Who is to blame for the obesity crisis?
Know this about me right now, when talking about controversial topics, be it political or moral, I usually always see the "gray" - I hardly ever see something as black or white - right or wrong. When discussing important topics and hearing both sides of the story, I usually think the true answer lies somewhere in the middle. I'm not wishy washy, I'm usually quite passionate about seeing gray.
Lately there have been articles, books, and movies in essence laying blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food industry. Again, I see gray.
Are some companies within the food industry continuing to produce greasy meals dripping with saturated fat or continuing to produce beaucoup beverages basically glazing the average American in a sea of sugar? Absolutely. Do I wish fast food chains offered more healthy, tasty options? You betcha. Could they do more to encourage Americans to choose health? Yes. Until they put the nutrition information right there on the Big Mac box, there is more they can do.
But when they do offer the healthier options, we consumers need to actually purchase them to keep it alive as an option. They are running a business after all. Healthy food isn't going to do anyone any good if no one is eating it. We have to actually choose health, when we can. The blame for that, my friends, lies in our lap. Ever heard of the phrase and concept, supply and demand? Well the food and fast food industry is, to a certain extent, responding to our demand with what they supply.
Is it good to apply a little pressure to the food and fast food industry? I think so. A little prodding is often necessary to get the capitalist ball rolling. Some companies genuinely care about the health of their customers (although other companies clearly don't and their innovations are mostly reactionary and an effort to cash in on a health "craze" such as the Low Carb craze). A healthy faithful customer is a customer who is likely to live longer and therefore have many more years to buy their products.
Is part of the reason we have a hard time choosing "health" because we are confronted at every corner with (and with copious advertisements for) tasty, tempting high calorie food? Sure. We are mammals after all. We are in many ways slaves to suggestion and tormented with the urge to satisfy our taste buds.
And whom shall we blame for our inactivity? That is a big portion of why many Americans are obese. If we eat more calories than we burn, our body stores the excess as body fat. Do we blame computer companies? Do we blame the car companies?
So whom do we blame?
A. The Food Industry and Fast Food
B. The media for giving us a mixed message of unrealistic female and male models--eye candy--while at the same time giving us constant images of real candy (irresistible food).
C. Our parents for not surrounding us with healthful food and eating habits.
D. Ourselves for not taking better care of our bodies and for being so vulnerable to overeating and choosing high calorie/high fat/high sugar foods too often.
How about "E. All of the above?"
That works for me! To fix the obesity crisis it is going to take change, ladies and gentlemen...BIG change in all the areas discussed above. We as individuals and parents can start making health a top priority (which does in no way mean making it an obsession, by the way). And we can try our hardest not to buy magazines or listen to TV shows and ads that promote the double message. And we can continue to buy the more healthful options out there in fast food and supermarket land and we should probably continue to put pressure on food companies to do more to help. Oh yes, and we need to do whatever it takes to get ourselves off our butts for ideally an hour a day. I didn't say it was going to be easy!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Obesity Linked to Mood Disorders, WebMD Video: Fast Food Survival
Technorati Tags: obesity, obesitycrisis, fastfood, exercise, healthydiet
Lately there have been articles, books, and movies in essence laying blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food industry. Again, I see gray.
Are some companies within the food industry continuing to produce greasy meals dripping with saturated fat or continuing to produce beaucoup beverages basically glazing the average American in a sea of sugar? Absolutely. Do I wish fast food chains offered more healthy, tasty options? You betcha. Could they do more to encourage Americans to choose health? Yes. Until they put the nutrition information right there on the Big Mac box, there is more they can do.
But when they do offer the healthier options, we consumers need to actually purchase them to keep it alive as an option. They are running a business after all. Healthy food isn't going to do anyone any good if no one is eating it. We have to actually choose health, when we can. The blame for that, my friends, lies in our lap. Ever heard of the phrase and concept, supply and demand? Well the food and fast food industry is, to a certain extent, responding to our demand with what they supply.
Is it good to apply a little pressure to the food and fast food industry? I think so. A little prodding is often necessary to get the capitalist ball rolling. Some companies genuinely care about the health of their customers (although other companies clearly don't and their innovations are mostly reactionary and an effort to cash in on a health "craze" such as the Low Carb craze). A healthy faithful customer is a customer who is likely to live longer and therefore have many more years to buy their products.
Is part of the reason we have a hard time choosing "health" because we are confronted at every corner with (and with copious advertisements for) tasty, tempting high calorie food? Sure. We are mammals after all. We are in many ways slaves to suggestion and tormented with the urge to satisfy our taste buds.
And whom shall we blame for our inactivity? That is a big portion of why many Americans are obese. If we eat more calories than we burn, our body stores the excess as body fat. Do we blame computer companies? Do we blame the car companies?
So whom do we blame?
A. The Food Industry and Fast Food
B. The media for giving us a mixed message of unrealistic female and male models--eye candy--while at the same time giving us constant images of real candy (irresistible food).
C. Our parents for not surrounding us with healthful food and eating habits.
D. Ourselves for not taking better care of our bodies and for being so vulnerable to overeating and choosing high calorie/high fat/high sugar foods too often.
How about "E. All of the above?"
That works for me! To fix the obesity crisis it is going to take change, ladies and gentlemen...BIG change in all the areas discussed above. We as individuals and parents can start making health a top priority (which does in no way mean making it an obsession, by the way). And we can try our hardest not to buy magazines or listen to TV shows and ads that promote the double message. And we can continue to buy the more healthful options out there in fast food and supermarket land and we should probably continue to put pressure on food companies to do more to help. Oh yes, and we need to do whatever it takes to get ourselves off our butts for ideally an hour a day. I didn't say it was going to be easy!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Obesity Linked to Mood Disorders, WebMD Video: Fast Food Survival
Technorati Tags: obesity, obesitycrisis, fastfood, exercise, healthydiet
23 Comments:
I can also put the blame at the feet of some of the HMO dietians. They are untrained,unable and sometimes unwilling to go the extra to learn more than what they consider their standard. With disabled people who may have difficulty with meal preparation due to physical disabilities, some HMO dietians reach a complete blank. I paid for a HMO dietian's help and she was truly out of her element with helping the disabled plan nutritious meals if they had difficult preparing meals. In fact, she gave me NO MEAL PLANS OR MEAL SUGGESTIONS and she was uneasy about thinking out of the box and it was clear she was out of her element. It was even more sad that I had to pay for this lack of "help." I think a real dietian would have felt bad that she failed so miserably and was unable to help, and then would have done some digging afterwards and gotten back to me with some good suggestions and meal plans and help. A real dietian would have taken it as a learning experience that disabled people comprise their clients too. A good dietian would have never let me walk out and walk away and figure "whew" I got out of that one.
I am not sure where the blame goes, but I think a big part of eating healthy is the cost. It is much less expensive to cook up a boxed meal than a healthier fresh one. And groceries are just going to go up due to the fuel crisis. Hey, pretty soon we'll have to go back to growing and catching our own food. Now there's an idea. I do think that another part of the problem is the lack of physical exercise. We are so much busier today chasing the almighty dollar (to purchase our packaged food with) and have made our lives so busy we have not time to exercise or cook healthier meals. To lose weight after baby number three, I exercised (aerobics, weight training, and walking) about 2 hours a day as well as being careful of what I ate. I don't have that time nowadays to get rid of weight from baby number four (50 pounds). Getting up a three in the morning is just not very appealing to me and my day doesn't end until about nine. Time to crash and start all over again.
What difference does it make who is to blame? We always look for someone else to blame. If we spent that time looking for a solution to the situation, our time would be better spent.
How about we just forget about blaming and start changing. The obesity is a result of our increasingly fast-paced society and the ease of fast and processed foods. I think the problem has been sneaking up on all of us. The good news is that there is increasing awareness and a readiness to do something about it. To take our destiny into our own hands. The answer lies in getting back to nature. Eating raw and unprocessed. Yes, it will take a little getting used to. But I don't think it's really more expensive. Just not as tasty at first. But as your cells are replaced with cells made on great nutrition, they will grow to like it. The problem is we've grown so accustomed to oversweet, over white, our bodies don't know what's good anymore. Start eating raw fruits and vegetables. Whole grains. Lean meats. Lots of water. It's a very simple meal plan that works. Take apples (or other fruits) with you. Apples are a natural appetite suppressant. They are loaded with nutrition. They really do help keep the doctor away. We want to start being proactive. Giving our bodies the nutrients they need so that we can function optimally. Not waiting for the doctor to give us a prescription to mask the symptoms. Give your body the simple pure nutrients it was designed to thrive on. You'll see. You'll feel much better, and the obesity will melt away.
No one can blame anyone but self. We have choices to make. Obesity is simply a matter of whether or not I make healthy choices. If the fast food industry tells me they have a fat dripping breakfast waiting for me every morning, I have a choice to make. If someone tells me to jump off a bridge, I have a choice to make. Case closed. Stop blaming and start being responsible. The ball is in MY court and YOURS.
I agree that no one is to blame but ourselves! No one forces us to eat those greasy burgers, or any other unhelathy foods that are so popular with over-weight people. We should read the ingredients on the labels of what we buy. Such things as high fructose corn syrup are harming our bodies. Also, making the obesity problem worse is the lack of exercise! At least, if we exercised enough, we can burn off a lot of what we eat. But, obviously, we need to do both: eat sensibly and exercise. Life is hard. If we want to be healthy, we have to work hard at it.
Stop dieting. Start Praying and develop a relationship with your true Lord and Savior, not food. God created all things including you. Ask God (I mean it, really ask him to help you to recognize the true needs of your body). For starters, pray that he will help you to recognize the signs of physilogical hunger and fullness. When you ask this prayer, abide by it. Wait for God's leading. This process alone helped me to lose 41 pounds. Trust him with all things. Next ask him to help you become aware of the needs of the body during hunger, whether it be a nutritional need or a physical need. God will help. I truly believe this. Just think - no more diets, calorie counts, ruthless amounts of exercise or tasteless food. Jesus declared all food good. I have found that in recognizing and listening to my body. I eat approximately 25% of what I use to eat. My blood pressure is excellent. My rheumatoid arthritis is behaving. I also am having a more real relationship with my Savior. I kid you not. Every day is not just hunky dory, but I tell God that too. I'm honest with Him and He is honestly helping me. Without God, I don't believe I would have lost the excess pounds. Don't give up, give it to God.
Oh this is just BS people! It's YOUR life, and YOU are resposible for YOURSELF! I work at In-N-Out Burger here in OC, CA 60+ hours a week. I can eat anything I want for free on my lunch. Do you know what I choose to eat? I bring in salads and fresh fruit to eat along with bottled water. I'm 41 years old, have 6 kids, am 5' 2" and still weigh in at 110. I go to the gym 3 times a week for cardio and weights, and run or bike ride with my family 3 or 4 times a week. I eat an In-N-Out burger about twice a month. I take vitamins daily and eat what I want in minimal portions. I don't deprive myself of anything, and so I'm not ever on a diet. I just eat sensibly and take care of myself. When I eat out at a restaurant, I like the big portions that I get. It's great for another meal the next day for either myself or one of the other family members. The key is to eat sensibly, get plenty of excersise and take regular vitamins and take care of yourself. Get off the 'it's not MY fault I'm fat' soapbox and take a good look at the eating choices you make. No one's leading you by the nosering to the trough. If your paying for it, YOU chose to buy it! And for the record, I tell my kids 'no' about a million times a day. I'm not afraid to use the word, even if they don't like to hear it. If I don't want to buy it for them, I just don't buy it. I think each of them threw 1 temper tantrum in their lives when they were very small. They got the spanking they deserved, yes in front of people in the store, and they never had another fit. Don't like it? Too bad! I'm raising my kids the way that I feel that I should and they are great kids. So, try taking responsibility for yourself. That's what I teach my kids to do.
One thing you have left out is our polluted environment. There are many estrogen and estrogen-like substances contaminating our environment and causing physiological changes in our bodies. Estrogen receptors are fired and men are feminized, they put on extra fat around the middle, have impotence problems, and lose their drive and ambition.
We are each responsible for our own choices. However, I do think that resonableportions should be available for 1,2,3,4 and so on so a person living alone can but just what they need for a meal and the people being fed can buy what they need.
I also think it would be a good idea for each person to recieve a complete physical and put on an eating program, with no allowance for extra calories. Exercise programs that anyone can attend, not just those who can pay.
We could then send all the surplus food to the countries that don't have enough food to go around. The people of the world would be busy working a 40 hour week, enjoying time with their family, and helping those in need instead of finding fault.
I love the comments made by anonymous of 1:21 pm and 10:29 pm,these are the only two that have a clear understanding of what is wrong or at least most of it. My addition to this topic would add something else that every one else seems to skate around, namely who is raising our children to know what is right and wrong, what is good to eat, and intimately influencing them to develop good habits from birth, including eating habits. Where are the mothers who have traditionally had these influences on their children, like when I was raised? Oh ya, no one wants to address this subject, afraid to get the women angry! Ya i've seen it, we all have------mom buying the kid an ice cream to stop their fussing, taking the kids to McD's or other fast food place because they are too busy (lazy) to go to a good rest. for a more nutritious meal, or even better, home to eat in a family atmosphere, hopefully with a nutritious meal served, of course those soap runs or reruns will just have to wait.
ENOUGH of the BULL, this country is facing an epidemic of FAT kids who are going to suffer severe health problems later in life--probably before their loving ??? parents are deceased. Nuf said!
The blame lies with the food industry and their partner in crime, the Food and Drug Administration. These two work hand in hand to ensure that the U.S. food supply contains antibiotics, growth hormones, chemicals, toxins, and other deadly ingredients to make Americans fatter and sick. Then when you seek medical attention for obesity, you can count on traditional doctors and the pharmaceutical industry to provide you with diet drugs that will make you fatter, sicker and will eventually kill you. Anyone interested in losing weight and improving their health should read Kevin Trudeau's book, Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know About. You'll be glad you read it!
When you gain weight just by LOOKING at food, you have a metabolic disorder! It's called HYPOTHYROIDISM. The obesity epidemic started when the TSH test was invented in 1973 with a range of .5 - 10.0, (which has been reduced to .3 - 2.5 in 2003 - but the laboratories don't know the range was changed YET)! Doctors rely on the TSH test to determine thyroid function. The TSH test should NEVER been invented - in my opinion - because I've suffered with UNDIAGNOSED hypothyroidism for 30 years because of that faulty TSH test AND I gained 110# while I was STARVING myself! The proper tests for thyroid function are Free T3 and Free T4, along with antibody tests. If you have either type of thyroid antibodies and/or low FT3 and FT4, your thyroid is failing and you will be a member of the "obesity epidemic". Why wasn't metabolism mentioned in this article? I hope this information gives you and the doctors out there something to think about.
I believe a huge part of being over weight has to do with hormones in food. Especially meat. When the law was passed to put female hormones in meat animals to fatten them, someone should have questioned it. Doesn't the hormone stay in the meat???? Don't we all, meat eaters, get more than our fair share of female hormones?? I, for one, had so much that it caused me to have health problems and surgeries to eliminate part of the problem.
One other possible cause is kids having to sit still and read or be on the computer instead of getting out in the fresh air and playing. We used to go outside in cold or heat and run, play, jump, and just have fun until we dropped from exaustion. Kids don't do that anymore!!! They have to be still and don't know what it is like to be a kid. Of course, there is a time to learn but there is also a time to be active.
I blame hormones and the new educational system for at least part of the situation.
Let's not forget another epidemic...hedonism. Obesity is related to a high probability that the overweight person is hedonistic. The philosophy of a hedonist, when it comes to food, is to adopt such feelings as, (1)"I am entitled to eat what I want, when I want, and how much I want." (2)"No one has the right to tell me what to eat and what not to eat." (3)"All tasty food deserves to be eaten."(4)I can easily justify my need to over-indulge." and (5)"One of these days I should start to diet." The essential purposes in life,for such people, are to deny themselves very little, seek satisfaction in all possible ways, and pay themselves appropriately when they feel they have deserved a reward. For the food hedonist, rich caloric deserts are the ultimate pay-off. Both denial of reality and procrastination are extremely important for them. Eat until you can't eat more, drink until you feel the need to stop drinking, and enjoy food,is their mantra. As a group they chant, "I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow!"
These comments are fascinating in that they say more about the mental health problems or political viewpoints of the responders. Obesity as a excuse to despise people and judge people and punish people and deny medical treatment to people - yep, the obese are easy to target. So there is an epidemic of blaming and attacking (pinning the obese with all sorts of accusations).
Hello 7:58pm,
my my, have you ever heard of the word "denial"? You are pretty good at throwing the blame around yourself, but no CONSTRUCTIVE comments about the problem. Would you be satisfied if no one talked, spoke in any way or towards someone who is fat, would the problem go away? I wonder, are you one of those obese PHOOEY, people ? Take responsability!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pardon my french, but "Its the carbs, stupid".
I used to be 200 lbs and with elevated blood pressure and diabetes. That was when I was diagnozed with diabetes 10 years ago. My endocrinologist put me on a low carb (essentially just meat and veggies) diet, and my blood pressure now at age 53 is 115:70, my weight is down to 165 lbs and stable (I am 6 ft 1 inch, so this is an ideal BMI), and my diabetes is under excellent control with an HbA1c of 4.8. Get rid of the carbs and you get rid of the weight. Its as simple as that.
I think that there are 3 componets to our nation's obesity. 1) We eat too much (restaurants should serve normal portions, 2)We do not get enough exercise (The French don't get fat because they walk everywhere, duh!), and 3)The food industry's addition of High Fructose Corn Syrup into everything has shut off our ability to feel full, even after pigging out on large portions. The FDA should ban High Fructose Corn Syrup just like it did Red Dye #3!
I think that fast food chains should not be blamed for obesity. For one thing, there are a few healthy options at every fast food restaraunt. Secondly, nobody is forcing people to eat the double cheeseburgers and fries. There has to be self-control. Everything in moderation. Some people blame the fact that they don't have time to make a healthy meal. The problem with this is that there are other options like Subway and Quiznos that are fast and healthy. Fast food is unhealthy and causes obesity but it is the individual who chooses to eat it that should be held responsible.
I think that there are many reasons for the obesity crisis. Lack of exercise is at the top. People that choose to be active tend to have healthier eating habits and so on. It is a personal choice to stay active. It takes motivation and discipline. No one else is to blame for the obesity crisis.
How is it that skinny or normal sized people think, if one puts down their fork and got off their butts the weight problem is solved? I lived off boiled eggs and salad for 2 years while spending 3 hours a day sweating my butt off, and i was still fat. Our bodies are like a chemisty set. One little thing and it changes the out come of the test. Some people are blessed and their bodies work well. Some people need help either more exercise with less food. Some need medication for their problems. Most of us need the right information for our own body and the FDA and the food industary isn't helping with all the misinformation out there. I personally like to stare at the skinny people eating and whisper and laugh like did to me most of my life. IT SUCKS BEING JUDGED
There is a lot of truth in what's been said and a lot of judgement, sad......... but if you haven't gained more than 30 lb over your normal weight and than lost it or not, you should not pass any judgements. Yes we like to blame everyone for our problems well let me tell you: i can pass the blame, and a lot! I had lived in an area that has been affected by the Chernobyl explosion when I was a child, I had practiced sports all my childhood and part of my adult life, and when I say sports I don't mean the regular school or gym activities, I practiced at an Olympic level with 5 to 8 hours of training a day, 6 days a week. It was the only time that I can say I had my weight in check. I came to live in USA and I was diagnosed hypothyroidism and other crap, and gained within my first year over 50 lbs. True I wasn't exercising as much at the time, but also my life has changed, I can't work maintain a house and practice as much. I still exercise and I can say that all it does is to maintain me at the same weight -obese. A lot has been sad about the hormonal changes in the food, yes they do affect most of the population that's why the European community refuses to sell altered food; true they also do a lot of waking but I don't think that is an option for us, distances can't even compare. They refuse to import things that can be grown in UE, when all we eat is stuff brought from china, and buying organic is not that affordable, and realistically unless you are a stay at home mom with a lot of dedication can't cook everything. I tried that too, and by cooking I don't mean just the regular meal, I mean bake the bread, churn the butter, make the pasta.......all. And with the jobs most of us have is not possible. So for all the -blame yourself's- out there you my want to tell me what to do,to stop being who I am which is a fat person, because maybe I'm just not trying enough, and you my have some wisdom most of us don't have. Or you can just enjoy life as it is with skinny and fat people all together without any judgements because you may never know what God will give you just so you can be judged by others that have no clue of what you my be going through. And for all of you who think that fat people need you to fell sorry for them, please don't! I personally think that unless someone knows how to stop the change(evolution) we are going through which has it's goods and bads, all there is to blame is NOTHING, because if it wasn't this it would have been probably something else just as bad or worse. There is always hope i think , and until than I'll just be happy what I'm given. :) :) :) :)
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