Main reason why so many Americans are overweight

This is only a fancy way of saying "eat too much".

The real question is "Why do people eat too much?". There are many different answers to this because the reasons vary with individuals.

 

I do not consider fast food food - it is an industrial product. The burgers, fries etc are not that different from the styrofoam containers they come in. Americans have forgotten what real food is. Above all, it is fresh. If it comes from a freezer or a can, it is not real food. Give it to the dog. Food in places like China is infinitely better than here - fresh, varied and delicious. Don't go by Chinese take out (although even that is much better than Burger King) People in China are still very close to agriculture and their food sources. When I visited some friends there, they would grab a Chicken from the yard, pick some vegetables from the garden, get a fish from the pond and make a meal so good I can still taste it. And they were able to do this without granite counters and stainless steel appliances.

 

I have yo-yo'd for years and as I age it is harder and harder to lose weight.

Formulated foods are definitely high in cause. Once mass production came into play our tastebuds were ruined and we became addicted to sugar, caffeine and carbs. White foods (bread, rice, sugar, starches) will be the death of us.

This morning the Union Tribune had a piece about fat in the diet of a huge test group of women ( just scanned so exact numbers may be off). These women were studied over 8 years. They ultimately found that fat in the diet was not contributiong to heart disease for these folks. That tends to lead one to think there must be something else.

My daughter says that her size 6-8 frame is considered large in Italy. People there walk because their cities are not set up for large vehicles, even between cities trains are used. The diet is rich in oils, natural meats and fish, cheeses, fresh vegetables.

Watch TV for any stretch of time and the commercials will range from Heart Smart Cereal to some super sugary stuff, as well as a huge number of processed foods that are low in fat but high in sodium, carb counting but without any vitamin content.......

American corporations have shown time and time again that they will do anything to make a buck....sell the Pinto, sell the high fructose juices to parents, energy drinks touted as healthy, cigarettes don't hurt you .....

 

automation - more things are done for us that requires less energy.

Excess - a reflection of our financial success.

You can eat almost anything, in moderation. But a lot of folks do not understand what moderation is.

Carbs have always been there and always will. Your body requires a certain amount of this. Intake of foods heavy in carbs just requires this moderation.

 

Best time to consume carbs is in the morning. Dinner should be low in carbs and have a decent amount of protein. A decent amount should be determined by amount of protein you need and how much you had during the day. Sometimes, for dinner, I have a handful of almonds and a piece of fruit and that's all. One of the dietary problems that we have is most of us eat too much protein which puts a strain on our digestive systems. Also, once you go over a certain amount of protein, your body starts to dump calcium. How much that is I can't recall offhand but I can look up my notes on it if anyone cares to know.

 

first. what's with all these social-issues topics lately? :blink:

ok. my 2 cents:

we're all way too sedentary! very few people have jobs where they remain active for the better part of the day. that's one thing i love about my "job"- i can walk around, stand, sit, take a lap around the building if the desire hit me during an incubation period. my mom works in an office, 8 hours a day in front of a computer. guess what? she's heavier than she should be. as are all but a very few of her co-workers.

the whole fast-food culture and the american way that has changed to "watch don't do" is really hitting us hard.

now we have diabetes popping up in younger and younger people, causing all hell to break loose in the metabolic pathways, their regulation and function... we have people out there saying pills will make you lose weight with no diet or exercise and people believe it... we have kids who look like oversized bowling balls walking around middle partially because they no longer allow recess... soda is a major food group.. and on and on.

sometimes i wonder if anyone's heard of lettuce on anything other than a hamburger anymore.

 

The poll choice was "eat too much FAT," which is not the issue. And it's not as complicated as all that.

I'm getting at something that I spend a significant part of my day debunking with people. Overweight people often want some particular dietary composition that is going to be a quick fix. People spend fortunes on the diet industry, and waste unimaginable amounts of time and effort on that which is as yet not relevant to their situations. Complex carbohydrates versus simple ones, long grains versus refined, blah blah blah. It's unimportant in the grand scheme, at least from where we stand right now as a country.

Why worry about trying to cut down to a <20% fat diet if you still consume three thousand five hundred calories daily and burn fewer than two thousand, and you don't ever exercise your heart rate above 120 BPM, except to walk to the kitchen again?

 

I think it's a number of factors, not all of which are listed.

I think we're more sedentary than other nations.

I think we also eat a lot more fast food or pre-packaged food. Both of which contain more fat and more salt. Our weight gain is the price we pay for convenience.

I also think our national condition of sleep deprivation contributes. Studies have shown that as you get less and less sleep...you gain more and more weight. Weird but true. Check out the sleep deprivation poll and look at how many people don't even get 8 hours in. Not everyone needs 8 hours. But I believe there is a difference between getting by on less and letting your body have all the sleep it wants. And you've watched the reports on TV about "driving while tired."

I also think the increased stress of our type A lifestyles contributes. We take less vacations. We work more hours. Oh, sure the Japanese also work more hours. But they seem to either be able to do it with less stress or to relax more when they're not working. We seem to work at relaxing which sorta negates the result.

I also think we eat more. Not just more red meat, because we do. But our portions are so much larger. We also eat faster. In Europe you can go to a restaurant and spend hours eating a meal that has several courses but in the end has less food than what you'd eat in an American restaurant in 30 min. They want us in and out so they can seat another customer and make more money. And they feed me the same portion as a 280 lb man would want. I mean sure, a big guy should be full after he's paid for a meal. But that means the rest of us are really overeating if we finish the same portions we're served. And before you say....well, just stop. How many of you were taught to clean your plate by your parents? Even if you're old and your parents are long dead.....I'll bet you still hear them in your head and you still clean your plate.

Until we start addressing all of the factors (and I doubt I've got them all here) we aren't going to do much about our national weight problem.

And yes, I know I'm quite zaftig myself. I have lost 5 pounds. What's the biggest lifestyle change I've made lately? I'm getting a full 8 hours of sleep the last year. 9-10 on weekends. What's next? I'm trying to drink more water daily.

 

Simple....poor diet....not enough exercise. Always exceptions to rule. I am sure there are some medical/physical reasons. Just a VERY very small amount.

 

Inappropriate portion sizes and lack of exercise.

Andy

 

I guess now is my chance to suggest my fitness agenda to all of you. I've been doing this for almost 5 years. It works. Check it out http://www.emersonguys.com/andy/bfl.htm

Andy

 

More calories in than calories out.

Whether it is lots of fast food or no excercise it boils down to in and out. Half the first and double the second and no more problem.

 

is lazy written in there anywhere? a normal day should include exercize of some sort.. remote doesn't count.

 

o high-refined sugar processed foods
o sedentary lifestyle
o 3 FULL meals a day consisting of bad selection of food to eat that are 2x to 3x portions of the rest of the world
o low-fat/non-fat foods instead of just healthy foods (full-fat salad oils are GOOD for you)
o general acceptance of a fat eating lifestyle (beefcake kickass!) (watch Diet Wars on Frontline); have you seen fat kids these days? That's already a bad start and a bad household no matter the genes.

 

I credit most of the nasties not the the big hamburger and fries, its the big glass of sugar called 'pop"!..... have you ever taken a tea or a glass of water and tried to make it as sweet as a soda pop?.... you'll be amazed how much sugar it takes! And don't tell me its because its not hot... if there is no sugar on the bottom.. its all dissolved.. hot or cold!

The body gets the sugar and says.... hey!.. instant fuel!.. but wait " I don't need instant fuel". so what will I do with all this good fuel?... throw it away.... no!. I've been programmed for survival.. I will store it as fat!... so triglycerides go up etc.

Have you ever noticed with the Adkins diet or a low carbohydrage diet where sugar is taboo, that you can eat all the fat you want yet triglycerides drop?

Once the body thinks its starving and starts burning fat and gets into "ketosis" (a waste byproduct of fat burning) you can eat fat and the body passes it on rather than turning it to storable fat?

Whats wrong with a hamburger anyway?.... look whats in it... if you eat any of the parts of a hamburger alone you will have a salad and crutons?.. except for the meat.. if you grill it, thats good too.

All things in moderation and reasonable excercise is the ticket.... having a pop every two hours or when you eat is not moderation at all!

Although I hate McDonalds.. their hamburger in not thier problem when the fat kid gets to be 250.00 lbs and is only 12 years old... its the big gulps that get him!

Refined sugars were only introduced into our diet a few decades ago. The Human body has not had time to acclimate to such high levels of concentrated energy. Its not a natural diet..... unless you rarely have one.

 

That's possible. I know I gained weight when I finished college and started work as a full-time computer programmer. In college I'd walk around campus fairly often, loaded with stuff. It's not much exercise but it's something... now, though, I really spend all my time sitting. Sitting in front of the computer at work, sitting in the car, sitting at home... and it had an impact. I'm trying to make myself rollerblade during most lunch breaks (it's OK for me to take long lunch breaks) since that should help alot.

I'm 5'6 and had gone from 140 lbs to 160 in like 8-9 months. I'm technically overweight according to BMI calculators.