Obesity in America

Obesity is this nations Biggest health problem....even worse than Covid. Over 40% of our people are substantially overweight....among ALL age groups....and obesity is the root cause for over 30% of our nations health problems and costs.

I'm sure there are a few...Very Few....who have some underlying condition which affects their metabolism, but the vast majority are fat because of poor eating habits, and lack of exercise.

I can't understand how such people can look in a mirror, and not be disgusted with themselves.
 

Don M. said:
I can't understand how such people can look in a mirror, and not be disgusted with themselves.
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Believe me, they are. On the inside. Where the disgust and self-hatred and pain live, silently to the rest of us.They suffer, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Those of us who maintain a proper weight have no idea what it is like for them, unless they befriend them in a spirit of understanding and helping them in the ways they need to be helped. Simple things, like listening, like going to stores which carry their size and making sure they won't be ridiculed there, going with them to shop, going with them to restaurants in which they can fit in the booths, etc. Having good talks about something besides the obvious - their weight. Having fun. Discovering their talents, senses of humor, encouraging them by appreciating them. Anything besides thinking these severe problems can be solved with a dietary change.

Where I live, the first thing we noticed when we drove into town was how many severely obese people there are. That hasn't changed. The next thing I noticed, after years of my severely depressed son receiving therapy, was how many therapists there are who are not qualified to deal with the severely mentally ill. I also noticed how many drugs and drug combinations there are -- my son was prescribed 27 of them, alone and in combination, and none worked. He also had 56 or 57 electric shock therapy treatments. I ask you, how could these doctors allow someone to have that many, when they didn't work?

In PA, btw, at age 14, kids make their own decisions re their mental healthcare. I cannot tell you how shocked I was to hear that. I could not stop my son from having a huge number of ECT treatments, for example. He was an adult by then anyway. I was the one who informed the therapists when he was suicidal, and who got him admitted to psych wards. The various therapists were always surprised.

I think part of the problem with obesity is that mental healthcare in many areas of the country literally sucks, either due to lack of availability, cost, or because we don't have enough qualified therapists.
 
Overweight and obesity is the UK's biggest cause of cancer after smoking..



https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk/overweight-and-obesity

63% of UK adults (aged 18+) are overweight or obese (body mass index [BMI] 25+) (2018/19).[1-4] This equates to an estimated 35 million overweight or obese UK adults.
Overweight (BMI 25-29.9) prevalence in adults in the UK’s constituent nations is higher in males compared with females. Obesity (BMI 30+) prevalence is slightly higher in females, or similar in both sexes.
Making comparisons between the UK’s constituent nations is challenging because of differing methods for measuring overweight and obesity prevalence.

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/he...stics/risk/overweight-and-obesity#heading-One
 
Smiley Holly said:
Fast Food places and junk food is a huge part of it, but also the portions that we eat are way to large. If we go out to eat at a restaurant the portion sizes that we get for a meal are way too much for the majority of people. People do the same thing when the cook at home.
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however that doesn't explain why we have such high obesity levels in the uk.. because our restaurants don't serve large portions as the USA does...

I believe it's a lot to do with junk food yes, the availability to sit at home and eat by just ordering from your phone.. the lack of really affordable gyms, the low price of high sugar high fat low fibre foods which taste delicious , .. and also the high alcohol consumption... and last but not least, a lot of people who are overweight are suffering from Depression, or some other mental issue where they comfort eat..
 
There are many views on this subject but it is something the united states at least needs to discuss.
It has become taboo with people calling it fat shaming or arguing about the real consequences of being obese.
i have several friends who claim they are healthy even if obese. But they can not see the damage their organs are having trying to keep up with the size. When they do see it often is too late to reverse.

Obesity has played a significant role in those who have suffered the worst outcomes and/or deaths during Covid.
I read as high as 75% in deaths according to one study. (us)


Yet no one speaks of it.
No one suggests anything to stop the spread of waistlines. it is listed as other conditions but this is one condition people may be able to change if you have other underlying issues many of those you simply have zero control over.
There can be many causes as listed in other posts, depression and just plain lack of education on nutrition. reading labels can be a chore since they list serving size but that bottle of juice/ soda has 3.5 servings per bottle

I find it ironic we all have praised and appreciated more, the first responder and medical personnel.
but One of the Leading career ending items for both professions are if they have an obese patient fall or try to lift etc.

A close friend was unable to continue working after an obese patient fell and her trying to catch the patient ruined her shoulder.
 
Smiley Holly said:
Fast Food places and junk food is a huge part of it, but also the portions that we eat are way to large. If we go out to eat at a restaurant the portion sizes that we get for a meal are way too much for the majority of people. People do the same thing when the cook at home.
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Yeah, it's loaded with sugar, fat, salt, and flavors developed in labs so that people will love them, and won't be able to duplicate them at home. People get addicted, in a way, to junk -- I look at it as a way to increase sales. I don't think it is a true addiction, by the way - I used that word because I didn't have another one handy. I don't, because I know that most people can stop eating high fat, high salt, high sugar diets for a few weeks - completely ban it - and their bodies won't crave it any more if they have the self-discipline to do it and to continue to do it.

I actually developed a great desire to eat salads, high fat/sugar/salt foods were easy to avoid after awhile, etc. I wasn't fat-fat at the time, but I did wear a size 14, which is the average size of a woman in the US.

Some of it has something to with genetics, about which I know very little. What I do know is that the 23 and me DNA test showed that I was much more prone to gain weight if my diet was high in fat and sugar. That's genetic, but that's all I know about it. I didn't change my diet from traditional home-cooked to a much healthier one because of that because I started it before the DNA test. I was amazed at how well it worked -- I didn't have to count calories or go to any trouble besides cutting up a lot more vegetables.

I actually lost so much weight that I had to regain 5 lbs because I looked like a hag, my face was so thin, and I was wearing size extra small. My normal size is 6, but on my frame, I think that is too thin. Now an 8, which is the size I wore for most of my adult life.

I think genetics has something to do with a person's weight, and so do our cravings for high fat, sweet, and/or salty meals. I read a great book once about fat -- which is not all bad for the body -- by a medical doctor who specializes in research in that subject. I have been looking for it ever since, because I can't remember most of what she said. Her writing style is easy to read, and the information is fascinating, and I'd like to recommend it to people. Naturally, I somehow forgot to put it on my list of nonfiction books read.

I have seen body fat left on the table after an autopsy. It was yellow, like chicken fat, and there was a lot more of it. There was also a brain in a sink, but we won't go there. One thing I remember about the book on fat was that the author described how our organs are encased in fat if we are obese. The picture in my mind stuck with me. Maybe if people were more aware of what it looks like in an obese body, they would be more willing to do something about it.

BTW, I wasn't supposed to be in the morgue at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. I just went down there to see what a morgue looked like. My boss was appalled at how I nearly moved the sheet off a body on a stretcher in the hallway, so I could see a dead person. He was elderly (I was 20 years old), and he had a very sweet, paternal attitude towards me. His rule: never look under the sheet, you never know what horrors can lurk there. At a place like Grady, I got it.

I always wanted to go to medical school to become a surgeon, so my interest in what the inside of bodies look like is not as strange as it could be.
 
hollydolly said:
however that doesn't explain why we have such high obesity levels in the uk.. because our restaurants don't serve large portions as the USA does...

I believe it's a lot to do with junk food yes, the availability to sit at home and eat by just ordering from your phone.. the lack of really affordable gyms, the low price of high sugar high fat low fibre foods which taste delicious , .. and also the high alcohol consumption... and last but not least, a lot of people who are overweight are suffering from Depression, or some other mental issue where they comfort eat..
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I think all of that are contributors to the obesity rate in both the United States and the UK. The bottom line is people need to be more disciplined with better food choices and eating patterns. Food choices meaning staying away from the Fast Food/Fatty Foods and eating patterns meaning not snacking on potato chips, cookies, and stuff like that between meals and late at night. The alcohol consumption needs to be done in moderation as well. I don't have a problem at all have a drink or two each night, but when it becomes a high amount consumed each day that is not good. Depression definitely can lead to wanting to snack to attempt to cover up the depression.
 
Since obesity is a personal issue for me, I watched the entire video.
Like most issues, obesity is not a simple problem with a simple solution. People who never had a weight problem often think overweight people simply eat too much.
I was overweight at birth, a chubby kid, an obese teen, & by age 25, 405 lbs. I sat at the same table & ate the same food as my skinny friends; in fact they often ate more fries & cheeseburgers than I did. Obviously, genetics play a role. That doesn't mean we have no control over our weight; it means we have to make different food choices than people who are not genetically predisposed to obesity. I learned that 13 years ago & have been 170 lbs ever since. The amount of food is irrelevant. The choices of food is what matters. Overweight people do not process food the same way thin people do.
I eat more food & eat more often than when I was 405 lbs. Just not the same foods. I limit processed foods. Most of my diet is fruits & vegetables. And I snack on nuts throughout the day. (Contrary to popular belief, the high fat content of nuts does not equal weight gain).
I have 2 problems with the video:
1. Weight-loss surgery is a poor solution for obesity. It doesn't teach anyone to make the dietary changes needed to maintain weight loss & it is an unnecessary risk to health. And guess what someone has to do after weight-loss surgery: Control the amount of food they eat; not the type of food. So, they will continue to eat the same type of unhealthy food that made them overweight; just less of it. It is, however a big money maker.
2. The idea of "Body Positivity" is pure B.S. No one in their right mind is proud of their body when they are severely overweight. All the meetings, parties & socialization in the world won't change that; it's simply people putting on an act & giving up on themselves so they don't have to change their lifestyle. They are setting themselves up for health disasters & shortening their lives. And they are not considering the effect their early death will have on their loved ones.
 
People need to learn to be content with eating smaller proportions and much less meat. Not something easy to do with those many that lack much self control, especially if they spend much of their time at home and have otherwise boring lives. Consuming food is the most enjoyable activity for organic Earth creatures, totally built into our body's for enjoyment. We are the first human cultures where the majority of people have essentially unlimited access to a great variety of food. Likewise the first cultures with broad access to drugs, alcohol, and sex that also shows a broad lack of self control. The only way we humans are likely to reduce these issues is by reducing freedoms and rights because many individuals won't by their own choice unless they are punished feeling pain.

For example if certain types of fattening food both at markets and restaurants were priced with a 2 tier system depending on a buyer's public BMI that would deter some. If a persons with BMI's less than say 28 checked publicly during previous 30 days, paid usual pricing but those above paid 200%, that would cause many to look for other ways to fill up. That would gradually cause a slow shift in eating habits. Many powerful corporations like fast food chains and providers of fattening foods and those demanding freedom of choice would of course hate it.
 
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I agree with so much above that is said about this topic.
I do not think there is a one size fits all answer
I personally think that is why so many diets fail while it works for some but not for all.
Genetics and a persons specific situation may vary. I have heard of Genetic testing or Blood type Diets etc that often require $$$ to even do the test let alone if the suggestions after the fact work.

i recently dropped about 30 lbs all i did was start walking with a group in my neighborhood.
about 3.5 miles a day some chit chat and socializing perhaps helped after we all have had some isolation etc.
Being stronger about food choices and realizing i will give in to temptation but i will take an extra walk or even walking in place while watching the TV.
The root of many issues is money .... each diet wants you to buy this or join that $$$ many do not have the extra to do that
the restaurants love big portions and added calories to entice people. added sauces and added this or that just adds weight.

I always see or hear in positive reviews generous portions..... negative reviews state small portions not enough etc.
yet both places they rated delicious but only cared about volume?

I went to a major chain restaurant with my son and his wife, the menu listed calorie content by each item there was zero entrees i could order that would have not been 75% or more of my daily total intake (just for lunch).
 
I've lost 3 old friends in the past couple of years. They all had one thing in common....a belly so big they couldn't see their shoes without bending far forward, and a lifestyle of sitting in front of the TV most of the day. Their calendars were filled with doctor visits, and they had to take a handful of pills every day. In their final weeks and months, they could barely hobble to the bathroom by themselves. It's really hard to watch someone go downhill so badly, and for so long...knowing that they did this to themselves.
 
If anyone has watched a TV show called my 600 lb life all about people in the 500-700 pound range working to get weight loss surgery

Disclaimer on show says ONLY 5% are long term successful ....
some of these folks are bed ridden and cannot stand or walk ................but a person or persons are enabling them bringing them takeout foods etc.

To me this is a long drawn out suicide........ and i think enablers should be considered as assisting suicide.
it is a shame to see parents or children bringing bad foods to these folks every day should be child abuse to let a child witness a person do that to themselves
 
win231 said:
Since obesity is a personal issue for me, I watched the entire video.
Like most issues, obesity is not a simple problem with a simple solution. People who never had a weight problem often think overweight people simply eat too much.
I was overweight at birth, a chubby kid, an obese teen, & by age 25, 405 lbs. I sat at the same table & ate the same food as my skinny friends; in fact they often ate more fries & cheeseburgers than I did. Obviously, genetics play a role. That doesn't mean we have no control over our weight; it means we have to make different food choices than people who are not genetically predisposed to obesity. I learned that 13 years ago & have been 170 lbs ever since. The amount of food is irrelevant. The choices of food is what matters. Overweight people do not process food the same way thin people do.
I eat more food & eat more often than when I was 405 lbs. Just not the same foods. I limit processed foods. Most of my diet is fruits & vegetables. And I snack on nuts throughout the day. (Contrary to popular belief, the high fat content of nuts does not equal weight gain).
I have 2 problems with the video:
1. Weight-loss surgery is a poor solution for obesity. It doesn't teach anyone to make the dietary changes needed to maintain weight loss & it is an unnecessary risk to health. And guess what someone has to do after weight-loss surgery: Control the amount of food they eat; not the type of food. So, they will continue to eat the same type of unhealthy food that made them overweight; just less of it. It is, however a big money maker.
2. The idea of "Body Positivity" is pure B.S. No one in their right mind is proud of their body when they are severely overweight. All the meetings, parties & socialization in the world won't change that; it's simply people putting on an act & giving up on themselves so they don't have to change their lifestyle. They are setting themselves up for health disasters & shortening their lives. And they are not considering the effect their early death will have on their loved ones.
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Win, I would never have guessed you had issues with weight, based on your picture. I'm happy to hear you have found a path to weight loss and better health.

I was also a chubby kid. I used to wear Husky jeans. The kids in junior high called me "big butt". When puberty hit, I shot up in height and went on a very strict diet. I was 135 lbs. when I graduated from high school. (Too thin, but I had a point to prove.) You're right. It is about diet. These days I eat lots of fish, chicken, grains and vegetables. We have salads for lunch 5 days a week. I also snack on nuts throughout the day. I knew we had something in common. ;)

You are right re: body positivity. Today's trend is to show overweight models in bikinis, and I just think "they are killing themselves". Some singers as well. :LOL:

 
hollydolly said:
however that doesn't explain why we have such high obesity levels in the uk.. because our restaurants don't serve large portions as the USA does...

I believe it's a lot to do with junk food yes, the availability to sit at home and eat by just ordering from your phone.. the lack of really affordable gyms, the low price of high sugar high fat low fibre foods which taste delicious , .. and also the high alcohol consumption... and last but not least, a lot of people who are overweight are suffering from Depression, or some other mental issue where they comfort eat.
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From the UK. Very sad...

 
WheatenLover said:
In PA, btw, at age 14, kids make their own decisions re their mental healthcare.
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{sorry to go off topic for a minute}
I'm so shocked to hear this. We wouldn't let a 14 year old decide whether he needs to go to the doctor for that broken leg or not, yet we expect children to decide when they need mental heath care, even when it's the brain itself that is sick.

My son's father went to court and got guardianship for our son when he was in his twenties and he didn't let go of that until many years later after he was well stabilized on his medications.

In Ohio, if your child is mentally ill and having a bad episode, the only way to get him to the hospital is to call the police. Calling the cops on my own son was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but it changed his life for the better from that moment on.
 
Della said:
{sorry to go off topic for a minute}
I'm so shocked to hear this. We wouldn't let a 14 year old decide whether he needs to go to the doctor for that broken leg or not, yet we expect children to decide when they need mental heath care, even when it's the brain itself that is sick.

My son's father went to court and got guardianship for our son when he was in his twenties and he didn't let go of that until many years later after he was well stabilized on his medications.

In Ohio, if your child is mentally ill and having a bad episode, the only way to get him to the hospital is to call the police. Calling the cops on my own son was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but it changed his life for the better from that moment on.
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So was I. We just took my son to the hospital, twice. He was willing to go since he was suicidal. I would have called the police, if it had come to that.
 
hollydolly said:
...low price of high sugar high fat low fibre foods...
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Research shows that these foods create an unbalanced gut microbiome which promotes weight gain and inflammation that lead to chronic disease. Creating a healthy gut microbiome can actually promote weight loss without substantial reduction in calories. Throw in the fact that stress and lack of exercise further negatively impact gut health and whole body inflammation, and it's easy to see how we've gotten into such a mess.
 
I know my weight gain is because I can't exercise. Seen my kidney Dr a month ago I was 210, This past Monday when I was there I'm up to 220. He told me to contact that N.P. that helped me with my Keto diet & I went from 195 down to 165 about 3 years ago.
She did give me good advice, she said since I can't exercise I should get Ensure & drink just a small amount at first till my belly gets used to the ingredients. I went & got some. I think I overdid it as now I have diarrhea. :ROFLMAO:

She also told me to eat eggs, Keto bread toast, real butter & keto jelly with regular coffee with Splenda & heavy cream for breakfast. So I'm going to try my best to not gain anymore but also I want to lose weight as heavyweight will be hard on my knee surgery.

She said to get one of those exercise machines that sit on a table & you can use your hands to exercise the upper part of your body. I told her I have one that my wife used when she broke her kneecap.

When I did the Keto she had me only lose 1 to 3 lbs a week. She said the people that go hog wild & lose a bunch real fast will gain it all back & even more.

My DIL has a medical condition that she can diet & gain weight. She has been to several Drs & they all tell her that I don't know the name but something in her body will not ever let her lose weight. She is a little over 300 lbs. She has been heavy ever since she was a baby.
 
Tom 86 said:
I know my weight gain is because I can't exercise. Seen my kidney Dr a month ago I was 210, This past Monday when I was there I'm up to 220. He told me to contact that N.P. that helped me with my Keto diet & I went from 195 down to 165 about 3 years ago.
She did give me good advice, she said since I can't exercise I should get Ensure & drink just a small amount at first till my belly gets used to the ingredients. I went & got some. I think I overdid it as now I have diarrhea. :ROFLMAO:

She also told me to eat eggs, Keto bread toast, real butter & keto jelly with regular coffee with Splenda & heavy cream for breakfast. So I'm going to try my best to not gain anymore but also I want to lose weight as heavyweight will be hard on my knee surgery.

She said to get one of those exercise machines that sit on a table & you can use your hands to exercise the upper part of your body. I told her I have one that my wife used when she broke her kneecap.

When I did the Keto she had me only lose 1 to 3 lbs a week. She said the people that go hog wild & lose a bunch real fast will gain it all back & even more.

My DIL has a medical condition that she can diet & gain weight. She has been to several Drs & they all tell her that I don't know the name but something in her body will not ever let her lose weight. She is a little over 300 lbs. She has been heavy ever since she was a baby.
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You might re-consider a Keto diet - especially if you have kidney issues:
https://www.renalandurologynews.com...ally-harmful-especially-in-patients-with-ckd/
 
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