I disagree with this article on obesity..Whats your opinion?

dignin · March 2015

brianlux said:

dignin said:
I feel like that link that I posted is being ignored here. It references well researched data, not beliefs.

This fits right in with the War On Science thread.

You can believe these people are lazy.....but the evidence says otherwise.
There are some points made in that article, dignin, that seem quite valid and like I said, calling people lazy is not at all helpful. But I still believe much of the problem is lack of education. Years ago, I lived in western New York state in a poor neighborhood of a depressed town for a few years and lived on very low income. Obesity was not a problem for me. The problem, if any, was that I was too thin. I had a neighbor who was about my age (a really great guy, by the way) and just as poor as me and he was obese. I don't disregard that poor people have a more difficult time of staying healthy-- not at all!-- but I do think much of the time the problem has more to do with poor education and poor choices.

Exactly Brian, poor education leads to poor choices.

hedonist · March 2015

TalonTedd said:
We are so completely distracted by spectacle and entertainment that people would much rather watch tv or surf the net and disregard the chores of the kitchen. So, we find the time to surf by tossing a frozen pizza in the oven or grabbing a bucket of buzzard.....a third reason is the bucket of buzzard, lol.

Not to cherry-pick, but I'd consider this more of a choice vs lack of education or common sense.

SPEEDY MCCREADY · March 2015

hedonist said:

TalonTedd said:
We are so completely distracted by spectacle and entertainment that people would much rather watch tv or surf the net and disregard the chores of the kitchen. So, we find the time to surf by tossing a frozen pizza in the oven or grabbing a bucket of buzzard.....a third reason is the bucket of buzzard, lol.
Not to cherry-pick, but I'd consider this more of a choice vs lack of education or common sense.

I don't go along with the lack of education theory either. Pretty sure each and every one of us who attended school, was taught nutrition and the basic food groups. We are all taught what is essential food and what is junk food. No doubt in my mind that people my age were ABSOLUTELY taught nutrition. We were taught the basic food groups in every health class we had, from 1st grade through 8th grade. We know better, but we choose to eat what is bad for us.

Now I do know that people believe that certain foods are healthy for them, when indeed they are poor choices. Just because an egg roll has cabbage in it, surely doesn't mean it is healthy. Just because its chicken, doesn't mean KFC is good for you.

brianlux · March 2015

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

hedonist said:

TalonTedd said:
We are so completely distracted by spectacle and entertainment that people would much rather watch tv or surf the net and disregard the chores of the kitchen. So, we find the time to surf by tossing a frozen pizza in the oven or grabbing a bucket of buzzard.....a third reason is the bucket of buzzard, lol.
Not to cherry-pick, but I'd consider this more of a choice vs lack of education or common sense.

I don't go along with the lack of education theory either. Pretty sure each and every one of us who attended school, was taught nutrition and the basic food groups. We are all taught what is essential food and what is junk food. No doubt in my mind that people my age were ABSOLUTELY taught nutrition. We were taught the basic food groups in every health class we had, from 1st grade through 8th grade. We know better, but we choose to eat what is bad for us.

Now I do know that people believe that certain foods are healthy for them, when indeed they are poor choices. Just because an egg roll has cabbage in it, surely doesn't mean it is healthy. Just because its chicken, doesn't mean KFC is good for you.

That's for sure.

As far as education goes, yeah you may be right. Maybe more accurate than lack of education is lack of having a good example set. One of the young kids in my extended family has had terrible digestive problems much of her nine years because her mom feeds her crap and her mom before her fed her crap. When the kid is over here, we fix healthy meals but we can't be there all the time and it's really frustrating to not be able to get the mom to change her ways.

even flow - question mark · March 2015

Everytime I go through the check out counter at the grocery store with enough fruit for six big bowls at breakfast and enough semi healthy crud for five lunches for the week and I'm getting change back from forty, I would say that you can eat healthy and cheap. Even if the Doritos are on sale for two huge bags for five bucks. Some days that is three cantalopes. Not hard to see what is healthy and what isn't.

eddiec · March 2015

brianlux said:

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

hedonist said:

TalonTedd said:
We are so completely distracted by spectacle and entertainment that people would much rather watch tv or surf the net and disregard the chores of the kitchen. So, we find the time to surf by tossing a frozen pizza in the oven or grabbing a bucket of buzzard.....a third reason is the bucket of buzzard, lol.
Not to cherry-pick, but I'd consider this more of a choice vs lack of education or common sense.

I don't go along with the lack of education theory either. Pretty sure each and every one of us who attended school, was taught nutrition and the basic food groups. We are all taught what is essential food and what is junk food. No doubt in my mind that people my age were ABSOLUTELY taught nutrition. We were taught the basic food groups in every health class we had, from 1st grade through 8th grade. We know better, but we choose to eat what is bad for us.

Now I do know that people believe that certain foods are healthy for them, when indeed they are poor choices. Just because an egg roll has cabbage in it, surely doesn't mean it is healthy. Just because its chicken, doesn't mean KFC is good for you.

That's for sure.

As far as education goes, yeah you may be right. Maybe more accurate than lack of education is lack of having a good example set. One of the young kids in my extended family has had terrible digestive problems much of her nine years because her mom feeds her crap and her mom before her fed her crap. When the kid is over here, we fix healthy meals but we can't be there all the time and it's really frustrating to not be able to get the mom to change her ways.

In most cases there are probably no examples set. 'My Baby's momma, my baby's daddy' have become common terms in the low income crime ridden neighborhoods we are talking about. You're looking at a situation where a 20 year girl has 2-3 kids by 2-3 different fathers and hands over her kids at night to her mother so she can go hang out at the club. Do you think a 12 year old kid who barely sees his mother and who has a father in prison cares about what food they eat? A lot of these kids learn about food from the television which we know mainly promotes junk like McDonalds. Look at the amount of Americans who are obese or just really, really huge and come from stable, well educated families. If obesity due to poor food choices is a problem in middle class families how do low income families stand a chance in America?

Last-12-Exit · March 2015

Education smeducation. You know that eating a salad is better for you than shoveling deep fried twinkies down your gullet. You don't need to be taught that.

callen · March 2015

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

Leezestarr313 said:
Sorry for the long, fuzzy post. It is a passionate topic to me lol And yes, I agree with everything you said, Speedy.
I thought of you when I was reading this article. I truly did. Because coming from Germany you have to be APPALLED at the obesity in America. Plus I know how much you love your garden and your fresh veggies. I know how much you love to do the home cooking.

One can eat healthy in America, at a low budget. But one has to put in an honest effort.

Maybe 20 years ago. Last trip lots of fat people there as well. Not close to US but increasing.

eddiec · March 2015

Last-12-Exit said:
Education smeducation. You know that eating a salad is better for you than shoveling deep fried twinkies down your gullet. You don't need to be taught that.

Look how long it took for educated people to figure out that McDonald's was bad for you. And guess what, educated people still eat there.

callen · March 2015

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

paulonious said:

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

dignin said:
Labelling these people as lazy is misinformed.
Im sorry, but I still say you can feed a family of 4, healthy meals, for less money than junk food. Ive read what you posted, and I disagree on a few points. Maybe I am wrong calling people lazy. Lower income people have less parks, and recreational facilities? Sorry, but walking is free. Walking is a great exercise. I live in a big city, I travel all throughout this city for work. There are grocery stores at every other corner. I find it hard to believe that anywhere in this city, people cant find a store, close to home, that sells healthier food than potato chips, soda pop, and cheeseburgers. But yeah, that article makes some good points. But I have to say, I don't agree with them all.

A big conversation in winnipeg right now is that in our poorest area, dowtown, there are ZERO grocery stores that stock fresh foods of any kind. The local government is trying to bring people downtown to live and shop instead of urban sprawl issues, but no one is going to buy a $300,000 condo and not be able to get groceries.

But its also a conversation as to why; some blame it on the demand. There USED to be grocery stores downtown, but they all died out for lack of business.

And walking around dowtown is pretty widely considered unsafe, whether that perception is correct or not is not the issue. But it is true that the poor poeople that live there have nearly no access to healthy food. If they did, would they use it? Who knows.

I shop at a grocery store 2 miles from the house. You have both middle class and lower income people shopping there. There are a great deal of people who shop using their "Link Card", used to be food stamps, but now its a government issued credit card. I see PLENTY of people, whose carts are overflowing with nothing but junk food, paying for their groceries with their "link card." The produce is available, the lean meats are available, they make the choice to fill their cart with frozen pizzas and potato chips.

Lean meat is $8 a pound. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts tomatoes bell peppers mushrooms a lot of fruit good bread is very expensive. If I buy healthy for weak it costs much more than if I buy hot dogs and cheap buns. So agree you can eat healthy on budget , it is harder. Are people lazy Absolutely. But so are the Haves. Pre- packaged salad, pre cut pineapple pre cut carrots FUCKING SWIFFERS. So The haves are just as lazy but can eat healthy as they can afford it. So most Americans are lazy not just the poor or all "Those" people buying food on their Entitlement cards.

callen · March 2015

Though we shouldn't give pass, Mc. Donald's spends millions understanding the human brain and using its knowledge to get the poor to eat their pink slime.

"Da da da dad ah I'm loving it"

SPEEDY MCCREADY · March 2015

callen said:

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

paulonious said:

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

dignin said:
Labelling these people as lazy is misinformed.
Im sorry, but I still say you can feed a family of 4, healthy meals, for less money than junk food. Ive read what you posted, and I disagree on a few points. Maybe I am wrong calling people lazy. Lower income people have less parks, and recreational facilities? Sorry, but walking is free. Walking is a great exercise. I live in a big city, I travel all throughout this city for work. There are grocery stores at every other corner. I find it hard to believe that anywhere in this city, people cant find a store, close to home, that sells healthier food than potato chips, soda pop, and cheeseburgers. But yeah, that article makes some good points. But I have to say, I don't agree with them all.

A big conversation in winnipeg right now is that in our poorest area, dowtown, there are ZERO grocery stores that stock fresh foods of any kind. The local government is trying to bring people downtown to live and shop instead of urban sprawl issues, but no one is going to buy a $300,000 condo and not be able to get groceries.

But its also a conversation as to why; some blame it on the demand. There USED to be grocery stores downtown, but they all died out for lack of business.

And walking around dowtown is pretty widely considered unsafe, whether that perception is correct or not is not the issue. But it is true that the poor poeople that live there have nearly no access to healthy food. If they did, would they use it? Who knows.

I shop at a grocery store 2 miles from the house. You have both middle class and lower income people shopping there. There are a great deal of people who shop using their "Link Card", used to be food stamps, but now its a government issued credit card. I see PLENTY of people, whose carts are overflowing with nothing but junk food, paying for their groceries with their "link card." The produce is available, the lean meats are available, they make the choice to fill their cart with frozen pizzas and potato chips.

Lean meat is $8 a pound. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts tomatoes bell peppers mushrooms a lot of fruit good bread is very expensive. If I buy healthy for weak it costs much more than if I buy hot dogs and cheap buns. So agree you can eat healthy on budget , it is harder. Are people lazy Absolutely. But so are the Haves. Pre- packaged salad, pre cut pineapple pre cut carrots FUCKING SWIFFERS. So The haves are just as lazy but can eat healthy as they can afford it. So most Americans are lazy not just the poor or all "Those" people buying food on their Entitlement cards.

Yeah, but we can argue the cost of meat and we can argue the cost of veggies. Its all about choices.

Whole beef tenderloin $7.99 a lb
Boneless pork roast $1.79 a lb

Brussel Sprouts expensive
Romaine lettuce $0.69 a lb.
Tomatoes $0.99 a lb.

Bell Peppers expensive
Green Beans $0.59 a lb.

8lb bag of potatoes $0.99
An order of French Fries? $1.50, and god knows how much it will cost you when you are in the hospital with clogged arteries.

And a bag of frozen mixed vegetables 12oz that serves 3 is $0.98 a bag.

rgambs · March 2015

Last-12-Exit said:
Education smeducation. You know that eating a salad is better for you than shoveling deep fried twinkies down your gullet. You don't need to be taught that.

It helps if you think of education in broader terms than what they teach about nutrition in school. Daily feedings of junkfood from toddlerhood up IS education, and far more of it than the one day a year where they talk about the food "groups" or "pyramid" (which has nothing to do with,healthy eating and everything to do with industry promotion)

Fatty, sugary foods are literally addictive and the obese kids now are the 2nd generation raised on addictive food. The children of the 50's and 60's started us down this path, and we have lost all control.

Leezestarr313 · March 2015

Saw this the other day and I thought it was interesting too. http://news.distractify.com/pinar/sweetgreen-international-school-lunches/
Better info at the schools could be something to begin with. Maybe more active classes on nutrition and yes, school gardens!

backseatLover12 · March 2015

I'm not sure if it's the lack of education, but the lack of knowing / learning from family cooking basics. Is that part of education? Maybe, maybe home ec. and the dismissal of that… But it's very easy to make beans, rice, potatoes, and veggies. The healthy diet needs to be learned as a kid or self-taught when older. Otherwise, we all go the convenience route, because we don't know any better. The first thing I was taught to cook when I was a kid (besides toast) was mac & cheese. Can't get any worse than the processed cheese powder of Kraft mac & cheese. But my mom also made me learn the simple basics. That's what's missing.

I also think it's this: I meet folks all the time that are proud to say that they don't cook. These people happen to be parents and they're bragging that they don't cook? I look at them and say "well, does your spouse cook?" And they either say he/she has to, or no. They dine out a lot / order in. That's how obesity happens as well. No interest or time or whatever reason. But when you are a parent, you should be responsible for cooking your kids meals, dammit!

Last-12-Exit · March 2015

I agree that the junk food is somewhat addicting. But it's not nicotine. And it sure as hell not heroin.

Of course it took 30 for America to realize that smoking is bad for you and there are plenty of people still smoking.

rgambs · March 2015

Last-12-Exit said:
I agree that the junk food is somewhat addicting. But it's not nicotine. And it sure as hell not heroin.

Of course it took 30 for America to realize that smoking is bad for you and there are plenty of people still smoking.

Actually, it's exactly like heroin. The difference is, it is widely available to children and they even advertise it to children in the US.
http://m.mic.com/articles/88015/what-happens-to-your-brain-on-sugar-explained-by-science

SPEEDY MCCREADY · March 2015

backseatLover12 said:
I'm not sure if it's the lack of education, but the lack of knowing / learning from family cooking basics. Is that part of education? Maybe, maybe home ec. and the dismissal of that… But it's very easy to make beans, rice, potatoes, and veggies. The healthy diet needs to be learned as a kid or self-taught when older. Otherwise, we all go the convenience route, because we don't know any better. The first thing I was taught to cook when I was a kid (besides toast) was mac & cheese. Can't get any worse than the processed cheese powder of Kraft mac & cheese. But my mom also made me learn the simple basics. That's what's missing.

I also think it's this: I meet folks all the time that are proud to say that they don't cook. These people happen to be parents and they're bragging that they don't cook? I look at them and say "well, does your spouse cook?" And they either say he/she has to, or no. They dine out a lot / order in. That's how obesity happens as well. No interest or time or whatever reason. But when you are a parent, you should be responsible for cooking your kids meals, dammit!

I have always found it weird when someone tells me "I don't cook." Actually its one of the weirdest things any human being, over the age of 18, can say to me. WTF do you mean you don't cook? You are a Princess? You are a King? You have servants prepare your meals? Its just so fucking batshit weird, in my eyes, when someone tells me "I don't cook."

eddiec · March 2015

Alcoholics often need to hit rock bottom before they seek help. It's similar to food. People eat crap for a variety of reasons- taste, price, convenience, laziness, the list could go on. It's usually when they receive a health scare that they decide to make a change and by then it's usually too late.

rgambs · March 2015

SPEEDY MCCREADY said:

backseatLover12 said:
I'm not sure if it's the lack of education, but the lack of knowing / learning from family cooking basics. Is that part of education? Maybe, maybe home ec. and the dismissal of that… But it's very easy to make beans, rice, potatoes, and veggies. The healthy diet needs to be learned as a kid or self-taught when older. Otherwise, we all go the convenience route, because we don't know any better. The first thing I was taught to cook when I was a kid (besides toast) was mac & cheese. Can't get any worse than the processed cheese powder of Kraft mac & cheese. But my mom also made me learn the simple basics. That's what's missing.

I also think it's this: I meet folks all the time that are proud to say that they don't cook. These people happen to be parents and they're bragging that they don't cook? I look at them and say "well, does your spouse cook?" And they either say he/she has to, or no. They dine out a lot / order in. That's how obesity happens as well. No interest or time or whatever reason. But when you are a parent, you should be responsible for cooking your kids meals, dammit!
I have always found it weird when someone tells me "I don't cook." Actually its one of the weirdest things any human being, over the age of 18, can say to me. WTF do you mean you don't cook? You are a Princess? You are a King? You have servants prepare your meals? Its just so fucking batshit weird, in my eyes, when someone tells me "I don't cook."

Totally agree! Batshit crazy.
Last week it snowed and I heard a grown ass lady say, "Someone will have to come get me, I don't drive in bad weather"
I was like, "Are you a child? Are you a queen? Are you that fucking spoiled? How can you call yourself an adult, a woman?
Not cooking is even worse!

I disagree with this article on obesity..Whats your opinion?

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