What is making Americans Fat...?

[A Horse With No Name]

If you look closely, you'll see Canada and England follow closely so the real reason must be related to speaking English.

Notice also, that Hungary is the only nation loosing weight, in all irony...

But what is really to blame...a low level of physical activity, Genetically modified foods or...?

Your thoughts please, gentlemen!

My kids were behind a fat guy at MacDonalds the other day, who spent over $100 on food for himself, his wife and two children.

And my eleven year old daughter Christina and I went to Bob Evans...teenage girl in the booth next to us was HUGE...I'm talking half the size of our MINI...and after she ate a dozen Chocolate chip cookies there for dessert...she ordered a dozen more TO go!

We now have somethink like 5 million people who are over 500 lbs....so why are we getting so fat, and what should be done about ti?

[Robert Hall]

Possible culprits:

The easy availablity of cheap, high-calorie, high fat GM fast food

Giant serving portions in restaurants

General sloth, in part fueled by easy access to the internet and cable tv

Suburbanization...have to drive everywhere, no walking

We are becoming the land of the Sitting Dead...

Edited October 16, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[A Horse With No Name]

Agree with what you have to say so far cubitar, other thoughts...?

[frogger]

The restaurant portions are for sure noticeably bigger in the US than Canada from what I've seen.

My wife is from Korea, since I met her I've been eating super healthy, it's ridiculous... But it's a good thing.

[balthazar]

Suburbanization...have to drive everywhere, no walking

This is certainly legitimate but has been the case for decades upon decades; it doesn't jive with the 'Timeline of Fatness'.

In fact, a number of small towns in central Jersey have gone thru great lengths to make 'pedestrian welcomig' main streets & host community-based events that have more people walking around than when I was growing up.

I also have noted that restaurant portions have shrunken a bit in the last few years.

IMO, the bulk of the blame is inactivity. A huge portion of that is technology instilling the artificial need to be 'connected' and thusly, immobile.

There's a radio spot that says 'In the park? Your tablet is where you watch The Office', and I can only think you should be walking or playing frisbee; isn't that why you left the house/TV?

[ZL-1]

IMO, the bulk of the blame is inactivity. A huge portion of that is technology instilling the artificial need to be 'connected' and thusly, immobile.

There's a radio spot that says 'In the park? Your tablet is where you watch The Office', and I can only think you should be walking or playing frisbee; isn't that why you left the house/TV?

This. Agreed 100%.

[the_yellow_dart]

There's going to be some lag on the effect of suburbanization also. There's a difference between moving to the suburbs once you've already established yourself as an active person who's not too lazy to exercise, versus growing up in the suburbs and establishing yourself as lazy from childhood.

Also, think about the shift in our jobs. My grandfather never had to think about exercise, because he worked in a factory and got all the exercise he needed from a normal day on the job. I sit on my butt all day and have to motivate myself to exercise in what would otherwise be my 'spare' time.

[Robert Hall]

Also, think about the shift in our jobs. My grandfather never had to think about exercise, because he worked in a factory and got all the exercise he needed from a normal day on the job. I sit on my butt all day and have to motivate myself to exercise in what would otherwise be my 'spare' time.

True enough... I spend my day sitting in front of a computer for work, and spend a lot of my free time...in front of a computer (laptop, tablet, cellphone, all the same, really). Such is modern life.

With the cooler weather finally here, I'm trying to take walks w/ the dogs around the neighborhood every evening. During the day, I get 20-30 min (10-15 each way) walks at lunch, I hate eating at my desk.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[G. David Felt]

Possible culprits:

The easy availablity of cheap, high-calorie, high fat GM fast food

Giant serving portions in restaurants

General sloth, in part fueled by easy access to the internet and cable tv

Suburbanization...have to drive everywhere, no walking

We are becoming the land of the Sitting Dead...

How to change this, is I hate to say it but we have to give reduced sizes. This will make people complain about not having huge portions, but reality is the body does not need 3000 calories for everyone. I doubt we are all professional Jocks that burn 8000 to 12000 calories. Most people get by just fine on 1200-1500 calories and of course if your taller like me maybe 2000 calories.

Right now, we need to make it harder for people to get vendor snacks. Take out the vending machines from our schools or change it out to healthy choices at least. Remove all the sugary drinks that are in the vending machines at school and put in healthy choices again.

I know some schools and states have gone the cold turkey route and the whip lash is to be expected and others have taken a phased in approach which I think is better.

We have to reprogram humanity to make better choices and it will require a phased in approach not a cold turkey approach otherwise we do not need to worry about Jihad when we will kill off ourselves do to eating and laziness.

[Robert Hall]

Right now, we need to make it harder for people to get vendor snacks. Take out the vending machines from our schools or change it out to healthy choices at least. Remove all the sugary drinks that are in the vending machines at school and put in healthy choices again.

Yeah, vending machines are easy and tempting.... I'm working at a client's site for the next few months, and the snackateria w/ the 25-cent sodas and 75-cent candy bars, etc is about 50 feet from my cube.

[balthazar]

I am thankful I'm not stuck in a menial, tedious job in an office.

Did that for some years (at least it was creative), but I could never go back.

[Robert Hall]

I am thankful I'm not stuck in a menial, tedious job in an office.

I'm glad I'm not stuck in one either.

[G. David Felt]

I am thankful I'm not stuck in a menial, tedious job in an office.

I'm glad I'm not stuck in one either.

Working on trying to get out of mine.

[NeonLX]

Let's drive over to the gym to work out. And then drive back.

High fructose corn syrup.

Carbs.

Strange genetics of modern wheat.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

I dumped 18 lbs in 3 weeks after giving up grain carbs. Gained lots of energy as well. My waist size is now what it was when I was a wrastler in high school.

[G. David Felt]

Let's drive over to the gym to work out. And then drive back.

High fructose corn syrup.

Carbs.

Strange genetics of modern wheat.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

I dumped 18 lbs in 3 weeks after giving up grain carbs. Gained lots of energy as well. My waist size is now what it was when I was a wrastler in high school.

Interesting concept this wheat belly. Have to research it some more. Thanks for sharing.

[NeonLX]

I am most decidedly NOT a fad dieter, but this works. The science behind it seems sound to me.

My wife lost 40 pounds in three months, and one of my coworkers is down 70 pounds as a result of it.

Last blood pressure check I had came out at 105/63.

Also, your cravings disappear after a few days of it; gives you a sense of being free of the monkey on your back.

[Robert Hall]

Interesting...I've been reading about grain-free dog diets quite a bit lately, going to have to start researching it for my own diet. This sounds like a better approach from the no-carb fad that was big around 1999 (all meat, all the time)...

R

[NeonLX]

Yeah, this one is quite workable. I didn't fall for the all meat, all the time diet you mentioned (Was it Atkins?), but I figured this one was easy enough to try without any real negatives that I could see. Hardest part for me was coming up with stuff to eat for breakfast. I'm not nuts about eating eggs all that often. We finally came up with a bread made from almond flour, with sunflower butter & homemade jam. It's friggin' yummy and goes great with coffee or Irish Breakfast Tea.

[G. David Felt]

Yeah, this one is quite workable. I didn't fall for the all meat, all the time diet you mentioned (Was it Atkins?), but I figured this one was easy enough to try without any real negatives that I could see. Hardest part for me was coming up with stuff to eat for breakfast. I'm not nuts about eating eggs all that often. We finally came up with a bread made from almond flour, with sunflower butter & homemade jam. It's friggin' yummy and goes great with coffee or Irish Breakfast Tea.

The bread does sound yummy

[A Horse With No Name]

I've cut back on grains and have lost a good bit or weight....

[Z-06]

Yeah, this one is quite workable. I didn't fall for the all meat, all the time diet you mentioned (Was it Atkins?), but I figured this one was easy enough to try without any real negatives that I could see. Hardest part for me was coming up with stuff to eat for breakfast. I'm not nuts about eating eggs all that often. We finally came up with a bread made from almond flour, with sunflower butter & homemade jam. It's friggin' yummy and goes great with coffee or Irish Breakfast Tea.

Let's drive over to the gym to work out. And then drive back.

High fructose corn syrup.

Carbs.

Strange genetics of modern wheat.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

I dumped 18 lbs in 3 weeks after giving up grain carbs. Gained lots of energy as well. My waist size is now what it was when I was a wrastler in high school.

So true. Despite burning 2000 calories in heavy workout and eating approx. 2500 calories, I was still gaining weight and girth. People thought it was muscles, I was like no f-ing way. I even went to a dietician who said the same thing!

My brother asked me to quit wheat altogether. I have lost 5 lb in 2 weeks. But god damn, I am going through wheat withdrawal like a heroine addict does. My head hurts, and my stomach is churning faster than a Cat 5 Hurricane sitting in Gulf of Mehico; my hands go towards the bread and saliva just drips through the teeth. I am just on tipping point of starting to have hallucination. But on plus side, energy level is tremendous. My sleep has reduced from 8+ hours to 6.5 hours while feeling more energy for recovery.

[Blake Noble]

My kids were behind a fat guy at MacDonalds the other day, who spent over $100 on food for himself, his wife and two children.

How. The. Hell. Do you spend. $100 dollars. At a goddamn McDonalds? Seriously? That concept alone has just shat the biggest log on my entire day. How frigging fat do you have to be? Did they order the whole fucking menu? I've never spent over $6 bucks at McDonalds and I've never seen anyone spend over $20 feeding a family of three to four people. How do you do that at the America's cheapest third rate fast food joint? It just doesn't add up ...

[NeonLX]

Yeah, grain withdrawl can be nasty. Hate to say it, but some grain has been sneaking back into my life lately. I did the full-bore Wheatbelly diet back in the winter and spring of this year, but have slowly lapsed, mainly because of convenience. I'd like to get back to it though; I've put about 10-lbs. back on and my pants have gotten snug.

We grew lots of grain on the family farm, of course. You'd be amazed at how energy- and water-intensive corn is (this is the corn that gets feed to livestock, not sweet corn that people eat--though that stuff is similarly high maintenance).

Toughest grain product for me to give up was beer! Fortunately, someone figured out how to get grape juice to ferment.

[daves87rs]

Simple- people are too lazy to do anything....

Don't have time- you always have time, there is no such thing. It's what I hear over and over again. Sometimes, I just don't understand...

Watch what ya eat (and I eat out and love pizza) and get out and do something, even if it is only a long walk...

I've lost 40 pounds in the last few years...and I might have lost more without the pizza...

All because I want o be healthier...

[balthazar]

MmmmmmM... pizza!

My favorite shop makes a KILLER chicken marsala pie- each slice is a complete meal. Which reminds me; I haven't been there in a few weeks......

[loki]

less meal time to sit and talk while we eat... it prolongs the eating meaning your intake after you're full to the point you're full signal hits you is less.

[A Horse With No Name]

My kids were behind a fat guy at MacDonalds the other day, who spent over $100 on food for himself, his wife and two children.

How. The. Hell. Do you spend. $100 dollars. At a goddamn McDonalds? Seriously? That concept alone has just shat the biggest log on my entire day. How frigging fat do you have to be? Did they order the whole f@#king menu? I've never spent over $6 bucks at McDonalds and I've never seen anyone spend over $20 feeding a family of three to four people. How do you do that at the America's cheapest third rate fast food joint? It just doesn't add up ...

I hate to bring this up but its true...he ordered so much food that they rtan out of chicken to make chicken sandwiches...

Guy was at least 600 lbs...we have a neighbor who was 500 plus before bariatric surgury, and this guy was MUCH larger...

MmmmmmM... pizza!

My favorite shop makes a KILLER chicken marsala pie- each slice is a complete meal. Which reminds me; I haven't been there in a few weeks......

MmmmmmM... pizza!

My favorite shop makes a KILLER chicken marsala pie- each slice is a complete meal. Which reminds me; I haven't been there in a few weeks......

Good piza is the nectar of life, it contains wheat but I can't live without it.

Edited October 20, 2012 by A Horse With No Name

[Drew Dowdell]

Yeah, this one is quite workable. I didn't fall for the all meat, all the time diet you mentioned (Was it Atkins?), but I figured this one was easy enough to try without any real negatives that I could see. Hardest part for me was coming up with stuff to eat for breakfast. I'm not nuts about eating eggs all that often. We finally came up with a bread made from almond flour, with sunflower butter & homemade jam. It's friggin' yummy and goes great with coffee or Irish Breakfast Tea.

Try this pancake mix. I wasn't looking for Gluten free and grabbed it by accident once when picking up other bread mixes. Sub some buttermilk in for the regular milk.... just like grandma used to make.

[ocnblu]

I wonder if my problem is gluten. I have stomach issues.

Since I started my last job, I quit the gym completely, simply because of the grueling hours. I was so tired when I got home, and it was all for nothing.

I use that powdered buttermilk for recipes.

I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, followed the directions for breakfast cereal, blew up like a blimp, and produced enough gas to piss off that old crackpot queen Al Gore. I wonder if a little bit of baking soda added to the water would help?

[A Horse With No Name]

Not sure if it would or not...

[G. David Felt]

I wonder if my problem is gluten. I have stomach issues.

Since I started my last job, I quit the gym completely, simply because of the grueling hours. I was so tired when I got home, and it was all for nothing.

I use that powdered buttermilk for recipes.

I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, followed the directions for breakfast cereal, blew up like a blimp, and produced enough gas to piss off that old crackpot queen Al Gore. I wonder if a little bit of baking soda added to the water would help?

Ocn if gluten is a problem for you, then all breads and pastas would cause you to be gassy out both ends and have stomach discomfort. So if you are burping and farting and stomach discomfort, cut out the pasta, breads, dairy and cabbage based vegis as these all cause gas. If it gets reduced or goes away then you can adjust your diet.

Good luck.