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Probably the food industries in other nations don't cram practically everything they sell with high fructose corn syrup to trigger consumers' appetites and goad them into overeating. Here in the USA, corporate profits trump all other considerations.
I agree with this, and a lot of the reason is due to the sugar lobby in FL. There's an excellent chapter in Tim Carney's book The big ripoff from several years ago. It's not just corporate profits, it's the sugar lobby and the federal gov't working in tandem to boost the price of sugar, which means more use of HFCS.
I have always been a juice drinker, but I used to just buy whatever was on sale, which meant that I was getting lots of HFCS. I also always had a major sweet tooth; I was hooked on candy bars. A few years ago I started buying only juice without HFCS. Then one day I just realized that somehow I had lost my sweet tooth. One day it just dawned on me that it had been months since I bought a candy bar, and I believe that the two must have been connected.
What's interesting too is that in the last 25 years there have been continual increases in participation in endurance sports. There were 4.7 million total finishers in 1990 (everything from 5k (3.1 miles) to marathons (26.2 miles). Last year 15.5 million finishers of these races.
It appears that we have a weight inequality gap with 1% of the people losing 90 percent of the weight.
Are you not in favor of redistributing the weight for the greater good?
I agree with this, and a lot of the reason is due to the sugar lobby in FL. There's an excellent chapter in Tim Carney's book The big ripoff from several years ago. It's not just corporate profits, it's the sugar lobby and the federal gov't working in tandem to boost the price of sugar, which means more use of HFCS.
I have always been a juice drinker, but I used to just buy whatever was on sale, which meant that I was getting lots of HFCS. I also always had a major sweet tooth; I was hooked on candy bars. A few years ago I started buying only juice without HFCS. Then one day I just realized that somehow I had lost my sweet tooth. One day it just dawned on me that it had been months since I bought a candy bar, and I believe that the two must have been connected.
Not the sugar lobby, actually.
High fructose corn syrup is a replacemet from suger that's highly chemically processed from corn stalks, of all things. Very unhealthy stuff, but it triggers the human hunger response, causing folks to consume and buy more of what the food processing industry is selling.
More obesity, more diabetes, more heart disease, you name it. Someone made a comment about more obese children these days; I'd say this is a large part of that.
Like I said, corporate profits trump all other considerations in the USA these days. Public health be damned. And good luck finding groceries that aren't loaded with that stuff anywhere besides a specialty store.
Exactly - that's what makes me think that obesity is not necessarily only related to a lack of exercise like so many others argue. I also don't think it has to do with portion size - at least, I find myself "full" after a while, regardless of the portion I receive. I am aware that a larger portion generally tends to result in a larger consumption of food, though.
I will say that I also rarely eat at restaurants because I find their use of salt to be simply crazy. It can be so bad that it feels like my tongue swells up. That just can't be right.
Really? Hmm. Because over the last few months, I quit eating meat, I actually don't eat that much anymore & I've increased my physical activity. I've lost 20 pounds. So yes, smaller portion sizes, healthier eating & exercise do in fact cause one to lose weight.
You know what I find startling? Teenage obesity. I don't mean those kids who are clearly severely overweight, but those who really should not be. Just last weekend, I found myself at a dance recital of the best dance schools around. I quickly noticed that many dancers had a certain swollen look in the midsection despite their clear devotion to dance and thus, to exercise.
You know why? Because kids nowadays sit their fat asses in front of the tv/video game console/computer for hours every day instead of actually going outside. My butt was outside constantly when I was younger, no way would my parents have allowed me to sit inside for hours every day doing nothing but staring at a screen.
It has a lot to do with suburban sprawl, long commutes, etc. For a lot of people the only physical activity they get is the short walk out to their car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UNC4Me
Nope. It has to do with people consuming too many calories. Whether those calories are in Twinkies or salad greens makes no difference. The amount of walking done by the average city dweller who walks to work and back doesn't equate to many calories burned.
It has a lot to do with suburban sprawl, long commutes, etc. For a lot of people the only physical activity they get is the short walk out to their car.
Location: planet octupulous is nearing earths atmosphere
13,621 posts, read 12,733,455 times
Reputation: 20050
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ibginnie
Too many calories, not enough physical activity to burn those calories.
It is that simple.
I bet people have stronger fingers now than in the past scrolling and texting 10 hours a day..
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