Fatness spreading!

[blike]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/03/16/obesity.eu.ap/index.html

 

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- At least seven European countries now challenge the United States in size -- at least around the waistline.

 

In a group of nations from Greece to Germany, the proportion of overweight or obese men is higher than in the United States, experts said Tuesday in a major analysis of expanding girth on the European continent.

 

"The time when obesity was thought to be a problem on the other side of the Atlantic has gone by," said Mars Di Bartolomeo, Luxembourg's Minister of Health.

 

--

 

I don't want to hear any more fat american jokes!

[ecoli]

Haha. That's kind of funny. Instead of learning how to eat right, in order to remain slim, Americans are simply making everyone else fatter by comparison. Pure genius.

[Tetrahedrite]

Haha. That's kind of funny. Instead of learning how to eat right, in order to remain slim, Americans are simply making everyone else fatter by comparison. Pure genius.

 

I always thought the US was trying to destroy the world with its foreign policy.....apparently I was wrong!!!!

[BenSon]

Looks like its spreading...

http://www.nearingzero.net/work/screenres/work036.jpg

 

~Scott

 

Edit: Oh well looks like that link dosn't work you can type it in if you like...

[ku]

I don't care if people around me get fat. Same goes for the ageing population. Makes me look more attractive by contrast.

[Sayonara]

Or more unusual. Whichever

[klanger]

I think it is the culture we now live in. Most parents have no choice but to work and most work at least 40 hours per week, its a rarety to find a housewife that takes the time to cook 'proper' meals for the family, its much quicker easier and cheaper to just make some fries and burgers or sausages etc, added to that we have the increase in car owners, so we don't even get the regular exercise anymore. The down side of this is sloppy eating habbits created by lack of time, lack of exercise created by us having adopted wheels for legs and an overall feeling of larthargy caused through long working hours.

[soulestada]

I am working on a persuasive essay for my comp two class, and I've decided to convince my instructor that people (specifically women) need to stop! with! the! MCDONALD'S! According to my research, 65% of Americans are overweight or obese. It is even worse if you break it down into catagories by ethnicity and gender. For women, 78% of blacks and 72% of Hispanics are overweight, compared to 57% of whites. As for morbid obesity in American women (100 lbs over "ideal" weight), 15% of blacks and 5.5% of Hispanics are morbidly obese, compared to 4.9% of whites. I am part of a minority group, and I am proud to say that I have a BMI of 21, which is NORMAL. Taco or fried chicken, anyone?

[RedAlert]

Obesity. Sad thing. Very sad indeed. It's another prophecy come true. I can't remember the name of the author, but I read this one book called the "Fall of the American Empire". The book was about how everyone in America in the 21st century had become fat gluttons, and extremely luxurious and decadent. The Americans had conquered Most of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. However all the people in these regions were suffering from starvation and lack of good crops, becasue of the high American food demand. Thus, they all rebelled, and America was gone forever. I just glossed over what happens in the book, and it's not as boring as it sounds. Pretty prophetic though. Is this really where we are heading too?

 

Soulestada, do you know why such a high percentage of blacks and hispanics are obese? Because they are poor. Good food, costs good money. How do you improve poverty rates: with education. Now however, the military takes higher precedence. And do you know how else? By not throwing perfectly good excess food that the U.S produces into the Pacific Ocean.......instead this food could be freely supplied to the poor. Thus, not forcing the poor to be dependant on cheap, utterly unhealthy, fast food.

 

I am a Canadian. Frankly, sometimes when I look at what is happening down south.........I am amazed.

[Coral Rhedd]

Fast food will kill you. I was once job coaching at a MacDonald's and was expected to eat the food. Their salads are yucky. That left burgers. I gained 15 pounds in three weeks. If people are going to eat there they should toss the bun, the sauce and the ketchup. That leaves a burger with mystery ingredients (despite what they say), an anemic slice of tomato, and a limp piece of lettuce.

 

I say you can eat cheaper, as healthily, and more conveniently at home. Simply toss some salad with some meat or soy, some other veggies, and a nice oil (olive or macadamia nut oil preferrably) and vinegar. Need a snack: Celery and a little peanut butter or lite cream cheese.

 

IMO, people are fatter because they are eating foods that trigger their appetites. Doughnuts should be banned.

[Coral Rhedd]

Soulestada' date=' do you know why such a high percentage of blacks and hispanics are obese? Because they are poor. Good food, costs good money. How do you improve poverty rates: with education. instead this food could be freely supplied to the poor. Thus, not forcing the poor to be dependant on cheap, utterly unhealthy, fast food.

 

I am a Canadian. Frankly, sometimes when I look at what is happening down south.........I am amazed.[/quote']

 

Agricultural and restaurant lobbies have long opposed measure that would save food and resources for the poor. They thrive on waste and overconsumption.

 

At each MacDonalds they throw away enough uneaten breakfast food to feed about 25 poor people each morning. The waste would make you sick. Mulitipy that by all the fast food places on every urban corner and every homeless poor person in most American cities could have breakfast -- free.

[RedAlert]

Think also about the all the amount of money that there is in the world (50 trillion maybe?). Divide it by 6 billion (the population of the world). We would all be very rich..............no poverty. But for that eventuality to occur, people need one very important quality: unselfishness. Something most people now lack.

[RedAlert]

IMO, people are fatter because they are eating foods that trigger their appetites. Doughnuts should be banned.

 

Did you know, that in some 3rd world countries, McDonalds and other fast food companies use certain chemicals (that are obviously not healthy) inside their food that makes people addicted to the food?

 

This has been proven.

 

P.S, Why does it say I have 0 posts? I have more than that.

[atinymonkey]

Did you know' date=' that in some 3rd world countries, McDonalds and other fast food companies use certain chemicals (that are obviously not healthy) inside their food that makes people addicted to the food?

 

This has been proven.

 

P.S, Why does it say I have 0 posts? I have more than that.[/quote']

 

I like the way you put 'some 3rd world countries', rather optimistically.

 

And post don't count in any threads not devoted to science, so no increase in your postcount.

[Phi for All]

Did you know' date=' that in some 3rd world countries, McDonalds and other fast food companies use certain chemicals (that are obviously not healthy) inside their food that makes people addicted to the food?

 

[b']This has been proven[/b].

When you do post in the scientific parts of the forum, please do not make statements like the above without corroboration (links, citations, authors, etc.). Other members will ask you for them, so please include them to begin with.

[Sayonara]

Did you know, that in some 3rd world countries, McDonalds and other fast food companies use certain chemicals (that are obviously not healthy) inside their food that makes people addicted to the food?

That's an urban myth that has come about via chinese whispers.

 

Like a lot of junk food, MacDonald's burgers are high in factors that suppress the body's satiation responses by mopping up ketones, meaning that you don't feel full when you should, and are more likely to buy another burger. I can't remember the name of the ingredient that does this (despite searches), but it's in a lot of convenience food.

[Lance]

Not to mention that high amounts of fat and sugar in itself can become addictive.

[RedAlert]

As a matter of fact these were chemicals banned by the FDA in the USA, but it doesn't stop the fast food companies from using them in other countries at all.

 

And it is not an urban myth, brought about by Chinese whispers. That I found was quite a racist comment.

[Coral Rhedd]

That's an urban myth that has come about via chinese whispers.

 

Like a lot of junk food' date=' MacDonald's burgers are high in factors that suppress the body's satiation responses by mopping up ketones, meaning that you don't feel full when you should, and are more likely to buy another burger. I can't remember the name of the ingredient that does this (despite searches), but it's in a lot of convenience food.[/quote']

 

Are you referring to monosodium glucamate? AKA MSG? It increases appetite by intensifying flavors. In the US, it must be labeled as a specific ingredient in the grocery store but similar additives can be legally used without labeling when lumped under the category of "natural flavorings."

[Sayonara]

As a matter of fact these were chemicals banned by the FDA in the USA, but it doesn't stop the fast food companies from using them in other countries at all.

I see. Well if they were banned by the FDA, then you shouldn't have any trouble finding citable material on it, should you?

 

 

And it is not an urban myth, brought about by Chinese whispers. That I found was quite a racist comment.

In what way exactly? And you'd better make it good.

 

 

Are you referring to monosodium glucamate? AKA MSG? It increases appetite by intensifying flavors. In the US, it must be labeled as a specific ingredient in the grocery store but similar additives can be legally used without labeling when lumped under the category of "natural flavorings."

That's the one.

[Coral Rhedd]

Not to mention that high amounts of fat and sugar in itself can become addictive.

 

Sugar is just a form of carbohydrate which foods both "good" and "bad" contain. Sugar is in orange juice, which is healthier eaten as the whole fruit rather than the juice. It is also in carrots which actually don't have such a high glycemic index. Beans are a form of carbohydate with some protein. Despite their rather obvious drawback, they are high in antioxidants. Fat carries flavor to the palate. Nuts are high in antioxidants but also high in calories.

 

Extremely low fat diets have the problem of not being very palatable. That's why people often don't stick to them.

 

I know a bit about fat. I am fat. But I have lost 35 pounds in the last year. I rarely eat out, I never go near fast food anymore. Probably one of the most evil things one can eat is a french fry. It has a high glycemic index. It is full of transfats. It does have potassium, but one can get that from better sources.

 

Red Alert is right about this: It is expensive to eat nutritiously, consuming the whole foods and high quality oils that make a good diet. Add organic to the mix and prices are out of sight. It is time consuming to monitor what goes into your mouth and time consuming to research to find good information. There are lots of apparently conflicting advice and studies.

 

The poor cannot afford to eat well. And they are generally not educated enough to make good choices.

 

I should know. I live on the edge of poverty. My budget is strained to the max every month trying to eat in a way that is optimal for my health.

[Coral Rhedd]

Careful Red Alert. Have look at this link:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_whispers

 

The phrase "Chinese whispers" is likely no more racist than if I said that "the U.S. government's manipulation of intelligence sources and the CIA in order to build a case for the invasion of Iraq was not kosher" would be antisemitic.

 

It is when we go too far that the idea of political correctness actually becomes silly.

[klanger]

"chinese whispers" is just a form of terminology, not a racist remark, have you ever played chinese whispers? it doesnt involve speaking quietly in chinese, merely a chain of people who are expected to pass a small sentence along the chain by whispering it into the next person's ear, by the time that sentence has got to the end of the chain it is usually totally out of context, and other than other chinese people, you may as well being speaking chinese for the sense it now makes

[klanger]

just another comment with regard to the origional thread of fatness, I am the mother of three kids, and on average I spend on my family of five £540. per month on food, and believe you me this is pretty basic food groups, little to no major meats, frozen veg rather than fresh, no puddings or yoghurts. I am the main wage earner in the family and this food bill represent half my wage. However I know i can feed my family at the chip shop for £10 per night (I dont! but) that equates to £304. per month, I can fully understand how familys are forced to buy unhealthy tummy fillers...... ooh and my wage is considered livable here, there are those here in England a lot worse off than me.

[Coral Rhedd]

Hi klanger,

 

I knew a woman on welfare who had schizophrenia and, because of hearing voices, she was unable to work. The had three teenaged sons, two of whom also had schizophrenia. She received $120 a month in food stamps to feed the four of them. One of the boys started stealing food from the grocery store. He wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was stealing; he would just walk in a pick up a loaf of bread. There was a method to his madness (no pun necessary) because when he got arrested they took him to jail and he got fed. But they never gave him his meds in jail so he would decomp and then they would have to send him to the mental hospital, which cost the state a ton of money. He would stabilize, they would let him out, and the whole cycle would start all over again.

 

Just curious. Does anyone know what $120 is in pounds?