"Why Americans are Fat"

[waldo]

That's right...this is just fun rope-a-dope entertainment...which is the entire thread's purpose. I deny that over 100,000,000 Americans are obese. Sue me...

no, not at all - anytime your ongoing MLW board charade can be exposed/highlighted, its worth a few minutes of googly/posting effort & time... its gold, real gold!

[bush_cheney2004]

no, not at all - anytime your ongoing MLW board charade can be exposed/highlighted, its worth a few minutes of googly/posting effort & time... its gold, real gold!

I agree...it is swell fun. No batteries required.

[waldo]

back to the why... are Americans so fat? I've been running into the following premise a bit in recent reading/studies:

1950s women may have triggered obesity epidemic - Based on this premise, "reproductive-age women may become the central focus of efforts to reverse America's fat problem".

But she thinks that obesity rates soared just when they did — in the 1980s — because a generation of young women decades earlier smoked, spurned breast-feeding and restricted their weight during numerous, closely spaced pregnancies.

A central part of Sothern's theory — that obesity starts in the womb — is gaining currency with a growing number of doctors and researchers who say that reversing the epidemic, with its attendant cases of weight-related illnesses such as diabetes, should begin by addressing nutrition in pregnancy and early-life feeding practices.

"We don't completely understand how people become obese, when people become obese and why children become obese," says Michael L. Power, a senior research associate at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a coauthor of the book "The Evolution of Obesity."

"But children of parents in the '50s and '60s may have started this off."

Women in the 1950s and 1960s — think Betty Draper on the hit TV show "Mad Men" — were generally advised to restrict weight gain in pregnancy to as little as 10 pounds. Inadequate nutrition in some of these women could easily have programmed their babies to catch up on growth during infancy — and studies suggest such growth spurts increase the risk of later obesity.

Women smoked with abandon, unaware of the health risks. Smoking during pregnancy is thought to contribute to obesity risk in offspring because nicotine disrupts mechanisms in the body that control appetite, metabolic rate and fat storage.

By the mid-1970s, breast-feeding in the U.S. had hit an all-time low of 25%. Studies show that formula-fed babies have a higher risk for obesity than breast-fed babies, perhaps because of metabolic changes or because drinking formula from a bottle is passive and easy and generally done till a bottle is empty.

And since breast-feeding can prevent ovulation, women using formulas were more apt to experience multiple pregnancies over a shorter period of time. Babies born close together can have inferior nutrition during gestation, which can permanently program their metabolism toward becoming overweight.

Things only worsened with subsequent generations, according to Sothern's theory.

Over-nourished kids grew up to be over-nourished women, producing large babies. Large babies, just like too-small babies, are at heightened risk of obesity, says Sebastien Bouret, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the USC Keck School of Medicine. They are less sensitive to hunger cues and less sensitive to insulin.

[cybercoma]

Interesting theory. Thanks for posting it.

[RB]

I saw this statistical graphic today about "why Americans are fat."

A few things that surprised me:

Well there are some folks who vouch that women consumption of pills might contribute to you being fat. For example if 12 million women throw 6 estrogens tablets into the water system today - you men become more effeminate and like the ladies become fat.

Fluoride in your water system also is link to making you fat

Just some other reasons that conspire to keep you fat

Edited January 6, 2012 by RB

[Moonlight Graham]

I have a good friend who is Chinese. He got married and had a wedding reception at a traditional Chinese restaurant (not the deep-fried eggrolls & chicken-fried rice stuff, but real Chinese). It was all healthy stuff, different sorts of vegetables, tofu, and meats. Little or no battered deep-fried stuff and few carbs. Dessert was even a bean pudding, and wasn't sweet at all and didn't taste like a dessert lol (ie: more bean than pudding haha)

Asian people are generally leaner and more healthy, and now I know in part why. Americans/Canadians are fat because we eat garbage, plus we sit on our ass more and more.

[waldo]

Asian people are generally leaner and more healthy, and now I know in part why. Americans/Canadians are fat because we eat garbage, plus we sit on our ass more and more.

definitely a significant contributor... the 'crush' to align diet/meals to "low-fat" has consequently led to a major societal shift towards "high-carb" food/diet. I recall reading something a short-while back that claimed everything on the typical North-American plate could be labeled 'corn'... or 'corn originated/influenced'. One of those big negative impacting changes reflects directly on how industry/manufacturing shifted, almost on a wholesale basis, from cane/beet based sugar/sweeteners to corn-syrup.

[GostHacked]

I have a good friend who is Chinese. He got married and had a wedding reception at a traditional Chinese restaurant (not the deep-fried eggrolls & chicken-fried rice stuff, but real Chinese). It was all healthy stuff, different sorts of vegetables, tofu, and meats. Little or no battered deep-fried stuff and few carbs. Dessert was even a bean pudding, and wasn't sweet at all and didn't taste like a dessert lol (ie: more bean than pudding haha)

Asian people are generally leaner and more healthy, and now I know in part why. Americans/Canadians are fat because we eat garbage, plus we sit on our ass more and more.

It really has more to do with the stuff we eat and how much. Most of our food is GMO. There are so many additives and preservatives that don't do the body any good. Once you really take a look at the food that is available in North America you will start to reduce and change the items you buy.

[msj]

Asian people are generally leaner and more healthy, and now I know in part why. Americans/Canadians are fat because we eat garbage, plus we sit on our ass more and more.

Well, per the graphic in the OP, Americans (and likely Canadians too a certain extent too) eat about 800 or more calories a day than an average Chinese person.

While I agree that eating healthy is important, and sitting on our asses also is an important contributor, but just straight up calorie intake can account for a lot of the difference.

Reduce portion sizes alone could stop the trend towards becoming overweight and even reverse it.

Throw in more veggies and fruit and at least a 1/2 hour per day of exercise and North Americans can start being "hotties" once again.

[Moonlight Graham]

When you think about it, it's pretty disgusting that so many in the developed world are overweight fatsos, while at the same time about 1 billion people, mostly from developing countries, suffer from what's defined as "chronic hunger" (source: UN)

Cue the ignorant responses.

[Guest American Woman]

Reflections on fighting obesity in developing countries

Obesity is not synonymous with "affluent." It costs more to eat healthy foods than it does to eat fatty/fast foods/snacks.

As early as 2002, the FAO warned obesity was no longer a disease of affluence, but the “developing world’s new burden”. Obesity rates have tripled in developing countries in the last twenty years. Mexico has overcome the USA in having the highest adult obesity rate in the world....

...obesity and hunger, often considered as two separate issues, are two faces of the same coin. Addressing them separately may even worsen obesity by falsely targeting apparently underweight population, as a 2000 study found in Latin America (Peña, 2000).

The global food crisis for example could negatively impact obesity rates. As Maria Isabel Ortega, from the Mexican Research Center for Alimentation and Development (CIAD), explains “With the recent increase in food prices, low and middle income classes will start to consume more cheap processed food, which are richer in calories”.

So "overweight fatsos" exist among the lower income population of our nations as well as in developing nations.*

*My apologies if this is an "ignorant response" to your oh-so-intelligent post.

[cybercoma]

Seems that would be a bigger issue in nations with greater income inequality and cheap access to unhealthy foods. Developing countries that don't have a fastfood industry and grocery stores packed to the ceiling with junkfood probably don't have the same obesity problems that there are in the developing world, yet they have very high levels of poverty.

[msj]

Perhaps this will help Canadians catch up to their fatter American "cousins?"

Tim Hortons changing cup sizes across the country

[waldo]

oh my! The American Medical Association declares obesity a disease in the United States: ... not a condition... not a disorder... rather, a disease!

Today, the AMA adopted policy that recognizes obesity as a disease requiring a range of medical interventions to advance obesity treatment and prevention.

“Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans,” said AMA board member Patrice Harris, M.D. “The AMA is committed to improving health outcomes and is working to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, which are often linked to obesity.”

[guyser]

oh my! The American Medical Association declares obesity a disease in the United States: ... not a condition... not a disorder... rather, a disease!

Think funding , follow the money and voila ! AMA says its a disease.

And a whole lot of fatties all over the world will tell there Docs..."Im sick...hang on while I finish this donut..Im sick I tell ya, the AMA says I gots a disease"

[waldo]

looking svelte Canada (@24.3)... er, well... looking better than some!

America no longer world’s fattest developed nation, UN report says

According to a new report from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the United States is no longer the world's fattest developed nation―Mexico is.

Nearly a third of Mexican adults (32.8 percent) are considered obese — people aged 20 and older whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 and above. That edges out the United States, where 31.8 percent of American adults are considered obese.

Prevalence of obesity among adults in developed countries (% obese)

Rank	Country	           Rate

1	Mexico	           32.8
2	United States	   31.8
3	Syria	           31.6
4	Venezuela	   30.8
4	Libya	           30.8
6	Trinidad & Tobago  30.0
7	Vanuatu	           29.8
8	Iraq	           29.4
8	Argentina	   29.4
10	Turkey	           29.3
11	Chile	           29.1
12	Czech Republic	   28.7
13	Lebanon	           28.2
14	New Zealand	   27.0
14	Slovenia	   27.0
16	El Salvador	   26.9
17	Malta	           26.6
18	Panama	           25.8
18	Antigua	           25.8
20	Israel	           25.5
21	Australia	   25.1
21	Saint Vincent	   25.1
22	Dominica	   25.0
23	United Kingdom	   24.9
23	Russia	           24.9
25	Hungary	           24.8

.

Edited July 11, 2013 by waldo

[Michael Hardner]

Hungary ? Really. Anyway.

Something surprising here in that there seem to be a few former Soviet countries on here. These rates seem pretty high, is obesity rising worldwide ?

[guyser]

I am quite surprised by New Zealand being so high, They promote (and have) quite a healthy lifestyle being an adventure destination. Guess thats only for the extremeophiles looking for adventure.

Need more Kiwi and less fatty lamb I guess.

[Keepitsimple]

I had my first experience at an IHOP restaurant in Detroit a couple of years back. I could not believe the amount of food that was put on my plate. There were literally three meals worth of food.

[Bonam]

oh my! The American Medical Association declares obesity a disease in the United States: ... not a condition... not a disorder... rather, a disease!

Guess I better stay away from fat people. It might be contagious.

[waldo]

Guess I better stay away from fat people. It might be contagious.

no worries - not all diseases are contagious. The U.S. AMA didn't extend its declaration to advise... it was, say infectious... say, contagious. However, when ever I see obese kids (setting aside legitimate thyroid problems), I'm more inclined to think those children have been exposed to something... they've caught something - like their parents bad nutrition and eating habits.

[bleeding heart]

Let the record show that I will continue to shovel the driveway of my very obese Canadian neighbor, even as the mapleleaf flies from her porch.

So long as her flag isn't flown too high, after which you're morally compelled to do something about such affrontery.

[BubberMiley]

looking svelte Canada (@24.3)... er, well... looking better than some!

.

I find it hard to take seriously any survey that uses the BMI index. People with strong bones and a healthy amount of muscle are classified as obese under that system. That makes it completely useless as an indicator of anything.

[Bonam]

I find it hard to take seriously any survey that uses the BMI index. People with strong bones and a healthy amount of muscle are classified as obese under that system. That makes it completely useless as an indicator of anything.

It's inaccurate for individual people with body frames or musculature outside the average, but when sampled across a large population these differences all average out. That's the beauty of averages.

[Wild Bill]

It's inaccurate for individual people with body frames or musculature outside the average, but when sampled across a large population these differences all average out. That's the beauty of averages.

That may be true but unfortunately, many people will take the average and try to apply it to those people that fall outside the average.