Obesity in the US (and Iowa)

[NorthCyd]

Another unpopular one... but simply eating less, and continuing to eat less, was the key to my weight loss and sustained weight control.

I found that you just cannot out exercise a bad diet or too much food (especially in my 40's). For a long time I thought I could.

I exercise often, but I don't lose much weight because I don't watch my diet and drink too much. It's not hard to figure out if you track calories. I can go running for an hour and burn 800 calories, then go home and eat 3 pieces of pizza and drink a craft beer and poof, you've used up that 800 calories. That said, I'm not morbidly obese, so at least the exercise allows me to indulge a little without becoming a tub of goo.

 

[BoxsterCy]

 

[Drew0311]

Also, when you dine in at a restaurant in Europe, you'll quickly notice the portion sizes are much different. Many times the US restaurant will give enough for two full meals. Which is why I will usually eat half and bring the other half home

They also don’t give you free refills of soda in Europe

 

[0u812]

I wouldn't bet the majority on mental health. I would go as far to say it is 99% what we eat and what we perceive as good food versus bad food. Again it is all brain wash from food companies and partially the government for allowing it to unfold this way knowing that nothing has changed and just getting worse.

I guess I associate being brainwashed or believing the government as mental illness!

I understand what you are saying, and you are right as well.

 

[KnappShack]

"Hey. You tried out that new place. How was it?"

"The food was just alright, but they gave me a huge helping! The tenderloin was as big as the plate!"

 

[0u812]

"Hey. You tried out that new place. How was it?"

"The food was just alright, but they gave me a huge helping! The tenderloin was as big as the plate!"

View attachment 117100

yep, a very common response i hear from people. Not very smart.....

 

[BMWallace]

Something that has been tangentially acknowledged in the this thread that is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic is the costs of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Healthy, fresh, whole foods are more expensive, more time consuming, and more involved than ready-to-eat processed foods. For many in this country processed foods, fast foods, and food delivery are an easy option when the budget and schedule do not allow them to home cook a more healthful meal.

Additionally, many in our society find it difficult to find the time and energy to adequate physical activity on a regular basis. Often that is driven by the obligations and stresses in other parts of their lives.

If large swathes of our population don't have the money, time, or bandwidth to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we should not be shocked that obesity continues to be an ever worsening problem in our society.

 

[0u812]

Something that has been tangentially acknowledged in the this thread that is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic is the costs of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Healthy, fresh, whole foods are more expensive, more time consuming, and more involved than ready-to-eat processed foods. For many in this country processed foods, fast foods, and food delivery are an easy option when the budget and schedule do not allow them to home cook a more healthful meal.

True but people have extra money for tattoos, concerts, new cars and such right?

Priorities. Laziness. Ignorance.

It doesnt cost too much to have a garden....

 

[JP4CY]

A few things I've noticed:
My parent's generation were told repeatedly by depression area parents to finish their plate/hungry kid in China, etc. That's not healthy.
-What we do is tell our kid if they don't want to eat anymore that's fine, but we're gonna put it in a container in the fridge, because you're not gonna get chips or ice cream in an hour then.

People are drinking these super sugary coffee drinks now. Like, just a gigantic amount of calories in those.

People get dogs but are walking them less and less. Our neighborhood has so many people that just let the dog out back.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Just read an article about how the cigarette companies in the '80s were heavily involved in the production/advertising etc. for processed foods. They knew how to tap into addictions. And food companies have funded both political party campaigns for a long time.

It's a societal failure to not value food as medicine and we've convinced ourselves that cooking is too hard or expensive and it doesn't have to be.

Healthy food on average does cost more, but I'd like to see if people still spend more on bad food in mass quantities than they would for healthier food in what's needed.

It's not too hard or expensive but it does consume time. Time to go to the store, time to prepare, do the dishes. Americans have very little precious free time cause we have to work so much.

 

[ScottyP]

I’m overweight and obese and have struggled with my weight. I feel lots of shame after reading this thread.

 

[0u812]

It's not too hard or expensive but it does consume time. Time to go to the store, time to prepare, do the dishes. Americans have very little precious free time cause we have to work so much.

Priorities. I agree we work a lot, but got to prioritize life a bit more. People have time for TV, video games, sporting events (we are all here for that obviously)....

 

[simply1]

I’m overweight and obese and have struggled with my weight. I feel lots of shame after reading this thread.

That’s a bad cycle to get into because the shaming just leads people to seek the dopamine hit again. Please be easy on yourself.

 

[JP4CY]

I’m overweight and obese and have struggled with my weight. I feel lots of shame after reading this thread.

Hang in there friend.

 

[cowgirl836]

True but people have extra money for tattoos, concerts, new cars and such right?

Priorities. Laziness. Ignorance.

It doesnt cost too much to have a garden....

You need space and time and knowledge for a garden.

 

[Jer]

I’m overweight and obese and have struggled with my weight. I feel lots of shame after reading this thread.

Agree. Everybody makes it sound super easy to lose weight but for some of us, it just isn't. I can't do much due to my strokes this year causing balance issues, but previously I had run a couple miles a day on a treadmill, drank nothing but water, and ate healthy. I barely lost weight over the 6 months of that regimen.

 

[cowgirl836]

I’m overweight and obese and have struggled with my weight. I feel lots of shame after reading this thread.

There's a lot of people with some dumbass takes in this thread as there always is when this topic comes up. Obesity IS a public health crisis but it's systemic, not simply an individual moral failing. But people like to think of it as the latter as they do with many issues because that's simple and removes any responsibility to demand that our society do better.

 

[cowgirl836]

It's not too hard or expensive but it does consume time. Time to go to the store, time to prepare, do the dishes. Americans have very little precious free time cause we have to work so much.

Transport groceries, have the storage for them.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Our eating habits definitely have a direct correlation to higher health costs as well. Now they're certainly gouging us on top of it but it seems like everyone is on some kind of drug anymore.

 

[SCNCY]

Ozempic and Mounjaro to the rescue!

No diet change, no exercise, just a weekly injection and you lose weight. The American Dream.

As a type 1 diabetic that is currently on ozempic, it's amazing how much less I eat now than before ozempic. And I am not even at the full dose of 2mg weekly. The reason I take Ozempic is because I'm on an insulin pump (omnipod) that has a 72 hour lifespan. I was always using the full 72 hours until about sometime earlier this year when I was running out of insulin after about 48 hours. My doctor put me on ozempic, after trying some other methods, so I'd use less insulin. After getting to 1mg weekly, I was able to use my pump for the full 72 hours, so I stopped advancing my dose, against the advice of my doctor; because I had met my original goal.

If I was at the 2mg weekly dose, I'd probably be eating a lot less than I currently do, which is a lot less than what I was at pre-ozempic.