Americans getting fatter

[WhoAmI]

I think that as more and more people get fat it is actually less stigmatized. Obesity and it's resulting illnesses (acute and chronic) are a huge strain on the healthcare system, moreso than smokers because there are more obese people than regular smokers. But people still aren't as quick to villify overweight people because most of them are overweight themselves or close to someone who is. If I hear one more person say "The average woman is a a size 14" I will fucking scream. Yes, the average woman is also 5 ft 5 or something so that means the average person is overweight. It is only 'normal' in the sense that it is commonplace, not normal in the sense that it is healthy. I also want to punch everyone who acts like the only alternative to being a porker is to be 'anorexic' or to 'starve' themselves.

I agree with this. Just because it's normal (in the statistical sense) doesn't make it healthy. An overweight woman (not obese, just with a BMI between 25 and 29) is twice as likely to get diabetes as a woman of normal weight. An obese woman is 3 to 5 times more likely to get it. Diabetes is a horrible, horrible disease. If you haven't seen someone you love die from it, you're blessed.

[celeb_2006]

www.naafa.org- We Come In All Sizes

Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination in all of its forms. NAAFA's goal is to help build a society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life. NAAFA will pursue this goal through advocacy, public education, and support.

[WhoAmI]

Public education? WTF are they going to teach? Self-esteem to obese 6-year-olds? Jesus Christ. A kid will have a lot more self-esteem if he can walk a couple of blocks without wheezing.

Or are they going to teach that overweight=healthy=curvy? Because that line of thought seems to be taking over.

[celeb_2006]

Check out this beaut from the FAQ section-

Belief:
Lose weight if you don't like discrimination on your size.

Reality:
Scientific studies show that the majority of people cannot achieve long-term sustainable weight loss. Under no circumstance is discrimination based on size or weight of one's body ever acceptable.

[WhoAmI]

Granted, it is hard to lose weight. However, if obesity is not seen as an acceptable choice, people will attempt to prevent their children from becoming obese, leading to fewer obese adults that need to lose weight.

And it's not impossible to achieve sustainable weight loss. If someone is properly educated about nutrition, it's doable. Sure, you have to re-train your mind and think seriously about what you've eaten for each meal and how that fits into your overall daily quota, but come on, it's possible. It's not easy, but not many worthwhile things are.

[buttmunch]

Originally Posted by Peike

^ Whenever I go back to visit the states I sit in awe over how large a meal is at restaurants. Heh, my husband actually took a few photos to show some people back over here in the UK the first time he went to the states with me.

I think another big problem, aside from the insane portion sizes, is how expensive fresh food is at stores. When I was staying in the states for a little while this past year I had to stop buying fresh food. It was ridiculous how expensive it was in comparison to uber cheap ready-made frozen meals. The quality of the fresh food wasn't the greatest too. Eating out is also so cheap.

I believe the lack of general exercise makes a difference too. I'm not necessarily talking about going to the gym or for a jog, but just walking. In the UK I am always walking to stores, the pub, for the hell of it, etc. In the US I would be taking a car because the infrastructure of many places ignores the needs of pedestrians. Also, it's just the norm. Instead of walking eight minutes up the road to go to a friends house like I do now, I would be driving there in the US. Add the huge distance you have to travel most places in the US, it's no wonder people are programmed to use their car to even go to the quickie store .3 miles down the road. The average car owner in America spends 500 to 1,000 hours per year behind the wheel. That's equivalent of between one and two full-time university semesters.

I agree with the walking thing. In Europe I always walk a lot but in the States (and actually, here in Oz) I'm always in teh car simply because things aren't built for walking.

As far as fresh food I found in the States that if you took the time to seek out farmer's markets, etc you could really cook well on a budget. Plus, people just don't get anymore how to use leftovers to make a new meal.

[Tati]

Originally Posted by MohandasKGanja

Fatty, high-calorie foods are, as far as I can see, a lot cheaper than healthy, low-fat foods. And store longer. Bananas only keep for a few days. A twinkie, which costs marginally less than a banana (per unit), will keep for months and months.

This really does not compute for me; it never has. Bananas are about 79 cents a pound at their worst here! 79 cents for a POUND of food. That's a lot of food. And you can often get them for 49 cents a pound. I really don't think Twinkies are anywhere near that cheap, at last they're not in Canada (and that may be the case since I don't think we manufacture them, but at any rate...). Chips are most definitely not cheap here at all. It's like $3.50 for a bag of basic potato chips.

Basic fruits and vegetables are cheap, even when they almost exclusively need to be imported (like in Northern Ontario). Maybe not asparagus, mangoes, or baby spinach, but carrots, potatoes, beets, onions, apples, oranges, and bananas are all cheap. Pasta is cheap. Rice is cheap. Canned tomatoes and legumes are cheap. Peanut butter is cheap for the amount of food the jar contains. Frozen juice concentrate is cheap. Oats in bulk are cheaper that just about any packaged cereal. Water is free.

Originally Posted by WhateverLolaWants

Being in Georgia I see them loading up at the store...boxes and boxes of mac and cheese, frozen breaded chicken patties, canned spaghetti...then washing it all down with a HUGE flat of sodas.

And yes, its all cheap. You can eat really cheap that way. But you know what else is cheap? Veggies. Fruit. Rice. Water. Most of all, meals prepared by YOU without preservatives and that generate leftovers for another meal's worth of consumption.

I agree - and I don't get how anyone can justify drinking soda in an effort to save money. Water. Is. Free. Money on soda is money that simply doesn't need to be spent.

[Honey]

I don't really care if someone wants to be huge, their body and their business