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I'm only 31 and I can already sadly say my niece and nephew's generation is already sedentary. When I was a kid I rode my bike EVERYWHERE! And I mean everywhere! All over my town/suburbs. I also played several sports per year, hiked, camped etc. My fondest childhood memories were spending my days and nights exploring the woods, wilderness, and creek by my house. My friends and I did everything in that creek from catching snapping turtles, finding indian arrowheads, playing army, riding motorcycles, etc. It was an amazing experience. Kids nowadays grow up in an artificial environment filled with crap food, crap entertainment, and just overall crap experiences.
I hear ya.....my fondest memories of childhood also involved camping/hiking/exploring etc......making the most of our environment by playing outdoors, building bunkhouses and neighborhood sporting activities.
I believe that the main reason for higher obesity rates is not what people are eating but what they not doing......i.e. exercising and outdoor activities. For instance I never see children playing outside as was the norm in my youth....and only limited priveleged sporting activities at best. With the adults taking these events far too seriously and removing the "fun" out of sports and games......while they hover over their kid's every movement..
I was one of those very active 60s kids. I could even have been considered hyperactive. I was super thin, until puberty. Like all of the women in my family, I started gaining weight at that time. And I was still very active, at puberty.
My weight continued to escalate throughout adolescence, even though I was active, and had to take gym classes at this time. My eating habits, were not worse in adolescence, than they were in childhood. In fact, as a skinny child, I ate MUCH more sugar, than before puberty.
Over the years, I've dieted (sometimes severely), but the weight kept coming back, no matter what I did. So I believe that obesity has a genetic component, as is evident in my family. My mother always ate like a bird, and still weighs over 170 pounds! My sisters, grandmother, and aunts, are all overweight too.
I do believe in moderate exercise and healthy eating. But I also believe that some of us, are genetically meant to be overweight.
I was one of those very active 60s kids. I could even have been considered hyperactive. I was super thin, until puberty. Like all of the women in my family, I started gaining weight at that time. And I was still very active, at puberty.
My weight continued to escalate throughout adolescence, even though I was active, and had to take gym classes at this time. My eating habits, were not worse in adolescence, than they were in childhood. In fact, as a skinny child, I ate MUCH more sugar, than before puberty.
Over the years, I've dieted (sometimes severely), but the weight kept coming back, no matter what I did. So I believe that obesity has a genetic component, as is evident in my family. My mother always ate like a bird, and still weighs over 170 pounds! My sisters, grandmother, and aunts, are all overweight too.
I do believe in moderate exercise and healthy eating. But I also believe that some of us, are genetically meant to be overweight.
I agree that some of it is genetic and I don't mean to sound judgemental. I grew up when you did...I was always flying around....had to drag me home to eat and outside I went again...no matter the weather. I am just now heavy enough to be within my ideal body weight....I was always "too thin" by some standards. But the rates of obesity these days defy just a genetic component as that would have stayed relatively steady in the short 50 year or so time period we are all referencing.
The increasing prevalence of obesity, seems to be mostly in children. Perhaps because many of them, don't play as much as we did.
I've also seen more fat MEN, than ever these days. Back when I was growing up, men mostly had just pot bellies, if that. But now, I see quite a few men, that could be considered to be morbidly obese. I wonder if men are less involved in athletics, scarfing down more junk food, or both these days?
I must say I'm very disappointed noone has responded to this thread; nor has it had many reads. Perhaps I should have posted the thread in the Health Forum as this is a very serious problem in all Industrialized countries but even worse here in the United States.
OK so it's a problem..... why haven't many read the thread or responded to it? Maybe because this subject has been talked about, covered and written about to death.
Lets all put our loincloths back on and go live in the woods and eat nuts and berries.
OK so it's a problem..... why haven't many read the thread or responded to it? Maybe because this subject has been talked about, covered and written about to death.
Lets all put our loincloths back on and go live in the woods and eat nuts and berries.
Testy and immature posting is not appreciated.....if you have nothing of substance to post; then don't waste the Science Forum's time.....and if the subject is settled, than why are so many people/children still obese???
IMHO this problem is a great threat to the future of our country; but something tells me that none of us would want to see you wearing a loincloth. And that you never bothered to check the link showing disease parameters as they relate to body weight..
Pittston2Sarasota ~~ I really think this thread belongs in the Health section because the issue is one of education/nutrition and the epidemic of obesity does impact ones health in a very negative way.
I am agreeing with you mostly~ except IMHO obesity is the result of FOOD ~~~~~ eating way too much of unhealthy man-made processed food rather than natural foods of the earth. Exercise is important but it does not reverse the danger of bad food, chemicals, artificial everything, more chemicals, some pesticide, preservatives, more artificial fake foods, etc.
I don't know P2S.....
Since I grew up going to the beach, I spend most of my latter teen years, 20's and 30's so obsessed with trying to look good until I never enjoyed a meal without feeling guilty. Finally, in my 40's...then into my 50's....I decided no one had the right to tell me what my body was supposed to look like. There was a time when fuller women were considered sexy and the norm.
I work with several woman who are middle aged and more than chunky....and they are completely happy and healthy. Not all kids are born with a bean pole body either.
So, it's not that I don't care about people, but I don't think I'm going to spend too much time worrying what everyone eats or what they weigh or if they jogged today. It isn't my business.
And I'm not sure it is the government's business either.
Testy and immature posting is not appreciated.....if you have nothing of substance to post; then don't waste the Science Forum's time.....and if the subject is settled, than why are so many people/children still obese???
IMHO this problem is a great threat to the future of our country; but something tells me that none of us would want to see you wearing a loincloth. And that you never bothered to check the link showing disease parameters as they relate to body weight..
It's not "testy and immature" it's just I am tired of do-gooders (government included) telling me what is healthy, what is safe, what is normal etc etc etc.
Mayhaps it's still not settled because this is a democracy and most people still don't believe it's a major problem?
I would think people are more concerned about loosing their jobs, making ends meet and seeing their children get a good education than people being overweight.
One question, why is "our country" being singled out? According to the WHO over one billion people worldwide are overweight with urban Samoa having the highest overweight population.
If this is such a huge issue I suggest you move this/open a new thread in the World section and get feedback from there.
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