America's 5 fattest (and getting fatter) states

[HAL 9000 96]

i do realize that eating canned peaches is different then eating real peaches.. but eating fresh fruit from Walmart or Target is better then eating canned fruit or not eating any fruit ...

Well if the canned fruit is full of HFCS or chemicals not designed to stay in your body for long... then not good. Not good at all.

The point would be to eat better, and eat less. Save more $.

[Marilyn. 340]

and just to clarify I have never been t one of those Supercenter Walmarts and bought fruit from there..

I do usually buy fruit from my local grocery store though and not a farmer's market...

i do realize that eating canned peaches is different then eating real peaches.. but eating fresh fruit from Walmart or Target is better then eating canned fruit or not eating any fruit ...

Well if the canned fruit is full of HFCS or chemicals not designed to stay in your body for long... then not good. Not good at all.

The point would be to eat better, and eat less. Save more $.

I never said it was good to eat canned fruit...

[SpiritAlight 1]

Much truth here.

As for a different point of view consider the metaphysics of being huge (obese):

it is protective layer if one is not feeling safe in the world.

The "cure" is far deeper than exercising.

It is a mental/emotional situation.

Eating comfort foods of fat and sugar is what is getting people by in the short term when so much news is "bad", i.e. the economy, the environment, etc. etc..

The big picture though is so life threatening and people do not want to know what is up ahead.

A prime example would be smoking.

Who in their right mind would smoke knowing full well the dangers of it?

Laziness is not a good excuse.

One can cook a vat of something healthy and freeze it for a month or 6.

It is not only cheaper in price, it is cheaper in hospitalization.

Face it, no one tiny skeleton was made to carry so much weight.

When friends get back to the U.S. from visiting Bali for a month they are always initially shocked to see the hugeness of the general public.

It is a situation that needs more love poured on it ....not crash diets, and harmful exercising.

I have always wondering why some doctors and nurses smoke

Never buy your fresh fruit and veggies at places like Walmarts.

You may as well eat canned, for the amount of nutritional value at junky places like that.

Hit your local farmers' markets and/or produce store.

No excuses!

how is fresh fruit from Walmart different from fresh fruit you would buy at Albertsons or something...???

Smoking....yes, I worked in a major hospital in Montreal when I was a student as a summer job.

When I saw a doctor smoking, I went right up to him, appalled, asking if he above all else knew how bad it was, then why?

He replied, laughing a little, embarrassed I guess (I was an earnest 17 yr. old), "Because I am human."

Bah!

I told him that was no excuse, and walked off illusioned.

As for Albertsons, I don't know that store.

There is definitely a difference in produce stores and those big box store types, in quality and freshness.

Do a taste test.

Ask where the stuff is from?

Ask about travel time...carbon footprint, etc.

There is so much.

And I am sorry to bring this all up, as I know how hard it is to eat well every day.

We do the best we can.

Edited October 16, 2008 by SpiritAlight

[Heracles 417]

Is anyone surprised really. Footpaths are almost non-existent in numerous places I have been too.

[Marilyn. 340]

yes I know there is a difference but not everyone has the option of going to a Farmer's market...

even here in LA the Farmer's Markets are hard to find and too far from where I live...

so I think it is better to eat fruit and veg from the grocery store then to eat none at all...

[HAL 9000 96]

and just to clarify I have never been t one of those Supercenter Walmarts and bought fruit from there..

I do usually buy fruit from my local grocery store though and not a farmer's market...

i do realize that eating canned peaches is different then eating real peaches.. but eating fresh fruit from Walmart or Target is better then eating canned fruit or not eating any fruit ...

Well if the canned fruit is full of HFCS or chemicals not designed to stay in your body for long... then not good. Not good at all.

The point would be to eat better, and eat less. Save more $.

I never said it was good to eat canned fruit...

That's cool and all. I could have an issue with fruits that are GM'd or pesticide treated to last longer on shelf. And the Walmarts of the world as well as some grocers sell that with little or no alternative.

Like I said... just search out your local markets if you can find them. You might be surprised to pay less in the short and the long run.

[SpiritAlight 1]

yes I know there is a difference but not everyone has the option of going to a Farmer's market...

even here in LA the Farmer's Markets are hard to find and too far from where I live...

so I think it is better to eat fruit and veg from the grocery store then to eat none at all...

I concur.

[rocks 494]

Yes and no.

I agree and all of this drives me nuts.

Why should the government interfere and hold people's hands.

I mean by legislating food companies to label so clearly, is good and yet, it is not their responsibility.

If someone does not realize that canned peaches are not the same as eating real peaches and that real peaches from Walmarts or Target or something like that are not the same as buying them from a fruit stand/farmer's market/produce store, then the H with 'em.

Laziness is stupidity.

Harsh, huh?

Ahem.

What bog box stores care about is profits to the detriment of you/me/all the consumer.

They have fruit picked green for the long delivery, and so there is less nutritive value, and the GMO/GFOs to worry about not to mention pesticides unless you are eating organic. What country is it coming from? How was it delivered? What environmental costs? Etc etc.

It is hard to be a conscious consumer.

We have much work to do.

However, excuse my getting on my pedestal about all this, but when I choose to eat a bacon cheese burger, I know what I am ingesting.

Ans so when i crave one I either make it myself and get the best ingredients or go to a restaurant that is not the fast food type.

Hal 9000 you made me laugh with your "hippie food" comment.

When the language changes everything changes.

Observe.

the government is there to work for the people of the country (believe it or not lol). it is definitely within their realm of responsibility to educate people, although the onus of the education should really be on the people who are producing the food, which is the situation in the uk. there are two different labelling standards and different stores went with different options, it was their choice and both are acceptable.

i agree that people "should" know better but when it comes to prepackaged foods and such i really don't think people are aware of what it is they are eating. putting it on the front of the pack definitely makes people think because after they started doing it in the uk the sales on "bad" foods dropped and companies started hurting due to people thinking that they could not eat any food with red levels of salt/fat.

gm food is also something that i think we should all try to avoid.

[HAL 9000 96]

yes I know there is a difference but not everyone has the option of going to a Farmer's market...

even here in LA the Farmer's Markets are hard to find and too far from where I live...

so I think it is better to eat fruit and veg from the grocery store then to eat none at all...

Completely valid points. I am sure you watch out for the produce you do buy at the grocery stores. But do check out what's available. I am very sure LA has more availability than you'd think. One place to check out are the local Mexican grocery marts. Much of that produce is likely local in origin.

[NickD 202]

Ha, in waiting to pick up my wife counted 8 out of 10 people walking out the door that I consider to be fat, live in Wisconsin, and we are not even on the list!! Then there is a conspiracy going on, her co-workers are always bringing in good things to eat, they are really trying their best to fatten up my wife. I don't even dare mention this, but she put on ten pounds since she came here and a little embarrassed to wear her bikini. LOL, she gets on me to control her weight, well instead of buying a power boat, did buy a kayak, a two seater with paddle power.

Have to agree, Wal-Mart does suck with fresh fruits and vegetables, went to a local store and just spent 60 bucks on produce alone, much better quality and lower prices. Her mother commented on her first trip here, lot's of fat people running around. Don't they even fear getting trapped in say a car wreck where they couldn't get out? And Discover Health had a gruesome program on how fat people are highly flammable, that certainly can't be comforting.

Did comment on taking my daughter to the airport on her baggage weight, she only weights 115 pounds, asked how the people weighing 300+ pounds get by. They don't consider that, just your baggage, that ain't fair, I replied. Should charge the fare by weight since they are claiming weight burns more fuel.

Oh, and what is the measuring stick for stating that a person is fat? 10-20% over or 300% over?

Edited October 16, 2008 by NickD

[HAL 9000 96]

Ha, in waiting to pick up my wife counted 8 out of 10 people walking out the door that I consider to be fat, live in Wisconsin, and we are not even on the list!! Then there is a conspiracy going on, her co-workers are always bringing in good things to eat, they are really trying their best to fatten up my wife. I don't even dare mention this, but she put on ten pounds since she came here and a little embarrassed to wear her bikini. LOL, she gets on me to control her weight, well instead of buying a power boat, did buy a kayak, a two seater with paddle power.

Have to agree, Wal-Mart does suck with fresh fruits and vegetables, went to a local store and just spent 60 bucks on produce alone, much better quality and lower prices. Her mother commented on her first trip here, lot's of fat people running around. Don't they even fear getting trapped in say a car wreck where they couldn't get out? And Discover Health had a gruesome program on how fat people are highly flammable, that certainly can't be comforting.

Did comment on taking my daughter to the airport on her baggage weight, she only weights 115 pounds, asked how the people weighing 300+ pounds get by. They don't consider that, just your baggage, that ain't fair, I replied. Should charge the fare by weight since they are claiming weight burns more fuel.

The airlines suggested doing so. Wasn't a very popular reception. I don't like it in analysis since eventually, while Americans get bigger and bigger, it will mean the airlines will have to return to "more room through coach" configurations or lose customers... making it better on those of us that follow healthier lifestyles when we do fly.

Ditto on the weight gain. I am sure many of us with S. American spouses can relate.

[Marilyn. 340]

yes I know there is a difference but not everyone has the option of going to a Farmer's market...

even here in LA the Farmer's Markets are hard to find and too far from where I live...

so I think it is better to eat fruit and veg from the grocery store then to eat none at all...

Completely valid points. I am sure you watch out for the produce you do buy at the grocery stores. But do check out what's available. I am very sure LA has more availability than you'd think. One place to check out are the local Mexican grocery marts. Much of that produce is likely local in origin.

I never said it wasn't available... I really don't think much about it.. I figured any kind of fruit or veg is better than none...

[SpiritAlight 1]

Ha, in waiting to pick up my wife counted 8 out of 10 people walking out the door that I consider to be fat, live in Wisconsin, and we are not even on the list!! Then there is a conspiracy going on, her co-workers are always bringing in good things to eat, they are really trying their best to fatten up my wife. I don't even dare mention this, but she put on ten pounds since she came here and a little embarrassed to wear her bikini. LOL, she gets on me to control her weight, well instead of buying a power boat, did buy a kayak, a two seater with paddle power.

Have to agree, Wal-Mart does suck with fresh fruits and vegetables, went to a local store and just spent 60 bucks on produce alone, much better quality and lower prices. Her mother commented on her first trip here, lot's of fat people running around. Don't they even fear getting trapped in say a car wreck where they couldn't get out? And Discover Health had a gruesome program on how fat people are highly flammable, that certainly can't be comforting.

Did comment on taking my daughter to the airport on her baggage weight, she only weights 115 pounds, asked how the people weighing 300+ pounds get by. They don't consider that, just your baggage, that ain't fair, I replied. Should charge the fare by weight since they are claiming weight burns more fuel.

Oh, and what is the measuring stick for stating that a person is fat? 10-20% over or 300% over?

Bahahaha...you're killing me.

I thought my friend and I were the only two on the planet that had ever considered and asked such a thing at the airport.

As we are both "lightweight" we were wondering why the "unfairness"....especially now with charging to check even one bag.

(I have been packing extremely light on my travels; carry-on only.)

Thank you for making me feel normal!

:lol:

Edited October 16, 2008 by SpiritAlight

[HAL 9000 96]

yes I know there is a difference but not everyone has the option of going to a Farmer's market...

even here in LA the Farmer's Markets are hard to find and too far from where I live...

so I think it is better to eat fruit and veg from the grocery store then to eat none at all...

Completely valid points. I am sure you watch out for the produce you do buy at the grocery stores. But do check out what's available. I am very sure LA has more availability than you'd think. One place to check out are the local Mexican grocery marts. Much of that produce is likely local in origin.

I never said it wasn't available... I really don't think much about it.. I figured any kind of fruit or veg is better than none...

Its good thinking, but I would consider what's potentially in that fruit that may make it not as healthy as you think.

[rocks 494]

Bahahaha...you're killing me.

I thought my friend and I were the only two on the planet that had ever considered and asked such a thing at the airport.

As we are both "lightweight" we were wondering why the "unfairness"....especially now with charging to check even one bag.

(I have been packing extremely light on my travels; carry-on only.)

Thank you for making me feel normal!

:lol:

this has been discussed many times!

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index...04073426AAGES7p

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,2605...6-27977,00.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7090529.stm

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog...d_airlines.html

http://www.eveningleader.co.uk/speakout/DE...ight.3473794.jp

etc etc

i think it is unreasonable too, especially when the fat person next to you wants to use both arm rests and keeps touching your leg whilst sleeping and putting their foot under the seat infront of YOU because they are too fat to fit within their own seat like what happened to me on the way over here this time!

she was about 5'3... in both directions.

i didn't pay $1k for her to sit in my seat.