Two Thirds of Americans are Overweight and/or Obese - A Blunt Conversation (1 Viewer)

[TripItUp]

What can we do to discourage this type of behavior?

These Americans also are disproportionately taking up hospital beds in the pandemic, making the situation worse than it needs to be.

They are a drag on taxpayer provided healthcare and the economy.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Use net-zero taxation to encourage proper eating behavior.  Extra taxes on what is unhealthy, tax subsidies for things that are healthy.

Of course, everyone will tell me this is a terrible idea.

 

[Boston]

Here is the dirty little secret about healthy food...it costs more, takes longer to prepare and generally doesn't taste as good...it is 2022, there has to be a way to make veggies taste like chocolate or macaroni and cheese...I'm not kidding about this either...figure this out and all the overweight people at McDonald's will have their pathway to health.

 

[AAABatteries]

We get a small amount of money back in our pocket at work if we do healthy things - how about something similar with tax breaks?

 

[tymarsas]

Already been mentioned but... TAX. Healthy food costs too much?? Make unhealthy food cost more.

Also... I could stand to lose a few pounds, so not judging anyone.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Good topic.

What percentage of Americans smoke now compared to 50/60 years ago? How did they fix that?

Alcohol use, has it decreased? If not, why not? If so, how? 

People need their crutches. Food, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, sex, whatever. Food doesn’t tell you that you are a loser, ugly and with no redeeming features. There are millions of people who feel like that everywhere. 

The content of some processed foods is disgusting, but if it tastes good....people will eat it in excess. 

Why do the Japanese and their much healthier diet live to be 100 in much higher numbers?

 

[timschochet]

It’s interesting that you think this deserves to be a political discussion. Maybe it should be. 

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

These Americans also are disproportionately taking up hospital beds in the pandemic, making the situation worse than it needs to be.

Maybe someone should develop a life-saving vaccine that prevents death from obesity.

Ok, ok.  Right.  They wouldn't take it.  Fair point.

Taxes.  And a decades-long relentless public service campaign against junk food.  (Cigarette use in the US is off more than 2/3rds since the 1950s.)

 

[TripItUp]

It’s interesting that you think this deserves to be a political discussion. Maybe it should be. 

It's a sensitive topic and I prefer to keep the positive vibe of the FFA.

Generally speaking I prefer the govt not get involved, so if we can come up with a solution that doesn't inolve the govt, that would be preferred.

 

[TripItUp]

What about raising health insurance rates and charging obese/overweight American for Medicare access?

I'm thinking something more on the punitive side would most directly address this.

Spend more money on health insurance so that you have less money to buy donuts.

 

[John123]

The U.S. govt. subsidizes the crappy foods that are a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic.  Why is that everything our government gets involved in seems to have significant negative repercussions?  Maybe a significant part of the answer would be for our government to get the heck out of some of this stuff.

 

[rockaction]

The U.S. govt. subsidizes the crappy foods that are a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic.  Why is that everything our government gets involved in seems to have significant negative repercussions?  Maybe a significant part of the answer would be for our government to get the heck out of some of this stuff.

The food pyramid doesn't help. The encouragement of eating grains and processed foods while avoiding fat and beef in the '80s turned out to be a mistake, it seems. I agree. Get the government the heck out of the food business. 

If there weren't so many regulations, you'd have more local farms, more local food, more local produce instead of agri-business food. And that'd go a long way toward reducing obesity. 

But I think vaccines would go a long way toward preventing the current hospital bed shortage. Obese? Get a vaccine and you're likely to be okay. That would be the easiest. 

 

[Juxtatarot]

Perishable, high-quality foods are going to inherently be more expensive than highly processed junk. Getting government out of it won’t help.

 

[Max Power]

We can make jobs dependent on BMI and offer no unemployment if you're fired for going over. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

Adele caught a bunch of grief recently for losing a lot of weight.  She was supposed to stay overweight and unhealthy, I suppose. 

I have seen a few stories of obese people complaining about in-shape women showing off their fit selves at the beach.  In other words, the obese people felt ashamed by seeing a fit person looking so good that they complained about it. Unreal.  

This is where we are as a society. 

 

[Boston]

Adele caught a bunch of grief recently for losing a lot of weight.  She was supposed to stay overweight and unhealthy, I suppose. 

I have seen a few stories of obese people complaining about in-shape women showing off their fit selves at the beach.  In other words, the obese people felt ashamed by seeing a fit person looking so good that they complained about it. Unreal.  

This is where we are as a society. 

Can't even see a good underwear ad anymore...need to have equal representation of the out-of-shape.

 

[tymarsas]

Can't even see a good underwear ad anymore...need to have equal representation of the out-of-shape.

You spend a lot of time watching underwear ads? Have you heard of instagram?

 

[Boston]

You spend a lot of time watching underwear ads? Have you heard of instagram?

Just what I see on TV and it's getting chubbier there...

 

[tymarsas]

Just what I see on TV and it's getting chubbier there...

If 2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese, doesn't that make sense?

 

[Boston]

If 2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese, doesn't that make sense?

No...I don't want to see that on TV.

 

[MAC_32]

It's a sensitive topic and I prefer to keep the positive vibe of the FFA.

Generally speaking I prefer the govt not get involved, so if we can come up with a solution that doesn't inolve the govt, that would be preferred.

The couple of times I've said a similar message in the FFA the responses were hostile, so unfortunately the PSF is the right place for this. That's why intervention is the only way it'll be fixed. And the number of obese in our country is precisely why it won't. Intervention is a losing political battle.

 

[JIslander]

We can make jobs dependent on BMI and offer no unemployment if you're fired for going over. 

This seems so....punitive. 

 

[Max Power]

This seems so....punitive. 

It's about making people healthier and not overloading the healthcare system.

 

[GordonGekko]

What can we do to discourage this type of behavior?

Mandatory conscription at the age of 16, for a full three year tour, in a military style full time training cycle or a Public Service Corps.

Have young Americans learn to get up at 4am, cook and clean, go to practical classes like money management and how to succeed in a job interview and how to manage a household and how to set a schedule and a budget. Have them do log PT and formation runs. Restrict their diet and teach them about nutrition and physical training. Prepare them for life. Let them make friendships and build bonds and learn shared attrition and understand the value of teamwork.

There needs to be a wide scale logistical fix here. If parents alone and schools alone could do this job, it wouldn't have turned into the current madness in place. No time for social media when everyone is restricted from using a cell phone for three years. You get to send emails for 20 minutes on day a week to your family, that's it.

If you want to change behavior, you have to change your environment.

How many people here grew up with madness and neglect and pain and abuse, and you knew if you stayed, if you stayed one day longer or stayed in that town any longer, that you would be finishing off a death sentence given to you from birth.

All practical problems need a logistical pathway towards a solution. Things boil down to the nuts of bolts of where people will live, what will they be taught and whom will pay for it. Anything that was ever made right in this life was done by some version of math and resource management.

Key point here - I'm right. Everyone who disagrees is not wrong per se but are probably "soft" in nature. You can't teach America's youth to be born again hard by way of the madness of the Charmin Brigade. Sometimes I read posts in these forums and I wonder if some of you guys just want to spend the evening popping in a DVD copy of The Notebook and just start spontaneously crying in your fondue pot.

What's wrong with the world that log PT at 4am can't fix?

 

[JIslander]

It's about making people healthier and not overloading the healthcare system.

Understood.  Gotta be a better way tho.  That's body shaming in the workplace. 

 

[Max Power]

Understood.  Gotta be a better way tho.  That's body shaming in the workplace. 

They can get an exemption if their healthcare provider thinks losing weight poses a risk to them. Shaming takes a back seat to safety.

 

[JIslander]

They can get an exemption if their healthcare provider thinks losing weight poses a risk to them. Shaming takes a back seat to safety.

I'd keep out of workplace totally.  Lets work on injecting into healthy food deserts, mobile food markets etc.

 

[Max Power]

I'd keep out of workplace totally.  Lets work on injecting into healthy food deserts, mobile food markets etc.

Mandates work though. We need to do this to fix the problem. Fat people probably need to suffer to enact changes. 

 

[JIslander]

Mandates work though. We need to do this to fix the problem. Fat people probably need to suffer to enact changes. 

oof

 

[Max Power]

oof

Over weight people? 

 

[The General]

Weird thread.

 

[glvsav37]

They can get an exemption if their healthcare provider thinks losing weight poses a risk to them. Shaming takes a back seat to safety.

Awhile back I was working with this group that partners with HR Depts/Beni Providers to bribe employees into getting fitter. They supplied them with apple watches, and gave them gift cards and other bribes if they stuck to their health goals. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

The U.S. govt. subsidizes the crappy foods that are a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic.  Why is that everything our government gets involved in seems to have significant negative repercussions?  Maybe a significant part of the answer would be for our government to get the heck out of some of this stuff.

We massively subsidize the sugar industry.  It’s crazy how cheap it is to eat crappy food in the US.

Went to Australia a few years ago.  Decided to buy donuts for the kids for breakfast.  $5-6 for a basic donut.  A donut that would have cost $1-1.50 here in the US.  
 

Went to the grocery store to buy cereal for breakfast (we were staying in a place with a kitchen).  Sugar cereal cost about 50% more than here.

Buy a bottle of Coke?  50-75% more than here.

Etc etc etc.   Anything that involved sugar was way more expensive in Australia.  Because they don’t subsidize the sugar industry.

These things usually come right back to dumb government incentives.

 

[Max Power]

Awhile back I was working with this group that partners with HR Depts/Beni Providers to bribe employees into getting fitter. They supplied them with apple watches, and gave them gift cards and other bribes if they stuck to their health goals. 

That isnt drastic enough. Those people are still likely to be overweight and overwhelm our healthcare system. 

 

[tymarsas]

Sometimes I read posts in these forums and I wonder if some of you guys just want to spend the evening popping in a DVD copy of The Notebook and just start spontaneously crying in your fondue pot.

How do you know me so well?

 

[ShamrockPride]

We massively subsidize the sugar industry.  It’s crazy how cheap it is to eat crappy food in the US.

Went to Australia a few years ago.  Decided to buy donuts for the kids for breakfast.  $5-6 for a basic donut.  A donut that would have cost $1-1.50 here in the US.  

Went to the grocery store to buy cereal for breakfast (we were staying in a place with a kitchen).  Sugar cereal cost about 50% more than here.

Buy a bottle of Coke?  50-75% more than here.

Etc etc etc.   Anything that involved sugar was way more expensive in Australia.  Because they don’t subsidize the sugar industry.

These things usually come right back to dumb government incentives.

Australia also doesn't have a predatory for-profit healthcare system. It's really simple. Sickness is big business, here at least.

 

[GordonGekko]

We massively subsidize the sugar industry.  It’s crazy how cheap it is to eat crappy food in the US...

It's also inexpensive to eat relatively healthy as well. It's just bland and repetitive for lots of people.

Oatmeal, dried beans with an Instant Pot and lots of eggs. People who stock up when there are sales can do much better for themselves.

Changing eating habits needs to start young. Part of that comes from money management skills taught young. Part of that is consistent physical training as part of the lifestyle. For people who train constantly, healthy food tastes better. And the rare treat tastes better too.

There are drivers from the food industry but it still comes down to choice. Lots of people can spend less and eat healthier than many people who spend more and eat like crap. The "false dilemma" scenario seems to model around all organic versus all crap and it just doesn't work out that way in reality.

Money management is huge too. Lots of people don't realize how much they spend on food. If most people gave themselves a real budget and stuck to it and kept it to a practical budget, many of the purchasing decisions tend to make themselves.

Three year conscription can literally reboot all of America's youth at once.

 

[FairWarning]

The U.S. govt. subsidizes the crappy foods that are a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic.  Why is that everything our government gets involved in seems to have significant negative repercussions?  Maybe a significant part of the answer would be for our government to get the heck out of some of this stuff.

Nothing changes until the government stops allowing people to buy Pepsi, potato chips, slim Jim’s etc on food stamps. All of our elected officials are getting kickbacks from these corporations to allow it. 

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

We didn’t get into this mess right away, we can’t get out of it right away.  If we really want to fix it it will require substantial government intervention in a wide variety of areas.  Taxes, subsidies, education, infrastructure, etc. If our policymakers were serious about it (they aren’t), it would still take many decades of sustained effort.  Changing the ingrained habits of individuals and institutions is really difficult.

 

[FairWarning]

We didn’t get into this mess right away, we can’t get out of it right away.  If we really want to fix it it will require substantial government intervention in a wide variety of areas.  Taxes, subsidies, education, infrastructure, etc. If our policymakers were serious about it (they aren’t), it would still take many decades of sustained effort.  Changing the ingrained habits of individuals and institutions is really difficult.

You don’t need decades to not allow flaming hot Cheetos to be put on food stamps.  

 

[Juxtatarot]

Nothing changes until the government stops allowing people to buy Pepsi, potato chips, slim Jim’s etc on food stamps. All of our elected officials are getting kickbacks from these corporations to allow it. 

I don’t agree with the “nothing changes until…” part, but I certainly agree that junk food should not be covered under SNAP.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

You don’t need decades to not allow flaming hot Cheetos to be put on food stamps.  

OK but that’s not going to make a significant improvement in reducing obesity.

 

[FairWarning]

OK but that’s not going to make a significant improvement in reducing obesity.

You have to start somewhere.  Treat the food stamp program like the WIC.  We make half of our money selling this crap into poor areas.  

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

You have to start somewhere.  Treat the food stamp program like the WIC.  We make half of our money selling this crap into poor areas.  

I’m not necessarily opposed to what you’re saying it’s just that the problem is way bigger than the food stamp program.  Focusing on that relatively small group feels like scapegoating.

 

[FairWarning]

I’m not necessarily opposed to what you’re saying it’s just that the problem is way bigger than the food stamp program.  Focusing on that relatively small group feels like scapegoating.

You’re correct, it’s much bigger.  We can start with placing healthier options in poor areas in place of little Debbie’s.  Raising insurance premiums isn’t going to work.  It’s not illegal to buy a candy bar.    
 

Not sure how big the food assistance program is, it’s bigger than we think though.  

 

[supermike80]

This country right now is wayyyyyyy too woke to be able to attack this real issue.  The minute you do, you are fat shaming and anti body positivity.

No chance this can be fixed currently.   

 

[KarmaPolice]

You don’t need decades to not allow flaming hot Cheetos to be put on food stamps.  

Man I hate comments like this and the implications of it.    We are talking 2/3rds of us, not just people you are talking about.   

It also fascinates me when people do and don't want government to get involved with what people choose to do with their bodies.   (this was just a comment in general, not specifically towards you).  

 

[Boston]

This country right now is wayyyyyyy too woke to be able to attack this real issue.  The minute you do, you are fat shaming and anti body positivity.

No chance this can be fixed currently.   

Agreed...which is why I go back to what I wrote earlier...make the healthy options taste better, cheaper and easier to prepare...it's pretty freakin' simple formula...it's 2022, we should be able to figure out how to make spinach taste like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup while keeping it healthy.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I don't know, I think there are so many problems and hurdles I don't see it being fixed.     

I haven't seen it brought up here yet, but IMO a good portion of the problem is what is brought up in other threads:  in general we are way overworked and underpaid.   I would guess a big part of the problem came around the time when we switched to needing/wanting both parents working.   Our jobs also moved away from things that required some physical activity to now a lot of us are stuck for 40-50 hours sitting on our cans + having to commute there to do so.   As people have said, eating healthy generally takes more time, money, and effort.    I fully get that when both people are working, not getting home until 6 or 7 o'clock, it's way easier to pop in that frozen pizza than it is to make something healthier.   In general we are stressed and tired and that facilitates grabbing crap and probably looking for those soothing carbs for an energy boost.   

Now add to that how big of a country we are, I would guess a lot of us live where the weather is crap a good portion of the year so it's harder to get outside, our 'Murica size portions (WTF needs access to Big Gulps), etc, etc.   and I think we have a huge problem that I don't see going away.  

 

[FairWarning]

This country right now is wayyyyyyy too woke to be able to attack this real issue.  The minute you do, you are fat shaming and anti body positivity.

No chance this can be fixed currently.