Except there are tried and true ways out there to combat this systemic issue for the individual. You can take control of this issue with your own two hands.
And yes, it's not easy. But almost everyone is capable of doing it.
OECD Obesity Update: Almost 39% of American Adults over age 15 now classified obese
- Thread starter Madness
- Start date
Except there are tried and true ways out there to combat this systemic issue for the individual. You can take control of this issue with your own two hands.
And yes, it's not easy. But almost everyone is capable of doing it.
entremet
Member
To be honest, HFCS is low hanging fruit, no pun attended lol.
And if you're trying to lose weight, I would avoid drinking calories.
Days like these...
Have a Blessed Day
Not sure if serious. Not making excuses but it's easier said than done. Americans work longer hrs than people in most other countries so preparing meals from scratch is not really feasible for people working​ long hours/2 jobs to make ends meet.
We can make better choices I agree like not eating out so much, trying to get some exercise in but making meals from scratch is not feasible for most because of time constraints.
Mr. Giggles
Member
Crap... just fried me up 16 pieces of buttermilk Fried Chicken in vegetable oil.
I'm dead aren't I.
entremet
Member
LOL.
I don't see it that way at all. If you tell me that black Americans are disproportionately incarcerated at higher rates than everyone else and make up a majority of the prison population despite being a minority, my suggested solution isn't to tell individual black americans to stop doing crime.
Problem with a tax on fast food is that in a lot of poor areas, fast food and convenience stores are the only options to buy food since grocery stores won't go near them. So this would just wind up hurting people who have no other options.
Unless this tax would be waived in food deserts, in which case I'd support it if it's only hitting areas where there are other food options.
NorthAndSouth
Member
Obesity is horrible in just how badly it can mess with your health. It's related to pretty much every single other bad issue on the planet. Cancer, poor mental health, poor pre and post op outcomes, metabolic disorders, chronic pain/fatigue etc etc.
Honest question for people who are/ were obese here, do you think health care workers should be more aggressive in telling patients why they should lose weight? I find that a lot of people try to tell patients in an almost "coded" language like "you should integrate more healthy choices" or "how often do you exercise". Both of which are very important, but basically dance around the issue that it is the actual weight or waist circumference that needs to be decreased.
No one wants to fatshame, but shouldn't we be more direct about it?
Pyroclastic
Banned
Man I feel like an ass for even being a little overweight. Stats like these are unfathomable to me.
Subpar Scrub
Banned
Yeah my bmi said I'm obese but I work out quite a bit. I went to get a medical for a job mid last year and I was in the mid-range for overweight when I was properly measured. Still have a ways to go haha
What the hell is this analogy. I'm just saying that if individuals were to change their eating/activity habits, they'd lose weight. It isn't up for debate.
The societal issues are very real, but that does not mean people should just give up on themselves.
Stop food advertising and regulate sugar like alcohol and you could make a huge impact on these numbers. HFCS in everything, no subsidies on vegetables. The USA has a toxic food culture and it won't be fixed without a massively different approach to how government regulates the food industry.
constantstatic
Member
BMI is flawed if you carry a decent amount of muscle. Doctor tried to pull that obese shit with me in highschool cuz I lifted like a madman for football. I feel like BMI is made for thin twig like men.
I think bmi is kind of weird for anything other than like the base statistical averages. Like, bmi says I'd be at normal weight at my height of 6'2" at like 145 which is insane to me because the skinniest I ever got was 155 and I looked /gross/, super malnourished. I typically float around 175-180 now though. @145 I think people would be taking me to the hospital not congratulating me on my health, honestly.
crimzonflame
Member
Wow what a terrible comparison.
I never said people shouldn't give up on themselves lol I'm saying we should address the systemic problems that contribute to obesity cause that'll be far more effective in addressing the problem. FAR MORE effective. It's like telling people they can make it through a burning hoop of they tried hard enough instead of putting a fire exstinguisher to the hoop instead. Yeah some folks make it through but a lot more are going to get burned. Most people don't even know what are healthy eating habits and such because education fucking has failed in that regard. There's so much misinformation.
No it's not. Comparing the obesity epidemic to other parallel systemic issues isn't a terrible comparison. If you think so that means you most likely don't see the obesity epidemic as a systemic one and you need to start, now
Subpar Scrub
Banned
I think it was just made to get General statistics way easier. People are more comfortable giving you their height and weight than having a metal measuring clasp hanging off their shirtless flab...
Since stress is a major factor for people overeating what solitions are people being offered to deal with their stress?
baxter2231
Member
Maybe alot are obese BECAUSE of horrible health care. Mess up ur ankle cant see doctor to fix, cant go to gym on busted abkle, depressed u cant walk properly, eat more, not working out means not burning enough calories = fat. Plus stress over not having health care leads to bad things too.
Sad and believable. We really need to do something as a society, but I doubt we'll ever get to it considering what a goddamned shit fit people had over the tiny shit Bloomberg and/or Michelle Obama did. If we really want to combat obesity we need to hit it in much bigger ways.
Personally I hit the obese mark about two years ago with a BMI of just over 32. I really got aggressive and got myself down to a BMI of 20 within about 6-9 months and have maintained since then. It's been a ton of work. Luckily I work from home a pretty good amount so I get on the stationary bike and average 12 miles every day, and that's with my 0 days averaged into that number, too! I don't know what the hell I'd do if I had a more normal job that was 9-5 or something.
As a society I think we're all just so stressed and busy with jobs that don't move much. My weight ballooned a ton when I finally got a 'career' job. Instead of walking around my entire shift I was sitting on a computer. Then I had longer shifts pushing me upwards of 50-60 hours every week and at that point you eat for comfort, too.
We also barely realize what's in the food we eat or what we drink. I honestly think the drinks are more the culprit than the food. Drinks don't really fill you up, but you can hit 400+ calories just from a fucking frappucino or even orange juice! Now, people should know a frappucino is disgustingly unhealthy but until I started counting calories I didn't realize how bad shit like orange juice could be.
You also can eat out and lose weight, but in a way you kinda feel like a sucker. I go to QDoba a ton. That's my go-to healthy out and about meal. But in order to eat healthy there you have to skip the tortilla and obviously don't get the queso. You end up still paying nearly 10 bucks for significantly less calories. Fast food restaurants pair everything with soda, too. Sure you can get water instead or something but that's a special order and you feel a bit weird about it plus, again, you're paying more for less.
Personally I hit the obese mark about two years ago with a BMI of just over 32. I really got aggressive and got myself down to a BMI of 20 within about 6-9 months and have maintained since then. It's been a ton of work. Luckily I work from home a pretty good amount so I get on the stationary bike and average 12 miles every day, and that's with my 0 days averaged into that number, too! I don't know what the hell I'd do if I had a more normal job that was 9-5 or something.
As a society I think we're all just so stressed and busy with jobs that don't move much. My weight ballooned a ton when I finally got a 'career' job. Instead of walking around my entire shift I was sitting on a computer. Then I had longer shifts pushing me upwards of 50-60 hours every week and at that point you eat for comfort, too.
We also barely realize what's in the food we eat or what we drink. I honestly think the drinks are more the culprit than the food. Drinks don't really fill you up, but you can hit 400+ calories just from a fucking frappucino or even orange juice! Now, people should know a frappucino is disgustingly unhealthy but until I started counting calories I didn't realize how bad shit like orange juice could be.
You also can eat out and lose weight, but in a way you kinda feel like a sucker. I go to QDoba a ton. That's my go-to healthy out and about meal. But in order to eat healthy there you have to skip the tortilla and obviously don't get the queso. You end up still paying nearly 10 bucks for significantly less calories. Fast food restaurants pair everything with soda, too. Sure you can get water instead or something but that's a special order and you feel a bit weird about it plus, again, you're paying more for less.
Well, putting calories on everything in Ontario is apparently getting people to change what they order when they go out - maybe that's one part of a very large multifaceted solution?
I think we try to find one culprit, but the reality is it's probably a whole host of things. Lack of exercise, caloric dense foods, high intake of sodas/juices, 'padding' foods with sugars, cooking foods with way too much oil, high variety of snack foods (y'all have a lot of snack foods), culture of fast food consumption, culture of 'eating out'.
I think an effort to educate, regulate and culturally mutate would need to happen to have sufficient change.
I think we try to find one culprit, but the reality is it's probably a whole host of things. Lack of exercise, caloric dense foods, high intake of sodas/juices, 'padding' foods with sugars, cooking foods with way too much oil, high variety of snack foods (y'all have a lot of snack foods), culture of fast food consumption, culture of 'eating out'.
I think an effort to educate, regulate and culturally mutate would need to happen to have sufficient change.
The problem in the US is not that we carry too much muscle for BMI to be useful. Jesus.
The obesity rate is likely much higher in suburban and rural areas since major US cities are typically more fit, driving down the national number.
The normalization of fat is a problem as well. When people lose weight, they're asked if they're sick. Or they're told they look gaunt. In reality, they're still overweight, just less so than the general population.
constantstatic
Member
I think it was just made to get General statistics way easier. People are more comfortable giving you their height and weight than having a metal measuring clasp hanging off their shirtless flab...
Right but people in her are talking like the gov needs to step in or some shit like morbidly obese should be what we are looking at here. Like everyone is not built to be skinny I got broud shoulders and a large frame and I'm only like 5'8.
Telling a kid like me I was obese is rediculouse when I was doing tons of cardio and lifting daily for football. It made me think I was fat when I wasnt it's just how I'm built. I was trying to put on 5-10 more pounds when he told me that. Tbh in have no desire to be super thin anyways under bmi scale I would still be considered obsesse at 155 pounds that's fucking stupid.
depths20XX
Member
The last time I went to my doctors office there were 5 women working the front desk and they were all morbidly obese. This is at a doctor's office. This country has a problem.
Majima Everywhere System
Member
Not a lot of fat acceptance in this thread.
I feel like you took some hits to the head in your football career.
MrOogieBoogie
BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Growing up in a big city like NY has skewed my perception of the rest of the U.S population. The percentage of obese people here has to be dramatically lower than anywhere else. I never thought much of the obesity rates until I visited the rest of the country and then it all made sense. As soon as you leave the city and encounter people whose lives revolve around the office, their cars, and their homes, you see the consequences. My girlfriend's mother is obese and seeing her struggle to walk around NYC when she visits because she's not used to, well, walking, is a sad and unfortunate sight.
TheOfficeMut
Unconfirmed Member
No, not me, personally. I used to be obese. 245 pounds at 6 feet. I'm now 181. I felt, looked and performed terribly. I would never want to get back to that weight again. I'm in the best shape of my life and I STILL have a ways to go.
entremet
Member
Same. It's kinda nuts.
But it gets even worse when you go overseas. It takes a bit to find fat people. NYC is better than other places in the US, but it's still bad.
Another big difference is watching footage from the 80s. Everyone is slim.
I mean he's not exactly wrong, BMI will tell a swole ass man or woman who is 5'11 they're obese based on their weight.
idk NYC is pretty fat to me.
Prototype Viktor
Member
Drumpf is going to get that number down to 1% due to gutting everything used to determine this
Yeah I was 6'3" and 258 pounds and that's what got me. When it pained me to tie my fucking shoes that was the last straw.
constantstatic
Member
Did I trigger you? You must be one of those twigs I referred to huh. Like i couldn't even get under the obese mark on the BMI if I wanted to. My brother is the same way and he is ripped from head to toe. I have a slight belly which im perfectly fine with. I have no desire to look like I'm starving.
Pretty much any women in their 40s and up working in an office is obese. They rarely move.
I work in a large office company and can confirm thats 95% true. And i feel im being generous with that percentage.
Is your point really that America is not obese, but very muscular?
This is the same mentality of people not wanting to lift anything for fear they'll become ripped instantly or some crap. Sure some people might look like they're starving at healthy BMI, but we're talking statistics and helping our society overall become more healthy. Those people are not the norm. If you're actually telling the truth, you're not the norm. Most people at healthy BMI aren't going to look starving.
And why are you going against that just because a few people might want to be slightly more weighty than that? A small percentage not conforming to BMI norms is a much better problem to have than 40-50% of the population being obese.
SolidSnakex
Member
I find that study hard to believe just from the perspective that if you look at that list, Asian countries in general have very low obesity rates, and they tend to be very harsh when it comes to being overweight. Japan takes the issue so seriously that they literally have a law in place to try to curb it
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html
What Japan is doing isn't about shaming people who may be overweight, it's about making sure they remain healthy as they get older. I think that's a major issue that the US is facing. Not that we don't have law in place, as I can't imagine a bill like that ever getting passed. But rather there's nothing to really encourage people to be healthy in the same way that such a law would. That article I posted is from 08, and one of the opponents of the bill even suggested back then that it would be beneficial for America
Like I said, a law like that would be near impossible here. But it's clear that something needs to be done to encourage people to be healthy in the country when we're tracking toward a 50% obesity rate.
TheOfficeMut
Unconfirmed Member
That's the straw that broke the camel's back for you, huh? Yeah, it's a shitty feeling. I remember what did it for me: I went for a jog for the first time in my life at 17. Yes, the first time ever. I had been active by dancing Romanian folk for a decade yet I still remained extremely overweight, at 245lbs, as previously stated, but I had never actually jogged for exercise before. It was when I could barely breathe after doing one lap around my apartment complex, the equivalent of .10 miles, that I realized I had to get my shit together. So I ran and walked a combination of 5 miles almost every other day for two months and lost 45 pounds.
I had gained it again several years later and went back to 220, but I brought it down from that two years ago. Now I've been in the 180s for over a year and I will NEVER let it happen again. It brings on depression and generally makes me lazy.
ArkhamFantasy
Member
I see it everytime i go to the grocery store.
constantstatic
Member
No my point is you guys are acting like half the country is huge with bellies hanging out and shit. BMI is flawed because it doesn't take In to account someone's build and muscle also wieghs more than fat does. I just have always hated that stupid BMI index it doesn't apply to everyone is all I'm saying.
I also think there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a little overweight. If your happy with how you look and healthy who cares. I think we should be talking aboit morbidly obese people here not someone who is slightly over weight.
ClosingADoor
Member
The subsidies of healthy food should take care of that, so that food gets cheaper. If there aren't any places around selling it, that is a problem indeed. Maybe they can make some incentive for those fast food places to also stock it in some way.
Yeah though atm I feel guilty af on this cut due to having a cheat weekend since I'm going out so not tracking until tomorrow again. But fuu I've lost 6 lbs and I'm seeing a noticeable reduction in body fat. It's insane how many calories people eat normally after tracking everything I eat. Like I always see people eat out every day when I only eat out like once a week on a cheat day.
entremet
Member
Same here lol, but go to the South anytime if you really want to be shocked lol.
ArkhamFantasy
Member
Where do you live? A body builder or even power lifter is rare for me to see, i see people riding karts at the grocery store everytime i go there. I agree that BMI is a useless tool for a body builder or a weight lifter but when you're talking about 300+ million americans its a pretty good indicator.
We should really go by Waist to Height ratio for body health, I think this is much better than BMI.
http://www.shapefit.com/calculators/waist-to-height-ratio-calculator.html
Or Hip to Waist, but Waist to Height is a bit easier.
Although Americans is the fattest because Corporations has perfected their foods into stuff that we can overeat with ease. "I bet you can't just eat one!"
http://www.shapefit.com/calculators/waist-to-height-ratio-calculator.html
Or Hip to Waist, but Waist to Height is a bit easier.
Although Americans is the fattest because Corporations has perfected their foods into stuff that we can overeat with ease. "I bet you can't just eat one!"
whatsinaname
Member
BMI doesn't apply to The Rock (BMI of about 34 btw) or peak Arnold (BMI 33). Lets scrap this inexpensive and easy to estimate thumb rule measure we have completely.
BMI is flawed but arguing that it's so flawed this research doesn't paint a pretty accurate picture of the health of our country is just nuts. Almost half the country is horrifically unhealthy.