Waistlines continue to grow in U.S.

[garya505 2]

The problem is that most people eat what tastes good to them, not what their body needs for good health. It's this bad relationship with food and the lack of knowledge of good nutrition that's the problem.

[ChristinaM 0]

I eat a whole bunch of pasta, which doesn't require much storage space either. But things like fresh veg, which need to be kept in the fridge to have any longevity, take up room. That and leftovers, which are the staple of many a not-so-rich persons diet!

I can only make the physical comparison based on what I personally buy and what a pizza costs me in Portland Maine, and since I'm not going to itemise my $116 shopping trip for you, you'll have to take my word that I'm not buying junk! I can also draw on a lot of reading that I've done about why fast food is so cheap, the way it's marketed and eaten in this day and age, and why it's so more-ish, but then we start talking about the change in the structure of agribusiness which is a subject for another thread!

[LiszyandKenny 5]

everything i like is illegal, immoral, or fattening

including nessa ?

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

everything i like is illegal, immoral, or fattening

including nessa ?

nessa's not fattening

[hockeygal 0]

I eat a whole bunch of pasta, which doesn't require much storage space either. But things like fresh veg, which need to be kept in the fridge to have any longevity, take up room. That and leftovers, which are the staple of many a not-so-rich persons diet!

I can only make the physical comparison based on what I personally buy and what a pizza costs me in Portland Maine, and since I'm not going to itemise my $116 shopping trip for you, you'll have to take my word that I'm not buying junk! I can also draw on a lot of reading that I've done about why fast food is so cheap, the way it's marketed and eaten in this day and age, and why it's so more-ish, but then we start talking about the change in the structure of agribusiness which is a subject for another thread!

Yes, I agree. My parents were immigrants, and where they came from, you did your shopping for fresh things every day or two. They do that to this day, and so do I. This is why my little fridge doesn't matter. However, my parents and I live in an urban centre where this is possible. So two things made it easy for us... accessibility to cheap fresh things, and an expectation that shopping isn't something you do at one place once a week. I go to a variety of stores (because they exist here!) to do my shopping, every other day. But I don't have to pay for gas either, and that is another huge bonus. Though shlepping it all walking or by bus gets tiring! my boyfriend shakes his head when I try to walk or cycle to the store near him, because that makes me look like I'm poor, or lost my license... I guess I will have to adapt to paying more at the one supermarket when I get there. And driving to it.

Edited August 29, 2006 by hockeygal

[dalegg 143]

everything i like is illegal, immoral, or fattening

including nessa ?

nessa's not fattening

Be a part of the solution, not the problem.

[garya505 2]

So now it's "the structure of agribusiness" that's the cause of so many overweight people.

Maintaining a healthy weight isn't easy in the US and most people don't have the determination. I know it first hand, because I was overweight for years but now I have a healthy weight and it wasn't easy for me either. BTW, most of my family is overweight and I cringe when I see what they eat.

The fact is that it's our lifestyle, plain and simple. People can make all the excuses they want, but in the end it's a choice.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

everything i like is illegal, immoral, or fattening

including nessa ?

nessa's not fattening

Be a part of the solution, not the problem.

how am i doing that?

[dalegg 143]

everything i like is illegal, immoral, or fattening

including nessa ?

nessa's not fattening

Be a part of the solution, not the problem.

how am i doing that?

You've only said nessa is not fattening. You've said nothing about being immoral or illegal.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

everything i like is illegal, immoral, or fattening

including nessa ?

nessa's not fattening

Be a part of the solution, not the problem.

how am i doing that?

You've only said nessa is not fattening. You've said nothing about being immoral or illegal.

oh well the immoral and illegal depends on what state we are in

[KarenCee 3]

I just wish people would think before they judge people. Overweight doesn't mean you're lazy or a slob or anything of that nature, and it makes it worse when the whole world is laughing at us as if we're the butt of some sort of sick joke.

I agree. Society for the most part judges overweight people pretty harshly it seems. That's so sad too. *sigh*

Oh, here we go again!

....and your point is?

[pedroh 21]

I just wish people would think before they judge people. Overweight doesn't mean you're lazy or a slob or anything of that nature, and it makes it worse when the whole world is laughing at us as if we're the butt of some sort of sick joke.

I agree. Society for the most part judges overweight people pretty harshly it seems. That's so sad too. *sigh*

Oh, here we go again!

....and your point is?

the point is.. medical reasons play a part, but not a big part, unless u have a hormonal problem.. and even with hormonal problems it's possible to have a healthy weight (can't say be skinny cuz sometimes its true, a low weight isnt healthy either)...

unfortunately we make a lot of excuses, but weight is simple, eat more calories than u consume, and u gain weight.. there's no other side of this story.. we can say 'ohh but all i ate was a salad and a diet coke'.. but that salad had croutons, some oil with a lot of corn syrup, fatty cheese, and some other empty calories.. so.. it's back to responsability

[ual777 0]

I just wish people would think before they judge people. Overweight doesn't mean you're lazy or a slob or anything of that nature, and it makes it worse when the whole world is laughing at us as if we're the butt of some sort of sick joke.

I agree. Society for the most part judges overweight people pretty harshly it seems. That's so sad too. *sigh*

Oh, here we go again!

....and your point is?

the point is.. medical reasons play a part, but not a big part, unless u have a hormonal problem.. and even with hormonal problems it's possible to have a healthy weight (can't say be skinny cuz sometimes its true, a low weight isnt healthy either)...

unfortunately we make a lot of excuses, but weight is simple, eat more calories than u consume, and u gain weight.. there's no other side of this story.. we can say 'ohh but all i ate was a salad and a diet coke'.. but that salad had croutons, some oil with a lot of corn syrup, fatty cheese, and some other empty calories.. so.. it's back to responsability

The ONLY way to lose weight with consistancy is HEAVY exercize. When I played football my junior year of high school, we had to hit the gym 3 hours a day, four days a week, ALL summer. I was eating over 4,000 calories a day and I lost 15 pounds.

Ditto when I was in the Marine Corps. 205 lbs. going in and 185 lbs. coming out.

If you exercize enough, you can drop the weight. Just stay away from the quarter-pounders with cheese.

[MrMrsKnight 0]

Portion control is completely non-existant in the US.

I agree! I've noticed that most of the Americans I know eat a lot and eat really fast too. That makes you eat more than you need and feel really full 15 min after you're done.

Here in Brazil I eat a lot, but I eat small portions of food every 3 hours I think... and I walk to work everyday (as most of us do since not as many people here have cars as you do in the US). Also, junk food here is usually more expensive than healthy food... so it's easier to stay in shape;

[sbgwolf1 0]

I find it interesting that the rest of the world looks at us as the 'fat' country. On a trip to the philippines, I was asked 'how do some of the people there get so big'. I really didnt know how to respond but it made me look around more while I was there. Then when I got home it was more obvious. I shouldnt say anything being blessed with high metabolism, but then again I park far out, take stairs, occasionally jog, and enjoy walks in the park frequently for lunch...I just shake my head when I see people that are very large in elevators or one person I knew that wanted a handicap sticker for the car because it 'tired' her to walk across the parking lot. I think sometimes just doing little things regularly could help a great deal.

wolf