. Whats up with people with no self esteem.
I'd say age has a lot to do with it. This will be considered politically incorrect, I'm sure, but let's face it. As a formerly hot young babe -- well into my forties and even still in my early 50s -- who NEVER thought she'd lose her groove -- or her figure -- or her looks -- at 60, I honestly just don't care about my appearance anymore. I've gone gray (I don't believe in dying my hair), never wore makeup or alluring clothing and had a natural beauty (and plenty of male interest) in spite of it and am not about to start now, and have put on some weight I can't seem to lose along with some jowls and sagging (no, I'm not having plastic surgery). I haven't been hit on for quite a while, don't expect to be, and I frankly don't care, as my sex drive pretty much disappeared with menopause (and I'm fine with that). Women have a sell-by date as far as mating is concerned, and it's tied closely to fertility. So at this point, I am what I am.
I'd say age has a lot to do with it. This will be considered politically incorrect, I'm sure, but let's face it. As a formerly hot young babe -- well into my forties and even still in my early 50s -- who NEVER thought she'd lose her groove -- or her figure -- or her looks -- at 60, I honestly just don't care about my appearance anymore. I've gone gray (I don't believe in dying my hair), never wore makeup or alluring clothing and had a natural beauty (and plenty of male interest) in spite of it and am not about to start now, and have put on some weight I can't seem to lose along with some jowls and sagging (no, I'm not having plastic surgery). I haven't been hit on for quite a while, don't expect to be, and I frankly don't care, as my sex drive pretty much disappeared with menopause (and I'm fine with that). Women have a sell-by date as far as mating is concerned, and it's tied closely to fertility. So at this point, I am what I am.
I could have written every word you wrote because that applies to me, too! At our age, I think happiness has a great deal to do with self-acceptance! (Actually, I think that is true with any age, but especially so in the senior years.)
However, I do still keep myself well-groomed and I also diet when I get to a certain weight (for health reasons, not appearance), and I will dress up for a special night out, but otherwise, "I am what I am". I choose clothes for comfort, not style; and my personal care routine consists of bathing once a day, washing my hair twice a week and getting it cut every three months, brushing my teeth (and regular dental visits), brushing my hair, eyebrow waxing every other month, shaving my legs when needed*, and that is about all!
*One advantage of getting older is that I don't have to shave my legs or my armpits nearly so often as I did when I was a teenager!
I'll point the finger of blame at the Western American Diet as the reason that people are overweight or obese. There's lots of theories out there, my belief is that we eat too much. We're encouraged to eat, eat, eat. Eat a big breakfast it's the most important meal of the day, eat snacks, eat lunch, eat dinner. Eat to celebrate holidays, birthdays, promotions, or we eat when we're stressed, unhappy, bored. We're constantly eating and snacking. Then our insulin levels spike and crash all day long and we get hangry, so we eat even more. Exercise cannot fix all the overeating we do. Eventually we become insulin resistant and the downward spiral continues.
We need to eat less period. That's where our trouble is.
Has the OP cruised the aisles of any grocery store? Most of the aisles (not produce or meat) are filled with manufactured food with so many unpronounceable names, lots of fat because it's makes you feel good, and salt and sugar because that's what our mouths like to taste.
People don't cook anymore they microwave pre-packaged food (see above).
Don't blame women/mothers for that. My mother was divorced and had to get a job because my father was not well-employed, made enough for himself but not enough to support his 3 children.
It takes 2 or more paychecks to make ends meet today, that means cooking real sit-down and eat it food is not possible.
I was a skinny kid in the 60's but if I ate todays food way back then I would've been fat, no question.
The way I can tell is looking at my nieces and nephews. They weigh 25% more than me at the same age.
It's the food nowadays. End of rant.
Yes, a big part of it is the food and the availability on every corner of some kind of junk food. Back when I was growing up in the 60's & 70's we didn't have fast food restaurants all over in the small town I lived in. Going to McDonalds or Burger King was a once a month treat. Soda was a once in a blue moon indulgence that my father would buy us from the fridge at the gas station. It came in a small bottle and was ice cold. There was one overweight kid in the entire Catholic School which was kindergarten through 8th grade.
Remember a lot of mothers weren't working like today so they stayed home and cooked healthy meals for the most part. No having pizza a few times a week or having fast food delivered regularly or having soda at every meal. Ditto for the lunches they packed for their kids. Just going to the open house at my granddaughter's school was an eye opener. There were kids there as young as 5 & 6 years old who already were very overweight and it's probably only going to get worse as they age.
Now to address people not caring about their looks - I see both extremes. My granddaughter, who won't be 11 until December, is already into fashion and wants to wear the latest trends. Thankfully she has to wear a uniform but she comes home from school on the two days I have her and immediately starts the fashion show.
I'd say age has a lot to do with it. This will be considered politically incorrect, I'm sure, but let's face it. As a formerly hot young babe -- well into my forties and even still in my early 50s -- who NEVER thought she'd lose her groove -- or her figure -- or her looks -- at 60, I honestly just don't care about my appearance anymore. I've gone gray (I don't believe in dying my hair), never wore makeup or alluring clothing and had a natural beauty (and plenty of male interest) in spite of it and am not about to start now, and have put on some weight I can't seem to lose along with some jowls and sagging (no, I'm not having plastic surgery). I haven't been hit on for quite a while, don't expect to be, and I frankly don't care, as my sex drive pretty much disappeared with menopause (and I'm fine with that). Women have a sell-by date as far as mating is concerned, and it's tied closely to fertility. So at this point, I am what I am.
I am 58 and still care about my looks. I dye my hair, I eat healthy, I workout. I know that I am past the point of anyone looking at me sexually but I don't do the above mentioned for anyone but myself. And of course my husband appreciates my efforts and he keeps himself healthy as well.
That said I rarely where make up. Just mascara when I go to work. I live in jeans and tee shirts. I am going down swinging.
A friend of mine noted a couple of years ago that he was watching a documentary on Woodstock (1969) and he did not see any fat/overweight/obese people in the footage.
Granted most were under 30 and/or near 30 but take 300,000 people in the age group today and watch a video of them and we'll see lot of overweight folks.
The American body has changed.....
ha ha. so has the size of burgers, pizzas with 6 cheeses, meat lovers pizza, sugary frappuccino (instead of coffee), food delivery, fried donuts, any sauces you want, two-family size potato chip bags for $3, and add that with a lifestyle of computers/smart phones makes people far more sedentary. Sometimes you have to make the right choices. I catch myself every so often too with eating too much of a healthy food. It is little challenging in the land of plenty.
I care about my looks to some extent, but I also like cheesecake and there’s no one who I feel motivated to look really good for.
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