Were fat and getting fatter
Alas England is not far behind the dubious honor. I wonder can this explain the SUV craze?
Alas England is not far behind the dubious honor. I wonder can this explain the SUV craze?
Hoss
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- Hoss,
This is wonderful news as it must mean the economy is doing better and we can now all afford to eat.
There are many reasons why the U.S. got to this place. Affordability of cars helped, lack of exercise, Happy meals at McDonalds, 2 for 1 deals at most fast food places, soda and sugar drinks being cheaper than milk....do the math, which will the family scraping by purchase? The 99cent 2 liter soda or the same amount of milk for 3 dollars?
People drive almost everywhere, even short distances. Television and video games, computers, .
Even television alone wasn't always a problem. Before remote control was automatic with all sets, people at least got up to switch channels, now there's no need to. The telephone travels with us, either with a cell or a cordless at home so we can sit in one place and not have to get up and walk down the hall to get the phone.
Sex is about to be useless as virtual sex will soon be all the thing, we will put on goggles and a headset and 3 minutes later it will be over.
Air conditioning added a few pounds since people no longer sweat all during the summer.
It's a sad thing but people are getting more and more aware of it, even the Food Network which can be to blame for making us think more about food is trying to help with there Fat Chef series where they try to help overweight chefs face their problem.
School systems have made things worse by cutting physical education. Even where they require something it's been greatly reduced in hours.
^This^ But happy meals!!!!!! how dare you. Also, the TV remote in my parents house was me changing the channel for my dad.
Having been to the US I am amazed at the portion sizes you get in restaurants. Even the burgers at McDonalds are larger than what you get in the UK...
That's what my folks said when they went there last Autumn.
Plus - even in a UK-size Happy Meal there's like 400+ calories.
Hoss
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That was supposed to be out little secret ghhb:redface: (and of course taste testing making sure the chocolate is right at Golden Corrals around the country).
None of the sidewalks go anywhere. How can you develop a culture that isn't car dependent when you cannot walk anywhere to meet basic and practical needs because there aren't sidewalks? If you wanted to circle the block and look at people's yards, then you're good, but you have to navigate drainage ditches and walk along the side of the road among the weeds in order to leave the neighborhood and actually go to the grocery store or a restaurant or a coffeeshop. I've lived all over, this is a common problem even where those things are close enough to walk to, except in the downtown areas of cities where the sidewalks were established back in the 50s and 60s. I would probably walk more often where I live now if there were sidewalks that go to actual destinations, but I don't want to be hit by a car or bit by a snake or twist my ankle falling in a drainage ditch.
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You guys need to quit comparing the US quarter pounder to the UK cheeseburger.That's what my folks said when they went there last Autumn.
Plus - even in a UK-size Happy Meal there's like 400+ calories.
Please note these stats are based on pre-cooked weights and size. :redface:
Dbug
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I believe the US has been #1 for years. Of course it's life style and easy access to cheap and bad (fast) food. But don't forget the impact of what's common. I'm a European living and working in the US since 2002. My girlfriend (American) is overweight at 357 lbs. When we started dating back in 2005 she weighted about 210 - 220 lbs and looked a little chubby compared to her friends here, but when we visited my family she looked big compared to other girls in my country. Now that she gained a lot of weight she's quite big compared to American standards but we experience no problems here (chairs, public places, shopping etc.). When we visit Europe people stare at her and she looks huge. Chairs don't fit, public places are not for her size and shopping is very difficult. Therefore, my conclusion is that because it's more common and it's more or less a standard here in the US, more people get overweight.
So completely true. I first noticed my 6-pack abs started to disappear when I was in grad school and got my first car. Years later, I did pretty well staying fit when I lived in San Francisco for 15 years without an automobile. Now I live in a part of the US where there are literally no sidewalks in my community, but a lot of car traffic. To get anywhere safely you must drive, plus there's not really much of anything within walking distance of where I live anyway. It has a depressingly low
walkscore.
Hmmm, that gives me an idea for a thread.
I've actually tried walking to the grocery store and restaurants and other places from where I live because I was used to walking. I used to live downtown. I've actually experienced the weeds and the dirty, dangerous terrain without sidewalks, and I find it frustrating because there is no reason for it. There could be a better community here if only more people walked, but no one does because America no longer believes in sidewalks unless it's placed directly in front of someone's home.
God forbid a sidewalk should span three blocks down a connecting road from a suburb to a shopping area.
You should visit my hometown. Midwest town of 20,000 people. Sidewalks everywhere but that was how it use to be.I've actually tried walking to the grocery store and restaurants and other places from where I live because I was used to walking. I used to live downtown. I've actually experienced the weeds and the dirty, dangerous terrain without sidewalks, and I find it frustrating because there is no reason for it. There could be a better community here if only more people walked, but no one does because America no longer believes in sidewalks unless it's placed directly in front of someone's home.
God forbid a sidewalk should span three blocks down a connecting road from a suburb to a shopping area.
Were they built in the last 30-40 years? Most places I've been only maintain the sidewalks established before the 70s, but don't build new ones except within the suburbs, and they don't connect them together in a useful or functional way.
Las Vegas has sidewalks everywhere! Even on roads that literally stop because they don't go anywhere yet. It's funny to see.
We are talking about an old town. The neighborhood blocks are just that. Been that way forever.
Now there are some newer areas that haven't maintained that old town feel. But the old part was built when you walked everwhere and I feel it supported community interaction.
I shall shut thy trap before I expose my horrid age. :smile:
BiItalianBro
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Large portions, lack of exercise...yea, they are all important variables. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I firmly believe that the primary motivator is the systematic poisoning of our food chain. It starts with hormonal manipulation of animal feed and continues through the production process to our dinner table. Many of these processes were introduced over the past 25 years...with little to no information on how it would impact insulin resistance and fat metabolism over the long term. These are being introduced in other parts of the world, like the EU and, viola, you have an obesity problem.
What’s Making Us Fat? Researchers Put Food Additives On Suspect List | CommonHealth
What’s Making Us Fat? Researchers Put Food Additives On Suspect List | CommonHealth
We have quater pounders here (& Big Macs too) but in Burger King in the US the burgers were the size of a small plate! Much bigger than what we have over here... You get more fries as well.
Also every place I went to eat had enormous portion sizes, with starters/appetizers actually larger than main meals are in the UK. One of the worst places was Denny's, where we used to SHARE an appetizer & not even need a main meal!
titan1968
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Having been to the US on several occasions, I must agree with Pompeynate. From my experience, fried foods are generally the norm in US restaurants whereas greens (e.g. 'healthy' salads) are not. It's easier to make healthier choices in Canada than in the US. The healthiest choice to make is to eat at home more-- and exercise more.
I'm relieved that Canada is not at the top of the OCDE list. We're 5th, after Australia and Spain. We should try harder though and be last.
I'm relieved that Canada is not at the top of the OCDE list. We're 5th, after Australia and Spain. We should try harder though and be last.
I've always lived in walking cities, Boston, Geneve, New York. It astonishes me when I visit friends and I realize that walking, to them, means from the house to the car. It's like "outside" is simply a place you pass through on the way to a destination as quickly as possible.
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