Why are Americans fat?

[alfresco]

I'm a little behind in my reading but thought this would be of interest . . .
It's a really good read on why American's are fat, from the July 20, 2009
print edition of the The New Yorker.

"One of the most comprehensive data sets available about Americans —
how tall they are, when they last visited a dentist, what sort of cereal they
eat for breakfast, whether they have to pee during the night, and, if so,
how often—comes from a series of studies conducted by the federal Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants are chosen at random,
interviewed at length, and subjected to a battery of tests in special trailers
that the C.D.C. hauls around the country. The studies, known as the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, began during the Eisenhower
Administration and have been carried out periodically ever since."

Read more here, some startling statistics . . .

Why are Americans fat? : The New Yorker

 

[marilyn]

Very interesting article....I've often wondered, why werent people fat years ago?..Farmers for example...in the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's even 70's..you didnt see many overweight people walking around or on TV, or traveling...

They didnt snack, they worked hard, they didnt sit around.....

Good stuff Alfresco.

 

[lil amy]

I wish they made nutrition a mandatory class for all kids from 1st grade through 12th. I believe that the lack of nutritional education is also a cause for America's fatness.

 

[MR. BMJ]

There are many factors, but the 2 main one's are that, people eat much more now than they did 30 years ago, and they are less active. That's the bottome line. Yes, diabetes, heart disease, etc, etc are more prevalent, but many of those cases come down to diet and exercise to begin with. People walked more 30 years ago, now you can't get somebody out of the house with a gun to their head, or a car.

I'm not discounting genetic factors either for those wondering, but that doesn't discredit the fact that genetic factors were around 30 years ago either.

Fast food is a constituent to the problem, but let's not totally put the blame on this, as they were still around as well many years ago. But yes, they are more abundant, which doesn't help.

Alan Aragon has written a good article on this, mainly when people try to blame obesity solely on carbs or fast foods, etc. I don't recommend this, but if people just ate less, they could incorporate junk foods more often. That shouldn't be taken out of context though, i'm not insinuating people eat like crap with lowered caloric intakes. Lyle McDonald recently wrote about (not advocating mind you) people eating junk food in a hypocaloric state compared to those eating a healthy diet at the same amount of calories. There wasn't much of a difference if I remember (i'd have to check that though).

Healthy, balanced diet with healthy proteins, fats, and carbs, fruits veges, and staying active is often made harder than it should be for most lay-people.

IMO, people need to eat less and get off their asses more instead of trying to find a quick fix for everything. Everything is made easy these days and little effort is required for most things. You could lose weight off of candy bars if calories were lowered enough.

Well, that is my take on this, I could add much more, but will stop there for now. I do have to admit, I haven't had a chance to read the article, so please excuse any premature correlations that may have occured.


BMJ

 

[totalrecomp]

We stuff our fat faces and sit on our even fatter asses. Wish it was not true but it is. I look around me when in public and am disgusted. I know many do not want to look like they do but lack the knowledge/motivation to do anything about it.

 

[Jarconis]

inactivity plus very calorically dense foods

 

[Dave_19]

Its simple math, we have the most available unhealthy food in the most largest volumes at the cheapest prices spread around the most areas with an overal decent economy = FAT.

To me Its hard to respect extremely fat people because its an instant sign of weakness. In a situation such as business where strength is a valuable asset I kind of lose focus on them when they have input. I know it may seem wrong but I think its Inevitable human nature they bring upon them self. There will always be fat people its ok with me they stay out of my way for the most part.

 

[gelatine]

Yes, fat people are weak mentally, but people who used to be fat but have managed to lose the weight and keep if off for years tend to be much stronger mentally than naturally skinny people. I think some people are much more easily susceptible to blood sugar crashes, and anyone who's been there knows how ravenous you become. To overcome that is like denying a basic part of human nature, especially if the fat person is using the food for emotional comfort as well.

I knew a guy that always had trouble with his weight, to the point of being way over 300 pounds of fat, never worked out, and he was also smoking a pack a day. When he finally got his personal wakeup call to change his lifestyle, he told me that quitting sugary foods was much harder than quitting smoking. Consider how many people fail at that and it puts the issue in perspective.

There are multiple factors at play - eating lots of simple carbs with everything combined with decreased activity is a great recipe for insulin resistance, and as portion sizes increase there's just more carbs sitting there for the office jockey to store as fat. Insulin resistance and obesity make a self-perpetuating cycle that needs no further intervention - for most people it just becomes get fat, stay fat.

 

[betito]

Corn is the answer, everything is corn made or corn fed

 

[totalrecomp]

Corn is the answer, everything is corn made or corn fed

I agree that we overconsume, with the emphasis on corn and wheat, both of which we process the living heck out of.

I always thought that if we out right banned HFCS and took all the corn we use for that and made ethanol it would at least be less foreign oil(and yes I realise that all the corn in the US would not actually cover our needs, but less need is less need) and less HFCS helping with the obesiety epidemic.

Now I realise that no HFCS does not mean people will stop eating sugar but if it cost more, and HFCS is about as cheap as it gets, then hopefully less would be consumed.

 

[Moen]

I think this is the article mr bmj talked about

**broken link removed**

"This study basically backs up what I’ve been saying for years: a single fast food meal, within the context of a calorie controlled diet, is not death on a plate. It won’t destroy your diet and it won’t make you immediately turn into a big fat pile of blubber. And, frankly, this can be predicted on basic physiology (in terms of nutrient digestion) alone. It’s just nice to see it verified in a controlled setting.

It’s not uncommon for the physique obsessed to literally become social pariahs, afraid to eat out because eating out is somehow defined as ‘unclean’ (never mind that a grilled chicken breast eaten out is fundamentally no different than a grilled chicken breast cooked at home) and fast food is, of course, the death of any diet. This is in addition to the fact that apparently eating fast food makes you morally inferior as well. Well, that’s what bodybuilders and other orthorexics will tell you anyhow.

Except that it’s clearly not. Given caloric control, the body’s response to a given set of nutrients, with the exception of blood lipids would appear to be more determined by the total caloric and macro content of that meal more than the source of the food.

In terms of the hormonal response, clean vs. unclean just doesn’t matter, it’s all about calories and macros.

Which is what I’ve been saying all along."

 

[Ehren]

Lack of discipline. And we bitch, which drives us further into the hole of depression and lack of discipline.

Our society is set up to make everything easy; easy access to food, entertainment, transportation, housing and until recently, money.

Somehow we have forgotten that people have always been tired, worked hard and achieved and never expected it to be another way. Achievement is often difficult, that's just the way it is. So we take short cuts that end our lives sooner or ruin our health, because its easier than being healthy.

If you remind yourself that Life is War, things look easier. Easier to work another hour, do another Rep, eat another meal.

 

[control]

Americans tend to take things to the extremes. I've been to 47 different countries, and yes, you will see the fattest people in America, but you will also see the best bodies here. The leanest, the most muscular.

For example, in Asia you don't see many fat people, but you rarely see anybody with any muscle mass either.

I also feel like we have the best food in the world too (although Thailand is close). Our sushi is better than the sushi in Japan. Our pizza is better than the pizza in italy. Our mexican food is better than the mexican food in mexico (unless you go to PV).

 

[DinoHeavyD]

The food is filled with terrible crap that humans are not meant to injest. High fructose corn syrup, trans fat, unnatural preservatives etc. The air and water supplies are full of man made intoxicants. The populace is prescribed all sorts of toxic drugs. People are stressed out and depressed because of the way of life in the US. They know deep down that humans are not meant to live like they are having to live. They feel trapped and enslaved and they have no purpose in their lives. Their blood has been poisoned from birth with harmful vaccines. The poisoning of their minds is the biggest problem.

 

[triathloncoach]

Make Gear Legal

Everyone will be lean and strong!!!

 

[BiggJuicy]

Everyone will be lean and strong!!!

LOL!!!! I second that!

 

[King-kong]

Everyone will be lean and strong!!!

Naaah, most are too lazy.

 

[Nssca]

why American's are fat

Because they eat to much fats,sugars and carbs plus exercise far to little.

 

[mikeyt869]

in any city there is a fast food joint every 100ft. Americans are full of excuses as to why they dont have time to make food so they buy it all to often. The food they are buying is processed fast food thats very calorie dense, and gives some comfort to them. I think its pretty simple and absurd, considering the people that care about themselves are getting fucked with health care. Everything now days is made to accommodate fat people from hospital beds to mri machines.

STUPID SUCKS!: The world does not have to accomodate FAT people.

Special Chair For Fat People: No Go For Sao Paulo Train Stations | CoolThings.com | Anything and Everything Cool

**broken link removed**

A New Generation Of Super-Fat People

**broken link removed**

sorry for the hijack, i think this is an important issue that needs to be adressed.

 

[Fears]

Because they eat to much fats,sugars and carbs plus exercise far to little.

It's no more complicated than that.
When I was a kid, as soon as I got out of school I was playing pickup basketball, street hockey, baseball, football, etc. Even when I wasn't playing sports I was riding my bike around. Now all kids do is drink soft drinks and go play on their computer and sit inside.
Americans adults have become fat and lazy and expect more for less work.
The goals for many people are to hit the lottery, sue someone, or cry for more govt. free stuff. Gone are the days of self help and hard work (for many, not all).