Why are Americans so fat?

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 11:41 PM

dianavan...that is a serious misunderstanding of the situation. Yes...if all the food available could be 'distributed' equally, with no waste, we could probably feed most everyone. But it just doesnt work like that and never did. We have always had famines at various places, no matter what the total global supply. The energy required to get food from source to consumer is never in balance.

Plus, we are really, truly, honestly depleting major sources! The Grand Banks are almost empty, the Salmon runs are at a low ebb, the arable farm land is being paved over, the sources of feed for livestock are not being managed.......all the while, our population keeps growing.

One of these days, even the math that says "there is enough if distribution problems were solved" wont even be true...if it still is.

Starvation is a practical matter, not a statistical matter.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 12:59 AM

Ah Little Hawk, I knew you'd pipe in, you svelte godlike creature!

I did say many, not all, ya know. I'm also not tipping the scales to the point where I can't see them. But my position remains...if we were to look at our respective weights as another thread is doing with our respective ages...I think we might well prove to be the norm for Westerners.

Time for breakfast! ;-D

..xx..e

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 03:58 AM

I think I can still squeeze into plane seat......

Cost of fat air passengers takes off
By Marcus Warren in New York
(Filed: 06/11/2004)

Fat Americans are eating into the US air industry's bottom line, forcing planes to consume ever more fuel to transport their bulk.

The average weight of Americans rose by 10lb during the 1990s and what a new survey called this "additional adiposity" caused airlines to use a further 350 million gallons of fuel in 2000, at a cost of £149 million. This is hitting the environment with an extra 3.8 million tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.

Bankrupt United Airlines, America's second biggest air travel company, recently announced that it would spend £650 million more than expected on fuel this year because of rising oil prices.

To reduce the weight carried by their planes, airlines have dumped metal cutlery and large magazines and want to use lighter materials in seating. But passenger size is more difficult to control.

To howls of outrage from the country's "fat acceptance" lobby, Southwest Airlines has begun asking larger travellers to purchase a second seat.

"The obesity epidemic has unexpected consequences beyond direct health effects," said Dr Deron Burton of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the findings. "Our goal was to highlight one area that had not been looked at before."

America's eating habits have been blamed for a lower than expected rise in life expectancy and dearer health insurance but never before for contributing to the woes of a whole sector of the economy.

A commuter plane crash that killed 21 people in North Carolina last year has been blamed on the passengers' greater than average weight.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Hand-Pulled Boy
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 05:10 AM

Should excess baggage weight just apply to one's luggage? Anyone over 18 stone should pay more or buy two seats. Better still they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near an airport 'cos they will probably smell.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 12:07 PM

I remember Bob Dylan, back in 1964 or something like that, being asked by the press if he was a "folksinger".

"When I hear the word 'folksinger'," he said, "I see a room full of fat old people playing guitars." (he was clearly referring to the previous generation of folk players and their hootnenannys...seems like things haven't changed much at all).

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 04:24 PM

'ere, Skiffler, you never told me you'd been drinking my Chardonnay all those years ago.
Why are Americans fat ?? Why is anybody fat ?? 'cos they eat too F***ing much. Any rate that's why I am.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 07 Nov 04 - 11:03 AM

because they eat too much fatty foods like the Australians and the British and the other rich lands were food is in plenty.
And not only that but the Australians or the majority of them don't excirse they drive about in their cars, my sister Jean is a fine example, she's a big fat lazy lump who eats the wrong food and does very little excerise and then she blames her 'ms' on her illness, she's just a fat lazy pig, and I wish that she would excirse more, mind you I'm just slighty over weight but her she's puit on more wieght last time I saw her, and we as family have trying to tell her to lose the fat, but she doesn't want to know.
She has a heart condtion as well.
So there you go, I love my sister Jean I want to her to lose weight that's all, I haven't told that she's a fat lazy pig but there are times when I hear her excsuses why she can't do tihngs, she has MS but it's the fat that tires her out, I just feel so sorry for her and the rest of my family.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: GUEST,Pa!g3
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 04:23 PM

Canadians watch an average of 23 hours of television per week which works out to about ummmmm, 1196 hours a year! WOW! We need ter get of our asses and do something!!!!!! ;)

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: annamill
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 07:35 PM

I CAN"T EAT GRAINS AND VEGGIES!! TOO MANY CARBS!!

The jobs I have had, up to recently anyway, have been sitting on my ass jobs. Programmer, bank teller.

Recently I became a security guard and I have been walking. Boy, have I been walking! I have been doing this for 3 weeks now.

I've lost 15 lbs!! Amazing! This summer...bikini again! For the first time, in, oh, 10 years!!

BTW, I feel great! Not much money mind you. So what, (now listen to this carefully) Money isn't everything! It took me a real long time to find this out.

Money isn't everything. Amazing to hear ME say this.

Well, anyway, congratulate me. I am no long one of those fat Americans AND it was easy. Just walk! For 8 hours a day. ;-)

Love, Annamill

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 08:28 PM

First of all Americans are really no more fat percentage wise than any other wealthy nation. Before you go flaming me please here the facts. The fact is that the Body Mass Indicator, that which is used to measure whether someone is overweight/obese is based on a medium framed man of 5' 10" with a weight of approx. 150 lbs. According to this BMI which scientists keep trying to tell the insurance companies and the whitehouse is just one tool in the toolbox, people like the Pres. and Brad Pit are overwight (yeah right). It does make some allowances for different frames (small, medium, large, and extra large) and measurments are done around the neck, waist, and wrist. Supposedly the neck and wrist will not change in size. In my case they have. It does not - I repeat, - it does not take into account the different morphic shapes of the body. There are alot of people with small necks who because of a larger pelvic girdle come out overweight. There are people who have necks as wide as their heads who are actually overweight who get a pass. Short people are just plain screwed and so are folks like me. Average folks are two to four inches larger at the chest than their waist (when fit). My waist size is forty inches and my chest size is 50 inches (barrel chested) because of this their is an appropriate amount of weight that isn't factored into the equation.

The insurance companies want us to be in as close to this spurious data because if we are supposedly this skinny they'll never have to pay out again. But don't look for your premiums to go down.

And food for thought here, ask the Aussies what happens when you store a great deal of grain with alot of mice around.

Then on top of that we have people fighting genetically modified foods that are modified to grow in drought conditions and be bug and disease resistant (see we're helping but nobody wants the stuff).

And by the way, shipping out our excess crops doesn't always work because the people we ship them to have different normal diets and this sometimes causes severe gastric problems and dissentary which causes even more death.

And finally, as Sam Kinison so eloquently pointed out:

"See this? Yeah, it's sand, yeah sand!
Move to wear the food is...Ahhhhhh Ahhhhh!

end rant

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 12:43 PM

I can't recall who posted it but:

SUVs don't cause more crashes. To be specific it would be the driver that causes the crash to begin with. It's not that the SUVs cause crashes but that some of the cars that are on our roads are turbo charged four cylinders that aren't built well enough to withstand a collision with a telephone pole at 25 MPH. They then get into an accident with an SUV which is bigger and heavier and also moving and end up getting killed. The statistic says that collisions with SUVs cause more deaths which is true but for the reason I already gave. The statistic doesn't bother to mention who was at fault for the accident. Leaving this out seems to make people think they are more dangerous.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 12:45 PM

TOO MUCH FAST FOOD!!

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 03:40 PM

A study just came out that links lack of sleep to weight gain. Could that possibly be a reason? Working too much (unlike our lazy european bretheren who get more holidays and a shorter work week?)

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: annamill
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 07:32 PM

Might be true Chief. I've been sleeping a whole lot better since I start walking 8 hrs a day. ;-)

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Pogo
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 09:39 PM

So we can...SIT on people who ask questions like this!!!!

Bwahahahahaha *burbly fat laugh*

As well as...uhmmm *thinks* enemies to freedom!!!

" What about elevensies? Second breakfast? "

{O)

*eats another burger*

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: dianavan
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 05:39 PM

kelida - You say, "we also give more in charity, relief and aide to struggling nations than any other nation on earth."

You are so wrong. The U.S. (because of its greed and overconsumption) creates conflict, displacement, hunger and disease to more nations than any other nation on earth. Not to mention the general suffering caused by their aggression.

If they paid more attention to the needs of their own citizenry, the world would be a better place.

d

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 10:55 PM

I've read that 2/3 of Americans are considered overweight.

Just read that last year the UK government released statistics showing that 70% of UK men and 63% of women are considered overweight.

Anybody else read this? I don't know if this is based on body mass index or what.

It was in an article about the UK Department of Health recommending that the government both ban smoking in public places (discussed in the thread about that) and also pressure junk-food marketers to limit their prime-time TV commercials.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: rich-joy
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 05:19 AM

see relevant thread : "film - Supersize Me by Morgan Spurlock "



Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: GUEST,Terry K
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 05:19 AM

It's a generalisation, I know, but whenever I go to the States I'm still amazed at how fat the people are. Seems to me that the people who put counter-arguments are simply "in denial".

In the UK we have at last got a consciousness that too much food and too little exercise - both products of our wealth as a nation - are the real issues. We've still got a long way to go before we get as bad as the USA, but it is going to be a long, hard struggle to re-educate people into healthier lifestyles.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 08:43 PM

Our "Consciousness" is killing our young girls. They see these "so-called" models who must be healthy, since they look like that, and go bulemic or anorexic trying to look like them. It's unrealistic to believe that you can set a standard and force everyone into it. Every blood test I take says that I'm in perfect health. If that were all the doctors went on I'd be fine and dandy, but they keep trying to force me into this mold of theirs. With everything else going on, we've got much more important things to be worried about!

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Gervase
Date: 22 Nov 04 - 07:13 AM

Plenty more to worry about now, but the fat issue is going to have to be paid for at some time. Being fat isn't healthy, and a nation of lard-arses (whether it's the USA, UK or Australia) is going to find that it hasn't got the money for schools and other nice things because its health bills are bloody huge.
Sure, plenty of people are happy being fat and flabby, but they're still damaging themselves. "Fat Acceptance" is another term for pig-headed selfishness. Don't do this denial crap - If you're fat it means you eat too much of the wrong stuff and don't take enough exercise. Full stop.
And if you don't agree, chase me!

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Moses
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 07:48 AM

How many (really) fat old people do you know? Those who live to a healthy old age are mostly small framed and lean.

Just getting older puts enough strain on the body without us adding to it.

Being overweight shortens lifespan;- imagine carrying two heavy bags of shopping everywhere all the time. That's what being overweight means to me. I don't want to do that - call me lazy but I'd rather carry just me and not the equivalent of half another person thank you very much!

And, no, it's not easy keeping the weight off - it's a constant wrestle with gluttony as fattening food tastes so good.

I think the universal 24/7 availability of quick fix snacks in the so-called developed countries is the reason why so many people are fat. If it's not in the larder, glove box or office drawer you can't eat it.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 08:01 AM

As some others have pointed out, folkies, especially singers, are definitely not immmune.

And it's a real shame too--some really wonderful people with great wit, great voices and instrumental talent are shortening their own lives by not being serious enough about the weight problem----some seem to lurch from one radical diet to another----but are still not making progress---then they have knee and leg problems and so it goes.

Dancers, on the other hand, are frequently in pretty good shape. Maybe music people (before they get to the leg injury stage)---could dance more. They'd at least be hearing good music---if the band was good.

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 09:10 AM

Have a fag. They help keep the weight off. I combine smoking with healthy outdoor pursuits such as fox hunting, which keeps my weight down to about 12 stone. Eat plenty of venison too!

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: Gervase
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 09:48 AM

Moses has a good point I think the universal 24/7 availability of quick fix snacks in the so-called developed countries is the reason why so many people are fat. If it's not in the larder, glove box or office drawer you can't eat it.
Cooking seems to be a middle-class fad or luxury now. For most people it's easier to driver to a supermarket and grab something off the shelf that's ready-prepared than it is to make it in the first place, and much of the stuff on supermarket shelves is loaded with fat, salt and sugar.
The answer lies in self-discipline, and that's hard (as a smoker I know just how hard!). Without it, though, obesity will become the major killer of the 21st century. Maybe it's as well for the rest of us that Republicans seem to be fatter and more stupid than Democrats!

Subject: RE: Why are Americans so fat?
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 01:05 PM

I'm starting to wonder what the problem is. I mean after all, what a way to save the economy and social security. Consume consume consume. Spend spend spend. Gets the economy on its feet and you die years before being able to claim any benefits. All they have to do is say the difibrulator won't work thru the fat and the situation resolves itself!