Fact: Americans are fat. And lots of powerful people make lots of $$$$ from our obesity.

[pink-o]

I just read through the thread pleading with Du'er not to make Chris Christie fat jokes,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023994496

and as usual mentioning obesity provoked more passion than just about any other subject on DU. I know everyone has their own stories about size discrimination and weight (I sure as hell do, and I won't bore you with them here.) but I believe it's a societal issue, larger than we as individuals. We can all argue that our health is fine, that when we were skinnier we were sicker. And we should call out Fat shamers and Bullies, they're being mean and hurtful to another human being.

But...

This level Americans being so overweight is a recent phenomenon. And people are getting fatter because our coporate overlords are raking in the bucks. Michael Moss's book "Salt, Sugar, Fat" (http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Sugar-Fat-Giants-Hooked-ebook/dp/B00985E3UG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383840769&sr=1-1&keywords=salt+sugar+fat) lays it down on how the processed food companies spend millions in research to keep Americans addicted to their crap. The chemical-laidened, lab-created snacks are far cheaper than real food, so poor people are once again the victims. And if you're not poor, don't worry! Those Food Giants are gonna make you feel weak and like a failure for being unable to resist their poison. Like cigarettes, they pollute this stuff so you can't stop until you've finished eating far more than any human ever needs--but somehow this is YOUR fault! And advertisers love us feeling insecure: do you think they can peddle their wares to confident folks who don't need any external validation?

So the die is cast: we are fair game to the highest profit margin, our health be damned.

And some of the biggest profiteers are Big Pharma and the medical community. Your cholesterol is a little high? No problem: continue to eat Frozen Pizzas and Hormel Mystery Meat. We'll just give you a lifetime prescription of Lipitor. Or if you're depressed because all this plastic crap you're eating has messed with your brain chemistry? Xanax for you!

Listen, I've been on this planet for almost 6 decades, and I've seen the changes. More of our food is created in the lab as opposed to grazing in fields or growing in the ground., Children get chauffeured around in cars and brought inside to stare at screens because parents are understandably worried about their safety. I've seen how parents killing themselves with 2 full-time workloads sure as shit don't want to make dinner from scratch at the end of the day. I've also seen how the Power Base has totally exploited us and made it seem like we have the problem (no willpower to resist addictive junk food, guilt over not being Super Parents and professional chefs in our crazy, stressed-out homes).

I don't have the greater societal solution. I know we as individuals CAN do much to reduce our dependence on this crap, but it's not easy and there's no support for trying to stay healthy in America. Seems that as long as there's money to be made, this is now the New Normal.

[kiawah]

1. I couldn't agree more -

But don't forget about the FDA. They are basically a second home for former Monsanto executives (http://ivn.us/2013/02/11/the-revolving-door-fda-and-the-monsanto-company/). Because of this, we get treated to the full, tasty batch of GMO foods on the market.

[pink-o]

2. Oh, yeah! The lobbyists have those guys and the USDA in their pockets.

I mean, you can do your best to eat healthy, knowing you're paying more for your groceries--and then, you're in the hospital with E Coli or Listeria.

It's pretty obvious that the consumer only matters up to the time when we've spent all our money. Then if we get sick, we're on our own.

[Arcanetrance]

3. I consider myself fortunate I grew up in a family that didn't buy that stuff

So now I really don't have much of a taste for the corporate processed garbage. Most of the time I ever try to eat it I wind up so sick it's ridiculous.

[Blue Diadem]

4. Add to that the portion size increase over the years and a lot of people

don't even realize how much they are consuming or what they are consuming.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

5. Obesity is first world problem

And yet...it is the poorer among us that tend toward being obese due to the food choices and propaganda shoved their way.

Much like more guns = more deaths, more cheap, subsidized, packaged foods create more obesity.

I'm glad Michelle Obama has been leading an effort at awareness and resolve to change this.

[pink-o]

9. A lot of folks are addressing obesity.

But my fear is that it's so profitable for so many people that the Status Quo will be in place for a long time.

Just like smoking in the 60's: by then, everyone knew it was unhealthy, but the ciggie companies weren't about to roll over and give up their massive $$$$ for the good of society. They actually had to diversify first, then suddenly the attitude towards smoking changed drastically for the better.

Even then, the shenanigans the tobacco companies used to keep their users addicted and keep info away from consumers is pretty much the same as in the obesity crisis. Yes, there are a few smokers who never got cancer, who lived till 95 and ran marathons on the last days of their lives. Just as a select portion of obese folks are asymptomatic. But many more have diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure and heart issues. And way too many powerful people are cashing in on it.

In the long term, our extra weight is going to have an adverse effect on our society--our productivity, our fuel consumption and our overall health. But in the short term, it's so economically advantageous that nothing is gonna change anytime soon.

[laundry_queen]

6. That's not the only thing

Here's a relatively new theory about obesity:
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/panther-lounge/2012/01/is-pollution-making-us-fat/

Very interesting documentary. I'm not sure if those of you in the US are able to watch it, but I saw it last year and it was eye opening. Basically - we are fatter from birth and it's not just because moms are fatter or eat more.

Also, there is a new study about how antibiotics in childhood is correlated with obesity in adults. Makes sense since cows and chickens fed a lot of antibiotics tend to be fatter as well.

Add to that all the cheap processed food...

Look, I don't know what the solution is but I do know one thing: commenting on someone's fatness insults and hurts those of us who have struggled with weight all our lives. *THAT* we can control. *THAT* we can change. Shaming people for their fatness no more makes them thin than telling a poor person to pull themselves up by the bootstraps makes them rich.

[pink-o]

12. I wish I could rec your last paragraph 1,000 times. n/t

[Sunlei]

7. same stuff they use to fatten livestock & animals also get sick if on that crap to long :(

[JNelson6563]

8. The stuff I see in the grocery stores

gawd it's just horrible. Aisle after aisle of shit no one should be eating. And yeah, the bastards who make this crap are certainly rolling naked in piles of money. Bastards.

Julie

[Jamaal510]

10. The thing here is that

many people are stuck buying unhealthy food because the costs of more healthier options tend to be higher, and they are usually unavailable in low-income neighborhoods. Simultaneously, the junk food is cheap and convenient to get.

[pink-o]

11. a vicious circle...

and completely deliberate. Salt is literally about 10 cent a kilo on the markets, so a cheap, addictive ingredient--and giving poor people no options except plastic food keeps them unhealthy and--therefore, poor. A rut they can't get out of.

When actually, the most ironic thing is, good food should cost almost nothing except some labor intensity. In 2 generations we have forgotten how to be self-sustaining and grow our own. Even the Greatest Generation got through WWII with victory vegetable gardens. But nowadays, the only way Americans know how to take care of themselves is by opening their wallets.

Our corporate overlords just love that!

[TeeYiYi]

13. I don't agree that it's too expensive to eat healthy...

In my opinion it's the convenience factor of throwing something in the microwave. If people would shop on the outer perimeters of the store they would stay a lot healthier....but they'd also have to cook, and their kids wouldn't get to eat frozen pizza, hot pockets and the like.

Good health is a lifestyle choice, not a money issue.

TYY

[liberal_at_heart]

16. I lived on bread when I was a kid back when my father and I lived in a mobile home and often

had our electricity turned off because we couldn't afford bills or food. I know better. Eating healthy is out of reach for millions of people.

[TeeYiYi]

20. I'm sorry you lived that way...

...

Somehow, I doubt you ended up obese from eating too much bread. It sounds like you ate damn little food at all. Again, I'm sorry. Kids don't deserve that.

My post was made with food stamps in mind. I was suggesting that food stamp money could be better utilized on healthier aisles and with the idea of preparing a meal with fresh meat, fruit and vegetables; not frozen pizzas and other processed foods from the inner aisles.

TYY

[liberal_at_heart]

21. read my post #18. It is not as easy as telling people they should eat better. If it was that easy we

would have already solved this problem.

[kiawah]

23. I really have to disagree with you about it not being a money issue.

Now, this is just based on my own, recent observations. I've recently been on a kick to get better food in the house and get the crap out.

In doing this, I've been absolutely shocked at the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables in the stores - a buck each for grapefruits, five dollars for a plastic carton full of grapes, etc. On the other hand, it's VERY easy to find junk food at cheap prices. On top of that, I've been trying to go with organic foods as well. Those prices are CRAZY!

I'm still going for it but, from my experience, eating healthy is a very expensive way to go.

[liberal_at_heart]

24. Can you believe how expensive berries are? Anywhere from $3 to $5 for 4 oz where I live.

It's ridiculous.

[TeeYiYi]

25. I just came from the store...

...where I bought 3 grapefruits for 94ç (2 lb./$1). Limes were 25ç each. Where do you live?

I confess, they're not organic. I think the limes are from Mexico and I'm not sure about the grapefruit. I know that you can buy huge bags of potatoes for a few dollars. I never buy them because I can't eat that many. I buy chicken on sale and separate it into one portion snack bags with a tablespoon of teriyaki sauce and throw them in the freezer. No more than 6 or 8 oz. per serving. (George Foreman Grill.) Ridiculously inexpensive. That's the thing... reasonable sized portions of protein with half a tomato or half an avocado; squeeze some lime juice on it. I also like edemame for protein. Or I could pay $5 for a frozen pizza. Which sounds better?

My other confession is that I comparison shop between the local grocers and if it's cheaper at BigBoxMart, well, that's where I buy it. Right now I'm living on an extremely tight budget so I can't apologize for doing what I have to do. I'm not proud of it.

I eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes that's twice a day; sometimes it's more. But I eat for the nutritional value, not the emotional.

Well anyway... thanks from responding to my post. I don't claim to have the answers, in fact, I'll straight up tell you that I have no business lecturing anybody. I eat to stay alive. I eat because my body requires food to keep my metabolism running and my brain thinking clear. Otherwise, I couldn't be bothered.

TYY

[Volaris]

29. Look at it this way: you'll need less of it...

Finished with that McDonald's drive-thru or that plate of Pizza Rolls? STILL hungry? Yeah, I sure as hell bet you are...that's because you just put half your daily caloric intake into your stomach, and didn't put any actual NUTRITION into the cells of your body.

Yeah, those grapefruits cost a dollar a piece, but if you have one for breakfast, you'll skip the latte, AND the doughnut at work, AND the early fast-food lunch you didn't need anyway, and not actually BE hungry (need to put more nutrients into your cells) again until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. You just saved 5 bucks at least, and that's presuming someone else paid for the doughnut that was sitting at the office when you got there.

You just bought a week's worth of good breakfast, AND it's likely you lost 5 pounds doing it.

Yes, it's more expensive. You also NEED LESS OF IT to keep yourself alive and flourishing. We didn't evolve to live on Carbohydrates. Lean meat and fresh vegetables (and then, ONLY when your body says "it's time to put good stuff in me again.&quot are what make a human body go.

[kiawah]

30. I wouldn't argue one bit with what you said -

However, implementing the changeover is the difficult step. As a life-long carboholic with a penchant for a nice, cool glass of corn syrup on the side, it's VERY difficult to break the cycle. Hell, cutting out the diet Cokes was like going through a withdrawal for a week.

But, I'm motivated and ready to go. So, even if the prices are moderately higher, I'm going for it. I'm keeping tabs on the overall cost of the whole thing, and it may turn out that you're right - I may end up just eating less of the higher cost foods and it will all even out....

[Volaris]

31. Kicking the soda monkey was TOUGH for me...

regular to zero-cal soda was not too bad, but diet to black coffee in the morning has been a nightmare lol...

[CrispyQ]

14. If you are working 2 or 3 jobs, who has time to cook?

It takes time & planning to have good meals prepared when you need them, if you don't have time to cook on a daily basis. A few years ago there was story about how poor neighborhoods sometimes don't have grocery stores, or if they do, they are stocked with processed food. Some of the residents said it was hard to find fresh produce within walking distance. In America!!

[Vashta Nerada]

27. I've managed to eat healthy on a budget of $50/week.

That's a horseshit excuse.

[liberal_at_heart]

28. just because you can does not mean everybody can. Try not to be so judgmental.

[liberal_at_heart]

15. You make changes by making choices available and by educating people and allowing people the

freedom to make their own choices. I am a sugar addict. I am overweight. I am watching what I eat. I am eating fruits, vegetables, lean protein. I do still enjoy eating junk food but I am watching my portion sizes. I don't disagree that corporations have such a strong hold on our food industry that it makes it hard to have enough choices available. I heard that the FDA just banned transfats. I am not against that. I am not even against banning high fructose corn sugar. I do think that taxing junk food and banning large sodas in restaurants are impractical and unproductive though. And the fat shaming not only doesn't work it is cruel. Anyone who makes fun of any fat person even Chris Christie should be ashamed of their own behavior.

[B2G]

17. Lack of exercise is a bigger problem

than what's going into mouths.

[liberal_at_heart]

18. It will be difficult to solve the diet and the exercise problem in this country until we lift more

of our population out of poverty. Many people live the way they live because of stress. They work their butts off and then can't pay their bills or put enough food on the table. They are stressed and depressed. It is hard to feel motivated to go for a walk or eat vegetables when you feel like this. It is much easier and feels better to eat something sugary, watch some tv and escape your troubles. It would probably help to lift people out of obesity if we worked to make sure they could get an education, get a good paying job with a living wage that gives them enough money to pay their bills and to boost their self esteem. We need to revitalize poor neighborhoods so that parents can help with their kids' homework, learn parenting skills, learn how to cook quick, healthy, inexpensive meals, get counseling, build parks and farmers markets. This is not about a bunch of lazy slobs who should know better than to sit on the couch and eat Doritos. This is a red flag that something much deeper is happening and until we address these issues we will probably never see much of a difference in obesity rates.

[TeeYiYi]

22. Can't argue with that...

...but I don't see it happening any time soon. That's a pretty idealistic scenario you laid out there.

If only. I guess one can dream.

TYY

[Aristus]

19. Insidious marketing definitely plays a part.

I have a lot of patients with obesity and/or diabetes. When I take a history from them, I find out a lot of them are drinking huge amounts of beverages like Gatorade under the assumption that it's a health drink. That's the way it's marketed:

"Marathon runners drink it! You should, too! It's got electrolytes!"

So I have patients with wildly out of control diabetes, and often their teeth are rotting out of their heads from the High Fructose Corn Syrup used to sweeten Gatorade, and so many other beverages. And I have to tell them the opposite of what they hear on TV.

I give them the scientific facts, but I also add an anecdote: one of my classmates from PA School is a marathon runner. And even she doesn't drink that stuff; she drinks water.

[Barack_America]

26. The "women's" vs. "misses" distinction in clothing stores...

Apparently one isn't a "woman" unless one is obese?