# Fat America **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914 "2011-12-12T15:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/121 "2011-12-13T20:46:29Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > The reason people are fat is because people are VERY good at rationalizing why they are making poor decisions. There’s an ad on TV for a health plan that shows a couple asking each other every day if the other person went to the gym. Their excuses are always really flimsy: \*I missed the cat. I didn’t have my ponytail holder. My mom called. \* It is very true. (Although it _is_ also impossible to work out without a ponytail holder if you really need one. Thank goodness there are these things called stores around where they can be had for cheap.) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/122 "2011-12-13T21:00:16Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > It is very true. (Although it _is_ also impossible to work out without a ponytail holder if you really need one. Thank goodness there are these things called stores around where they can be had for cheap.) Oh the ponytail holder. I have, literally, a gallon sized bag of the things. Different types, etc, some in their original (but opened) bags, some with only a few, some the value pack, some lose, some fancy, some just a band… but for the life of me can I remember to put one on when I go out for a walk? Of course not. And then the wind always pushes my hair RIGHT into my face. And our walks are usually neibhorhood or around the reservoir (trail through the woods) so even if I wanted to buy more (which I don’t–I have too many!!) I couldn’t do. One of these days I will learn. Maybe I should just put a ponytail holder in a pocket of every pair of pants I own and leave them there. They would probably stay through the wash…hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/123 "2011-12-13T21:34:46Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > \ > Would it be too much to ask for the exact recipe? I know you give amounts but you didn’t say which herbs, or the actual steps. Broccoli soup is one of my very favorites, one of the ones that tastes the least good out of a can, and one I happen to never have made on my own. A known-to-be-good recipe would be a good starting place (I always prefer some real person’s “I eat this, this is good” recipe over a random recipe found through a Google search). > \ PM’d you. At one point, I was actually writing a cookbook, and this is the first thing that went in. The thing about my cooking is my amounts are sort of loosey goosey. I’m a handful of this, pinch of that sort of cook. So I gave you approximations to keep the ingredients in proportion, but if you’re a little bit off, this recipe is very forgiving so don’t sweat the details. Also, **drewtwo99** said: > [@](#): > > I’d also be willing to bet that the people who are saying that people don’t walk enough, that walking isn’t that hard, that it’s not too hard to cook good healthy food and plan ahead even with a busy schedule, etc are not overweight or not by much, and probably have high health indicators as well. That would be true in my case. I did, however, just lose about 35 pounds over the last couple of years. I put that weight on, in part due to some medications, but mostly out of laziness. When I got off the processed foods bandwagon and back on the healthy food + exercise bandwagon, I dropped the weight. My sister has lost 150 pounds over the last year and a half (plus another 350 when she divorced her now-wasband, LOL) by doing this exactly: working out every day, watching portion sizes and making healthy food choices. She was not able to be that disciplined about her life until her kids were basically self-sufficient/in high school. I totally understand that it’s just not that simple for everyone. It’s that simple for me because my life is uncomplicated by children, or having to take care of sick parents, and I’m able to work one job, for 40 hours a week, and not sweat buying groceries. While all that is due _in part_ to hard work, careful planning, and self-discipline, it’s also because I’m incredibly _lucky_: I managed to be educated and I’ve managed to make decent life choices for myself. Perhaps luck isn’t the right word, but not everyone is in a position to just overthrow their life and make drastic changes. My sister did it, but it was a long, painful, arduous process that her marriage did not survive. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/124 "2011-12-13T21:54:09Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > They would probably stay through the wash…hmmm… They don’t. Trust me. The ex had the same idea. Now if you had a dog you could put a couple around the leash handle. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/125 "2011-12-13T22:11:17Z")
As a Canadian, when I visit the US, I am struck by how many morbidly obese people there are in the US. Canada’s got plenty of overweight people, but it’s pretty rare to see people who are so overweight to require scooters or two seats on an airplane or whatever. In my experience, it’s not uncommon to encounter several morbidly obese people in a random walk in a large US city. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/126 "2011-12-13T22:28:46Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > I also think time poverty may have as much to do with poor eating habits as financial poverty does. The times in my life where my eating habits were the best were those when I had the most time and energy for shopping for and preparing healthy food, and the times I’ve eaten the worst were when I was most pressed for time. I’ve noticed relatively little correlation between my eating habits and my financial situation. > > For poor families that are stuck working long or irregular shifts, especially if they have kids and other family obligations, I’d guess that time poverty has a huge impact on their eating habits. Oh, dear lord, are you right. The last week and the upcoming are going to be time-crunch hell for us. Normally, we don’t eat out. I plan each meal and do groceries accordingly. In the last week: Thursday: youngest’s birthday - went out where he chose Saturday: family over to celebrate youngest’s birthday. ordered pizza since my sprained ankle prevents lots of standing/cooking time. Sunday: baking cookies so kitchen was taken over. grabbed fast food. Monday: visited my brand new nephew. grabbed fast food. It’s just so…easy. It’s such a trap. I can see how it can become a habit. (Don’t worry, the chicken is out for tonight’s stir fry. We will eat at home if it kills me.) Most nights it is 6:30 before we get home and even fast meals take about an elapsed 30 minutes. So it is 7:20 or so before we start doing homework/housework and maybe we have time for something fun before bedtime. Seriously, households where two parents work make time just seem so valuable and health be damned. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/127 "2011-12-13T22:39:42Z")
I moved from Europe to the U.S. in 1979, and even back then I remember one of the first things that struck me was how many people were overweight. “Spot the American” was always an easy game in any non- U.S.-territory because they were the fat ones, almost always. Although that’s starting to change. Then I moved from Colorado (I believe it’s the “thinnest” state in the country) to Michigan (one of the “fattest.”) I have this evil little game I play in my head while standing in line at a bank or store - I count all the people I see, then figure out how many are somewhere between plump and obese. It’s almost always at _least_ 50 percent fat, no matter where I am. Almost everyone I know these days is overweight, if not dangerously obese. It’s especially sad for the kids. It’s sad is what it is. I don’t know anyone here who is OK with being fat and most are on a constant, completely fucking ineffective diet/fad diet/exercise cycle and have been for years. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/128 "2011-12-13T22:51:20Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > They don’t. Trust me. The ex had the same idea. > > Now if you had a dog you could put a couple around the leash handle. Oh. Well then I’m out of ideas and back where I started. Crap. Out of curiosity, what happens to the ones in the pockets? No dog btw. Three cats, but they’d just eat the ties. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/129 "2011-12-13T22:58:37Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > It’s sad is what it is. I don’t know anyone here who is OK with being fat and most are on a constant, completely fucking ineffective diet/fad diet/exercise cycle and have been for years. What’s worse ia that most seem to follow a variation of starvationy type diets and then yoyo. The yoyo is what is the killer…they trend too lose muscle mass and then the next time they get “the same (over) weight” as they used to bee, they are actually fatter, larger, and in a worse position to lose. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/130 "2011-12-13T23:53:06Z")
Why do I have the feeling this is going to end up as a “Bash the Fatty” thread… and I am big so go ahead and bash me. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/131 "2011-12-14T00:28:18Z")
If I were fat, it would be painful to read this thread. No one likes to be told “you’re doing it wrong!” I think some fat people are not doing “it” wrong. They’re fat because that’s just how it is for them. The majority are doing “it” wrong, though. They’re eating a little bit too much every day and/or not getting any exercise. But still…it must suck to have your “wrongness” so visible. Everyone engages in less-than-ideal behavior, but only the fat people have to deal with wagging fingers all the time. I know I’m rambling now. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/132 "2011-12-14T00:29:52Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > If I were fat, it would be painful to read this thread. No one likes to be told “you’re doing it wrong!” > > I think some fat people are not doing “it” wrong. They’re fat because that’s just how it is for them. > > The majority are doing “it” wrong, though. They’re eating a little bit too much every day and/or not getting any exercise. > > But still…it must suck to have your “wrongness” so visible. Everyone engages in less-than-ideal behavior, but only the fat people have to deal with wagging fingers all the time. > > I know I’m rambling now. Thank you so much for posting this! I really, really appreciate it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/133 "2011-12-14T00:31:21Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > If I were fat, it would be painful to read this thread. No one likes to be told “you’re doing it wrong!” > > I think some fat people are not doing “it” wrong. They’re fat because that’s just how it is for them. > > The majority are doing “it” wrong, though. They’re eating a little bit too much every day and/or not getting any exercise. > > But still…it must suck to have your “wrongness” so visible. Everyone engages in less-than-ideal behavior, but only the fat people have to deal with wagging fingers all the time. > > I know I’m rambling now. Oh really? Smoked a ciggy out in public lately? ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/134 "2011-12-14T00:45:24Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Then I moved from Colorado (I believe it’s the “thinnest” state in the country) to Michigan (one of the “fattest.”) I have this evil little game I play in my head while standing in line at a bank or store - I count all the people I see, then figure out how many are somewhere between plump and obese. It’s almost always at _least_ 50 percent fat, no matter where I am. Almost everyone I know these days is overweight, if not dangerously obese. It’s especially sad for the kids. And what’s especially sad, not to mention remarkable, is the widely held belief that, for no discernable reason, Americans have magically morphed into a nation of gluttons. Just because. Any inquiry into why that might be is met with “because we’re rich enough to pig out” or “because the portions are huge”, which of course doesn’t really answer the question at all, and until _that_ question is answered, we will continue being obese. > [@](#): > > I don’t know anyone here who is OK with being fat and most are on a constant, completely fucking ineffective diet/fad diet/exercise cycle and have been for years. Oh it’s very effective…at making people morbidly obese. See: > [@OpalCat](#): > > The yoyo is what is the killer…they trend too lose muscle mass and then the next time they get “the same (over) weight” as they used to bee, they are actually fatter, larger, and in a worse position to lose. ☹ Yep. A fact that has been known to be true for about 60 years. Doesnt’ seem to stop the medical community and media from selling us the idea that we should go ahead and starve ourselves anyway, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/135 "2011-12-14T01:03:33Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > There’s an ad on TV for a health plan that shows a couple asking each other every day if the other person went to the gym. Their excuses are always really flimsy: > \*I missed the cat. > I didn’t have my ponytail holder. > My mom called. > \* > > It is very true. (Although it _is_ also impossible to work out without a ponytail holder if you really need one. Thank goodness there are these things called stores around where they can be had for cheap.) This is part of the reason we’re fat. No, not the tripe that you posted, but the fact that exercise is something that _has to be its own activity_ rather than something that is part and parcel of the day’s work. further, a dismissive “just go to the gym” is asinine. for one, if you’re poor you probably can’t justify the expense of a membership. They ain’t exactly cheap when you struggle to keep the heat on. or, if you’re like many working stiffs with families, after you get the kids ready for school, spend 10-12 hours on work (including drive time,) get home, make a suitably healthy dinner for the family that meets the SDMB’s stringent standards, just precisely when the fuck do you expect these people to burn a couple hours a day at the gym? ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/136 "2011-12-14T01:20:18Z")
> [@The\_Dord](#): > > Why do I have the feeling this is going to end up as a “Bash the Fatty” thread… > > and I am big so go ahead and bash me. I don’t bash fatties, nor would I ever. When I was very young, a woman in my building was super-sized at a time when it was unheard of. She was very sweet to me. I learned to have a lot of compassion for her and her situation, and that carried over into my adult life. I don’t dislike fat people just because they are fat or think they are fair game for insult. The thing that astonishes me is how size perception is changing. As people get bigger and bigger, their idea of what is overweight keeps going up and up. Women who are 5’ 4" and 170 lbs think they are either a normal weight or “curvy” rather than obese. People who could stand to lose 50 lbs truly believe that they are 10 lbs overweight. The denial is unbelievable. And everyone just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Americans have gone into the zone where being fat is so ok, it’s perfectly normal. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/137 "2011-12-14T01:26:26Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I think some fat people are not doing “it” wrong. They’re fat because that’s just how it is for them. I don’t want to turn this into one of “those” threads - but sorry, this needs to be called. Calories don’t magically morph into you by osmosis, you can’t absorb fat through the atmosphere - If you are fat / obese then you ARE doing something wrong, eating too much, not exercising enough - it doesn’t really matter what… ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/138 "2011-12-14T01:28:48Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > …just precisely when the fuck do you expect these people to burn a couple hours a day at the gym? Whoa. Two hours? Who’s saying people should be working out for two hours everyday? I think _this_ is part of the problem. One person says that people shouldn’t be eating so much, and another person interprets this to be a prescription to starve on carrots and broccoli. One person says people should exercise every day, and another person interprets this to mean sweating in a funky gym for two hours every day. Finding a spare two hours in the day is tough, but you know what? I do it. It’s not that hard for me because I don’t have kids, and it’s also my daily commute to and from work. But I also know that people are not as hard-up for time as they often make it out to be. They have time to play computer games and watch TV. Or gab on the phone or go hanging out at the club. It’s not that they don’t have enough absolute time to exercise. It’s that they don’t have enough time to exercise and do all the other activities they want to do. We all have things that we want to do, so I don’t blame people for having this attitude. I clearly treasure the time spent walking over doing other activities that I probably _should_ be doing, like cleaning my house or socializing. But I would never say that I do not have enough time to do those things. I know I just haven’t made doing those things a priority. There’s a difference. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/139 "2011-12-14T01:41:14Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Whoa. Two hours? Who’s saying people should be working out for two hours everyday? nobody, but unless you teleport to the gym all ready to go, you need to set aside more time than just what it takes to work out. > [@](#): > > I think _this_ is part of the problem. One person says that people shouldn’t be eating so much, and another person interprets this to be a prescription to starve on carrots and broccoli. One person says people should exercise every day, and another person interprets this to mean sweating in a funky gym for two hours every day. speaking of interpretations… > [@](#): > > Finding a spare two hours in the day is tough, but you know what? I do it. It’s not that hard for me because I don’t have kids, so, half of what I said doesn’t apply to you. Go you. > [@](#): > > and it’s also my daily commute to and from work. I live ~36 miles from my workplace. Again, go you. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914/140 "2011-12-14T01:41:40Z")
> [@The\_Dord](#): > > Why do I have the feeling this is going to end up as a “Bash the Fatty” thread… > > and I am big so go ahead and bash me. Well it managed 129 posts before you posted this without doing so. My experiences of living in the US as an adult: when I moved there I put on 7 lbs within two weeks. I realised what was happening to me and had to reel back massively on the portions. In the end would take the meat from a single deli sandwich that I bought on a Monday, put it in Tupperware in the fridge, buy a bag of bagels, and that would make me one sandwich a day for lunch until Friday. Soon after we arrived, my Irish colleague and I went to a pub in Norwalk, CT, and ordered a nachos appetizer each and some burgers. The waiter looked at us and advised us to skip the burgers and just order one appetizer between us. We thought he was joking, but when it turned up we could’t finish it. One appetizer. Two grown men. Our morbidly obese coworker ate an entire portion of nachos to himself then had a burger and fries and a dessert. I don’t drink soda, but I also noticed my coworkers were slugging away on large quantities of it every day. Finally, everyone drove everywhere, even to places that were like 10 minutes’ walk away, in the same city, which had adequate sidewalks. The same morbidly obese coworker lost 30 lbs just by living in Ireland for three months: he lived in Dublin so didn’t need a car, and simply couldn’t get the calories he needed to maintain his size (he was always complaining about how small the Irish portions were). It’s not difficult to work out what’s going on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fat-america/605914.md?page=8)