CNN has a flash map showing how the percentages of overweight and obese people have changed over the past couple of decades. Link -via Fark
You know what, while I can appreciate the seriousness of how fat and lazy Americans are getting, and honestly, it does sicken me a bit; I think that even the doctors are crazy with their estimates of what overweight/obese is.
AT 5' 7" and 175lbs, I could probably stand to use a couple pounds off of my love handles, sure, but according to one of those BMI charts, I should weigh 155lbs at my height...ridiculous.
If I were to lose 20lbs, I would be bone thin and have to forgo having any type of muscle mass.
My wife and I went to a local white-trash small town fair the other day and were astounded by how fat kids & teenagers have gotten recently. 20 years ago, the fat kids in class would get mocked out rather cruelly and relentlessly. While being mean to people isn't cool, it does provide a strong "negative reinforcement" feedback on their pizza-and-Dorito-downing behavior.
Now, kids are all taught from a young age how "special" and "wonderful" they are (thanks, Barney), and few of them are too acquainted with shame (or much physical activity it seems).
Just a small final thought... One thing that always irks me about statistics like these is that the "obesity definition" has changed over time as well-- it's been liberalized to declare more people fat. I have no doubt that people ARE truly fatter (like the kids I saw), but when the gov't bureaucrats tinker with definitions of arbitrary terms ("the poverty line" is another example) to meet an agenda, you never know how much to trust them...
What gets me upset is all the TV shows, commercials, and articles glorifying overweight people. Society is trying to make it acceptable, and in some cases preferred, to be fat.
No wonder the US healthcare system is in a crisis, and that we went from leading the world to trailing all industrialized nations in life expectancy and health.
Sid, your logic evades me. While it's not "ok" to mock people, it's somehow ok because it provides a "negative reinforcement?" Like being in physical pain because your fat ass is too heavy for your stick legs, left out of all but the most mundane of activities because you can't physically participate, or being overburdened with the guilt and sadness of not wanting to be in these situations but not being able to bring yourself NOT do them --- you don't think that is "negative reinforcement?" Are you crazy, or are you just someone who is incapable of empathy? The rest of your stuff about Barney and liberalization ranges from off-topic to just stupid.
Matt, you're heading toward the right direction. People should "just move a little." (but remember, the fatter you are, the harder it is - fat people are not necessarily any more or less lazy than you are... You try putting an extra 300 lbs on you -- yes, about 450-500 lbs total, and try to go about your every day, it's not easy). But that's not enough. It's a full-on cultural, psychological, and physical assault propped up by an economy of low quality, lower cost convenience foods, services, and ideas: behold the power of the American marketing machine. Free will doesn't stand a chance. If it did, Google's stock wouldn't be over $500 a share. It takes more than jazzercise and bickram yoga to keep us thin.
Go, go Gellner.
Anita, you're on crack. The media is not GLORIFYING fat people. They are acknowledging their existence and trying to increase awareness of folks like you and Sid to actually get a clue and try to understand how the hell we are in this mess. And to say our healthcare system is in a crisis because of fat people is also stupid.
None of you, including CNN have a clue as to how to address this issue. I couldn't care less whether other people - people I don't care about - decide to let themselves become obese. It's their choice, and good luck to them. God knows there's enough information and pseudo-health-care hectoring out there that we really DO NOT need lecturing any more on the subject. However, when someone I care about - my brother, for example, and his wife get ever fatter I try to prod them about it. Keep your own damn opinions to yourself CNN and others. Don't judge other people unless they directly affect your own life in some way. It's the same as the sexual "perversion" or the drugs argument in my opinion. If it doesn't hurt anyone else - do it! The rest of us who stay thinner and healthier can enjoy ourselves fine, thanks very much. I could lose a few pounds myself, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. And I'm damn sure I'm not going to play "holier than thou" on the people indicated on this map.
People only ultimately have themselves to blame. VERY true...BBBBUUUUUT...
Here in lovely America, any time something makes headlines as being even mildly "healthy", the price gets jacked up.
Blueberries were super cheap when I was a kid. You could buy them for less than strawberries. Now that research shows they're full of all these "magical" good-for-you things, the price of blueberries (especially dried) is insane. Same for Pomegranate, "wild foods" or anything "free range, or organic" Meanwhile craptastic food like Doritos and Bologna stays dirt cheap.
I'm not saying that money is the root of the problem. However... I'm sure when people AREN'T trying to be healthy in general, they're not going to go out of their way and pay more for something that's good for them, when junk food is so much cheaper.
Barron - Sorry you misunderstood me. While, it is NOT OK to mock people, it is *effective* at changing behavior. That isn't an endorsement of the means, though! Shooting people for shoplifting is an *effective* way to keep them from stealing (at least repeat stealing), but I don't advocate that either.
Nora notes that prices on things like blueberries (or whatever) being getting "jacked up", because they are healthy, but she has the order all wrong! Prices got high because DEMAND went up when they were found/declared (often via clever marketing and grower-financed research) healthy? Did you ever notice in how research on the health of certain fruit generally comes from the Universities in the states that predomininately grow them? It's common business sense. Create demand for your product and you can sell it for a higher price! Solution: Grow your own! I grow cherries, apples, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, pears, asian pears, plums, and appricots on my property for home use by my family. Dwarf trees are cheap and don't take up much room (10' apart or so). No blueberries yet, but they are scheduled next -- they are a bit tougher to grow, because they like the soil REALLY acidic which takes some prep work in my area. The yard work keeps me from being fat, too ;-)
Sid, you are Wrong. Negative reinforcement is one of, if not THE LEAST effective way to change behavior. Positive reinforcement is the way to go. Making fun of someone isn't going to get them to change in a vast majority of cases. It just adds to the problem. Take it from someone who has been a student of psychology for 22 years, you are out of your league.
I am 6'1" and 135 pounds, and no, I am neither Bulimic nor Anorexic. I simply eat many tiny meals throughout the day, which I have found helps people to develop a higher metabolism, in turn helping them to burn more calories throughout all activities. Regular exercise is another way many Americans could stay not only "in shape" but also keep away from obesity. Many people strive for a perfect appearance when they go on a diet or exercise program. They are too impatient with their results, because it takes a long time for someone's body to change from one type to another. The emotional distress of not becoming what they sought out to be plunges many people into an emotional and physical depression, lack of physical activity, happiness, and healthy eating habits lead them back into obesity. I would know first hand.
The obesity problem is not just a food problem, but a social, mental, spiritual, and cultural issue.
AT 5' 7" and 175lbs, I could probably stand to use a couple pounds off of my love handles, sure, but according to one of those BMI charts, I should weigh 155lbs at my height...ridiculous.
If I were to lose 20lbs, I would be bone thin and have to forgo having any type of muscle mass.
Now, kids are all taught from a young age how "special" and "wonderful" they are (thanks, Barney), and few of them are too acquainted with shame (or much physical activity it seems).
Just a small final thought... One thing that always irks me about statistics like these is that the "obesity definition" has changed over time as well-- it's been liberalized to declare more people fat. I have no doubt that people ARE truly fatter (like the kids I saw), but when the gov't bureaucrats tinker with definitions of arbitrary terms ("the poverty line" is another example) to meet an agenda, you never know how much to trust them...
Straight talk from Sid.
F***ING MOVE A LITTLE, stop spending all day eating garbage and watching reality shows.
McDonalds and most other fast-food resturants are poisioning us and our children.
The BMI is BULLSHIT ....
The MEDIA is partially to mostly to blame ....
Fat is as Fat does!!!!!
No wonder the US healthcare system is in a crisis, and that we went from leading the world to trailing all industrialized nations in life expectancy and health.
Sid, your logic evades me. While it's not "ok" to mock people, it's somehow ok because it provides a "negative reinforcement?" Like being in physical pain because your fat ass is too heavy for your stick legs, left out of all but the most mundane of activities because you can't physically participate, or being overburdened with the guilt and sadness of not wanting to be in these situations but not being able to bring yourself NOT do them --- you don't think that is "negative reinforcement?" Are you crazy, or are you just someone who is incapable of empathy? The rest of your stuff about Barney and liberalization ranges from off-topic to just stupid.
Matt, you're heading toward the right direction. People should "just move a little." (but remember, the fatter you are, the harder it is - fat people are not necessarily any more or less lazy than you are... You try putting an extra 300 lbs on you -- yes, about 450-500 lbs total, and try to go about your every day, it's not easy). But that's not enough. It's a full-on cultural, psychological, and physical assault propped up by an economy of low quality, lower cost convenience foods, services, and ideas: behold the power of the American marketing machine. Free will doesn't stand a chance. If it did, Google's stock wouldn't be over $500 a share. It takes more than jazzercise and bickram yoga to keep us thin.
Go, go Gellner.
Anita, you're on crack. The media is not GLORIFYING fat people. They are acknowledging their existence and trying to increase awareness of folks like you and Sid to actually get a clue and try to understand how the hell we are in this mess. And to say our healthcare system is in a crisis because of fat people is also stupid.
However, when someone I care about - my brother, for example, and his wife get ever fatter I try to prod them about it.
Keep your own damn opinions to yourself CNN and others. Don't judge other people unless they directly affect your own life in some way. It's the same as the sexual "perversion" or the drugs argument in my opinion. If it doesn't hurt anyone else - do it!
The rest of us who stay thinner and healthier can enjoy ourselves fine, thanks very much. I could lose a few pounds myself, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. And I'm damn sure I'm not going to play "holier than thou" on the people indicated on this map.
Here in lovely America, any time something makes headlines as being even mildly "healthy", the price gets jacked up.
Blueberries were super cheap when I was a kid. You could buy them for less than strawberries. Now that research shows they're full of all these "magical" good-for-you things, the price of blueberries (especially dried) is insane. Same for Pomegranate, "wild foods" or anything "free range, or organic"
Meanwhile craptastic food like Doritos and Bologna stays dirt cheap.
I'm not saying that money is the root of the problem. However...
I'm sure when people AREN'T trying to be healthy in general, they're not going to go out of their way and pay more for something that's good for them, when junk food is so much cheaper.
Sorry you misunderstood me. While, it is NOT OK to mock people, it is *effective* at changing behavior. That isn't an endorsement of the means, though! Shooting people for shoplifting is an *effective* way to keep them from stealing (at least repeat stealing), but I don't advocate that either.
Nora notes that prices on things like blueberries (or whatever) being getting "jacked up", because they are healthy, but she has the order all wrong! Prices got high because DEMAND went up when they were found/declared (often via clever marketing and grower-financed research) healthy? Did you ever notice in how research on the health of certain fruit generally comes from the Universities in the states that predomininately grow them? It's common business sense. Create demand for your product and you can sell it for a higher price! Solution: Grow your own! I grow cherries, apples, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, pears, asian pears, plums, and appricots on my property for home use by my family. Dwarf trees are cheap and don't take up much room (10' apart or so). No blueberries yet, but they are scheduled next -- they are a bit tougher to grow, because they like the soil REALLY acidic which takes some prep work in my area. The yard work keeps me from being fat, too ;-)
Regular exercise is another way many Americans could stay not only "in shape" but also keep away from obesity.
Many people strive for a perfect appearance when they go on a diet or exercise program. They are too impatient with their results, because it takes a long time for someone's body to change from one type to another.
The emotional distress of not becoming what they sought out to be plunges many people into an emotional and physical depression, lack of physical activity, happiness, and healthy eating habits lead them back into obesity. I would know first hand.
The obesity problem is not just a food problem, but a social, mental, spiritual, and cultural issue.