Discussion of the Week #1 - Obesity

J

Juliacoolo

Welcome to Discussion of the Week! Some of you Pokebeach vets may remember this being done by our good friend Bacon, so I thought I'd start it up again.

In discussion of the week, I'll be posting weekly topics (or every two weeks, if discussion stays strong for 2 weeks) for people to discuss, and give their opinions on.

These threads will cover current, important, large, and sometimes even slightly controversial topics to ensure a good amount of discussion can be generate. In the past, some of DoWs have turned into flame wars. These controversial topics will be avoided, but if a topic of "friction" does come up, please save yourself a 50% chunk of warning by keeping your posts sober.




Obesity. For an especially North American Dominated forum, this issue affects every one of us in one way or another. It could be a friend, family member, or even yourself. Living in America means obesity is always around the corner.

Obesity caused numerous problems in society. Many of the school-aged members on Pokebeach, have probably witness bullying as a result of Obesity. Obesity can often affect the self esteem, worth ethic, and general emotional state of those who suffer from it. It is also no secret that the hindrances of Obesity can hurt more than just the state of mind. Hundreds of major diseases are linked to Obesity, which results in lots of extra money spent on medical bills, and the price of medical insurance rising for everyone. Even small things like clothes are difficult to those suffering from obesity. Finding plus sized clothes at normal shops is unlikely, and specialized plus sized clothing retailers like Casual Male XL and Katherine's Plus sized charge much more for clothes than the average person can afford.


Many people blame the low-quality, unhealthy food sold in fast food restaurants for these growing issues. While we all can agree that the nature of their food contributes to the issue, others argue it's the responsibility of the consumer to watch what they eat, and that since they are not being forced to eat "junk" food, the fast-food industry is hardly to blame.


What are your thoughts on obesity? Who's truly at fault, and what can we do to do help the cause?
 
You control your actions. Would you blame smoking on cigarettes? Thank you Juliacoolo for bringing his back :)
 
#1weavile said:
You control your actions. Would you blame smoking on cigarettes?
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Yes I would. Addiction.
The taste of Fast Food to some people is like Nicotine.
 
While there's no doubt that fast food chains and poor eating in general have caused a huge upsurge in obesity, the fault of America's obesity lies in... obese people.

Sure, genetics help determine body type. One may have to diet conservatively to keep the same weight as someone who can eat as much as he or she wants. But there is truly, truly no excuse to be overweight to the point of obesity that one can't control.

Now, unhealthy eating. It's definitely a problem. We've entered an age where fatty, greasy, cheap food is produced and sold in mass, which contributes to obesity. But we live in free market economies (for the most part), so caveat emptor- let the buyer beware. If one decides to eat foods that will hurt him/herself, it is the fault of him/herself entirely. No one is forced to eat McDonalds.

BrOkenICE said:
Yes I would. Addiction.
The taste of Fast Food to some people is like Nicotine.
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Oh, come on. It has no addictive properties. That's like saying anything that tastes good is addictive... people can stop eating fast food habitually much more easily than a smoker can stop smoking. Besides, saying you blame it on the food is like saying our drug problem is marijuana's fault. Sure, any drug problem would be lessened by removing the drug, but peoples' choices are more to blame.
 
Did you know that more kids (toddlers an babies) know who Ronald McDonald is than those who know who Jesus is.

Advertising is a major factor. It makes it look fun to eat McDonald's. Kids beg to eat there.

Not to mention the play areas. It gives them good memories at McDonald's. (More on that in a second)

(Mconald's is the biggest problem so I'm focusing there)
 
BrOkenICE said:
Did you know that more kids (toddlers an babies) know who Ronald McDonald is than those who know who Jesus is.
...so? That doesn't really have a whole lot to do with obesity. Anyways, people can still eat at McDonald's and be skinny. It's called exercise; and I feel like that's a larger problem than JUST eating fast food. It's not as though anyone who eats McDonald's is condemned to a life of obesity.

Advertising is a major factor. It makes it look fun to eat McDonald's. Kids beg to eat there.
Parents can say no. They just need to grow a darn backbone.

Not to mention the play areas. It gives them good memories at McDonald's.
Again, parents have the ability to say no. Once children are at the age where they can decide for themselves, it's their own faults.

(Mconald's is the biggest problem so I'm focusing there)
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Alright, (this is good practice for me) I don't know why people are addicted. I do think this:

It's hard to find anyone who doesn’t know McDonald's Golden Arches. When you’re driving down the highway and you see the logo high in the sky and you are almost immediately reminded that you are very hungry, and of course you have no choice but to stop in for some ries, maybe a soda, and your supposed to be eating dinner so get a Big Mac to. In fact, make it two Big Macs because you can’t supersize anymore (thanks to that movie).

And most adults have very good memories in McDonald's. Playing in the play place, opening a happy meal that the parents got for you as a thank you. Tasty fries, a burger and a drink. Even a toy.

Then the kid grows up. Because of those fond memories at the Golden Arches they go back. I think they want to relive those memories or something.

America is slowly becoming lazy. Everything is becoming easier. More convenient. People don't want to exercise. They would rather watch tv. Kids would like to play video games. And the internet offers a lot.

Why go exercise?
 
Great topic, Juliacoolio!

For some, this may seem like uninteresting babble, but hopefully others might learn a thing or two...

I actually just finished up a college class about obesity/eating disorders on Friday. It was a really interesting class -- one module was about the psychobiological aspects of obesity. Some people actually have a genetic preference for fatty foods, and when coupled with weak satiation, there can be an increase in fat intake as well as portion size (because their chemical pathways triggering feeling of fullness are dulled).

Leptin is a hormone produced primarily by fat cells in the body which serve to regulate food intake, metabolic rate, and fat storage -- essentially the entire pathway from food consumption to getting fat. When leptin levels rise in the body, your brain (should) give you a sense of being full. It's been thought that obese individuals are less sensitive to leptin, so they need more of it for it to work...this is why leptin levels are elevated in obese individuals (even though you would assume that an increase in leptin levels would mean a decrease in hunger). The problem is, as one gains more and more weight, your body gets less and less sensitive to leptin -- so you eat more. Unfortunately, it's a pretty downward spiral.

As for the problem of fast foods, it's important to keep in mind not only the poor nutritional value of the food itself, but also the fact that portion sizes are getting out of control. Most everything is okay in moderation, but it's hard to eat in moderation when even a "small" size is more than enough!

I have more to talk about, but I'll leave it at this for now. That's just the tip of the iceberg...we had a guest speaker talk about the effects of a "Western diet" (aka high carb, high fat) on mouse livers -- pretty disgusting stuff right there!
 
Ok. Here's my opinion. I don't really want to discuss it, since it is pretty firmly set in stone, but feel free to comment.

Yes, America has the most Obesity, but is it a surprise? This is probably obvious, but the reason for this is that America is a wealthy nation, with the ability to use the media and marketing to get people to buy things they want, not what they need. For example, fast food. Yeah, its AMAZING to some people including me, but I agree that it is generally very unhealthy. But its not the only factor. Our nation's wealth not only lets us indulge in foods, it allows us to be lazy. Almost every kid in America has some sort of video game. Yeah yeah, I brought THIS up. But there is no doubt that some kids become 'addicted' to games. And by that, I mean they spend too many hours gaming, and less hours doing more physically productive things. This can go for the internet too. But with these lazy habits combined with fast food, it becomes pretty easy for kids and adults alike to become overweight.

But there is something else. Before you reply to the above, I know what you will say: "It's the parent's faults!!" and I have to agree. Until a kid becomes like 16 they rely on their parents for stuff like food. Once 16, you start to drive and work, and eat with friends and stuff. Until then, parents are responsible for your food choices. Now before anyone says anything, here is me: I am 16. I HATE pretty much ALL fruits and vegatables. I only really eat some Potatoes and Corn. I'll eat a banana or whatever every once in awhile, but that's it. I also eat fast food a lot. Like 4 times a week sometimes. I am not obese. Check this:

A BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index) It basically tells you if you are fat or not. The Percentile tells you how big you are compared to other Americans. The number allows you to see if yo are overweight, underweight, or healthy. It is generally: 25 and up is 'Overweight', while 30+ is considered 'Obese'. 17-22 is 'Average' and considered healthy. Less than 17 is underweight. I personally am at the 44th percentile. (44% skinnier than others that are 16 and 5'11'') And my BMI is 21.6.

Feel free to check yours, but it surprises me, because I'm in a really good range despite my bad eating habits. This leads me to believe that people just have HORRIBLE diets. Now I know that everyone's bodies are different and take on food and carbs differently, but still. In a world where people live off of social acceptance, you would think everyone would watch their weight sternly. But a lot of times it starts with kids, and I think the word should be spread more to parents. But people are ignorant. Its sad to see a family where the parents are obese and then look and their kids are so overweight too. Oh, and on the topic of special Obese clothing costing more, that's obvious, because it takes sooo much more fabric to make it haha.

Let me know if I failed to address anything. Also, as a Christian, what Broken said is disturbing. Parents should teach their children about Jesus. But then again, America isn't really a Christian nation. But that doesn't mean we should worship fast food.
 
safariblade said:
A BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index) It basically tells you if you are fat or not. The Percentile tells you how big you are compared to other Americans. The number allows you to see if yo are overweight, underweight, or healthy. It is generally: 25 and up is 'Overweight', while 30+ is considered 'Obese'. 17-22 is 'Average' and considered healthy. Less than 17 is underweight. I personally am at the 44th percentile. (44% skinnier than others that are 16 and 5'11'') And my BMI is 21.6.
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While safariblade brings up a useful tool, it's important to note that the result can be slightly skewed if you're muscular (muscle > fat, weight wise). BMI doesn't take that kind of lean weight into account.
 
I got 21.2 BMI (15, 6' 3", 170 lb)

One of the things that go rather unnoticed is that being overweight doesnt mean you're automatically unhealthy. There are plenty of overweight people (Not obese, just overweight) who are much much healthier than skinny people with fast metabolisms that eat junk food all day. If you eat right and excessive regularly, you can be fairly healthy regardless of weight.
 
In my opinion, obesity is more of a medical issue, than a "food problem". I mean, if you think about it, whether a person is heavier than another due to the fact that they eat to replace an emptiness in their heart or whether if its a functional body problem, either way, its medical (well, medical or psychological). I think that if we "stop and smell the roses" once in a while, and don't let our selves get lost in the daily stressing activity we need to do (such as work), maybe, perhaps, arguably, i don't know....there wouldn't be as many people with this problem. Anyway, this is my opinion and I'm new here (jumped right in) so...feel free to contradict and debate. Anyhow, obesity is a real problem, as thousands of victims are struck every day, month or year by it and I'm glad someone brought it up. (I was looking for something else here, but the subject caught my attention )
 
123wert50 said:
Fast Food is at fault.

I'm muscular/skinny from football and baseball and hockey.
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You can cut down on fast food all you want but if you don't get your exercise and proper diet you'll be fat as heck.

Health is all about numerous factors, diet, exercise and lifestyle. I'm not from North America but I do see that the problem is getting worse and worse. Restaurants start to serve healthier meals and stuff like that but we gotta do our part too. Regular exercise like jogging or even walking can reduce odds of getting fat. I just walk a lot to get to my classes every day and I'm not that fat or heavy. I also eat Fastfood, Chips and Instant noodles so food isn't the main reason. Just go out and exercise and fix the diet a little with some greens and USA will have that problem solved.

Also, for those who are blaming fastfood, blame sugar instead.. your sodas are chock-full of them and I've never drank a soda for the past year.
 
Not everything in regards to weight has to do with laziness and fast food. When I was younger, I was always heavy. Heck, I still am. We ate well at the house. I was very active, and always outside on my bike and running around with my friends. Video games were there, sure, but at the time, we only had the Sega Genesis. That kept our attention for short periods of time, but we always preferred running around outside. My body has never metabolized calories like most other people. I still gained weight.

Now, I will take a lot of the blame and shift my more recent weight gain on my mother. When I was living at home after I graduated from college, it was eating out twice a day. We NEVER cooked at the house, and I gained a lot of weight after that. I didn't have a job at the time, so i couldn't really buy any food in the house, and what we ate was what she bought. This was usually cheap fast food.

I moved out of my mom's house about 6 months ago. Since that point in time, I've kicked dieting into high gear, and I've been able to shave some weight off my body. I have to be extra careful with what I consume though. I want to try and lose more weight, but I'm not sure how much I can lose with my thyroid failing like it is.

Medications can also cause weight gain. I know many diabetics who gain weight from the insulin. It's a really common problem for them.
 
Ha, I'm happy to see these discussions return.

Obesity isn't the fast food industries' problem. How you eat, and the lifestyle that you choose to live is the biggest factor of your weight and overall health. Everyone has a choice; even those individuals with a psychological displacement to eat more and more (as alluded to in CMP's post).

Sometimes it has nothing to do with the person. People who are born into a family with genetically larger bones are often labeled as 'Fat' when they really aren't. I had a friend like this who was bullied for 10 years until he reached a breaking point and finally left the school.

Quite honestly, I think kids in schools these days need to grow up. There's not one school in America, I'm sure, that doesn't have a bullying problem in one form or another because of someone who is overweight. It's rediculous.
 
Anyways. Mcdonalds lures people in. How many of you have bought a happy meal to get that "cool" pokemon card?
 
For the most part (excluding medical reasons/genetics), obesity is a choice. People ust don't like to take blame for their own dumb actions. Always looking for someone else to blame... :/ You touch the fire, you get burned, and you have NO ONE to blame but your self. You eat badly, you get fat, and you have NO ONE to blame but your self.

Ohhh poor me, the fast food companies tricked me and advertised their food so I was FORCED to eat there. Ya right... Seriously people, learn a little self restraint, and stop blaming other people/entities for your own dumb problems that you alone are at fault for.
 
Weight gain: energy input > energy output.

Weight loss: energy input < energy output.

Essentially, that's what it boils down to. You could eat at McDonalds every day, and although you'd likely be opening a whole new can of health issues, you would still lose weight as long as you burned more calories than you consume. Fact is: fast food isn't the only problem. A lot of it is poor lifestyle choices in general.
 
DarthPika, let's not kid ourselves into thinking that this is an issue which can be summed up as "Fast food is bad for you, so don't eat it".

What about the kids who grow up with parents who feed them vast quantities of fast food, whose health will be compromised for the rest of their lives, who will no doubt suffer bullying at school for their size?

What of those who eat recklessly and put pressure on healthcare systems, draining government funding, and divert medical attention from those who are not in control of their situation?

What does this say about adult responsibilities, and whether or not it is the government's responsibility to nanny the state and restrict freedom of food consumption to stop people from killing themselves?

I could go on, but I've made my point. Stop treating this like it's a problem with a simple solution, people.
 
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