65% of americans are fat

[Bereta_Eder]

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[VetLegion]

I was going to post some very very nasty comments, instead, I will just post the link and you use your imagination

http://www.discover.com/may_03/featoil.html

[Sava]

Yes. Americans are fat. But yet have one of the highest life expectancies.

[Pekka]

Sava, yeah, but other things contribute to that..
Besides, being little fat is not a bad thing.. I think it's only healthy to have little extra too, just not too much.
Having super ripped body with 1% body fat is dangerous. Natural look, that's the best.

.. or the best really is when the person with that body is comfortable with it.. fat, slim, what ever, but that's the body you got and that's it, get used to it.

[Hot Mustard]

People truly interested in this topic should read "Fast Food Nation", by Eric Schlosser.

[Sava]

I'm just sick of the whole "Americans are fat" crap. Sure, some people are fat. And I think America probably has a higher percentage of obese people due to the availability of food in this country. But some people make it sound like the whole country is full of obese people. I bet if you look at statistics, you'd see America probably has a higher amount of women with eating disorders (excessively thin people) than other countries.

[DarthVeda]

This has more to do with the really shitty advice the FDA has been handing out over the past 20 years than 'American decadence'.

Have you actually ever looked at the food pyramid? It's a joke... if you ate that much bread every day you'll be over 300 pounds in no time! I didn't and I was anyway.



Is it a surprise you see that thing on so many sugary cereal boxes, bread labels, and breakfast foods?

Honestly that's bad advice. I frankly think the 2nd tier and the base tier need to switch...

[Pekka]

Sava, I understand your frustration. But it is fat .
But I don't know why it should be such a big deal.. lot of Americans are fat, and super obese you don't see anywhere else, but so what.. they're people too, their bodies are just bigger.. so what.. it's not like there's something wrong with it.

And it's not only the availability of food, there's food in other countries too, enough food. But in the US every corner you see KFC, McDonalds, Wendy's, Pizza Huts.. and people like their food a lot, and maybe don't exercize so much.. but there's nothing wrong with it, no one forces anyone to go there. People have to make up their own minds what they eat. And if someone wants to eat there a lot and gets fat.. so what.. that's ok too.

[Sava]

a bowl of cereal, a piece of toast, a serving of rice, bread for a sandwich, bread during dinner, and a serving of pasta isn't an unreasonable amount of carbohydrates... 1 serving of bread = 1 slice of bread.

The food pyramid is only dangerous for those who don't understand it

[Hot Mustard]

Originally posted by Sava
I'm just sick of the whole "Americans are fat" crap. Sure, some people are fat. And I think America probably has a higher percentage of obese people due to the availability of food in this country. But some people make it sound like the whole country is full of obese people. I bet if you look at statistics, you'd see America probably has a higher amount of women with eating disorders (excessively thin people) than other countries.

I can't quote statistics, but I can tell you what I see with my own two eyes.

When I travel to the US on business, I am still always caught off guard by the people I see when walking around in public. A large majority are visibly obese, another large (but much younger) segment is rail thin (girls) or buffed (guys on steroids), and there is little middle ground. Canada shares alot in common with the US, but this is one of those areas where we diverge distinctly.

[DarthVeda]

It's not for everybody. We don't all share the same body chemistry, dna, or fitness level.

[Pekka]

It's also how you make the food.. and how you spice it up. Salt is often used WAY too much etc.. and what Sava just described doesn't sound that bad.. but people just need to get their butts moving and not just stay in and watch TV every night too. That goes for everyone, not just americans.. people can eat pretty much without getting fat or having weird metabolism, they just need to do good workouts..

[Sava]

Originally posted by DarthVeda
It's not for everybody. We don't all share the same body chemistry, dna, or fitness level.

I agree. Different diets are right for different people.

[Pekka]

DarthVeda is right too.. some people can eat what ever they want and never get fat, and some people have to only eat a little and they become fat. It's true, because I belong to those who must work out or get fat fast, and not eating too much either.

[DarthVeda]

What's the real crime with the Food pyramid is the FDA belives in a "one-diet fits all" regime... which is simply not the case. I gained weight no matter how little I ate until I cut out the pastas/breads and fruits entirely.

[Sava]

I think that's a myth. Sure some people have faster metabolisms and certain bodytypes that have a perpensity towards being thinner, but if you exercise and eat a reasonable amount of food, you won't get fat. I have yet to see a fat person that doesn't eat a lot.

[Pekka]

DarthVeda, I agree with you 110%. Looking at your sig.. you've done some huge changes! Congratulations, don't give up!

[Hot Mustard]

Diet is obviously important, but so is the amount of daily physical activity. Between cars, escalators, and elevators, most people do not get an appropriate amount of daily exertion.

Is there anyone here that walks or cycles to school/work and uses stairs regularly that considers themselves overweight, or close to being so?

[VJ]

I have the opposite problem - I couldn't be bothered eating. I weigh 55kgs, exactly the same weight as my fiance who is a hell of a lot shorter than I am. Alas.

How tall are you?

[Rogan Josh]

Good God, DV, you were over 150kg?? That's huge!!!! I am 90kg or so and I though I was fat!

Edit: BTW, congrats on losing so much So, care to let us in on your diet plan (other than the no pasta bit)?

[Bosh]

no matter how little I ate until I cut out the pastas/breads and fruits entirely

I can see the carbs but aren't fruit/veggies goot for you almost not matter what?

For me at least it doesn't matter much what I eat. It seems that no matter what I eat I gain fat at a constant rate if I don't exercise and lose it if I exercise.

[flash9286]

Does 65% seem high to anyone else

[Gatekeeper]

I ride a stationary bike more than 10 miles a day, and walk on other days. Also watch what I eat now more than I did in the past, and it's all added up to a loss of 36 pounds since November.

Gatekeeper

[Boris Godunov]

Dammit, we're not fat, we're big boned!

[Ted Striker]

Darthveds is correct.

The FDA launched a war against fatty foods. Well interestingly the obesity rate skyrocketed.

Fat is good for you.

The main problems are:

1) Sugar
2) White starchy carbs

Both of these jack your insulin around and lead to getting fat.

The age old balanced meal has always been the way to go:

1) Piece of meat
2) Side of vegetable
3) Side of WHOLE GRAIN carbs

What is interesting is that McDonald's and Jack In the Box have both launched new salad lines.

I think Mickey D's has attempted this SEVERAL times but it has usually failed. So they stick to their tried and true crap line of crap.

Another underlying problem is that Americans have less and less time every year to do ANYTHING. Eating right takes time.

Originally posted by DarthVeda
This has more to do with the really shitty advice the FDA has been handing out over the past 20 years than 'American decadence'.

Have you actually ever looked at the food pyramid? It's a joke... if you ate that much bread every day you'll be over 300 pounds in no time! I didn't and I was anyway.



Is it a surprise you see that thing on so many sugary cereal boxes, bread labels, and breakfast foods?

Honestly that's bad advice. I frankly think the 2nd tier and the base tier need to switch...