The American "Obesity Epidemic?"

[CrayZee]

So people are apparently readjusting their "normal weight" perceptions.

But it seems like there is a growing, perhaps more affluent, segment of people that are uber health nuts, or at least more conscious about their diets (e.g., eating only organics, multigrain breads, soy and nonfat milk, etc., etc.).

Is there such an obesity epidemic? And if so, why? It sounds more like a social problem (meaning that there are many variables, not just blaming, say, HFCS). Marketing has become more "science-esque", cheap processed foods widely available (e.g., corn subsidies and sugar tariffs), increased restaurant meal sizes, etc. I mean, people ate white Wonderbread, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Hostess Twinkies in the 1950's or whatever. (But then again, people smoked cigs a lot more. So maybe that impacts food intake.)

Maybe it's too hard for the populous to fight against what our genes have told us to do...eat and hump as much as reasonably possible. It doesn't help that dumb people, and children, are more susceptible to marketing messages, it seems.

Also, I ain't no doctor, but the body mass index (BMI) seems like a woefully inadequate yardstick for a good individual weight range. People's body types vary and so forth. Is being somewhat fat really that bad for you? In other words, being overweight is not a causal for bad health in and of itself, but rather a correlate of unheathly living.

[SmileyEH]

I dont understand why we still see stories about body image issues. The problems of bulemea/anorexia PALE in comparison to the continent of fatties we've got going on.

[thirddan]

seems like when people think of obesity it relates only to diet...but like most health issues there is exercise as well as diet...people are sedentary, this makes people get fat...

and yes, bmi is a crap way to measure health/weight range...

[mattnxtc]

Something that my girlfriend and I were noticing recently is that is has become socially acceptable to eat [censored] food. When I bring healthy food to work, people always comment about how much of a health nut I must be.

Its just acceptable these days to eat fatty foods

[SmileyEH]

Getting berated for eating healthy food is sooo annoying

[nation]

[ QUOTE ]
Getting berated for eating healthy food is sooo annoying

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT. The real problem is that kids and adults are so woefully undereducated when it comes to healthy foods and the effects of eating poorly. Many people are brought up to believe that they are just naturally fat and can do nothing about it.

No one tells them that yes, it is natural for some people to have "better"/faster metabolisms but that does not mean that they have to be overweight. It simply means they have to control their diet in a different way, but they CAN look as good as naturally skinny people.

[lozen]

Look at the rate of type 2 diabetes it is climbing rapidly. Reason being Dual income homes. parents allow the TV,computer and Video games to raise there kids as they feed them junk food regularly.

[Rootabager]

I go to schools alot and put on health fairs for kids. It's mostly because their parents dont have good food for them to eat.

No one eats veggies and fruit.

It also sucks that good food cost so much. Poor people cant afford to eat as well.

[longbody]

Here is a specific example of obesity not being a cause of bad health, concerning type II diabetes.

http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm2.htm#oct11-2004
http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm2.htm#oct22-2004


There are 4 parts to the essay but I can't seem to find the last two anymore.

[mattnxtc]

Right now im 5'10" about 202. This is down from when I was at about 225 after college from drinking/eating bad/eating out.

In high school I was at about 160 due to being a soccer player for 2 teams.

My mom has actually commented that I look like I am losing to much weight b/c the clothes I had to buy when I was up at 225 do not fit anymore. Shes actually not happy that I am back down to a safer weight, but i think is generally worried I am losing to much weight.

My g/fs parents accused her of having an eating disorder b/c she wanted to have grilled chicken and a salad instead of fried food and carb loaded food.

People amaze me