Obesity in America Thoughts?

[SamRoc]

I see just the opposite. When I was a teen in the 70s, we were skinny-probably too thin. The kids that I see today that I call chubby are about 20 lbs overweight. They have guts that hang over their bikinis or they have muffin tops that hang over their jeans and shorts.

That was me and my friends in the 70s too! we were so thin we would have to take our pants in! i was one of the only ones who could sew so i was very busy. its not that we didnt eat, but we rode our bikes everywhere, i mean miles from town to town. we didnt have computers and we were outside all the time.

 

[clgwli]

Find me some frozen or canned fruits and vegetables that have no added chemicals, sodium and sugars. Most have something added to them. Which is part of our heath problems.

Dual income families don't have time to fix food from scratch. Frozen and convienence foods were created after women started working outside of the home. Today, most families can't make it on only one income.

I do not have any canned food at the moment to look at, but I looked in my freezer and EVERY SINGLE BAG/BOX of frozen food said "Corn" "Carrots" "Peas, Carrots and Broccoli"

I do check for sodium added to my vegetables when I buy canned, but most I find do not

I'm not sure where you got that information from. I do know that over 90% of Del Monte's canned items are 100% pure with no additives. I wish I had some on hand but I cannot tell you 100% for sure what they do.

Dual income families do have time to cook. Most tell themselves they do not. There are a whole slew of 30 minute recipes (including prep time) out there.

I think people make too many excuses. That goes for those who "need" dual incomes. It's quite surprising how little you need to survive if it comes down to it. Trust me, i've seen it a lot lately going back to single incomes and people do make it

 

[Forevryoung]

My mom is a registered dietician who has a contract with a corporate wellness program. She has worked to develop easy programs for hard working non-athletic individuals (they are mostly scientists).

The number one weight loss method was walking 10,000 steps a day. Get a pedometer and start counting. Walk around the house while you are on the phone chatting, walk up and down the stairs while you are going over social studies with the kids, park your car farther away from the store...

Just use your imagination and you will find small ways to incorporate more movement into your day.

Good luck!

 

[TheNewman6]

Of course it is portional control It is also fast food, processed food, emotional eating....Everyone has different reasons for what and why they eat. All any of us can do is work on ourselves and hope for the best

 

[LadyZolt]

I agree with what has been posted about exercise, portion size, etc. But I want to say that one of the main problems is that old "food pyramid" most of us grew up with that recommended *up to 11 servings* of bread, cereal rice or pasta *a day*! And so people counted Wonder (white) bread, white rice, white spaghetti in this and thought they were eating right! No mention of whole grains -- and so we had a generation that grew up in the 30's, 40's and 50's who pretty much had fresh whole grain breads and were eating meals prepared at home mostly. Then they had kids in the 60's and 70's and the supermarket industry boomed with more prepared products, TV dinners, more preservatives, etc., and the parents didn't know any better because the FDA was saying this stupid stuff on the food pyramid. Then, somewhere in the mid-80s, soda moves from having real sugar (which the human body processes as (duh!) "sugar") to using the cheaper high fructose corn syrup an fructose and the body does not process it the same way no matter what the HFCS folks say. Then, plastics become the rage and the soda isn't even in real glass anymore, but in plastic and people are eating microwave food from plastic as opposed to the foil TV dinners of the 70's. And research shows now that maybe some stuff leaks from the plastic into the food and when ingested into human cells it makes it harder to lose fat. While I'm not sure how accurate this will turn out to be in the long run, it certainly cannot be good to drink and eat out of plastic. Let's go back to eating like we did in the 50's -- exercise, home cook stuff, don't eat anything out of plastic, eat whole grains, and eat real sugar and nothing with "hydrogenated oil" or other processed stuff and I think we'll again look like we did in the 50's. At least they've updated the food pyramid so it's no longer saying eating 10 servings of Wonder bread a day is a healthy idea!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[Christine]

No way were we too thin in the 70s. We were how human beings were supposed to be--lean, low body fat, muscular. My son's pediatrician told me that we've all become "skewed" with how we see people. He said that most younger children (around ages 6-10) should be very lean and should easily be able to see their ribs (same goes for dogs too!).

We've gotten very accommodating to our new sizes!

I remember watching a Valerie Bertinelli on Oprah and she said that back when she was on "One Day At A Time" she struggled with her weight and thought she was slightly chubby. I remember back in high school that, while she was supercute, we did remark that at times she could be "chubby." By today's standards if you look at pictures of Valerie Bertinelli when she was 19, you never would label her chubby. What we view now as overweight is entirely different than what we saw in the 60s and 70s.

 

[Nette]

No way were we too thin in the 70s. We were how human beings were supposed to be--lean, low body fat, muscular. My son's pediatrician told me that we've all become "skewed" with how we see people. He said that most younger children (around ages 6-10) should be very lean and should easily be able to see their ribs (same goes for dogs too!).

We've gotten very accommodating to our new sizes!

I remember watching a Valerie Bertinelli on Oprah and she said that back when she was on "One Day At A Time" she struggled with her weight and thought she was slightly chubby. I remember back in high school that, while she was supercute, we did remark that at times she could be "chubby." By today's standards if you look at pictures of Valerie Bertinelli when she was 19, you never would label her chubby. What we view now as overweight is entirely different than what we saw in the 60s and 70s.

So true. And if I have to hear one more time about how I'm too skinny I am going to scream. At 127ish and 5'5" I'm in the middle of the acceptable weight range for my height. I hear it about my daughter too, and fact is, she looks beautiful and healthy.

I also have a friend (diabetic) who thinks her son is too thin and he needs to eat more. 1) He isn't too thin -- I've seen too thin, my brother looked like a Biafra baby at one point when he was really sick. THAT was too thin. You can't even see this kids ribs. 2) Because she thinks he needs to eat, she'll give him whatever he wants if he refuses the first meal offered to him. That kid is gonna grow up eating sugary yogurt and granola bars and thinking it is healthy.

 

[luvmy3]

Just ran across an interesting article in TIME magazine about Obesity in America. And really got me thinking as I sat at my computer and watched TV, have we (Americans) neglected proper diet, portion control and exercise?

No, I don't think so at all. Well I gotta go to Wendy's now and get my Baconator double cheese burger, or maybe I'll just get the triple decker cheeseburger, Biggie Fries and Biggie Soda. I think I'll top it off with a large Frosty and come home and plop myself on the couch check my facebook and watch a marathon of some old sitcom and then go to bed

 

[LisaR]

I agree with all of this. I think time is a HUGE factor and I find it a very interesting culprit in American obesity specifically. In MANY other countries most companies start employees off with far more vacation time than we have here in the US. Americans work so many hours that sometimes we just don't have the time for the proper diet and activity. Hence why you see people eating so much junk in their cars. We're always on the go. We have been researching other countries recently as Hubby wants to live abroad, and it is truly amazing how in so many other places in the world people work to live, as opposed to Americans who live to work. Most of the places we have looked at seem to have a much better work/life balance and lower obesity rates.

I'm not saying that applies to everyone in this country or others, but it is definitely an interesting factor.

I have to disagree. If Americans have time to go to a restaurant or plop in front of the TV or computer, they have time to take a walk and make a nutritious meal.

Brown rice and beans can be made quickly. Whole grain pasta takes minutes. Make the fixings for a salad on Sunday and eat it during the week. It can be done without much cost or much time if you want to.

 

[Free4Life11]

Find me some frozen or canned fruits and vegetables that have no added chemicals, sodium and sugars. Most have something added to them. Which is part of our heath problems.

Dual income families don't have time to fix food from scratch. Frozen and convienence foods were created after women started working outside of the home. Today, most families can't make it on only one income.

Del Monte makes MANY varieties of no salt added canned tomatoes and veggies. They are not much more expensive than the other varieties. Generally frozen veggies in a bag are just veggies, the boxed ones usually have the added salt and seasonings. Birds Eye makes the steam fresh varieties which are easy and convenient and most are just plain veggies, nothing added.

And IMO, canned fruit is just dumb! Apples, oranges, bananas are not that expensive. And even berries can be pretty cheap during the summer when you buy them on sale.

And all of those frozen and convenience foods take time to prepare and can be very expensive! Is it REALLY that time consuming or difficult to boil a pot of whole wheat pasta and pour a jar of tomato sauce over it? Steam some veggies and you have a healthy meal. Or throw some skinless chicken breasts on the George Foreman...what does it take, 7 maybe 8 minutes to grill? While they are cooking chop up some Romaine lettuce and tomatoes and you can have a chicken salad for dinner. A canister of oatmeal is cheap and healthy and takes what, 2 minutes to microwave in the morning? Healthy meals do not have to be exotic and full of fancy ingredients. They can be very simple. If you know you are going to have a busy week, prepare some stuff on Sunday....boil a pot of pasta, grill some chicken breasts, chop some veggies, etc.

If you MAKE living a healthy lifestyle a PRIORITY and part of your daily routine, it is not nearly as challenging as you make it out to be.

Excuses, excuses, excuses...

 

[jenrose66]

Can you include the link to that article or let me know what issue it was in. I'd like to read it. I think that I have put on a lot of weight since having my second child. To me, it is emotional eating and laziness. Some people drink, some people smoke, I eat cookies and drink cherry coke...and late at night to boot... b/c I don't want my kids to see me eating so bad.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

Well, I live in New Jersey and many times fresh produce is VERY expensive whether it be fruit or vegetables.

Also Sodium is very high in most things that are either frozen or canned. That was something that I learned several years ago. I don't know what you are reading on the cans.

I also agree with a PP about walking outside...sometimes you can't due to where you live or what time you get home and if it is safe to do so.

I also agree with a PP about other countries that work to live not live to work. That is something we as Americans should think of.

Also STRESS!!!! Stress can make you gain weight and not even realize it. We as Americans have alot of stressful things going on especially now.

I am not lazy and like I have said before I don't feel most Americans are.

 

[LisaR]

Well, I live in New Jersey and many times fresh produce is VERY expensive whether it be fruit or vegetables.

Also Sodium is very high in most things that are either frozen or canned. That was something that I learned several years ago. I don't know what you are reading on the cans.

I also agree with a PP about walking outside...sometimes you can't due to where you live or what time you get home and if it is safe to do so.

I also agree with a PP about other countries that work to live not live to work. That is something we as Americans should think of.

Also STRESS!!!! Stress can make you gain weight and not even realize it. We as Americans have alot of stressful things going on especially now.

I am not lazy and like I have said before I don't feel most Americans are.

I do not EVER buy canned goods unless they are low sodium. I have canned beans, tomatoes, salsa, pasta sauce and broth that are ALL low sodium. I do not have a single bag of frozen vegetables or fruit that have added any sugar or sodium. I shop at Target, Sam's, Walmart and Publix. They all carry plenty of low sodium items.

I really think many on this thread are finding any excuse they can. Quality food at a reasonable price is available everywhere in America. It isn't that hard to find.

If you live in an area where you can't walk outside, buy or make a step and walk up and down it while you watch TV. If there is time to DIS, there is time to walk.

 

[Beca]

I do think we have an obesity problem...for many reasons...but, many are not our faults. On our last trip to WDW, my dh and I were doing our usual "people watching". What was most surprising to us was families where the mother and daughter/s were overweight while the father and son/s were not. I had just read a book called "Toxic Overload" which was written by a Scottish physician who specializes in the effect of chemicals on our bodies. One of the interesting things she wrote about was how many of the chemicals in our food are estrogen mimics, which mean that they bond to estrogen receptors, and cause us to be estrogen dominant....which makes us gain weight. She says that even a small amount of the chemicals commonly found in pesticides can make a significant difference in weight gain. Right after we returned home, I read an article about how, by the age of 60, 70% of men in the US are "estrogen dominant"...how strange this was, and what effect this could be having on our society as a whole (they were wondering if this was leading to early erectile problems in men as young as their 30's).

I also read another article about how "precocious puberty" is becoming a growing problem in young girls...some as young as five years old....who are developing breasts and getting their periods. This causes problems later in life because growth slows or stops entirely once a child enters puberty, and some of these kids end up being pretty short. For a few of these kids, there is a reason (hypothalmus probs, a tumor, a head injury, inherited trait, etc.), but for most...science can find no cause. It's very strange!!

I have a dd who is considered TINY for her age. Actually, she is growing like a weed, and I have noticed she is now as tall as most of her peers (yay!!), but she is thin. Her doctor says not to worry...that the difference is because I feed her almost exclusively organics, and she HATES "fast food" restaurants. Actually, she hates the way most food tastes out anywhere (which is why we are SOOO thankful that a new Whole Foods is open by WDW!!). I think my dd is beautiful. She has lots of muscle tone in her legs...she takes 5 dance classes/week, rides her horse, and performs in theatre. She is a busy girl, but compared to many of her peers...she is very petite. She does have one friend who, like her, is fed almost entirely organics. This young girl is about 9 months older than my dd, and they could be twins size-wise...they are built exactly the same.

When I was pg with my dd, I did not eat organically, and gained a TON of weight, even though I was not eating much. I am now 6 months pg, and have gained only 4 pounds. Of course, I did need to lose some weight before I got pg, but I cannot believe I have not gained more. I am NOT dieting....I am just eating a lot of organic foods. I really think eating organically is the key to not gaining weight. Unfortunately, it is expensive, and not sustainable with current farming methods for the population as a whole. The FDA really needs to revisit what is/is not allowed in the food in our country.

 

[jaycat]

I think Americas portions are way out of control - couple that with the lack of walking we do and you have a formula for obesity. And its not just dining out that provides really large portions, eating in can be just as bad because no one knows the correct portion size anymore.

 

[Free4Life11]

Well, I live in New Jersey and many times fresh produce is VERY expensive whether it be fruit or vegetables.

Hmm...I don't know what supermarkets are in NJ, but I remember Stop and Shop was in RI when I lived there. I was just browsing their ad (http://www.stopandshop.com/savings/circular.htm) and their fresh produce doesn't seem outrageous...$3.88 for a whole watermelon, $2 for 12 ears of corn, $1.79/lb peaches, $2.99 for a pint of blueberries. Those prices seem very reasonable to me, especially when you consider a bag of chips can be as high as $3.99.

Also Sodium is very high in most things that are either frozen or canned. That was something that I learned several years ago. I don't know what you are reading on the cans.

Sodium can be high in processed, canned, and frozen foods, but low sodium and no salt added varieties are becoming very common. It only takes 20 seconds to read a food label.

I also agree with a PP about walking outside...sometimes you can't due to where you live or what time you get home and if it is safe to do so.

Walk inside, or up and down the stairs. Park at the back of the parking lot and walk a little bit farther. Buy an exercise DVD or a gym membership. Go to the park or beach on your day off to run/walk/bike. There are plenty of low-cost ways to get in exercise. Walk the stairs at work on your lunch break, etc.

I also agree with a PP about other countries that work to live not live to work. That is something we as Americans should think of.

Also STRESS!!!! Stress can make you gain weight and not even realize it. We as Americans have alot of stressful things going on especially now.

I agree that we do tend to work more in America, but a full time work week is still only 40 hours. You don't have to exercise 2 hours a day to be healthy and fit. And it's ironic mention stress, because exercise is one of the number one things experts recommend TO combat stress.

I'm not trying to pick on you, but to me these are all just excuses.

 

[ChrisFL]

I actually posted about this recently at another place that I frequent.

Here are what I've found are some of the multitude of causes:

- Processed food, fast food, etc. (obvious)
- Not taking time to cook or make food with fresh ingredients, hence the processed food, fast food
- Needing a car to get everywhere, most places are not made pedestrian friendly, we never have to walk or bike ride, except for the few who want to for other reasons.
- Sugar, HFCS, etc. in everything, breakfast cereals, drinks (even most fruit juices have tons of it)
- Desk jobs....too many. I'm a victim of that, I haven't changed my diet much but used to weigh a lot less when I wasn't at a desk all day long.
- Eating out culture- Restaurants who don't show nutrition information and have insane amounts of fat, calories, sodium, carbs, etc.
- Really really bad ideas about how to lose weight...a whole industry of special "pills", special "diets", special exercise equipment all that come and go...each one the "miracle cure"

After being in Asia for 2 months, its really amazing the difference there. The people are smaller, yes, but the portions are much smaller!! A "large" drink in Mcdonald's in the Philippines is smaller than the "small" we have here!!

I found a lot of western food places that offer all of the fatty, unhealthy foods we have here, but they also don't eat as much and they don't have a car to take them everywhere all the time. They actually walk around a lot.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I think obesity is now "the path of least resistance" and an almost expected outcome for most Americans (certainly not all, but most) who don't actively make lifestyle decisions not to become obese. It's just too easy to make prepared food or eat out, no real reason to walk anywhere or get any exercise, too comfortable playing video games or watching TV - obesity is bound to be the result, and a lifelong struggle with weight. Unless you fight this trend and take action, most people will become obese living the American life style.

Obesity is a given unless people take the time to change their life styles and incorporate better living (healthier foods, exercise) into their routines. But like a previous poster said, it's hard to make these changes, but it can be done.

 

[FireDancer]

I think the general health in this country is pretty bad. Much is laziness but I also think a lot is ignorance (lack of knowing, not the negative connotation). Many PPs have hit the nail on the head with some of what they think.

Exorcizer can be free. I run at least 4 days a week and all that costs me is a pair of running shoes every year. If you live in an area you can't run in get in the car or on the bus and go to a park or another neighborhood. There are treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, and rowing machines that don't require leaving the house. There are city and state parks. Instead of watching the game this weekend go on a hike. These are all ways to get more exercise into you life.

A lot of people have no idea what they are eating. I keep a food journal every day and it makes me know what I am eating. With all the free nutritional information sites out there you can find the contents (calories, fat, etc) of just about anything. I also read every label of everything I buy. One of the most important things on the label is the portion size. No matter how healthy something is if you eat 4 cups of it and the portion size is 1/3 cup (like most granola) you are eating too many calories. At a restaurant you can order food without sauce or order a half portion. Some healthy food is more expensive, some isn't, but good food is an investment worth making.

I think kids can be too stationary but it is up to the parents to keep them outside. Growing up we were not permitted to watch television in the summer, we were basically kicked out of the house. My childhood memories of summer involve exploring the woods and playing ball in the field down the street, not the newest Ninetendo (as it was at the time) game.

I also think we are way too over medicated. While I am not under the delusion that all medication is bad we are too quick to take 4 different pills for 4 different symptoms to a disease that we would cure for free with more diet and exorcise (Viagra anyone). Hey, with all that money you save on pills maybe you can spring for the produce.

The time we live in can hinder our health because we sit in front of the TV and computer or help out health because we have more access to information. Some of the things I mention are easy and some are hard but it requires effort to live healthy. I also want to clarify my use of you is only to make this narrative second person and not directed at anyone who posted anything prior. Sometimes that doesn't come across on a message board as it would in face to face conversation.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Diet is absloutely one of the causes. Our portion sizes in the U.S. are insane. I agree with otehr posters that cooking your own, healthy mels is not truly that costly. In the U.S. we spent less on groceries than most people I knew. Even though I cook "mostly" from scratch (I use dry pasta, premade breads at times, etc.) I rarely spend more than 30 minutes preparing a meal. I think MANY people my age in the U.S. just flat out never learned how to be good cooks. They feel they need to follow detailed recipes and spend lots of times measuring everything and reading what to add and hunting down every spice listed, etc. Most people in most of the world (and most cooks in the U.S. in the past) "know" how to combine inredients. They don't waste time (and dirty extra dishes) hunting down a recipe and measuring thigns for typical every day meals. When you have had some expereience in cooking and can just throw things together it is as fast or faster than preparing "conveince foods."

Exercise is another biggie. As a PP pointed out, our cities are no longer set up to allow for most people to commute via walking or bicycle. Add to taht our culture of fear--in which children often to not play outside for fear they will be kidnapped, etc--and we lose many oppurtunities for "excercise" which is not an acitivity in of it itself but just a part of doing our normal routines. I know my kids, who were both thin and in good shape when we arrived in Germany 5 months ago, have gotten even leaner now that we lives where they regularly ride their bikes and walk to get everywhere. We do not have to find time to "excericse" it happens naturally as part of our day. This used to be the case for MANY people in the US but is rarely so anymore.

Living where you cannot just bike or walk to all the places you need to be you DO need to "make" time to be active. Too many of us make excuses about not having time or money to do so. Even if you cannot go for a walk in your neighborhood you can turn on the radio and dance around for an hour in the house, etc. It IS absoutely possible to fit in exercise if you really want to--but ti is easier to say you do not have the time or money and see that there are plenty of people in worse shape than you are so we get lazy (or fool ourselves into really believing what we say). One does not NEED a gym, or any fancy equipment to stay in shape--we just have been led to believe we do by some great marketing.