More than 73% of Americans are overweight or obese.

gregmacd wrote:

From the diet side, I'd like to see the government subsidize the cost of fruit and vegetables at fast food places. I'd be more likely to skip the fries, and go for a side salad or fruit cup if it was a $1, but when its $3.79, it makes me more hesitant.

If your salad isn't worth $3.79 to you, its beneficiary, why should it be worth $3.79 to the taxpayer?

I’m 5’11”, 180 lbs ... and I’ve noticed the past few years that (at least it seeems) I’m smaller than 85% of the guys I see in public.

America is destroying itself.

back away from the Big Gulp wrote:

I’m 5’11”, 180 lbs ... and I’ve noticed the past few years that (at least it seeems) I’m smaller than 85% of the guys I see in public.

America is destroying itself.

Time to abandon ship. Once Target rolled out the fat mannequins (women only by the way), America became a lost cause.

lift laugh love wrote:

back away from the Big Gulp wrote:

I’m 5’11”, 180 lbs ... and I’ve noticed the past few years that (at least it seeems) I’m smaller than 85% of the guys I see in public.

America is destroying itself.

Time to abandon ship. Once Target rolled out the fat mannequins (women only by the way), America became a lost cause.

Say it ain't so! ?

Did you see that US Diet Guidelines were released today?

Get a load of this (not good):

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/health/dietary-guidelines-alcohol-sugar.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Health

And i quote from the article:

"Critics were disappointed that the federal agencies had ignored the recommendations of the scientific advisory committee. “I’m stunned by the whole thing,” said Marion Nestle, a professor emerita of nutrition and food studies at New York University and author of several books on the government’s dietary guidelines.

“Despite repeated claims that the guidelines are science-based, the Trump agencies ignored the recommendation of the scientific committee they had appointed, and instead reverted to the recommendation of the previous guidelines,” she said.

The composition of the dietary advisory committees drew controversy earlier this year, because many of the experts had ties to the beef and dairy industries. Yet the scientists went further in their advice than had previous committees, particularly with the recommendations to limit sugar and alcohol, Dr. Nestle said.

“Those were big changes, and they got all the attention when the report came out last summer for very good reasons — and they were ignored in the final report,” Dr. Nestle said."

seattle prattle wrote:

Aren't you the guy who threw a gigantic hissy fit when Rojo questioned the official health guidelines? Now you are doing the same thing.

gts1234 wrote:

People are overweight and obese almost exclusively because of caloric intake. While parks etc are nice they won’t change the behavior above. We as a society are glued to our screens for the dopamine. That will win over going outside and running any day for this 73%

Yes and no at the same time.

The main reason that people are fat are bad policy decisions and corporate lobbying for processed foods. It starts with bad zoning laws and it ends with corporate lobbyists deciding what schools serve for lunch. And there are 10,000 other things in between.

Just to say people need to eat more healthy is right and wrong at the same time. Things are far more complicated.

Eat more veggies, people! wrote:

gts1234 wrote:

People are overweight and obese almost exclusively because of caloric intake. While parks etc are nice they won’t change the behavior above. We as a society are glued to our screens for the dopamine. That will win over going outside and running any day for this 73%

Yes and no at the same time.

The main reason that people are fat are bad policy decisions and corporate lobbying for processed foods. It starts with bad zoning laws and it ends with corporate lobbyists deciding what schools serve for lunch. And there are 10,000 other things in between.

Just to say people need to eat more healthy is right and wrong at the same time. Things are far more complicated.

So true.

We need to approach this from several different angles including education, encouraging healthy lifestyles, legislation to promote health and fitness and exercise, examining health insurance incentives, encouraging wellness programs in the workplace, Legislation against excessievely sweet beverages and portion sizes (think NYC) and the like, etc. And we need to do it knowing full well it won't reach everyone, and we need to not demean anyone regardless of their weight or body type. That isn't the point. But we need to recognize this for the threat that it is,. ANd make no mistake about it, it is a tremendous drain on a bloated health care system already.

If you see film footage of Americans 50 years ago (like the kids at Woodstock) you were all a lot skinnier. Heck - we all were! But fast foods and high sugar content with increasingly sedentary living changed that.

Ghermin wrote:

At least the Letsrun population shows the good way, with probably around 0% of obesity among the community.

I don't know about that. Like a lot of people on this post I'm firm believer its the calorie intake although its easy to blame no exercise. I started ballooning in the gut and man boobs past a certain age because I started eating like an obese person even though i was still exercising an hour a day. I was lucky because I don't think my body is designed for obesity as it threw out many warning signs and pains that made me stop my caloric intake without my choice anymore. I imagine if my body was able to handle obesity up to 300 lbs like some people then I wouldn't be able to catch it early before its too late, you know with the artherscelorsis, diabetes, and metabolic problems

seattle prattle wrote:

, Fresh fruit and vegies are less available in inner city, low income neighborhoods, and instead, .

This is typical liberal ignorance for the sake of being ignorance. You need to get out and actually learn about the places you speak of. I see produce stores on every block in inner city neighborhoods. You sound as knowledgeable about the inner city as these Cal Berkeley students.

Liberal bigot alert wrote:

seattle prattle wrote:

, Fresh fruit and vegies are less available in inner city, low income neighborhoods, and instead, .

This is typical liberal ignorance for the sake of being ignorance. You need to get out and actually learn about the places you speak of. I see produce stores on every block in inner city neighborhoods. You sound as knowledgeable about the inner city as these Cal Berkeley students.

https://youtu.be/odB1wWPqSlE

This is actually fairly true. I buy my produce from a Mexican grocery in a less nice area because it’s cheaper (and they have giant zucchini I use in a spiralizer). However everyone almost with exception that works there and shops there is obese.

You have to be invested in your health and recognize that what’s goes in your mouth is a determinant of that. You don’t need to be/feel healthy if you are just going to sit and watch tv when you aren’t working. To be honest, it feels like it’s too late. No way to fix the problem. It will bankrupt us from a health spending standpoint for sure.

agree-the American health system emphasizes disease treatment rather than health promotion --"there is a pill for every ill".

Same trend that's been going on since the 60s. The increase has been slow and gradual. It seems to be leveling off lately. Probably because you'll have a segment of the population that will just never be fat.

The breakdown by group is actually fascinating:

1960 overweight: 31.5%

2020 overweight: 30.7%

1960 obese: 13.4%

2020 obese: 42%

1960 severely obese: 1%

2020 severely obese: 10%

1960 total combined: 45%

2020 total combined: 72%

So the good news is the overweight group is smaller! Bad news is the overweight people got really fat, and the skinny people got overweight.

In the 70s everyone was thin.

https://youtu.be/2hZBu9r7f1E

Armstronglivs wrote:

If you see film footage of Americans 50 years ago (like the kids at Woodstock) you were all a lot skinnier. Heck - we all were! But fast foods and high sugar content with increasingly sedentary living changed that.

All fast food and junk food is high fat as well as high sugar. The combo of fat and sugar is what makes food so tasty.

The 1980 guidelines advised "avoid too much fat" and "avoid too much sugar". Sugar consumption has actually gone down the past 20 years, but fat consumption has increased.

Sedentary living has almost nothing to do with it. Exercise is a magic pill for health, but does not have much effect on weight for most people.

People just eat more. Not sure it's the government's fault. Habits change, trends change, companies respond to market demand and make convenient, calorie-dense foods. With two income homes being the default, people have more disposable income and less time at home to prepare food.

seattle prattle wrote:Yet the scientists went further in their advice than had previous committees, particularly with the recommendations to limit sugar and alcohol,

Does it matter? The guidelines have been telling us to limit sugar and alcohol for 40 years and obesity still rises. The 1980 guidelines:

Armstronglivs wrote:

If you see film footage of Americans 50 years ago (like the kids at Woodstock) you were all a lot skinnier. Heck - we all were! But fast foods and high sugar content with increasingly sedentary living changed that.

I have noticed that too. But you don't have to go back that far. In the mid eighties people where still much slimmer.