Obesity in America

Great Debates
1

Last time I wrote about this, we ended up in the Pit. <g>.

I will try and take a calmer approach this time.

I have lived for fairly long stretches on both coasts and across the mid-west. I have spent the last 15-odd years living outside the US–in Europe and Asia mostly–and increasingly, I find that trips back to the US have me shaking my head at the sheer percentage of people who look well over the ‘overweight’ class.

Given detailed cites about the actual percentage of obesity in the US is a bit problematic, because no-one can seem to agree on definitions. I have seen quotes in newspapers and such that put the percentage of obese people in the US at up to 20%, and as low as 10%.

So: my first question is, is my rather vague definition of ‘obese’ (one of those things where I am basically saying, ‘I don’t know what it is, but I know it when I see it’) preventing me from having a beef about it?

Two, if not, then why is the percentage of overweight people in the US apparently so much higher than elsewhere in the world, this despite a booming health food/equipment industry?

2

Well, I think fast-food has alot to do with it, as does the diet industry, and the media’s obsession with thinness.

Theres a pretty predictable effect when fast-food outlets are introduced to a new country - as they become more popular, the average weight of the country goes up, as does its rate of cardiovascular disease.

Fast-food, sadly, has usually had most of its actual food value processed out, so when you eat a big fat hamburger, all you get is empty calories, instead of vitamins, minerals, etc. Your body, which craves vitamins, etc. still thinks its hungry. You eat more, you get fat.

Dieting has been proven many times to actually increase weight (I can find cites if you like, but this is a pretty well established fact) - only actual lifestyle modifications are effective in the long term. (ie. increased activity, healthier food choices). Dieting is BIG business in the US - just ask Jenny Craig.

The medias obsession with thinness, particularly in woman, has been linked to the incedence of bulimea specifically, and disordered eating patterns in general.

Finally, there seems to be a tendancy in the US to seek the shortest path between two points - the easiest soloution for a problem. Unfortunatly, health is not the sort of thing you can buy in a pill, you have to make a decision to make healthy choices. Many people would prefer to sit on their tookas, hoping for a miracle pill. Its really too bad.

Anyhow, thats my 2 cents. I hope I haven’t offended - it certainly wasn’t my intention.

Al. :slight_smile:

3

I’ll take a try at this question. A booming health food/equipment industry could be partially repsonsible. They sell the image that you can have a great body by simple and easy methods, and encourage Americans to not think about health in the long term. Every diet aid, health food, or exercise machine is advertised with an announcement such as “lose 10 pounds in just 2 weeks”. In reality, you have to eat right and exercise for a long time if you want to lose weight and keep it off, but that’s not what customers want to hear. With that said, I think the idea of the suburbs is also responsible. The simplest way to get exercise is to walk or bicycle as part of your daily routine, but since the suburbs tend to move our home farther from our jobs and schools, and thus encourage us to drive everywhere.

4

I believe ‘obese’ means overweight to the point where it becomes a health issue. What that actual weight is varies based on height and body type.

I think it is fairly subjective.

Well, I can’t speak for other countries, I can only comment on what I observe as an American:

A large number of us Americans are dumb, lazy, slobs. It’s part of our culture. Our kids spend more time planted in front of the TV or the computer than ever. People don’t have time to fix a healthy meal so they eat fast food. After a lifetime of eating McDonalds and playing Playstation football instead of the real thing, it should be no surprise there are so many obese people.

5

And to be fair, on the flip side, there are also plenty of smart, hard-working Americans who are working really long 60-80 hour weeks (with long self-driven commutes to boot) who don’t find the time to make healthy meals, and who end up eating fast food on the run and arriving home at night too tired to go get some exercise.

The whole American culture doesn’t really promote healthy living (large portions, long work weeks, lots of fast food, sprawling suburbs where nothing’s in walking distance, etc.) – at least not in comparison to Europe.

It will be interesting to see how (if at all) this is affected by an economic slowdown. It could probably swing either way (reduced demand could either mean fewer hours worked for everybody, or required productivity increases for those remaining after the layoffs).

6

I’m guessing not.

But the question is…what’s your beef? Are the fat people attacking again? We really need to do something about that.

Stoid

7

Hmmm. Care to enlighten me about how being dumb and or a slob equates with being obese? I’m also interested in learning more about how being dumb, lazy and a slob is “part of our culture”. Particularly the dumb slob part.

stoid

8

well, its obvious.

People must be eating more and exercising less.

I think car culture has stopped people walking which is a major factor, as is stress, it usually leads to cortosone in the blood which makes you hungry.

Booming diet industry - for fat people ?

Booming exercise industry ?
mm

I think things have polarised, some people are a LOT fitter than they used to be and some are a lot LESS fitter, i.e. instead of most people in the middle there are some super fit people and some real fatty ones.

TV makes you tired so you can not be bothered ?

I usually go on my exercise bike while my partner watches her favourite soap.

Its also to do with eating habits.

The old system of 3 meals a day has been replaced with snacking, its also the food, more fatty stuff and less vegetables. We are all now rich enough to get fat !,

9

I believe “obesity” is literally defined as the condition of being 20% or more over one’s ideal weight.

That said, I wonder if higher incidence of obesity in the U.S. could have anything to do with higher incidence of depression. Isn’t it also true that Americans have more alcoholism than other countries as well?

This is just a hunch that I wanted to throw out there…I’m not suggesting this is the ONE ANSWER. But it occurs to me that many of the cultural reasons people are suggesting that lead to obesity could actually lead to DEPRESSION, which then leads to obesity. People who spend 12 hours a day either working or on the road, people who isolate themselves in front of the television or computer, people who don’t make it a priority to take care of themselves well.

My experience with the issue has led me to believe that depression and a blisteringly low self-esteem truly do “cause” obesity. Though of course, it’s a circular discussion…the heavier one gets (potentially anyway) the more depressed they are, and the more they isolate. And the ruder others are to them because of their weight, the more they isolate as well.

-L

10

I’ve lived abroad and done a fair amount of travel on several continents, and I have to say that obesity, defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m[sup]2[/sup], is epidemic in the United States. There seem to be several contributing factors to this public health problem:

According to some studies, most adult Americans have some knowledge of healthful eating, yet they consume refined foods and sodas more than they did even twenty years ago. In addition, Americans are eating out more than they used to, and restaurant portions have become gargantuan. That, combined with a culture that discourages time set aside for exercise, contributes to the obesity epidemic. Unfortunately, we seem to be exporting our junk foodhabits abroad.

One solution is to encourage the eating of unrefined foods, e.g., whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and less consumption of red meat. People should also unlearn the “clean your plate” mentality instilled in them by their parents, and ask for doggy bags at restaurants. We also need to encourage people to take more exercise, even if only in 10-minute segments. You can do pushups in your cubicle when things are slow, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk a few blocks instead of taking the car to 7-11, and generally acquire a more physically active outlook.

What we must NOT do is demonize people who are overweight. Nothing makes me madder than somebody busting on fat people as lazy slobs. Some folks are unable to exercise due to arthritis or bad joints; other folks really do have glandular problems. It is wrong to judge people by their appearances.

Moreover, some of the body images we aspire to are unrealistic and unhealthy in themselves. Not everybody can have six-pack abs and lean defined torsos. The models you see on the covers of exercise magazines are genetically predisposed to leanness, and, in the cases of female models, frequently starve themselves to look thin. You need a certain amount of body fat to keep your joints supple and to have something to burn when you get sick. Healthy body fat percentages, according to Metropolitan Life, are 17 to 25% for women, and 10 to 18% for men.

11

A little more on the car issue:

I’ve lived in NYC for nearly ten years, or most of my adult life. It’s amazing the difference between Manhattan and the rest of the country, and I think it largely boils down to incidental exercise. While people do exaggerate how thin Manhattanites are - most people aren’t Sarah Jessica Parker - nevertheless there are fewer of the dangerously obese. It’s harder to wind up in that condition when you have to walk to the market, the dry cleaners, the laundry, etc., and you don’t have a choice in the matter.

A friend of mine grew up in Manhattan and never saw much of the country 'til after college, when he road-tripped all over. He recounted his particular amazement at Mt. Rushmore - never had he seen so much obesity in one place.

Goboy provided some terrific detail - and I’m curious about another possible contributing factor, especially among the poor: could obesity be the result of self-medicating depression through insulin rushes?

12

Americans have always bolted down huge portions of unhealthy food. Just read the travel diaries of Frances Trollope and Charles Dickens from the early- to mid-19th century—people were eating the equivalent of fat-filled fast food even then. We’re a rush-rush-rush society, and can’t be bothered with long-term diet plans. We also have HUGE servings here, which is always noted when “friends are visiting from Europe” [Rula Lenska voice].

I’m as bad as anyone when it comes to my diet: but, working in NY, I also walk a good 2 miles a day and go to the gym (not that I’ve been doing THAT lately). People with no time to exercise and who drive everywhere are GOING to get fat if they don’t significantly cut down on what they eat. I eat—literally—half of what I did when I was in my 20s, and I am still fighting off the pounds.

13

I think there’s something about the culture of Manhattan that breeds out the non-thin. Fat people are not accepted and I think get weeded out. Or maybe they just move to the Bronx or Queens :).

There’s also the fact that fatty foods are a lot cheaper than healthful ones. Hamburger and fish sticks give you more bang for the buck than tofu and fresh fish. Fresh fruits and vegetables are pricier than canned, or than other “sides” like potatoes. I would also agree that the “high” of fatty, salty or sugary foods feels good to people of any economic status.

14

I have noticed that many of my colleagues are dieting religiously, but without success. I think the problem is that so many of their “diets” include far too many “bad” carbohydrates (pasta, bread, fruit drinks) and not enough “good” carbohydrates (fruits & vegetables). Since excess carbs get stored as fats, even the health-conscious put on fat.

My health mantra: Eat right, exercise, and accept how you look.

15

Now that Big Bubba Clinton is out of office and the fat 90’s are over, maybe America will trim down in the 00’s with lean, mean Bush. Remember the scenes of Bubba out jogging trying to lose weight? Problem was he was jogging to McDonalds to chow down!

16

Europeans are thin because their meat is not safe to eat due to Mad Cow’s disease, and now it is being destroyed anyway with foot-and-mouth disease. Most of the rest of the world is thin because they are poor and malnourished.

That leaves us Americans with the best food in the world. Combine that with our gas-guzzling love for autos, and sitting aroud the TV half the day, it’s easy to see why we are so obesely rotund. We are either sitting down at the food table, in front of the tv, or in our car most the day.

17

The problem is diets in general, which people see as short term, quick solutions to their problem. We already know that they are disastrous, cause metabolism slow downs, don’t work in the long run, and most often lead to MORE weight re-gain. The “fitness” industry caters to peoples’ desperation by selling them a quick fix over and over again, each time with a different “miraculous” cure for obesity. But it’s always the same old “diet” in one form or another, which as we know, does not work.

And yes…refined carbs are evil. Seriously. They’re packed full of calories, but all of the nutritional value has been processed out of them. I agree that we tend to “bury” ourselves in them as a means of eliciting a rush that would be better sought by taking a walk. Tough cycle to get out of.

-L

18

Well a “slob” is someone who is habitually negligent in their personal appearance. Some people are obese because they simply don’t care enough about their personal appearance to exercise and watch what they eat.

Your shape is determined by three factors: genetics, diet, and activity level. You can’t control genetics, but you can decide if you are going to exercise or eat a bag of Oreo’s in one sitting.

meara has a point. Many of us who work office jobs don’t have time to exercise regularly. And lets face it, there are a lot more jobs now where you sit in a cubicle all day. It’s easier to stay in shape if you are carying bricks and 2x4s all day long.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have included “dumb”. I just had this mental image of the big dumb Jerry Springer guest in my head. Intelligence and obesity aren’t directly related but people do assume other traits about a person based on their body type. ie fat people are assumed to be lazy, athletic people are assumed to be popular, etc.

Why do you think every family on FOX is “poor white trash” (ie The Bundies, The Simpsons, The Malcome in the Middle family? Why are shows like Jerry Springer so popular? It’s because those shows appeal to the lowest common denominator of American culture.

Just my oppinion, but I think people in our culture relate to the fat guy in the wifebeater T-shirt, drinking a beer on his couch while watching the game on TV.

Kind of off the topic of obesity, but you asked and I though I should respond.

19

And you know this how? There is nothing wrong with eating Oreos now and again. Yes, it’s better for people to watch their weight, but for health reasons, not to satisfy your aesthetic criteria. People come in all shapes and sizes, and making people feel ashamed of how they look is not the key to helping them achieve healthy goals.

20

I’d like to add to this by saying that the fact that you think SOME people are obese because of these actions does not mean that you should assume that ALL of them are, and thus, treat them accordingly. Categorizing people as “slobs” because of their appearance is not only abhorent, but completely off the topic of the OP.