Why Are Americans So Fat

I wasnt sure if this was the correct forum, this deals with health so i thought I would post it here, if its the wrong forum feel free to move it.

Why are americans so fat? I know everyone blaims it on fast food but really, do you know huge people that eat mcdonalds or kfc a lot? No. Most of the obese people I know barely ever eat out at places like that. It almost has to be somthing else. Im sure there are some incredibly obese people in the USA that eat everyday at mcdonalds but I havnt met any. So in this thread im asking people to post their theories on why americans are obese.

Im not sure what the cultures are like in other countries, but I feel its because our system never gets a break. From what I have been told, other countries like italy eat a lot more than people here, the only difference is they eat one huge meal at a time. I feel that because americans eat mostly all day everyday our systems never get a break. Its like consuming food almost 24/7.

Anyone else?

 

Obesity can enter a persons genetic code....

In another thread I talk about a fat woman I saw with her fat daughter with a cart full of trashy food...they were loud and disgusting....they pass it on to their kids and its hard to get out once it becomes genetic.

 

because they have to much fast food. To much cholestorol and sat./trans. fat.

 

you ask why? because they literally eat the world man, they bite it, smoke it, eat it, bomb it, fuck, buy and sell it. They're just loving it!

 

That's what happens when you give the livestock the keys to the grain bin.

 

It does vary geographically, I was rather shocked when I moved back here from the west coast........I'm starting to think they deserve the ridicule.

 

I am an american, I'm not fat though lol. My grandpa used to go overseas alot mainly to Europe and Asia for travel for work and he said you never see an obese person in another country. He thinks because most americans are lazy and they don't walk to work and get as much excercise and we eat differently than most countries, we don't like as much healthy food, we like fattening food such as mcdonalds...

when i say this i dont mean all americans i'm saying the typical american

 

it has a lot to do with portion size in america.

 

over-consumption. americans want and want, want want and want more...could be for anything, clothes, appliances, games...food. they want cheap food with high quantity. that food is disgustingly nasty. plus the fact the most people don't konw about healthy alternatives. schools dont' teach anythign abotu nutrition except for the food pyrimiad, but then they go and sell-out to companies like Pepsi and Coke and have there sodas for sale in school. you have to start young with teaching healthy lifestyle habits otherwise its gonna be a long long time before America gets healthier. i dont feel sorry for anyone who doesn't try to have a healthy lifestyle. theres nothing wrong with the occasional fast food, but if you eat it everyday then i have no sympathy for you.

 

Canada too, wher not as fat as the us but where catching up. were obese americas chubby little brother.

I know guys who come over from Uk, and their just awstruck by amount of the food that you get on plate at resturaunts here. they say they eat exactly the same stuff over thier, just not as much.

 

yeah, it's all about portion size. in europe, the typical breakfast is like a quarter the size of the stuff we have here; and our suppers are enormous in comparison.

 

Before the 1950's, coca-cola was in 6.5 ounce bottles, but then they made 10 & 12 & 26 ounce bottles and now we like it super sized. In fact we like all portions of drinks & food super sized.

 

It's quite simple, we eat too much crap and don't exersize a lot.

I used to drink 2liters of soda a day (I know, I know) that is 800 cals, half of the calories my body required for the day.

That was fuked up, and once I realized it, I started drinking a lot of water (I drink about 4liters/1gal a day) And stopped drinking soda.

I also didn't exersize at all, like many people, and I didn't care about exersizing, but then my dad wrecked his car & so he couldn't drive me around anymore, so I started riding my bicycle (and I actually enjoyed it after the first week, and I felt much healthier)

I've lost weight, but I haven't even thought much about it, and it wasn't difficult, I just stopped drinking soda, and started to bicycle into town.

Over-eating is something quite different.

My aunt weighs 350lbs! You cannot weight that much without having an issue with food. I never see her eat, she does it alone in her room, but I've gone shopping with her & seen the crap she buys.

Everyone over-eats sometimes, like at Thanksgiving or something, but that is only occasional. Obese people do it daily (i'm not talking about just over-weight people, cos I am overweight! I need to lose 20 pounds more)

my opinion is that obese people must not have the ability to tell when they need to stop eatting, like I don't eat until I'm stuffed, but I know when I've eaten enough, you know?

Anyway, that's my two cents.

 

Three main factors play a role

• Lack of exercise
• Lack of a healthy diet
• Genetics

 

Move to Cali the plastic capitol and get it removed. They are obbsessed with looks!

 

I think people are overlooking the fact that it's basically acceptible here to be overweight. One can easily be 50-75lbs. overweight without too much ridicule from one person to the next.

Portion control has nothing to do with "America" but has everything to do with you, your parents, and your children. Eating habits are taught. My dad used to give me raw cabbage leaves for snacks when I was younger... I always got made fun of because everyone else (i found later on) had snacks like cookies, or crackers or even something next to a full meal. It's about learned behavior.

I also think it stems somewhat from laziness, which has also become acceptable. I know so many overweight people who sit at home all day, when within 10 miles of my home we have mountains to hike and hundreds of trails for walking, bikes and horses. Within about 40 minutes we have skiing, more extensive hiking, more trails, parks, shopping... anything you could think of that isn't sitting.

Basically, it's something that has been passed down, not through genetics, but learned behavior.

 

SALT
I can't gain weight for anything, and I never add salt to my food so I'm really taste sensitive to it.
When I eat at other peoples houses I've noticed that fatter they are the saltier the food. If they're really fat the food tastes like a friggin salt lick.
There's GOT to be a correlation

 

salt is a big part of weight gain too! it causes HBP and water retention. people dont' realize how much sodium they are eating. processed foods have heaps of sodium in them, so do canned foods. those 3-minute noodle packages have loads of sodium and msg in them.

cardio and water will flush your system of sodium. i drink almost 2 gallons of water a day, plus the cardio i get from varsity swimming is enough to flush my body of nearly all teh excess sodium in me.

 

we have more food in our gas stations then there are in some countries

 

"...and Cerce (diquised as Ronald McDonald) turned all of Ullysus' men onto pigs"--Misquote from The Illiad by Homer (not Simpson)