Obesity

[jumbopackage]

That's putting an awful lot of faith in that hs kid working the register at Walgreen's or Aldi's. Look at the crap that people get away with using food stamps for now. It's nuts.

Hey, I didn't say it'd be easy
People will always game the system. No two ways about it. Like I said, it's a tough problem to tackle. If it was simple, and easy, it would have been done by now.

I can't imagine the histrionics that would go on if someone tried to put a 5 dollar "sin tax" on a whopper...that would make for entertaining TV.

 

[superfan]

Why didn't you just get off and walk? :wink:

Because your mother was on my lap and crushing me. I wasn't intentionally moving myself with my foot, it was just twitching as I was flailing about and trying to breathe.

 

[MoreCowbell]

Why didn't you just get off and walk? :wink:

I was going to ask what Cycloin was doing in Texas...

 

[capitalcityguy]

Dammit, I misread "uneducated" as "unintelligent" earlier in this thread, so that was misused hyperbole. The "quit my job" remark was an allusion to whomever it was that suggested clonefreek be closer to his job so he could bike there (which implies either finding a new job or moving - both major life changes that are a little rediculous for the sake of "exercise")

I didnt advocate quiting his job (so I'm not sure you're talking about my comment), but I did suggest he look to see if he could create additional time in his life by considering lessening his commute. Dude already works 60hrs...most people are quickly going to run out of time to do anything else...e.g...exercise.... if they pile up a bunch of time commuting on top of that.

People's choices in life have consquences. Most people seem to be short on time and it also seems that many of those same people are spending a lot of time sitting in their cars. Just trying to throw out suggestions in an effort to be helpful.

 

[Cyched]

I used to think I got a bum deal by being skinny and not gaining weight easily. Now, not so much:smile:

 

[Three4Cy]

That's putting an awful lot of faith in that hs kid working the register at Walgreen's or Aldi's. Look at the crap that people get away with using food stamps for now. It's nuts.

The kids working the register have nothing to do with it. It is all programmed in when they scan the item if it can be purchased with food stamps or not. When they total up the order, there are two totals - the total for the items that can be purchased with food stamps, and the total that must be paid for with cash. With the new EBT cards, they customer can only use the card to pay the food stamp total, if they try to key in an amount above the food stamp total, it will deny the transaction. The cash register system won't allow and deviances from the transaction to get a non-food stamp item on the food stamp total (cigs).

If you want to make the food stamp program geared toward healthy foods, it needs to be come like the WIC program. On the WIC program, they can only buy certain items. It would be the same principle, but the item selection would be greater since WIC is limited to milk, cereal, juice, beans/peas/legumes, and peanut butter (there may be a few others).

The crazy thing about food stamps, is people would be amazed the number of college students who are on food stamps. I worked in retail grocery for many years and couldn't believe all the college kids who were on food stamps. They would typically go on them their 2nd year at school, because it saved them money in room and board. They would live off campus, their student loans would be in their name only, and they may work a part time job that paid minimum wage. They used their student loan money to pay the rent, and food stamps to eat, all their parents had to do was take them off their income taxes.

 

[Marc936]

So it just comes naturally?

no, but i dont feel bad for people that tries to find a reason on why their life sucks. Your not happy about your weight? go bulk up or go cut weight. It gets tiring hearing people say they dont have time for this and that. Thats not just on weight either, its everything.

I would respect a person more if a person flat out said hey, im fat, i would like to lose weight but watching what i eat and exercise seems like a lot of work which i don't think i have the ability to commit to it.

rather than

oh i just dont have time to workout, i have school/work/kids/etc/etc. If you really wanted to do it you would find a way


an excuse is just that, an excuse

 

[Marc936]

The crazy thing about food stamps, is people would be amazed the number of college students who are on food stamps. I worked in retail grocery for many years and couldn't believe all the college kids who were on food stamps. They would typically go on them their 2nd year at school, because it saved them money in room and board. They would live off campus, their student loans would be in their name only, and they may work a part time job that paid minimum wage. They used their student loan money to pay the rent, and food stamps to eat, all their parents had to do was take them off their income taxes.

i believe iowa law is that you have to be a full time student and work at least 20 hours a week, depending on the major that would be tough

 

[VeloClone]

i believe iowa law is that you have to be a full time student and work at least 20 hours a week, depending on the major that would be tough

I don't know what you did in college, but I knew a lot of people who had to do that to get through college (including yours truly).

Yes it was tough.

 

[Marc936]

I don't know what you did in college, but I knew a lot of people who had to do that to get through college (including yours truly).

Yes it was tough.

i admit i'm spoiled, they offered to pay for my college as long as i promised i would pay for my future kids colleges.

they would rather me focus and do good in school then stress about financial issues


that and i saved up and have around 30 grand in savings from working full time when i was planning to transfer. I never touch it, but its a nice safety net

 

[VeloClone]

i admit i'm spoiled, they offered to pay for my college as long as i promised i would pay for my future kids colleges.

they would rather me focus and do good in school then stress about financial issues


that and i saved up and have around 30 grand in savings from working full time when i was planning to transfer. I never touch it, but its a nice safety net

I don't think you are spoiled. I am sure going to try to help out my kids. My folks just couldn't. Neither one of them had the chance to go to college.

 

[swiacy]

So is this "overweight" thing a result of our successful capitalistic system? I have never been to Asia or Europe but it appears that they do not have the same health problem we Americans have developed. Obviously, 3rd world economies can not afford high calory diets. But how about Scandinavians, Germans, Italians? There economies are as good as ours but they do not appear to be as obese as ours. Neither do the French and English.

 

[CyinCo]

So is this "overweight" thing a result of our successful capitalistic system? I have never been to Asia or Europe but it appears that they do not have the same health problem we Americans have developed. Obviously, 3rd world economies can not afford high calory diets. But how about Scandinavians, Germans, Italians? There economies are as good as ours but they do not appear to be as obese as ours. Neither do the French and English.

American's have a pervasive sense of entitlement. Entitlement is a slippery slope and it has gotten disgusting in this country. No one wants to earn anything anymore. It should be just given to them....because they are a tax paying american.

 

[capitalcityguy]

So is this "overweight" thing a result of our successful capitalistic system? I have never been to Asia or Europe but it appears that they do not have the same health problem we Americans have developed. Obviously, 3rd world economies can not afford high calory diets. But how about Scandinavians, Germans, Italians? There economies are as good as ours but they do not appear to be as obese as ours. Neither do the French and English.

No, you can't blame capitalism. Look at the lifestyles and the cities (in addition to their diets). They are not nearly as car centric as the US. It is a combination of wealth, poorly planned cities, dietary habits, etc.

 

[jumbopackage]

So is this "overweight" thing a result of our successful capitalistic system? I have never been to Asia or Europe but it appears that they do not have the same health problem we Americans have developed. Obviously, 3rd world economies can not afford high calory diets. But how about Scandinavians, Germans, Italians? There economies are as good as ours but they do not appear to be as obese as ours. Neither do the French and English.

I don't know if it's so much that, as a lifestyle difference. Everything here is at a fast pace. We want food fast. We want to get from point A to point B fast (while eating our food) etc. etc. We also want "value" for our money. So that drives up portion sizes. And, because we are a nation that generally dislikes waste, we want to eat what you put in front of us, especially if you're paying for it.

There's also a cultural heritage of hard, manual labor, which required a high calorie diet. My ancestors physically needed a 4000 to 5000 calorie diet per day just to survive. I certainly don't, but the "comfort" foods haven't changed.

I think you also have to pay some amount of attention to the design of our cities and the rise of the car. Most European and Scandanavian cities hail back to a time when people actually walked where they had to go and didn't spend a bunch of time sitting down in a car. The cities are generally built for pedestrian traffic, and that encourages people (at least somewhat moreso) to be pedestrians. Suburbs and exurbs with long commutes just put people in a position to be more sedentary.

I don't know that it's necessarily a bad thing, but it's a different thing.

 

[theyork]

I think weighing yourself everyday is just absurd. If you're losing or gaining a couple of pounds in one day, then you have a problem. Its just not healthy. I weigh myself once a week and its just fine for me.

not absurd. you'd be surprised how much your weight fluctuates in a given day, even if you are not attempting to lose/gain weight. you can literally lose pounds of water weight with one hour workout.

i remember in high school some of us would lose 5lbs and beyond after just one practice for football. then by the next morning it would be back on.

 

[jimmy22]

I also belong to the skinny brigade and can't gain weight. I'm between 6' and 6' 1" and weigh between 145-150 depending on the day. Would like to be about 170. I'm going to up my milk consumption and see if that makes a difference. I exercise regularly, running between 2-3 miles every other day. Have tried weights and protein mix in the past and they haven't made a difference. My diet is probably not too bad for a single guy. I try to limit myself to one fast food meal per week. Marie Callendar is my best friend.

For all looking to lose weight, try buying smaller cans of pop to slowly ween yourself off the stuff. I started buying the 12 ounce cans of Coke and have now moved down to the 7.5 ounce cans. Now when I have a 12 ounce can (which typically only happens when someone offers me one) it feels like I'm drinking a keg. Currently there is no pop in my fridge.

 

[jumbopackage]

I also belong to the skinny brigade and can't gain weight. I'm between 6' and 6' 1" and weigh between 145-150 depending on the day. Would like to be about 170. I'm going to up my milk consumption and see if that makes a difference. I exercise regularly, running between 2-3 miles every other day. Have tried weights and protein mix in the past and they haven't made a difference. My diet is probably not too bad for a single guy. I try to limit myself to one fast food meal per week. Marie Callendar is my best friend.

For all looking to lose weight, try buying smaller cans of pop to slowly ween yourself off the stuff. I started buying the 12 ounce cans of Coke and have now moved down to the 7.5 ounce cans. Now when I have a 12 ounce can (which typically only happens when someone offers me one) it feels like I'm drinking a keg. Currently there is no pop in my fridge.

As an ectomorph, if you want to gain weight, you need to just eat more (protein in particular), and stop with the cardio.

Cardio just makes your body better at burning calories (while it burns them), which is NOT what you want it to do.

You are short-circuiting weight gain by burning those calories.

If I were in your shoes (and wanting to gain), I'd be eating a crap ton of fish, chicken, cottage cheese, dairy, etc, and chasing it down with protein shakes. Mix in weight training and you'll gain weight (muscle), eventually. If you don't care about what kind of weight you gain, just eat whatever you want. I know a guy who had to eat 8k calories a day just to gain. I think, personally, that would kinda stink, but that's what it took to gain weight.

Then again, if I was in your shoes, I might not be too upset about being able to eat whatever I want and not gain weight as well, and it would be AWESOME to be able to run with 60 less lbs on my legs. I saw that a rule of thumb was that you gained 2 seconds per mile for every lbs that you lost. 60 less lbs and I'd be getting close to a 4 minute mile! :biglaugh:

 

[CyCrazy]

not absurd. you'd be surprised how much your weight fluctuates in a given day, even if you are not attempting to lose/gain weight. you can literally lose pounds of water weight with one hour workout.

i remember in high school some of us would lose 5lbs and beyond after just one practice for football. then by the next morning it would be back on.

It is absurd why in the hell do you have to weigh yourself everyday? Who cares about a pound here or thier? Unless you are a wrestler I dont see the point.

 

[CycloneTony]

everyone is a little high and mighty on here who cares how one wants to live their lives. Worry about yourselves, nobody is perfect.