America And Obesity

[exudaz]

It's no secret that America is fat. Like, really fat.
''Really fat'' as in 35% of Mississippi's population is obese, and almost 3/4 of Americans are at least overweight.
It's come to the point where Obesity is considered a disease and it's costing the country many millions of dollars. It's projected that at the current rate, half of America will be Obese in 2030.

All efforts to stop the growth of obesity have been futile. This isn't just a problem for the well-being of people and the country, it's hurting work productivity and forcing many business to cater to larger people. Which, of course, costs lots of money for said business.
In other words, obesity is destroying the damn place.

So how do we stop it? That's the question that needs to be answered. I believe that a change in life-style needs to occur. When we didn't have computers and television (which leads to a more sedentary lifestyle), obesity was no problem for us. But we can't just take TV and Computers away, nor can we force people to stop eating fast foods, that would go against everything that the bill of rights and constitution stands for. We could impose a tax on junky foods, but this would be opposed by fast food businesses and companies that produce junk food, and we don't even know if that would stop people from buying the stuff. We could also do what we did with cigarettes, and put something like "fatty junk" on the side of chips and soda, but that didn't really work for cigarettes, and again, fast food businesses and junk food producers would hate this.

People are informed that junk food and obesity kills, but that doesn't stop the growth of obesity.

What makes this even harder to deal with is that we've never been faced with this problem before. Or at least, not on this scale.

So what do you think America is going to be like in the future? In regards to obesity of course.

[fourchannings]

We're just showing off our wealth. In the past, being fat meant you were wealthy.

[Boomstick]

We should round up all the fatties and make them into Soylent Green for the homeless and starving people.

[The-Great-One]

Go watch this, then come back to me.

[Dopamine]

Well if you're fat, life is still good so there's no incentive to not be fat.

[exudaz]

At 11/27/13 06:07 PM, The-Great-One wrote: Go watch this, then come back to me.

So why would scientists and the government feed us "bologna"?
And if they do, they would know, and they wouldn't spend millions trying to prevent a 'fake' epidemic. That makes no sense.

But the government does do that.

[Tremulos]

These stats always confuse me because most of the people I see around aren't obese. I see at least 50 normal people for every obese person. Maybe they don't go outside?

Anyways, healthy eating and exercise seem to be getting bigger so I hope that future generations will be progressively less obese. Unfortunately, being "comfortable" with your fat ass is also becoming popular, as is complimenting people on their fat asses thus encouraging their fatness. Shaming them isn't necessarily the solution but making them feel good about their bodies is part of the problem. They need to be encouraged to get healthy, not get comfy. ©

[The-Great-One]

At 11/27/13 06:37 PM, exudaz wrote: So why would scientists and the government feed us "bologna"?
And if they do, they would know, and they wouldn't spend millions trying to prevent a 'fake' epidemic. That makes no sense.

But the government does do that.

Yes! In terms of what is good for us, the American government doesn't know the right information. Also our obesity in some terms is our fault... not the fault of McDonald's or any other fast food company like Super Size Me likes to say. That is if there was an epidemic, which there isn't! It's just how we measure BMI, so there for we have changed how the definitions work... the CDC even stated that they fucked up.

And those who are calling for obesity and blaming fast food companies and saying that people are too stupid to know what they're eating are simply fascists.

[exudaz]

At 11/27/13 06:38 PM, Tremulos wrote: Anyways, healthy eating and exercise seem to be getting bigger so I hope that future generations will be progressively less obese. Unfortunately, being "comfortable" with your fat ass is also becoming popular, as is complimenting people on their fat asses thus encouraging their fatness. Shaming them isn't necessarily the solution but making them feel good about their bodies is part of the problem. They need to be encouraged to get healthy, not get comfy. ©

But how would we encourage healthy lifestyles if it's more convenient and easy for people to sit on the couch and be lazy?

[Tremulos]

At 11/27/13 06:47 PM, exudaz wrote: But how would we encourage healthy lifestyles if it's more convenient and easy for people to sit on the couch and be lazy?

That is a great question that I don't have an answer for. Initially shaming seems like the place to start but I'm pretty sure that would backfire. We could always try to make healthy lifestyles easier somehow. Cheap and simple-to-use workout equipment, somehow incorporate entertainment into the workouts. Make healthy food taste better. None of these seem like real or even good solutions though

[Xenomit]

It's because we have waaaaay more food than the rest of the world, and so much of it is so good that we can't stop eating it

If I didn't care so much about my body, I would have been fat years ago

[exudaz]

At 11/27/13 06:43 PM, The-Great-One wrote:

At 11/27/13 06:37 PM, exudaz wrote: So why would scientists and the government feed us "bologna"?
And if they do, they would know, and they wouldn't spend millions trying to prevent a 'fake' epidemic. That makes no sense.

But the government does do that.

Yes! In terms of what is good for us, the American government doesn't know the right information. Also our obesity in some terms is our fault... not the fault of McDonald's or any other fast food company like Super Size Me likes to say. That is if there was an epidemic, which there isn't! It's just how we measure BMI, so there for we have changed how the definitions work... the CDC even stated that they fucked up.

And those who are calling for obesity and blaming fast food companies and saying that people are too stupid to know what they're eating are simply fascists.

I understand you can't blame fast food, that would be implying that they force us to eat, and obviously they don't. Regardless of what the cause is, we're generally fat according to statistics.
And if the methods of recording data used by the government and thousands of scientists were wrong, don't you think they would realize and change their methods by now?

I don't think the government always knows what's good for us, but I don't think they would fuck up to the point where they label something as an epidemic and pour billions into trying to stop it.

[The-Great-One]

At 11/27/13 06:57 PM, exudaz wrote: I understand you can't blame fast food, that would be implying that they force us to eat, and obviously they don't. Regardless of what the cause is, we're generally fat according to statistics.

In which the statistics are wrong.

And if the methods of recording data used by the government and thousands of scientists were wrong, don't you think they would realize and change their methods by now?

No. I don't think that the government would change their methods. There is too much money in the incorrect data.

I don't think the government always knows what's good for us, but I don't think they would fuck up to the point where they label something as an epidemic and pour billions into trying to stop it.

By marketing the foods and products that can keep it as an apparent "epidemic". This is possibly one of the worst funding the government has done since the war on drugs.

[Tremulos]

At 11/27/13 06:57 PM, exudaz wrote: I don't think the government always knows what's good for us, but I don't think they would fuck up to the point where they label something as an epidemic and pour billions into trying to stop it.

What if all the research and efforts against obesity are a gigantic advertisement for fast food? How much do we know about the involvement of these huge corporations in the running of our country...

[exudaz]

At 11/27/13 06:53 PM, Tremulos wrote:

At 11/27/13 06:47 PM, exudaz wrote: But how would we encourage healthy lifestyles if it's more convenient and easy for people to sit on the couch and be lazy?

That is a great question that I don't have an answer for. Initially shaming seems like the place to start but I'm pretty sure that would backfire. We could always try to make healthy lifestyles easier somehow. Cheap and simple-to-use workout equipment, somehow incorporate entertainment into the workouts. Make healthy food taste better. None of these seem like real or even good solutions though

True, shaming would probably strengthen the anti-fat shaming groups and cause more people to get fat.
Your solutions don't seem bad, but they most likely wouldn't work. Maybe in theory, but not in reality.
Just offering people work-out entertainment and equipment for a low price will not make them buy it. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[MadFedora]

In some part of the world, people eat to live. However in our parts of the world, we are living to eat.

Here is the problem as I view most people got the matters off course. You are fine to consume fast/junk foods as long as you apply exercising to keep the fats low. Low to the point at least you are always good shape (depends on the amount of junk food you have/had consumed). As people are afraid to control their diet, they should apply exercises often. All matters come down to one and only one problem: laziness.

I do not think America encounter failure in educating people about diet. In fact they are winning the battle against obesity. We tend to look at negativity and totally ignore the successes of the country.

[Tremulos]

At 11/27/13 07:02 PM, exudaz wrote: True, shaming would probably strengthen the anti-fat shaming groups and cause more people to get fat.
Your solutions don't seem bad, but they most likely wouldn't work. Maybe in theory, but not in reality.
Just offering people work-out entertainment and equipment for a low price will not make them buy it. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

I was trying to think of what makes fast food, over eating, lack of exercise, etc, so appealing, and apply it somehow to exercising and eating healthy. I suppose it's preposterous to propose making opposites equally and similarly appealing though. If we want to live in a free country then I suppose we have to let them be fat and produce fat children, but at least they tend to not live as long...

If we can't change the fats, perhaps we need to somehow focus on preserving and increasing (via reproduction) the healthy population. I don't know

[exudaz]

At 11/27/13 07:09 PM, MadFedora wrote:

I do not think America encounter failure in educating people about diet. In fact they are winning the battle against obesity. We tend to look at negativity and totally ignore the successes of the country.

How are we winning if obesity rates are still rising?

[MadFedora]

At 11/27/13 07:10 PM, exudaz wrote:

At 11/27/13 07:09 PM, MadFedora wrote:

I do not think America encounter failure in educating people about diet. In fact they are winning the battle against obesity. We tend to look at negativity and totally ignore the successes of the country.

How are we winning if obesity rates are still rising?

China took over the crown of obesity months ago.

[Entice]

At 11/27/13 06:27 PM, Dopamine wrote: Well if you're fat, life is still good so there's no incentive to not be fat.

So the solution is to make life as miserable as possible for fat people?

[exudaz]

Great one,

If these statistics aren't correct, what is fueling their increase?

Let's say that the statistics aren't right. Ok, so why are these 'false' statistics rising?
Something needs to be causing them to rise, so what is it?

[Xenomit]

At 11/27/13 07:12 PM, Entice wrote:

At 11/27/13 06:27 PM, Dopamine wrote: Well if you're fat, life is still good so there's no incentive to not be fat.

So the solution is to make life as miserable as possible for fat people?

That'd be nice

[Entice]

At 11/27/13 07:24 PM, Xenomit wrote: That'd be nice

Narrow doors
Weight limits on wheelchairs

[Jester]

The fatter folks around me are, the more appealing i'll feel

[Xenomit]

At 11/27/13 07:26 PM, Entice wrote:

At 11/27/13 07:24 PM, Xenomit wrote: That'd be nice

Narrow doors
Weight limits on wheelchairs

Make elevator doors open less so that people over a certain diameter can't fit in. Now, not only do they get to stuff their fat ass into an elevator with other people, they have to walk up a flight of stairs if they wanna get to the next level.

I think we're on to something here.

[Xenomit]

At 11/27/13 07:30 PM, Xenomit wrote: Now, not only do they get to stuff their fat ass into an elevator with other people

Now, not only do they not* get to stuff their fat ass into an elevator with other people

Where the fuck is the edit button @TomFulp @WadeFulp

[exudaz]

At 11/27/13 07:30 PM, Xenomit wrote:

At 11/27/13 07:26 PM, Entice wrote:

At 11/27/13 07:24 PM, Xenomit wrote: That'd be nice

Narrow doors
Weight limits on wheelchairs

Make elevator doors open less so that people over a certain diameter can't fit in. Now, not only do they get to stuff their fat ass into an elevator with other people, they have to walk up a flight of stairs if they wanna get to the next level.

I think we're on to something here.

I love how quickly a serious thread on here and quickly digress into a laughing matter.

[Entice]

At 11/27/13 07:39 PM, exudaz wrote: I love how quickly a serious thread on here and quickly digress into a laughing matter.

Well even if those ideas are silly I think the concept is solid
There's ways to encourage people to stay at a reasonable weight

[Piper]

<Rrrrgh. Ugghh. Ennnngh!>

[Kel-chan]

GMO foods. Monsanto. High fructose corn syrup. Soybeans. Quorn. GMO wheat. Fast Food