Obesity epidemic looms: Experts

[Unforgiven]

It's not just one thing to point a finger at and lay the blame. Like other problems of society people are influenced by advertising and media. Sure it's got to do with lifestyle choices, but then again what isn't?

Labels like lazy and slothful and so on only stigmatize the people facing the problem of being over weight. There are health factors for most and the fact that some foods stimulate the release of serotonin into the brain makes for addiction like activities. Like alcoholics, people fall into a vicious cycle of eating to feel better, getting a momentary high from food and then falling into depression. That it is perfectly legal to put temptation on display only makes it that much more difficult.

Ex smokers know about that tantalizing little whiff of smoke you get from someone when you pass them. It brings back the cravings, if only for a moment, and the old synapsis crackle at the thought of a smoke. But the feeling passes quickly and the urges are controlled. Imagine of food underwent the same scrutiny as tobacco. I bet there are already people shaking their head thinking there is no way that food is addictive.

Coffee of course is totally addictive.

There have always been people with weight problems. I'm very much like my grandfather, uncle, brother and sister. While two of my siblings are very much what would be considered average height and weight. I suggest that there is a portion of the population that has a propensity for over eating and sedentary lifestyles. For some eating the same food as others causes obesity. Just as the same can be applied to alcoholics. Just as violent scenes can cause a violent outburst in some. That it's in each of us doesn't change that it's a problem society as a whole needs to address.

Part of that is removing the stigma we attach to it and start looking at it as a decease like alcoholism or drug addiction.

 

[tamarin]

"That it's in each of us doesn't change that it's a problem society as a whole needs to address."

Yikes, one more thing for the community to collectively share! Whatever happened to individual responsibility? It is not my problem. Until people address personally what has to be addressed personally little progress will be made.
Each of us has things we know we can do better or improve upon and each of us knows that progress starts first with you know who.
Alcoholics and smokers face stigma, rules and penalties. If a behaviour or attitude or disposition needs to be addressed we already have a map.

 

[Curiosity]

I guess after all the reasons offered - mine will seem simplistic - even sarcastic - but here I go anyway

Our lives involve travel over longer distances on a daily basis to get to our destinations - school, work, or transporting others, buying supplies for our daily living - etc.

We necessarily choose to use transportation assistance these days - bus, auto, bike, etc. rather than walking - when times were slower, and we were more active humans, working off the intake of sustenance.

While I realize this is only a small part of the problem, our habitual living and societal style have changed and contribute in a large part of weight gain.

We also choose fast prepared food over the basics cooked from the original state - and often we have little knowledge of the extra additives being put into our daily diet because we don't have time and prefer the convenience.

Again our personal choices come into play and while many people are not afforded 'choice because of other factors such as illness', we might try looking at our own personal causes rather than the excuses and blame which follow disappointing outcomes, and take some of the responsibility for our own habits.

 

[Unforgiven]

"That it's in each of us doesn't change that it's a problem society as a whole needs to address."

Yikes, one more thing for the community to collectively share! Whatever happened to individual responsibility? It is not my problem. Until people address personally what has to be addressed personally little progress will be made.
Each of us has things we know we can do better or improve upon and each of us knows that progress starts first with you know who.
Alcoholics and smokers face stigma, rules and penalties. If a behaviour or attitude or disposition needs to be addressed we already have a map.

Some things people need help with. Is Cancer a personal problem that should be dealt with by indiviual responsibility? How about crime, corporate monopoly or old age?

Society thrives because of a collective effort, why is it that the same effort is a detriment to this problem?

 

[tamarin]

Society thrives from a sense of individual work ethic and personal responsibility. We are a community but it's only as strong as its individual parts.
There are some things, of course, that we share. Education is the biggest example. But personal habits and compulsions - and that's what we're addressing here - have to be addressed, once our nagging and waggling is done, at source.

 

[Twila]

I've heard sugar also makes you crave more food.

I'd read how we should be eating fruits and vegetables ONLY when they're in season. The reason being that in the summer we feast....eat lots of fruit (full of sugar) in order to build up fat stores for the lean months of winter.

But since we no longer have lean months and people eat they way they do the stores are never depleted and sugar is available year round

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Society thrives from a sense of individual work ethic and personal responsibility. We are a community but it's only as strong as its individual parts.
There are some things, of course, that we share. Education is the biggest example. But personal habits and compulsions - and that's what we're addressing here - have to be addressed, once our nagging and waggling is done, at source.

You say it is 'personal responsibility'. If so, why must you do any nagging or waggling? If its personal choice, leave it at that. Nothing annoys me more than a Richard Simmons type lecturing on how to be thin and how bad it is to be not.

 

[hermanntrude]

it's simple to me. If I feel like i'm too big I should do one of three things:

1) get over it
2) eat less
3) exercise more

 

[Unforgiven]

it's simple to me. If I feel like i'm too big I should do one of three things:

1) get over it
2) eat less
3) exercise more

Sort of like crazy people should just stop acting like a nut?
Or parapalegics just getting off their butts.
Or alcoholics knocking off all the drinking.

I just don't think it's quite as easy as all that.

 

[hermanntrude]

maybe it isnt that easy, but it's the only real solution. And the fact that there used to be less fat people than there are today suggests that not that many of them are victims of some terrible addiction, but more often than not just can't be arsed to stop eating and start exercising.

Also please note that one of my options was to get over it... be happy with your own body, accept the risks and be prepared to die of a heart attack... there are worse ways to die.

 

[karrie]

it's simple to me. If I feel like i'm too big I should do one of three things:

1) get over it
2) eat less
3) exercise more

I have to ask.... the list of things you need to do to manage your diabetes, do you always successfully follow it? Is it 'simple'? And if not... then would you be able to simply shrug off a thread devoted to bitching about the burden you put on the health care system by not taking adequate care of yourself?

Nothing in life is simple, no matter how few the numbers in your list are.

 

[eh1eh]

Quote:
Originally Posted by eh1eh
LOL, Don't worry Muz, everyone looks taller on stage.

Also, Randy Newman, RIP, already aired the plight of short people. They've got no reason to live apparently

Quote: Tenpenny

What do you mean, RIP?????

Guess I loose that round of Dead? Not Dead? LOL :roll:

 

[Unforgiven]

maybe it isnt that easy, but it's the only real solution. And the fact that there used to be less fat people than there are today suggests that not that many of them are victims of some terrible addiction, but more often than not just can't be arsed to stop eating and start exercising.

Also please note that one of my options was to get over it... be happy with your own body, accept the risks and be prepared to die of a heart attack... there are worse ways to die.

There were no AIDS deaths in the good old days either.

Part of the problem is that many of us are very productive sitting in a chair for 10 hours a day, then two hours of travel to get there and back, leaves little time to do some exercise.

On top of that, there are special needs once someone gets to a certain weight for their build. Health limitations means that some people just can up and go run ten miles. Not that there aren't things that they can do, most of them just cost money. Lots of money. So there is the reason for someone to spend so much time in a job that is so unhealthy.

If part of health care was covered access to nutritionists and dietitians, gyms, hydro therapy, and personal training aids, there would be a reduction in obesity that we see now. As it is a heart attack is covered which costs enough to fund how many years of what's listed above?

Society is going to pay for it one way or the other. We just seems to be upset at the preventative aspect and begrudgingly willing to put up with the reactive aspect.