Obesity in America: A Political Issue? - Page 2

On the freezing of plastics.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/librar...tic_dioxin.htm

That's where I'm coming from. Okay, so maybe making those same entrees from scratch, one-to-one, could be more expensive. But a bowl of beans and rice is still cheaper and way healthier than some surplus MRE disguised as a tv dinner.

The other issue with frozen, prepackaged meals, as well as most restaurant meals, is that the sodium is usually through the roof. You will probably use much less salt preparing something fresh yourself.

I think Obesity does play into how politicians are perceived. I saw Colbert interview some lady with a book about weight and she said that Obama is considered "more moral" because he is so slim. We have a bias for preceiving fat people as less moral. (Full Disclosure: BMI or not, I'm fat as shit)

I think that the republican challenger to NJ Governor John Corzine, might lose simply cause he is a fat guy.

Yes, this kind of debunkery of the dangers of smoking worked for about 20 years, and I see now that after a decade or more of awareness throughout Europe and the rest of the world, reality about SAR and cell phone use is starting to seep into the US.

Obviously, everyone can choose what path to take. My choice is to err on the side of skepticism of corporate honesty and overdo it when it comes to food safety for myself and my kids.

ps. I can't find it now but the post about buying locally grown food and going to farmers markets is a do-er.

There's a reason they call them fat cats!

You can also get frozen vegetables that are cheaper than, and about as nutritious as, most fresh vegetables you'd get in a supermarket. Of course, these are grown and frozen by EVIL CORPORATIONS, so maybe it's not such a good idea.

It is all of these things and more. Everybody needs to take some blame for the lack of nutrition in our diets and the general unhealthiness of the country. Food corporations, government, doctors and individuals/families all need to get on the bus or get the fuck off. Shit, you'd think that health insurance companies would sponsor nutrition and wellness events or marketing in order to drive down their own expenses. Of course the effect is too diffuse to see tangible benefits, but there's an opportunity being missed for sure.

I hear you there. The obesity epidemic is a cultural one. It's a whole host of things that need to be done to get this problem under control. An easy place to start would be restaurants offering half servings of their meals. When me and the wife eat out, we split an entree and it's enough to fill us both up (and I'm a big guy). I think if restaurants and fast food places would just offer smaller portion options, this would be a good first step.

Another thing would be schools being required to reach certain nutrition goals when they serve lunch to their students. Also, increased funding for PE programs. And yes, tax the shit out of sodas, candy, and juice boxes. None of those things add one bit to a healthy lifestyle.

In my 36 years, I've seen society change from when it was rare to see a morbidly obese person on the street to where it's even stranger when I don't see a morbidly obese person a day (or several). We need to treat this as a real problem.

Many restaurants (particularly upscale ones) do serve smaller portions, but they do so to help maximize profit.

Problem with taxing fast food is, it will hurt the poor. Who do you think goes to the Taco Bell/Micky D's/ KFC dollar menu?

Plus, as pointed out above, it's the "Family Style" places that are actually less healthy, combined with the shit that goes into our processed foods in grocery stores.

I agree with YT about Corn Syrup etc. Also, one of the (very few) things SF's mayor Gavin Newson has got right was the proposal to mandate healthy foods in the city.

And that’s the conundrum, we could end corn subsidies, tax soda, and otherwise punish people who purchase fast food, but if you don’t also subsidize healthy alternatives all you’re doing is hurting the poor.

Remember, fatties are voters too!

BMI is considered a good proxy for obesity at a population level, if not necessarily for individuals. Most people with high BMIs have them because of body fat, not because they're athletes.

To stop food from getting too expensive, I mean, that was the argument 40 years ago when the Nixon administration was looking for a way to boost food production, and it’s hard to argue with the results—at least in that regard.

The $64,000 question is how can we produce food at a similar cost—nationwide—without resorting to the monocultures many believe to be at the of the core issue.

You know when I don't eat healthy? When I'm drinking. Know when I'm drinking? Often.

In conclusion: Drinking = obesity

Is obesity a political issue?
Absolutely. And it's a national security issue, an economic security issue, and a moral issue.

Every time I hear about people talking about "Fat-ism" (because of all those fat people who got lynched in the south, I guess?) , I want to go on a hunger strike and die.


Yes, unfortunately the worst foods are often the cheapest and that makes diet a harder issue to get under control for those who are poor. For instance, I love tacos. However, the start up costs for me to make tacos are over 20$. If I had a different metabolism, I'd have to struggle to stay slim because alot of the food I eat is pretty terrible for me. With that said though, I feel it's unpatriotic to be a giant blob. You owe it to your country to get in shape. I am making an effort to do strength training so I can start Skiing again, and if I don't follow through and get some muscles, I'll be just as critical of myself as I currently am of the KFC-Blobs out there*


PS for the record I love fried chicken, but if I got fat from eating it I'd cease to eat it.

Bingo. In his acuity, FC illustrates why big corporations prefer 'em uneducated, uninformed and desperate. Lucky for them, our schools are in shambles, our media belongs to them and wages & employment are in the toilet.

Sure, but our government has always been willing to accept those consequences in order to prevent families from being unable to afford milk. I’m not saying the current situation is good, just that there are reasons for why it exists, and fixing one problem only to create another is, well... problematic.

How big are these fucking tacos?

Right. The companies who produce those foods have offloaded those costs off of their spreadsheets but as consumers of food, we're the ones who have to foot the bill one way or another.

Yeah. What's the price of a taco at Taco Bell? 99 cents? I don't know I haven't been there in a long time. PK is still saving money.

Taco Powder: 1.50$
Taco Shells $3
Lettuce 2$
1lb Hamburger 5-7$
Taco Sauce 2.50$
Salsa 3$
Tomatos 3-4$
Shredded Cheese 2.50 (at least)$

Now, I'm no math expert, and some of those prices vary depending on sales, but tacos are pretty darn expensive

EDIT: Plus they take forever to make, which kind of kills my enthusiasm for cooking. I've been eating a diet of crabcakes and cookies for the past week basically, because prep time is almost zero

Not to mention:
Fry Pan - $84.99
Cookie Sheet - $19.99
Spatula - $7.99
Gas Range - $314.99
House in Bridgewater Mass in which to cook - $289,900.00

It's a wonder so many people can afford to eat them.

Well actually I cook mine a little differently than that. I do not use a cookie sheet, instead 'hanging' the taco shells on the grate of the oven. (Hard to explain, maybe I'll take a photo sometime). Also, I use an electric stove not a gas one. A 90$ frying pan? Mine cost no more than 30, and I do not live in Bridgewater.

You're right about the spatula though : P

I've never actually eaten anything from a Taco Bell. I used to eat their hot sauce packets when I'd hang out at the mall, but I heard too many health-scare horror stories growing up about the food at TB to ever take a bite

Judging by the fact someone took the time to photoshop a "larva bell" sign, I guess I'm not alone in my fear of fast-food tacos

PS: One night I was watching an all night POTA marathon on AMC when I was about 10 or so. My mom had purchased me a box of Hostess Cupcakes to eat. I found, to my horror, a white worm (larva?) in one of them. I have not eaten a Hostess product since that time. I still eat Little Debbie, hoping somehow there are vast manufacturing differences between the two manufacturers

You can get taco dinner kits that contain shells, taco seasoning mix and sauce for about $4, which is $3 less than the separate ingredients.

And if you're eating by yourself, eat 1/2 or 1/3 of the total meal, and refrigerate the rest. Thus that $17 just fed you for 2 or 3 days.

And if it takes you longer than 10-15 minutes to cook a whole taco dinner, you're doing something wrong.

I don't like those kits unfortunately. I prefer "Bearitos" brand taco powder and shells. I actually wrote about that taco powder on my blog party.

And, I hate left overs. So when I make tacos I usually only have left overs for one day, and then I turn the rest of it over to my dad.

PS: It takes me at a minimum 2 hours to make tacos.

PPS: You also get very little sauce and it's in a un-re-sealable packet in those kits

LOL. A friend who actually eats there made that gif for me in light of my many unheeded warnings to him not to eat "larva bell." I'm just glad I finally had a legitimate reason to post it.

I love your unhealthy food I gotta admit. I gained 25 pounds living 1½ years in the states, because I pretty much had to follow the habbits of my host family. After a year back home, with no dieting I had lost the weight again.

But I'm happy we don't have joints like this around here, cause I would probably go there. But it IS a big part of the problem.

Um, are you me?

...and we have similair problems as you guys over here that we also refer to as an 'epidemic', we just don't have things like corn syrup in everything and a hell of a lot better access to fresh affordable produce in this country (I simply cannot stress how important that is and how lucky we are) so that we're not quite at your levels just yet - but we're still getting fatter at speed.

We also don't have things like these:



Your countrymen seemingly like some nasty, evil shit.

This is true; Chris Christie, who's running against Corzine in a dead heat, has been portrayed in recent commercials basically saying: "This fat POS can't even stay in shape, you want HIM running your state? Vote Corzine (cut to Corzine jogging through the park)."

Bacon-flavored mayo?

Must. Find.

John Stewart did a hilarious bit about this stuff on the Daily Show. Appearently it tastes pretty bad.

You would think, right? But I suspect that it isn't all that big a part.

I would guess that, by and large, people don't tend to use independent sit-down places like that for frequent dining - those sandwiches are guilty pleasures, and most people know not to eat them constantly. What most can't get into their heads is that comparatively bland commercial fast food (more innocuous-seeming because of its relative blandness), is just as bad for you - but probably far more affordable and, in some cases, marketed as a viable option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And here's the kicker - it's not as nutritious. Assuming that place uses fresh ingredients instead of artificial flavorings and preservatives, you will actually get full. When you eat at McDonald's, you stay hungry because their food barely offers any sustenance - just a bunch of carbs, fat, and artificial shit.

Certainly, our tendency toward the large portion in the U.S. is a bad thing. But never underestimate our tendency toward the cheap, fast, visible, and lowest-common-denominator. In other words, we're mostly getting fat on food that doesn't taste nearly as good as the sandwiches at that place.

The saturation of bad choices is what bugs me most. At my new job, as far as immediately available food goes, if I could throw caution to the wind, and eat whatever the hell I wanted, I would have a hundred options within two blocks, and at least half of them are burgers. Instead, I'm sensitive to salt, dont want a shit ton of fat in my food, picky about where my meat comes from, and would prefer to get some vegetables in with my major non-breakfast meals.

My options are Subway (much as I hate the place on principle, I can get a veggie sub there that is actually chock full of veggies) or Pita Pit (which is awesome, but expensive). THAT'S IT.

Yup. I have an In-N-Out Burger within three blocks of my office. You don't understand the sheer force of willpower it takes daily to not go down there and immediately slap down twenty bucks for three animal-style bunless Double-Doubles. And that's not even counting the plethora of shitty fast-food options around.

Then, I have moments like this morning where I held the elevator for an incredibly sweet but equally incredibly obese co-worker, and I kid you not it seemed to take approximately a minute for her to shuffle ten feet to get to the elevator (the "let the fucking door close" buzzer was going off, etc). By the time she got in the elevator, she was breathing ragged breaths and practically holding herself up by the handrail. She can't be any older than her late forties, and I doubt she's gonna see her mid-fifties.

Stuff like that reminds me to keep my shit (and my ego) in check.

I was hitting the Pita Pit three times a week last month. But when works stresses up, I eat like a man who's going to the chair tomorrow. AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT.

For those of you concerned about the availability of fresh veggies and dismayed by the lunch options near your work, I'd like to put a finer point on it - try thinking like a vegetarian next time you go out to eat. What's available to you on the menu? What actually sounds interesting and isn't just a lame attempt to give the hippies something to eat?

It's eye-opening, to say the least.

Ha ha, and you're in Wisconsin. "Mashed potatoes or pasta?"

I do this, but we also have a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe's, and tons of awesome Thai, Indian, and Asian fusion restaurants around along with great pizza places and Mexican places and we're spoiled as fuck. I still bring my lunch all the time, though.

yum, tacos!

Yeah, I should have said that people in L.A. can't play that game. Because you are spoiled rotten. I ate like a queen out there.

I was once a 10-year-old vegetarian. In Wisconsin. In the 80s. You have no idea. NO IDEA...