The War On Fat

[CaptainObviousXL]

I dont really know where i should post health related posts.

I was reading through this article http://www.slate.com/id/2139941/ and i agree with many of its points. Being 17 i know how hard it is for kids to know what foods to choose. I myself feel that i didn't understand at all about nutrition i just understood what was being shown on a commercial after rugrats. I used to be overweight until a little after i entered into high school and thankfully learned more about a more proper nutrition and that i was the real problem. I now feel like i was puting junk into my body constantly. Idk if food should be regulated like tobacco but i do know that children are innocent victims to the food industry.

The liberal half of the argument is that kids are too young to make informed choices. In this case, it's true. Studies show that little kids ask for products they see on television; fail to distinguish ads from programs; and are heavily targeted by companies peddling candy, fast food, and sugared cereal.

[Deacon]

This is my theory of the increase in obesity in children and adults alike. And how to fight it!

The average American day is very busy, with parents working almost all day, and having busier schedules many parents or adults don't have time to cook, but find it convient to get fast food for themselves and their children. Some parents take their children 5-8 times a week! Such a massive intake of high calorie and fatty foods is a bad mix with the kids growing body. Overtime they become heavier and heavier. If the parents are always working and the kids are stuck at home, boredom is know to make people eat even when they are not hungry. So, I think that to is a cause.

The way I think it should be solved is by companies allowing the parents to have shorter worktimes, just enough so they can give themselves and their kids a decent meal.

Another solution is for the fast food and snack companies to stop putting cartoon characters on their food, and instead healthier food should have the royalty of placing catching cartoon characters on their foods.

NavyPilot21, Over and Out

[penmyst]

It's unreal. Totally un-f***ing real...

-from the article:

"How do we fight it? Everyone agrees on exercising and eating responsibly. The debate is over what the government should do?"

NOTHING!!! THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO NOTHING!!!

It is NONE of their business!

For the love of all gods, why do people think the government deserves MORE intrusion into their lives??

I agree with Slate that the "war on fat" will most likely never fly. But when you think about the sheer absurdity of the "war on tobacco" and how gov't house along with leftist nazis have gotten away with literally raping a LEGAL industry such as tobacco.... I just don't know sometimes.

[Old Corps Gunny]

Penmyst is partially correct -- I don't think we need legislation to address this problem. I do think it should be handled at the least with education and by the school board(s) mandating physical education. Too many districts are cutting back on Phys Ed programs citing a lack of funds (but give teachers paid days off in lieu of pay raises). We, as the adults, have a responsibility to the children to provide them a healthy environment; we also have a responsibility to our society as a whole not to create generations that will be an unnecessary burden on the health care system. We also need to provide safe, drug-free recreation areas to play ball, skateboard, and take part in other physical activities. This requires effort on the part of the community and law enforcement. Education, funding and security -- I don't view that as government intrusion, just community involvement.

[George W Bush]

McDonalds ought to incorporate gyms for grownups. They already have (somewhat) of a gym for kids. Let the adults play too (in their own playground, of course).
Good business idea, dont ya think?

[bobbylien]

The problem isnt parents working late.. its that kids have much more entertainment these days and would rather stay inside and play video games then go outside and play some basketball. That IS the problem. Fast food has always been there and kids have always eaten it. Americans need to put down the xbox controller and go outside. That is the solution. People are responsible for their own actions and its parents who allow their kids to sit inside all day who should be punished. Not McDonalds.

[bobbylien]

There is one more thing that I'd like to add to this issue. Why does McDonalds always seem to be at the center of this issue? You could eat just as badly, and actually much worse at subway or ANY other resturant as you can at McDonalds. I do think that putting a "value meal" like the double quarter ponder w/cheese in there (with 108% fat and 128% saturated fat). In the end it is the responsibility of the person ordering his/her food to choose a reasonable meal. This is funny because liberals usually seem to promote personal responsibility, but in this case they argue against it. That just doesn't make much sense to me. If we can't trust our people to choose their food wisely how can we possibly give them the option to drink or smoke themselves to death.

The biggest problem is that people try to skip meals to lose weight, which almost always ends up in their "diet" failing because skipping meals will leave you with a lower metabolism and feeling much hungrier and causing you to overeat. A good diet usually includes the 3 main meals and 2 small snacks each day. Our school system needs to do more to teach kids about these things.

[Hendrik]

I think a basic knowledge about food is something that parents should teach their kids.

I hear people how hard it is to stay at a normal weight. Bullshit. It's very easy, You needn't buy a book. You needn't take a course, just use the following instructions:

Do not try to make a diet.
Diets are invented to sell books about diets, or to make you watch this diet series on tv (and all the commercials that come with them).

Eat vegetables/fruits. Buy your vegetables/fruits at quality store (if you can aford it). I don't know how this is in the USA, but here in Germany there is a market once a week in every town, where farmers sell their goods. If you buy something from one farmer regularily you can make a deal with him for better prices. After a while you will really like their freshness and sweet taste. Not so much cake, chocolate and candy. Prefer tea, water and fruit juce over coke/full of sugar drinks. Dont eat so much MC Donalds, ... 1 time every 2 weeks is maximum.
Cook meals yourself of fresh vegetables. You can still eat a nice steak 3 or 4 times a week, no problem with that. Frozen food is junk food (Even if it says healthy bullshit inside).
Try no do drink so much beer. If you want to really get drunk prefer vodka or wine, or stop drinking alcohol at all.
Do sports 2 or 3 times a week, event if its just going for a walk. Try to use a bike/go by foot for all distances less than 1 Mile.
Do NOT give candy / coke / chocolate to a kid below 6 years (giving sweets to a small kid is not nice, its a crime. Only do it on rare occasions like christmas,...), there is a high chance, that its teeth will be damaged for a lifetime!

The sport part is extremely important. I recommend running. Start out with running 2 times a week, 45 minutes each session. It's not important how far you run or how fast. It's only important that you run for more than 30 minutes. If you havent done any sports by now, then run very very slow, but run. Start Right Now!

Once you get used to that sport thing you will become obsessed by a healthy lifestyle/food and get a nice sexy weight.
Thats all.

Hendrik

[bobbylien]

Eat vegetables/fruits. Buy your vegetables/fruits at quality store (if you can aford it). I don't know how this is in the USA, but here in Germany there is a market once a week in every town, where farmers sell their goods.

We have tons of those around here. My parents actually grow strawberries and raspberries and I sell them at local farmers markets. I'm not sure if they have many farmers markets in bigger cities but around madison, every town has one once a week including Madison(the capitol of Wisconsin) which has several different ones.
The problem is that our schools don't teach enough about weight and healthy eating. Sure saying that parents should do it is reasonable, but according to the fact that 63% of Americans are overweight they arent. Even if parents teach their kids about these things, theres nothing wrong with them hearing it again.
As for alcohol, I know this isn't a debate on alcohol, but anyone who wants to be health concious shouldn't drink. Sure studies have said that small amounts of alcohol can do good in some cases, but just as many say that alcohol is terrible for you even in small amounts. The cons far outweigh the pros of drinking.

[bobbylien]

Do not try to make a diet.
Diets are invented to sell books about diets, or to make you watch this diet series on tv (and all the commercials that come with them).

Actually trying to make a diet for yourself is one of the best things you can do. Just try to keep calorie intake low. Most of these big commercial diet programs try to make losing weight seem hard. Its not if you just cut the amount of calories you bring in and exercise. Eating 3500 less calories equals 1lb less fat. Its as simple as that.