When did it become acceptable to...

[RapidBreath]

Just 1$ for heart disease.

Seriously, how much is a quadruple bypass? They must run a high price these days.

But, in their defense, stress does make one want to eat, and the HFCS in those things plus the low price is hard to pass up. My trick? I don't go in those places.

 

[dorothyrd]

I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend. That was not my intention. I realize all of the different scenarios and that it's not an open and shut case with weight. I was thinking of a very specific scenario when I mentioned the over weight individual in my original post. Perhaps I should have clarified better.

Thanks, I just see obese people really get slammed so much...on forums and in real life. I think for those of us really into fitness it is hard to understand the condition and why someone is doing what they are doing. But I think that we do need to understand because the problem is not going away, it is getting worse. Yes, eating out is a big factor, but the grocery stores play a big part too with all the bad stuff within easy reach and easy prices. I started drinking skim milk back in 1979 when I moved out on my own. I loved milk, but the 2% we drank at home was more expensive than skim, so I bought the cheapest because I was poor. Anymore, it seems healthier alternatives are more expensive. Oh and don't get me started on those salads at Chili's. I always check on-line nutrition information before going to places like that and decide what I am getting based on the nutrition information. The salads are crazy high in calories and people may think they are making the good choice. Even the items marked heart healthy tend to be high in calories. So I guess buyer beware.

 

[hiitdogs]

Thanks, I just see obese people really get slammed so much...on forums and in real life. I think for those of us really into fitness it is hard to understand the condition and why someone is doing what they are doing. But I think that we do need to understand because the problem is not going away, it is getting worse. Yes, eating out is a big factor, but the grocery stores play a big part too with all the bad stuff within easy reach and easy prices.

I think another reason would be that there is so much conflicting information out there and a LOT of deceptive advertising. Almost everywhere you look they add vitamins and every junk food that you look at sounds healthy. Many people don't realize that just because the product is fortified with vitamins or the current buzzword supplement doesn't make it healthy. Junk food fortified with vitamins doesn't magically turn into healthy food


You have powerful trade associations run commercials and ads about the supposed health benefits of products like HFCS, you almost need a degree in nutrition to be able to understand a nutrition label, what is really in food these days or what the heck they are talking about with some of the newest studies.

There is much that could be improved.

To me it makes no difference if I see someone at McDonald's who is eating several hamburgers or big macs if they are obese or thin. To me it is not only about weight, it is more about health and eating several hamburgers and fries with a soda can't be healthy for anyone.

 

[fit44]

Yes, eating out is a big factor, but the grocery stores play a big part too with all the bad stuff within easy reach and easy prices. I started drinking skim milk back in 1979 when I moved out on my own. I loved milk, but the 2% we drank at home was more expensive than skim, so I bought the cheapest because I was poor. Anymore, it seems healthier alternatives are more expensive.

This is so true! I spent $135 at Whole Food market yesterday, and a little over $200 at Trader Joe's today. I will make one more run to the grocery store for more fruit/veggies about mid week. I easily spend over $1000. a month on groceries.

 

[teddy16410]

This is so true! I spent $135 at Whole Food market yesterday, and a little over $200 at Trader Joe's today. I will make one more run to the grocery store for more fruit/veggies about mid week. I easily spend over $1000. a month on groceries.

BINGO! I do believe that for many peope ^THIS^ accounts more for the reason they consistently make poor choices. I think that the baby boomers are caring (and trying) more & more...Its an uphill battle - you can have all the desire on the planet but unless you have a food budget that allows the best choices then its just not going to happen.

One thing I've seen is that people who eat horrid choices can easily clean up their diet to moderately horrid and actually save money. Cleaning up from moderate to clean may be a bit pricier but cleaning up to the point of organic clean takes a pay raise or second job! lol

 

[dorothyrd]

Yes Cynthia, I am so there with that. Trying to buy fresh produce and healthier foods is more expensive, especially in the winter(which seems to be hanging on and on...). In my Exercise Physiology class, we just had to watch Super Size Me, which I had never seen. One 20 year old girl in the class says she eats McDonalds twice a day, and never has time to exercise, although she works as an aide in a hospital and is on her feet all day. She is thin, but the teacher and I were after class one day trying to convince her that even though she was thin, what she was doing to her insides was bad, bad, bad. I think we might be getting to her, because she mentioned last week that she is trying to cut down on the McDonalds.

I am by far the oldest in the class, the mean is probably 22. The first lab we had to do 200 jumping jacks to get our HR up. I was one of two people who finished them without gasping for air, and was actually just feeling warmed up.

This upcoming generation is really accustomed to the fast foods and sedentary lifestyle. My own son is a fast food junky, and I did not raise him that way. He has his own apartment, so I no longer control what he eats, and lost that control back in high school. He is making noise about moving back home so he can buy a car....my first thought was GOOD!, I can get more healthy food in him! (and there goes the grocery bill). BTW, he is 6 foot tall and 150, so very very thin, but his paternal Grandfather is having significant heart issues, so he needs to pay attention now.

And my second thought, dang, there go the plans for the spare bedroom!

 

[Fit_mommy]

Thanks, I just see obese people really get slammed so much...on forums and in real life. I think for those of us really into fitness it is hard to understand the condition and why someone is doing what they are doing. But I think that we do need to understand because the problem is not going away, it is getting worse. Yes, eating out is a big factor, but the grocery stores play a big part too with all the bad stuff within easy reach and easy prices. I started drinking skim milk back in 1979 when I moved out on my own. I loved milk, but the 2% we drank at home was more expensive than skim, so I bought the cheapest because I was poor. Anymore, it seems healthier alternatives are more expensive. Oh and don't get me started on those salads at Chili's. I always check on-line nutrition information before going to places like that and decide what I am getting based on the nutrition information. The salads are crazy high in calories and people may think they are making the good choice. Even the items marked heart healthy tend to be high in calories. So I guess buyer beware.

Oh I completely understand and agree.

I am usually the first one to defend an individual with severe weight problems simply because you can't know just by looking at them what has caused them to be that way.

For example, my BF is 5'3" and was over 200 pounds in the not so distant past. Her issue was the exact opposite of over-eating. She didn't eat enough. She would eat dinner around 8 or 9 at night at that was usually it for her food intake for the day. Unless you count her breakfast which was...um....several cups of coffee with more sugar in them then you can imagine!!! It totally screwed up her metabolism. Once she slowly started eating during the day again (breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks) and started exercising she began losing the weight. She also started eating dinner earlier which also helped.

And speaking of salads...I tend to fall into that "trap" myself of assuming the salad is the best choice. It seems every time I TRY to plan ahead and look up nutrition info online, it's always for the restaurant or the specific entree that is not listed!

Eating healthy/clean is definitely more expensive. My grocery bill would be cut in half if I went back to my old way of eating. TBH, my diet is not as clean as I would like it to be simply because I can't afford/phathom spending that much money on food every week!

 

[JeanneMarie]

This upcoming generation is really accustomed to the fast foods and sedentary lifestyle. My own son is a fast food junky, and I did not raise him that way. He has his own apartment, so I no longer control what he eats, and lost that control back in high school. He is making noise about moving back home so he can buy a car....my first thought was GOOD!, I can get more healthy food in him! (and there goes the grocery bill). BTW, he is 6 foot tall and 150, so very very thin, but his paternal Grandfather is having significant heart issues, so he needs to pay attention now.

And my second thought, dang, there go the plans for the spare bedroom!

Dorothy, I have a 21 year old son who is 6 feet tall and weighs exactly 150 lbs. Much to his dismay, he cannot seem to gain weight. He's the one that ate goldfish crackers, saltines and loaf bread for lunch all the way through elementary school!

He did turn out to be a health food eater though. He exercises (runs and lifts weights) and eats good food. I'm proud of him, and tell him his build/metabolism is his heredity.

 

[Fit_mommy]

Dorothy, I have a 21 year old son who is 6 feet tall and weighs exactly 150 lbs. Much to his dismay, he cannot seem to gain weight. He's the one that ate goldfish crackers, saltines and loaf bread for lunch all the way through elementary school!

He did turn out to be a health food eater though. He exercises (runs and lifts weights) and eats good food. I'm proud of him, and tell him his build/metabolism is his heredity.

My husband is built similarly to your son. He's about 5'10 or 11" and probably weighs about 140#. He has been trying to gain weight for years and hasn't had much luck yet. His build is also hereditary. A large number of people in his family have a naturally very slender build. It's great for the girls but he, as a guy, absolutely hates it.

 

[fit44]

This upcoming generation is really accustomed to the fast foods and sedentary lifestyle. My own son is a fast food junky, and I did not raise him that way. He has his own apartment, so I no longer control what he eats, and lost that control back in high school. He is making noise about moving back home so he can buy a car....my first thought was GOOD!, I can get more healthy food in him! (and there goes the grocery bill). BTW, he is 6 foot tall and 150, so very very thin, but his paternal Grandfather is having significant heart issues, so he needs to pay attention now.

Dorothy,

I can sympathize with you. I have 2 young men that eat the fast food too.
The junk is easier, cheaper, and tastes good. It's addicting. My youngest lives on a University campus and the campus is loaded with fast food joints. It's what sells. I think there is one small health food store on campus.
I've made my two watch Super Size Me and talk to them about the dangers of eating fast food. The bottom line is they are young and feel it doesn't apply to them. I can remember feeling invincible at that age. I remember saying that I didn't want to live forever. Staying thin is a vanity issue with me. Sad, but true. Watching my mother suffer with her health the last several years of her life has changed my view point. I don't want to live forever, but I don't want to live my life with disease!

I carry extreme feelings of guilt when it comes to my boys. I use to buy them happy meals. I really didn't know any better. Honest to God, I didn't.

I love the line in Super Size Me when he tells the camera man that when he has kids, he is going to punch his kid's in the face every time he drives by a McDonald's just so the kid doesn't associate McDonald's with happy thoughts! LOL It's extreme, but very true about those damn "Happy meals"

Anyway, the best I can do now is preach it- and live it. I feel kids pay more attention to our actions than they do our words. I tell my husband that if they see us living a healthy lifestyle, working hard at keeping physically fit, it will someday click for them. I hope it does. I hope, I hope

 

[Stacy]

It's interesting to read everyone's posts. I still think alot boils down to genetics. I count cals, eat small meals, workout and I still feel like I can gain 5 lb just by looking at the wrong food, not to mention it seems to take me 3 weeks to lose one friggin' pound!!! My husband, on the other hand, never works out, somedays will eat all day, other days wont eat until dinner b/c "he forgot to eat", and his "meals" consist of a 2 liter of Pepsi and a bag of Doritos! He's very lean and his cholesterol, and BP are extremely low! My side of the family has diabetes and "endo-mesomorph" types of bodies and his side of the family are the tall, and lanky type.

 

[JennieR]

There are plenty of times that I could eat two sandwiches with fries and a drink. But, because I know how much fat/calories are in them, and they're not healthy for me, I don't.

 

[Fit_mommy]

When I was in my early 20's I worked for a trucking company. I would buy a buttered roll and coffee for breakfast every morning off the "roach coach" that stopped at our building and then go to McDonalds and get 2 cheeseburgers, fries and a coke for lunch. I did this every single day for months!!!! Of course these were the days when I didn't have to worry so much about weight gain though I know the food was still HORRIBLE for me but I didn't care back then.

 

[dorothyrd]

My husband is built similarly to your son. He's about 5'10 or 11" and probably weighs about 140#. He has been trying to gain weight for years and hasn't had much luck yet. His build is also hereditary. A large number of people in his family have a naturally very slender build. It's great for the girls but he, as a guy, absolutely hates it.

My husband was exactly like this until he hit 40 and got a desk job around the same time. I think he is close to 190 and asking my help for him to trim down. It has been tough, because he hates to work out. I did find he likes easy walk/runs, but the weather has been so bad that it is hard to get out. I keep pushing though.

 

[dorothyrd]

When I was in my early 20's I worked for a trucking company. I would buy a buttered roll and coffee for breakfast every morning off the "roach coach" that stopped at our building and then go to McDonalds and get 2 cheeseburgers, fries and a coke for lunch. I did this every single day for months!!!! Of course these were the days when I didn't have to worry so much about weight gain though I know the food was still HORRIBLE for me but I didn't care back then.

I started gaining weight fast around age 12, and in High School quickly ballooned up to about 165. For 5-4, way to big. I also fell in love with working out, so I was the fat kid that was always active, and did not eat that much. Just got this from my Mom's side. My kids take after their Dad, but he got sedentary and bad habits are catching him. My son likes to run and bike, so he is active. My daughter swims, but right now with musical practice there is no time. She keeps muttering about getting into shape, so I need to find time to take walks with her. It is good mother/daughter time. My daughter dislikes McDonalds and always picks Subway when eating fast food. Better than the alternative.

The whole class laughed at the punch your kid in his face line in Super Size Me. Very funny!

 

[kathryn]

To me it makes no difference if I see someone at McDonald's who is eating several hamburgers or big macs if they are obese or thin. To me it is not only about weight, it is more about health and eating several hamburgers and fries with a soda can't be healthy for anyone.

Ditto!

I do think our modern day prepared-food industry stresses 'value for the dollar' by increasing portion sizes and offering deals like "2 for the price of one" or "get an extra for just Xcents more" or some kind of 'value meal" that stresses quantity over (nutritional) quality. (Though is a large quantity of food that doesn't benefit your wellbeing a 'value'? Probably not in the long run.)

If you look at comparisons between restaurant portions in the 70's, for example, and portions today, they have all increased, some to an astonishing degree. And many people don't know anymore what a real serving looks like.

I don't go out to eat that much, except when travelling, but I've noticed that pasta portions, for example, are often enough for three meals (I always ask for 1/2 the amount of pasta, and double the amount of sauce).

To make matters worse, it's not healthy salads that are being supersized (except for one notable exception at a local restaurant that unfortunately is no longer open, where I got a HUGE spinach salad with all good stuff in--dressing on the side), but high fat, high simple carb, highly processed foods.

I also think that many people's information on food comes from producers who do their best to make their products sound as healthy as possible (like Carola mentioned, junk food with 'added vitamins', but also the longstanding 'enriched' flour, which sounds like it's got lots of extra good things in, but is actually processed flour with most of the nutrients removed, and only a few added back in, in synthetic form). It's alarming how much 'nutritional' information furnished to schools comes from producers, especially in the meat and dairy industries.

There's also some outright deception and misleading tactics (white bread being called 'wheat' bread to mislead those who assume that's the same as 'whole wheat'' bread, and it isn't. And that's one that even people who are not that naive or uneducated fall for. And I am certain it's done intentionally, and not as a 'helpful' bit of info so that customers know that wheat and not rye or oats, for example, is the basis of the bread).

You almost have to 'shop defensively' and read all package info (the only important stuff is on the nutrition label: what's on the front is all advertising designed to attract customers and makea sale) with a sceptical eye.

 

[kathryn]

...the grocery stores play a big part too with all the bad stuff within easy reach and easy prices...

I have to LOL at that, because there are two County Market stores (regional grocery stores) near me, and when I pick up natural PB (the REAL natural pb without added oils and sugar---another example of manufacturer deception is calling that 'Skïppy', I think, PB with peanuts, palm oil, sugar and salt 'natural') or a can of a healthier soup, they are almost always behind a post!

The first time I noticed that, I had just visited several aisles where it was the case, and was headed for the PB aisle. I went immediately to the post that was blocking part of the section, and guess what I found? Soynut butter, natural peanut butter....LOL!

I guess they assume people looking for the healthier options are willing to hunt more than those just picking up stuff at random.

 

[dorothyrd]

Funny, I too had to hunt and hunt and hunt for the real natural PB, so annoying.

 

[Sunshine1528]

Agree with the packaging "marketing" effects.

Coworker got lapband - she "gets her protein in" by eating Special K bars, drinking Slim Fast, eating Goobers (that have "5% protein" in a bright yellow banner across the front of the box) - she feels she is doing herself well with the 1200 cals she eats daily and getting her protein in. What is wrong with "real food" like eggs, chicken, cottage cheese, etc? That would be healthy protein without the added chocolate or fake cheese.

Now mind you the company paid for her surgery and she has lost 80+ pounds - I am so thankful for that - but she is still eating junk food and thinking that she is doing well for herself. Come on, candy, breakfast bars, mashed potatos with gravy, Taco Bell nachos - all stuff I see in her wastebasket (guess I need to be one that doesn't see that stuff. She usually eats that stuff when I am not at my desk) Yesterday she told me she bought fudgesicles and ice cream if I wanted any - all the while she was eating her Goobers !

OK - so I am also jealous cuz my DH eats chips, fat ladden foods, ice cream and my coworker who has lost weight is eating junk foods too.

If I even try - I add 5 lbs. overnight.

Granted I love the fact that I am not the one who gets sick (unlike DH and coworker) and I have a generally healthy body. That is what keeps me going the way I do - about 90% clean, watching what I eat (because I am too cheap to shop for new clothes !), and the fact that I can make it through the day to be around for the pleasures in life. I am even hoping to be around to see and play with my great-grandchildren.

All that being said - I think we have lots of people that unhealthy because they don't see the effects on the inside - as many have mentioned here. And also because they have other issues that they are not dealing with.

Now my DH, he does it because he can (though he is adding a little layer around the middle ) and he absolutely refuses to go get a blood workup because it would probably mean he'd be told to cut back on the junk. So many don't want to work to keep themselves healthy. And I, for one, am definitely not perfect and understand how much easier it is to not make the best choices.

I just wish I didn't have so many temptations around me because it makes me want to cave in more than I do.

Thankfully I can come here and see that I am not the only person struggling with weight, who eat healthier than I do, have loads of knowledge on what I can do for myself, and provide some of the best motivation I have ever had in my life ! Kudos to this forum and all who help me on a daily basis to be the best I can be.

 

[kathryn]

I think we have lots of people that unhealthy because they don't see the effects on the inside - as many have mentioned here. ...

I just wish I didn't have so many temptations around me because it makes me want to cave in more than I do.

If we were built like the transparent man anatomy model, and could immediately see the effects those foods have on us inside, I'm sure more people would eat healthier (or would they?). Seeing your blood turn sludgy after an uber-high-fat meal, or seeing your blood sugar spike after a high-processed carb meal might cause some people to think twice.

Though I think sometimes more 'superficial' motives (like keeping ones weight in check to not have to buy bigger clothes---I like that one !---or not using tanning beds or stopping smoking to stop promoting wrinkles) appeal to people more.

I hear you on the temptations, especially if you live with someone who eats less-healthy food so you have it in the house.

There are so many temptations to eat unhealthfully in our society: from the ubiquitous ads on TV and billboards and in magazines, to the tempting packaging in stores, to the scents pumped out by some food places to entice customers (though I have to say the odor of a local KFC is rather repulsive to me).