Chewin’ the Fat (Why Americans are so fat)

MSNBC ^ | September 18, 2003 | Gersh Kuntzman

[Nachum]

Sept. 15 — You may have heard that America is fat. You may have heard that nearly two-thirds of us are overweight and 31 percent of us are obese. You may have even heard last week that the Department of Agriculture will soon decrease the number of calories a person should eat every day, an admission that there’s no point in designing diets for the healthy average American when the healthy average American no longer exists.

WE MUST BE fat. After all, Katie Couric did a two-hour special on it on Friday night. And even Dr. Phil, who previously spent his time shrinking heads, has moved on to shrinking bodies.
That’s why I was so happy to see that my favorite academic publication, the American Journal of Public Health, had devoted its entire September issue to why Americans are so freakin’ fat.
If you guessed, “Because we eat so freakin’ much,” guess again: The supersized portions are only the half of it.
You may not be a regular reader of the august AJPH (and when I say “august,” of course I mean, “widely unread”). That’s understandable. There’s not a hot celebrity on the cover or articles that offer new details of why Ben dumped Jen. Second of all, the writing isn’t too stylish. For instance, they keep using academic terms like “the built environment” when they really just mean houses, roads and neighborhoods.
But this issue is chock full of reasons why we’re a flabby nation:

1. We’re the only animals on the planet that live in communities that make us more obese. We’ve built suburbs (“the built environment”) so spread out that people must rely on cars because walking or biking simply isn’t an option. Many developers today don’t even bother to install sidewalks and some communities intentionally build new schools on the edge of town, hindering children’s ability to safely walk or bike to school (whatever happened to President Bush’s “Run No Child Over” education reforms?).

[Mamzelle]

WalMart does startle for its number of 300-400-even500 pounders.

A big problem is dealing with these people in hospitals. We don't have guerneys or exam tables, etc., capable of serving these people.

Not to mention, that staff are injured trying. There are serious discussions on hospital boards about trying to find a small forklift to help. Picture the poor guys on an ambulance--a lot of EM techs are women of normal size and strength, and will the job description soon have to read--"Huge Male of Strong Bouncer Proportions Required"?

I am not without sympathy, except that I know this proplem can be solved. Cut out the sugar, flour, rice and potatoes.

These Big Boys are going to have Type II diabetes shortly.

[Sam Cree]

I should mention that I am skeptical of the food pyramid, which seems to me to be based mainly on the eating of starch.

However, humans are clearly built to consume vegetables, so starch probably has its place.

Clearly Atkins type diets are highly effective for weight loss, but the bad breath and sunken eyes associated with them seem to me to be red flags of some type.

I'm guessing that after hitting weight targets, some starch ought to be reintroduced. The refined stuff likely ought to pretty much stay out, though.

[najida]

The problem with the food pyramid is that most folks eat 6 servings of starch before lunch time and think they have only eaten 2 servings (like those mega-muffins). Not to mention the sugar. Personally, I prefer the Mediterranian or the Harvard versions of the Pyramid, because they push fiber, mono-fats and really dis sugars and refined starches.

Other cultures eat dried beans and peas, corn, grain foods like quinoa or amaranth, brown rice, unrefined breads etc. And their portions aren't as large either. And their incidents of heart disease and cancer are much lower. 'Sides, the Krebs cycle ain't goin' anywhere.

BTW, check out some of the Cancer sites (like AICR) and see what they have to say about the importance of 'plant' sources in the human diet.

[Nachum]

Of course the reintroduction of carbs is done after one's target weight is achieved. It is the balance that one has to find for themself.

Eventually, that balance includes vegitables and fruits. In moderation.

[Sam Cree]

I have mentioned the Mediterranean diet to my wife, who adores pasta.

I was reading the Eades book, which is a "protein" based diet book. They talk quite a bit about the importance of various vegetables as cancer preventatives, they also state that some fat must be ingested with the plants in order to allow your body to get the full benefit.

My personal favorite is spinach. 'Course, I am pretty much of a carnivore. Although, I worry about the hormones and stuff that are fed to cattle. Probably wild game is better.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

I should mention that I am skeptical of the food pyramid, which seems to me to be based mainly on the eating of starch.

Couldn't agree with you more...if anything, the food pyramid (as we know it) is a$$ backwards.

Clearly Atkins type diets are highly effective for weight loss,

It is...I lost 90 pounds in 4.5 months on it (with 25 more to go)...it works. I sleep less, have more energy, I actually WANT to exercise, my demeanor is alot calmer, no muscle aches or headaches anymore. I'll never go back to what the almighty "pyramid" told me to eat. I can't help but think that the pyramid exists to actually keep the medical industry going and to purposely get people sick/er.

but the bad breath and sunken eyes associated with them seem to me to be red flags of some type.

Which is a result of not drinking enoungh water.

I'm guessing that after hitting weight targets, some starch ought to be reintroduced. The refined stuff likely ought to pretty much stay out, though.

Exactly.

[webstersII]

"A major reason for obesity is that our cities and suburbs are designed so that it is extremely difficult,
even dangerous, to use any method of transportation other than a car. "

There was an article posted on FR last week which says that the studies show that the amount of overweight-ness in the suburbs and the large cities (like NYC) is virtually the same. I'll try to find the article and post a link.

The theory about how the 'burbs are killing us sounds great but it doesn't pan out when you look at the data. This whole article is based on a faulty assumption, and I think its main purpose is to smear the automobile, it's part of the limousine liberal thought process about how we should feel guilty for using so many resources to run our cars. I was looking for comments in the article about evil SUVs; surely the author forgot to rail away about that as somehow being a factor in making us fat, also.

[Restorer]

I agree that most of the people who make these kinds of complaints are just anti-car.

I'm not. But I do like to be able to bike or walk when I feel like it w/o seriously risking my life.

And I think our road systems should not be designed in such a way as to prevent anyone without a car from getting where they need to go.

[webstersII]

"The real answer to why America is so fat is this: Because we can be. "

Thanks for that Moment of Clarity. You are so correct.

[Protagoras]

I have a problem with it when I have to bear the costs of their lard-assedness because health care is not a free market. I also have a problem with it when I go to Walmart and have to look at their disgusting whale-turd selves ride around on the little Walmart electric scooter because they are too fat to walk to the twinkie department.

Is there a proposal in there somewhere or just a rant?

[Sam Cree]

"Which is a result of not drinking enoungh water."

Makes sense, loss of turgor due to dehydration. How about the breath, though?

[MHT]

I always liked the story about the woman who got a deal-a-meal from Richard Simmons and called him one morning asking him what she was supposed to eat for the rest of the day. Apparently, she had gone through all the cards with what she had served herself for breakfast alone!

Moderation in all (including exercise--a little is almost as good as alot, and alot less likely to cause an injury)--alot more protein (Atkins) and ALOT fewer Krispy Kremes, pizzas, double fries and sugared-colas and we would all look better.

Too bad Walmart doesn't post a sign saying, "It's the carbs, stupid."

[Rodney King]

Is there a proposal in there somewhere or just a rant?

Well, I would propose a completely free market in all aspects of health care. As that is not going to happen, my statement was mostly just a rant.

[Mr. Mojo]

Why Americans are so fat

Yet again, someone attempting to complicate a very simple issue.

Stop stuffing your fat face, and get your fat ass off the couch.

[najida]

The breath is ketones (that can change the pH of the blood...but that is another story)

Not a good thing (that and an elivated BUN which is a joy when you have folks on psychotropic meds).

[FeliciaCat]

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

[Protagoras]

Well, I would propose a completely free market in all aspects of health care. As that is not going to happen,

I agree, but I'm not prepared to give up the fight for free markets and individual responsibility.

my statement was mostly just a rant.

It feels better on a Friday just to do that once in a while. I don't blame ya.

[spodefly]

Everytime I am in a restaurant and I hear a parent say "Clean your plate" I want to scream "NO". We are a society who cannot leave food on our plate because we are trained from birth that it is bad.

Being the good Southern boy that I am, I was born and raised to "clean my plate". The determining factor in whether that tendency leads to obesity is what and how much is on a plate. I am anything but fat, and I always finish what is on my plate ... it is just the right thing to do, assuming, of course, that you don't pile your plate to overflowing with butter, lard, and mayonaisse.

[webstersII]

"But I do like to be able to bike or walk when I feel like it w/o seriously risking my life."

I agree with you there. I don't know of too many places where it is safe to do that, though, given the number of crazy drivers these days.

[webstersII]

"Has anybody ever seen old videos of people on the street back at the turn of the century. Lots of fat people back then, somehow though it wasn't a crisis."

I disagree. The people were not what we would consider ideal in size, because the ideal these days seems to be the California Beach Bimbo, but the number of really fat people was practically nil. Only the wealthy could afford to eat whatever they wanted to back then, and there were not too many of those.