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-- Obesity "epidemic": any solution?
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i don't think there is really any kind of solution. there are far too many things, which give people excuses, in today's societies that are in support of such a lifestyle. fast passed busy schedules, television and computers, etc. in order to change the problem...you need to change our social behaviors and that will take generations to do.


i think the biggest problem with obesity is the same as things such as smoking or anything else. the consequences are distant...so the immediate gratification takes priority. people enjoy eating and exercise is too much work. they don't really think through the possible conseqeunces when they are older and if they do they just choose to ignore them because not working out and eating tasty stuff is more enjoyable.

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Originally posted by Floorfiller i don't think there is really any kind of solution. there are far too many things, which give people excuses, in today's societies that are in support of such a lifestyle. fast passed busy schedules, television and computers, etc. in order to change the problem...you need to change our social behaviors and that will take generations to do.

Indeed, and unfortunately by necessity. There is little hope left for our generation, but there is undoubtedly still time for the generations to come after us - Unfortunately I only see diseases like diabetes reaching epidemic proportions before anyone really wakes up and addresses the problem.

i think sooner or later it'll fix itself...

everything will become "fat free," "salt reduced," protein enriched, added vitamins with consumer demand...

just have to wait for the prices to come down...

and im a big fan of the wii for the sole reason is that its associating fun w/ exercising.

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Originally posted by RJT Indeed, and unfortunately by necessity. There is little hope left for our generation, but there is undoubtedly still time for the generations to come after us - Unfortunately I only see diseases like diabetes reaching epidemic proportions before anyone really wakes up and addresses the problem.

this thread made me think about the healthcare system. we have such huge raised costs in healthcare these days and i'm sure it's because people are just less healthy than they have been. think how cheap a healthcare system with healthy people would be? sure some people would still get sick with serious diseases and the like, but we could actually afford a free healthcare system if we didn't have to support all of the medical problems that come from obesity.

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Originally posted by Floorfiller this thread made me think about the healthcare system. we have such huge raised costs in healthcare these days and i'm sure it's because people are just less healthy than they have been. think how cheap a healthcare system with healthy people would be? sure some people would still get sick with serious diseases and the like, but we could actually afford a free healthcare system if we didn't have to support all of the medical problems that come from obesity.

Ideally, I agree with you, but change that last little bit (in bold), to a more broad idea of the social problems we have in the U.S. that affect physical health (i.e. Poverty level eating habits, "fast food" culture, propagation of corporate globalism). I do think that the health problems related to obesity alone would remove a tremendous burdon from the system, however, the problem runs so much deeper than obesity that without addressing broader social factors leading to obesity, we may as well not address the issue at all.

I really do think that a publicly funded health care system, in general, promotes better lifestyle choices with regard to health. Especially during ones formative years.

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Originally posted by Tholius i think sooner or later it'll fix itself...

I think so too.

Though many, many people are not going to like what happens...

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Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On I think so too. Though many, many people are not going to like what happens...

lol - so which theory of "balance" do you subscribe to? Aristotelian? "Rubber Band Theory"?

Honestly though, I agree. Life does seem to have a way of sorting itself out, but it generally takes a crisis, and nobody likes a crisis.

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Originally posted by RJT Ideally, I agree with you, but change that last little bit (in bold), to a more broad idea of the social problems we have in the U.S. that affect physical health (i.e. Poverty level eating habits, "fast food" culture, propagation of corporate globalism). I do think that the health problems related to obesity alone would remove a tremendous burdon from the system, however, the problem runs so much deeper than obesity that without addressing broader social factors leading to obesity, we may as well not address the issue at all. I really do think that a publicly funded health care system, in general, promotes better lifestyle choices with regard to health. Especially during ones formative years.

well definitely true. i mean there are a lot of other social problems that need to be addressed besides obesity, but i was just trying to keep to the thread.

a little off topic...

i think the biggest problem in america's social mindset today is just that instead of america being the land of opportunity, people think more in line with land of exploitation. all you have to do is look at system's like welfare, our illegal immigration problems, or see the latest court ruling to see it. there is a very large segment of the population that doesn't feel any desire to cohesively form a cultural identity. people aren't interested in making america a better place...their concerned with only helping themselves out, even if it's at the expensive of others. from its inception, america has been the melting pot...we've been built on differences and while some think that's a strength of our society...i think it's actually one of our biggest problems. people are very self-interested in america and divided along those borders. there are a lot of racial and class-based boundaries in america today that aren't going to change because people don't want to change them. the only time there is any kind of unity is when we start talking about how we're better than everyone else. and even worse the problem only compounds itself. personally i've become very cynical about the united states...i think something a lot of people feel, but it's hard to remain positive about a society that takes no pride in itself.

Crisis is how we grow - it's how we survive! Without crisis, the world would secede into a total entropic state. Understandably, many would say that it is cold and cruel to recognize that people must die so that others may live - but without the threat of death, what reason do we have to live at all?

America and much of the western world has grown stagnant -complacent and comfortable in its proliferation as the heralds of trade and commerce and globalisation and all of these other things that we praise and welcome that have evidently lead to convenience and availability and other things we praise and welcome that have lead to obesity and stagnation and laziness and excess sugars and ignorance and instant gratification and the loss of self in a world that has extricated society from the subtle workings of the natural world to create a synthetic dreamworld where we can live without reprisal or consequence while the world outside of ours suffers and the denizens within are corrupted by promises of a false sense of human perfection.

*deep breath*

But really, obesity is an "epidemic" now because much of the world does not have to live as nomads or live day-to-day without knowing whether or not they will eat today or tomorrow. It's a good thing, right? I mean, having enough food...it's good. It's better than starving to death...right? We have traded survival and our natural sense of health for convenience and solipsismal lifestyles. Last longer, live better? That's what health promises us - but can it promise that we won't die in a car accident at 24? Can it promise we won't fall down a flight of stairs and break our necks and go into a coma for 12 years before we finally pass on?

I think that people's issues with "fat people" are just projections of their own insecurities, for the most part. I also think that people's issues with gaining weight are the projections of a world where we don't have to fight to survive. But as mentioned, life finds a way to equalize things. Maybe the solution is to make the ground so toxic and unlivable, our food productivity plummets and mass starvation kills us off so that we once again have to be fit and strong to survive in a world where only the fittest and luckiest are allowed to live? Ridiculous as this sounds, it might just be the new "trend".

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personally i've become very cynical about the united states...i think something a lot of people feel, but it's hard to remain positive about a society that takes no pride in itself.

Yeah, same here. The only "pride" left is the mindless jingoism that erupts when flags are trotted out and the politicians start talking about war and "staying the course."

The solution is to stop eating shit and exercise now and then, barring throwing your computer and TV and stereo in the bin.

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personally i've become very cynical about the united states...i think something a lot of people feel, but it's hard to remain positive about a society that takes no pride in itself.

I'm proud of my homeland, even if most people think I'm a freak there and getting along is difficult.

Yeah, but that stuff requires effort.

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Yeah, but that stuff requires effort.

Not that much, even when I worked 40-45 hours a week I got in 20 minutes of exercise every morning and ate healthy (eating healthy is usually cheaper anyway). If I don't I feel like shit otherwise and get sick a lot.

I know! Obese Americans can sue fast food chains. Surely that will solve all of their problems.

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles I know! Obese Americans can sue fast food chains. Surely that will solve all of their problems.

Irresponsibility is usually derived from insecurity and leads to further itself to others affected by the one from which it manifests.

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Originally posted by Lilith It's up there with the British diet of drinking stupid amounts of lager, taking E or Meth, dancing like a loon every weekend and finishing it off with a dodgy kebab or curry from some street vender you 'think' on the way home. Only difference is, weather is better in Egypt.

Meth we're not in Alabama you know? Most popular drugs would be Cocaine and E.

Isn't the Australian diet. Drinking lager then sniffing glue dancing to some barn dance style Aussie Country Western music, topped off by a BBQ in the morning. 'Shane where did I park the ute mate!'

Oh, we're just getting started when it comes to obesity. The "internet generation" really has yet to reach the age where the risk of obesity is highest. By the time they do, their children will be growing up with an even more sedentary lifestyle. And that, my friends, is when the proverbial shit will really hit the fan.

Yeah, I was kinda hoping for worldwide cataclysm before then.

Ya know, just to see what it'd be like.

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Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On Yeah, I was kinda hoping for worldwide cataclysm before then. Ya know, just to see what it'd be like.

Well that's pretty improbable but hey you could always get lucky.

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Originally posted by Dj O'Callaghan Isn't the Australian diet. etc etc blah blah

Depends on the crowd really.
Obesity here is catching up to the rest of the world though, unlike the US and UK they have been pushing the diet and exercise education a lot more in the media. Which will minimise the damage people do too themselves to some extent.

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Yeah, I was kinda hoping for worldwide cataclysm before then.

In its own way, these things have a way of fixing themselves over time.
It's called premature death.

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Originally posted by Lilith Depends on the crowd really. Obesity here is catching up to the rest of the world though, unlike the US and UK they have been pushing the diet and exercise education a lot more in the media. Which will minimise the damage people do too themselves to some extent. In its own way, these things have a way of fixing themselves over time. It's called premature death.

There is a lot of diet and exercise education in the UK at the moment, if people take notice then that's brilliant.

A lot of different theories are being thrown about in this thread, each are agreeable to a certain degree. But my take on the major rise of obese kids is this.

It all starts in the home. Some children have lazy parents. They don't cook their kids decent meals a trip to McDonalds will be suffice. If fast foods not an option they cook up some microwave meal or put some burgers and chips in the oven. It's plain idleness.

Many parents fail to encourage their kids to excercise they let them sit on the computer and watch tv for literally whole day. What happened to taking them on some massive walk or getting out the football for a kick around.

Then you have the parent's attitude these are the typical things parents of obese kids will say. I won't force my kid's to eat food they don't want - bollocks they're too lazy to sit there and make their kids eat properly. We're all large in this family - Your just getting over your guilt for passing on your shitty eating habits onto your kids. I didn't like doing PE at school so I'll write a sick note for my children - Way to go turning them into little podgy hypochondriacs.

The only time anyone should be obese is on the grounds of medical reasons.

Or they could always do the Aussie diet Lilth, a couple of tinnies a meat pie and some Aussie rules.



Warratar!

Too far south for me, tis a silly game. Unless of course it's an IRF game. Dont know about this 'International Football Rules' thing either, I cant work out the rules.
Throw ball, kick ball, punch a mick, run around a bit, hit the guy with the ball, get sent off... all in brawl.
Men.

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The only time anyone should be obese is on the grounds of medical reasons.

By far and away the most likely cause of obesity is a lack of exercise and poor diet, otherwise its really rare things like fluid retention because the whole 'genetic' thing is a crock really. Yes there are big people, but they can easily be healthy and big without carrying around a lot of weight and theres nothing wrong with carrying around a little extra weight. Remote chance theres another famine, you'll be doing great

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Originally posted by Lilith Remote chance theres another famine, you'll be doing great

Rather then send Aid to Africa perhaps we can send the more plump and portly members of society.

I don't care as long as they don't make another thrice bedamned reality TV show about it.

http://www.seanbaby.com/news/fitness.htm

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