(This font size good?) One thing a LOT of folks, young and old, don't want to talk about is "obesity". The subject and be/is a very controversial one. Some obesity isn't always caused by overeating, but many try to make others believe that. Medications can definitely play a part in this subject. Watched a report on HLN about obesity in America and how bad it continues to get. The report talked about what folks eat, not medications that people have to take that can cause weight problems also. I didn't like that about the report. While having breakfast at a Bob Evans Family Restaurant yesterday morning, we noticed some pretty heavy Seniors eating. One lady sat right across from us was heavy enough to be both wife and I both weight combined. Bad, but what can be done about it? A number of Seniors will say their weight problem is due to age, not as active as use to be, previous surgeries and, obviously, what we should and shouldn't be eating. Those are good reasons and the ones wife and I use. Is there anyway this "obesity" problem in America can get better? Perhaps close all the fast-food places? The younger generation doesn't seem to have as much of this problem as the old and older generation does. With so many of the "younger generation" spending so many hours at Fitness Centers, it's no wonder many of them look as good as they do.
Cody... if you're seeing a lot of very obese people in florida, then you're not seeing the worst of the obese epidemic in the USA by a longg stretch... According to the latest American Obesity stats ...Florida ranks at 36 out of 51 states... where the average obesity is at a high rate of 27% of the population....nowhere nearly as bad as the top 5 at an average of 35%... The top incredibly hight obesity states are 1. west Virginia,... 37.7% 2. Mississippi... 37.3 % 3.Alabama... 35.7% 4.Arkansas ...35.7% 5.Louisiana ... 35.5% 6 Tennessee 34.8% 7 Kentucky 34.2% 8 Texas 33.7% 9 Oklahoma 32.8% 10 Indiana 32.5% 10 Michigan 32.5% 12 South Carolina 32.3% 13 Iowa 32.0% 13 Nebraska 32.0% 15 North Dakota 31.9% 16 North Carolina 31.8% 17 Missouri 31.7% 18 Illinois 31.6% 19 Ohio 31.5% 20 Alaska 31.4% 20 Georgia 31.4% 22 Kansas 31.2% 23 Delaware 30.7% 23 Wisconsin 30.7% 25 Pennsylvania 30.3% 26 Maine 29.9% 26 Maryland 29.9% 28 oSouth Dakota 29.6% 29 Arizona 29.0% 29 Virginia 29.0% 31 Oregon 28.7% 32 Washington 28.6% 33 New Mexico 28.3% 34 Minnesota 27.8% 35 Wyoming 27.7% 36 Florida 27.4% 36 Idaho 27.4% 36 New Jersey 27.4% 39 Vermont 27.1% 40 New Hampshire 26.6% 40 Rhode Island 26.6% 42 Connecticut 26.0% 43 Nevada 25.8% 44 Montana 25.5% 44 New York 25.5% 46 Utah 25.4% 47 California 25.0% 48 Hawaii 23.8% 49 Massachusetts 23.6% 50 District of Columbia 22.6% 51 Colorado 22.3% Now to give you a little bit of a comparison... we have very obese people here in the UK too... and we're known as the fat man of Europe... however our average statistics are UK: 24.9% Ireland: 24.5% Spain: 24.1% Portugal: 21.6% Germany: 21.3% Belgium: 19.1% Austria: 18.3% Italy: 17.2% Sweden: 16.6% France: 15.6% ..and our obesity rate is considered a crises here... and yet at our worst in the UK...we are equal to number 47 on the US list.... ...and believe me I have seen some very large people in some places..usually in what would be usually described as deprived areas, rather than more affluent areas... (don't know if that's the same in the US)..but there's certainly proof that the most obese people here in the Uk live in the places where the highest population live on social security benefits and are unemployed or in low paying employment......and yet we're very low compared to the USA... The fact that so many people do very little for exercise as well compared to years ago...sitting in front of a computer screen , or TV rather than out walking or playing sports... is a huge factor... and also the very easy availability of fast high fattening food..which they only have to lift a phone to have delivered to their home...and they can snack all day on cakes and sweets.. Here's the stats for the USA...which included the percentage of childhood obesity, as well as young adults...I think you'll be surprised at the high percentage of young who are grossly obese... https://stateofobesity.org/adult-obesity/
I think that while there are some younger people who take care of their bodies and work out at the gym or elsewhere, there are also a lot of the younger people who don’t, and especially those who are poor , or on foodstamps. I have read that the main item purchased with food stamps is soda pop, followed closely by foods like chips, candy, cookies, and other snack foods. We live close to a little convenience store, and we see people all of the time coming in with their kids and buying this kind of food , and many are using food stamps. Because they buy snacks with grocery money, people then have to buy cheaper foods with what grocery budget they have left, and most people will also buy processed foods that are quick and easy to prepare. The day of family dinners being home cooked is pretty well gone, for all ages of people. The ones who work full-time do not have time to prepare whole meals, the younger ones (for the main part) do not even know how to cook, and we seniors don’t have a whole family to feed anymore, so we also have something that is cheap and easy to fix for our meals. Many restaurants have what is called the “early-bird special” , and it is between 1-4 PM, during the slow hours between lunch and dinner times. This works perfect for seniors, because there is often a discount, or a senior special, and it becomes the main meal of the day, or sometimes, the only meal of the day. Bobby and I usually go out at this time if we are going to eat somewhere, and if we eat anything else during the day, it is just light food and not a whole meal. We have more children who are overweight now than at any time in history, so it is not just adults; although we probably have more obese adults than ever before, too, and with it the plethora of illnesses that are (at least partially) caused by poor food choices. Anything with sugar or starch in it (almost everything in our processed foods) is an inflammatory food, and we suffer from things like arthritis and fibromyalgia because of eating too much inflammatory food. Inflammation causes pain, regardless of where the inflammation comes from. Then there is also the epidemic of T2 diabetes which is initially caused by overconsumption of sweets and starches, which overloads the insulin system, until it no longer works right. Eventually, this puts us on the track for Alzheimer’s, or other dementia, because it is also a form of diabetes, but one that effects the brain, and it is now called T3 diabetes. At this point, I am just not sure whether this train can be stopped or whether it is going to keep going until it goes off the tracks and crashes. It will take a tremendous change in nutrition information and concern by a whole lot of people before we start eating more healthful foods again.
@Cody Fousnaugh ... Personally think it may be a combination of many things,not just one. I have seen and know of Vegetarians that are overweight. Genetics appears to be a big factor. As my mother use to say"we all come from a long line of bigg butted womaen". Every person just about in my family is or has been over weight at some point. My brother, use to be, but now he's thin as a rail and his doctor says he is poster boy for GQ. But he also looks much older, and wrinklier . My youngest underwent stomach bypass( but removed part of stomach) and has literally stayed sick. She was never sick until this surgery. Her bathroom looks like a pharmacy. And I am not exaggerating. I have gained weight since retiring three years ago- yep my fault. Am trying to cut back and be more accountable on eating now, simply because I do not want to drag around any more extra weight. You are right, not always because a person overeats.However, what we eat, and how often is different. A piece of pie, is not going to make you gain weight. What will, is to continually munch on it until it's gone. Then it's all the other , things we have stuck in our mouths we forget about. It all adds up. Anyways,there are many reasons, and each of us are different, so the cause may be different also. Then, what should we really believe anymore. One year this is good for you, next year it is not. It is a toss up
I noticed on Holly’s list that Colorado is at the bottom. To tell the truth, and don’t know why this is, but we have seen more obese people where we live now than we ever did when living in Colorado. Other than this “Senior” type restaurant (Bob Evans) the other restaurant we have seen both Senior and others who are somewhat-to-a lot obese is local buffet that we go at times for supper. I still cook for wife and I, but just not as much as I use to. We buy almost zero frozen foods now, due to the amount of sodium in them. We don’t take any types of “weight gaining” medications, that we know of. We were going to get a membership with our local YMCA, that has a nice warm pool, jacuzzi’s and other cool things, but because of my wife’s salary, our cost would be over $200 a month. Wasn’t going to happen! So, have to depend on other things, like our boat and range for exercise.
Sorry @Cody... please don't think I'm judging...but with regard 'free' exercise...can you not walk...? It's a really good exercise..and walking smartly for 30 minutes 3 times a week is free and really as good as any other exercise..
We do walk, just not that far or often. My previous hip replacement won’t allow long distance or “power walking”. Many times, after a day at work, wife is only in the mood to relax. Hey, all of us have an excuse/excuses concerning exercising. Some excuses normal, others not so much or at all.
https://screenshots.firefox.com/eoSWQfb4GQrMh5v0/www.forbes.com https://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/worlds-fattest-countries-forbeslife-cx_ls_0208worldfat.html
I don’t think it’s reasonable to make comparisons between older and younger people, and assume that the fitness differences are due to differences in health consciousness. Up until I turned 40 or so, I didn’t have to worry about what I ate or how much. I could go to all-you-can-eat pizza places and not gain a pound. Now, I weigh much more than I did 20 years ago, yet I am far more conscious of what I eat. I think a lot of things play into it, including genetics, and older people may have to make huge changes in diet in order to make up for a lessening of activity. For many of us, our early jobs and recreation involved activity, while later in life they tend to involve sitting. Meanwhile, a lot of those younger people who look so healthy now are going to be overweight in their older years.
I think that part of this is also connected to a person’s attitude about their health and weight. Regardless of age or lifestyle, some people are much more health conscious than other people are. Like the old saying about we either live to eat, or eat to live, and nowdays, with all of the convenience foods and restaurants available, many people are much more concerned about how delicious their food is, as opposed to how healthy it is for them. Everyone has the right to make whatever decision they want to about what they eat and how they take care of their body. Since a lot of the seniors don’t do much in the way of physical activity, and just watch TV, their physical condition might not be as relevant to these people as it is to someone who is still physically active. For Bobby and I , one of our main goals is to be as healthy as we can for however long we live, and to be as drug-free as possible; so taking care of our bodies and getting enough exercise is a main consideration for us; but I can totally understand that for other people it simply might not be important, or even possible due to poor health.
My father always prided himself on being just a couple of pounds heavier at 60 than he was at age 19 ... he never overate he ate a light breakfast..light lunch and a meat and veg dinner .. he never ate junk food, he didn't drink alcohol nor did he eat desserts or sweets ... he walked rather than drove if his destination was within 3 miles ,. He just never gained weight or lost it ...he was the right weight for his height all his life... he was a manual labourer in his young adult life, and then had a sedentary job from about the age of 40...
Is it just our impression, but do young parents, that are thin and well built, take pride in making sure their kids eat right, whereas heavy parents don’t? Are Seniors, who’ve had surgeries AND think “at this age, I should be able to eat what I want” doomed to be overweight for the rest of their lives? When I went from working in a warehouse to basically a desk job, I felt weight coming on. I was pretty thin for years, until I hit 49. I remember when I wore a 28 waist size aka Slim Fit Wrangler Jeans. When wife and I met, some 18 years ago, I was fairly heavy into rodeo and she was both Country/Western dancing and Square Dancing quite a bit. Neither of us were the “tv” watching types, like today.
The numbers by State range from 38% down to 22%. That is an overall difference between the two extremes of only 38 minus 22 = 16; 16/38 is less than 50% spread between the extremes. I call a 22% obesity rate as truly unacceptable, and 38% as grossly unacceptable. "Perhaps close all the fast-food places?" @Cody Fousnaugh I hope was not being serious. Frank