The Obesity Epidemic

Aquajock

Aquajock

Cathlete
It appears that public institutions, including the popular media, are now paying an extraordinary amount of attention to the "obesity epidemic", and I'd be curious to hear others' opinions on the matter.

IMHO, obese people are society's new whipping posts, especially obese women, and they are the targets of an enormous moral and aesthetic diatribe that is kind of pathological. (BTW, nowhere do you see that more than in the professional fitness community!) In this diatribe, the real health dangers of obesity take a far back seat, and create such a sense of shame for obese people that there is a very understandable reluctance to address their condition for fear of inviting even more attention on them.

That said, also IMHO, obesity is indeed an epidemic, and sadly the cultural dialog in public institutions (the media, the nationally funded health organizations, even the IRS) still over-focuses on food intake and give only the most passing attention to the other half of the problem: sedentary living. It also overfocuses on the most obvious visual effect of sedentary living - obesity - and almost ignores the more insidious effect of decreased cardiovascular/pulmonary function, decreased joint mobility, decreased muscle capacity and mass, decreased bone density, etc. Even the IRS, which recently started offering a tax break to people who are significantly "overweight" for certain expenses to address their overweight through exercise, states that people who exercise "just for cosmetic purposes" don't deserve the breaks.

IMHO, there should be tax incentives for EVERYONE to exercise, regardless of what their motivations for doing so are! IMHO, there should be mandated exercise breaks during the workday just as there are mandated lunch breaks. IMHO, there should be a weekly section of every newspaper dedicated to modes of exercise just as there are weekly sections devoted to food and restaurants. And IMHO, we have GOT to stop bashing obese people for the visible aspect of their condition!

Just my $.02 - anyone care to offer theirs?

Annette
 
Along these lines (and I agree with all of your opinions btw), I have a neighbor who is very overweight. She's started and stopped numerous "plans" (none of which included exercise because she doesnt like to sweat). Her husband apparently has been giving her a hard time about being overweight to the point where it is affected their marriage, although there are also other factors in that. He has said, to me, that it is every man's nightmare....find a hot girl, get married, she says to herself "I've got my man now, who cares how I look?" and lets herself go. She feels like he is not supportive of her and should love her no matter what size she is. He says that he loves her he just isnt attracted to her anymore.

My thoughts on this (granted I have no personal experience in this so I dont know how I'd really feel if I were in this position) is that he has a point. First of all, I have always felt that being overweight (severely that is) has a whole lot of underlying issues than just overeating, lack of exercise. Such as, low selfesteem, lack of self love, and general unhappiness. All of which is exacerbated (sp?) by being/becoming overweight. He says he's not attracted to her. Well, who wouldnt feel the same way if they were totally honest? If my husband gained 100 lbs I guarantee I wouldnt be hopping into bed with him left and right. Shallow maybe, honest yes. I doubt its helping her by being on her case constantly so he is wrong in that. But while his method is wrong, his motive is true I think.

YOu cant expect others to love you if you don't love yourself and if you love yourself I don't think you'd let yourself go. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you'll all jump all over me for saying this. I weighed about 30 lbs over weight before starting to workout and get healthy about 5 yrs ago. I wasnt happy with myself and knew I could be better and worked hard at it. Still do. I'm a work in progress. I take alot of pride in my body and my health and its difficult to understand people who don't feel the same. And I used to hate to sweat too. :)

Anyway, I'm just curious on everyone's take on the neighbors situation. Let the discussion begin!
 
I have mixed feelings about your neighbor's situation. I think that the husband has a legitimate point, in that he also might not be attracted to his wife if her personality underwent a drastic transformation as well. What I'm trying to say is that we fall in love with the "total package" of the person we marry, and any changes that happen afterwards can & do affect how we feel about our partner. That being said, the physical part is SUPPOSED to be superficial & not represent who we truly are, but the reality is we are attracted to people based on physical AND psychological characteristics. I think that the wife needs to feel that she is losing or not losing weight for HERSELF, and not to please her husband or anyone else. That all goes back to self esteem, and feeling that she is a worthwhile person.
My mother has battled this same issue for years. She is obese now, and was hounded by her in-laws rather than my father in the years that I was growing up. I remember seeing her crying & asking why they couldn't accept who she was. She went on diet plan after diet plan & they didn't do any good because she was determined that she was NOT going to lose weight just to spite them & maintain some control over her own situation. That is my take on it, anyway (my primary background is in psychology, although I only practice it on a strictly amateur basis!!)
Do they do any activities together, i.e. take walks or bike ride around the neighborhood? These kind of things are not considered typical "exercises" & may encourage the wife to consider an exercise program. Yes, exercise is critical to losing & maintaining weight, as I think everyone who reads this forum agrees with this!
I'm sorry this is so long..it reminded me of a tough situation. I empathize with the neighbors---both the husband & the wife. I hope they resolve their situation.

Leslie
 
Hiya Aquajock

Your comments reminded me of a very close friend of mine. For years she has had a thyriod problem which meant that she was very slim and could not put on much weight.

Suddenly about 3 years ago her weight plummeted alarmingly leading to her having surgery and being put on steriods.

Now many of her friends knew this (her health problems) and dramatic weight loss. But she began to get big (due to the steriods) people her so called friends began making negative comments about her weight x(.

I didn't know her very well at the time but even I realised that something was wrong. But friends of hers at the time were really hurtful to her even though many of them had known her for years (she had recently got married for the second time and they accused her of letting herself go). Conversly many of the same people when I got down to 119 lbs kept saying they thought I was anorexic x( !!

People (I include the medical provision and the media) should realise that obesity is not just due to overeating, there are often other factors that should be included and commented on.

Glad to get that off my chest :-jumpy

Keep up the discussion.

Babs
 
Jumping in with both feet here! :)
As many of you who've been here on the forum for the last year know, the subject of obesity is very close to my heart. Having previously (recently) been extremely obese, I know in my own individual case, it wasn't a medical problem, but one involving "issues" that were never addressed. Issues involving my self esteem, parental (father) issues, and just in general not feeling worthy of "better!" Additionally, once I passed a certain point with my weight, I "believed" I had gone too far to go back, so why even bother trying to lose, it'll never come off in THIS lifetime. So it was just easier for me to eat something and "forget about it!"
But as I've lost weight it surprises me how my focus has changed. Initially, I didn't give a hoot about increasing my cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary capacity, or stronger bones, etc. All I cared about was losing weight to look better. But as i've lost, and read numerous pieces of literature on the benefits of exercise, and as i've felt my strength increase, and basically witnessed my body's ability to do things it NEVER did before at 375lbs, I have changed my whole focus on "fitness."
Yes, losing the weight has sent my self esteem through the roof (sometimes I'm dang near conceited!), and it has helped me deal with the parental issues, but now it's all about me doing it for me and in an effort to get my body to a place it was intended to be-fit and healthy, not for looks, but in order to live as long and healthy a life as I am physically able.
People who knew me "then" and see me "now" always say something like," wow, I almost didn't recognize you, my God you've lose SO much weight!" and I thank them, but how come no one ever says, "wow, how much healthier your heart must be now, and imagine how much less stress you're placing on your organs having loss 200lbs!" Ya know? It's always about cosmetics!
But if I do nothing else with my future, I vow to reach back and help as many obese people over "the line" as I can. Sometimes you just need someone to reach out, and keep the hand out for a few minutes more before you decide to grab hold!
But it is an epidemic, and I think each of us has a responsibility to pass on whatever knowledge we've gained, take a personal interest in someone we know, whatever. Because just like it takes that 1st step to complete any marathon, it takes putting down that 1st cheesesteak to adopt a healthy diet!
Afterall, you don't just "wake up" obese one morning, someone saw it building, and just said nothing! If you had a friend trying to commit suicide by shooting her/himself, would you try to talk them into putting the gun down? or would you say nothing and hope they "figure it out" before it's too late? It may seem like 2 different extremes, but dead is dead! There needs to be incentives for everyone. Incentives for the fit to stay fit and maintain their healthy lifestyles, and incentives for the unfit and obese to gain fitness, because lets face it, I've seen some "thin" unhealthy/unfit people out there too, and although weight may not kill them, an unhealthy lifestyle will.
Okay, sermon over :)

Thanks as always for the wisdom and insight Annette,

Donna
 
Hi Aquajock,

My .02 is YOU are right on all points. Society and the public media are all on the weight loss bandwagon these days with zillions of diet remedies that target the obese for cosmetic reasons and downplay the importance of exercise. Media is the worse, with advertisements of super-size meals and "all you can eat" along with LOSE WEIGHT NOW, yada yada..No one wants to exercise, in fact, the media and the public bend over backwards to find ways to avoid it, make it easier---only 10 minutes per day, lose weight while you sleep, etc.

The government programs and the HMO's, AMA IMHO are not leaning far enough towards the importance of fitness. When was the last time your doctor recommended exercise? A friend of mine recently had her second brother pass away from a massive heart attack. She was told to see a physician for a cat scan, etc. to make sure that she wasn't in danger of one herself. They recommended that she quit smoking and cut down on fatty foods. I asked her if the doctor told her to exercise and she said no, he didn't. I was a little irritated at this and went off on my fitness rant (which usually makes people shake their heads and walk away)! But I believe this is the problem. My own mother who will be 70 does not work out and neither does my father who has heart disease. I tell them that I work out every day because I don't want heart disease and I want to live a long time, but they don't like to hear it. Why won't their doctors insist on it? I am constantly sending them internet articles or magazine clippings on the benefits of exercise, even at their age, but they just smile and say, "oh, we will do it someday". I even gave them tapes and little dumbells and yoga books, but no good. But,they will eat their salmon, fruits and veggies, and take their fish oil pills and gingko for memory.....don't get me started!

Sorry, but this subject really gets to me. And as far as tax incentives, YES they should be for anyone who exercises, regardless of their motive and who's to say what peoples motives are? It should be touted as a health benefit and not something that is done so you can look good in a two-piece! I would love to have a work-out break at work. But then I'd need a shower and some time to do my makeup....;-)So I'll settle for working through lunch so I can get home earlier to do my Cathe tapes!

Well, that's more like 5cents, but, yes, it is a mixed up world, but I believe that it will turn around in time. People will discover, maybe too late, that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is and it takes a lot of hard work and devotion to stay healthy and fit. I'm done.

Donna M
 
I have been on both ends of the spectrum. In college I was anorexic and weighed 101 at 5'7. Now at age 33, having just given birth to my 3rd child 4 weeks ago, I am 235 lbs. I was 135 on my wedding day so I am 100 lbs heavier. Now I am truely blessed with an AMAZING husband. I was complaining about my fat face last night and he actually said "really ,it does not look different to me", now thats love! He told me he can't wait intil my post-partum dr. visit in 2 weeks so I can go back on the pill, so obviously he is still very attracted to me. I Know this weight will come off. I put on 65 lbs with baby 1, lost 60 of it, put on 65 with baby 3, lost 40 of it, and the rest of the weight if from baby 3. But as I said, I am very confident the wieght will come off and I think attitude is everthing.

OK, with that backround in mind I can truely say my self esteem has dropped big time as my weight went up. I used to enjoy being thin and felt in control. I felt proud of how i looked once I dealt with the anorexia. But here is the scary thing, at 101 I used to get complements on my body and the other girls in my dorm at college told me they were jealous. It was a control thing and I actually got positive reinforcemnt at that weight. I think living in the dorms in college and having an eating disorder is a very dangerous combination. After therapy and settling At 135, I had a strong, athletic slim but muscular body. I used to get a lot of attention and complements on my figure from friends/family. As my weight climbed people started talking behind my back, and even calling me fat to my face. My grandfather told me I better lose weight or my DH would leave me because no man wants a fat wife and if he told me he was attracted to me he must be lying. DH overheard and came rushing to my defense. I have also found people treat me very differnt at 235 lbs than 135 lbs. Small things I can't put my finger on.

I agree obesity is an epidemic and that the weight loss industry is taking advantage of this and of people's desperation. I lost weight the old fashioned way with the first 2 (and am doing the same thing now) of keeping a food journal, couting calories, and excercising.

What really upsets me is the JUNK and awful highfat highcalorie/ low nutrient food marketed to kids. My kids are only 3 and 5 and it is sickening how stuff is marketed to them. I don't let them watch very much tv and never commercials but they see the displays in store, learn about it at preschool/summercamp/kindergarden/birthday parties/friends houses. It is so hard to feed to kids healthy these days. We went to the outback recently and has anyone noticed the size ofa kids meal these days in a restaurant. The kids meal is an adult portion, and the adult portions are just outrageiously large. Also, kids menues are all fried/high calorie foods. My kids love fruit/healthy stuff but it is a daily struggle to teach them to eat healthy.

OK, sorry for the long rant, but this topic is close to my heart.
 
re: targeting kids

I can't agree more on the issue of targeting our kids. "They" peddle crap via commercials to our kids, and have you noticed all the "sugery/low fiber/high fat" cereals are right at kids eye level in the grocery store? I have to reach up on the top shelf to grab Kashi, or Fiber 1, or whatever "healthier" choice cereal I'm buying, and there's no "funny" pictures, or toys in MY box of cereal!
These patterns are formed early in life, and we as parents are fighting constantly to find the "happy medium" and it's so hard when McDonald's and Burger King have kids meals with "gotta have" toys in them, and have you tried to go in and get "just" the toy without the happy meal? They don't know how to handle it!
My daughter looks at me like I'm crazy when she says, "I'm not really hungry, I just want something to snack on." and I say, "here honey, I've got either fruit or in the fridge there's some already cut up carrot sticks and celery." I have to check my face in the mirror cause I swear she looks at me like my nose is missing or something!

Donna
 
RE: The Obesity Epidemic - more musings

In addition to a better examination of how public institutions, including the NEWS media as well as advertising and the "diet" (emphasis on "die") industry over-focus on food consumption and the cosmetics of body size, we indeed have to look at ourselves, and perhaps re-assess our own feelings about fatness vs. fitness and self-acceptance. We also need to re-assess our conduct toward our daughters, our sisters, our mothers and our friends, to look at how we might be perpetuating the problem even if we have healthy exercise habits.

I see a lot of fat-panic and insecurity on the Cathe and other forums dedicated to exercise and fitness, and I can't help but wonder if this fat-panic isn't communicated to the ones we love, which they then internalize. I know it was in mine; my mother was very insecure about her weight, was a "professional dieter", and was obsessed as well with my weight and my sister's - while being one of the most sedentary people I have ever known. And in all honesty, one of the early reasons I didn't want to have children was that I was afraid I would instill in my daughter the same obsessions about weight and body size that my mother had and that I have. I may have learned to lay down with the lion, I may have learned how to get and stay lean through low-fat eating habits and good intense exercise, but that doesn't mean my own fat-panic is too far below the surface.

I personally will never again make a comment, positive or negative, about a person's body size. I sincerely believe that if and when the dialog ever shifts from food consumption and cosmetic skinny-aesthetics to exercise for robust vitality, the obesity epidemic may indeed come to the beginning of the end.

Annette
 
RE: re: targeting kids

There's an excellent article on this subject in the latest issue of Newsweek. I haven't done a web search but I'm sure its available on line. They say that "Big Fat" ie. fast foods will be the next target after Big Tobacco, especially the way they target kids who are not old enough to realize they're being subject to advertising hype.

It'll be interesting to see what develops. I know that when I go into those restaurants on occasion, I see a lot of children there. Children can't drive, so someone must drive them. I know that Mothers are so busy today that it's easy to give in and go to a fast food place, but are we shortening are children's lifespan if we do so? I don't pretend to know the answer. I'm just asking.
 
RE: The Obesity Epidemic - more musings

I agree with everything you say Annette. I just wanted to add that there is a multi-million dollar industry that thrives because women are dissatisfied with their bodies (men too, but
mostly women). There is also a lot of confusion about how to battle weight issues, even among obesity experts. There was a recent article in the New York Times Magazine that disputed much of the today's accepted wisdom regarding diet and weight. If the experts don't know, it makes it hard for the rest of us.
Congress held hearings on the issue a few years back. Guess what! They couldn't come to any conclusion.
 
RE: re: targeting kids

This upsets me as well. I feel like my kids get a balance of healthy and unhealthy foods, but compared to all of their friends, I feel like a health food fanatic. What really bothers me is that the teachers and school use junk food as rewards consistently. Even the school nurse and health teacher hand out candy as positive reinforcement. Next year my oldest son will start middle school - no more recess and gym is only offered for half of the school year. But, of course, the cafeteria offers all kinds of crap for the kids to eat. School lunches are horrible and then there are additional snacks/desserts the kids can buy. My kids come home with stories about the other kids' lunches and I can't believe what parents send their kids to school with.
Erica
 
RE: re: targeting kids

The way kids are targeted now may be different than when some of us were kids, but I believe that many of the same results were had through different means for members of our generation(s). Breast-feeding was discouraged for many years while corporations like Nestle lined their pockets with the dirty profits of peddling fat and sugar-laden formulas to our insecure parents. That's where we got our fat and sweet teeth and probably some of our sedentary habits since we (bottle feds) were too obese to move as babies. I also believe that our hunger was never truly satisfied by a food most of which was meant for infant cows, and that that's why we're always looking for a fat fix--to get that full feeling we had as bloated formula-stuffed babies.

Don't get me wrong, I know that many women are truly incapable of nursing and fortunately there are many better choices for bottle feeding now--I don't mean to offend anyone. But my mom was told her breasts were too small to nurse!! (She's a B-cup.)

It seems logical and all too easy for us, with our over-developed sweet teeth, to assume that babies "want" sweet things, too. I went overboard with my son--made all my own natural, low-fat baby food, never gave him anything processed, the sweetest thing he ever ate was a yam until he went to pre-school and got graham crackers. I was obnoxious, and thought I'd really blown it when he became a rebellious adolescent and started eating junk food just to spite me (or so it appeared to my self-righteous self!). However, now that he's 17, he certainly enjoys a candy bar and a soda now and then, but he loves and craves healthy foods most of the time. He practically recoils at the thought of a deep-fried meal. When DH and I get the urge for fish and chips, kid goes across the street for a bean burrito at the taco stand.

For your kids' sake, don't give in to advertising or other arm-twisting tactics of the empty-calorie marketeers. Read "Fast Food Nation" and find out how our entire agriculture industry is geared toward anti-nutrition profit making.

Mass media is supported by fast-food advertising dollars. Do you really think they want to empower the overweight public by encouraging exercise? Isn't it more likely to keep sponsors' profits up if you tell fat people they're bad so they stay in the low self-esteem cycle of eating out of hopelessness?

That's my rambling rant for the day. Great subject, again, Annette!

--Ann
 
RE: The Obesity Epidemic - more musings

This is a terrific thread with lots of great insights!! One thing I've really noticed lately is news reports about obesity in children. There was an article about childhood obesity in one of my local newspapers a few weeks ago that just about blew me away. The reporter interviewed a bunch of parents to get their take on the subject. He talked to one mother who was waiting in her car, beside a school, to pick up her daughter. The mother said something like, "It's really hard for children to be active in our dangerous society. When I was young we used to walk or ride our bikes to school but I just can't let her do that, you just never know what would happen!" From the interview, it seemed that this lady and the reporter had a good long talk. All I could think was, Hello??!! This lady obviously has time on her hands if she can get to the school early enough to get an interview in before her daughter gets out of school Why can't she walk or bike with her to school in the mornings, then walk or bike back to school in the afternoon & accompany her home? Doesn't even have to be every day, but both that mother and daughter would benefit so much! People wish their kids were more active, yet they are such horrible role models. I see it all the time at work -- these couch potatoes who try to get their kids involved in the soccer league, gymnastics, dance, whatever, then get upset when the kids want to quit.
 
RE: The Obesity Epidemic - more musings

This mother would probably tell you "I don't have time, I'm too busy." I hate that excuse....NO ONE IS TOO BUSY!!! You can ALWAYS fit it in if you're determined. Ask our resident nurse (fitnurse?) who works 12 hour shifts and learned how to fit in exercise!!!
 
RE: The Obesity Epidemic - more musings

I thought I would add this to the debate. A study of breakfast cereals in the UK relating to the amount of sugar and fats in breakfast cereal found that along with the usual subjects (the chocolate and sugar laden cereals) that several which where assumed to be on the more healthier scale were infact loaded with sugar (the equivalent of 5 cookies per serving).

This of course goes back to missleading labels and nutritional values. When I first started on my weightloss and even now I find that unless you know what you are looking for it is easy to be mislead. Which can lead to your consuming more calories fats and sugars than you originally thought.

My favourite store has a habit of giving nutrition values of meals per 100g :-mad(the helpings within the box are always 2-3 times the size stated in the table).

Just an addition thought.

:-jumpy Babs
 
I work closely with an obese lady. She is about 52 - 350 pounds. When she started a year ago, I really wanted to somehow help her. I tried to talk a little bit about it with her but she says-Her husband likes her no matter what and she doesn't seem interested in doing anything about it. So I figured she either is happy with her lifestyle (very sedentary) or doesn't know where to begin. A year later, I still don't know how to help her or if she even wants help. I do get tired of her comments about me-my eating habbits, my size, etc. I don't make comments about her or what she eats. Anyway, I feel bad for her and wish there was something I could do.
Joanne
 
I work right next door to the Children's museum, and there's a McDonald's INSIDE the Children's Museum, ground floor. It's actually the front entrance of the museum. Blech.

I was an obese child myself, and I find myself dealing with my feelings regarding my mother who would use me as a human garbage disposal. There was always pressure on me, from her, to finish the leftovers (just about every night). She'd take me to Burger King and let me get the onion rings AND the french fries to go with my burger. I know now, as a healthy adult, that I was being used as an outlet for her own problems, and if I think she had malicious intent I think that would be harsh of me and unfair to her. But children NEED good examples, and they NEED parental guidance and encouragement to become healthy and to learn a healthy lifestyle. As an 185 lb. eigth-grader, I put myself on Weight Watchers frozen meals. I had no back-up. No one asked me if I wanted to find a meeting to attend, or if I wanted to join a gym. Unhealthy kids, unhealthy parents/families. It's so hard for overweight kids. As you can see this is a subject very close to my heart.
Kathy
 
RE: Kids and eating issues

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-05-02 AT 06:51PM (Est)[/font][p]Flip side of the same issue, I have a 4 year old god-daughter who hates to eat. It is a battle at every meal (and this kid is not a junk food junky-she loves veggies and steak and fruit over McDonalds). Recently she has started saying things like, "Food makes you fat" and "I hate fat people and I don't want to be fat" and it is frankly scaring the heck out of me. This child is very healthy, slender, athletic. Her mom (very young, 22) put on alot of weight with her pregnancy (she went from a 0 to an 18), but is finally down to a healthy weight (now a 10). THe relatives (I am not a blood relative) are constantly nagging on the mom to be skinny again so she can "get a man" (divorced). And the relatives are, frankly, obese and eat like crap. I do what I can to counterrest the baby's ideas on all food making you fat and that she is fat, but her pediatrician told her mom "Not to worry yet, that talk is pretty normal when kids first start socializing. She's healthy."
Well, maybe it is. But it shouldn't be NORMAL. :-mad
 
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