Why are we so Fat?

Im watching this debate show; The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 (in the UK), the topic was 'Why are we so fat?', and one of the 'experts' - didnt catch his occupation, claims there's a better case for banning diets than banning smoking in terms of the detrimental effect they have on the nations health and the finances of the NHS.

I actually think he makes a really good point, the 'obesity epidemic' IS obviously because people eat too much, but the yoyo dieting; starvation to overloading and the complete lack of nutritional knowledge among a huge percentage of the country, perhaps leads to more health issues than the original problem of just being fat.

It is scary though that eating too much has become more of a health issue than willingly rotting your own lungs...

(on a side note, there was also an interesting point that whilst drugs for cancer treatments on the NHS are often being rationed and only available on a postcode lottery in some places, a huge amount of money is being spent on gastric band surgeries and other health treatments for the obese. Its so wrong; i refuse to accept those two conditions merit the same, or the latter MORE spending-whatever people argue about reasons for obesity-i believe the majority is self-inflicted.)

Paul McKenna claims that the obesity epidemic is down to diets too, people starve themselves whilst on the diet and when they come off they eat twice as much as they would normally thus gain back more than what they lost, they repeat this again and again gaining a little more each time!

I do agree with this to some degree but as with everything not the case on every account.

On the subject of the NHS:

A friend of mine went for a general health check up.  He was told that due to his age (49), cholesterol level and family history that he had a 10% chance of having a stroke. 

Just out of interest he asked her what the chance would be if he was a smoker - she inputted that into her computer and it told her that it was now a 30% chance.

If he was a smoker she would prescribe statin to reduce the cholesterol level and lessen the chance of a stroke.  But because he was not a smoker she would not prescribe it but suggested he lose weight instead.

The excuse was due to budget allocation - He felt that it was discrimination against him because he was a non smoker.  I wonder what she would have done if he was obese.

In my opinion, i think it's the idea that you eat until you're FULL, not until you're satisfied.  It's a philosophy that I think we adapt very early on in life and just stick with it.  Over time the amount of food it takes for you to feel full grows and grows.  Then one day, you wonder why you can't see your private parts without a mirror.

We never learn what it means to portion and moderate.

...and I completely agree with your side note

my $.02

It's simple, we're fat because food is cheap.

Original Post by floggingsully:

It's simple, we're fat because food is cheap.

 And livin' is easy.

Original Post by trhawley:

 And livin' is easy.

 Isn't that summertime Tom?

Original Post by glinda:

Original Post by trhawley:

 And livin' is easy.

 Isn't that summertime Tom?

 Food is Cheap,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are frozen'
And so is the Pie

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
And eat that Pie

One of these mornings
You're going wake up hungery
The food will be gone
No a scrap in the sky

But till that morning
There's a'nothing can starve you
With daddy and mamma standing by

Food is Cheap,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are Frozen
And so is the Pie

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
And eat that Pie

Somehow, it sounds different from when Ella sings it.

I read one study which attributed the mass amount of growing waistlines to sedentary lifestyles. Food also plays a role, however, inactivity does come with a price. Video games, computers, jobs based around computers, cars, food stores and schools farther away from homes... these are all factors.

the formula:

Increased non-nutritional food intake + sedentary lifestyles = obesity epidemic! 

it just occurred to me that most of these studies on the obesity epidemic focus on what obese people are doing.  but obese people are still in the minority.  why isn't anybody doing studies on what people at healthy weights are doing?  isn't that more likely to give us the information we need?

edit: scratch that.  having just done a study with people with eating disorders (most of whom are at perfectly healthy weights), i realize that the above is a stupid idea.

we should be studying people who rate their quality of life as "very good" to "exceptional."

correct me if i'm wrong, and depending on where you live it will vary slightly, but in the u.s.

30% are obese
35% are overweight
33% are healthy weight
2% are underweight

so all groups are in the minority

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

correct me if i'm wrong, and depending on where you live it will vary slightly, but in the u.s.

30% are obese
35% are overweight
33% are healthy weight
2% are underweight

so all groups are in the minority

my point, nomo, was that there are healthy people out there.  i didn't say they were in the majority.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

why isn't anybody doing studies on what people at healthy weights are doing?  isn't that more likely to give us the information we need?

Don't we already pretty much know what people at healthy weights are doing? What to do to maintain a healthy weight isn't some big mystery. 

sure, sully, we "know" - but if we're going to talk about research, that's a different kind of knowing.

i also think that kind of research might help to dispell the myths that exercise only happens in the gym, and that healthful eating means being half starved.

and it seems like people who maintain healthy weights throughout their lifetimes are an endangered species.  like any other species at risk, we need to learn what we can about them before it's too late.

The reason people are fat...is.....

They eat too much!

Thats it, nothing else. Its not diets its not sitting around...its simply eating too much.

You dont need to move to stay a normal weight (you just need to cut back calories a little to account for lack of activity).

The problem? No one stresses this SIMPLE fact. Instead, they say things like "sugar will make you fat!" or "donuts make you fat! not fruits!" or "bread is evil! and anything manufactured is unhealthy / will make you fat!"....

That is all BS....because it has nothing to do with what you are eating (you can eat nothing but cake if you want)....the ONLY thing that makes you fat is eating more calories than you use....there is absolutely NOTHING else going on. Thats the simple mechanic behind getting fat.....

Study healthy people to see what they're doing?  That's a pretty good idea.  Here's something to start with.

How do Italians Stay so Slim

Original Post by nomoreexcuses:

correct me if i'm wrong, and depending on where you live it will vary slightly, but in the u.s.

30% are obese
35% are overweight
33% are healthy weight
2% are underweight

so all groups are in the minority

 Actually technically, the 'healthy weight' people are at a huge minority.  There are 65% 'overweight (because obese is 'overweight')' people in this country! Holy crap.