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Obesity "epidemic": any solution?
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
The number of obese kids and adults is increasing in pretty much all non-poor countries the world over. Right now it is the worst in the U.S., Britain, and Canada, but even "traditionally" thin countries like Japan are experiencing a significant rise in the number of overweight people. What I want to ask is this:
Is it realistic to expect this trend to slow down anytime soon? As "developing" countries get better technology and richer food, their previous levels of physical activity are no longer necessary and their populations too are getting obese (which is better than starving, to be sure), while "first world" populations just keep getting heavier and heavier.
Even considering the trend of obesity, as medical technology advances it drags mean life expectancy up along with it, giving a superficial appearance that the health of the "average" person is improving. As far as government-run "health" initiatives go, I see no reason to think that these would not be resisted, and effectively, by the people they are designed to target. So, is there any reason to think that the increase in obesity will slow down, or even that the trend will reverse itself? |
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| XaNaX |
| Solution = start putting methamphetamine in the water |
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| jdat |
the trend is a combination of a sedentary lifestyle and excessive eating.
Reverse the trend and problem solved. |
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| tubularbills |
one solution.
put the ing fork down. |
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| pvdAngel |
| quote: | Originally posted by tubularbills
one solution.
put the ing fork down. |
+1
Eat healthily and exercise regulary, those are the keys to a healthy lifestyle and a possibility of a long life. Having a treat once in a while is no harm but just don't indulge.
In terms of kids who are growing up in the UK, healthier schools meals are being put in place. It didn't get a good response right away but it seems to be working slowly but surely. |
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| AirPole |
It's not that hard...
Eat healthier and on a more regular basis, quit the McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King orwhatever things you have in the US. Exercise more. |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
| quote: | Originally posted by jdat
the trend is a combination of a sedentary lifestyle and excessive eating.
Reverse the trend and problem solved. |
That is the thing, though: I see little reason to believe that the trend will be reversed. As physical activity becomes less and less necessary and medical life-saving procedures become more and more effective and sophisticated, people can look forward to longer and "healthier" lives (healthier than those of obese people in the past) while still being overweight or obese. |
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| Slylee |
| quote: | Originally posted by tubularbills
one solution.
put the ing fork down. |
haha i was gonna post this. dennis leary right? |
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| tranceDJ |
Theres too much food in countries like the US and the majority of the food being manufactured is terrible for you to eat.
It's really all about money. Food companies need to make money, make their shareholders happy. By using cheap ingredients and cheap processes to make food, they save money but at the expense of their customers' health. Many of these cheaper ingredients such as hydrogenated oils and such are much worse for you to eat and will cause weight gain. So many more people end up being overweight...and when people are overweight guess what? they tend to eat even more. So overweight people are a huge benefit to food companies, to lose them would be to lose business.
Yes, the answer is for these people to look at ingredients and know what they're eating and stop eating the bad foods but it's more complicated than that. There are so many foods that are unhealthy it really is difficult for the average person to avoid them. People really need to educate themselves about what they should and shouldn't eat if they're going to be healthy.
I think the food industry needs slightly tougher regulations too. Some of these companies produced food that is awful for you and sell it for dirt cheap at places like walmart, of course less-fortunate people are going to buy it and become unhealthy. We as a country have to look at ourselves and the image we create with a population that has almost a 50% obesity rate. We have a food surplus that would feed most of the world a few times over and all we are doing is stuffing the majority of that surplus into our faces. |
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| guster |
| quote: | Originally posted by XaNaX
Solution = start putting methamphetamine in the water |
lol.
i agree with more hot pockets.
"diarrhea pooooockets." -jim gaffigan |
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