Waistlines continue to grow in U.S.

[pedroh 21]

yes, exercise also helps.. but some people have a better metabolism and their exercise doesn't have to be as much as people with a slow one (my case, have to really do 1 hour exercise every day to burn fat.. my wife with 3 times a week is enough to kill some pounds)...

the thing here.. why america is considered the 'fat' country is mainly because of medical excuses. a lot of people claim stress, hormonal disorders, blablabla bs.. but why other countries who don't have those bs things as 'being stressed' are healthier? then.. is the problem the invented medical condition? i have a friend with lupus, and she's taking chimiotherapy.. first months she gained some pounds because of cortisone and medicines, but she lost those extra pounts.. so if a person with a real hormonal unbalance can get healthy (let's get real, being chubby is all not looks, there are medical conditions associated with it), why not a person who claims or blames 'the genes'?

another aspect that someone mentioned here is true.. fast food.. in latin american countries fast food is considered a crave, when you wanna eat something nasty, as a prize.. it has to be an ocassion.. and its expensive too. in US fast food is cheap, and it's everywhere.. so.. again.. i think it's personal responsibility, not the genes, or that people just wants to make fun of obese person.. i myself gain pounds easily, but i only blame it on myself.. noone, not even my diabetic grandpa, my prediabetic genes are to blame for my lazyness or lack of discipline, noone but me

[MrMrsKnight 0]

another aspect that someone mentioned here is true.. fast food.. in latin american countries fast food is considered a crave, when you wanna eat something nasty, as a prize..

That's true where I live.... or at least among my friends and family.

[Alex+R 0]

the thing here.. why america is considered the 'fat' country is mainly because of medical excuses. a lot of people claim stress, hormonal disorders, blablabla bs.. but why other countries who don't have those bs things as 'being stressed' are healthier? then.. is the problem the invented medical condition?

What about the very common binge eating disorder?

Do we have these overeating disorders more than other countries? I would imagine that eating an unhealthy diet, but listening to when you were full and stopping, would leave Americans chubbier than other countries but not as obese as we are as a nation. I have noticed that certain countries I've visited have had more chubby people since the introduction of fast food (i.e. France) but I have only ever seen two *obese* Parisians.

I grew up with a compulsive overeating habit. If I hadn't gotten it under control before I was old enough to start getting really fat, I'd be, well, really fat. I dealt with it fairly successfully, but perhaps a lot of people haven't. Is this a particularly American problem?

Edited August 30, 2006 by Alex+R

[one...two...tree 2,762]

the thing here.. why america is considered the 'fat' country is mainly because of medical excuses. a lot of people claim stress, hormonal disorders, blablabla bs.. but why other countries who don't have those bs things as 'being stressed' are healthier? then.. is the problem the invented medical condition?

What about the very common binge eating disorder?

Do we have these overeating disorders more than other countries? I would imagine that eating an unhealthy diet, but listening to when you were full and stopping, would leave Americans chubbier than other countries but not as obese as we are as a nation. I have noticed that certain countries I've visited have had more chubby people since the introduction of fast food (i.e. France) but I have only ever seen two *obese* Parisians.

I grew up with a compulsive overeating habit. If I hadn't gotten it under control before I was old enough to start getting really fat, I'd be, well, really fat. I dealt with it fairly successfully, but perhaps a lot of people haven't. Is this a particularly American problem?

I think it has its roots here. We are the consumate consumers and the marketing genuises know just how to push our buttons. They tap into our insecurities and then convince us fulfillment can be achieved by consuming. We also champion going to the extreme in what we do - go for it, do it, get all that you want and deserve. Consumerism is killing us...literally.

[mawilson 2,133]

Consumerism is killing us...literally.

Not to worry -- the fittest will survive.... literally

P.S. Good evening, everyone

[no name 1]

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

oh man after living in NYC for years & then London, I am so grossed out at the size of people here in the Midwest. Usually on a daily basis when I see what they shove in their faces.

I eat a salad every day for lunch, rarely eat fast food & take a walk every lunch hour. It's not hard.

And that handicapped business really pisses me off! GET OFF YER LAZY BUTT & WALK!

[JenT 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

oh man after living in NYC for years & then London, I am so grossed out at the size of people here in the Midwest. Usually on a daily basis when I see what they shove in their faces.

I eat a salad every day for lunch, rarely eat fast food & take a walk every lunch hour. It's not hard.

And that handicapped business really pisses me off! GET OFF YER LAZY BUTT & WALK!

My aunt and uncle visited me from Germany when I first moved to MI. The "tsk tsks" that I heard from them were off-putting at first... very judgmental. But I didn't realize how significantly different the 'average' body types were until I traveled more and experienced different cultures.

Yes, there are medical implications... yes, obesity is not always a factor of laziness... but there has to be motivation to change LIFESTYLE, not just DIET.

I'm 5'8" and gained 50 pounds with my first pregnancy. Lost 35. Then gained another 40 with the second pregnancy... lost 15. I was 40lbs overweight and headed into a size 14 when I confronted my lifestyle. Much of it had to do with the unhappiness I was feeling in my marriage, but I decided to regain control over my body. It helped that I was a body-builder in college, but that also contributed to how I felt about myself during those years of weight gain... I knew what I used to look like... and that wasn't always good.

I dropped to a size 4 in 1.5 yrs, which wasn't healthy for me. I have stabilized at a size 6 and will never be headed in that 'overweight' direction again. Commitment and resolve is what I needed... for others, it's not so simple.

Jen

[Henia 11]

O snap then we all should call Jenny Craig

[JenT 0]

And some swear by Atkins. Whatever works.

[moondancer627 0]

mmmmmmm..... biscuits and gravy......

oh no....

God! Thanks for the reminder,the waist line contines and I don't want to look like her, I just don't have time to exercise due to working too much, then I pop a piece of chocolate in my mouth.

[samir_shannon 0]

i swear they put something in fast food to make us crave it ( i cant wait for samir to get here so i will cook at home.

mmmmmmm..... biscuits and gravy......

oh no....

God! Thanks for the reminder,the waist line contines and I don't want to look like her, I just don't have time to exercise due to working too much, then I pop a piece of chocolate in my mouth.

ok i take that back... i dont want fast food anymore.............goodness thats me if i keep on eating chesseburgers

[JenT 0]

Consider what happens on the 'inside' for some... not just what people see... high cholesterol, diabetes, heart problems, joint problems, emotional problems... For me, that's worse than what I might see in the mirror every day...

[garya505 2]

Consider what happens on the 'inside' for some... not just what people see... high cholesterol, diabetes, heart problems, joint problems, emotional problems... For me, that's worse than what I might see in the mirror every day...

[mawilson 2,133]

_Employers should offer their workers benefits that help them stay healthy, such as nutrition counseling and subsidized health club memberships.

Employers should offer their workers a $1,000 bonus for 10 pounds of weight lost, and

deduct it from their paychecks if they gain it back.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

_Employers should offer their workers benefits that help them stay healthy, such as nutrition counseling and subsidized health club memberships.

Employers should offer their workers a $1,000 bonus for 10 pounds of weight lost, and

deduct it from their paychecks if they gain it back.

What if you gain muscle weight?