# Rant: the War on Fat **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 7, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329 "2006-03-07T01:28:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/201 "2006-03-10T20:19:07Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I use high fructose corn syrup in some things at home (KARO is corn syrup. I’m not sure if it’s the same thing as HFCS, but I think so). I don’t think it is. The sugar in corn syrup is mostly glucose, I think. Then they pump it full of fructose to make it really really really sweet, and they get HFCS. Fructose is much sweeter than glucose or sucrose, iirc. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/202 "2006-03-10T20:44:12Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > I love Trader Joe’s too, but it’s no health store. Yes, you can hunt and peck and find some healthy things, but they sell a heck of a lot of junk food. Fancy schmancy junk food, but that’s still what it is. It’s not all super healthy, but they say they don’t carry _anything_ that has artificial colors, flavors or preservatives ([cite](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/dining/08joes.html)). I think that includes high fructose corn syrup, as I don’t think we’ve ever gotten anything from there that has it. So if you’re looking for a way to get the convenience of prepackaged foods without all the shit that goes into it, that’s a good option. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/203 "2006-03-10T21:00:01Z")
Wow. That’s good to know. Now I won’t feel bad eating all of their junk food. lol. P.S. Trader Joe’s has the best carrot juice on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/204 "2006-03-10T21:06:08Z")
**Indygrrl** : Yeah, for the most part they are a cheap source of designer and ethnic junk food but if you shop there for the meats, veggies, dairy and raw frozen stuff (fish, flash frozen veggies) you’re safe. I might buy a teriyaki sauce or something from them once in a while but I avoid the pre-prepared dinners and desserts, sauces and snackums. For me, it’s quite competitive with shopping at Vons/Safeway and for the marginally higher cost I can get hormone free/organic stuff. Really, I’ve learned that the fewer ingredients in your food (minus spices) the healthier you’re eating. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/205 "2006-03-10T21:11:10Z")
Hey - I just realized that we now have a way to defuse what I’ll call “fat threads”. I’d think that a good trigger moment occurs as soon as someone mentions being threatened with physical violence for being fat (of course, Godwinization should have it’s own trigger built into the message board software), at which point someone just posts, in a Jerry Seinfeld voice: > [@](#): > > So, what _is_ the deal with the corn syrup content in food? I mean, it’s in lunch meat! Frozen lasagna! Meat spreads! You name it! _BAM!_ – instant non-offensive (and fact-filled!) digression! ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/206 "2006-03-10T21:19:46Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > **Indygrrl** : Yeah, for the most part they are a cheap source of designer and ethnic junk food but if you shop there for the meats, veggies, dairy and raw frozen stuff (fish, flash frozen veggies) you’re safe. I might buy a teriyaki sauce or something from them once in a while but I avoid the pre-prepared dinners and desserts, sauces and snackums. For me, it’s quite competitive with shopping at Vons/Safeway and for the marginally higher cost I can get hormone free/organic stuff. > > Really, I’ve learned that the fewer ingredients in your food (minus spices) the healthier you’re eating. We just got a kickass new organic grocery store here in Indy. It’s called Sunflower Market, and it’s really very inexpensive for that type of stuff. They have all kinds of healthy stuff. I could hang around in there all day. Ooops, this is the pit—well, anyway, I love that fucking store! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/207 "2006-03-10T21:50:00Z")
If I have to hear one more fat person complain about being overweight, and saying “but I’m probably more active than you, and I eat less than you do! It’s not faaaiir! You should follow me around all day, you wouldn’t be able to keep up!”. Bull fucking shit. I see people like you all fucking day, 24/7. You are less active than the non-fat people around you, and your food choices (quality and quantity) are completely fucked up. Big Gulps from 7-11 can’t help. Eating an entire pack of ‘low-fat’ cookies doesn’t make much sense, does it? By far and away, the majority of obese people in the US are fat by **choice**. They are choosing to be fat by the lifestyle choices they make. I too have been around the world, and let me tell you when you’ve been overseas for a number of years, coming back to the US is a major, DISGUSTING shock to the system to see the number of obese people and the obscene portions of food. Obesity is KILLING people. I am sick and tired of us as a society telling people to stop feeling ‘bad’ about themselves. Fat = unhealthy. End of story. It’s unattractive because humans by nature find healthiness attractive. Look at all the money being tossed into this ‘war’. Look at all the diet food options available. Just about every restauarant I’ve been to since I can remember has diet options. Finding healthy food to eat isn’t hard, and it isn’t necessarily more expensive. And stop blaming it on ‘the media’. “All day long we see pictures of beautiful skinny people, and we feel pressure to look like that!” So… that makes you eat MORE? Sorry, I call bullshit. In most other countries, they blame the media for making people diet too much, not the other way around. People are fat because they want to stuff their faces and are too lazy to exercise. When it comes to food, people are conditioned now to equate value with quantity. And people simply don’t want to put in the effort needed to exercise if they want to maintain the same lifestyle and food choices. This is going to come off as a rant, and quite frankly I don’t care. We don’t need to openly ridicule or abuse fat people, but let them know that it isn’t socially acceptable, absolutely. And for those of you who whine, “But some people can’t help it!”, shut the fuck up and call me when only over 95% of obese people are fat due to a medical condition. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/208 "2006-03-10T22:00:25Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > This is going to come off as a rant, and quite frankly I don’t care. We don’t need to openly ridicule or abuse fat people, but let them know that it isn’t socially acceptable, absolutely. And for those of you who whine, “But some people can’t help it!”, shut the fuck up and call me when only over 95% of obese people are fat due to a medical condition. Why do you care if other people are fat or not? You say you’re sick of people whining to you about being fat, but if you’re anything in real life like you are online, I can’t imagine anyone voluntarily talks to you at all, so I can’t imagine that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/209 "2006-03-10T22:06:45Z")
Boy, it really is taking longer than we thought… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/210 "2006-03-10T23:01:31Z")
> [@Digital Stimulus](#): > > _BAM!_ – instant non-offensive (and fact-filled!) digression! Doesn’t always work. ---
**Author:** ![Jurhael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jurhael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurhael)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/211 "2006-03-10T23:37:24Z")
> [@](#): > > We don’t need to openly ridicule or abuse fat people, but let them know that it isn’t socially acceptable, absolutely. A lot of fat people are already aware of that, but many of them simply don’t care. You can’t force to feel bad about themselves when they don’t and you can’t force them into being thinner if they’re not willing to take the steps required. That being said, I don’t have a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods where I live. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/212 "2006-03-11T00:05:31Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > Everytime someone on the SDMB makes a thread about fat people, God eats a kitten. No wonder He weighs so much. [sub]Can God make a kitten so big He can’t eat it?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/213 "2006-03-11T00:21:01Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > [sub]Can God make a kitten so big He can’t eat it?[/sub] _Whoa. . ._ ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/214 "2006-03-11T00:38:51Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Doesn’t always work. Drat! Looks like I posted too soon… ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/215 "2006-03-11T00:58:09Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > This is going to come off as a rant, and quite frankly I don’t care. We don’t need to openly ridicule or abuse fat people, but let them know that it isn’t socially acceptable, absolutely. But if the vast majority of the population is fat, then…oh god, I think I’m onto their plot! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/216 "2006-03-11T02:32:36Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > No wonder He weighs so much. > > [sub]Can God make a kitten so big He can’t eat it?[/sub] Kittens don’t have high fructose corn syrup in 'em. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/217 "2006-03-11T02:38:05Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Why do you care if other people are fat or not? You say you’re sick of people whining to you about being fat, but if you’re anything in real life like you are online, I can’t imagine anyone voluntarily talks to you at all, so I can’t imagine that’s it. You seem to be suggesting that I use my personality as a form of birth control - too late 😃 I care because obesity is unhealthy. Because it means higher medical bills for everyone. Because companies need to spend money rebuilding seats in movie theaters and airplanes. Because at my local deli they don’t sell plain, regular yogurt or cream cheese anymore - everything’s lite/light/non-fat/lo-fat/lite-fat/low-fat/fat-free etc etc. Because I have to listen to people talk about DIET and FOOD and NEEDING TO LOSE WEIGHT all THE FUCKING TIME. At work, in the stores, in line at the DMV, at the mall, at the restaurant. Do Americans even realize just to what extent they talk about food and diet? Keep one ear open next time you’re out and about. People talk about it ALL THE TIME. Next to their cars, it’s easily the most talked-about subject (no cite, just based on my informal observations). Of course, looking around it’s clear to see that talking is the only thing people are actually doing. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/218 "2006-03-11T02:38:12Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > Kittens don’t have high fructose corn syrup in 'em. If God can look at [this](http://216.218.248.205/datastore/12/56/b/1256a3e448de4842987ff8f0134d5272.jpg) and not drown in sweetness, then He’s not somebody I’d be interested in worshipping. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/219 "2006-03-11T02:52:53Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > If God can look at [this](http://216.218.248.205/datastore/12/56/b/1256a3e448de4842987ff8f0134d5272.jpg) and not drown in sweetness, then He’s not somebody I’d be interested in worshipping. I’ll see your kitty and raise you [puppy eyes](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3395/2371/1600/puppy-02.jpg): Bobby, age 8 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329/220 "2006-03-11T05:10:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Everytime someone on the SDMB makes a thread about fat people, God eats a kitten. Yo, God, you gonna eat the rest of that feline? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-the-war-on-fat/347329.md?page=12)