My Observation Today About What Americans Weigh

Mojaveoutdoors said:
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.
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Yes, I understand, and you are right.
 

Murrmurr said:
Fast food has been around for a long time. Arguably first was White Castle in 1921, then chains such as McDonald's, est. in1940, and KFC, est. in 1952, caught fire, and boom. But we didn't start seeing an obesity problem until the 80s, and by the 90s it was epidemic. I believe this has to do, at least in part, with cheaper cooking oils and food additives. The FDA funded some studies, so you'd think they would have stepped in strongly by the late 90s. But fast food is a bazillion-dollar industry, so that hasn't happened yet. I wonder if it will, eventually.
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You will never see any intervention from the FDA. The govt wants us to be fat. Because if we are fat then we are more unhealthy. And if we we are unhealthy then we are more dependent on the insurance and "healthcare" industry. And therefore more dependent on big pharma. The powers that be make money off sick people. They do not make money off of healthy people.
 
Mojaveoutdoors said:
You will never see any intervention from the FDA. The govt wants us to be fat. Because if we are fat then we are more unhealthy. And if we we are unhealthy then we are more dependent on the insurance and "healthcare" industry. And therefore more dependent on big pharma. The powers that be make money off sick people. They do not make money off of healthy people.
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Yeah, that was my point, but I think there'll be a day of reckoning for the good ol' FDA, and I'm starting to feel like it's not all that far away. Like, maybe within a decade or 2. Cracks in the foundation are showing.

But maybe I'm being too optimistic. The US gov't moves fast when it really wants to, like when one of their scams schemes civil services starts showing cracks.
 
Mojaveoutdoors said:
You will never see any intervention from the FDA. The govt wants us to be fat. Because if we are fat then we are more unhealthy. And if we we are unhealthy then we are more dependent on the insurance and "healthcare" industry. And therefore more dependent on big pharma. The powers that be make money off sick people. They do not make money off of healthy people.
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I have to disagree with your comments. People want their freedoms of choice, that's why you see so many options while at the stores. It's not the FDA or big pharma, it's us people that drives all those options and competition in the snack isles.

Human beings are glutinous animals, we want everything we can get our dirty little hands on and have insatiable appetites. That trait has helped us evolve in many positive ways, hunger for knowledge, enlightenment, exploration, advancements, etc. that have mostly been good for our species.

Yet that same insatibility can also destroy us, we just don't know how to control ourselves and food is a perfect example. Do we need a hundred chip options? No. How about a hundred soda options? Or a hundred cereal options? Or more and more and more of whatever? Of course we don't need it, but we sure do want it, and we will eat and drink ourselves to death.
 
fmdog44 said:
Went to Walmart to get my Amoxicillin prescription filled and had to wait 40 minutes. I spent part of the time just looking at the grocery shelves. I got hung up on the sauces aisle thinking how much sugar is in all of these condiments like mayo, ketchups, BBQ sauces, salad dressings, gravies and the like. Then I went to the McDonalds inside the store for a cup of coffee and sat by the window with a view of the people coming in to Walmart.

Not that I am not overweight but severe obesity at the rate of what I saw today says no one is lying when they say we are at a critical stage of a national health crisis. The real crime is these people are young like under 30 and the choice of food at fast food restaurants all and I mean 100% unhealthy and it is everywhere we look. I don't see it ever ending and sadly it is 100% avoidable.
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Yes, it's all of the processed food and fake food that's behind it. They are not really concerned about it or else they would change how food is made. They deliberately make food addictive and add sugar to things that don't need sugar. They add sodium where it's not needed and add animal products to things that don't need it. As a vegan I have to read all food labels to avoid animal products and you wouldn't believe how much "food" has animal products in it unnecessarily. Sugar and salt too! The food here is atrocious. The food not only makes people obese, it makes them sick. And unfortunately it starts as soon as a baby is introduced to food.
 
Murrmurr said:
Fast food has been around for a long time. Arguably first was White Castle in 1921, then chains such as McDonald's, est. in1940, and KFC, est. in 1952, caught fire, and boom. But we didn't start seeing an obesity problem until the 80s, and by the 90s it was epidemic. I believe this has to do, at least in part, with cheaper cooking oils and food additives. The FDA funded some studies, so you'd think they would have stepped in strongly by the late 90s. But fast food is a bazillion-dollar industry, so that hasn't happened yet. I wonder if it will, eventually.
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Also though, when fast food first came out, not many people ate out. 90% still ate at home. It wasn't till many fast food commercials and processed food came out that people started over eating.
Aunt Bea said:
I’m afraid that it will get worse during this period of high inflation.

People will choose more inexpensive sugary cereals, blue box Mac & cheese, soda, etc...
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And that's the problem. Ramen soup is like 3 for a $1 but fruit and salads are like $5 or more. What do you think poor people will choose. Soda is under $2 but healthy drinks are $5 or more. Unhealthy meal options are cheap but healthy meal options are expensive.
Della said:
I sometimes think we wouldn't have become so obese if we hadn't tried so hard not to be. When I was a teen I thought I was a bit too fat at 5'6" 115 lbs. This was because my best friend weighed 110. (?)

So I was extremely interested in all the weight loss schemes and the articles about diet and exercise in my mother's magazines; Journal, Redbook, Vogue, Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, plus my own Seventeen, Glamour, Mademoiselle and Ingenue. They almost all only had such articles in April or May to prepare us for "swimsuit season."

Weight Watchers hadn't started yet and anyone who exercised was under suspicion as a "health nut." My female classmates did no exercise or sports unless forced to in gym class. We ate whatever we felt like including all our mothers' home baked cookies and cakes, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and tiny servings of canned peas. No we didn't have much fast food, we didn't need to, it was all at home in the form of pancakes and bacon for breakfast, hot school lunches and big hearty dinners.

Yet we were all fairly thin. I think it was because our metabolisms and hormones worked. We quit eating when we were full and our brain knew when were full because we had never dieted.

When we became obsessed with diets; low fat, low carb, South Beach, Atkins, raw food. and fasting we set our selves on a path of yo-yoing -- with every diet ending in a regain plus ten more pounds.

Now our bodies are so messed up we can't fix it. I no longer think obesity is preventable. Sure we can lose, but 98% regain so it's fairly hopeless.
https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/everything-you-know-about-obesity-is-wrong/
Read it and weep.
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Yup, just look at the people on The Biggest Loser. They say thier body and metabolism were damaged permanently from the weight loss. The healthiest way to lose weight is very slowly, like no more than 4 pounds a month. But when people do decide to commit to a weight loss regimen, they are told they are supposed to lose like 20 pounds a month or something. Everything has to be instant.
 
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There are some people who have medical conditions that 'mess up' their metabolism and make it difficult for them to maintain a healthy weight. I don't know what % of obese people fall into that category.

If an obese person isn't in that group, I wonder how they gained all that excess weight. Didn’t they clue in when they were only 20 or 30 lbs over weight that they had a problem? Instead of buying bigger clothes wouldn't it be easier to change your eating/exercise habits and fix the problem before it takes over your life? I believe in taking responsibility for my bad choices.

A very wise person once told me that to stay healthy don't eat anything that your grandparents couldn't buy or grow - stay away from processed junk.
 
perChance said:
Instead of buying bigger clothes wouldn't it be easier to change your eating/exercise habits and fix the problem before it takes over your life?
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I believe for many the answer is no. People do not like to deny themselves pleasure.
To many people eating/drinking is not about sustenance but is a source of security and recreation. In a world of instant gratification people give in to the want of the moment instead of considering long term consequences.

People are also masters of deceptive reasoning, "it's the holidays", "it's winter", "I'm on vacation", etc. Always an excuse to overindulge, suddenly clothes don't fit and since you can't drop twenty pounds in a weekend they purchase larger clothes. Then their new normal is size large, and that's easier to accept then denying themselves the pleasure of eating as they want.

It's typically a cycle of many years and to break those lifestyle habits is so very hard, it's just easier to buy larger clothes.
 
C50 said:
I have to disagree with your comments. People want their freedoms of choice, that's why you see so many options while at the stores. It's not the FDA or big pharma, it's us people that drives all those options and competition in the snack isles.
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I'm surprised at the lack of empathy on this thread with "just do it" and "just say no" types of attitudes. All of us are acquainted with the sublime draw of highly processed foods including commercially made entrees, snacks and desserts.

Every overweight/obese person I know feels great frustration, shame, hopelessness and fear at their inability to slim their bodies, and are on diets for most of their lives. Many on this forum express exactly those emotions. .

Processed and fast food manufacturers (along with alcohol, tobacco, and legal and illegal psychotropic drug providers) are opportunists preying on consumers' pocketbooks without regard to their health. Capitalism at its finest. Corporations exploit aspects of our physiology that draw us to fats, sweets and salt.

Craving sources of dense calories served humans well when scarcity was the name of the game, which was true for nearly all of our existence. Salt was mostly rare, thus we continue to desire it. Unfortunately, we can't easily turn off genes that helped ensure our survival for 200,000 years, despite their becoming problematic over the past 100 years or so.

Overcoming addictions and strong physiological desires, including food, drugs or alcohol, can be a lifelong struggle. Since we must consume nourishment regularly, food problems are especially hard. Add in meal-prep time crunches with most adults working full time outside the home, it's simply faster and easier to pull together some mac and cheese or grab take-out than to make a meal from scratch ingredients.

DH & I raised three children while running a small business that saw some lean financial periods so I know whereof I speak. We eat a lot healthier now that I don't have those time and financial constraints.

p.s. Since moving to a largely plant-based diet nearly 9 years ago, I avoid most processed foods and virtually all fast foods. My weight has been far easier to control and my BMI remains in the 21s. That said, with the exception of pregnancy and brief post-partum periods, I've never had a BMI over 25. I'm well aware that it could have been otherwise but for a lucky draw from the DNA pool.
 
StarSong said:
I'm surprised at the lack of empathy on this thread with "just do it" and "just say no" types of attitudes. All of us are acquainted with the sublime draw of highly processed foods including commercially made entrees, snacks and desserts.

Every overweight/obese person I know feels great frustration, shame, hopelessness and fear at their inability to slim their bodies, and are on diets for most of their lives. Many on this forum express exactly those emotions. .

Processed and fast food manufacturers (along with alcohol, tobacco, and legal and illegal psychotropic drug providers) are opportunists preying on consumers' pocketbooks without regard to their health. Capitalism at its finest. Corporations exploit aspects of our physiology that draw us to fats, sweets and salt.

Craving sources of dense calories served humans well when scarcity was the name of the game, which was true for nearly all of our existence. Salt was mostly rare, thus we continue to desire it. Unfortunately, we can't easily turn off genes that helped ensure our survival for 200,000 years, despite their becoming problematic over the past 100 years or so.

Overcoming addictions and strong physiological desires, including food, drugs or alcohol, can be a lifelong struggle. Since we must consume nourishment regularly, food problems are especially hard. Add in meal-prep time crunches with most adults working full time outside the home, it's simply faster and easier to pull together some mac and cheese or grab take-out than to make a meal from scratch ingredients.

DH & I raised three children while running a small business that saw some lean financial periods so I know whereof I speak. We eat a lot healthier now that I don't have those time and financial constraints.

p.s. Since moving to a largely plant-based diet nearly 9 years ago, I avoid most processed foods and virtually all fast foods. My weight has been far easier to control and my BMI remains in the 21s. That said, with the exception of pregnancy and brief post-partum periods, I've never had a BMI over 25. I'm well aware that it could have been otherwise but for a lucky draw from the DNA pool.
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You are right, of course. But recently there has been a lot of "body positivity" and acceptance of being fat, with "plus sized" models everywhere in advertisements. I don't know if that's good or bad.

I have no advice. It's easy to put weight on but nearly impossible to take it off permanently. Nothing works very well. Plant based is certainly healthier and better for the planet.
 
Paco Dennis said:
My BMI ( Body Mass Index) according to this chart....is 25. Barely overweight....not obese or healthy though. :)


https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/ed...pdf/tipsheets/Are-You-at-a-Healthy-Weight.pdf
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Well, being brutally honest, I'm beyond 35....🤯🤯

Which I know is partly the reason I have breathing issues when walking. First, I'll have to drop weight. Luckily I just got in my food cutter.

I'm not trying to go extreme. Just cut out the snacks, drinking flavored water and yes portion control.

That's why I won't hit buffets. I tried the Golden Corral. I never realized that there were so many 400+ lb people here.

Now I'm not going to dis my food generous neighbor, but I'll cut back severely the amounts I take. I doubt I'd ever see 145 lbs. But 195, would make me happy.
 
StarSong said:
I'm surprised at the lack of empathy on this thread with "just do it" and "just say no" types of attitudes. All of us are acquainted with the sublime draw of highly processed foods including commercially made entrees, snacks and desserts.

Every overweight/obese person I know feels great frustration, shame, hopelessness and fear at their inability to slim their bodies, and are on diets for most of their lives. Many on this forum express exactly those emotions. .

Processed and fast food manufacturers (along with alcohol, tobacco, and legal and illegal psychotropic drug providers) are opportunists preying on consumers' pocketbooks without regard to their health. Capitalism at its finest. Corporations exploit aspects of our physiology that draw us to fats, sweets and salt.

Craving sources of dense calories served humans well when scarcity was the name of the game, which was true for nearly all of our existence. Salt was mostly rare, thus we continue to desire it. Unfortunately, we can't easily turn off genes that helped ensure our survival for 200,000 years, despite their becoming problematic over the past 100 years or so.

Overcoming addictions and strong physiological desires, including food, drugs or alcohol, can be a lifelong struggle. Since we must consume nourishment regularly, food problems are especially hard. Add in meal-prep time crunches with most adults working full time outside the home, it's simply faster and easier to pull together some mac and cheese or grab take-out than to make a meal from scratch ingredients.

DH & I raised three children while running a small business that saw some lean financial periods so I know whereof I speak. We eat a lot healthier now that I don't have those time and financial constraints.

p.s. Since moving to a largely plant-based diet nearly 9 years ago, I avoid most processed foods and virtually all fast foods. My weight has been far easier to control and my BMI remains in the 21s. That said, with the exception of pregnancy and brief post-partum periods, I've never had a BMI over 25. I'm well aware that it could have been otherwise but for a lucky draw from the DNA pool.
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My post wasn't intended to lack empathy. I absolutly agree with your comments about snack and beverage producers being opportunist, that is a huge part of the problem. Same with all the diet gurus and diet supplements, many are opportunist. Yet they are only responding to what consumers want, we want freedom of choice and lots of choices, and we want easy solutions for our overindulgence.

Many people will never have the willpower to police their own habits, but also wouldn't be willing to allow any government oversight of their eating or drinking choices, at least not yet.

I feel sympathy for any person caught up in a destructive cycle, be it eating or drugs or whatever. It's a terrible predicament to know you are harming yourself but still remain powerless to stop.
 
perChance said:
If an obese person isn't in that group, I wonder how they gained all that excess weight. Didn’t they clue in when they were only 20 or 30 lbs over weight that they had a problem? Instead of buying bigger clothes wouldn't it be easier to change your eating/exercise habits and fix the problem before it takes over your life? I believe in taking responsibility for my bad choices.
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If fixing the problem were as easy as you think it is 98% of people who lose weight wouldn't regain it within a few years and no, it isn't always a matter of returning to "bad choices" it's a matter of their body beginning to think there's a famine going on and slowing the metabolism to a crawl.

One doctor who runs the Harvard obesity research lab said that dieting was like swimming under water it looks easy and it is easy at first, but the moment comes when your lungs take over your brain and pop you up for air. That's what happens to most dieters after a while.

It is easy to, as you suggest, to change eating and exercise habits, but it's not so easy to be hungry day after day year after year and toss and turn in bed every night from hunger. If you think it's possible to lose weight and not be hungry, you're wrong it's only sick people who can do that.

I do take responsibility for my choices. You don't need to concern yourself with them at all. I don't owe you a slim body or even good health, that's for me to decide. Sooner of later we're all going to die and if you're worried about the money I might take from Medicare, just think of the cost of Social Security for all those healthy people who live to 100.
 
Della said:
If fixing the problem were as easy as you think it is 98% of people who lose weight wouldn't regain it within a few years and no, it isn't always a matter of returning to "bad choices" it's a matter of their body beginning to think there's a famine going on and slowing the metabolism to a crawl.

One doctor who runs the Harvard obesity research lab said that dieting was like swimming under water it looks easy and it is easy at first, but the moment comes when your lungs take over your brain and pop you up for air. That's what happens to most dieters after a while.

It is easy to, as you suggest, to change eating and exercise habits, but it's not so easy to be hungry day after day year after year and toss and turn in bed every night from hunger. If you think it's possible to lose weight and not be hungry, you're wrong it's only sick people who can do that.

I do take responsibility for my choices. You don't need to concern yourself with them at all. I don't owe you a slim body or even good health, that's for me to decide. Sooner of later we're all going to die and if you're worried about the money I might take from Medicare, just think of the cost of Social Security for all those healthy people who live to 100.
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I didn't say it was going to be easy - but my point is that it is far easier to address a small problem before it becomes a large problem. You don't owe me anything - but perhaps you owe it to yourself.
 
perChance said:
I didn't say it was going to be easy - but my point is that it is far easier to address a small problem before it becomes a large problem. You don't owe me anything - but perhaps you owe it to yourself.
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Most people DO begin addressing it when it's a small problem. Dieting seems to make matters worse.
 

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