AMA officially declares OBESITY a Disease

Must be great to have the money to choose. 50 million people in this country are poverty stricken its not just choice. Empty filling calories cost far less than healthier options most times and its not just pure choice. The shit is addictive. Why can countries that have identical ..... never mind.

 

And in the suburbs of Chicago, one red delicious apple costs over $1 (since it weighs a pound or more, the price is like $1.49 a pound).

 

I totally get what you're saying.

I went to a McDonald's in Switzerland and it was so weird to see signs near the counter that tells you what country they got their beef, chicken, etc from, and it tasted slightly different there.

Aside from Asia, where the people work themselves to the bone every day, there seems to be a different way of life. People rest in the middle of the day. They have wine with their meals. They eat large meals at like 9:00 at night, but somehow they aren't as obese (or maybe they are, I haven't checked statistics). They aren't as stressed. They drink wine. They're very transparent with where their food comes from, it all adds up to possibly healthier people.

 

1.69 to 2.99 depending on type of apple or if its organic in my suburbs. I'm single and make decent money I don't know how poor people making minimum wage can afford those prices.

 

You are absolutely correct in your thinking:http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

When you look at that chart you see an incredible drop off of the obesity rate when you look at other countries like Canada, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Germany etc.
It drops as much as 1/3 to 10% of our rate. These other countries restrict GMOs from their food supply, in fact Japan has stopped buying as much from us because of it. Its not as simple as just having the will power not to eat bad stuff when so much of the food is tainted with bad stuff.

 

I was talking to a friend of mine today on this very topic and after over a DECADE of her trying different ways, she's finally lost weight, because she's not eating preservatives and making smoothies every day, etc.

Anyway, she claims that her sister-in-law who is on food stamps can buy healthy foods at the dollar store and Aldi.

I'm not sure I totally buy it, but hey, whatever works. I suppose it's possible to do if you're on food stamps, but it's probably difficult as grocery stores don't always carry the same things across different areas.

 

I'm not surprised that Japan is at the bottom. I work for a Japanese company and they bring over ex-pats to work with us, and the majority of them are thin and their portions are extremely small. You should see the itty-bitty containers they have the food in for lunches. LOL.

It's crazy.

I don't think they have a portion size problem in other countries like they do here, either. It all makes a difference. They probably also do a lot more walking.

 

They drive just as much as we do but I do agree about their portions same thing in European countries but then I go over to Canada and they live very similar to us but less than half the obesity problem

 

True enough

 

You can talk that talk all you want about empty calories being cheaper than healthy options, but there are people who find, and take advantage of, these inexpensive healthy options every day (including many who've spoken up here in this thread). It IS about choices, whether or not you want to recognize it. The problem is that the unhealthy shit is so readily available and people are so lazy nowadays, they don't want to put in the mental effort of shopping around and planning their meals. Instead, they'll just swing by McDonalds and get a quick fix. In reality, they could've made a meal at home that was the same price per serving (and much healthier)...but people choose to take the quick/easy way out most times. Reminds me so much of this quote:

“If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.”

? Jim Rohn

Couple those excuses about not being able to afford healthy food with excuses about not exercising and of course we have an obesity epidemic!! We accept peoples BS excuses instead of calling them on it and teaching them how to do better. Sad but true.

 

That is absolute horseshit again look at similar countries with similar lifestyles and you see a major difference in what they do their food. And I'm not saying people aren't eating bad stuff but for so many its not simply a choice. Its no more a choice for them than it is for a crack addict or alcoholic. There's tons of literature on the subject. I think a lot of healthcare professionals should treat it like an addiction than just a simple case of will and education. Not a single person at this point doesn't recognize what unhealthy food is but it is important to recognize what it does to brain chemistry.
And if you have actual literature/stats on people choosing bad shit even though good shit is better please educate me because its not what I'm seeing in a lot of cases. Go to any impoverished area in this country and McDonalds is a lot closer than your average grocery store so if you have limited resources and no car where do you think people are going to go. Couple that with the addiction portion of it its a recipe for disaster.

 

Is simply is not that simple. There IS a socioeconomic parameter here. There are more fast food restaurants and less stores with good a produce in poorer areas. This is a well known fact. If you have money you can budget, then, in the long run, it can be cheaper to buy from scratch, can be. but to reproduce a mc d sammich, you have to spend up front a whole lot more and if you only have 5 bucks in your pocket, well....

Yes, people do poor choices, we have a problem with portion size and sedative lifestyles BUT, there is a large group at the bottom of the socio economic scale, that neither have the money, nor the knowledge OR the accessability.This group seems to be forgotten a lot.

Food is very culturally anchored into peoples behavior, and we all known the up front problems, but the socio economic availability as I described above is a huge problem. Its well documented' just take a look at what Ms Obama is doing in this area, work that has to be done, in conjunction with the 'choices' n 'activity' issues as they often strike different , but overlapping groups.

Now I'm out.

 

This is not a economic thing. I'm living proof. Poor as fuck. This obesity problem is from "over eating" then "sitting on your ass". It's called choices. Go eat Burger King,, then grab a speed rope. That's what "I" do. Instead of sitting on my ass typing on computer. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

 

Lmao I don't have the energy for you tonight love. Think what you want, if addicts don't initially become addicts based on their CHOICES than we have no common ground to even continue the conversation.

Even with accessibility issues, certain people find a way to make it work every day. Just like people who leave the house 3 hours before their shift starts, and take 3 different buses to get to work...they choose to find a way to make things work, instead of just sitting at home saying "it's too far, it's too hard, I can't do it". Fuck that. We can't hand-hold everyone through life. At some point people need to make the decision to live a healthy life, or make the decision to say fuck it, and then deal with the ramifications.

I'm really not a heartless person, but I'm so sick and tired of excuses about healthy eating and exercise, when in reality 90% of people could make it work if they chose to.

 

So Americans are inherently bad decision makers? Does that make sense to you. Maybe poor people who are unemployed or underemployed aren't working hard enough and that's why they're poor. Yeah some people make it out of that situation but they shouldn't be held as the standard there is something systematic about its not just good choices versus bad choices. The system is working for you so you're having a skewed perception based on what works for you same with Stizzy. When its something that affects damn near 100 million people I don't think it boils down to simple bad choices. People immigrate here with their same cultural practices that kept them moderately thin and then become obese here but like I said to you earlier its far easier to blame a victim than help them.

 

Question: Who is the victim? And why is he/she the victim?

 

You're a single example my friend. Maybe you have amazing will power good for you but when I look at the situation globally I don't think people in France or Italy have more will power than Americans but what I do see that's really different is what they allow to be put in their food. I'll admit their walking culture and portion control helps but they don't seem to have the same food addiction problems Americans have especially to bad shit.

 

You're average poor/working poor American who has limited food options and the food options they do have is laced with incredible amounts of harmful additives and flavoring. You go into most poor areas fruits and vegetables cost way more than cookies. Couple that with the addictive flavoring in the food it traps a lot of people into unhealthy eating. I agree people could exercise more but there are plenty of studies showing how depression from obesity makes people less inclined to work out. Like I said before it were such a simple case of will power and better eating choices then why is it affecting so many of our citizens?

 

The system isn't "working for me"...I make it work for me. It's a choice. I choose to eat healthy (even when I eat out), I choose to exercise. These are choices I make to stay healthy. I could just as easily choose to eat shit and sit on my ass all day.

As for blaming the victim...that's not my intent. I can't force people to take my advice on healthy eating. I do try to help people, provide them with information (resources) to ensure that they live a healthier lifestyle. Ultimately I'm not the one paying for their decisions.

 

Personal accountability. France or Italy have nothing to do with out choices.