So I'm watching a documentary about obesity...

[smalien1]

And some doctors claim that portion sizes, and the decoration in fast food joints are to blame.
Now, I hate slezy giant fast food corporations as much as the next guy.
But whatever happened to self-control?



Also, the PTA at my high school tryed to ban the 'soda' (snapple iced tea) from the school cafeteria, now, I drink two of those every day, and I weigh 130 pounds, i'm 5'9.
Why should I have to suffer because Miss Piggies mom complained?

[SpazX]

They are to blame, not always because of the fast food joints, but the portions that people eat at home too. Fast food joints add to the problem rather than helping it because they profit from it. It's not that they're purely to blame, but they play their role.

Maybe the soda shouldn't be banned, but can you really consider not having your snapple "suffering"? :-P

[dopa345]

They are to blame, not always because of the fast food joints, but the portions that people eat at home too. Fast food joints add to the problem rather than helping it because they profit from it. It's not that they're purely to blame, but they play their role.

Maybe the soda shouldn't be banned, but can you really consider not having your snapple "suffering"? :-P

The point is, you should the right to eat an unhealthy diet if you want to and not have food fascists dictate what you can and cannot eat. Of course it also means that you have to take responsibilty for the consequenses as well.

[Msut77]

The point is, you should the right to eat an unhealthy diet if you want to and not have food fascists dictate what you can and cannot eat. Of course it also means that you have to take responsibilty for thge consequenses as well.

Except that these are children in school.

Rights are not really the issue here.

[RollingSkull]

Except that these are children in school.

Rights are not really the issue here.

Which means that these children really shouldn't be allowed to play violent video games either. Nor should they eat meat. Nor should they drive to school. Nor should they be allowed... to, well, read about violent, sexual, drug-related, or... just any bad things.

Because, really, if you're going to control them for obesity, you had best control them to stop the other main problems affecting kids.

Ah, the passive voice. Once you adopt it, suddenly, thinking becomes much, much easier. Unlike the repressive active voice, the passive voice frees you from the most repressive shackles of all: accountability for your actions.

[javeryh]

Obesity is overrated. According to all of the charts I'm obese (6' - 201lbs.) when in reality I work out 2 hours every day and I'm almost in the best shape of my life.

[RollingSkull]

Obesity is the nation's fastest growing problem, especially when we keep defining obesity to include more and more people!

[SpazX]

The point is, you should the right to eat an unhealthy diet if you want to and not have food fascists dictate what you can and cannot eat. Of course it also means that you have to take responsibilty for thge consequenses as well.

That's true, but at the same time the fast food industry can't be completely let off the hook when they create and spend millions distributing and advertising foods that are unneccesarily unhealthy.

I wouldn't say that fast food should take most of the blame, individuals should, but they still add to the problem.

Which means that these children really shouldn't be allowed to play violent video games either. Nor should they eat meat. Nor should they drive to school. Nor should they be allowed... to, well, read about violent, sexual, drug-related, or... just any bad things.

Because, really, if you're going to control them for obesity, you had best control them to stop the other main problems affecting kids.

Well...yeah. Many of those things should be controlled when it comes to children (and controlled less as they grow), that's what parents are for. Guess who makes up the PTA? :razz:

Obesity is overrated. According to all of the charts I'm obese (6' - 201lbs.) when in reality I work out 2 hours every day and I'm almost in the best shape of my life.

Yeah, the BMI measure of obesity does fuck things up, but sadly a lot of people are obese due to fat and not muscle. Body fat percentage would be a much better indicator, but of course that's harder to measure for statistics.

[elprincipe]

And some doctors claim that portion sizes, and the decoration in fast food joints are to blame.
Now, I hate slezy giant fast food corporations as much as the next guy.
But whatever happened to self-control?

Out the door years ago due to our culture of victimhood. I was abused as a child, the cigarette companies manipulated (well, this one is actually true), have some condition that caused me to do whatever, etc etc. Some people take this to the extreme so much that you wonder if they believe people have free will at all.

Also, the PTA at my high school tryed to ban the 'soda' (snapple iced tea) from the school cafeteria, now, I drink two of those every day, and I weigh 130 pounds, i'm 5'9.
Why should I have to suffer because Miss Piggies mom complained?

While I agree with your sentiment, calling someone names because they have a different body type than you is pretty stupid.

[elprincipe]

Obesity is the nation's fastest growing problem, especially when we keep defining obesity to include more and more people!

Exactly! I'm looking at you, Mr. Obese Governator!

[Msut77]

Which means that these children really shouldn't be allowed to play violent video games either.

In school?

[YoshiFan1]

I wish that restaurants would display nutritional information their sites or on their menus. Some do but most don't. I was shocked to find out that an individual sized deep dish plain cheese pizza from Uno's has 104 grams of fat.

[mykevermin]

the cigarette companies manipulated (well, this one is actually true)

We know this much is true, and cigarette companies have been unfairly maligned as a result. Not unfairly because their product isn't harmful, of course. Unfairly in the sense that we're fools to assume they're alone in this charade.

[RollingSkull]

In school?

Well, we better ban recess horseplay then. Can't have the kids getting hurt.

Uniforms too. Can't have them discriminating by clothing.

Can't let them bring their own lunches, as it could contain trans fats or something similar.

[dopa345]

Next you know, a bag of Doritos is going to be labeled "M" for mature.

[gaelan]

watch super size me for more info on the topic of the food industry and obesity...good stuff.

[evanft]

I don't see a problem with taking all the shitty food off the lunch menu and removing vending machines full of junk food from schools. It seems to make a lot of sense, actually.

[Brak]

And some doctors claim that portion sizes, and the decoration in fast food joints are to blame.
It'd be absurd to say that claim isn't a part of the blame.

[elprincipe]

watch super size me for more info on the topic of the food industry and obesity...good stuff.

Summary: don't even think about eating McDonald's or other fast food for every meal. In fact, if you are wise, you shouldn't eat that stuff even 2 days straight. But hopefully we all already knew this.

[RollingSkull]

I don't see a problem with taking all the shitty food off the lunch menu and removing vending machines full of junk food from schools. It seems to make a lot of sense, actually.

Monday: Tofu
Tuesday: Salads (Without dressing, bacon bits, and all that crap. Because, honestly, it ain't much healthier than a burger with all that stuff on it.)
Wednesday: More Tofu
Thursday: More salads
Friday: Beans

[smalien1]

I don't see a problem with taking all the shitty food off the lunch menu and removing vending machines full of junk food from schools. It seems to make a lot of sense, actually.

But why can't people who are worried about their weight (or people who should be) just not buy it?

[Msut77]

Well, we better ban recess horseplay then. Can't have the kids getting hurt.

Uniforms too. Can't have them discriminating by clothing.

Can't let them bring their own lunches, as it could contain trans fats or something similar.

This is the saddest attempt at a slippery slope argument I have ever seen.

[elprincipe]

But why can't people who are worried about their weight (or people who should be) just not buy it?

Didn't you read what was written above? We have no free will or control over our animal instincts! The government must step in and save us! Won't somebody PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

[evanft]

Monday: Tofu
Tuesday: Salads (Without dressing, bacon bits, and all that crap. Because, honestly, it ain't much healthier than a burger with all that stuff on it.)
Wednesday: More Tofu
Thursday: More salads
Friday: Beans

Wow, you're retarded, and this seems to be part of a pattern. I don't think seeing your posts does anything but make my brain ache. Ignore list +1.

But why can't people who are worried about their weight (or people who should be) just not buy it?

I'm talking about little kids here, not adults. Little kids would eat nothing but candy and ketchup if they could.

Didn't you read what was written above? We have no free will or control over our animal instincts! The government must step in and save us! Won't somebody PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

Wow, way to be a complete ass and misinterpret what I wrote. Ya know, you used to be reasonable, but you've been taking a long ride on the jackass train lately. Ignore list +1.

[smalien1]

What about doing fitness tests at the beginning of the school year and giving "Junk Food Permits" to healthy kids?

[Kayden]

What about doing fitness tests at the beginning of the school year and giving "Junk Food Permits" to healthy kids? Discrimination.

[SpazX]

What about doing fitness tests at the beginning of the school year and giving "Junk Food Permits" to healthy kids?

Well, first of all, what Kayden said, but second of all fat =/= unhealthy, so how exactly will you measure it?

All kids will be unhealthy if they eat lots of junk food, but no all of them will be fat. So why would you want to specially allow the healthy kids to eat junk food when the reason why they're healthy is most likely because they're not eating much junk food?

[elprincipe]

Wow, way to be a complete ass and misinterpret what I wrote. Ya know, you used to be reasonable, but you've been taking a long ride on the jackass train lately. Ignore list +1.

Haha, YOU accusing ME of being a jackass? That's rich.

You know, I wasn't even replying to you at all and my post was obviously completely sarcastic, but whatever.

[Dead of Knight]

I wish that restaurants would display nutritional information their sites or on their menus. Some do but most don't. I was shocked to find out that an individual sized deep dish plain cheese pizza from Uno's has 104 grams of fat.
Holy shit, I was wondering why I was full for several hours after eating only half of one.

[hhhdx4]

Yeah, I never knew how unhealthy resturant food was until I acctually looked at the nutritional information.

[evanft]

Well, first of all, what Kayden said, but second of all fat =/= unhealthy, so how exactly will you measure it?

All kids will be unhealthy if they eat lots of junk food, but no all of them will be fat. So why would you want to specially allow the healthy kids to eat junk food when the reason why they're healthy is most likely because they're not eating much junk food?

Yeah, that does sound kinda opposite to the whole point of it, huh?

[VipFREAK]

All everyone needs to do is watch Supersize Me... If that doesn't illustrate what can happen well then it's your own damn fault because you have all the facts.

[mykevermin]

All everyone needs to do is watch Supersize Me... If that doesn't illustrate what can happen well then it's your own damn fault because you have all the facts.

There's more to it than that. McDonald's is hella bad for you, and only fools who don't get the argument try to refute SuperSize Me by saying that you *can* eat healthy if you only eat McD's for 30 days straight.

Of course, McD's did respond to the film - they added decent salads to the menu, offered milk and orange slices (?)...so what happened to McDonald's is that, even if you were "limited" to going there (an argument I don't believe very much), you weren't forced to have a 30oz cola and french fries with every meal.

Now, the consumers have spoken, and now McD's offers supersized meals again (they're called something else, however it's the same thing). People go to McDonald's for Big Macs and fries, not orange slices (though, to be fair, Wendy's salads are pretty good for fast food). I don't blame McDonald's for obesity, but they're not off the hook entirely. Much like cigarette packs have surgeon general's warnings on them, *all* McDonald's food containers now feature USDA Nutrition Facts labels on the carton/wrapper (not sodas, though). That's a remarkable difference between then and now. If presented with the facts, and one still makes poor decisions, well...there's only so many warnings we can give people.

When I was in grade school, every Friday was pizza day - after a few years, it became the domain of Pizza Hut. They surely lobbied and petitioned to come into our schools and make money at our expense. Pizza Hut eventually extended to an everyday option, and between pizza hut and slush puppies, a student could go an entire year of eating nothing healthy at all. I don't think that it's 100% blame for fast food and 0% blame for consumers, but I don't think that the opposite is true either. If fast food joints weren't actively trying to become a part of our lives, if would be a bit different - give me the choice to come to your place, but don't take away my options at school or work.

[VipFREAK]

I referred to that movie for shock value and get people to think about their actions. Of course there are "levels" to things.

There are some things that are fairly obvious... case in point Smokers, everyone I know that smokes has some kind of problem. The most obvious... Coughing. Now, when you first smoke your body does this because it's obviously not natural and obviously not a good thing for your body. Hence why it coughs... not to mention an open flame and smoke coming out of the area where you breath is not natural.

If you DON'T see the obvious signs of your actions, well you're headed for something like the darwin awards...

As for companies that prey people are this ignorant and blind well, there's nothing I can do for them but it's sad and low that companies have to make their living off of these people. I grow weary of companies in general because of this. Want a good ex. of non-food version of this?? M$ and XBL.. M$ and Vista... EA... Do we have a choice? Nope... Can we change it? eh... maybe? Will people...? Nope... Why...? Because everyone keeps blindly buying their shit.

[RollingSkull]

There are some things that are fairly obvious... case in point Smokers, everyone I know that smokes has some kind of problem. The most obvious... Coughing. Now, when you first smoke your body does this because it's obviously not natural and obviously not a good thing for your body. Hence why it coughs... not to mention an open flame and smoke coming out of the area where you breath is not natural.
I know a lot of people that have smoked all their lives that are healthy as horses.

Evanft makes me smile. The delightful self-importance of publicly declaring that people one disagrees with one needs to hide the speech of.

[RollingSkull]

This is the saddest attempt at a slippery slope argument I have ever seen.

The world of Msut is one of TRUTH BY ASSERTION. He needs no proof, no reasoning. PURE ASSERTION BENDS REALITY TO HIS WHIMS.

[Msut77]

The world of Msut is one of TRUTH BY ASSERTION. He needs no proof, no reasoning. PURE ASSERTION BENDS REALITY TO HIS WHIMS.

WTF would you know about reality you silly tard?

You ignore anything that contradicts what W tells you.

[RollingSkull]

WTF would you know about reality you simpering tard?

...

...

Do me. RIGHT NOW!

[elprincipe]

Do we have a choice? Nope... Can we change it? eh... maybe? Will people...? Nope... Why...? Because everyone keeps blindly buying their shit.

Funny you should mention this in the political forum!

[VipFREAK]

I know a lot of people that have smoked all their lives that are healthy as horses.
Well... there are a bunch of people that didn't go to high school that are millionares too... :roll:

[daroga]

Portion control is really the lion's share of obesity problems, I think. I was just talking with my wife about this today, in fact.

I've never been morbidly obese, but some genetics and a ton of stupid choices on my part over the years have had be "battling" being fat. Really, if you eat some "bad" stuff in small doses, it's not going to be a huge issue. And even "good" stuff in large quantites is really unhealthy.

I'm working at cutting my portions in about 1/2. I'm better than I used to be, but still room for improvement. 1/2 might be extreme, but it's something to keep in mind. For those of you in a similar boat to me, use smaller plates. Your mind will think you're getting a plate full when you're eating far less than the big plate would give you.

As for the constantly adding people to the "obese" category, I couldn't agree more. A girl in our church was talking this morning about how she's at the top end of "normal" for her height. She's literally a stick. If anything, I'd have said she was too thin. But why not make people ultra-self-conscious and sell more miracle weight loss pills, eh?

[RollingSkull]

Well... there are a bunch of people that didn't go to high school that are millionares too... :roll:

Your anecdotes beat my anecdotes then!

Seriously though... Dear Leader Bush? He told me cigarettes were okay.

[Kayden]

God forbid we bring up exercise too... :roll:

I wake up almost every morning and run about a mile and then do pushups, situps and some simple weight lifting. It takes almost an hour and wakes me up better than coffee.

Additionally, I eat about 5-6 times a day. Every time you eat you get a boost to your metabolism, so if you eat little bits throughout the day, you're effectively telling your body it needs to be in "digesting mode" all day.

[VipFREAK]

For some exercise is out of the question because they can't even get out of the eating part of stuff...

But yeah. Most of the time for me I can eat a really big dinner one night and the next day pretty much not have to eat anything. I try to exercise via MTB at least once or twice a week.

[Kayden]

:roll: Thats the weakest damn excuse I've ever heard.

"Why don't you exercise?"
"Well, I would like to... but I'm just so busy..."
"Doing?"
"... eating..."

For some exercise is out of the question because they can't even get out of the eating part of stuff...

But yeah. Most of the time for me I can eat a really big dinner one night and the next day pretty much not have to eat anything. I try to exercise via MTB at least once or twice a week.

[Illini Jeeper]

Additionally, I eat about 5-6 times a day. Every time you eat you get a boost to your metabolism, so if you eat little bits throughout the day, you're effectively telling your body it needs to be in "digesting mode" all day.


Thank you for posting this. It's very true. I realize each person is different, but at the same time eating smaller meals more often in the day does seem to be better for you.

My former roommate in college was slightly shorter than I am and weighed slightly more. He was always complaining that I was eating throughout the day while he would only go to the 3 meals served in the cafeteria and eat pretty healthy too (lots of salads, grilled chicken, vegetables, etc). Most of the stuff I had was junk through and through (although I have gotten better now where I'm starting to enjoy more types of salad and am cutting back my Coke consumption and replacing it with orange juice, milk, or water).

When we'd skip out for other food around campus, I might grab Hardee's and get a Monster Thickburger meal and he would be extremely disgusted by it and always criticize me. I kept arguing with him saying that I wasn't eating them constantly, just when I felt really hungry and that I hadn't had another full meal over the course of that day. To this day, he is still eating 3 full meals a day and trying to work out to keep his weight down. I'm still following the same eating pattern I've had since I was little, don't work out at all, and am still UNDERWEIGHT for my height (At least that's what I've been told by my doctor. I'm 6'3" and weigh 167lbs.)

I seriously think weight depends on how regularly you eat and whether or not it's a full meal every time. If you want an interesting look at obesity, check out Penn and Teller's Bullsh!t episode about it. It should still be on Google Video.

[VipFREAK]

:roll: Thats the weakest damn excuse I've ever heard.

"Why don't you exercise?"
"Well, I would like to... but I'm just so busy..."
"Doing?"
"... eating..."

I don't follow, are you commenting on my habits or what you quoted from me?

[lilboo]

Personally I think a huge problem is that a lot of people consume TOO much sugar based beverages.

A few years back I drank water & diet soda, completely cutting out all sugary drinks..and I wound up losin about 15lbs in 4 months--without any diet change (food, of course) or any exercise change at all.

A lot of people laugh at when someone goes to McDonalds and orders "Big Mac, large fries, diet coke please". They tend to laugh at the "diet coke" but a large COKE can be like 350+ calories. Why add more calories to the meal? It's one thing that a large fries is about 500 calories alone..and the big mac is about 600 I believe? Probably more. Even though right there it IS a lot of calories, cutting back 300, 400 calories by NOT drinking a soda is sorta helpful.

In the long run, regardless of what company sells what kind of food, I believe it's an individual thing and you really have no one to blame but yourself if your fat.

I was fat, but I got in CONTROL of my eating habbits and thus, am not fat anymore.

[machoman_93]

Obesity is a scam, like milk. Its not true. I eat "Junk Food" a ton like 2 pounds of it everyday. Never work out, just sleep and play video games and I am about 30 lbs less that most of my friends. I checked online with that this that calculates if you're "fat", checking the ratio of weight to height and it said I'm underwieght. Like by a lot.

[elprincipe]

Obesity is a scam, like milk. Its not true. I eat "Junk Food" a ton like 2 pounds of it everyday. Never work out, just sleep and play video games and I am about 30 lbs less that most of my friends. I checked online with that this that calculates if you're "fat", checking the ratio of weight to height and it said I'm underwieght. Like by a lot.

Welcome to the real world, where different people's bodies behave in different ways. Which is one reason why people shouldn't downright nasty to fat people as many people are -- they may be eating the same things you are but their bodies handle those things differently than yours. A family I know has one fat kid in the family out of several boys. He eats less than any of the others...

[machoman_93]

Welcome to the real world, where different people's bodies behave in different ways. Which is one reason why people shouldn't downright nasty to fat people as many people are -- they may be eating the same things you are but their bodies handle those things differently than yours. A family I know has one fat kid in the family out of several boys. He eats less than any of the others...

yeah, its like people have diiferent metabolism or something. I mean I once ate an entire stick of butter and nothing bad ever happened.

[RollingSkull]

yeah, its like people have diiferent metabolism or something. I mean I once ate an entire stick of butter and nothing bad ever happened.
... yet. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! GWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!

Ahem.