The 7 most obese states...

[davidn3600]

[img][/img]

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/05/26/the-7-most-obese-us-states.aspx

[Aviation Pro]

1. Why are the bars blue?

Shouldn't they be red?

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Considering the states in question

yes, the bars should certainly be red.

[chervilant]

3. I'm surprised Texas didn't make the cut...

Wasn't Houston on the list of fattest cities?

[marble falls]

7. Any city here in Texas could be on the list. It worse than I thought if Texas didn't crack...

the top five.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

31. Actually Austin is one of the most fit cities in the nation.

I believe it's number 12 on the list last year.

[marble falls]

51. As a former 78704 hippy, Austin may be in Texas, but Austin ain't Texas .....

though its getting more and more like Houston and Dallas every day. Just because yuppie scum can tie Austin up every damn weekend with the K of the week and there's 50,000 or so 'horns' living mostly temporarily in Austin it would be a mistake think there's no obesity problem there.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

65. I didn't mean to hit a nerve.

I apologize for some Austinites obsession with fitness and especially running.

Take solace in the fact that the half marathon I'll be running in November is in San Antonio and not Austin.

[Javaman]

137. 78704. It's not just a zip code, it's a way of life. :)

that was the bumper sticker I had on my car for years.

[arely staircase]

69. The People's Republic of Austin isn't exactly representative of Texas

I'm from there and now live in the boonies of East Texas. Totally different world.

[Bluenorthwest]

96. I just read this thread, did not see anyone suggest that Austin is representative of Texas, but

having a city with a fitness streak might contribute to the overall State not making the top five list in question, does that not make sense? We all get that 'Austin is in Texas, but it's not Texas' and all, but it is in Texas. It is a city in Texas. Tops fitness lists.

[arely staircase]

97. i am sure it does keep the fat stats down somewhat

sure, of course that makes sense. but I doubt it has too much of an effect because Austin isn't really a very big city. maybe half a million in a state of about 20 million.

[TexasTowelie]

102. Nope, the latest population estimate for 2012 has it at 842,000.

They are now the 11th largest city in the company jumping three spots in the past year.

[arely staircase]

70. No shit

Those states on the list must be amazingly fat if they leave Texas behind.

[SoCalDem]

4. Land of the Sweet Tea Party

served with cake

[R Merm]

13. and lard

[Arugula Latte]

60. fried lard

[liberal_at_heart]

108. I grew up in Texas. I love sweet tea.

I'm trying to drink more green tea these days, but I still allow myself to have a little bit of sweet tea with a meal.

[SoCalDem]

114. The only time I had sweet-tea was in Tahiti

It was a beastly-hot evening & we stopped in at an Italian Restaurant. My husband & I ordered an iced tea with lemon & he decided for once to skip the sugar he usually puts in his iced tea..

anyway, I took a big ole swig of my tea & was stunned at how sweet it was.. It came pre-sweetened.. The waiter told us that's the way Americans drink their tea, so they only sold it that way..

We gulped it down since we were so hot & asked for a refill. Halfway through dinner the waiter asked if we wanted more.. we both said yes.. When we got the bill we discovered that the tea was $4.50USD a glass with NO free refills

It tasted okay, but I still prefer unsweetened with lemon ..and not $4.50 a glass

[kentuck]

5. I think if Kentucky did not lead the nation in smokers...

...we could be number one.

[HereSince1628]

6. Just for comparison the leanest 7 ...

Sort of looks like the median is pretty close to 25%...

Back in 2009, the obesity rate for kids in WI was essentially 29% which pulled the overall WI obesity rate up to 26%, ranking WI 25th in obesity... sort of wonder about these new numbers and if the US has made any progress since '09 on childhood obesity.

[timdog44]

8. Sad state of affairs

if the obesity rate of lowest states are that high.

When my wife and I both worked in surgery, the two categories of people that needed surgery the most where the obese and the smokers. Which are both life style choices. They are hard choices to change and so not making a judgement call other than these are two areas for education at all levels. We both felt, irregardless of the choices they made, we needed to help them through.

[chervilant]

10. What?!?

Obesity is NOT a lifestyle choice. (Fat prejudice, on the other hand...)

[timdog44]

11. I am not fat prejudiced.

I knew this would happen. Obesity is the result of a lifestyle choice on how and what to eat. There are the rare instances of metabolic problems, but not to the tune of the statistics cited in the postings. And if you think there is fat prejudice, you should be angry that the post was even put out there in the first place.

[chervilant]

19. Obesity,

and other eating disorders, are too complicated to be pigeonholed as "lifestyle choices." I've battled obesity all my life, and only recently have I come to understand how processed foods (replete with sugars and hydrogenated oils) drive appetites and pack on pounds -- no matter how small and infrequent your meals.

Now, I'm a Vegan, and I've lost over 55 lbs in the last year -- without changing how much I eat or how often.

Ironically, people still make judgmental statements about my food choices.

[timdog44]

21. congratulations to you.

You have indeed changed much about how you eat. And you are correct, it is not the quantities but the qualities of the food.

I also have fallen into the official obesity "class". But am battling back and am losing the pounds. I feel better, my blood pressure is down and my cholesterol levels are down, and am generally healthier.

People are always going to make judgments about what you eat. But now you can just smile at them when you eat your very healthy food while they are cramming in the fries and Big Macs.

Keep up the good work. I know you have to physically feel better and feel better mentally, not only on how you look, but in your acuity.

I am sorry I touched a tender spot. I knew there had to be a reason for your response. You are a good person.

[Marr]

35. It's both-- quantity and quality.

Healthier foods fill you up a lot more than unhealthy ones. Five hundred calories of chicken breast and steamed vegetables, for instance, is a PILE of food. Five hundred calories of junk will fit in the palm of your hand and won't sate your appetite at all.

[timdog44]

38. Nail on the head.

Five hundred calories can be held between two fingers. Also, five hundred calories will fill both hands. I know which is the better way to go.

[chervilant]

116. Please take time to

explore some of the resources I found when I did my research. Food, Inc., and Food Matters are two documentaries that motivated my decision to be a Vegan.

I joined OA in 1998, and learned a great deal about my eating disorder. I learned that the average human stomach can hold two cups of food, which is about the size of my two fists. I learned that drinking beverages during a meal is unwise, for several reasons. I learned that chewing my food well is essential. I learned that diets don't work, that weight loss depends on eating "right" and exercising. I went from a size 24 to a size 10. I stopped eating sugar 14 years ago this past November. I became a vegan in February of last year.

I sincerely hope you will reconsider calling obesity a "lifestyle choice." No person I've ever met would 'choose' to be obese. And, like me, most people have a lot to learn about eating "right."

[timdog44]

118. I have the Food Matters documentary.

You are doing well and I am happy for you. If you have done all the research about your eating then I hope you have read about the pitfalls of eating vegan. From the way it sounds, you probably have. There are some essential amino acids and fats that vegans miss if they don't eat correctly. I don't think I am strong enough to eat as a vegan, but I am definitely working on doing better eating more raw and from our own garden. It is a life time process.

I may have phrased it incorrectly or it was interpreted incorrectly. I did not mean to say a person chooses to be obese. I thought I said and did mean to say that people choose to eat the way they do and thus become obese as a result. Big difference. Although there are some psychological problems where people do choose to be obese.

The Food Matters documentary is where the American medical industry is called an "illness industry". My wife and I are both RNs and we both realize that what we do is not health care but sick care. It is a shame the industry has taken that turn. People still need the help and as RNs we realize that our role is that of a teacher. We do a lot of that still, even though we are retired. Good, clean food is the first line defense against illness and we emphasize that with whoever wishes to talk about it.

I certainly did not mean to cause distress in a very sensitive matter. That is never my intent and I may have to think out better what I am saying.

[chervilant]

145. Thank you for being so considerate

and compassionate in your responses.

[jimlup]

20. Modern research would say that you are partially wrong...

I've been obese for most of my life though I am not at the moment. I make a significant effort to maintain a less than obese overweight state and I run and watch my eating.

While you are partially correct it is naive to think that there are only "rare instances of metabolic problems." It depends on how you count and also how you decide to do the count. By some ways of framing the problem all instances of obesity are metabolic problems. I argue that it is a result of our sudden shift from an agrarian society to a modern industrial one. Our genetics (as a species) has not had nearly enough time to catch up.

A suggestion - Don't speak as if you are an expert in this field unless you actually are.

While I am not currently "obese" I remain particularly sensitive to fat discrimination. It exists and it is wrong.

[timdog44]

23. I did not talk as if an expert.

I was giving my anecdotal evidence. Although through my nursing career and independent studies I have gotten a handle on nutrition and eating.

Your argument of moving from and agrarian to a modern industrial society can not, I think be counted as a "metabolic" disorder, but certainly contributes to the problem.

You assume a lot to think I am a discriminator against "fat" people. I too have fallen into the "obese" range and battle that battle.

As in your first paragraph, you are making a lifestyle choice. Not to be obese. So, if by ways of changing activities and eating, you have proven that making that lifestyle choice, you have reduced by one person the number obese people. My proposition is that, that is true for most. But education is a key to this big health issue.

[jimlup]

25. Antectodal evidence is not cause and effect.

Sorry but by anecdote I know that I have been discriminated against because of my weight. This is a complex problem and to assign it to a "lifestyle choice" is naive and that is giving you the benefit of the doubt. I also know by anecdote and direct observation how much trouble I have maintaining my weight versus the lifestyle of my "skinny" friends who can eat whatever they want and not gain weight. It just isn't a simple problem and psychological factors are no less real problems than many others. One observation that I will add to the discussion is that when I am relatively "poor" I have a harder time with weight control "poor" than when I'm doing well. When you are worried about paying the rent, your brain says you are also worried about calories. Rational or not, it is a psychological artifact of limited income. The "fat is a lifestyle choice" folks kind of remind me of Reagen Administration people who would say that "poverty" is a "choice."

I admit to being particularly sensitive on this issue. Nevertheless I find your statements too general, overly simplistic and also more than a little naive. Sorry, you are free to disagree as am I with you.

[timdog44]

33. Sorry you feel that way.

You just called me stupid and ignorant. That is your right to do so.

Fat is a life style choice is different than making a choice in your life and being obese because of it. If you think I don't believe it is a difficult problem, you are sadly mistaken. And psychological issues play a big part, as they do in any endeavor of life. So now you have thrown me in a category that you think I have put on a lot of other people. I find that demeaning.

It is a simple problem. The solution is what is difficult. It is too bad that being overweight has clouded your wisdom and civility.

[jimlup]

34. From my shoes

You are the one being uncivil. You can infer what you claim I said but the truth is that if the shoes fit I guess you should wear them. Oh, and I can tell by the tone that you've taken from the first reply that you are not sorry at all.

I'll just put you on ignore.

Thanks for letting me know you are a jerk with whom open discussion is impossible.

[timdog44]

37. You probably won't see this.

But ignore is the easy way out. Good bye.

[Aristus]

49. It's not easy, is it?

As a Physician Assistant, I have also been the target of a lot of GD Forum outrage. A lot of "how dare you talk about science-y medical stuff!!!"

I've been torn up one side and down the other for stating that second-hand smoke is bad for children and other living things.

I've been called sadistic and uncaring for pointing out to chronic pain sufferers that narcotics are no longer standard of care for long-term pain management.

And, like you, I've been screamed at for mentioning that even though there is an endocrinological component to some cases of obesity, the best management plan is to push away from the table and go for a walk.

I'm with you.

Keep fighting the good fight...

[timdog44]

52. Thanks for that.

"Sciencey medical stuff" is what we have been trained in, and it is difficult not to impart what knowledge we have. I applaud to for going on to being a PA. By the time I had done all me "trying to find myself" I was 30 years old and had no talents or training to bring anything to the table to start a meaningful relationship. I won't say I wasted a lot of years, because I had a lot of experiences, but by the time I became an RN, it was time to settle in and make a life. I did go to pre-med when I first started, but was so disillusioned by the other pre-med candidates that I decided on what I thought was a better route.

As to this thread, obesity as a subject is about as taboo as talking religion or politics. But I can't seem to stop trying to be an educator. I will keep fighting the fight.

And I am with you.

[Warpy]

27. Yes, you are fat prejudiced

No one would choose obesity if it were under our control. It isn't. People who starve down to an ideal weight, whether through will power or surgery, usually regain the weight plus more within five years.

It's not a lifestyle choice. It's not a choice, at all.

[former9thward]

30. Why are people fatter than they were 20 years ago?

40 years? 60 years? After hundreds of thousands of years of evolvement has human genetics suddenly changed in the last generation or two? The answer is no. You can call it whatever you want in an attempt to shut down discussion but for most people it is a choice they have made in their life. Once we are an adult we all can choose what type of food we eat and what kind of activities we do.

[MADem]

77. Automation has a share of the blame....

Forty years ago, there were no computers. There weren't a zillion channels. People got out more. Kids didn't get rides from Mom--the walked or biked. They didn't sit indoors eating snacks and playing video games, they were forced to "play outside." Not everyone had a car--you took the bus, and you walked to the bus stop to take that bus. Sixty years ago, even fewer people had cars. More walking--to shopping, to the library, to visit neighbors.

Eighty years ago,still most people didn't have cars. Or washing machines. Or dryers. Or vacuum cleaners and electric floor washers. You scrubbed floors, you scrubbed clothes, you used muscle to wring them out and hang them up, you ironed them...all of this activity burned calories. If you had a lawn, you push-mowed it. Everything was heavier--no plastics. A suitcase weighed five or ten pounds BEFORE you put anything in it. Shoes were heavy things, so were coats.

It was a very different time, a very different lifestyle.

[former9thward]

80. Everything you say is true.

Which is why we must force ourselves to make the choice to do exercise of some sort frequently as we can. When I go to the store I park well away from the door which forces me to walk that much more. Just doing little things like that can help. I also reject processed foods. I realize not everyone can do that easily.

[Warpy]

90. Epidemiologists have noted that the obesity epidemic

is following the classic pattern of an infectious epidemic, starting around the Gulf states and spreading outward.

It's also happened that way in Mexico, and don't try to tell me their lifestyle has changed all that much, it hasn't.

The only major change in the US in the last 40 years is increasing poverty. Poverty is not a lifestyle choice, either.

[npk]

113. Actually poverty rates have been fairly steady over the last 40 years

They fluctuated slightly in the mid 80's, but the poverty rate today is actually less percentage wise than it was in the 1950's.

http://npc.umich.edu/poverty/#3

[Warpy]

120. Only because they've changed the CPI market basket

and are still using the antiquated formula that says food is 1/3 of the budget, not the 1/6 that has been the case since the 1970s.

Poverty rates have been increasing greatly, I don't care how many tame economists and AEI hacks you can cite.

[npk]

139. Poverty has risen most notably among children, and mostly inner city poor neighborhoods

Poverty is of course higher in urban areas than in the suburbs, but even the poorest inner city neighborhoods have better access to healthier foods than they did 40 years ago. Poverty could be a cause of some obesity mostly in children, but poverty cannot be the the biggest factor in the widespread epidemic of obesity. If it was we could be seeing isolated areas of obesity, but we aren't.

[timdog44]

129. There has been a major change in the last 40 years.

The use of high fructose corn syrup. It mirrors the rate of obesity. Highly processed foods also have contributed to the obesity rates.

You put words in my mouth to say that poverty is a lifestyle choice. That is not fair to imply that I think that. Poverty causes people to have to spend the least they can on everything they buy and that includes food. Processed food is cheaper and loaded with high fructose corn syrup, and that is what leads to obesity. It is not fair that so much poverty exists in this country. In fact it is a sin that it exists here. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That is forced on us by the globalization of everything and the loss of good paying jobs. Until people start to vote for the things that affect them the most, things won't change. But abortion and homosexual marriage and guns seem to rule a great many of the people who are poor. Those, though important, don't come close to trumping good jobs with good pay.

[timdog44]

36. It is a life style choice to eat the wrong foods.

For whatever reason. And eating the wrong foods is what leads to obesity. If you don't believe that, then calling me "fat prejudiced" is way off base. As I said above, the problem is simple - the solution is difficult. People are born with different hurdles to jump and hoops to jump through. People who go on diets do so on the wrong premise. The premise should be for good health and the side effect will be less weight. A life style change is what is called for, not a diet. Been there done that. The reason people put the weight back on is because they lost the weight for the wrong reason. Once they reach what they seem to think is their ideal they go back to the life style they lead before they lost the weight.

This winter I was 215 pounds and I am 5 foot 7 inchces. Check the science on that. I was obese. I am making a life style change and am losing weight, but on the better side of that, I feel and look healthier. My blood pressure is down. My cholesterol is down. My skin color is better. I move better. I feel better.

[Dragonfli]

64. Where there is choice, eating poorly is a lifestyle choice, but to be fair, for some

choices are limited, due to mobility issues (transportation limitations for working poor can be quite restrictive depending on the area and public transportation).

Financial restrictions (good food is beyond many budgets, cheap calories are not)

Changes in processed food found in low end grocery stores over the years (corporations spend tons of money to make food as addictive as possible, the grail is to add the perfect amount of sugars, fat, and salt to accomplish more consumption and therefore profit)

Education, understanding - you did mention education, it is very true, when working two or three low paying jobs one does not have time to learn how to sort through the food options available at Aldies, or Price Rite where almost all of the food IS over processed but cheap enough to purchase a weeks worth within a limited budget.

I am very poor now due to bad health, advancing age and local economic problems, I am not fully disabled but can only work limited hours and not within the trades where my experience allows for much better pay, ironically soon my health will be so poor and my joints so screwed up I imagine I will be disabled and hopefully 40 years of FICA payments with return in the form of insurance allowing me subsistence. Until then, the only way to eat healthy is "poor vegetarian", mostly salad, rice and beans. To buy regular food at the Aldies (over processed stuff on the shelves), would likely make me obese and harm my health even more.

I do think in the world of professionals, a world of surgeons, lawyers and others of that type of earner, where money and mobility issues are not a factor, one could afford to make healthy choices, so your advice is sound to the life you know, and l thought you were sensitive in how you advocated for healthier choices.

[timdog44]

71. I find it disgraceful

in this land of plenty that someone could be in the position to not be able to have good food and good healthcare.

I am fully understanding of the problems of economy leading a person to have to make the tough choices. And like I said, that is just disgraceful. It is very difficult to eat well on little money. I wish I could do something. I feel bad that this happens.

I can suggest application for Social Security Disability. Can not hurt to try. After being on SSD for two years you are then eligible for Medicare which does a very passable job of paying for health care.

I really appreciate your comment on my being sensitive.

Good luck on you.

[bike man]

66. I agree with what you've typed in this thread. As recently as 2 years ago I was obese, according to

BMI charts. I am still obese according to those same charts - age 70, 5'8", 200 lbs - but my body fat has dropped to 16%, cholesterol is in the normal range (total well below 200), A1C readings have been in the normal range for over 1 year (my dr. refers to my "former diabetes&quot , blood pressure is way good, and resting pulse rate is 52.

I'm in the gym a lot, monitor every morsel that goes down my neck.

For me, it's exercise and careful attention to what I eat, when I eat it, and how much of it I eat.

In order to assist myself in my own aging process, last year I became certified as a Senior Personal Trainer. Now, when I'm in the gym the staff there will ask me to assist them with their "other elderly" clients.

For me, Life is Good.

[timdog44]

68. Thank you.

And congratulations to you. You are a beacon for those of us still struggling.

Sometimes I don't like the BMI charts because they do not take into account the percent of body fat. Muscles are heavier than fat. So those charts are not always the end all, be all. It very possible to be in excellent shape, lots of muscle, little of fat and still be considered obese. So it is all relative.

Life is Good. That is one of my favorites. Good on you.

[bike man]

72. It's an on-going battle/struggle, an every day thing that never ends - at least for

me.

My wake-up call was when I became short of breath from merely bending over to tie my shoes. There's only about 20 lbs difference between then and now, but it's redistributed and I'm stronger.

[Warpy]

89. Repeating a lie doesn't make it come true.

The truth is that nobody knows what's behind the obesity epidemic nor how to reverse it. If eating less were the key, no one would be obese. Who needs to face that kind of prejudice?

Blaming the victims is always a loser's game.

[timdog44]

92. The truth is

people do know what is behind the obesity epidemic. And eating less is a big key to the solution. It is very difficult for some people to do that, or as you say no one would be obese. The truth is that the intake of sugar and specifically high fructose corn syrup mirrors the obesity epidemic in this country. Try to buy any processed food that does not have high fructose corn syrup in it. You will find that a difficult task. The truth is sitting in front of a TV or computer screen most of the day have contributed to the obesity epidemic. Fifty years ago when I was a kid, we played out doors all day, when not in school. We walked all over the place and ran and jumped and did all kinds of activities. The truth is the obesity epidemic has gone hand and glove with the advent of processed foods. A home cooked meal meant from scratch. Now, a home cooked meal is out of a can or a box and microwaved. And the way to reverse the obesity epidemic is to do just those things. It also means eating slower, savoring each bite and pushing away from the table when a feeling of fullness come on. It also means recognizing that the feeling of hunger is most times a need for water and drinking a glass or two when you do feel hungry. It also means taking the time to measure out the portions that are eaten and not to over eat. It also means that dessert is not a food group and that it is a treat to be had once a week at the most. I am not blaming the victim, I am stating the facts and you can take them or leave them. I am prejudiced against not being healthy whether overweight or not. Most of the time it is in the hands of the person who suffers the problem. And I don't know what lie you seem to think I am repeating.

[closeupready]

150. I also agree with everything you've posted in this thread.

Controlling weight can be hard for some people, but I find it to be fairly simple and, admittedly after a number of months of diligence, easy.

It can be hard to take the first step, let alone facing the notion of changing one's entire existence, particularly when most people hate change, but I've found that once the weight starts to drop and your appearance and mood lift, you look forward to being a healthier person.

[timdog44]

152. Exactly the way

I am feeling right now. I had changed my eating habits about 6 weeks ago. Then my wife wanted to do the detox cleanse program from the book Clean. We are into about the 13th day. I feel better, I have more energy, my BP is down, people tell my skin color looks better, and I am down about 15-16 pounds. I have to say that the reason I did all this was not for weight loss but for health - but the side effect of eating better leads to weight loss. It was hard at first, but now all the cravings I used to have are gone. And all this healthier eating is getting easier to do. And we are picking up great new recipes to eat after the cleanse is done.

And thank you for your support about what I have been trying to say.

[closeupready]

155. Glad to hear it. :-)

I think that there are just SO many people whose lives are SO out of control in terms of food and everyday sloth, that what you are talking about here must be viewed as absolutely radical.

Which is sad, because ... well, one likes to think that in a perfect world, that which is healthy for one's body or mind should be viewed as a good ideal; yet, you can hear the anger and resentment and fear from some who - I guess - have just given up altogether.

You can watch these reality shows like Biggest Loser and they tell contestants, if you don't lose weight, and NOW, you might not have another 20 or 10 or even 5 years. Your situation is THAT BAD. Some of them disregard it.

And another thing - some in my family (and I'm talking through many generations) have been obese; I do have that tendency though I've never been above, at most, 185 lb. But even THAT was much more than I wanted, and I've brought it down 20% and it's very stable. I do tend to gain when it gets cold, and I get really hungry, but I don't beat myself up too much for occasionally pigging out or losing a bit of control.

[timdog44]

156. Interesting about putting weight on

when it is cold. It is a situation that I have gone through for years. I always called it my winter weight. Problem started when the winter weight decided to stay through until the next winter. I wonder sometimes if that is a racial thing. My background being German, Irish and Scotch. Put on weight for the rough winters, then work hard for three seasons and it comes back off.

I think some people have such a hard time with weight, that eventually rationalizing it the thing to do. I do feel for people who have a hard time with gaining weight too easily. It never was a problem for me until I got to be about 60. I was always a skinny little dude, with a 28 waist, and could eat like it was never going to happen again. But that ended, and now I have to be careful. And mostly I eat better now because I want to stay healthy and not have to take any of those poisons sold by big pharma.

There is a big psychological element to the whole thing. No work, or low paying jobs takes a toll on your self image. And like I said in a couple of other posts, it is a sin that in a country as wealthy as the USA, that good jobs, good food and good health are not the norm for all people.

Good luck on staying healthy and keeping you weight down. It is a struggle until it becomes a habit.

[closeupready]

157. I'm of similar ethnicity; it's plausible that some of it is genetic.

Kind of like how I have an allergy to bright sunlight - apparently, that specific allergy does have a strong correlation with Scandinavian people. It's kind of funny - I can make myself sneeze by going out into the sunlight, looking in the direction of the sun, and I sneeze twice, every time.

[timdog44]

158. I am

a two sneezer too.

[cpwm17]

12. When I was young the obesity rate was much lower

The change is in people's lifestyle.

I see what people purchase at the grocery store: it's mostly pure junk. That didn't used to be the case.

[SoCalDem]

15. All one has to do is to look at old black & white pics on Google

school pictures/street scenes.. an obese person/child is a rarity.

Back then people often did labor-intensive jobs/chores..
many had ONE car, so people walked a lot more.
Stores had staircases..not elevators/escalators..
Kids played outside, running, jumping rope, riding bikes until sunset..
schools had real physical fitness programs... recess involved activities.

We are less active, and fast food/processed food is cheap and ubiquitous.

[JNelson6563]

43. Ubiquitous is the perfect word.

Another thing to consider, not all that long ago gas stations were places you got gas for your car. Now they are all convenience stores too because gawd knows we can't drive from point A to point B without a soda, a bag a chips and a candy bar.

But no, we all have glandular problems. Agree or you're prejudiced!1!

Julie

[SoCalDem]

45. Yep.. a 6 yr old Baby Ruth was about all you'd find

IF the vending machine even worked

[SoCalDem]

46. Doing laundry is a prime example..

My grandmother had a wringer Maytag until well into the 60's.. It was in the basement

then she would haul the wet wash up the basement steps & out to the back yard to hang the wash..

When I was first married (1970-1974) I had NO washer/dryer..& had to go to a laundromat to do laundry.. now people whine if it's not main-floor accessible..

[chervilant]

22. The change is in the

vast array of over-processed, nutrient deficient foods that comprise the average American's diet. Over-consumption of animal products (normalized by the fast food industry) is directly correlated with diabetes, obesity, heart disease and osteoporosis.

What's sad to me is the thinly veiled contempt directed at the huge percentage of US citizens who struggle with eating disorders. We should address the food industry, and protect our children from toxic food choices.

[timdog44]

24. That is truly

a difficult battle. The food industry is going to produce what the people are "addicted" to. We do need to protect our children from the garbage that is found in the grocery stores. It seems that a big majority of people are against regulating it or creating laws about the foods produced or quantities served. The answer is "you don't have the right to tell me what and how much to eat."

I believe the way to do food is to walk only the perimeter of the grocery stores, which is where most of the unprocessed foods are located and go from there. But like I said in another post, a lot of this a big learning curve and more time consuming.

The thinly veiled contempt you speak of can be evidence by going to a clothing store and trying to but "fashionable" clothing in a size that is for people who aren't a size 8 or smaller, or have a waist size of 34 or less.

[FarCenter]

54. Not putting stuff in the grocery cart is key

It is a lot easier to not put the wrong foods in a grocery cart than it is to avoid eating them when you get home.

When I shop and cook for myself, I always loose weight because I only buy meat, vegetables, and fruit. Nothing that tastes sweet, nothing with lots of white flour, etc.

If the cookies, cake, chips, candy, cheese, bread, pasta, etc. don't make it into the cart, they don't make it into my mouth.

[timdog44]

57. You are right.

First of all, don't go to the grocery store hungry. Big mistake. You become a little kid just throwing things in because they really are comfort food.

My wife and I, like I said above try to shop only on the perimeter of the grocery store because that is where the raw foods are. Then we have to cook from scratch or eat raw. There was a syndicated MD name of Dr Gott who had a diet plan. No sugar, no flour. Simple? Not so much, but it works. The solution to the problem of being over weight is simple, the solution is difficult.

We are in the process of doing a "cleanse". It is a 3 week program of special eating for detoxing the body. What we are finding is that the meal are very tasty and when the three weeks is up, we will be continuing with a lot of the recipes in the book "Clean". I have not had a real problem giving up the desserty things, but gosh I miss my glass of wine at night.

[CBHagman]

136. It was the same when I was a kid.

And I do agree it's down to lifestyle. However, there are multiple factors in that lifestyle, and the content of daily meals is just one of them. We're much more sedentary a society, for instance,and while I applaud Michelle Obama's efforts to raise that issue with the country, it's going to take a long, hard slog to reverse trends.

[blueamy66]

76. In some cases it is.

Not everyone has a physical disorder that affects their weight.

Some people just eat too much.

[chervilant]

115. It's clear to me

that the extremely high percentage of individuals who are clinically overweight or obese in our nation suggests there is something else going on besides a "lifestyle choice." I encourage you to watch

Supersize Me

Food, Inc.

Food Matters

Forks Over Knives

Fat, Sick And Nearly Dead

[blueamy66]

119. Could be.

But, then there are people that eat too much and don't exercise.

I can throw out a story of my personal experience, but I'm sure it won't be welcome. Heck, I'll do it anyway.

My friend's 10 yr old weighs 150 lbs. she eats too much. She sits in front if the tv and iPad all day. It's her choice.

I feel for people that have real health issues. But some do not.

[chervilant]

144. The 10 year old's adult caregivers--

the parents, in other words--are responsible for teaching their child good nutrition and good eating habits. Furthermore, parents are responsible for encouraging their children to be physically active, and to habituate exercises that can benefit them the rest of their lives. Blaming that 10 year old for weighing 150 lbs is like whipping a puppy for piddling on the rug, and is just as cruel.

[blueamy66]

147. If she knows that she is overweight....

And keeps eating....

Yeah, I blame her parents. They don't get it.

I just feel bad for her. HS is going to be tough.

[chervilant]

148. Just FYI,

when I was ten, I was being perped on by my adult BIL (now ex-BIL). In hindsight, I realize that my concurrent weight gain was both a little girl's attempt to "stop" my abuser by becoming fat and "ugly," and my eating was the *ONLY* behavior over which I had total control.

Compassion is such a critical need in children's lives.

[blueamy66]

149. I'm sorry you went through that.

nt

[madville]

9. Those states also rank at the top in SNAP usage

Poverty and obesity are more common and related than ever.

[YeahSureRight]

14. Very true. Processed food is cheaper then real food and with the meager SNAP ration

processed food is all many can afford very sad.

Even if SNAP funding is increased, which it should be, many will continue to buy processed food because they do not know how to cook from scratch, shop for food or even nutrition and now is a social problem created as a result of the GOP defunding public nutritional education programs in the schools and for the public.

This food ignorance is not limited to the poor either even those who can afford real food choose processed crap instead.

The nation needs to learn how to eat or we will keep getting fatter increasing medical cots for all.

[timdog44]

16. That is one of the problems.

Processed food is much cheaper. Food is an area of the budget that has suffered the most for people of all income levels, but especially for the poor. I remember somewhere seeing a statistic (sorry I could not find it) about the percentage of a family income spent on food years ago as to what families spend these days. Lot more spent years ago than now. The other thing is that eating good is a big learning curve and somewhat time consuming. With so many families having to have both parents working or families with the bread winner having to work two jobs, makes eating correctly even more difficult. Which of course opens a whole new can of worms as to jobs and the economy.

[MADem]

18. Even people who know how to cook often do not have access to cooking facilities.

If it can't be heated in a microwave in a long term hotel room, they can't heat it.

I have often thought a good use of Public Service Announcement (PSA) time is to do thirty second spots on nutrition and economy--"Buy this, not that" type stuff, maybe a fast, simple recipe or two...it would help with the obesity and the food choice ignorance, certainly.

[mythology]

67. A lot of fruit and veggies don't need to be cooked

You can cook rice or pasta in a microwave.

Yes it's harder to eat healthier, but it's easier to eat healthier than to deal with the physical impact of being obese.

I do like the idea of PSAs about eating healthier, but I think if the right got a stick up their ass over the first lady's Let's Move campaign, I doubt they'd be okay with announcements about eating healthier. No doubt one of those pinko commie fascist muslim things.

[MADem]

75. Yes, you can cook in a microwave but it can be a real pain in the ass.

There's nothing like a cast iron pan or a good old fashioned pot when it comes to making a stew. People living in "public housing hotels" have prohibitions against using hot plates, often as not. Teaching people microwave cooking techniques could be part and parcel of the effort.

Also, people on SNAP have to pick their fruit/veg carefully--those things are so expensive they use up all the benefit. They're probably better off getting the food pantry early on "their" day and hoping that the supermarket had left off some stuff that is a hair past its sell-by.

I honestly don't think going after the "obese" aspect is helpful. People tend to get pissed off if you tell them they are carting around too much fat. It's like smoking--nagging never helps.

My PSA idea isn't about lecturing people to lose weight, though, it's all about healthy food, nutritious food, and it should be aimed at parents who want to take better care of their KIDS. "Hey, you, fatso, you need to eat better" never works, but "Proper nutrients -- and they can be tasty, quick and healthy snacks or meals --- will help YOUR little Fauntleroy and Petunia excel in school and make you proud!!" Then on comes Oprah or Matt Damon or that turd Dennis Miller, in a thirty second spot, making a banana and almond butter sandwich on whole wheat, making a ten minute rice dish with fresh tomato or other veggies, or flavoring oatmeal in an amusing way that kids might like. The trick is to make the meal QUICK, AFFORDABLE and ACCESSIBLE. No pine nuts or fava beans--plain shit, cleverly put together.

By getting people from across the political spectrum to do these spots (Rand Paul makes a blueberry-ice shake in the blender, e.g.) , it might be possible to avoid the partisan carping. I think it would be a good thing for this sort of effort to come out of/be run by Health/Human Services rather than Office of FLOTUS. She has enough on her plate (pardon the pun) and even as an offshoot to her issues, it could be something that crosses administrations (like the President's Council on Physical Fitness) if done right.

[FarCenter]

78. Microwave cooking is easy

Pour some frozen veggies out of the bag into a covered dish, add a couple of teaspoons of water and nuke.

Put a potato in, hit the potato setting and you get baked potato. Or section the potato and cook it on a lower setting covered to approximate boiling.

Put a little cottage cheese on the potato and you have a nutritious meal in less than 15 minutes.

[MADem]

79. Not all microwaves have a "potato" setting, and many in these cheap hotels are 600 watt.

Analog things, with a timer knob, not a push button program, and two settings--LO and HI. To boil water takes as long as it might to do it on a hot plate.

And that's assuming they have a microwave at all. Some places have the microwave in the lobby, and it's just for reheating.

You also need a refrigerator to put a little cottage cheese on your potato. And cottage cheese is expensive. You can get a lot of pre-made mac/cheese in a little plastic bowl for the same price as that cottage cheese.

It's tough for poor people. Tough to cook in some environments, tough to afford good food

[FarCenter]

83. I don't think anywhere close to 30% of West Virginians live in welfare hotels.

In fact, of the 7 states in the OP graph, they don't strike me as states with a lot of welfare hotels. Maybe in Memphis?

So yes, I'm assuming people have microwave and refrigerators, even poor people. They are also smart enough to turn a dial instead of using a pad. And a lot of the obese people are not poor, and poverty is not the cause of their obesity.

Frozen vegetables in the larger bags are pretty cheap. Stick with standard pea, bean, carrot, corn etc. and avoid the ones in boxes, the fancy little peas, and the ones with special sauces in the boil-in-bags.

Potatos are not expensive.

You only need about 3 ounces of cottage cheese, so a pint will last 5 meals.

Pre-made mac/cheese is plastic death.

[MADem]

86. People on SNAP aren't just feeding themselves, often as not.

They are feeding a pile of kids who don't think a potato with cottage cheese on it is a good or tasty meal. That's why the parents reach for the plastic death mac/cheese.

Personally, I think a potato and cottage cheese is way too white. Too much carb, too pale.

Your better off eating some chicken and carrots and rice and spinach. You need a stovetop to do that, though.

[FarCenter]

94. Potatos and milk are a fairly complete nutrition combination

The Irish thrived on it -- until the potato famine.

Spinach is expensive and often has a load of herbicides and pesticides. Other greens would be better, especially if grown in the back yard in those southern states.

[MADem]

95. Well, they didn't thrive--they survived. They also had fish from the sea and the rivers.

And they had herbs from their gardens as well.

I happen to like spinach, but any green veg would do. My point is that an all white meal isn't nutritionally complete. I just don't think potato and cottage cheese is an optimal meal for a growing child--as a snack, sure, or part of a dinner (even though I think you'd have to push kids unused to it to eat it) but not as the main event.

[FarCenter]

100. Potato and cottage cheese complement each other well

With the skin on, the potato is not so white. The peel is the best part of the potato, so don't throw that away!

The potato provides the carbs, a lot of minerals, and some of the vitamins.

The cottage cheese provides a well balanced protein, fats to disolve the fat soluble vitamins, and a lot of vitamins.

When eaten along with a veg to provide phytochemicals and other vitamins and minerals you have a complete meal. I'd suggest kale as cheap and good if you don't like the frozen ones and want a fresh green. At any rate, it is far better and more complete than mac and cheese in a container.

You don't have to eat this every day, but you can easily put together other quick and easy combinations.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2770/2

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/11/2

[DBoon]

85. The industries that make and sell "not that" wouldn't allow it

Remember the controversy over the revision of the food pyramid?

[stevenleser]

125. We did something like that (PSA writ large) in Harlem a few years ago.

We held a fresh food summit https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150262284805184.544639.679395183&l=07a0218546

I led a panel discussion on ways the city and state could encourage more fresh food being available in Harlem.

[MADem]

127. More hydroponic gardens! More window growing!

That would be a great segment, too--a quck bit on gardening for dummies!

[JNelson6563]

47. I'm finding the opposite to be true lately.

Of course with summer coming fruit& veggies will go down in price but still...I am one of the working poor and you wouldn't believe how little money I have to grocery shop with.

I buy rice & pasta, oatmeal, as much produce as I can, yogurt, bread & juice. Of course buying what's on sale helps too. I somehow buy enough so that we don't go hungry. I look at the processed stuff everyone else has overflowing carts of and can't believe those prices!

My money goes so much further buying real food than the processed, just-pop-it-in-the-microwave stuff.

I'm not convinced the poor have to buy the processed shit because in my experience it is more expensive. I can buy a bag of apples for about the same price as a bag of chips. I see many more bags of chips getting bought than bags of apples.

Julie

[nobodyspecial]

58. I agree with you

I think people need to become more educated in how to shop and cook. I also don't eat meat and very little dairy and processed grains. It's amazing how quickly those costs add up. I shop fruits and vegetables in season and buy what is on sale.

[MADem]

81. You have an oven, a stove top, and a refrigerator?

If you're living in a hotel, you might not have those things. You might have an underpowered microwave and a cooler that you brought with you--hopefully the hotel ice machine is working to keep the cold things cold, but you can't always count of refrigerators in some of these hotels they've turned iinto 'welfare' housing.

[JNelson6563]

98. Yes, this is true.

It is probably also true of the enormous people I see at the store with overflowing carts of very expensive processed crap.

The food pantry I volunteer in from time to time serves many without cooking resources. They gladly snap up what produce we have as much of it is as tasty uncooked as cooked and often even better for you.

Julie

[MADem]

106. It's a bigger issue than many realize--even with people who have a kitchen at times.

Folks aren't going to use the stove if the electricity has been cut off, or the gas, for non-payment.

They can usually count on one or the other during the winter but once the weather goes above freezing, it's time to pay up.

And a lot of people just don't know how to cook. Cooking is just beyond their understanding because they've rarely seen anyone do it in real life, and they don't have anyone to model. They think it's harder than it actually is. A lot of these frou-frou cooking shows do help to foster this impression, by suggesting that everyone has capers on hand, or ghee, or what-have-you. And then they spend most of the show chopping and slicing and sauteeing, and straining, and fiddling and farting around with the food, and arranging it with their fingers on the plate--it's just not how most pot-whalloping folk live.

[MADem]

17. I was in Georgia awhile back, as well as Alabama, and I coudn't tell the difference....

People looked pretty well fed in Georgia, too, so I am surprised they didn't make the cut.

I have never set foot in Kentucky that I can remember, but that sure busts a false paradigm (skinny, consumptive coal miners) that Hollywood put in my head!

[KurtNYC]

26. We are a food-centered culture. Every holiday is a feast. We have entire TV networks

dedicated to nothing but food. The View lacked food so they created The Chew. When I walk dogs I see how many little kids are just walking down the sidewalk with food in their hand. They aren't eating it, just carrying it around. Many Taco Bells are now open 24 hours a day. Memorial day used to be about veterans, now it is about picnics and BBQs.

Marketers and large food companies have more data than ever before about how, when and what we eat and how they can sell more year after year. Pure science. One thing they did was take vitamins out of foods so that the consumer stays hungry. They also figured out that diet soda and artificial sweeteners make you hungry for real carbs. They are shoving calories into us any way they can -- Vitamin Water has as many calories than Coke and 33 grams of sugar. Within the world of processed ready to eat foods there is no escape from junk calories.

Food is cheaper now than it ever has been. Food is entertainment and eating is now something we do when bored, lonely, depressed, happy, socializing, awake or asleep (on Ambien).

[earthside]

29. I agree: food obsessed.

Every debate and discussion about health, dieting becomes an on-going epic about food. Information about travel destinations and what to do on the holiday (like today) becomes focused on food and food preparation.

Advertising everywhere is geared toward consumption of food and drink.

It is my opinion -- additionally on this thread -- that the biggest contributor to the country's "obesity" problem is the soft drink. I am old enough to remember a time not so awfully long ago when getting a Coke as a child was still almost considered a 'treat'.

Now, it is a rare moment (outside of sleep and maybe the classroom) when a kid doesn't have a soft drink, or 'energy' drink in their hand. So, kids get hooked early in their lives. And ... it is impossible for anyone to work-off the amount of calories that are ingested by drinking so much sugar. ('Diet' drinks consumed in such qualities, I agree, just leads to more craving of actually sugared food and drink.)

[SoCalDem]

48. Just imagine how much money could be saved & how much healthier school kids would be if

they all got a half bagel & some OJ in the AM and then salad bar for lunch.

Places like Sizzler manage to put out a pretty nice salad bar & most kids like it.
It could be more limited for schools.. (no taco bar/ice cream)

Most kids could find plenty for lunch from even a limited salad /soup bar.

[Scout]

131. "half bagel & some OJ in the AM"

then i'd be asleep an hour or less later after my blood sugar crashed ... how's about some protein?

and really? that's a nutritious breakfast? really?

[SoCalDem]

140. not a breakfast eater here..and we never had breakfast at school

I guess McDonalds or cereal or maybe breakfast pizza? is the norm ?

[jimlup]

28. Folks are being foolish if they start making "Red State Jokes"

It isn't appropriate. In my opinion (and I have not done the research but to me the link seems obvious) poverty is a cause of obesity.

While correlation is not causation there does seem to be a trend...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_income

[LuvNewcastle]

32. Yes, a major reason for obesity is poor food choices.

Nutritious food costs more money, so poor people eat a lot of junk that's full of sugar and starches. Diabetes is epidemic among poor people in this country.

You can eat a great deal and not get obese as long as you eat nutritious food and get a little exercise. Just a little bit of junk food on a regular basis with a sedentary lifestyle is a prescription for obesity and diabetes.

I think the main reason why people are so obese in Mississippi is the demise of home gardens. Practically everybody used to have gardens down here, especially in the rural areas, which used to be most of the state. I remember seeing them when I was a kid. We have a long growing season down here, and there's plenty of fertile land. People love to eat down here. People lived on farms and they worked hard. They needed a lot of calories and they ate big meals. Eating a lot became part of our culture, and it didn't go away when people stopped farming and became more sedentary, and that was the beginning of our sharp rise in obesity.

We should figure out a way to subsidize nutritious food and encourage people to grow gardens again. If we'll start eating good food again and get a little exercise puttering around in the garden, we can stop this epidemic.

[Cleita]

39. On TV last week, on one of the talk shows,

where the subject was tax subsidies, one of the guests casually threw out that the big agro businesses that grow a lot of corn and wheat get hugh subsidies from the government. It's their products that get turned into corn syrup and other starchy fillers for cheap manufactured food, fast foods and sugary foods, all which are available to poor people on food stamps. It's a thought. Perhaps subsidies should be going to the growers and manufacturers of organic and healthy food instead. Just sayin'.

[timdog44]

41. Agree

to the nth degree.

[LuvNewcastle]

42. I'm all for that.

Giving subsidies to big agro businesses is like giving subsidies to tobacco companies. Let's encourage people who are producing helpful products, not harmful ones.

[timdog44]

40. I feel the same way.

Nutritious food should be subsidized instead of the junk food that comes out of the grocery stores.

Gardening is a great way to eat. Fresh, organic food. Good hard work in the garden and getting in touch with Mother Earth. It is all good.

[lhooq]

53. poverty and obesity

I agree that poverty and obesity are strongly correlated. Indeed, each might cause the other.
However, I'd like to suggest that we consider poverty in terms broader than just monetary income.

Lack of time is another type of poverty, and it's relevant here because healthy food is generally food one prepares (and also grows) oneself. Who's got time for that? Toss a frozen entree in the microwave instead! How ironic considering the abundance of "time-saving" gadgets in our lives.

Lack of silence and clarity is another poverty, and by this I mean escaping from the incessant advertising and ubiquity of the food industry. Foods are engineered such that we eat too much of them too often. Journalist Michael Moss has a new book out on this. An extended excerpt is available here --
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html

Lack of safe space to exercise or just play is a poverty. Consequently, we adopt a sedentary lifestyle and drive to places a generation or two ago we once walked.

Some poverties are helpful. Consider the poverty of no parking spaces, something that big city dwellers often face. Consequently they walk, if only to the subway station or bus stop. My guess is that obesity is less prevalent in cities vs. suburbs and rural areas for this reason.

So, people are said to make bad food and lifestyle choices. But, considering all of these poverties, I wonder how much of a choice they actually have.

[timdog44]

44. I just want to say.

When I came on this thread, my intent was not to insult or demean or show prejudice of any kind. I may not always word my thoughts in a way that is acceptable to others. If I did, I truly and humbly apologize. I wanted to make known my thoughts and experiences on this difficult problem. I have suffered and am always on guard of letting myself get to the point of obesity. I have a personal and a professional experience in this. I am fully aware it is a very sensitive subject and difficult to talk about and walk around, like on egg shells. I have been put on ignore by one of the posters because of our exchange. That is too bad. It eliminates an open exchange. (And personally I don't like the ignore option for that reason.)

[ctsnowman]

153. I think you were

respectful and kind in your posts. Have a great day.

[timdog44]

154. Thank you for the kind words.

You boost me up and help to validate my postings. And welcome to a fairly newbie from a fairly newbie.

[siligut]

50. The Internet offers us a unique opportunity to report reality

As we already know, polls can be biased toward dictating thoughts desired, rather than actual thoughts.

[ThoughtCriminal]

55. Simple answer: Southern Cooking

I miss it, but I'll live longer.

[SoCalDem]

61. Occasional trips there probably won't hurt you

but a steady diet will..

There is nothing better than a real Chicken Fried steak, smothered in milk gravy.. but then I make my own and it's messy so we don't have them often

[timdog44]

73. I love

a good chicken fried steak. You have to stop mentioning these things. I may have to jump in the car and go get one.

[SoCalDem]

74. the secret is in the vinegar-water :)

not I may have to get a round steak from the freezer

[MADem]

87. That is some good eatin' I must say.

Every time I go down that way I indulge, and I ask myself, as I am shovelling it in, "How can people EAT like this? Why thank you, yes, I will have just a bit more...."

I am glad I don't live there--I'd be dead. I do look forward to visits, I'll be heading down that way in the fall and I'm already planning a couple of "Bad For Me" meals...!

[L0oniX]

56. Death Pannel: Booger King, McDonalds, Wendys, Checkers, Coke, Pepsi, ect.

The good news is that all these people most likely will not make it to retirement???


adding the sarcasm tag because there could be some dumb asses that don't get it...

[cordelia]

84. Shitty thing to say.

[L0oniX]

91. ...to match your shitty response.

[cordelia]

99. YOU set the tone.

I merely responded.

You don't read and comprehend too good, do you? ect (sic)

[L0oniX]

105. Ironey escapes you ...try actually seeing the "???" Knee jerk react much???

[cordelia]

132. No. I'm perfectly fine with irony.

It's cruel, half-witted comments like yours I have a problem with.

There' nothing "knee- jerk" about my response.

I'm simply calling you out on wishing for the early deaths of millions of people.

[L0oniX]

133. LMAO ...some people need to see a sarcasm tag ...others get it.

[cordelia]

134. There's sarcasm, then there's whatever crap you're posting.

Deranged and beneath contempt.

[L0oniX]

138. LMFAO ...please put me on ignore then.

[cordelia]

141. Not a chance.

[DearHeart]

124. One of The LOWEST, MOST DESPICABLE COMMENTS I've ever seen on DU!

You have no idea what is going on in people's lives...maybe they use food like drug addicts and alcoholics??? Could that be a possibility???

[L0oniX]

130. Please continue to knee jerk react and miss the "???"

Sometime the "sarcasm" tag is needed to avoid the knee jerks ...I really don't care if you've taken it the wrong way ...I got a good laugh out of it.

[DearHeart]

142. You're obviously not good at sarcasm, just look at the responses that you've elicited.

[L0oniX]

143. Well it's you and one other ...out of thousands of members.

Please proceed

[KansDem]

59. Maps of obesity vs. cola consumption

From 2010--

Adult diabetes rate:


IMAGE: Adult diabetes rate: the darkest green represents areas where the rate of adult diabetes is between 12.1% and 17.4%; the lightest green areas have an adult diabetes rate between 3.2% and 8%.

Gallons per capita soft drinks:


IMAGE: Gallons per capita consumption of soft drinks, ranging from 81 to 89 gallons a head in the darkest areas to 49 to 60 gallons in the lightest areas.

Oh, and here's this map:


IMAGE: Weight of fruit and vegetables eaten at home, per capita, ranging from 191 to 252lbs in the darkest areas to 143 to 160lbs in the lightest areas.

Source: http://www.ediblegeography.com/united-states-of-food/

Eating habits need to change if obesity and diabetes are to be checked and controlled.

[ThoughtCriminal]

62. I'm curious about the big hole around Atlanta

I would expect that Coca-Cola HQ would have higher soft drink consumption.

Or like me, it is substituted with with sweetened tea.

[olddots]

63. wait till you witness the anorexia trend

It is beginning and can be hidden quite well .

[Swede Atlanta]

82. Obesity is a complex issue.....

There are many factors that play a role in the level of obesity. Clearly there are biological conditions that can affect not only hunger and consumption but also the body's ability to process and use the food that is consumed.

I still tend to believe that most of the obesity is driven by the poor quality and, to be blunt, the quantity of food consumed by many Americans along with dramatic changes in the level of physical activity.

I am appalled when I look at the food labels on most processed foods. The amount of corn syrup, sodium, sugar and preservatives is nothing short of insulting.

About a year ago I weighed 253 pounds and at no more than 6'0" in height, I was obese. I was on 3 blood pressure medications and my doctor was close to putting me on cholesterol medications as well. I had survived colon cancer about 3 years before.

I decided to do something about the situation. I started a modified DASH diet with a goal to improve my overall level of fitness, flexibility and endurance, bring my weight and body fat to within normal ranges and wean myself off of the blood pressure medications.

I cleaned the pantry, refrigerator and freezer of most of the canned, jarred and frozen foods. I replaced them with whole grains, low-sodium options for spices, salad dressings, etc. I carefully planned meals for each week to ensure a good balance and variety of foods. I significantly increased my intake of dark leafy green vegetables and fresh fruits and vegetables. I made all my own fruit juices, breakfast sausage, hummus, etc.

At the same time I changed up my exercise routine to include strength training 4 x a week combined with 45-60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week. I added swimming and bought a bike. I took the dogs for 3 good long walks each day, up from two.

I change to decaf coffee and swore off the nightly beer or glass of wine. I treated myself each weekend with a beer or glass of wine.

I am down to 192 pounds with 12 to go. I have taken myself off of all but one of my blood pressure medications and my bp remains well within the normal range. At my next check-up I am going to suggest we take me off the last one and see what my bp does. I am convinced I can keep myself off of bp medications permanently.

I sleep better. Food tastes better. I don't reach for the salt shaker because I am now enjoying the natural saltiness and other flavors within food. I don't retain water. I look and feel the best I have in 25 years.

It wasn't easy but I have kept at it. I watch not only what I put in my mouth but how much of it. I eat more slowly and when I am feeling satisfied I push away the plate or bowl, stand up, stretch a bit and take the dogs out for a walk.

I am convinced if more Americans made better food choices and began to reduce the quantity this would go a long way to reversing the obesity explosion. But the only way we will ever really turn this around is when people are not consuming hundreds if not thousands of calories more each day than they burn off through normal "life" but also through the physical activity they get.

Unfortunately our lives are very compressed. Families don't have or take the time to do that weekend walk or bike ride together. Families are struggling to get something on the table for Suzie before she has soccer practice at 6:00 and for Sam before he has football practice at 7:00. Dad and Mom often get home late and just grab what they can. They resort to highly processed foods that can be quick or they do the quick takeout or delivery path - neither one very good choices.

Further the "less healthy" choices even among processed foods are less expensive than the more healthy ones. I probably pay a good 15% premium for no-salt added options for canned goods, cottage cheese, cheese, etc. but I have the means to make that investment. Many families do not.

[timdog44]

88. Good for you.

And well said.

[bike man]

103. Now, THAT is an outstanding response. Good for you! nt

[Silent3]

112. When you do all of that at once, how can you be so sure each and every part of that...

...was essential to your end result?

It's like a baseball player who has a great season after training hard, eating a special diet, and wearing the same pair of lucky socks to every game. Maybe not all of that really contributed to his improved RBI, or the "contribution" was more of a mind game than a direct effect.

I too have lost a lot of weight recently. I started at 263 last April (same 6' height as you). I'm now 179 -- a loss of 84 lbs and 10" from my waist. I improved my diet quite a bit, but I didn't follow any strict plan, I didn't turn into a purist about food ingredients and processing. My wife and I are terrible about cooking, so we eat out a most of the time, and I'm sure many of the restaurants we eat at wouldn't pass muster with the "Oh, God! It's corporate industrial poison!" crowd, but I'm making much better food choices from among the items these restaurants serve.

I think, for instance, eating a lot more vegetables than I used to matters a whole lot more than if those vegetables are certified organic or not. Eating more grilled chicken and less fried chicken matters a lot more than how the chicken was raised.

That I now do a lot more exercise has probably been the most important thing in losing weight. Eating less is a close second, of course. The importance of what I eat in particular has mattered most in helping me control my appetite so eating less is easier to do (that's where more green, leafy vegetable help, lean meats, healthy fats, more whole grains, less sugar). Of course, I don't want to discount other goals apart from merely losing weight, like better overall nutrition for my general health and longevity.

I'm sure there's a lot that is wrong with our modern food supply. What I object to, however, is over-simplified "natural = good, artificial/processed = bad" thinking. Average human life expectancy is, after all, much higher in today's world than back when all natural and unprocessed was the only thing available. Yes, there are reasons outside of food ingredients and processing for that (modern medicine, sanitation, scarcity of food not being a factor for most people), but it's not like "all natural" could be all that magically good and "artificial" categorically, poisonously bad if life spans have dramatically increased against a backdrop of increasingly artificial and processed food.

[FreeState]

93. This is a bogus study

Self reporting on weight to a total stranger on the phone. Yeah right. Sorry not buying this data (first tip off was Utah in the leanest states.)

[Niceguy1]

101. I think

It is bogus, too.

[HereSince1628]

104. I noted that and wondered if the #1 jello eating state had gone sugar-free n/t

[MADem]

107. It could happen....!!!

[Psephos]

109. big +1 n/t

[Silent3]

121. Even if it's self-reporting, why would there be huge state-to-state differences...

...is the degree to which people inaccurately and/or dishonestly self-report their own weight?

Problems with self-reporting (which may well have been accounted for anyway -- there are statistical techniques to deal with that) would tend to distribute evenly, so even if the absolute numbers are thrown off by self-reporting error, the state-by-state relative rankings would tend to remain pretty much the same.

[demosincebirth]

110. Why did this not surprise me?

[Jamastiene]

111. I still think bashing overweight people is hideous.

Bashing overweight states is hideous too. Trust me. Singling out people and states like that will NOT make people lose weight. It is snobbery and bullying.

[justiceischeap]

117. I was in W.VA over the weekend and I can tell you why it's #1

Biscuit World... that's right, Biscuit World. Stopped there to get some fuel for my body and came away with a huge breakfast for under $5. The biscuit was the size of an average fist, the sweet tea wasn't too sweet (not like McDonalds) but still sweet. I saw folks with biscuits and gravy (which came in under $5) and there's no way I could or should have eaten that.

If you can eat that "well" for under $5, why not eat that "well" all the time?

[Beacool]

122. The most obese states tend to be located in the South or Southeastern United States.

Here's the reason.

"Here, we also have a mixture of culture -- a reliance on deep-fried foods and food high in fat content -- and socioeconomic status making up the bulk of the reasoning behind the belt-widening status of these states. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau averaged over a three-year period, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee (all among the most obese states) were the first, second, and third lowest in terms of median household income. With fewer nutritious food choices available to the typical family in these states, fast-food restaurants have thrived."

[Apophis]

123. All southern and red states.

Interesting.

[Matariki]

126. Must be that delicious southern cooking

[get the red out]

128. Except for West Virginia

It's all Southeastern Conference fat! And I am shocked that Kentucky is ranked so low (seriously, it's not like fat = football, I thought we would be fatter than that).

[CBHagman]

135. I understand Alabama has regressive taxation...

...on food basics, so on top of all else it's all the more of a squeeze for those with low incomes to purchase healthy food.

[clarice]

151. Texas ROCKS !!! nt