A news item about a week ago said that furniture manufacturers are bringing out wider chairs. Why? Because Americans are getting so fat, they can't sit on normal chairs anymore.
And airlines have official policies, now, for passengers who are very heavy and need two seats to accommodate them: the passenger now must pay for two seats.
These facts should be sobering to all of us, to put it mildly. Not to mention that we keep hearing the dismal statistics: two-thirds or Americans are overweight, and 38% are obese.
There is no mystery behind these phenomena. With the exception of a few individuals who have a glandular condition (e.g., hypothyroidism) or a genetic defect, the reason is very simple: we eat too much. Okay, to be a little more precise: we eat too many calories relative to the calories we burn. This means that we need to eat less (or eat less calorie-dense food), move around more (exercise), or both. And stop believing in any magic pills, either literal pills or magical diets.
Our food portions have gotten larger (think "supersize") and we are eating more food that is simply bad for us. I've blogged about America's overweight kids before. If you let them, kids will subsist on pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, and junk food. And then sit and play video games or tweet on their computers.
I don't know if parents give their kids 5 bucks and say "go to McDonald's." I do know that too many moms take their kids to McDonald's, for lunch and even for dinner, or bring McDonald's or KFC home for dinner. Who wants (or has the time) to cook? So goes the argument. If you care to look into it, a food item like a double cheeseburger has an astonishing number of calories. Bad enough two meat patties, instead of one; but we want to make it quite a bit worse with a slice—no, two slices--of cheese.
Start reading the nutrition information labels on the food you bring home. Request (if necessary) calorie information at McDonald's, KFC, Starbucks. Know what you're putting into your body. Besides calories, we are taking in way too much fat, sugar, and salt. These food components are in a sense addictive, and fast-food vendors and junk-food makers have made us into unhealthy-food addicts. On the addictiveness of junk food, see this link:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/study-says-junk-food-is-as-addictive-as-heroin-or-cigarettes/19417741/
or this British article about a book by David Kessler, former U.S. Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/dietandfitness/7541646/Old-fashioned-hunger-doesnt-come-into-it.html?msource=MAG10
The nutritional advice, which (if we've been listening at all) we've heard over and over, is to eat more vegetables. And it's true. I guarantee (or any diet/nutrition professional can guarantee) that if you eat plenty of celery, carrots, and other fruits and veggies, you can't possibly be fat. Note, salad is not okay if you're going to pile on the dressing, nor veggies if you're going to drown them in butter.
Yogurt, a few decades ago, was usually eaten only by "health-food nuts." Today it is very popular. But will it help us to slim down? Those flavored yogurts are sweetened and have twice the calories that plain yogurt has. Eat plain, fat-free yogurt. Personally, I like the taste of plain yogurt. I never eat those flavored ones because I don't think that the sweeteners go well with the natural tart taste of yogurt.
People tend to think that anything healthy has to taste bad, or that healthy eating habits are too austere and their food just won't taste good. It's not true. There are plenty of books, magazines, web sites and so forth that can show you how to have tasty but healthy food.
And don't forget that eating less calorie-dense food is only half the story. The other is more exercise. I notice how many people take the elevator instead of climbing the stairs in, say, the public library. Even to go just one floor. There's the amusing but all-too-true story of the thirty-something who takes the elevator to his/her health club and then uses the stair-stepper machine. And he or she never even thinks about the contradiction there.
And don't drive around and around trying to find the closest parking space at the mall or supermarket. Make a point to park a little further away. You need the exercise. Believe me. Or believe your mirror.
Copyright © 2010 by Richard Stein
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Your post is very true. One thing about this problem in America has something to do with psychology. We should recall that in introductory psychology there are both A and B type personalities. I fall into the A type myself along with others who throughout our country are breadwinners out in the rat race workplace we have here trying to exist in a fast paced tight economy that has no mercy for those who can't keep up or show any weaknesses. With type A personality comes an individual who is always in a hurry and who punishes himself with poor eating and sleeping habits. This personality would be the one that in their always fast pace would race up to a fast food drive up for a quickie or as they near collapse at the work days end throw in the oven (or more likely even faster microwave) a quickie pizza for dinner. The type B personality is the more laid back individual that gets more adequate food and sleep. Overall the type B is less stressed, happier, no doubt enjoys a better living standard, and will enjoy a longer and healthier life. I was a learning assistant and tudor during my college years and amongst other areas assisted many psychology professors. After all the experience and education unfortunately I remain a type A. I'm only using myself as an example because unlike so many others in our society I know better. But with knowledge however doesn't always come power (at least not will power) to break a cycle that has plagued the working classes in America and continues to. In my estimation the problem being addressed here is a consequence of learned behavior that is not easily broken and might given our circumstances, individual lifestyles and personalities, never disappear.
ReplyDeleteMr. Yoder, I see one flaw in what you are saying. Presumably there have always been Type A and Type B people--and breadwinners, as well--but people have not always been so fat.
ReplyDeleteTrue enough and I agree it's not a healthy lifestyle. I used to enjoy Cooking with the Fat Ladies (from England) on the Food Network until all the sudden one of them dropped over dead and ended their program abruptly.
ReplyDeleteI was with a friend yesterday who has significantly gained in weight over the last several years. In his case too I would say psychology has been a factor due to his personal depression which I'm sure anyone who reads would agree is not handled by everyone in the same way. I happen also to know a gal who is thin but lashes out in regard to about anything concerning other people including their weight. In so far as I'm concerned she fits the bill for a skinny, rigid, intellectual type ectomorph who lets everyone know her diet is entirely sour grapes sucked into her especially ruthless fat mouth. I was so tempted on one occasion to tell her a fat lady (or man) was preferable anyday to a gal (or man) with a noticeably obnoxious fat trap.
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