Waistlines continue to grow in U.S.

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

I also can't stand it when overweight people say "I just don't get it".

I'm a plus-sized woman, and well...I get it. I love food. And I hate exercise.

I'm not in denial, I know if I ate less and exercised more, I'd lose weight. BUT, my doctor says I'm healthy, I like the size I am, and so does this future husband of mine, so I'm in no rush to give up my love of cheesecake. If I start feeling FATigued (haha!) or my yearly physical doesn't go well, I'll change something.

Cass (bebop the great)

[no name 1]

ok, now I am really hungry! yum!

I also don't eat much pasta/rice. At least, I almost never make it at home. When I do, it is always brown/whole wheat, but I am one of those people that prefers the taste of it... nutty and chewy!

Plus all the white stuff is GM....scary!

Brown rice tastes better. Have you ever had (Thai) black rice, that is goooooooooooood. I've only ahd it once, but YUM.

[CarolineM 0]

I also can't stand it when overweight people say "I just don't get it".

I'm a plus-sized woman, and well...I get it. I love food. And I hate exercise.

I'm not in denial, I know if I ate less and exercised more, I'd lose weight. BUT, my doctor says I'm healthy, I like the size I am, and so does this future husband of mine, so I'm in no rush to give up my love of cheesecake. If I start feeling FATigued (haha!) or my yearly physical doesn't go well, I'll change something.

Cass (bebop the great)

I knew I liked you I am also overwieght right now...and I am not going to say..."I don't know why...I only eat salads at McDonalds..." Well first of all - salads at mc donalds aren't a great choice. The dressings are FULL of fat and cals - even the low fat ones...

I am overwieght for the same reasons. I eat too much and didn't want to work out. am I happy with my weight? no. Am I working on it? Yes...do I know HOW i got to this point??

YES.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

ok, now I am really hungry! yum!

I also don't eat much pasta/rice. At least, I almost never make it at home. When I do, it is always brown/whole wheat, but I am one of those people that prefers the taste of it... nutty and chewy!

Plus all the white stuff is GM....scary!

Brown rice tastes better. Have you ever had (Thai) black rice, that is goooooooooooood. I've only ahd it once, but YUM.

i just saw thai black rice on TV. My wife is thai and i have not eaten it.

[Fandango 1,439]

It's genetic in that some people have better metabolism than others? I guess that's partly true, but normal weight people have better metabolism because your metabolism decreases as you put on the pounds.

When people cut out eating, they actually do more harm then good because their metabolism comes to a screeching halt. The worst anyone can do to losing fat is to skip meals. I read somewhere that it wasn't until sometime in the 1600's that 3 square meals was made the standard. Our metabolisms actually work better when we eat something smaller every 2 - 3 hours.

I agree with Steven here as far as the 'smaller portions eaten more often'

And another thing....your metabolic rate is based on a ratio your lean muscle & activity level. So I disagree with 'metabolisms' being genetic. The more active you are, the more muscle vs fat you have, the higher the metabolic rate. It's controllable

this topic is making me hungry!

I just ate some broccoli rabe I made last night with hot pepper flakes & anchovies & parmesan. YUM & healthy!

omG broccoli rabe with olive oil and garlic.....wow haven't eaten that for years!

[anya-D 8]

I gain somuch weight here because of the 'food portion' and I know it. I tend to feel very bad if i left the food so i try to eat it all... and because some typ of food dont come with greens then i order salad too.. then it's just too much for me but i feel guilty to not finish it. But after a while i just have a box to take it home instead of stuffing myself to death coz guilt.... but still. it already effect me.. so now i have to exercise a lot more (never have to)

I miss my country food

My wife still only eats Thai food (95% of the time) and is putting on weight. You Thais can eat a lot She eats much more than me.

Well.. I dont know why but if i'm in Thailand i eat a LOT and i mean a LOT becasue every where there's food. But i dont gain weight as much as i'm here and eat only lunch and dinner (with no snacks like in Thailand) and my snack in Thailand is a heavy food (I hate potato chip though.. dont really like "bag" snack either) So there's somehting in the US that makes me gain more weight .... umm.. isnt that interesting

well.. now i'm a member of YMCA and *try* to go at least 2 times a week (for pilate class) but i hate machine exercise so i have to find other way to keep active (my finger is now active )

[*Robert* 2]

[Meliss 0]

I read somewhere, if a child is overweight at or around the age 13, they will be over weight as a adult.

I think most of the problem comes from parents not teaching their children proper nutrition and eating habits. (Plus mom's are not cooking so much anymore..and not from scratch.) Anyway, the battle continues, and I hear the comments about Canada vs. US and obesity battles all the time. Whatever, I really think if you want (it) whatever that might be... you work hard enough to have it. So eat properly and stay away from crazy fad diets. I think there are overweight people where ever you go.

[KarenCee 3]

America, the land of big waistlines and even bigger excuses!

Don't be so snotty here...it's not all about excuses. I have a medical condition that has contributed to my weight, but I don't use it as an excuse to pig out at the table at home or when we eat out. So there.

My husband and I eat at home quite a lot. We shop the sales and shop in bulk when we can. When we cook at home we rarely fix more than we need, unless we plan to have leftovers for lunch the next day. We are conscious of our portions and realize that when we eat out, it's a heck of a lot more than what we fix for ourselves. Yet, we do love certain restaurants and dishes. There are two very good websites that allow you to duplicate your favourite restaurant dish. This is great for us since I am a diabetic...I can adapt a recipe to lower the sugar AND the calories. There are thousands of recipes out there and if you are savvy in the kitchen you can adapt any recipe to fit your lifestyle.

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

I read somewhere, if a child is overweight at or around the age 13, they will be over weight as a adult.

I think most of the problem comes from parents not teaching their children proper nutrition and eating habits. (Plus mom's are not cooking so much anymore..and not from scratch.) Anyway, the battle continues, and I hear the comments about Canada vs. US and obesity battles all the time. Whatever, I really think if you want (it) whatever that might be... you work hard enough to have it. So eat properly and stay away from crazy fad diets. I think there are overweight people where ever you go.

Kids are really like sponges - they pick up every habit you've got, good or bad. I'm raising 2 teenagers on my own and they have been around me long enough to see that I stay physically active with going to the gym or playing ball, but I've got a sweet tooth and they love the cookies and ice cream as much as me. So many times I have to say 'no' when they go with me to the supermarket, but then I'm not consistent and when I'm craving ice cream, I'll buy it. My daughter is thin but my son has put on extra weight over the last couple of years. He's starting HS this year and plays drums, so I'm hoping Marching Band and school activities combined with me being more selective at the supermarket will slim him back down.

[PsychoKat 0]

And another thing....your metabolic rate is based on a ratio your lean muscle & activity level. So I disagree with 'metabolisms' being genetic. The more active you are, the more muscle vs fat you have, the higher the metabolic rate. It's controllable

[

Actually, genetics do play a roll in this.

Obesity and Genetics: What We Know, What We Don’t Know and What It Means

What We Know:

Biological relatives tend to resemble each other in many ways, including body weight. Individuals with a family history of obesity may be predisposed to gain weight and interventions that prevent obesity are especially important.

In an environment made constant for food intake and physical activity, individuals respond differently. Some people store more energy as fat in an environment of excess; others lose less fat in an environment of scarcity. The different responses are largely due to genetic variation between individuals.

Obese individuals have genetic similarities that may shed light on the biological differences that predispose to gain weight. This knowledge may be useful in preventing or treating obesity in predisposed people.

Source

[Alex+R 0]

Cute kids!

[*Robert* 2]

Good looking kids Steven!

Getting your son in marching band should definitely help. Any form of exercise is better than no exercise at all.

[garya505 2]

America, the land of big waistlines and even bigger excuses!

Don't be so snotty here...it's not all about excuses. I have a medical condition that has contributed to my weight, but I don't use it as an excuse to pig out at the table at home or when we eat out. So there.

My husband and I eat at home quite a lot. We shop the sales and shop in bulk when we can. When we cook at home we rarely fix more than we need, unless we plan to have leftovers for lunch the next day. We are conscious of our portions and realize that when we eat out, it's a heck of a lot more than what we fix for ourselves. Yet, we do love certain restaurants and dishes. There are two very good websites that allow you to duplicate your favourite restaurant dish. This is great for us since I am a diabetic...I can adapt a recipe to lower the sugar AND the calories. There are thousands of recipes out there and if you are savvy in the kitchen you can adapt any recipe to fit your lifestyle.

Ah ha, you're diabetic then you know the importance of diet and exercise, as well as maintaining a healthy weight.

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

Cute kids!

Thanks, Alex.