Why has obesity become the norm?

[Cavallier]

[FONT=&quot]A state by state look at the United States obesity tend over the last 23 years.

This article discuses this trend:

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and in other developed countries. More than half of Americans are overweight-including at least 1 in 5 children. Nearly one third are obese. Obesity is on the rise in our society because food is abundant and physical activity is optional.

Each year, Americans spend billions of dollars on dieting, diet foods, diet books, diet pills, and the like. Another $45 billion is spent on treating the diseases associated with obesity. Furthermore, businesses suffer an estimated $20 billion loss in productivity each year from absence due to illness caused by obesity.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]How can U.S. citizens spend so much money on this issue and yet have a complete inability to lose the weight and gain the muscle needed to correct obesity? If these numbers are correct it can't be a lack of suitable information on how to live a healthy lifestyle behind why so many are so fat.

The article goes on to explain possible factors for obesity:

Obesity, however, has many causes. The reasons for the imbalance between calorie intake and consumption vary by individual. Your age, sex, and genes, psychological makeup, and environmental factors all may contribute.

[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Genes: Obesity tends to run in families. This is caused both by genes and by shared diet and lifestyle habits. Having obese relatives does not guarantee that you will be obese.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Emotions: Some people overeat because of depression, hopelessness, anger, boredom, and many other reasons that have nothing to do with hunger. This doesn't mean that overweight and obese people have more emotional problems than other people. It just means that their feelings influence their eating habits, causing them to overeat. In some unusual cases, obesity may be used as a defense mechanism because of the perceived social pressures related to being more physically desirable, particularly in young girls. In these cases, as with the other emotional causes, psychological intervention may be helpful.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Environmental factors: The most important environmental factor is lifestyle. Your eating habits and activity level are partly learned from the people around you. Overeating and sedentary habits (inactivity) are the most important risk factors for obesity.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Sex: Men have more muscle than women, on average. Because muscle burns more calories than other types of tissue, men use more calories than women, even at rest. Thus, women are more likely than men to gain weight with the same calorie intake.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Age: People tend to lose muscle and gain fat as they age. Their metabolism also slows somewhat. Both of these lower their calorie requirements.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Pregnancy: Women tend to weigh an average of 4-6 pounds more after a pregnancy than they did before the pregnancy. This can compound with each pregnancy. This weight gain may contribute to obesity in women.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In all honesty this seems like a load of crap to me. Yes, it's true that men's bodies tend to burn more calories than women's. It's true that people often attempt to improve their emotional well being through eating. This is like flooding your bathroom because the kitchen is on fire. These are just excuses for why we've become so sickeningly overweight and unhealthy. What is the real reason behind why women stuff their faces with hamburgers during pregnancy instead of eating the healthy things the growing fetuses actually need? Why do today's youth get away with blaming depression for over-eating when my father's generation was dealing with the stresses of major social upheaval and Vietnam/Korean wars but wasn't staunching its tears with food?

We certainly can't blame the fast food restaurants for fattening us up since it us who demands the fast food in the first place. Though I did find this article interesting because it discusses how the fast food industry has affected the food production industry in the United States. Yet, it wouldn't have changed so much if it were not for our need for convenience.

In response to the rising obesity rates in the United States things like The Campaign to Ban Partially Hydrogenated Oils have popped up in recent years. While seeming like a good idea it really just sidesteps the issue. We can not hope to change our obesity if we don't first change our lifestyle.

Why is it so hard for so many people to eat healthier and live physically active lives? I suppose it can be partially blamed on the fact that the U.S. as a nation seems to be focused entirely on the 40 hour or more work week. We don't have the time to be as physically active as we need to be. I don’t agree with this either. You can either get up an hour earlier or workout after you get off work. It doesn’t take more than an hour a day of serious physical exertion to effectively combat obesity. Couple that with eating a few more vegetables and a few less french fries and you’ve got a recipe for getting healthier. Yet, more than half of the U.S. is obese and 1 in 5 kids is overweight.

Is it simply that these people are weak? What is the difference between today and 30 years ago when obesity was rare and average population wasn't overweight?
[/FONT]

 

[Dormouse]

Lifestyle changes associated with the onslaught of technology, for one...

There are now a myriad of ways to amuse yourself indoors that didn't exist a decade or two ago. I mean, really, to contact a friend I don't even have to walk to the telephone. Everything I could potentially need, communications and entertainment wise, is within arm's reach.

Staying inside used to mean staring at a blank wall or doing chores. Now it's video games and surfing of the web.

So yeah. Basically the fun stuff is no more than a few meters away, and our puny/stupid brains are happy to reward us for not doing anything, because food = success, no matter how you've gone about getting it.

That's my first impression, anyways, I'll write up a more thoughtful response sooner or later.

Edit: lulz Sony and I have twin brains.

 

[s0nystyle]

technology for convenience imo. 50 years ago most children either walked or biked to school, whereas now (at least in my community) everyone is driven or drives to HS + college.

Communication between youths no longer requires phone calls (which were relatively more expensive + the emergence of texting, VoIP calling) or face to face interactions, thus requiring adolescents to no longer have to travel any distance to "play" with their friends. On the same note, "playing with friends" has evolved from running in the park + playing baselball/volleyball/etc to playing Call of Duty or WoW or "insert game electronic game here".

Obesity is a problem because there are so many factors that contribute to it, and it is difficult to find a work around for these problems (technology is ingrained into Western Society). Meh i'm just ranting and probably make no sense. just my 2 cents

 

[Cavallier]

I want to agree with you both but I can't bring myself to. I've never been overweight and yet I still played video games, watched anime/tv, and did all the stuff average teens did. I have seen you both and neither of you are overweight. I assume you both live the sedentary lifestyle you've both described...

No, I think it is more than that. I think it is about portion control and will power. After a friend of mine got out of college she realized she had lost some of her firmness due to reading and studying for hours and hours a day for months. So she started up a workout regimen that helped her get back some of her muscle. Her friends commented on her dedication. They said they could never muster the will power to eat less and work out more. The people spend so much money on weight loss products. If so many people in our society are disappointed in the way they look why can't they simply muster the will power to work out a little more often?

I do agree that childhood obesity is entirely the parent's fault however. No matter how much children cry and beg the ultimate choice of what goes in their bodies is entirely up to their guardians. If the child is fat it is because the parent has allowed them to become so baring some sort of illness or other health problem. It is hard not to think of an obese child as an abused child. Why has the parent set up the child for so much trouble in the future?

Perhaps this is one of the reasons behind teen obesity as well. If a child has never been healthy it makes it much more difficult to escape the unhealthy habits his/her parents have encumbered them with. I suspect even more will power is required because their bodies and their minds are not use to the habits of being healthy.

 

[aracaris]

Some of it is a matter of self-control, people can certainly know what is good for them, and what is bad for them, and just continue to do what is bad for them, and it's not even people that don't care that it's bad for them that will keep up the same bad lifestyle.

I also think that s0nystyle's statement rings very true, and when it comes to obesity, and many health issues, there's really a lot of factors that go into it.

I can definitely tell you though, for some people it has at least as much to do with genetics (and probably hormones too) as lifestyle. For example, I eat more than a lot of people I know, and have a lifestyle that is on the sedentary side (partly because of other health problems that make it hard for me to be as physically active as others, but I need to find ways to get excercise that work for me, because even if you aren't overweight being too sedentary isn't healthy), and I also tend to be an emotional eater too. However I also can get away with being like that and not gain weight. On the other hand I know people whom eat less than I do, and are more active, but they still end up obese. I feel bad for them, because they have to put so much effort into losing weight and not really get very far with it.

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

I didn't go beyond the Abstract but it seems like it might offer some clues

Rates of obesity in Chile increased drastically in the last 15 years. During this period, food supply profiles changed significantly and Chile entered into several free trade agreements. We aimed to describe how policy changes and the built environment relate to dietary and physical activity habits in a low-income urban population of Santiago, Chile. Questionnaires were administered to the mothers of 10-year olds to identify perceived environmental trends between generations that influence physical activity and eating habits. Data from questionnaires were analyzed with data from a longitudinal study, and compared to national food supply statistics from Food and Agricultural Organization and statistics on crime and supermarket utilization from Chile's National Institute of Statistics. Within the sample population (n=92), 23% of children were obese and 22% were overweight while 42% of the mothers were obese and 38% overweight. Results from questionnaires indicated greater access to and consumption of energy dense foods and beverages, more opportunities for sedentary activity, increasing crime, and more space for recreation. Childhood obesity was marginally associated with owning a videogame and not walking to school. More frequent supermarket shopping and mother having grown up in the city (versus in a rural area) predicted higher BMI percentile for children. Between 1991 and 2001, the daily per capita supply of calories from fat, animals, and corn increased by 27%, 29%, and 380%, respectively. Changes in food supply, at least partly related to trade policy, likely influence high rates of obesity among low-income urban Chileans.

 

[snafupants]

Seriously, I have been thinking for some time that our brains are now ill-suited for our cushy environment. In the days of hunting and gathering, a meal was a windfall. Nature responds accordingly by blasting off dopamine in the brain: as if to say, this is good and should be repeated. Same with sex and completing difficult tasks. Good, evolutionarily beneficial actions = healthy neurosoup (for a bit).

So when someone tells me that life is meaningless, I say this. Yes, meaningless in the sense that physically the neurological repercussions for quotidian actions (sex, food, etc.) are somewhat cut and dry - okay, I dont actually say that. However, I think a lot of spiritual evolution is determined by the individual. What do I know?

 

[s0nystyle]

im blessed with imba genetics :X (no one is over 140 in my family) and i did wrestling and recreational volleyball in HS

 

[Dormouse]

@ Cavallier

It certainly isn't the only factor, but I think in statistical terms it does represent one of the greater (Or at least more noticeable) correlations.

I do partake in a rather sedentary lifestyle, but I walk five minutes hike five miles to school everyday and partake in many outdoor activities over the summer. Soccer, biking, etc. (Winter is another story... I hibernate.)

Also, I don't have a gaming system. But a laptop is just as deadly, I think.

Anyways, there is some genetic predisposition that comes into question. It isn<t an excuse, obviously, but it does play it's part. I eat a TON, but I have a pretty fast metabolism. (And I have a major sweet tooth. I'm one of those tiny dinner portion -> Three bowls of icecream people)

Yeah, and friends I know who eat like birds have more difficulty with weight than I do.

The emotional thing is also a big issue... It actually dates back to primitive times, our brains have evolved to encourage us to gorge, or some such thing. Cause you never knew when a dinosaur would up and steal your lunch money. So, when we eat certain feel good chemicals are released, which is why we like to eat and why it's therapeutic for some.

Also, office jobs abound. I have some overweight relatives who are otherwise extremely healthy, but who gained weight from being forced to sit 40 hours a week. That's a notable part of it, nobody is out farming anymore.

Even in schools... Recess is indoors half of the time, or if outside you end up cramming 400 kids onto about a square meter of pavement. Or, even worse, all the physical activities are monitored by crazy harpies who yell if the ball passes within a yard of anybody's head. Or maybe that's just my experience?
Also, my schoolboard has been gradually diminishing the number of hours of gym class required. So yeah.

I think I touched on what Snafu said up there... Basically our minds are way too accepting of endless leisure. Without environmental pressures keeping us lean we turn to mush.

 

[Cavallier]

I can definitely tell you though, for some people it has at least as much to do with genetics (and probably hormones too) as lifestyle. For example, I eat more than a lot of people I know, and have a lifestyle that is on the sedentary side (partly because of other health problems that make it hard for me to be as physically active as others, but I need to find ways to get excercise that work for me, because even if you aren't overweight being too sedentary isn't healthy), and I also tend to be an emotional eater too. However I also can get away with being like that and not gain weight. On the other hand I know people whom eat less than I do, and are more active, but they still end up obese. I feel bad for them, because they have to put so much effort into losing weight and not really get very far with it.

I can agree that there are several factors that go into the obesity epidemic. I think that IB's link proves that well enough. (Thanks for the info IB. That was interesting.) I also agree that some people have a much harder time losing weight than others due to genetics. I still can't quite wrap my head around why people today might have more trouble getting and keeping weight off due to genetics when only 30-40 years ago there were not nearly as many overweight individuals. I suppose IB's information shows that with the addition of more food with higher calorie counts, ease in getting the food, and genetics might lead to an overall trend towards being overweight. I still stumble over the idea that this might cause over half of the United States (and lets face it much of the developed world is dealing with this) to become overweight.

Seriously, I have been thinking for some time that our brains are now ill-suited for our cushy environment.

I think you are right. That's why I think having more will power is the key to losing weight and getting healthier. Working out is the replication of living a harder lifestyle that requires more physical labor than you would otherwise get in the average western daily routine.

im blessed with imba genetics :X (no one is over 140 in my family) and i did wrestling and recreational volleyball in HS

imba genetics?

Apart from a few relatives in Alabama it is much the same in my family. We have relatively high metabolisms. However as children I and my cousins were encouraged to be active. Was your family the same? Or was just genetics?

Edit: Dormouse ninja'd me.

Even in schools... Recess is indoors half of the time, or if outside you end up cramming 400 kids onto about a square meter of pavement. Or, even worse, all the physical activities are monitored by crazy harpies who yell if the ball passes within a yard of anybody's head.

Agreed. There should be more physical education in school starting at a young age. I also agree that coddling our children to the point of having a fit every time anybody even suggest dodge ball is ridiculous.

Cause you never knew when a dinosaur would up and steal your lunch money.

You're so adorable. Can I keep you in my shirt pocket like I used to do with my other mice when I was little? <---Not actually meant to be creepy.

 

[Agent Intellect]

Increased long-chained fatty acid content in our food makes them, quite literally, addicting (1) to some people. "Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of lingual lipase, the enzyme responsible for efficient LCFA [Long Chain Fatty Acid] release from dietary triglycerides, profoundly decreases preference for lipids." (Source). Just as some people are more susceptible to addiction to alcohol or cocaine, others are more susceptible to food addiction.

To put it simply, companies stuff foods with fat, salt, and sugar now more than ever, and it drives the addiction to new levels. Back in the days of [FONT=&quot]"...stresses of major social upheaval and Vietnam/Korean wars"[/FONT] they had home cooked meals and reasonable portions of fats and sugars in their foods.

Essentially, our food comes laced with addictive substances now days.

Also, check out:

Spoiler

Besnard uncovered the fat sensor in the tongues of genetically engineered mice that lacked the ability to make a protein called CD36. Mice normally have a yen for fatty foods, but the altered animals showed no preference for the stuff. Furthermore, regular mice release fat-digesting secretions in their bowel and ramp up intestinal fat absorption as soon as they taste fat; the modified mice displayed no such response. Apparently, CD36 is the key protein that allows certain mouse taste buds to respond to fat. Humans, whose sense of taste works almost exactly like that of mice, almost certainly have the same taste bud.

From an evolutionary perspective, having a fat bud is a big advantage. It causes animals to crave and consume high-calorie fatty foods and then prompts their bodies to quickly and efficiently digest the fats, storing away an energy reserve for times of starvation. If scientists can find a way to develop nonfattening foods that latch onto the fat receptors, they may be able at long last to develop fat-free snacks that can actually trick the tongue.

Source.

 

[420MuNkEy]

In a relatively short period of time (evolutionarily) we went from having to do everything manually (ie, hunt, farm, etc) with low yield, to having everything automated and optimized for efficiency resulting in a massive yield. This means little work is massively more fruitful than the hard labor of the past. Our bodies are hardwired to eat everything in sight, because that's what was required by natural selection, but now isn't; obesity is just a result of the lag time between evolution and technology.

Personally, I don't think we should be trying to "fix" it. Fat people are generally not sexually attractive anymore, and so natural selection will take its course. If we do fix it, that will just confuse natural selection and more people will be born that need to be "fixed" instead of getting people better suited to our current situation as humans. I'm not saying we should kill fat people or not treat disease associated with weight, I'm just saying we shouldn't be artificially leveling the playing field of natural selection; by doing that we would be holding our species back. But realistically I think society is too impatient to accept the interminable process of natural selection and we will create a "fix" for the insatiable and then futilely try to make them less sedentary.


*Edit*
I'd also like to say that Obesity is determined by someones Body mass index (BMI) which is just (mass(kg)/(height(m))²).
Here's how people are ranked on the BMI scale:

Underweight: < 18.5
     Normal:   18.5 - 25
 Overweight:   25   - 30
      Obese: > 30

So according to this, a 6ft tall person weighing 250lbs (~33.3 BMI) is Obese. Keep that in mind when you hear about the Obesity epidemic.
It should be noted that BMI has nothing to do with fat and obviously muscle weighs more than fat.

 

[ckm]

im blessed with imba genetics :X (no one is over 140 in my family) and i did wrestling and recreational volleyball in HS

140 pounds? When I first read this I thought you meant 140 years!

I think it's an innumerable number of factors, but one I'll throw in that I don't think (?) has been mentioned is the issue of determining what it actually takes to be healthy. Here in Ireland, we're practically indoctrinated on (in? about? fuck my grammar) the deity that is dairy produce, and the unfortunate truth is that cows and related produce are central to the Irish economy. Personally conspiracy theories drive me up the wall most/all of the time, and I'm not about to spout BS about political leaders trying to KILL EVERYONE!1!!!one!!11!, but I concede that finding truly legitimate studies isn't all that easy.[1]

I want to agree with you both but I can't bring myself to. I've never been overweight and yet I still played video games, watched anime/tv, and did all the stuff average teens did. I have seen you both and neither of you are overweight. I assume you both live the sedentary lifestyle you've both described...

No, I think it is more than that. I think it is about portion control and will power. After a friend of mine got out of college she realized she had lost some of her firmness due to reading and studying for hours and hours a day for months. So she started up a workout regimen that helped her get back some of her muscle. Her friends commented on her dedication. They said they could never muster the will power to eat less and work out more. The people spend so much money on weight loss products. If so many people in our society are disappointed in the way they look why can't they simply muster the will power to work out a little more often?

As for this, have you considered that the "sedentary lifestyle" is what has caused this lack of willpower? I apologise if I'm misinterpreting what you're saying, but after reading that and

Is it simply that these people are weak?

I get the impression that you're angry at the people who are obese and want to "place the blame" on the individuals for doing this to themselves (ugh, I sound so accusing, I'm not trying say you're evil or something). I would suggest that the development of society is deserving of the "blame", which, regrettably, cannot be pinned on a single individual as everyone is collectively responsible for this.

[1] This could be true, according to recent reports. Source

 

[420MuNkEy]

[1] This could be true, according to recent reports. Source

Spoiler

gotta ♥ NoScript

 

[Cavallier]

I get the impression that you're angry at the people who are obese and want to "place the blame" on the individuals for doing this to themselves (ugh, I sound so accusing, I'm not trying say you're evil or something). I would suggest that the development of society is deserving of the "blame", which, regrettably, cannot be pinned on a single individual as everyone is collectively responsible for this.

No, I don't mean to be accusatory/angry toward anyone who is obese. I'm just worried. I see a lot of unhealthy people at work and in my day to day life. I've become a little depressed about the direction our society is going. It all finally culminated today when an extremely overweight teen girl was in the store looking at weight loss books. Her friends herded her away telling her that there was nothing wrong with her. I was a little disgusted with the entire situation. I know they intended to make their friend feel better about herself but the girl needed encouraging not enabling. She needed support and a couple of her friends could have at least attempted to join her in her attempt to be healthier. Instead they told her she was silly. (basically belittlement whether or not they meant it that way) Later they cheered her up by buying her a very fattening coffee drink that involves lots of whipped cream and sugar. I was saddened by the whole exchange.

@420: Agreed. I know several people who are mislabeled as obese because they are short but muscular.

 

[Agent Intellect]

Personally, I don't think we should be trying to "fix" it. Fat people are generally not sexually attractive anymore, and so natural selection will take its course. If we do fix it, that will just confuse natural selection and more people will be born that need to be "fixed" instead of getting people better suited to our current situation as humans. I'm not saying we should kill fat people or not treat disease associated with weight, I'm just saying we shouldn't be artificially leveling the playing field of natural selection; by doing that we would be holding our species back. But realistically I think society is too impatient to accept the interminable process of natural selection and we will create a "fix" for the insatiable and then futilely try to make them less sedentary.

Apparently you've never heard of adipophilia?

There are a lot of fat people that have kids, and there are a lot of fat kids. Without something to kill fat people off before they breed, or something to prevent them from breeding, natural selection will be slow to act (we'll eventually eat ourselves out of house and home, using up all our natural resources, and then we'll all starve to death).

 

[420MuNkEy]

Apparently you've never heard of adipophilia?

There are a lot of fat people that have kids, and there are a lot of fat kids. Without something to kill fat people off before they breed, or something to prevent them from breeding, natural selection will be slow to act (we'll eventually eat ourselves out of house and home, using up all our natural resources, and then we'll all starve to death).

I am well aware of fat fetishism, but (I'm assuming) this is not a fetish held by the majority of people. I say this because what is portrayed by Hollywood and the media seems to be a pretty accurate representation of what the majority thinks is attractive. Natural selection is slow; it would be absurd to assume that everyone would instantly be turned off by body fat. Some are attracted to it, many are neutral to it, but I think it's safe to say that most are turned off by it in some way or another. Natural selection is what will kill them and and prevent breeding, it's just such a slow process I think it'll take at least 1000 years to have any noticeable affect on population.

 

[Dormouse]

Speaking of body image... I think the whole 'must be ultra skinny to be beautiful' attitude is very harmful and in it's own way promotes weight gain.

There seems to have been a backlash, in that people who've tried dieting to look abnormally thin and failed reject the entire system. This results in resentment towards the media and sometimes slim people in general, as well as a sort of reckless attitude when it comes to eating healthy and staying fit.

Basically, screw you, impossible standards, I'm going to get as fat as I want.

 

[warryer]

No, I don't mean to be accusatory/angry toward anyone who is obese. I'm just worried. I see a lot of unhealthy people at work and in my day to day life. I've become a little depressed about the direction our society is going. It all finally culminated today when an extremely overweight teen girl was in the store looking at weight loss books. Her friends herded her away telling her that there was nothing wrong with her. I was a little disgusted with the entire situation. I know they intended to make their friend feel better about herself but the girl needed encouraging not enabling. She needed support and a couple of her friends could have at least attempted to join her in her attempt to be healthier. Instead they told her she was silly. (basically belittlement whether or not they meant it that way) Later they cheered her up by buying her a very fattening coffee drink that involves lots of whipped cream and sugar. I was saddened by the whole exchange.

This is one of those things that I HATE about society. It's become all too common to place the blame elsewhere than on oneself. There is no accountability. It's everywhere; from obesity to loopholes in laws.

You can't do anything when you can't admit you are part of the problem. They may not even recognize there is a problem which is even worse.

This just in! - after countless years spent in the laboratory the only way to effectively lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume.

I remember seeing one of those 30days documentaries on TV. The husband was going to stick to a workout plan, diet plan etc to see how much weight he could lose. His wife became very jealous because he was bettering himself while she didn't do a damn thing. There was some psychologist that said people will try to drag those who attempt to make themselves "better" in some way down to their level.

I think it boils down to self esteem.

Think of an ostrich- if it sticks its head underground it can't see any predators so surely there must not be any there! If people with problems don't admit that there is a problem then it doesn't exist (in their minds).

 

[ckm]

I hear you warryer.

The issue of blame is very important, but when people blame others instead of themselves, they can place their anger and frustration on others instead of interjecting it. I'm not saying this is good, but it's an understandable stab at self-preservation. If our anger simply went inwards, everyone would probably become completely depressed and self-loathing.

You say self-esteem, but I raise you this: is the ultimate issue not that of the ego? If this was somehow resolved, I suspect there would be no soceital stigma (i.e. drive to belittle others in order to increase self-worth) and those no longer at the receiving end of said stigma would have no displaced anger and simply have the desire to be as healthy as possible for themselves.

 

[AlisaD]

I personally feel that we should lave overweight people alone. The circumstances and reasons are different and unique in each case, but condemning obesity isn't really helping anyone.

Yes, it's unhealthy, but then again, so is smoking, and drinking, and coffee, and drugs, and too much physical activity, and most diets, and too much thinking, and staring at the sun.

And yes, by most standards, it's not too pretty to look at, but then again neither are pink clothes, or shopping malls, or highways, or construction sites, but they exist, are a part of our world and we have learned to accept them.

So I say, if you don't like the way your body is behaving change it. If you don't care enough to change it, then it's your choice. So much of our life is already controlled by society standards, so little freedom is left, we can at least leave the control over the shape and size of our bodies to each individual.

So I say:

 

[Cavallier]

Yes. I suspect what's really irritating me is the trend toward blaming everything but ourselves and all of the inherent lack of self-esteem tied up in that. There are always going to be unique circumstances and every individual has their unique set of trials. Yet, at the end of the day if a person is unhappy about being unhealthy it is up to the individual to change that. In a way AlisaD's makes the point I've been working towards:

So I say, if you don't like the way your body is behaving change it. If you don't care enough to change it, then it's your choice.

It is indeed our choice and, as with all freedoms, there is also responsibility. If we don't like our bodies* we can certainly choose to blame our genetics and society but we also have to accept the fact that often part of the problem is our own fault. I'm not saying it isn't hard to lose weight, eat healthier, and tone muscle. I'm not saying there isn't a multitude of reason's behind why it is so difficult. What I am saying is that before anyone can begin to hope to actually achieve any of these things effectively they have to accept some small amount of responsibility.

I think I've burned myself out on this. I'm going to crawl back into my sea cavern now.

*I am only referring to being unhealthy by intelligent standards. I'm not at all referring to societal standards, ethnicity, ridiculously thin model pant size, penis length, bra size, hair length, or anything else of this sort. I merely mean what is healthy for a particular individual in a particular circumstance.

 

[warryer]

You say self-esteem, but I raise you this: is the ultimate issue not that of the ego? If this was somehow resolved, I suspect there would be no soceital stigma (i.e. drive to belittle others in order to increase self-worth) and those no longer at the receiving end of said stigma would have no displaced anger and simply have the desire to be as healthy as possible for themselves.

I think you're right about ego. It's almost as if the ego is some sort of parasitic entity that co-inhabits the body with a person. Without it there would be nothing to say: oh I can't do that I would look stupid.

 

[Ermine]

I really don't get it. Sure, different people have different metabolisms. Some can eat whatever they want and still be skinny. Some pretty much are what they eat.

That aside, I don't think most of the points brought up are very legitimate. Life can be hard with the pressure to be sedentary due to emotional issues and a flood of technology. But we all have the choice to succumb or do something about it. There can be a million excuses out there, but we all have a say in how we live our lives. But I guess I have pretty much no empathy on this issue since I'm not and never have been overweight, and I'm not particularly sensitive to the pressure to be skinny.

Another thing that I find confusing is how obesity and its lifestyle seems to ignore the body's basic feelings. We feel bad when we overeat, endorphins make us feel good when we exercise, we feel good when we eat healthy food. How in the world does all that get thrown out the window?

 

[Maiken]

I'm fat and I know that it is my own fault. I decide what I put in my mouth and I'm the only one who can do something about it.

But I don't think us fatties are weak! Losing weight is not easy, I've lost 32 lbs so far, I should know. I think most people have some part of their life they don't really know how to control no matter how easy it is for others. When people comment on my weight I can't help thinking about why the person saying it feels so much better than me. It's not easy dealing with a weight problem as well as dealing with being treated like a second rate person. I don't know how many times people have yelled at me, asked me if I was pregnant or the best one yet, song "your sex is on fire" to me on the buss. People act like it's totally fine to say all sorts of nasty things to a fat person and that's really not constructive at all.

I would like to say that I'm trying to lose weight because of my health. But that would be a lie. I'm doing it because I'm sick of the way people treat me.

 

[Cavallier]

I decide what I put in my mouth and I'm the only one who can do something about it.

Now there is an empowering statement!

I think most people have some part of their life they don't really know how to control no matter how easy it is for others. When people comment on my weight I can't help thinking about why the person saying it feels so much better than me. It's not easy dealing with a weight problem as well as dealing with being treated like a second rate person.

People are hateful and cruel. Some need to feel superior so they find flaws in others.

I would like to say that I'm trying to lose weight because of my health. But that would be a lie. I'm doing it because I'm sick of the way people treat me.

But you must enjoy feeling healthier as well. The impetus may be societal but ultimately when you lose weight or build muscle you are proud of yourself for having reached your goal. You don't thank society for its peer pressure. As you say, it is very hard but it is in our hands to take control of that aspect of our lives that needs improving.



...I fear I am becoming to dogmatic here...

 

[s0nystyle]

@ maiken: wow you lost 32 lbs? thats quite an achievement :X i have trouble losing 2lbs

 

[420MuNkEy]

I've never kept track of my weight; it just doesn't interest me. My doctor tells me I'm overweight (based on the BMI scale), but that applies to just about everyone with a endomorph body type, regardless of diet and exercise. I think too many people are absolutely neurotic about how much they weigh and/or how they look. What's even stranger to me is when people feel guilty for eating. To me that's like feeling guilty for having an orgasm.

I wrote this post while eating 13 pizza rolls because I was hungry. They are probably not healthy, but they taste good and I was hungry. To me, this outweighs (no pun intended) any benefit I would receive from having eaten something healthy (like a salad). Sure, society might not share priorities, but I place the enjoyment of ones life above all else, even long term survival.

My point is, live your life how you want and be happy and don't let people make you feel bad about doing so

 

[Trebuchet]

Here are two correlations to consider:

As sleep has declined, obesity has increased. This article had a lot of good information, such as that children who get more sleep naturally have increased activity levels.

Sleep loss increases the hormone ghrelin, which signals hunger, and decreases its metabolic opposite, leptin, which suppresses appetite. Sleep loss also elevates the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is lipogenic, meaning it stimulates your body to make fat. Human growth hormone is also disrupted. Normally secreted as a big pulse at the beginning of sleep, growth hormone is essential for the breakdown of fat.​

High Fructose Corn Syrup is correlated with obesity. There are approximately one zillion studies and articles showing this, so I grabbed a link at random.

"When it comes to beverage trends and obesity, "it's like documenting the force of gravity," he said. "There's an overwhelmingly strong case to be made for a causal relationship."
--Dr. David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children's Hospital in Boston​

But I haven't seen a study of how decreased sleep and increased HFCS drinks might be correlated. Since many such drinks are caffeinated, I suggest that sleepy people might drink more of them, increasing the problem.

Finally, eating too much is cultural. How many people are forced to clean their plates as kids, and grow up thinking that is required? How many restaurants serve too much food because customers like getting a better value for their money? How much refined food is sold to people who already don't have time for a good night's sleep, because it is convenient?

It is easy to say that people should have will power or be more active. But I find it hard to criticize someone who gets up at 5:30, commutes an hour or more, to work at a job for 9 or 10 hours a day (which is common here in California), and then doesn't manage to cook nutritious meals from scratch, get in a daily workout, and go to bed early.

Michael Pollan (author of the Omnivore's Dilemma, etc.) recommends that people "Eat Food" and avoid artificial and refined food substitutes. How do we make that easy for people?

 

[BigApplePi]

Cavallier you've brought up a good topic that I don't see my way to address with thinking -- so far. Agent Intellect posted a link that said something about addiction. So we can say some don't care about their weight. For those no problem. For those that do care, does addiction have something to do with it if one prefers a lower weight?

For me, right now I'm about 3-5 lbs. overweight. We could say that's nothing, but I run. I run for time and I'm carrying an extra 3-5 lbs I don't need. Now how to reflect on this? I notice when I have this extra weight, certain conditions:
1. I stopped an exercise or physical activity
2. I substitute unnecessary eating
3. It IS addictive. That is I will eat more of something not good for weight because I remember the pleasure of last time. I indulge in this pleasure as a substitute for being unhappy about whatever.

Now when return to normal, get busy with physical activities, I have less time to eat. So I don't. Then I lose the memory of the unnecessary "pleasant" food and no longer have to eat it. Problem solved.

When I get reinjured the problem recurs.

 

[ckm]

Cavallier you've brought up a good topic that I don't see my way to address with thinking -- so far. Agent Intellect posted a link that said something about addiction. So we can say some don't care about their weight. For those no problem. For those that do care, does addiction have something to do with it if one prefers a lower weight?

For me, right now I'm about 3-5 lbs. overweight. We could say that's nothing, but I run. I run for time and I'm carrying an extra 3-5 lbs I don't need. Now how to reflect on this? I notice when I have this extra weight, certain conditions:
1. I stopped an exercise or physical activity
2. I substitute unnecessary eating
3. It IS addictive. That is I will eat more of something not good for weight because I remember the pleasure of last time. I indulge in this pleasure as a substitute for being unhappy about whatever.

Now when return to normal, get busy with physical activities, I have less time to eat. So I don't. Then I lose the memory of the unnecessary "pleasant" food and no longer have to eat it. Problem solved.

When I get reinjured the problem recurs.

Mm... Apple pie.

 

[BigApplePi]

Mm... Apple pie.

ckm. No. Not when I can get apple juice. Now who drinks cherry juice? Hence cherry pie.

 

[speiss]

There's a multitude of reasons as to why the obesity rate has skyrocketed; basic human emotions and tendencies, such as laziness, depression and so on, do not stand behind the reason for the "obesity epidemic." This reason has been dismissed before, but one must look at what is different now than what there was before, such as convenient, unhealthy restaurants and sedentary lifestyles.

My entire life my mother has berated me for needing to lose weight, to eating less, to the point where she hides food from me (but that's simply because she's crazy; she's been doing this ever since I was 8 or 9). Although, nobody besides her has ever intimated that they thought me "fat." I'm about 5 pounds overweight, I think..? (I don't look at the scale anymore, it stresses me) My school entreats it's students to laptops, which has infinitely contributed to my lack of exercise over the course of the school year. I know I'm pretty sedentary, and I don't do much about it. I spend entirely too much time in the house, because like previously stated, everything is here, what do I need? On a number of levels staying in the house is very detrimental to my health, thus my strong interest in recreational activities, such as dance. Oh goodness, I want to learn how to dance.. :3

The thing with most people is that they say they'll do a lot of things. Do they end up doing them?

... Sometimes. Not very often. I have a friend whom I love a lot, and she's classified as "morbidly obese." She's very overweight yes, and she's on a constant, constant mission to lose pounds. Constant. She's always on a 1000 calorie diet, she's always restricting herself to small portions and making herself miserable, and reading and reading about what she can eat and what she can't, and she's always telling me how much she's lost and how much she's gained. She's always doing math, such as "If I keep up this diet and lose 10 pound a month, I'll be 170 in June.." But this has been going on forever. Her family is very wealthy, and they enable her, by tempting her with food kept around the house, food they all eat heartily while she's in the corner munching on salt cracker. But, her weight is her fault to a heavy degree, because she does not like going outside, and she will not exercise. She is trying to lose weight the easy way, with diet, but not physical activity. It is this level of laziness that dooms those who wish to lose weight, but will not go out and actually try hard enough.

All this expense on diet pills and weight loss machines; they are all used by people who try them for a week or a month, and then give up, claiming they don't work. If you buy say, I don't know, a stair-stepper thinger, and use it 6 times a week for an hour, balanced out with a decent diet, you're going to lose.

People do this.

For a short amount of time. The lack of instant gratification disallows them from further pursuing their goal, and thus, they say the machine does not work. And they go try something else. Because they are not as slim as the models in the commercials, and they continue to be their dissatisfied overweight selves, it is the machine's fault.

The way the human mind works is abundant with flaws. This epidemic, so it is called, is the product of the inability for most to adapt to the newer, technologically advanced world that doesn't bother trying to encourage people to get off up their feet and do something that will keep them moving.

That's my 2 cents.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Corn and soy. That's not all, of course, but, much of the obesity problem in the world is due to the content of the food that most people are eating.

Watch Food, Inc.

In utterly unrelated news, my wife discovered she was allergic to corn and had celiac. So, we eliminated all corn and wheat from our diet.

By the way, when I say "eliminate corn" I mean we took out every food that has any corn-derived portion or has any portion treated with any kind of corn during any of its processing. A list follows:

Spoiler

Acetic acid
Alcohol
Alpha tocopherol
Artificial flavorings
Artificial sweeteners
Ascorbates
Ascorbic acid
Aspartame (Artificial sweetener)
Astaxanthin
Baking powder
Barley malt* (generally OK, but can be contaminated)
Bleached flour*
Blended sugar (sugaridextrose)
Brown sugar* (generally OK if no caramel color)
Calcium citrate
Calcium fumarate
Calcium gluconate
Calcium lactate
Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA)
Calcium stearate
Calcium stearoyl lactylate
Caramel and caramel color
Carbonmethylcellulose sodium
Cellulose microcrystalline
Cellulose, methyl
Cellulose, powdered
Cetearyl glucoside
Choline chloride
Citric acid*
Citrus cloud emulsion (CCS)
Coco glycerides (cocoglycerides)
Confectioners sugar
Corn alcohol, corn gluten
Corn extract
Corn flour
Corn oil, corn oil margarine
Corn starch
Corn sweetener, corn sugar
Corn syrup, corn syrup solids
Corn, popcorn, cornmeal
Cornstarch, cornflour
Crosscarmellose sodium
Crystalline dextrose
Crystalline fructose
Cyclodextrin
DATUM (a dough conditioner)
Decyl glucoside
Decyl polyglucose
Dextrin
Dextrose (also found in IV solutions)
Dextrose anything (such as monohydrate or anhydrous)
d-Gluconic acid
Distilled white vinegar
Drying agent
Erythorbic acid
Erythritol
Ethanol
Ethocel 20
Ethylcellulose
Ethylene
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl alcohol
Ethyl lactate
Ethyl maltol
Fibersol-2
Flavorings*
Food starch
Fructose*
Fruit juice concentrate*
Fumaric acid
Germ/germ meal
Gluconate
Gluconic acid
Glucono delta-lactone
Gluconolactone
Glucosamine
Glucose*
Glucose syrup* (also found in IV solutions)
Glutamate
Gluten
Gluten feed/meal
Glycerides
Glycerin*
Glycerol
Golden syrup
Grits
High fructose corn syrup
Hominy
Honey*
Hydrolyzed corn
Hydrolyzed corn protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose pthalate (HPMCP)
Inositol
Invert syrup or sugar
Iodized salt
Lactate
Lactic acid*
Lauryl glucoside
Lecithin
Linoleic acid
Lysine
Magnesium fumarate
Maize
Malic acid
Malonic acid
Malt syrup from corn
Malt, malt extract
Maltitol
Maltodextrin
Maltol
Maltose
Mannitol
Methyl gluceth
Methyl glucose
Methyl glucoside
Methylcellulose
Microcrystaline cellulose
Modified cellulose gum
Modified corn starch
Modified food starch
Molasses* (corn syrup may be present; know your product)
Mono and di glycerides
Monosodium glutamate
MSG
Natural flavorings*
Olestra/Olean
Polenta
Polydextrose
Polylactic acid (PLA)
Polysorbates* (e.g. Polysorbate 80)
Polyvinyl acetate
Potassium citrate
Potassium fumarate
Potassium gluconate
Powdered sugar
Pregelatinized starch
Propionic acid
Propylene glycol*
Propylene glycol monostearate*
Saccharin
Salt (iodized salt)
Semolina (unless from wheat)
Simethicone
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose
Sodium citrate
Sodium erythorbate
Sodium fumarate
Sodium lactate
Sodium starch glycolate
Sodium stearoyl fumarate
Sorbate
Sorbic acid
Sorbitan
Sorbitan monooleate
Sorbitan tri-oleate
Sorbitol
Sorghum* (not all is bad; the syrup and/or grain CAN be mixed with corn)
Splenda (Artificial sweetener)
Starch (any kind that's not specified)
Stearic acid
Stearoyls
Sucralose (Artificial sweetener)
Sucrose
Sugar* (not identified as cane or beet)
Threonine
Tocopherol (vitamin E)
Treacle (aka golden syrup)
Triethyl citrate
Unmodified starch
Vanilla, natural flavoring
Vanilla, pure or extract
Vanillin
Vegetable anything that's not specific*
Vinegar, distilled white
Vinyl acetate
Vitamin C* and Vitamin E*
Vitamins*
Xanthan gum
Xylitol
Yeast*
Zea mays
Zein

Wheat is every bit as bad. It's taken us a long time to get all this crap out of our food. We have to use food co-ops, a local butcher, and find sources of organic foods. It's expensive, but, she lost 50 pounds and I've lost 30.

Dave

 

[aracaris]

Vrecknidj

Anyone with celiac should just avoid barley, it has gluten in it. I've worked in the alcohol industry, and one of the things I learned was that people with celiac should steer clear of beer because of the barley malt (and this doubly goes for wheat beers, because they have gluten from both barley and wheat). We had one specially made beer with no wheat or barley malt for gluten intolerant people.
So I would take barley malt off of the generally OK list. There are other types of malts out there, which are gluten free, though the only product I've seen them in so far is gluten-free beer.

 

[BigApplePi]

There's a multitude of reasons as to why the obesity rate has skyrocketed; basic human emotions and tendencies, such as laziness, depression and so on, do not stand behind the reason for the "obesity epidemic." This reason has been dismissed before, but one must look at what is different now than what there was before, such as convenient, unhealthy restaurants and sedentary lifestyles.

My entire life my mother has berated me for needing to lose weight, to eating less, to the point where she hides food from me (but that's simply because she's crazy; she's been doing this ever since I was 8 or 9). Although, nobody besides her has ever intimated that they thought me "fat." I'm about 5 pounds overweight, I think..? (I don't look at the scale anymore, it stresses me) My school entreats it's students to laptops, which has infinitely contributed to my lack of exercise over the course of the school year. I know I'm pretty sedentary, and I don't do much about it. I spend entirely too much time in the house, because like previously stated, everything is here, what do I need? On a number of levels staying in the house is very detrimental to my health, thus my strong interest in recreational activities, such as dance. Oh goodness, I want to learn how to dance.. :3

The thing with most people is that they say they'll do a lot of things. Do they end up doing them?

... Sometimes. Not very often. I have a friend whom I love a lot, and she's classified as "morbidly obese." She's very overweight yes, and she's on a constant, constant mission to lose pounds. Constant. She's always on a 1000 calorie diet, she's always restricting herself to small portions and making herself miserable, and reading and reading about what she can eat and what she can't, and she's always telling me how much she's lost and how much she's gained. She's always doing math, such as "If I keep up this diet and lose 10 pound a month, I'll be 170 in June.." But this has been going on forever. Her family is very wealthy, and they enable her, by tempting her with food kept around the house, food they all eat heartily while she's in the corner munching on salt cracker. But, her weight is her fault to a heavy degree, because she does not like going outside, and she will not exercise. She is trying to lose weight the easy way, with diet, but not physical activity. It is this level of laziness that dooms those who wish to lose weight, but will not go out and actually try hard enough.

All this expense on diet pills and weight loss machines; they are all used by people who try them for a week or a month, and then give up, claiming they don't work. If you buy say, I don't know, a stair-stepper thinger, and use it 6 times a week for an hour, balanced out with a decent diet, you're going to lose.

People do this.

For a short amount of time. The lack of instant gratification disallows them from further pursuing their goal, and thus, they say the machine does not work. And they go try something else. Because they are not as slim as the models in the commercials, and they continue to be their dissatisfied overweight selves, it is the machine's fault.

The way the human mind works is abundant with flaws. This epidemic, so it is called, is the product of the inability for most to adapt to the newer, technologically advanced world that doesn't bother trying to encourage people to get off up their feet and do something that will keep them moving.

That's my 2 cents.

Reflections:
Food (all around us) was meant for eating. So our culture sells us food that goes beyond our requirements. Think of money. If we can get more, we take it. Is food like that -- a bulwark against starvation?

Then there is appetite. One can use will power to "I won't eat more", but if one has to put up a barrier, that takes energy. a barrier will work but sooner or later won't that barrier be broken through?

Perhaps the solution is to reduce appetite:
1. Physical appetite. Exercise. I find exercise reduces my excess appetite. Only necessities are necessary. Extreme exercise is no good. Start out slowly so there's no pain.
2. Psychological appetite. Ignore what others say encouraging eating. Like advertisements and confections filled with useless calories.
3. Appetite reduction suggestion. Think about a confection then don't eat it. The next time the act of eating it will be more distant. It may be easier then not to eat it. That has worked for me.
4. Social appetite. Social conformity. If others are over-eating in your presence, lie. Tell them you are in training for some competitive event and need to maintain weight.

 

[Moocow]

I have a very simple diet plan I've made. I think it has a lot of potential for success. It goes like this:

To lose weight, stop paying for it.

 

[EditorOne]

Both our bodies and our psyches tend to want some fat. Most metabolisms are aimed at building some fat if at all possible because our genes were taught the hard way that sometimes there's not enough food to go around and those without at least some fat reserve are worse off under such conditions.

As for the psyche, at various times a certain amount of excess poundage was seen as sexually stimulating, socially valuable, etc. Look at some paintings from the 1600s, you've got portly men and women for whom buxom is a kind word. I'm theorizing (I'm INTP ) but it could be that people who had enough excess income to spend it on more and better food, demonstrated through excess poundage, were kind of bragging. Sort of like people who make sure they park the BMW or Porche in front of the garage for everyone to see.

The third factor I'd offer has already been advanced: Nowadays many things that would take genetically induced metabolism that is out of control out of the evolutionary picture are "fixed" socially or medically. No Vikings raiding and cutting down anyone too fat to run; doctors standing by to treat people whose hearts have given way under the strain of pumping blood through much too much body; etc.

I give people with screwed up metabolism a healthy dose of respect. If I had to face every day what they face, I just couldn't do it.

 

[Cavallier]

^Ah you are referring to Peter Paul Rubens yes? I love that one involving three large pink women and one thin piece of gauzy material called Three Graces. That man liked him some healthy women!

The natives of Hawaii (and much of the other native Americans) have a terrible time with their metabolism because until recently their bodies had to be good at storing every scrap of fat they could get. Now being surrounded with much higher caloric foods they have a very hard time with being overweight.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Vrecknidj

Anyone with celiac should just avoid barley, it has gluten in it. I've worked in the alcohol industry, and one of the things I learned was that people with celiac should steer clear of beer because of the barley malt (and this doubly goes for wheat beers, because they have gluten from both barley and wheat). We had one specially made beer with no wheat or barley malt for gluten intolerant people.
So I would take barley malt off of the generally OK list. There are other types of malts out there, which are gluten free, though the only product I've seen them in so far is gluten-free beer.

Since she's also allergic to corn, and since so many steps in the processing of alcohol relies on corn (even something like a corn-based cleaning solvent used to clean containers is enough for her to react), we stick to things like potato vodka or wine. We have found one beer that she can have: Bard's Tale beer.

Dave

 

[Trebuchet]

We have found one beer that she can have: Bard's Tale beer.

Dave

I can't have gluten either. Redbridge (by Anheuser-Busch) is another decent sorghum-based gluten-free beer.

 

[Maiken]

Now there is an empowering statement!





People are hateful and cruel. Some need to feel superior so they find flaws in others.



But you must enjoy feeling healthier as well. The impetus may be societal but ultimately when you lose weight or build muscle you are proud of yourself for having reached your goal. You don't thank society for its peer pressure. As you say, it is very hard but it is in our hands to take control of that aspect of our lives that needs improving.



...I fear I am becoming to dogmatic here...

Good point

I guess the reason I want to lose weight and the reason I'm doing it are different ones. I want to because I don't want people to see me as the fat girl, but I'm succeeding in it because I actually like to eat well and going running

@ maiken: wow you lost 32 lbs? thats quite an achievement :X i have trouble losing 2lbs

Well, it's a little easier when you have a lot to lose

 

[aracaris]

Since she's also allergic to corn, and since so many steps in the processing of alcohol relies on corn (even something like a corn-based cleaning solvent used to clean containers is enough for her to react), we stick to things like potato vodka or wine. We have found one beer that she can have: Bard's Tale beer.

Dave

As far as beer it's mostly sub-premium (read: cheap) beer that you have to worry about as far as corn goes. I haven't heard of using corn based cleaning products to clean tanks used for beer brewing, I've heard of citrus based products mainly being used, but it's possible some brewers out there do, who knows...?

Here's a list I found:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30583.asp

 

[babrock]

I have come to understand a couple extra things involving our propencity to become overwieght from haveing our propencity for believing in a god explained in a similar manner.

For most of t time that we have had environmental pressures exerting an influence on us it has been to our advantage and t advatageog our progeny to consume foods high in fat and sugur, believe that most ocurences happen because of agency and to have sex. We therefor have ingrained in us a propencity for these t uhings even tho nowadays sugurs and fats ate far from rare, we are no longer often threatened by a rustle in t grass that may or maynot be a tiger about to eat you and we currently use variose formd of birth control so that often sex is not going to lead to procreation yet we enjoy it basicly just as much.

I have been quite thin most of my life but now that i am getting older even i am getting a bit of a gut

 

[snafupants]

- prevalence of fast food joints
- sedendary lifestyles
- entertaining video games and movies which reinforce the aforesaid
- reality that food comes to us - no longer hunters
- other people can be hired to do chores too

maybe your brain rewards you merely for attaining food - with a helping of dopamine - but my brain needs more stimulation: learning, observing, interaction. this nervous energy needs to be expended such that sleep comes easier. the thing is though is that exercise is also hardwired to set off the reward pathways - unfortunately so is stealing and pushing the envelope. our primordial brain just knows that taking risks helped the species in the past get that antelope or high hanging fruit through ingenuity and persistence.

b.s., that french paradox is just a way to sell more wine. the claim is that although the french consume high fat foods, their hearts are helped out by wine - fish is also thrown in there. this is erroneous. they also have, supposedly, more active lifestyles compared to their american counterparts. the exercise is what keeps their hearts free of plaque. is there anyone from france who can attest to or deny this?

 

[SpaceYeti]

Eating snacks is fun and exercising is not.

 

[snafupants]

cavillier - if a child is obese automatically blame the parents? right, it has nothing to do with the toys, the clown, and sugar laden drinks from mcdonalds. our society promotes food as recreation and not as nourishment or fuel.

 

[SpaceYeti]

cavillier - if a child is obese automatically blame the parents? right, it has nothing to do with the toys, the clown, and sugar laden drinks from mcdonalds. our society promotes food as recreation and not as nourishment or fuel.

Who bought those toys and drinks?

 

[BigApplePi]

Eating snacks is fun and exercising is not.

How does one occupy one's time? If one is sitting quietly in a room and continues the quiet "activity", eating fits right in. It is quiet. If one is out there moving, there is less time to eat.

I find I weigh more in the winter than the summer the last few years. That is because I don't wish to gain weight and in the summer I'm outdoors doing a lot of physical stuff. That means when I come inside for eating I eat only because I'm hungry, not because I have to fill an empty space.

Put another way, purposeful exercise is fun and eating for the sake of eating is not.

 

[TheHmmmm]

How does one occupy one's time? If one is sitting quietly in a room and continues the quiet "activity", eating fits right in. It is quiet. If one is out there moving, there is less time to eat.

I find I weigh more in the winter than the summer the last few years. That is because I don't wish to gain weight and in the summer I'm outdoors doing a lot of physical stuff. That means when I come inside for eating I eat only because I'm hungry, not because I have to fill an empty space.

Put another way, purposeful exercise is fun and eating for the sake of eating is not.

Under the assumption that exercise is fun, sure. Unfortunately, not everyone shares your delight in running around, particularly those in the southwest where it's hot as hell for 3/4 of the year.

Honestly, better question than the OP is why does anybody care? For hell's sake if they wanna be fat then by golly let them be fat. I mean can't the moral indignation of the users of this forum be better spent somewhere else? Does it REALLY affect you all that much, or at least any more than some other triviality in life?

But, to answer the question in a way that many people have already responded, it became the norm when society became sedentary. Food is cheap and societal contributions are more done from the comfort of a desk chair. Other factors such as stress eating also contribute. If you wanted a sure-fire way to cut obesity, you could always revert to a hunter-gatherer social structure. Other than that, you'll have to wait for some miraculous scientific discovery that burns weight to become mainstream, like hCG shots. We're sure as hell not going to revolutionize humanity into an active species. It's just so damn inconvenient.