[Peter B]

I am sick and tired of seeing 300lb women in washed out stretch pants using their bridge cards to buy soda & potato chips. On Long Island, women went out of their way to take care of themselves and at least look presentable. Up here, most women could not care less about how they look and will go shopping wearing dirty clothes sans makeup. Slobs seem to be the majority. However, there is a VERY small minority who actually look in a mirror and care before they leave their homes

[AlohaHuey]

Stop hanging out at Wal-Mart or Meijer at 2 AM.

[danielj72]

THis is not Long Island, people here actually like to eat food that has flavor. We are not coastal people that eat tofu, salad and work out all day. This is the meat and potatos part of the country, and since its the midwest we like to drown everything in cheese as well. We drink less wine and alot more beer. Because of all this we tend to be a bit bigger people than our friends in the eastern states. Stats will show that people from the midwest and south are more obese than those who live on the east coast. People here also spend alot less money on clothing and fashion than what you are used to. Im sure that contributes to your image of us being slobs. IF you think we are all slobs and you dont like the way we live, you may want to consider moving back to the east. We are not going to change anytime soon. If you want to be happy here you have to slow down and relax. By the way those 300lb women you talk about are some of the best cooks around.

[idw2s]

I prefer substance over image.

FWIW, you can't assume every overweight person eats chips. Or even that if they are once seen buying something you consider to be junk, it is the reason they are obese. I was told forever I didn't exercise enough and ate too much. My husband used to blow a gasket every time a doctor said that, because I eat very clean/organic/primarily veggies. I cut my calories and fat to the point I was harming my body in order to follow the orders of doctors that never bothered to run any tests. Turns out I have a rare autoimmune disease. Better yet, once I started increasing my calories/fat, and realizing the limitations of my body, my weight plummeted, my health improved, my blood pressure and cholesterol dropped.

The autoimmune disease is an inflammatory disease that is a direct result of the tremendous load of pesticide exposure and other toxins of modern life. Since many of these are fat soluble, it created inflammation in my fat, and my fat created thousands of tumors in an attempt to inhibit the metabolization of the affected fat.

Doctors will tell you inflammatory diseases are rare, but only about 5% of people with my disease are diagnosed, an there are over 100 known diseases with similar effects.

The law of unintended consequences. Modern life has it's benefits. It also has it's drawbacks.

[idw2s]

I prefer substance over image.

FWIW, you can't assume every overweight person eats chips. Or even that if they are once seen buying something you consider to be junk, it is the reason they are obese. I was told forever I didn't exercise enough and ate too much. My husband used to blow a gasket every time a doctor said that, because I eat very clean/organic/primarily veggies. I cut my calories and fat to the point I was harming my body in order to follow the orders of doctors that never bothered to run any tests. Turns out I have a rare autoimmune disease. Better yet, once I started increasing my calories/fat, and realizing the limitations of my body, my weight plummeted, my health improved, my blood pressure and cholesterol dropped.

The autoimmune disease is an inflammatory disease that is a direct result of the tremendous load of pesticide exposure and other toxins of modern life. Since many of these are fat soluble, it created inflammation in my fat, and my fat created thousands of tumors in an attempt to inhibit the metabolization of the affected fat.

Doctors will tell you inflammatory diseases are rare, but only about 5% of people with my disease are diagnosed, an there are over 100 known diseases with similar effects.

The law of unintended consequences. Modern life has it's benefits. It also has it's drawbacks.

[michigan83]

I am sick and tired of seeing 300lb women in washed out stretch pants using their bridge cards to buy soda & potato chips.

It's pop, not soda. We don't have soda here.

[actinic]

It's not just a Michigan thing, it's a demographic thing seen everywhere. People living in or near cities tend to be more fit.

Bottom line is this - if you're fat and don't take care of yourself why should my health insurance premiums pay for your behavior? It's time people become accountable for their unhealthy lifestyle by paying more for it, not having others subsidize it.

Don't have the money to cover health costs? All the more reason to put down the bag of chips and take a walk instead. It's a shame so many have lost their pride.

[Tricia819]

Originally Posted by michigan83

It's pop, not soda. We don't have soda here.

We got soda! It's in the baking aisle in an orange box!

I'm sick of these vapid Long Island types that dominate reality tv. I'll tell you, I'm one of those obese midwestern women, and I play roller derby four hours a week. Just because one is fat doesn't follow that they are unhealthy.

How are they going to determine health insurance premiums? Off someone's BMI? That chart is a farce! I had an extreme case of hyperglycemia and lost seventy pounds. Everyone told me I looked sick and I still wasn't down to my BMI. I was the closest I'd ever been to a "healthy weight" since high school and i was on the verge of a heart attack.

Personally, I'd LOVE to live in a big city where a car is completely unnecessary. I'm definately not opposed to walking or taking public transport everywhere. However, when I visited Chicago, and saw how the women there looked, I'd never fit in there even if I tried. I could never bring myself to pay $1500 for a pair of shoes, or put on make up on a day when I don't have to work, especially when it was so hot out that I would just sweat it off in a matter of minutes anyway.

[Peter B]

Thx! That's the point I was trying to make.

Originally Posted by actinic

It's not just a Michigan thing, it's a demographic thing seen everywhere. People living in or near cities tend to be more fit.

Bottom line is this - if you're fat and don't take care of yourself why should my health insurance premiums pay for your behavior? It's time people become accountable for their unhealthy lifestyle by paying more for it, not having others subsidize it.

Don't have the money to cover health costs? All the more reason to put down the bag of chips and take a walk instead. It's a shame so many have lost their pride.

[AlohaHuey]

Genetics plays a major role in body size and development, so you propose insurance pricing based on genetic makeup?

What a ridiculous idea. Good luck getting that through.