Why Are Southerners So Fat?

Time ^ | 7/9/2009 | Claire Suddath

[freed0misntfree]

People from Mississippi are fat. With an adult obesity rate of 33%, Mississippi gobbled its way to the "chubbiest state" crown for the fifth year in a row, according to a new joint report by Trust For America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Alabama, West Virginia, and Tennessee aren't far behind, with obesity rates over 30%. In fact, eight out of the 10 fattest states are in the South. The region famous for its biscuits, barbecue and pecan pies has been struggling with its weight for years — but then again, so has the rest of the country. Wisconsin loves cheese, New Yorkers scarf pizza, and New Englanders have been known to enjoy a crab cake or two. So why is the South so portly?

[rightly_dividing]

Paula Deen=sellout

But seriously, some of her stuff is genuine southrern cooking, but some is southern based, but fancied up by her FN staff.

[MozarkDawg]

Ewwww! Fruit cocktail with mayo and ketchup! Ew!

My mother tries to defend it by calling it "Louis dressing" as in the dressing for a Shrimp Louis, not the traditional cocktail sauce. But so gross!! Aspic I knew from later years, yes, gelatin-based but NOT SWEET!! That's why I say, Jello is dessert!!

I have a really hard time with the yams-and-pineapple topped with mini-marshmallows as well, just too, too sweet for me at dinnertime. I don't care for yams, those canned things, but love sweet potatoes whipped with a tablespoon or two of frozen concentrated oj, not so sweet, a good tangy contrast ... especially when you load them with butter in your serving.

[tophat9000]

You can have Tex Mex...

Grew up in So Cal and Texas does not have a clue about good Mexican food ...they didn't even know what carnitas was... what kind on Southerner doesn't know about pork?;>....

Now BBQ and chicken fried steak? Texas rocks

[Rummyfan]

If you get a chance try Obricki’s in Baltimore, just east of the Inner Harbor, or Jerry D’s on Harford Road......

[MozarkDawg]

Paula Deen=sellout

But seriously, some of her stuff is genuine southrern cooking ...

I gotta admit, when she was gushing for John Kerry, I stopped tuning in. I had received enough recipes and tips by that point, I don't think I've missed out on anything since.

[rightly_dividing]

In addition to the pear salad, a variant is to use pineapple in place of pear. Pinapple on a leaf of iceberg lettuce, with shedded cheese, and a dollop of mayo on top.

P.S. Did you like the way I used Paula's term dollop

[hout8475]

This does not explain West Virginia, which has the second highest. I think welfare has a lot to do with it.

[tuffydoodle]

Staying at the low weight that I’m at is a constant struggle but right now, well worth it. later on, maybe not so much. I’m going to get tired of this battle sooner or later. I will always keep exercising, though. I love it and it makes me feel good. I haven’t missed a day in over a year.

[rightly_dividing]

I agree, I stopped watching her for several reasons. But I do look at her page on FN.com from time to time, to see if she has anything that I may want to try. Sometimes, I will take her dish and go to cooks.com to see if they have a better sounding recipe for it than FN. And I do have all of her cookbooks.

[Ditter]

I think it is you who doesn't have a clue. Mexican food is different in different parts of Mexico, why shouldn't it be different in different parts of the US? We call it Tex-Mex for a reason. What do you call yours Cal-Mex or maybe Mexical? (That sounds like a lotion or maybe a diarrhea remedy)

[MozarkDawg]

P.S. Did you like the way I used Paula's term dollop

LOL!! Now use "a stick a'butter"!!!

[rightly_dividing]

All southern cooks know that a stick a’butter is equal to a halfa cupa bacon grease, if you are outta bacon. /s

[x]

The rule used to be, the further you got from the Midwest, the thinner people were.

Why all these Southerners and Mexicans had to get into the act and mess that up, I don't know.

[SaraJohnson]

Comparing the largely white population of New England to a very large Black population in Mississippi does not compute.

[MozarkDawg]

And if you’re outta butter and need to make you a grilled cheese sandwich, you can always use mayonnaise instead. ;)

[roaddog727]

mmmmmm fried chicken.....mmmmmmmmm

mmmmmmmmmmm riiiiiiiibssssss mmmmmmmmmm

[Peter Horry]

“Oh you are a laugh a minute. Please take your tour to Vegas. They need you bad.”

Dang, while you are espousing your stereotypes about Southerners, you are affirming one about Yankees. You must be a lot of fun to be around, especially with people who are you inferiors.

[rightly_dividing]

There's no other kind, but Blue Plate. Do you make fried baloney sandwiches out there? They say fried baloney with Peanut Butter was an Elvis favorite, but I was not an Elvis follower.

Fry the baloney, the thick kind, then place it between 2 slices of cheese, then make a grilled cheese and baloney sandwich.

Just talked to my wife, supper plan is garlic baloney sandwich, with cheddar cheese, slices of homegrown 'maters, homemade pickles, Blue Plate.

baloney = Alabama Round Steak

[Hot Tabasco]

Here's Miss Missisippi ... ;-)

Sorry, not interested!

Now here's what I'M talkin' about:

Now there's a whole lotta love!

I'll never forget my grandpa's words: "A good lookin' skinny chick may screw ya at night when she feels like it but she'll also screw you in the end. A fat chick will love ya and feed ya every night for the rest of your life and the fatter they are, the better the cookin'......."

[Still Thinking]

Why Are Southerners So Fat?

Why is the Robert Wood Johnson (which apparently contains no wood OR Johnson) so nosy?