Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Okay folks, No bashing, please. This is a serious question and not meant to offend anyone.
It seems our society is taking "Super-Size Me" way to seriously. Being overweight and unhealthy seems to be the norm, now.
We hear about how diabetes and blood pressure problems are sky-rocketing, along with many other weight-related medical conditions yet so many folks keep shoveling the food in. Don't folks realize they are killing themselves slowly?
The tremendous amount of money we throw at the doctors and drug companies could be kept in our own pockets if we watched our diet. These people are profiting from your health problems. Many of those health problems could be alleviated if we made adjustments to our food intake. No need to become a crash dieter or vegatarian. either. Just make more thoughtful choices at the grocery and push back from the table before your are stuffed to the gills.
Think about it..........
100 years ago, more people ate healthier because we didn't have hundreds of choices for snacks neatly packaged for us. We didn't have all the pesticides, hormones, additives and preservatives in our food like we do today. We eat loads of foods that are so full of crap then wonder why we are overweight and sickly.
Information about healthy living is at our fingertips yet so many ignore it while reaching for that Twinkie, then wonder why we're so tired all the time.
And then there are those HUGE portions at the restaraunts. OMG!!! What is with these places? I'd much rather they offered smaller portions along with cheaper prices. Folks who want more could order an extra side item.
The U.S. has become the fattest country in the world. We have been considered the land of plenty by many and we abuse it to our own detriment.
What do you think? Will we continue on this decline in our overall health or will folks snap out of it and start to help themselves?
Don't equate "overweight" with "unhealthy." One does not necessarily follow the other, nor are people at a healthy weight necessarily healthy.
Judge not. Perhaps you wonder why you see overweight people in poverty ridden neighborhoods. Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it? Well, perhaps when you realize that the least expensive foods available are refined rice, pasta, etc -- none of which are filling nor nutritious -- and that full-service grocery stores are practically non-existent in those neighborhoods, you'll ease up on pontifications.
Oh, if life were only as simple as you make it out to be ...
Don't equate "overweight" with "unhealthy." One does not necessarily follow the other, nor are people at a healthy weight necessarily healthy.
Judge not. Perhaps you wonder why you see overweight people in poverty ridden neighborhoods. Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it? Well, perhaps when you realize that the least expensive foods available are refined rice, pasta, etc -- none of which are filling nor nutritious -- and that full-service grocery stores are practically non-existent in those neighborhoods, you'll ease up on pontifications.
Oh, if life were only as simple as you make it out to be ...
Thanks for point this out, Ohiogirl81. It's oh so true!
Everytime I hear or read statement like "oh just pull back from the table" or "oh just don't buy this or that" I have to question whether the person making the statements, has truly had the opportunity to live outside of their own environments?
Ask yourself sometime (and seriously pay attention), if weight were that simple why the epidemic?
To answer your question, I think that until this country truly deals with the real reasons behind the epidemic (which is going hit it in the pockets), it will continue to see a health decline in it's citizens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmobizmo
Okay folks, No bashing, please. This is a serious question and not meant to offend anyone.
It seems our society is taking "Super-Size Me" way to seriously. Being overweight and unhealthy seems to be the norm, now.
We hear about how diabetes and blood pressure problems are sky-rocketing, along with many other weight-related medical conditions yet so many folks keep shoveling the food in. Don't folks realize they are killing themselves slowly?
The tremendous amount of money we throw at the doctors and drug companies could be kept in our own pockets if we watched our diet. These people are profiting from your health problems. Many of those health problems could be alleviated if we made adjustments to our food intake. No need to become a crash dieter or vegatarian. either. Just make more thoughtful choices at the grocery and push back from the table before your are stuffed to the gills.
Think about it..........
100 years ago, more people ate healthier because we didn't have hundreds of choices for snacks neatly packaged for us. We didn't have all the pesticides, hormones, additives and preservatives in our food like we do today. We eat loads of foods that are so full of crap then wonder why we are overweight and sickly.
Information about healthy living is at our fingertips yet so many ignore it while reaching for that Twinkie, then wonder why we're so tired all the time.
And then there are those HUGE portions at the restaraunts. OMG!!! What is with these places? I'd much rather they offered smaller portions along with cheaper prices. Folks who want more could order an extra side item.
The U.S. has become the fattest country in the world. We have been considered the land of plenty by many and we abuse it to our own detriment.
What do you think? Will we continue on this decline in our overall health or will folks snap out of it and start to help themselves?
Last edited by Bjones1976; 11-03-2008 at 09:54 AM..
Reason: cuz
Don't equate "overweight" with "unhealthy." One does not necessarily follow the other, nor are people at a healthy weight necessarily healthy.
Judge not. Perhaps you wonder why you see overweight people in poverty ridden neighborhoods. Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it? Well, perhaps when you realize that the least expensive foods available are refined rice, pasta, etc -- none of which are filling nor nutritious -- and that full-service grocery stores are practically non-existent in those neighborhoods, you'll ease up on pontifications.
Oh, if life were only as simple as you make it out to be ...
First, I never suggested that overweight folks were in poverty ridden areas so perhaps that is your own personal issue. I see this everywhere.
When I said some took the "Super-Size Me" mentality too far, I was referring to folks who are already struggling with their weight AND health issues yet still consume HUGE amounts of food and usually junk food. I am NOT referring to folks with medical conditions that cause weight gain or folks whose medications cause weight gain. These I situations I can understand. Perhaps you are being judgemental yourself since you haven't seemed to have taken the question in the spirit in which it was meant.
I recently watched a woman who was terribly overweight eat TWO large hamburgers, a Supersize order of Fries, a 32 ounce drink, then went back for dessert. She struggled just to get out of her chair and I overheard her complaining about her "bad knees." I see things like this often.
I also beg to differ than junk food is cheaper than healthy food. Organic food may be more expensive but I can go to the grocery and make decent food choices and spend the equivilant amount of money.
People are over-weight for many reasons and assuming that it's pure will-power or lack there of that's the problem is ignorant.
People are obese because of a variety of reasons:
Learned habits when they're younger
A disease
Depression
Genetics
It's no secret that 2 people can eat and excercise the same for their entire lives, yet one can be skinny and the other not.
I also disagree about your claim to this being a problem now. I think people are much more aware nowadays and are trying very hard to be healthy than they were just 10 years ago. Fast food chains have stopped super-sizing their meals like they used to and started offering salad choices and such. This trend has been growing.
People are over-weight for many reasons and assuming that it's pure will-power or lack there of that's the problem is ignorant.
People are obese because of a variety of reasons:
Learned habits when they're younger
A disease
Depression
Genetics
It's no secret that 2 people can eat and excercise the same for their entire lives, yet one can be skinny and the other not.
I also disagree about your claim to this being a problem now. I think people are much more aware nowadays and are trying very hard to be healthy than they were just 10 years ago. Fast food chains have stopped super-sizing their meals like they used to and started offering salad choices and such. This trend has been growing.
There must be a lot of diseased, depressed, gentically deficient people in the US then!
Or they could just be eating a lot.
In all seriousness---while yes, there may be some cases where people actually have a thyroid problem or some type of physical inability (bad back, bad knees, etc etc) , that is a very very small percentage of the total amount of people who are obese. I hate how people try to treat every deficiency as a "special case" as if they were entitled to the sympathy and the "exceptional situation". This is simply just not true. The American culture facilitates overeating and overindulgence...anyone who denies this has their head planted in a box of sand.
First, I never suggested that overweight folks were in poverty ridden areas
It was an example of judging a person before their personal situation is known.
Quote:
I was referring to folks who are already struggling with their weight AND health issues yet still consume HUGE amounts of food and usually junk food.
Then you should have said so in plain English.
Quote:
I also beg to differ than junk food is cheaper than healthy food. Organic food may be more expensive but I can go to the grocery and make decent food choices and spend the equivilant amount of money.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a generous food budget. Ounce for ounce, refined pasta is cheaper than chicken; white rice is cheaper than vegetables. When you're struggling to feed your family, pennies count.
Don't equate "overweight" with "unhealthy." One does not necessarily follow the other, nor are people at a healthy weight necessarily healthy.
Judge not. Perhaps you wonder why you see overweight people in poverty ridden neighborhoods. Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it? Well, perhaps when you realize that the least expensive foods available are refined rice, pasta, etc -- none of which are filling nor nutritious -- and that full-service grocery stores are practically non-existent in those neighborhoods, you'll ease up on pontifications.
Oh, if life were only as simple as you make it out to be ...
But evrythign else being equal the over weight person is always at higher risk for so many of the killer and cripplering doseases. But back to the question ;yes I believe it a bad sign especailly since medical treatment is a major cost in this society and prevention could lower it so much. look at those same kids lined up at convenience stores in the morning to buy candy also.It noit just waht they eat because many poor in the past eat much worse fatting foods but then ate less and exercised more.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
