My Observation Today About What Americans Weigh
- Thread starter fmdog44
- Start date
David777
Well-known Member
- Location
- Silicon Valley
Notice this is a revived dated thread about American obesity.
I'm a small single Caucasian male 5'6" 138#, that has been BMI 22 or thereabouts most of my adult life. One thing that regularly annoys me is having to buy food in packaging portions way larger than I usually feel like eating as a single serving. So end up either having to cook too much or eat only half a portion of a package at a time that tends to also introduce spoilage issues on what goes to the fridge saved if I even bother to eat whatever. Am not saying all packaged food or menu items should be smaller but rather there ought be options to purchase half sized portions even if that causes max money agenda food marketers to puke reading this. Yes some places have limited kids meals.
Yesterday for lunch had a Trader Joe's chopped salad kit that was 13.5 ounces and tossed about 1/3 after refusing to push down the whole rabbit loving thing. Impossible to preserve once sealed packaging opens to an oxygen atmosphere. Food like chilli or beans in cans weigh around 15 ounces. A normal serving for this person might be 8 ounces.
Most chain restaurants are even worse, filling plates with more food than even large people tend to eat while expecting customers to take some home. All this stretches the stomachs and intestines of people making them eat even more as many have a habit of not stopping until feeling full. Thankfully, some like Subway have a 6 inch sandwich option versus 12 inch most are all too eager to wolf down. Fast foods? Always appreciated at McDonalds what was their dollar menu, McChicken, Cheeseburger, or Small Fries so yes there have always been exceptions.
Worst is vendor food at sports or concert event stadiums and arenas where any food at all in this era will be more than $10 with hotdogs $12 and burgers $15. But it's not just the cost but rather the huge meal sizes of such food that is ridiculous. So a massive $12 hotdog might go for say $8 if half size. But never see that.
https://www.seniorforums.com/thread...hat-americans-weigh.65824/page-3#post-1916091
@StarSong...I worked part-time at a McDonald's for nearly a year in 1971. Most adults ordered what is now the equivalent of a child's Happy Meal. A regular hamburger (about 3.7 oz, 250 cal, ) or cheeseburger (300 cal), regular-sized order of fries (2.4 oz, 200 cal) and a small drink (12 oz, 140 cal) - no refills. So approx 590 calories. Mind you, this was an adult meal, not a snack. Growing teenaged boys and young men ordered Big Macs. Large fries (the kind not in the bag but in the red box) were sold far less often than the little bag of fries and were often split between two or more people. Those are now sold as "medium" fries.
These days people typically order Quarter Pounders w/cheese (7.3 oz, 520 cal) or Quarter Pounder w/Cheese Deluxe (9.2 oz, 630 cal)), Large Fries (5.9 oz, 490 cal) and medium or large sodas (21 or 30 oz, 240 or more cal) plus free refills. Approx 1250 calories. Going into a McD's or other fast food places at about 3:00 pm - when schools have just gotten out - is a quick lesson on why the obesity crisis exists. Droves of adults, parents, children and teens, buying and wolfing down full meals of burgers, fries and sodas as between meal snacks.
When I worked at McD's, business between mealtimes was almost non-existent. We didn't even open until around 11:00 for early lunches - breakfasts and Egg McMuffins were still in the future - and we closed by about 8 pm. That's just one small snapshot of why the obesity crisis has become so severe over the past 50 years.
Most r
I'm a small single Caucasian male 5'6" 138#, that has been BMI 22 or thereabouts most of my adult life. One thing that regularly annoys me is having to buy food in packaging portions way larger than I usually feel like eating as a single serving. So end up either having to cook too much or eat only half a portion of a package at a time that tends to also introduce spoilage issues on what goes to the fridge saved if I even bother to eat whatever. Am not saying all packaged food or menu items should be smaller but rather there ought be options to purchase half sized portions even if that causes max money agenda food marketers to puke reading this. Yes some places have limited kids meals.
Yesterday for lunch had a Trader Joe's chopped salad kit that was 13.5 ounces and tossed about 1/3 after refusing to push down the whole rabbit loving thing. Impossible to preserve once sealed packaging opens to an oxygen atmosphere. Food like chilli or beans in cans weigh around 15 ounces. A normal serving for this person might be 8 ounces.
Most chain restaurants are even worse, filling plates with more food than even large people tend to eat while expecting customers to take some home. All this stretches the stomachs and intestines of people making them eat even more as many have a habit of not stopping until feeling full. Thankfully, some like Subway have a 6 inch sandwich option versus 12 inch most are all too eager to wolf down. Fast foods? Always appreciated at McDonalds what was their dollar menu, McChicken, Cheeseburger, or Small Fries so yes there have always been exceptions.
Worst is vendor food at sports or concert event stadiums and arenas where any food at all in this era will be more than $10 with hotdogs $12 and burgers $15. But it's not just the cost but rather the huge meal sizes of such food that is ridiculous. So a massive $12 hotdog might go for say $8 if half size. But never see that.
https://www.seniorforums.com/thread...hat-americans-weigh.65824/page-3#post-1916091
@StarSong...I worked part-time at a McDonald's for nearly a year in 1971. Most adults ordered what is now the equivalent of a child's Happy Meal. A regular hamburger (about 3.7 oz, 250 cal, ) or cheeseburger (300 cal), regular-sized order of fries (2.4 oz, 200 cal) and a small drink (12 oz, 140 cal) - no refills. So approx 590 calories. Mind you, this was an adult meal, not a snack. Growing teenaged boys and young men ordered Big Macs. Large fries (the kind not in the bag but in the red box) were sold far less often than the little bag of fries and were often split between two or more people. Those are now sold as "medium" fries.
These days people typically order Quarter Pounders w/cheese (7.3 oz, 520 cal) or Quarter Pounder w/Cheese Deluxe (9.2 oz, 630 cal)), Large Fries (5.9 oz, 490 cal) and medium or large sodas (21 or 30 oz, 240 or more cal) plus free refills. Approx 1250 calories. Going into a McD's or other fast food places at about 3:00 pm - when schools have just gotten out - is a quick lesson on why the obesity crisis exists. Droves of adults, parents, children and teens, buying and wolfing down full meals of burgers, fries and sodas as between meal snacks.
When I worked at McD's, business between mealtimes was almost non-existent. We didn't even open until around 11:00 for early lunches - breakfasts and Egg McMuffins were still in the future - and we closed by about 8 pm. That's just one small snapshot of why the obesity crisis has become so severe over the past 50 years.
Most r
Alligatorob
SF VIP
You are right of course. The easy availability of food, particularly high sugar and fat things has contributed considerably to our obesity problem. In my case I was obese most of my adult life so I understand my situation anyway. Smaller packaging probably wouldn't have helped me a lot, I would just have gotten more packages. Did that all too often with reasonably sized portions and packages.
Its a complex problem, I believe many of us have an instinctive drive to eat all we can get our hands on. Back when we were cave people that instinct was probably beneficial. Today's food availability would have been unimaginable to our ancestors. Managing that can be hard.
Knight
Well-known Member
Probably just me seeing groups of people entering the country illegally don't look like they are overweight or obese.
The claim fast food is cheaper could be true. But that perv Jarod something or other lost weight eating subs from subway & became their poster boy for weight loss. No mystery that weight is relative to high caloric intake & low calorie burn. There are exceptions of course but my guess most in that category know the why of that & try to do what they can to minimize the impact.
What I have been seeing recently on my morning walks are more & more people that are in the over weight/obese category out walking. Maybe the concern for misery of what overweight & obesity cause is sinking in.
The claim fast food is cheaper could be true. But that perv Jarod something or other lost weight eating subs from subway & became their poster boy for weight loss. No mystery that weight is relative to high caloric intake & low calorie burn. There are exceptions of course but my guess most in that category know the why of that & try to do what they can to minimize the impact.
What I have been seeing recently on my morning walks are more & more people that are in the over weight/obese category out walking. Maybe the concern for misery of what overweight & obesity cause is sinking in.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
I have been paying more attention to this around here in the last year or so, and I am amazed how many people are obese. The other day I stated counting the people I saw and found over half the adults were overweight or obese. Even at the gym I go to there are a lot of overweight/obese members. Some are actively losing weight, but most are not. I know they are better off for going to the gym, even obese...
I have no solutions, just concern...
Nathan
SF VIP
- Location
- High Desert- Calif.
We wouldn't want any government interference with the pursuit of the almighty dollar, even if the nation's health is at stake. What would they call that...communism no socialism no consumerism. Hmmm, seems consumerism is dead these days, the commercial interests have the money, and money is power. The public? There's always more where that comes from...
senior chef
Senior Member
Over weight is caused by over consumption ! Period.
I weigh 182 lbs and 6'2" tall. Hardly over weight. I eat what ever I want, BUT I don''t STUFF myself. When I make a pepperoni, sausage + mushroom pizza for example, I'm content with merely 3-4 slices and a Pepsi. I never try to eat the whole darn thing.
An analogy: Nothing wrong with having an alcoholic drink or two, now and again, but SOME people over do it and become alcoholics.
Same with food ... any food.
I weigh 182 lbs and 6'2" tall. Hardly over weight. I eat what ever I want, BUT I don''t STUFF myself. When I make a pepperoni, sausage + mushroom pizza for example, I'm content with merely 3-4 slices and a Pepsi. I never try to eat the whole darn thing.
An analogy: Nothing wrong with having an alcoholic drink or two, now and again, but SOME people over do it and become alcoholics.
Same with food ... any food.
Ronni
Well-known Member
- Location
- Nashville TN
Ron and I eat the same foods, though different portion sizes (my portions are less.) We prepare most of our meals, eat out once every week or two, never fast food. We take lunch to work, don’t buy junk. Salads, yogurt, nuts, fruit. We cook fresh food from scratch, eat very little processed food. Lots of fruits and veggies, not a lot of carbs, chicken and fish, red meat once every week or two. A cocktail or glass of wine or a beer at night. We keep a pack of cookies for our dessert, he has two and I have one. No other sweets.
Ron is 180lbs at 6’2”. He’s maintained that his whole adult life with apparently no effort, does physical work, doesn’t exercise.
I’m 155lbs at 5’8 and I struggle HARD to not go over that. In fact its crept up from 145 over the past 10 years. I also do physical work and I DO exercise.
What makes us different? What makes his weight rock solid with no effort and mine such a daily struggle?
Neither of us is obese, far from it, but just the fact that he maintains his weight with no effort whereas I struggle to not gain and yet still do, in small increments every year, is a simplistic window into the obvious statement that weight/obesity is a complex, nuanced issue.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution (yes it’s a terrible, though apt, pun!
)
Ron is 180lbs at 6’2”. He’s maintained that his whole adult life with apparently no effort, does physical work, doesn’t exercise.
I’m 155lbs at 5’8 and I struggle HARD to not go over that. In fact its crept up from 145 over the past 10 years. I also do physical work and I DO exercise.
What makes us different? What makes his weight rock solid with no effort and mine such a daily struggle?
Neither of us is obese, far from it, but just the fact that he maintains his weight with no effort whereas I struggle to not gain and yet still do, in small increments every year, is a simplistic window into the obvious statement that weight/obesity is a complex, nuanced issue.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution (yes it’s a terrible, though apt, pun!
)
Alligatorob
SF VIP
Yep, good point.
You have done very well 5'8" and 155 lbs is really good. You are not overweight at all.
Don M.
SF VIP
- Location
- central Missouri
Genetics and some medical conditions...thyroid, etc.,...can affect a persons weight. However, for most, a poor diet and lack of exercise cause most weight problems. Around here, it seems that half our people....young and old....are carrying a lot of extra weight.
oldpop
Member
- Location
- Inner Space
IMO most of us born in the fifties and up are basically human Guinea Pigs. The food we have ingested in the last seventies years is pretty much processed junk. Having said that I must also add that I eat it too. Some of it tastes pretty dang good.
Lawrence00
Senior Member
Sugar creates an addictive effect. Excessive strong cravings to consume more. The individuals that produce these foods know this. They like it. They make large profits. They work to addict children as lifelong addicts. Quite evil.
Ronni
Well-known Member
- Location
- Nashville TN
Thank you. I don’t chart as being overweight. My height helps.
Nonetheless I’m at the upper end of a healthy BMI for my weight/height, and my entire adult life (excluding pregnancy) until menopause I was 20 pounds lighter than my current weight. I had no problem maintaining my weight at around 135 lbs, until menopause hit.
I don’t mean to make this thread about me. I’m just making the point (by illustrating the differences between my husband me) that there are many factors that contribute to this obesity epidemic, and one or two sweeping changes just won’t cut it. That’s a simplistic solution to a complex and multilayered problem.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
That is not a bad place to be, even into the lower end of the "overweight" BMI probably isn't bad.
From JAMA
Association of All-Cause Mortality With Overweight and Obesity Using Standard Body Mass Index Categories
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1555137
From NPR
Research: A Little Extra Fat May Help You Live Longer
https://www.npr.org/sections/health...hat being,of the American Medical Association.
From Web MD
Underweight Even Deadlier Than Overweight, Study Says Death risk nearly doubled for excessively thin people
https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20140328/underweight-even-deadlier-than-overweight-study-says
From CNN
Thin is in, but fat might be better
https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/health/weight-study/index.html
From Scientific American
Could a Few Extra Pounds Help You Live Longer?
A new Danish study provides more data but does not resolve the question
May 10, 2016
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-a-few-extra-pounds-help-you-live-longer/
Last edited:
StarSong
Awkward is my Superpower
- Location
- Los Angeles Suburbs
@Alligatorob, there's probably truth in the statement that a few extra pounds might not hurt as we get older, but the operative word is few. Not 50, 100 or 150 extra. More like 20 or less.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
That is right, if you look at the articles that's pretty much what they say. Twenty pounds into the overweight BMI is not bad, in fact maybe better than a low BMI. Much more than that is unhealthy.
From the CNN article cited above:
The comprehensive study confirmed that obese people tend to die earlier than people of normal weight. But it also found that overweight people – those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30 – had a lower risk of dying than people of normal weight.
StarSong
Awkward is my Superpower
- Location
- Los Angeles Suburbs
It seems that this study didn't take "minor" details into consideration, such as whether people were underweight because they were already dying of cancer or other wasting disease, so I take the study with a grain of salt. Which I won't eat because, you know, blood pressure...
Mojaveoutdoors
New Member
Mojaveoutdoors
New Member
I just returned from a 10 day vacation to Disney World in Orlando. I was absolutely floored by the amount of overweight to very obese people there. I would estimate that easily more than half of the adults there were noticibly overweight and at least a third were obese. Many of them in the three to four hundred pound range. Statistics say now that over 40% of adults are overweight or obese. I would bet its closer to 60% by my observations.
When at the grocery store I can't help myself from peeking at what obese people load into their carts. Junk food, boxed food, sugary foods, and soda, almost always lots of soda.
Mojaveoutdoors
New Member
Yes I recently read that around 80% of the typical American's food is processed foods. Add to that that many people have very little knowledge about nutrition. They think just because they can go on some fad diet or extreme way of eating like Keto or Extreme low carb that everything will be ok from then on. They do not consider that it has to be something sustainable over the remainder of their lives. Tis why many people gain it all back after a short time because they revert back to eating all the processed sugary junk and the excess calories.When at the grocery store I can't help myself from peeking at what obese people load into their carts. Junk food, boxed food, sugary foods, and soda, almost always lots of soda.
How about portion control and we all eat what we want to.
I think part of the problem is what we now consider a normal portion. According to an old doctor of mine we should never eat a meal that is larger than our fist.
I remember being a teen and going to a restaurant where I ordered chicken. They brought out a half of a chicken on my plate. I sat there with my mouth hanging open. Up until that point I had considered a drumstick to be a portion of chicken. I think we have all gotten used to larger and larger portions, whatever it is.
And I know for a fact trying to "guilt" people about what or how much they eat is a terrible idea.
I think part of the problem is what we now consider a normal portion. According to an old doctor of mine we should never eat a meal that is larger than our fist.
I remember being a teen and going to a restaurant where I ordered chicken. They brought out a half of a chicken on my plate. I sat there with my mouth hanging open. Up until that point I had considered a drumstick to be a portion of chicken. I think we have all gotten used to larger and larger portions, whatever it is.
And I know for a fact trying to "guilt" people about what or how much they eat is a terrible idea.
Mojaveoutdoors
New Member
People still have to eat a balanced diet. If all I ate all day was five modest portions of chocolate cake with buttercream frosting it would be dangerous for my health. So yes what you eat is as important as is how much you eat.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
A few years back I lost a lot of weight. At first my goal was to reach a "normal" or "average" weigh. It surprised me to discover that in the US that "average" weight was overweight or obese... Not the best goal.