Are we to FAT in the USA?

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I know myself I’m at least 20 lbs. overweight with a slight beer belly, but the other day I say many couples that were way too fat. Too much skin and bulges where there shouldn’t be any. The Scriptures tell us that our body is a holy temple so therefore it needs to be cared for. We need perhaps to get on bikes and leave the old car behind.:confused::rolleyes:
 
Lifestyle is a choice. While people are too fat, we have a lifestyle and culture that supports it.

A lot of people live in areas where that’s just not safe or possible to bike/walk everywhere.

In a lot of cases, food is made and enhanced differently than it was back in the day.

Also, a lot of priests/pastors would feel the wrath of angry parishioners if they were called out for being fatties and living gluttonous lifestyles.

I’ve only had one doctor suggest that I lose some weight -which I’m actively trying to do.

I’m glad this particular doctor was paying attention and mentioned my weight because it is an issue.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are some people who have the opposite problem that I do. It’s hard for them to gain weight.

We are way too obsessed with weight and what our body looks like in the US.
 
No doubt there a people who need to exercise more and perhaps exercise restraint in their food intake. Not every overweight person is so because of lifestyle, though. Some are on medications or have great difficulty losing beyond a certain point. I’ve talked to my own doctor about this. I lost 1/4 of my body weight, but can’t seem to lose that last 28 lbs to get down to the weight I’d like to be at my height. He was sympathetic telling me that I’d achieved a great deal but my body may have a set weight point beyond which it simply doesn’t can’t go–not without severely cutting back on food, which I simply can’t do as a type 2 diabetic. So, while there are folks who need to push back from the table and do a few push-ups to lose weight it doesn’t apply to everyone we see. 🙂
 
Please change the subject to reflect proper grammar. “To Fat” should be “Too fat.” That grammar is killing me lol. But to answer the question, yes absolutely we are way too fat/obese in the USA, home of the super size happy meal.
 
SquallLeonheart said:
Please change the subject to reflect proper grammar. “To Fat” should be “Too fat.” That grammar is killing me lol. But to answer the question, yes absolutely we are way too fat/obese in the USA, home of the super size happy meal.
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Actually, the “happy meal” is a downsized version of their super-sized meal options. I’ve sometimes ordered it in place of a regular burger and fries. It’s generally cheaper to buy it as a combo. 😉
 
Brit here. I’m afraid in my country, the USA is held up as the bad example of what happens when there is a lot of cheap fast food available, combined with a sedentary lifestyle (particularly, too much use of cars when a person could walk). In the UK, I’m sure many Americans know what we pay for petrol/gasoline (about $3 a litre now), but you’d be very surprised to see how much it costs to buy a Big Mac and fries, too! I’ve travelled quite extensively in the USA and the cheap cost of eating out and the proliferation of fast food in huge portions always amazes me.

One incident has always stayed in my mind. I was on a trip in Atlanta, and the bus driver was an enormous man. We were stopping for a short visit somewhere in the morning. I got chatting to him, he said “I’m going for some food”. Half an hour later, we got back on the bus. “What did you have to eat?” I asked him. “Three Big Macs and fries”, he replied. And an hour later, he went for lunch!

We all know what it does to your health and the burden it puts on the healthcare system, never mind your self-esteem. I’m a retired nurse who allowed herself to get very overweight, but when I hit my late forties, I thought “No more”. I changed things around, stopped eating chocolate, chips and other stuff I liked and got walking. At first, the walking was hard, it was uncomfortable and I felt awkward. But after a while, I found I could walk much faster and for longer distances. I’m now literally half the weight I was 10 years ago. I’ve had no help with this, I just used willpower.

I’m saying this not because I want any congratulations, because it was entirely my own fault that I got fat in the first place - I wasn’t fat as a child and neither were my parents. I just think we have to take responsibility for this. Yes, there are people who have medical conditions that make it very difficult or impossible to get much weight off, but they are actually few and far between. Most obesity is self-inflicted, and the cure is also up to the individual. As an adult, no-one forces you to put high-calorie food in your mouth!
 
I’m writing from Mexico, and I was surprised that we hit #1 on obesity, particularly childhood.

I’m overweight, myself, and I know I haven’t had enough thyroid hormone. They don’t have it in increments like in the US, just 100 micrograms, nothing else.

Outside from that, I overeat, and I am convinced part of it is emotional. A lot of people don’t realize that emotions play a part in this, how we are raised to eat, and more.

I was looking for a support group, Overeater’s Anonymous, here in my city, couldn’t find one! The one that was here seems to have closed down, I think due to lack of interest.
 
Isca said:
Brit here. I’m afraid in my country, the USA is held up as the bad example of what happens when there is a lot of cheap fast food available, combined with a sedentary lifestyle (particularly, too much use of cars when a person could walk). In the UK, I’m sure many Americans know what we pay for petrol/gasoline (about $3 a litre now), but you’d be very surprised to see how much it costs to buy a Big Mac and fries, too! I’ve travelled quite extensively in the USA and the cheap cost of eating out and the proliferation of fast food in huge portions always amazes me.

One incident has always stayed in my mind. I was on a trip in Atlanta, and the bus driver was an enormous man. We were stopping for a short visit somewhere in the morning. I got chatting to him, he said “I’m going for some food”. Half an hour later, we got back on the bus. “What did you have to eat?” I asked him. “Three Big Macs and fries”, he replied. And an hour later, he went for lunch!

We all know what it does to your health and the burden it puts on the healthcare system, never mind your self-esteem. I’m a retired nurse who allowed herself to get very overweight, but when I hit my late forties, I thought “No more”. I changed things around, stopped eating chocolate, chips and other stuff I liked and got walking. At first, the walking was hard, it was uncomfortable and I felt awkward. But after a while, I found I could walk much faster and for longer distances. I’m now literally half the weight I was 10 years ago. I’ve had no help with this, I just used willpower.

I’m saying this not because I want any congratulations, because it was entirely my own fault that I got fat in the first place - I wasn’t fat as a child and neither were my parents. I just think we have to take responsibility for this. Yes, there are people who have medical conditions that make it very difficult or impossible to get much weight off, but they are actually few and far between. Most obesity is self-inflicted, and the cure is also up to the individual. As an adult, no-one forces you to put high-calorie food in your mouth!
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Yes

The high quality foods costs much more like fish, lean meats, vegetables, fruits. People need to eat less but eat better foods and then they will be able to eat.

American eat alot of low grade food and I am not talking about McDonalds as you can eat their salads and apple slices. If you’re paying $15+ for a meal at a restaurant, people overeat. It’s choice.
 
I don’t know what to make of all of this and I don’t really know if it is bound by geographic boundaries. I know many fat Europeans, Mexicans, South Americans, Asian’s, etc. Also, on the coasts, especially the west coast of the US there are not very many “fat” people in comparison to the middle of the country. Here in the midwest people are incredibly overweight. Almost to the person! I have lived in different areas and the more health concerned an area is, the fewer overweight people there are. Moving from the west to the midwest I have gained about 20 pounds in a year. The nearest “heathfood” store is 1 hour away and every “big box” store has the same junk. Not only that but there are not really any single owner restaurants where I live. Just miles and miles of Mcdonalds, Arbies, BK, etc. Even the sit down restaurants are junky and franchised.
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
I don’t know what to make of all of this and I don’t really know if it is bound by geographic boundaries. I know many fat Europeans, Mexicans, South Americans, Asian’s, etc. Also, on the coasts, especially the west coast of the US there are not very many “fat” people in comparison to the middle of the country. Here in the midwest people are incredibly overweight. Almost to the person! I have lived in different areas and the more health concerned an area is, the fewer overweight people there are. Moving from the west to the midwest I have gained about 20 pounds in a year. The nearest “heathfood” store is 1 hour away and every “big box” store has the same junk. Not only that but there are not really any single owner restaurants where I live. Just miles and miles of Mcdonalds, Arbies, BK, etc. Even the sit down restaurants are junky and franchised.
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Growth hormones and antibiotics are in most of our meats. Few can afford organic. If they are thinner on the coast, then inland, it can’t be the food only.
 
gam197 said:
Yes
The high quality foods costs much more like fish, lean meats, vegetables, fruits. People need to eat less but eat better foods and then they will be able to eat.
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Fruit and vegetables are very cheap compared to things like soda, chips, and snacks.
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
The nearest “heathfood” store is 1 hour away and every “big box” store has the same junk.
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I live in a small town & you don’t have to shop at “healthfood” stores to get good, healthful food. I’ve lost over 30 pounds in the past year, buying all my food at the local supermarket and WalMart.

The way to do that is shop the perimeter of the store: the fresh vegetables (I don’t eat fruit but I occasionally buy if for my husband), fresh meat (not processed, except for canned fish - can’t afford the fresh or frozen), eggs, cheese, oatmeal and occasionally nuts from the bulk foods department.

The only times I venture into the center of the store is to buy cleaning supplies, coffee and diet cola, mayo, pickles - things like that. I don’t go near the bread, chips, breakfast cereal, candy, snack foods, and other convenience foods.

Eating this way I not only lost weight, but I feel so much better and was able to dump my diabetes medication. My T2 diabetes is now controlled by diet alone.
 
Yes. But if anyone makes fun of us over it, show them Olympic medal counts and ask how such a fat nation does oh so well. 😃
 
I’ve worked quite hard to get my weight back down to what it was when I started at my current company. I’ve managed to do it (and have kept the weight off for about a year now). I wasn’t hugely overweight and it was such a gradual gain that it was tough for me to notice it until I got on the nurse’s scale when they came in to do biometric testing at work. That was a huge slap in the face.

The difficulties are mostly finding time for exercise and proportions. I have gotten back in the habit of using my scale for portions. While 75% of my proportioning was fairly accurate, it was scary how far off the other 25% was. I’ve also mandated a personal ban on getting anything from the vending machines and if I have to have a snack it must be a piece of fruit or veggies. For exercising, I walk 1.5 miles at lunch, take my dog for a 1 mile walk after work, get on the elliptical for a half hour 5 days a week and then do the rowing exercises for my arms after the elliptical. There are days were it is tough getting the exercise time in due to leaving work late or obligations, but I make sure to get a minimum of 15 minutes in on those days. I am hitting a plateau again which is frustrating, but I am at a weight that is good so being in maintain mode is ok at this time.

I am also an avid label reader. For me, protein, fiber and sodium content are the main things I look at with calories and fat content as secondary things. I recently started monitoring sodium content as my blood pressure has been higher than I like even after the weight loss. I am desperate to not have to start taking BP medicine.
 
The reason people in the US are more obese than other countries is simple:

Compared to other countries, food in the US is cheap and plentiful. This leads to overconsumption. It doesn’t matter if the food is “healthy” or “unhealthy”. You can get just as fat consuming too much “healthy” food as you can “unhealthy” food.

There was a big thread on CAF about this very same thing but it was concerning a report by the UN that countries should impose a food tax on “unhealthy” food.

The only way to reduce overconsumption of food is to make food, in general, more expensive. However, this would hurt the poor more than anybody.
 
On average…yes. All you can eat buffets should be outlawed and corn syrup should be restricted to bottles only.
I battle my weight constantly, i try to read labels on anything i buy and you would be surprised at what manufactures put high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and sugar in. i expect it in sweets but i find it in everything that is packaged (any type of sauce, soups, cornbread, frozen dinners/meals) CRAZY
 
Honestly, there’s another problem. I’m about 20 lbs heavier than I should be, and I gained quite a lot after my wedding nearly 7 years ago. But… during that time, my brother and sister gained even more than I had, and my sister commented when I saw her that I appeared to still be thin, in her opinion. We’re so used to people being heavy here that slightly overweight people appear skinny.
 
dee_burk said:
On average…yes. All you can eat buffets should be outlawed and corn syrup should be restricted to bottles only.
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First off, why? Are you implying that the government should be able to tell people what they can and cannot eat? As long as people demand buffets, businesses will provide buffets.

Second, there is nothing wrong with HFCS. Hasn’t that been debunked many times already?
 
I am obese and part of the reason is my sedentary lifestyle. But then again, a big reason why I have a sedentary lifestyle is because I have health conditions which make physical exertion difficult.
 
freeRadical said:
First off, why? Are you implying that the government should be able to tell people what they can and cannot eat? As long as people demand buffets, businesses will provide buffets.

Second, there is nothing wrong with HFCS. Hasn’t that been debunked many times already?
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It’s not HFCS that’s the problem - it’s the fact that it’s sweeter than plain sugar. Nutrasweet (aspartame) and Splenda (galactose) are also much sweeter than sugar. Because of this, people’s taste buds are programmed to want things sweeter - which makes it so that things made with real sugar are made with huge amounts of real sugar so that they are sweet enough for the palate of their customers.
 
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