User Post: Americans getting even more obese

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  Posted by Dreamer Thu Jul 2, 2009 9:45am PDT

  The population is with out question getting fatter. I recently switched to taking public transportaion to work, something that I haven't done in over 4 years, and being around some many different people everyday really opened my eyes to that. When I started riding the subway almost everyone on it is either overweight or obese, and I'm talking about 80%. Personally I think its a result of all the processed "food" that most people are reliant on, not to mention the added chemicals such as MSG and HFCs that make that crap addictive.

  I left his country in 97 and returned in 2001, and I must say I was shocked at what I saw. When I left, obeseity was not the norm, and when I returned I was astounded at how big the population was...and its only getting worse. But, to each their own I suppose, many out there including many who post on Shine seem to be proud of there size and why not? Thin or fat life is just a temporary experience.

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  Posted by cindy Thu Jul 2, 2009 10:29am PDT

  Plus people dont have the money for good food, they can make their money go further with convinient frozen foods, snack foods, cheap yummy but bad for you foods. We dont have money go to the gym but we have money for cable.

  I went to my sister's apartment the other day and she has two small children and they are on welfare, boyfriend doesn't work bla bla bla. She opened the cupboard to give her daughter a snack, she only had junk food in her cupboards, fattening bologna for sandwiches and pop to drink...

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  Posted by HawkeyeGirl Thu Jul 2, 2009 12:18pm PDT

  It's very simple-personal choice. I choose to exercise everyday and make eating healthy a top priority, so I am not overweight and am very healthy.

  Most other people choose to put their health at the bottom of their priority list. Instead of going to the gym, they watch TV. Instead of cooking a healthy meal, they stop at a drive-thru on the way home from their kids' 487 after-school activities.

  Unless health is put back at the top of the list, nothing will change. There is no reason your kids need to be in three sports-make them choose one and then go for a jog as a family during the other times! Go to the park and play soccer instead of taking the kids to a movie. It's simple, but no one wants to make the effort, so the US will just keep getting fatter.

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  Posted by Jeanie Thu Jul 2, 2009 12:29pm PDT

  I know that being poor and overweight is not the focus of this article but it did touch on unemployment affecting our nations obesity rate. I've been on unemployment for almost a year. Before that happened I was stilled considered to be a "poor" person.

  Being below the poverty line for most of my life I have a hard time understanding how other poor people claim this is why they can't buy healthy food. That's just a cop out. When you are poor you eat less because you can't afford to buy more food. Period. Frozen vegetables are not expensive if you simply shop at the right place. There are discount stores like Big Lots or The Grocery Outlet that have healthy/organic foods on a regular basis. Even frozen meals by Amy's Organic or Lean Cuisines can be bought there for half the cost. Whole Wheat bread and low carb tortillas are always around as well as huge canisters of Oatmeal. There are cans of beans and soups. Diabetic cookies and other sugar free treats. I've even seen lactose free soy milk. So yeah, its just a poor excuse. Pun intended.

  You end up walking more if you can't afford a car. If you are lucky you own a bike and ride that around. If you make enough money to afford a bus pass you can ride public transit. All those things make you move more and stay healthy.

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  Posted by cynthia Thu Jul 2, 2009 12:54pm PDT

  As someone who has lost a significant amount of weight in the last 10 years, I am going to tell you why people are so fat in this country: sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, white flour, low fiber high fat food, fried meats and animal products and a lack of exercize. This country is so fat that there aren't enough fit people to be first responders or military. There are so many hormonal and steroid additives to commercially produced meat that men are growing breasts and girls are starting their periods at 8/9 years old, and women are giving birth to 15 and 18 pound babies.

  How much evidence do you need? People need to stop eating and start exercizing. All of the high fructose corn syrup is causing an incredible spike in juvenile diabetes. This "food" is corporate garbage, served to pump profits, like everything else in this country.

  They raise farm animals in something like 39 days now, instead of the 5 months they need in nature.

  Stop eating this poison, and stop feeding it to your kids. You don't have to be rich to be nutritionally sound, you just have to be smart.

  Corporate america doesn't care if you die. They don't care if your family is ruined, if your health is shot. They don't care.

  You have to be smart enough to want to live. Go to web MD and start doing nutritional research.

  And plant a garden, get a dog and walk it.

  I am not perfect, I drink red wine about once a week and have a few cigs every night, I drink coffee and tea. I also drink a ton of water and crystal lite. I am also gorgeous. I am 52 and people think I am in my early 40's. I have virtually no health care expenses, can buy off the rack missy clothes, and don't have a wrinkle on my face. My hair is natural, and no plastic surgery. Am I perfect? No, far from it, but I am telling you the truth.

  There is enough sodium and sugar and white flour in most comercially processed foods to knock out an elephant. Stop eating it

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  Posted by Babbalou Thu Jul 2, 2009 12:57pm PDT

  I agree with Jeanie, it's not generally a money issue. You don't need a gym, you need to eat carefully and exercise. Walking is exercise, so is dancing around your house, so is running after kids, vacuuming, scrubbing floors, etc. The people I see at the store filling their carts with junk are spending far more than I'm spending buying produce, bulk oatmeal, dried and canned beans, etc. Water is free, soda costs money. Skim milk is affordable, so are whole grain breads and peanut butter. Education may be a factor, depression may be a factor. But don't blame it on money. Plus, over the long term, paying attention to your health makes good economic sense. You can work longer if you're healthy.

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  Posted by cynthia Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:03pm PDT

  These corporate abusers do not deserve one cent of your very hard earned money. Go to the local farmers market at least once a week and build your diet around that. You will be amazed at what these beautiful vegetables and fruits will do for you. How beautiful and handsoem you will look, how good you will feel, trust me, the weight will melt away, the toxins will leave your body, you will be whole again. Every part of your life will get better, especially that very special part. Your energy will skyrocket, and your heart will too.

  You can have the occasional treat. You just can't have them every day, and you can make healthy cakes and cookies.

  Good luck, you can do it; it just takes a little extra work and planning. You should start by turning off your TV. It is all politbureau bullS**t

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  Posted by Doktor Eevol Thu Jul 2, 2009 2:41pm PDT

  The fact that obesity is continuing to rise tells me that there's still issues that need to be resolved. The "eat right and exercise" mantras aren't working. The diet industry isn't working - it's sucking BILLIONS from the American economy and solving NOTHING.

  Pheonix literary is right - big corp don't give a damn about everyday people. Insurance companies don't either - if they could get away with telling people to smoke crack to get thin, they probably would. So their costs would go down. *eye roll*

  And others are right - water is free and it doesn't cost more to eat LESS. However, it doesn't help that the foods poor people are able to afford are refined, and cause spikes in blood sugar which causes food cravings. And, the more hostile people are to obese people, the more likely obese people are going to continue to emotionally abuse food.

  So, I think if we're going to solve this problem, we're all going to have to realize we are in this together. We should be more gentle to ourselves and others about this issue, because harping about it isn't going to solve anything. The media already does that, and it hasn't solved squat.

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  Posted by FatFighterTV Thu Jul 2, 2009 6:03pm PDT

  Thanks for all the great comments. I often write about the obesity epidemic in this country, and I am always saddened when a new report comes out saying things are getting worse instead of better.

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  Posted by JoKTM Thu Jul 2, 2009 6:45pm PDT

  I have gained about 20lbs in a yr but it is seriously from my meds. I dont eat alot as it is, so how are we supposed to eat to counteract the weight gain from the meds? I do know pay attention to what foods make me bloat like bread and oatmeal but there normal staples in a diet.

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