Author Topic: Obesity (Read 1458 times)

NUKE · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2002, 10:28:42 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Thrawn
- One in four US adults eat a a fast food restuarant every day.

- In 1970 Americans spent about $6 Billion on fast food. In 2001 it was more then $110 Billion.

- Americans spend more on fast food then, higher educationi, personal computers, computer software, or new cars.

- They spend more on fast food then movies, books, magazines, newspapers, vidoes and music...combined.

- Average teenage boy drinks 5 cans of pop a day.

My country, as well is the fattest it's been.

Fast food and soda pop are literally killing us. Luckily it looks like the large fast food chains are starting to fail.

There is one chain I would go to if it was up here. In-n-out, they seem to run on moral business practices and the actually have fresh beef hamburgers and fresh potato french fries , what a concept.

Define "fast food"

streakeagle · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2002, 11:06:20 PM »

I read through this whole thread... maybe I missed a detail in here, but no one mentioned genetics...

Yes, diet and exercise can be used to regulate your weight, but your body also has its own natural setpoint it tries to reach. 10 people could start with the approximately same height and build, eat the same exact food type and quantity, and exercise the same... yet over time each one will be a different weight. At least one will end up very skinny (no matter how much he eats). At least two will be "obese" by military body fat measurement standards. The rest randomly varying somewhere in between. I say this from having observed the patterns that occurred on the two submarines I served on.

More and more people are ending up wearing glasses because the genes for nearsightedness are dominant and people without glasses frequently marry people with glasses. I suspect that the negative environment provided by fast food and lack of exercise is only amplifying what would otherwise simply be a genetic problem. Obesity or the tendency toward having a metabolism that leads to it is probably no less an inherited trait than eye color.

I eat a lot more food than my friends and tend to mainly eat fast food, I also tend to weigh 170 lbs to their 200-250 lbs despite the fact that we are all about 5'10" to 6' tall. I was once asked by a physician examining me what I did to stay so healthy (low cholesterol, good body fat, great heart rates, and good blood pressure, etc.). You should have seen the look on his face when I answered eat McDonalds and Taco Bell while sitting on a couch watching TV

I am not saying poor genetics is an excuse to let oneself go, but I am saying some people really have to work hard to maintain what you would call a normal weight while others do whatever they want and never gain a pound.

StSanta · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2002, 02:40:46 AM »

ra, my 'European urge' is actually a call for LESS ggovernment intervention and more personal freedom and responsibility (well, at least the latter).

We pay to visit the dentist, because bad teeth is our own fault.

We should also pay for obesity related illnesses, because overweight and obesity is our own fault.

Read (and understand) what us Euro types are writing before assuming we want more nannying.

The world ain't perfect, nor am I trying to make it one. If I was, I'd be calling for government subsidies for fat people so they could get in shape. Live and let live, aye, but let those responsible pay for their own mistakes.

Genetics is part of the answer. But only a very low percentage of obese people have metabolic disorders. Overweight? Usually not a problem if you exercise (like Kieran who's probably in better shape than I am, aerobically). Obese? Big problem - and usually caused not by genetics but by a calorie intake that is far higher than the bodys daily energy consumption.

How do you chaps think we should go about doing something about it?

rosco · « **Reply #18 on:** December 13, 2002, 07:52:59 AM »

Count me as one of those people who have to work at it

ra · « **Reply #19 on:** December 13, 2002, 08:04:42 AM »

StSanta,

If you don't want the MegaEuro nanny state to fix fat people, you sure fooled me:

Quote

So even if the individuals themselves may not wish ENOUGH to lose weight, IMHO our society needs to protect itself. Or rather, it needs to lay down some demands for obese people.

Quote

How do you chaps think we should go about doing something about it?

Charging them for two airline seats is a good start.

ra

Wlfgng · « **Reply #20 on:** December 13, 2002, 09:01:22 AM »

personally I leave 'em alone...

Darwin will catch up with them

Ripsnort · « **Reply #21 on:** December 13, 2002, 09:31:00 AM »

<<< Can eat an entire Boston Cream pie in one sitting, and would LOSE a couple pounds. (I have to work out to maintain my weight, or I'd lose weight if I didn't)

Gotta love genetics!

miko2d · « **Reply #22 on:** December 13, 2002, 10:48:18 AM »

What's different between americans and other countries? The following is a list of causes that could have some effect:

1. You have genetic considerations - a very significant part of american gene pool is of african and latino extraction. Unlike europeans/asians who's ancestors lived in civilised societies with more abundant food for millenia and underwent selection, african and latino population until recently lived in much harsher environment where craving for fat, salt and sugar and ability to absorb those things were valuable survival characteristics rather than a detriment.
Similar consideration may apply not just to ethnicities but class composition of immigrants who came to US - though to a much lesser degree.

2. Significant part of US babies are formula-fed - and it was worse in previous decades. Very considerable part of those formula-fed babies are fed soy-based formulas. Besides valuable proteins soy products have a variety of biologically-active components. Some of them disrupt digestion of valuable elements like iron, zink and calcium - possibly making organism compensate by increasing total food intake which results in fat accumulation (formula-fed babies gain weight faster than breast-fed ones). Lack of the trace elements along with increased intake may disrupt the regulation for the rest of the person's life - making him more likely to be fat. The soy contains fitoestrogens - compounds that act like human sex hormones. Women are encouraged to eat soy to counteract the effects of menopause - so it must be strong.
Such a baby receives weight equivalent of 6-7 birth-control pills a day. How much it screws up the development - probably a lot.
Hormones and lack of nutrients most likely affect the brain development (explosion of ADD/ADHD in US kids) but that's another topic.
Besides soy-based baby formula, the use of soy products exploded in US over the last half-century.

3. All kind of crap that turns up in our food, medicine, materials, shampoos, etc. that is biologically-active - anybody's guess.

You can find a lot of info on the web on those topics.

Thrawn: - Americans spend more on fast food then, higher educationi, personal computers, computer software, or new cars.
So our education, computers, software and cars are very cheap - especially compared to other countries. The food is very cheap too.

How do you chaps think we should go about doing something about it?

We should stop socialist policies that screw up the natural selection.

miko

Puke · « **Reply #23 on:** December 13, 2002, 11:12:06 AM »

Quote

They put (very sublte) evangelical messages on their packaging. -Funked

You mean the ol' "In N Out Burger" bumper stickers...where you can remove the B and last r to create "In N Out Urge"?

I'm native Calfornian and have an In N Out just a few blocks from where I live. Never figured out the hooplah over In N Out. Very salty burgers. I guess they are good 'cause they are different, but I can't eat it everyday. Jack N The Box is good stuff too.

festus · « **Reply #24 on:** December 13, 2002, 12:08:18 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by miko2d
What's different between americans and other countries? The following is a list of causes that could have some effect:

1. You have genetic considerations - a very significant part of american gene pool is of african and latino extraction. Unlike europeans/asians who's ancestors lived in civilised societies with more abundant food for millenia and underwent selection, african and latino population until recently lived in much harsher environment where craving for fat, salt and sugar and ability to absorb those things were valuable survival characteristics rather than a detriment.
Similar consideration may apply not just to ethnicities but class composition of immigrants who came to US - though to a much lesser degree.

2. Significant part of US babies are formula-fed - and it was worse in previous decades. Very considerable part of those formula-fed babies are fed soy-based formulas. Besides valuable proteins soy products have a variety of biologically-active components. Some of them disrupt digestion of valuable elements like iron, zink and calcium - possibly making organism compensate by increasing total food intake which results in fat accumulation (formula-fed babies gain weight faster than breast-fed ones). Lack of the trace elements along with increased intake may disrupt the regulation for the rest of the person's life - making him more likely to be fat. The soy contains fitoestrogens - compounds that act like human sex hormones. Women are encouraged to eat soy to counteract the effects of menopause - so it must be strong.
Such a baby receives weight equivalent of 6-7 birth-control pills a day. How much it screws up the development - probably a lot.
Hormones and lack of nutrients most likely affect the brain development (explosion of ADD/ADHD in US kids) but that's another topic.
Besides soy-based baby formula, the use of soy products exploded in US over the last half-century.

3. All kind of crap that turns up in our food, medicine, materials, shampoos, etc. that is biologically-active - anybody's guess.

You can find a lot of info on the web on those topics.

Thrawn: - Americans spend more on fast food then, higher educationi, personal computers, computer software, or new cars.
So our education, computers, software and cars are very cheap - especially compared to other countries. The food is very cheap too.

How do you chaps think we should go about doing something about it?

We should stop socialist policies that screw up the natural selection.

miko

Interesting thoughts on formula fed infants. There could be somthing to this.

Thrawn · « **Reply #25 on:** December 13, 2002, 01:43:38 PM »

What about the children whose parents are feeding them this crap? Kids in the US are fatter then ever as well. Hell soda companies are moving right into the schools because some boards don't have enough money.

Fast food companies are marketing directly to your children. I don't see how natural selection comes into play here. And the end of the day Americans and their children are becoming fatter and sicker.

Wlfgng · « **Reply #26 on:** December 13, 2002, 02:12:10 PM »

here in my town they actually banned soda in the schools.
no caffeine, soda (sugar), etc...

You should have seen some parents squeaking and screaming about it too... how 'unfair' it was.. lol

miko2d · « **Reply #27 on:** December 13, 2002, 02:27:22 PM »

Thrawn: I don't see how natural selection comes into play here. And the end of the day Americans and their children are becoming fatter and sicker.

That's my point - it doesn't come into play anymore because we've eliminated it. Tendency to genetic obesity as any genetically-related illness is a disadvantage in procreation - or it were till socialists interfered with the natural processes by confising helping the disadvantaged with subcidising procreation.

I see plenty of children being stuffed by their parents till it comes out of their ears - especially in a russian community by grandmothers who survived privation - and they are still skinny no matter what. And if you think that american junk food is fattening, you should see what russians like to eat.

miko

SirLoin · « **Reply #28 on:** December 13, 2002, 02:39:12 PM »

Lol rosco!

festus · « **Reply #29 on:** December 13, 2002, 02:45:58 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Thrawn
What about the children whose parents are feeding them this crap? Kids in the US are fatter then ever as well. Hell soda companies are moving right into the schools because some boards don't have enough money.

Fast food companies are marketing directly to your children. I don't see how natural selection comes into play here. And the end of the day Americans and their children are becoming fatter and sicker.

Right on Thrawn