Are People Obese in America because it is Socially Acceptable

a reply to: ancientlight

I remember when we would BEG for a TV dinner. This is when they were in aluminum and had to cook in the oven for 40 minutes! You got to eat them on a TV try and watch TV.

Early programming....

a reply to: Ahabstar

If you wanted to go somewhere you either walked or rode a bicycle.

I really wish more cities in the US would embrace bike riding. That is one thing I loved about Europe.
Here there is almost a hatred for bike riders because they have to share the road/sidewalk with people that have never been on a bike in their entire lives.

originally posted by: marg6043
People do not understand the fat epidemic in the US, it was manufactured by the food industry and the big pharma.

Yep, we are being drilled that is food choices, we are being drilled that is genetic related.

To a point is both.

Food choices, we have no food choices we buy what is offered to us in groceries stores, the problem is the way food is manufactured in the US.

Do a search history on food processing and you will find the link to big pharma.

Is harder to go out of your way to make sure you check every single item of food you buy, cook and eat than get ready and easy to cook items right from the shelves and freezers and cheaper too.

When the diet industry took hold in the 80s that's when fit American went down the hill and obesity started to become an epidemic.

Nothing in our society and in our nation happen by chance, nothing.

Yup , the food industry/big pharma are buddies, have been for decades. There's more money to be made if the population is sick. It's absolutely criminal !

a reply to: JAGStorm

its the American Life style and it's overall standard of living .

Even poor people in America on average get two meals a day every day , and the Food is processed for the most part packed with Protein , Fats , Vegetable oils and added Vitamins.

Vegetable oil is poison and its in almost everything , combine that with a total lack of exercise .

We Drive to work, we sit at our jobs or do minimal physical labor , then drive home and eat a meal with an excess of calories . Instead of promoting Exercise doctors just give people modern pharmaceuticals that allow them to remain fat and keep them alive it's totally unnatural .

Now personally I don't have an issue with Obese people at all until they blame others for there problems , and just for the record I like big girls so yeah

a reply to: JAGStorm

Another weird thing.

Growing up I was told certain rules for eating and digesting. (Asian household)

Some might be TMI...
We were to never hold urine in, but we were taught to hold #2 Diarrhea wasn't something to be scared of or medicated, it was your body doing its work. (I know that sometimes it is dangerous) I'm just talking about what we were taught.
We were taught to always drink warm drinks, or lukewarm. Cold drinks were poison.
We were taught that Tofu was eaten to GAIN weight, yes you read that right, if you wanted to fatten up, Tofu. It's quite the opposite here.
We were taught not to eat noodle made from rice near bedtime, poison.
We were taught to eat soups and warm liquids early in the morning.

a reply to: JAGStorm

It's due to laziness, convience, and not wanting to eat healthy. I know a lot of women who say they can't cook, but unwilling to try to learn how, and just eat fast food all the time, they get door dash.

It seems you and I Jagstorm grew up in the same era as everyone was skinny, including myself. I am 5'1 and now weigh 140 something which is overweight for my height. I used to weigh 109lbs. This was way before kids. I am still active, I cook extremely well, I try to eat well, but at least I am trying.

I feel people have given up, we are too dependent on convience, we want quick meals or fast meals. They don't want to be bothered with cooking. On average majority of families eat out like 3-4 times a week or more. People don't work out anynore becayse it's too hard or they don't think they can lose weight, so thry give up. The average size for women is 14-16.

a reply to: BernnieJGato

The human body can be a highly complex system, mental illness could play into hormone regulation, disease, physical decay or it could be more basic emotions everyone experiences that develop into the simpler mental illnesses most experience such as depression and anxiety.

Uncontrolled anxiety will keep you skinny.
Uncontrolled depression fosters the ideal situations for weight gain.

Obviously that's a somewhat simplistic way of looking at it but that's where it begins, patterns emerge and coping mechanisms begin. It's why doctors spot this stuff from a mile a way but people in their infinite wisdom hardly ever listen to them. Nor are they honest with them or themselves too for that matter.

Which isn't a surprising thing in a world where people are caught up blaming and shaming each other, is it?

Its all just chemicals... Anything can be addictive.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Truth!! No one wants to go get fresh air, hell my favorite past time is walking in the woods, but I am a weirdo. I don't like fast food at all. I like certain restaurants and food trucks. Another favorite past time for me is swimming, I love it. I live in Florida, so I can go swimming here in October. 😊

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: JAGStorm

My personal story.

I’ve always been a slim, maybe a little underweight type of person.
About ten or so years ago I noticed weight was creeping up just a tad.
I talked to my doctor about talking to a nutritionist as I felt I had some deficiencies in that area too.

Here is what I was told. I was not overweight so anything they would help me with would not be covered by
Insurance. Because I didn’t have high blood pressure, or diabetes or pre-diabetes they couldn’t help me unless
I wanted to pay thousands out of pocket. I’m not even kidding.

There is no real preventative help in this country. They love to treat you with a myriad of pharmaceuticals AFTER, but if you try to be proactive you are totally on your own.

Big Pharma, fast food, and soda companies all game the same goals they want us all as fat and unhealthy as possible.

Not saying it should be regulated but it is true.

You choose what to put in your body.
The outcome is your own fault.
Blame others all day long, it will change nothing.

a reply to: chris_stibrany

Fructose Corn syrup, they put that in everything. Your best bet is sugar free, unless you are like me and your body can't handle sucralose.

Self control is easy to disregard if you always have something to blame, other than yourself of course.

Self-control is in the same category as personal responsibility, common sense, lead by example, and natural immunity. Recession is archaic as well.

I will tell you guys the secret after I shift over to the non-smashed couch cushion and stretch my phone thumbs to avoid a serious sprain.

a reply to: RonnieJersey

My husband told me once that if I got to 300lbs, he would divorce me. I told him I won't let myself get to that point. If I notice that my clothing gets tight, I look at what I am eating and cut back the carbs. I have had this mentality since I was a teenager and weight started to matter to me. I took pride in my looks, always have. I wpuld work out, I wouldn'y eat too much junk food. I love vegetables, so I eat plenty. I like fruits too. I do pep talks to myself, and make myself lose weight. Rught now I am having a hard time because I 45 and my metabolism has slowed way down. My husband is still attracyed to me. I am around 140 something, and I get annoyed I can't get down to 120lb.

originally posted by: stylishslug
My question to all you fatties in here, How many of you drink diet cola? I am willing to bet more than half.

What do Europeans drink(used to, Hear they are getting fat now too) ? Americans should do that. Also probably getting rid of all the horrible poison in our food would be good. Though for whatever reason we love it?

I drink water and unsweetened iced tea all day long, every day.
The doctor told me that keeping hydrated with no sugar is one of the most important things we should do for ourselves.
And walking a few miles every single day.

originally posted by: RonnieJersey

originally posted by: Blaine91555
a reply to: infolurker

Fat shaming does not help people in any way, so why do people do it? I guess it gives people a feeling of superiority and power to emotionally harm other people.

Most bullies have low self-esteem so they do it to give themselves a sense of superiority.

If I had a daughter that was 300 lbs, trust and believe I would be shaming her every chance I got.
Sorry, but it is not attractive, it's unhealthy, and it's just plain lazy.

So only with a daughter?
You never mention son, so I'm assuming you'd only be critical of a daughter. My father did the same , subtle comments, triggered bulimia for years. I was always normal weight, or near normal. With bulimia I became underweight.
Leading by example is the way to help change somebody's ways, not criticism!

a reply to: Blaine91555

I am 4 years older than my sister. I weigh much, much less. She is going to have to have a knee replaced by the time she's my age.

a reply to: JAGStorm

They are obese due to being lazy, bad diet, bad choices. Everyone I know who is obese will state this is why they are obese and it isn't anyone else's fault but their own. I have a friend who had gastric by pass years ago because she ate herself into morbid obesity and could not get the weight down no matter what she did and she did try but she will admit she did it to herself. She has lost half her weight and has done a MUCH better job with food and exercise. She cooks from scratch now when before I never even knew her to cook anything, she bought microwaved meals or FF all the time. I am really proud of what she did as she did it for herself and her family so she wouldn't die an early death because her weight was causing many health problems. She looks fantastic now and honestly her entire demeanor is much better.

Also you have to factor in our food, it is full of chemicals esp HFCS which will cause weight gain! Many countries have banned ingredients we have in our foods because they know they are harmful, but not in the states. It is nuts to me. I cut out all processed foods over a decade ago and if I eat something with HFCS or chemicals I can feel it as I start to shake. I recently ate out and had a milkshake and didnt think to ask how it was made until after I had the shakes from eating it then I asked what they made it with. Hersheys syrup and some generic ice cream. Oh man I felt that for a good 2 hours after..

I lived with a friend years ago and her whole family was severely obese, they all ate fast food or junk food, drank 12 packs of coke and Diet Coke EVERY DAY! They never left the couch. Her kids were obese and her doctor was concerned as I went to an appointment with her once. I told her as nicely as I could as a friend who was concerned for her 6 year old, that she needed to do something NOW or he would just get bigger and cause more health problems. When I would babysit him for her he ONLY wanted those nasty Kid Cuisines but I refused to make them, instead I would make exactly what was in them but from scratch. I didn't care what it was he wanted I made it and I also showed his mom easy ways to make healthy meals for him and her family. Diet is so important.

I think very few obese people in this country are obese due to medical conditions, most are obese due to their own life choices.

originally posted by: marg6043
People do not understand the fat epidemic in the US, it was manufactured by the food industry and the big pharma.

Yep, we are being drilled that is food choices, we are being drilled that is genetic related.

To a point is both.

There is a larger problem at work here though -
The continual parade of models on the clothing shopping channels, and online as well, are becoming larger and larger, allowing us all to feel that being obese is just fine, and absolutely normal -
No, it is not normal. Ever look at the young people in photos of Woodstock in 1969? Slim, shapely and nothing like the young of today.
Personally, I'm getting annoyed with tv clothing designers showing only tops made like tents with A-line shapes.
What about the rest of us who eat in moderation and exercise every day, I am being made to feel like I am the abnormal one.
What a bizarre world! LOL!

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Ahabstar

If you wanted to go somewhere you either walked or rode a bicycle.

I really wish more cities in the US would embrace bike riding. That is one thing I loved about Europe.
Here there is almost a hatred for bike riders because they have to share the road/sidewalk with people that have never been on a bike in their entire lives.

Me too!!! When I was in The Netherlands I was AMAZED at the biking there and impressed! My bf never used his car, he walked everywhere and when he would visit me he would walk even if it was 2 miles away! We are very spoiled in the states BUT biking is much safer there unlike here. They have bike lanes and rules that people follow. Could you imagine that here? Oh man. I wish though because it would be awesome and cheaper. We are just so used to getting in a car to even go a mile to the store where my friends in The Netherlands dont even think to drive a car for a mile.