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June 29th, 2010
11:02 AM ET
Obesity rising; Southern states have highest ratesThe Southern states of the U.S. have some of the highest rates of obesity in the country, according to a new report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report found that adult obesity rates rose in 28 states over the past year, with Washington, D.C. as the only area that showed a decline. Ten out of 11 states with the highest rates are located in the South; Mississippi has the highest for the sixth year in a row. Income disparities may contribute to this trend of obesity being prevalent in the South, said Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PolicyLink. The issue of access and affordability of healthy food is also a factor, said Dr. James Marks, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The analysis, "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010," is the seventh annual report on obesity from these organizations. The newest report looked at average rates from 2007 to 2009, compared to 2006 to 2008. Obesity rates are above 25 percent in 38 states, and above 30 percent in eight states. Back in 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent, and the national average was only 15 percent in 1980. In 12 states, the number of adults who say they do not engage in any physical activity rose. Washington D.C. and two states had declines in this area. Diabetes rates have gone up 19 percent in adults in the past year, the report found. Diabetes and hypertension are strongly associated with obesity. The report found a strong association between socioeconomic status and adult obesity rates. About 35 percent of those earning less than $15,000 a year were obese, compared to 24.5 percent of adults earning $50,000 or more per year. There are also racial disparities in the picture of obesity in the U.S. Blacks and latinos have higher obesity rates than whites in nearly every state. More than one third of children and teens are obese or overweight, even though over 80 percent of parents believe that their children are of normal weight. "We’re in danger of raising the first generation who could live sicker and die younger than the generation before them," said Marks. But there are signs of progress, he said. Twenty states and Washington D.C. have nutritional standards for school lunches that are stricter than USDA standards. There are also 20 states that have passed requirements for body mass index assessments or other weight evaluations in schools. iReport: Follow 10-year-old child's obesity challenge Policy interventions that experts think about on the community level address adults as well as kids, said Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America’s Health. Making supermarkets more readily available, reducing the number of fast food restaurants, and redesigning neighborhoods to create more opportunities for exercise would be positive interventions for both adults and children, he said. Here's the states with highest rates: 1. Mississippi (33.8%)
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It's not too much of a surprise given the traditional Southern diet of fried foods. It's tasty, but soooo bad for people. Attitudes about exercise play a roll too. Also the fact that in the summer most of the South is like a volcanic humidifier can't help too much either. A bit hard to go for a run or even walk much outside,when you can't see through the sweat and feel like you are going to pass out from heat exhaustion at 7 in the morning. Indoor exercise if not properly ventilated is not much better.
..play a roll too." HAHAHA....is that a fat joke?
Exactly right. In LA everything is deep fried...candy, twinkies, even soda. All so yummy, and so much love put into the cooking, makes it hard to be 'unfriendly' by saying: No thanks. Umm, hush puppies.
I understand about the summer, but the other 8-9 months of the year arent that bad. In the northern states, we cant exercise outside from mid-december through end of march for the most part. The thing is, you dont need a super workout facility (with proper ventilation) to just WALK. Which is the best thing a lazy person can do – since they arent likely to do much else. Im pretty sure there are malls in the south, right? And they are probably open during the summer...im guessing.
eb0lagirl – who the heck are you paying for? I am certain we are paying for a bad habit that you have. Don't be ignorant all your life ok. Make sure you read a book or two before you leave this planet and try not to spread your ignorance around. It's rather-ignorant.
Funny you say that... I live in Florida and the humidity is outrageous! I go out for runs at different times of the day. The heat is pretty bad at 10 am till 4 or 5 pm, but I have run at those times. You can go to a runner's store or online and by a runners belt to hold water and small snacks and go for a run. There is no excuse other than being lazy to go for a walk outside or run outside... More people should try going and sweating outside instead of putting a twinkie in their mouths. A lot of my family is obese and I refuse to be fat. Our body's are machines that need proper fuel. We weren't meant to eat junk foods and lots of red meat and milk... My thought.
I know this is going to sound mean, but I think it is ok to place a negative stigma on people that are fat. Big is NOT beautiful... it is unhealthy and, frankly, disgusting. Obesity should not be accepted and anyone who does is just contributing to the problem. I am a disabled vet, but I exercise every day. Why can't these fat people that I support with my tax dollars be made to do the same thing. To all those who are fat... You are as bad as people who steal because you steal my tax money to support your unhealthy living. it has got to stop. Put down the taco, buy a pair of running shoes, and exercise.
Leave the fat people alone. Last I checked this was America. Eat all you want my chubby brothers and sisters!
I personally, think I pay too much in taxes for walking and biking trails.
I've gained 70 pounds since moving to central South Carolina, going from normal weight to obese. Personally, I blame lack of exercise rather than the food. I don't like fried chicken and other southern goodies all that much, and I eat less than before. But I could and did exercise in Pennsylvania all but a few weeks during the year, and here I hardly am able to go outside the house from May through October. It is just too hot and humid. Also, few places around my neighborhood are walkable, even when the temperatures are conducive. Obviously, there are many slim southern women, but they must either eat like birds, or exercise in the extreme heat, or they have gym memberships that they use daily. I am in awe of anybody who can remain slim here.
Part of the problem in the South is that the summer break for students is at the worst time of the year. It may save money on air conditioning for schools, but the kids are sitting at home in air conditioning not learning or getting excercise. Maybe if schools switched to a quarterly system, it would help some.
Also, Wal-Mart probably isn't helping either, since neighborhood grocery stores often shut down as soon as a Wal-Mart moves in a few miles away. Both grocery stores that were within 1-2 miles of my house shut down and now its a 4-5 mile trip to Wal-Mart or I have to go to Walgreens, which only has carbs. Less frequent trips often means more prepared foods or carbs. The situation is probably even worse in more rural areas.
My grandaddy in Oklahoma was about 6 feet tall and probably 175 pounds his whole life. He grew up eating all that fried southern food. He and I used to eat biscuits with a mixture of butter and Karo syrup for breakfast. He probably did not have the healthiest arteries in the world, and he smoked too. But when he died about 20 years ago, he was in his 70's and not overweight by any means. And yeah, it was just as hot back then as it is now, but we'd go out fishing with a jug of ice that would become drinking water soon enough under the blazing heat of southern OK. I think the obesity cannot be blamed on the heat. It is more likely the cause of people sitting on the rear-ends too much. There's another thing grandaddy used to eat lots of: vegetables and fruit, so I am also going guess too many processed junk foods in the diet is another factor.
It's extremely hot in Florida, too, but you don't see them on the list. It's mostly education, culture, and financial status that contribute. In the 1980s, I moved from Florida to Michigan and was astonished at the large number of overweight people, especially women that i saw in the latter.
Linn, you've gained 70 pounds? That's terrible and you can't blame that on the weather. Over how long of a time period? Get up and work out. Unless you were 9 when you moved 70 pounds is through the roof.
I'm not going to make a joke. That's a tragic number.
I live in #7... Kentucky... and I am not overweight... 5'2" and 120 pounds... which puts me solidly normal weight... but... nearly everyone around me tells me I am "too thin"... and to "eat a biscuit". It is about perspective and what a normal weight looks like. The reported obesity rate for Kentucky is 30.5%... which is pretty accurate for those who are OBESE... but... the percentage of OVERWEIGHT and not yet obese would be closer to 70%. If a woman is not overweight in Kentucky, we are considered "too thin"... although I am by no means too thin. It's cultural... and has nothing to do with heat, humidity, or laziness... we Kentuckians are outdoors all summer long, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, swimming... lots of water sports. When you are born and raised in the south, your body adjusts to the climate and it not an issue. The main problem is the culture... all activities include food... pies, fried chicken, fish fries, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese... butter dripping off the ears of corn... and the supply is adundant. You can swim, water ski, go tubing, hike, canoe all day long... then... meet up with family and friends for a cook out with food galore. If a person does not join in the meal, it offends those who are providing the meal, and Kentuckians are not ones to be offensive to those they care about.
I live in South Carolina and anyone claiming they can't exercise due to the weather is full of crap. You can easily run or bike in the mornings before work or as the heat dissipates later in the evening around 7-8pm. Still too hot? Even some of the most rural towns have gyms less than 30 mins away and monthly memberships cost less than your monthly cable bill.
There's a reason I can eat a diet high in fat and crabs and still remain underweight. It's because I don't make excuses when it comes to exercising.
I can't even listen to you all complain about how it's too hot in the South to exercise. I lived in Wisconsin for 28 years and put up with miserable conditions for 6 months of the year. Try returning from a run with frostbite. Since moving to Georgia three years ago I have been able to be spend time running or walking outside EVERYDAY – it is amazing here. For my first two years here I didn't even need a gym membership. I only have one now because my office has a gym. The heat is just another excuse for why you can't find the motivation to change. Find a waterbottle you can carry and find an activity that works for you. Get up at 5 am if you need to do it. I've done it, it's not that bad. There is no secret diet, low fat, low carb, blah, blah...it's a simple matter of calories in versus calories out. It's not rocket science.
Southern states have always been about fried food and it's always been hot. That hasn't changed. But obesity is up. So you can't blame it all on fried food and heat. There must be something people are doing differently that is causing obesity to go up.
Amen, Sugar.
I live in KY and to be honest it is very humid during the summer, but great during the spring and fall and some of the winter is very cooperative to physical exercise. More than anything my state's problem's have to do more with will-power, discipline and education about the long term affects of a seditary lifestyle and the mental effects of obesity. I have been fighting obesity issues all my life. At age 10 I had high blood pressue due to poor diet and lack of exercise, but after making lifestyle changes (eating healthier & exercising) I weighed only 146lbs when I was 18 at five foot, eight and half inches tall. I am now 34 and have hit the obese side again, getting up to 225lbs about 1 year ago. I have again been confronted with my poor decision and have made a very disciplined effort to cut out my processed carb/high fat diet and have started running 2.5-3 miles about 5x a week and doing resistance training 5x a week. To that end, I am now back down to around 190 and more than halfway to my goal of 165-175 lbs. It isn't easy but it's about discipline and the want to see my kids become adults and to teach them by showing them the importance of a healthier lifestyle. Also, most schools have cut own gym and much of the recess in favor of spending more time in class and sending way to much homework home for a lot of kids to even have time to go outside during the weekday, which is absolutely one of the causes of this epedimic.
Strenuous outdoor activities in the South can be hard to get used to when you're first getting started, but if you build up slowly and carefully it won't hurt most folks. People can and do get used to being outside in the hot, humid South, exercising daily in the heat and humidity. Ask construction and roofing crews. Heck, ask any military guy or gal south of the Mason-Dixon line! Sure, it's more comfortable to be indoors in the A/C, but heat and humidity aren't enough of an excuse to avoid outdoor exercise. Get out and get used to it.
Nonsense! It is never too hot to exercise. That is an excuse. I live in an Atlanta suburb and my running group has met at 5:30 am to run. It is a matter of priorities.
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_aid_cas_rat_all_age-aids-case-rate-all-ages Just looking at more health statistics (follow the link) to get the whole picture... the obesity rate is up EVERYWHERE... not just in the South... and... interestingly... the states with the most AIDS cases have the lowest obesity rates. Just because one state isn't quite as fat as the other... does not mean that the thinner state is healthier... even the "slimmest" states have more than 50% of adults OVERWEIGHT (BMI greater than 25).
It's a beautiful day here in Michigan... I'm going to go for a walk... maybe a jog... but definitely a walk! I used to live in Baton Rouge, La... I jogged at night... I'd come home dripping in sweat... but it felt great... I'd take a cool shower and fall pleasantly asleep.
But like Roger said... newbies... take your time starting our... build up to the really strenuous workouts... start with some stupidly simple excercises to get your body moving... and I bet you'll be more likely to move forward into something serious and truly rewarding excercise.
I've always wondered how hot it truly gets in the south, which includes humidity. I've never been in the south during the summer.
Fat is the new gay.
Chuck, my guess is that the difference is at least partially what goes into that fried food. Fried food used to be homemade and come from raw ingredients. Now fried food is full of chemicals, artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors, super processed, mass-produced, etc. Ingredients DO matter.
And Scott, my car's thermometer said 109 when I got out of work yesterday. Humidity today is 60%. It's suffocating.
What is the deal? I just made some suggestions about possible reasons why there could be more obesity in the South and I get called fat and lazy. First of all I'm not from the South. I'm from D.C. and second of all I'm not fat and lazy. I was suggesting some reasons other than socio economics and race for why there is a problem. Judging by the hateful comments on this board, some of you people would have more compassion for a cold blooded sociopath as long as they weren't overweight!!!
Im obese. in the last 2 years i have gone from 260 to 330. I like to eat bacon and eggs with bread. I do not move at all. Im eating myself to death and I cant stop. I can no longer clean myself like i should. Everything hurts. I go to work every day but I just sit at a desk. the only time I move is when I go to my car from my house and to my office. I get about 30 seconds of exercise a day. I make 93000 per year. I cant wait to die.
Yeah, the heat. That's why there are never any skinny people in places closer to the Equator like Central and South America and Africa. Oh, wait ...
mammabev, I just looked at the AIDS counter. Why is it so incredibly high in DC? That's shocking!
I see lots of posts on here about the deep south being too hot during the summer for exercise. It is true that it is hot and very humid, but if you are diligent about your health you can and would go at times when its not as hot, such as at 6 am. before the sun fully rises over the horizon or late in the evening after the sun has set. Just make sure to wear repellent. I personally am training for a marathon during the summer and I live in GA, so no able bodied person has any excuses if I can do that. America is way too fat and people should be more concerned about the harm all that extra weight is causing their bodies. This is a lazy nation that wants instant gratification in everything, we dont want to work hard. When hungry we dont want to cut, most want fast food. Many dont want to work at losing weight in a healthy way, they want surgery. I SMH at this country and the path it is heading towards. If you think health care is expensive now, wait until even more people are fat or obese.
To Poppy: I know where you're coming from. I topped out close to 360 and everything you described was me. I changed my life drastically almost 2 years ago when a 90% blockage was found in a main artery to my heart. It was a wake up call. I knew I was killing myself all those years, but didn't care until it almost became a reality. I've since lost over 100 lbs and am still dropping. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, too. It's the little things that count. Watch the fat intake, make better choices and get the body moving. It really doesn't take a huge effort...it just takes an effort. Little by little, your life will turn around. It did for me. Good luck and hang in there!
I live in Alabama. In order for me to comfortably exercise outdoors during the summer, that requires me getting to the track around 6 am and staying for an hour or so before the heat gets unbearable.
@mammabev: I too, have the same problem. I'm sick of it. I live in Alabama. I've been told that I "could gain a few pounds," even though I am at a healthy weight. I guess I do appear anorexic when being obese is the norm. Instead of those people saying I'm too thin, perhaps they should believe they are too large. Just a thought.
Instead of pigging out on large portions of food at once, I opt for MUCH smaller, more frequent meals. I'm the type of person that is hungry 2-3 hours after a meal because I do not overload my body with a ton of food at once. Also, if you have a sweet tooth, some granola bars are a great substitute. This doesn't mean don't eat cake or candy bars; just eat them in moderation. Moderation is a word many people do not understand in the land of all-you-can-eat buffets and super-sized meals.
Also, as far as exercise is concerned, video games such as Dance Dance Revolution and the Wii fit are great ways for either you or your kids to exercise indoors when it is 100 degrees outside.
Fat is sexy!
An article about beauty and size: http://www.faceglobal.com/posts/BeautyAndSize.aspx
*role
Our "traditional" diet here in Wisconsin is ALSO deep-fried everything (especially dairy foods), accompanied by an extra side of beef and a (few) beer(s). Google Image Search "Packers Fan" – you'll see everything from the pasties guy to the bikini girls. With most of them, you don't even have to guess how much of the "bulk" is the shirt, because shirts are optional for Packers fans.
Diet plays a PART in obesity, but so do a lot of other factors, especially exercise.
Was 90 degrees at 9am this morning in Florida. Heat index will be 110 with near 100% humidity. Yeah, let's go out and exercise.
Have you heard of exercising indoors?
Exactly. It's 90+ in Georgia. However, it's a nice cool 70 in the gym where the treadmills are...
Excuses, excuses. That's all I hear from overweight people.
Yeah, I lived in Miami with the heat and humidity. I stayed hydrated and ran in the mornings. The heat is not a valid excuse.
Its called a gym...... just because its too hot outside to workout you can always go to a gym or do your own work outs at home. So stop being lazy and blaming it on the weather...
Buy a cheap exercise DVD off of amazon and get to it.
The argument that it is hot in the South during the summer is terrible. Guess what, during the winter it's cold in the North! Ever try running outside when it's 5 degrees and snowing? That's why they sell dumbbells, treadmills, exercise videos, etc. and have fitness centers- so you can work out in any weather. Also, fitness is not the only culprit- the amazingly unhealthy diet and general lack of effort toward being healthy has a huge role to play in why the south tops the list...
Exactly why you are probably fat. Excuses excuses. Get your butt off the couch and move around. Go swimming if it's too hot for you, buy an indoor treadmill. Quit being a lazy a$$ and sucking down them SODAS!!
actually excercising when its HOT is the best way to drop pounds,through good old sweating
This article offends you doesnt it....
You can only exercise during the summer? Thats bizarre.
drink some water and suck it up. As long as you're properly hydrated, running in any temp is ok. People who are lazy work awfully hard to come up with excuses to be lazy.
That's why folks in the South are fat. Because they live in air conditioning in the summer. Read where in the 70's 24% of people considered a/c a necessity, now it's 70%. That's why our energy needs are going to kill us someday. The power will go off, people will start whining, no one will be able to do anything about it, so people will start loading their guns. Couple this with the death of a third of the U.S.'s fishing grounds in the Gulf and there won't be anything to eat, so now you'll have a bunch of sweaty, hungry, uncomfortable fat slobs from the South with their arsenals of weaponry.....
And the South will rise again...
For those of you saying cute things like "it's called a gym" ... not everyone can afford a gym membership. Given that most of the Southern obesity is in rural areas or among low-income city dwellers, gym membership is not a viable option. As for the seasons ... most of the South suffers a fairly cold winter, with freezing spells, snow, & worst of all, ice storms. You've got 3-4 months of "volcanic humidifier" weather, then a bit later in the year you get the frozen stuff. Even the mild months might see rain 2+ days per week. Makes it difficult to keep up a regular exercise schedule for more than 3 months.
Not that this is an excuse for being fat. The best thing would be to add more & more veggies to the diet (steamed, though, not fried or boiled-'til-flavorless), fresh fruit without massive amounts of added sugar, and – dare I say it ? – a lot less frying.
I live just south of West Palm Beach, FL, was raised in the north, and learned how to exercise all year long here. I run 4 times a week in the summer, more in the winter, 6-16 miles at a time. I'm 51 and still 10 lbs overweight, lots of injuries, blah blah blah. Excuses like the weather are BS. Just admit you are lazy and don't look for any sympathy.
Yeah, the heat really isn't a good excuse. I live in Florida and I run at least 20 miles a week. Your body gets used to the weather – and there's always morning and evening. Just drink plenty of fluids and get out there!
Even if you can't afford a gym membership, you can probably swing a year membership at the YMCA.
No Village People jokes, please.
Sounds like perfect weather to go swimming or boogey boarding to me... :0)
This country has grown adverse to sweating. Nothing better than coming in totally drenched in sweat after an hour or two of mountain biking or tennis. And meals taste so much better after an intense workout in the heat.
Drink plenty of water with that much heat and you will lose a ton of weight with some type of physical activity and a change in your diet. I'm sure the caveman didn't have a air coniditioned house to sit in all day. Go to a sporting goods store and buy a $15 resistance band, a $20 exericise ball and you can go on craigslist and find a used elliptical or treadmill for pennies on the dollar, so there's no excuse to even need to go outside to get your exercise.
I'm run 3-4 marathons a year and I live in Minnesota. So that means I train all year round. 5 months out of the year it's 40 degrees or less, 2 months are almost continuously 10 degrees or less. Guess what I do then? I run inside. Crazy.
That's exactly what I plan on doing this afternoon. I rode my bike to work this AM and will ride home this PM and go for a nice long ride before dinner. It is not impossible to exercise, even in the South Florida heat. If you can't take the heat (and I understand many can't), get a stationary bike or a rebounder and exercise indoors while watching TV in the air conditioning.
What a sad commentary on this country!!!!
WELL BIG SURPRISE, get me another triple wit ultra cheese!
I think this is a sign of the changing times for the south. The diets have not changed, however, the farms are going – people are not outside doing what they used to. when your activity changes, so should your eating.
Sir you were born in the wrong century – the Civil War ended over 100 years ago.
Yes the civil war ended over 100 years ago but the southerners are not over it. If you come to the south the first thing they tell you is "you're not from here" when they hear you speak. Then they tell you about the southern hospitality which is a bunch of bull because they HATE northerners. What they don't realize is how hypocritical they are. They are supposedly "religious" but they are a bunch of hypocrites because of the hate that comes out of them if you are different from them. They despise "northerners" and anybody else that is different from them. And yes they eat terribly!
Hey at least if there is another civil war they will be to fat to fight... LOL
It depends on what part of the south you go to. If you go to the rural south, then yes there are people like that. The last time I went up north for a convention with work people looked down on me because I have a slight southern accent and assumed I was an idiot because of my accent. In fact I go to UAH, major in aerospace engineering and currently have a 3.8 GPA....the southern stereotypes don't hold true for all of the south.
You should try being a Southerner in the North. Ever had someone slow down their speech the second you say you are Southern? Had people ask you if you hate black people or had sex with your cousin? Northerners feels free to say crap like that ALL THE TIME, then laugh about it. Meanwhile a cab will drive right past a black person to pick up a white person while New Yorkers claim they are so superior and not racist.
If you come to the South and start babbling about how backwards we are, about how our bagels and pizza aren't good enough, we will be rude to you, because you are a condescending a$$
I came to the south with an upbeat attitude because I was happy to be there. It is all the hate and racism that soured me and I never spoke about how much better the north is because I am not from the north.
Get over it, you lost the war.
Linda Thomas, please explain the racism that exists in the south that doesn't in the north. I will try to comfort the residents of South Side Chicago with your insight.
Actually, Chicago is Midwest, not "North". The Northeastern liberal states that people refer to when they say "North" are in the New England region. Even so, racism is definitely worse in the South. Just try Googling "segregated high school prom" and take note of where all the resulting news articles are from.
agreed
Linda, you saw what you wanted to see in the South, and I am guessing you are judging a whole region based on one place, one you haven't named. The South, like every other part of this country has good and bad, ignorance and education, urban and rural. Wherever you are from, you chose to see only the bad, in any other region you likely would have written it off as one city or town, but since you came in assuming we are all backwards, racist yokels. So be it, keep your narrow minded views and stereotypes in your own town.
I agree.. totally raciest. I have never seen so many confederate flags, and confederate shirts that says "heritage not hate". I swear the southern motto is if you aint white, then you aint right.
FYI – racist has no 'e'.
I don't know what parts of the South you're referring to but where I live in No. 10 tied with Michigan NC, I don't know where I would go out of my way to find a Confederate flag or t-shirt. I have never heard someone say something like the "motto" you wrote and growing up, if I or any of my friends heard someone say something racist (very rarely) we avoided those people. But hey, y'all wouldn't want to have to change your way of thinking about millions of people. I think every part of the country surely has some people they are less proud of than others??
'Reply' is not working!
Yep
Actually it ended 150 years ago, and yet, here in the South we still find bullets and shells all the time. It doesn't seem so far away when it was right where you live.
Actually it ended 145 years ago.
So what city did you visit?
We find bullets from the Civil War in the North, too (ever heard of Gettysburg?:)
If people don't have self control, then that's their problem. It's their responsibility to take of their health. Don't make me pay for it through the already ridiculously pricey healthcare system. This article is no surprise. Unfortunately the American diet is being taken on in other parts of the world as they become more economically developed and are facing more growth in girth.
Who the hell says you are paying for any fat person's health care? I know plenty of overweight people, with their own damned health insurance. They are not mooching off your butt.
JK isn't saying that fat people don't have insurance. He's saying that EVERYONE pays higher rates because so many people are obese and require more medical treatment. The extra cost is factored into skinny people's rates as well.
Do neither of you understand how health insurance works (im not talking about the health care reform, but what you currently have)??? You are most definitely paying for other peoples obesity, and in general poor health choices. If you were paying for your own health care, you wouldnt have insurance in the first place. Your premiums combine with everyone elses, and when the costs to treat all the people on insurance go beyond a profitable point for the insurance company – they raise premiums, or eliminate things they'll cover, or charge more out-of-pocket costs for dr's visits, ect. It's quite sad I even have to explain how this works, but then again, im really not that surprised i guess.
SONIA... you're a moron if you don't think that we (fit people) aren't paying for the unhealthy habits of other people... why do you think our insurance rates increase every year? Because insurance companies want to recoup the costs associated with handing out billions of dollars to hospitals and offices that provide care for people that are fat and live unhealthy lifestyles. DUH
Fat people are not the only ones who raise the premium. Smokers raise the premium. Cancer from oil spills will raise the premium. Meth addicts will raise the premium. Abortions will raise the premium. Shall I continue?
Sonia, JK is right. Everyone pays for obesity. Even if you have your own insurance, those rates are based upon assumptions on how well subscribers take care of themselves. And of late, that's not very well. Like smoking, this is absurd - there's no excuse for it, and I should know: In February, I weighed 230 lbs. I went a new doctor and he gave it to me straight: get right, or get another doctor. Hit the gym, put one-third of my time in aerobics, two-thirds into weight training (to build more muscle to store all that glucose), and above all, stop shoving so much food into my mouth. I've down to 204 right now; still obese as hell, but definitely heading in the right direction. I sleep more soundly, my BP is now normal, my glucose levels are approaching normal, and I'm way more alert and present than I was. And my doctor sees me every month to keep an eye on it. The folks who are saying "no excuses" are right. The really good news is that once you get started, you get more energy to do more exercise, and I actually look forward to hopping on the scale each morning. It keeps feeding on itself. Our biggest enemy–as it always has been–is inertia. There's just no excuse for it.
JDT: that "DUH" at the end of your sentence speaks volumes. God bless you champ *thumbs up
Shut up, Sonia. Don't get mad at him for pointing out your ignorance.
Ian-uhm...way to contribute. You rock dude.
I just wanted to add that as a former morbidly obese person, who is also handicapped, I work every day, and pay for my own health insurance, and paid for it when I was morbidly obese too. The only person that will change your perception, is you, yourself. Yes, it's very hot here in Mississippi, but it's been hot for years here, and people will find every excuse in the book not to workout...money, time, other people's opinions, etc. It's only when a person decides for themselves to change that change can happen and will stick. I know...I used to be 321 pounds. And, I lost 193 pounds after a little over two years through only a lot of hardwork, diet and exercise, but it wasn't until I decided to change that it happened...people begged me all the time...told me I should, made fun of me, neglected to socialize with me, but in the end...it had to be a decision I made, in order for it to stick. I now weigh 128, and have a much healthier life because of it...and still have the same insurance, and pay just as much.
Those who routinely spend time at the gym are typically deficient in most other areas, particularly at work. They are the "extra" people of the world who serve no other purpose than to worship themselves and chastise others.
Women and children see the doctor more routinely than do men. Why do I have to pay for them? Handicapped people probably use insurance. Oh yeah, and there's this old lady down the street who got sick. I am not paying for her either. Stop whining! Pay your insurance bill like everyone else. Or maybe you can move to Germany where you'll be more comfortable. Your attitude will certainly fit in much better there.
JK, didnt you know you were paying my health insurance. Besides, when this stupid healthcare plan that the idiot Obama has put into place I hardly think it is only for fat people in the south. You are an idiot.
Im not sure why people associate fat with intelligence. FAT does not equal DUMB. There are lots of highly intelligent people that are also obese.
But they're not smart enough to see what they look and feel like and not do something about it? Or is it that they are so sedentary because of their computers and book reading?
monica, how can I assume an overweight/obese person is intelligent when they obviously don't have the sense to take care of their own body? Or the parents who submit thier children to a life of health problems and a low life expectancy age?
the issue is not intelligence specifically, it's the fact that people don't have the willpower or responsibility to face their problems. You can be the smartest person in the world and still have these issues.
No fat people aren't dumb. But educated people tend to take better care of themselves, like going to the doctor when they should, eating more fruits/vegetables, exercising, and they try to teach their children the same. Also educated people have better jobs, so they can afford health care, so they go to the doctor more often. An example is a relative of mine who doesn't work and is on welfare......what did she have in her kitchen??? Chips, sodas, candy, a couple slices of turkey, cheese, WHOLE milk and that was it. SHOCKING. I couldn't even find a piece of lettuce to put on my sandwich. And what do you think her daughter eats??
if they were smart, then they would exercise...
Puh-leeez ! Many people are fat because they have emotional/cultural attachments to food. If every time you got a scraped knee Mom handed you a cookie, or your parents took you to McD's to get over a childhood slight, then you come to associate food with feeling better. So you eat to feel better. And the cycle starts. Eat, gain weight, see said weight gain is ugly, eat more to feel better. It's not about intelligence, it's about training.
Also, many in the South were raised on farms ( or their parents were). With the move to agribusiness, manual labor was not needed so much & folks settled into sedentary jobs, but kept eating like they were working on the farm.
Frankly, those who can't look beyond the "fat = dumb" bit should have their own intelligence questioned.
If you're excuse is you eat to cover your sadness... then that is a fail. If you're not smart enough to take stock of what you're doing to yourself and recongnize that you need to change, then you have a problem. Take some time to think and change your habits and stop eating so much without moving your body more. That is a poor excuse and those people know it. The sooner you move to change your bad habits, the better you'll be and feel. If you're happy being fat and can accept the limits placed on you, then fine... if you're unhappy... change.
From the article:
"In 12 states, the number of adults who say they do not engage in any physical activity rose in 12 states."
Editing fail.
I personally believe that there are so many people in the US that are out of work, depressed and feeling hopeless that that in itself is a major cause of weight gain (I have a daughter this is happening to). Also, people don't have the money for recreational activities as in years past. Our economy, again, is to blame for America's failing health.
Is someone really saying that the economy is to blame for poor eating habits?? How about the idea of poor eating habits is to blame for a bad economy? Rather then buy a cheap cheeseburger or Mac & Cheese, go down to your local farmers market and support your local economy. It sounds like people are too lazy to cook and prep meals for themselves. Stop being lazy and make some healthy meals. If we start doing that, I bet the economy will improve as well as our attitudes towards one another.
Sorry, but marathon rates climb during recessions because people have time to work out. Walking and running is absolutely free. Walking and running are also, by the way, the biggest calorie burners. Also, while healthy food is slightly more expensive, less food is less expensive. One can actively choose where to put there frustration; choose a walk instead of a bag of chips and cable TV. It is cheeper and healthier.
I agree that for people who were once average weight and are gaining, the economy CAN have something to do with it. Healthy food is far more expensive that junk food. I try to eat healthfully and it's about twice the price of a McDonald's drive through.
I think TIME is a problem. People, especially parents, just don't have the time to cook a healthy meal. We are all so busy working that we'd rather drive to Wendys for dinner or throw some frozen dinner in the microwave. That's why I refuse to work over 40 hours a week. I actually think 40 hours is too much. We need the time as families to get together, cook, sit down, turn the tv off and have a meal TOGETHER. Everyone benefits from this, especially the kids.
depression and lack of funds may have something to do with it, but, even with no money, one can get out and walk a few miles a day. there are also people who cannot exercise due to health problems, but they can eat healthy...
I don't agree with the fast food excuse too much. Because if you're staying active, you'll burn off that food. You always have to eat for your lifestyle. I routinely go through stretches where I only cook my own food to save money and I also go through periods where all I eat is fast food. But the only time I gain weight is when I stop being active and go into couch mode. The only answer is being active and eating accordingly.
If so then that is just an excuse. How much obesity do you think there was in the Great Depression of the 1930's compared to now? Our economic troubles now are not much by comparison. People have conditioned themselves to be accustomed to excess, and they no longer even realise it is excess.
whoa, creepy post!
Some of these comments are idiotic and extremely rude. You people need to grow up. I agree that there needs to be some plan to help people, but these negative comments are not the way to help. BTW, "Fat" people don't want sympathy.
Wasnt TN on the list...I see why your upset.
Hey Unhappy Fat People!! Get Off Your Butts And Excerise!! Food Is For Energy!! How Much Energy Do You Need To Sit On Things All Day Long?
" BTW, "Fat" people don't want sympathy."
Agreed, they want the biggie size big mac meal with a gallon o' extra sweetened tea!
Hey Mikey, don't think Mich. and WV are in the south. So are you equating being fat with being dumb?? If that is the case, than that is the same bias, stereotyping, and hate speech that is just not PC. Sure, sounds like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...
He was listing the states that are in the top ten and Mich was tied for 10th with a southern state, also, depeneding on who you ask WV would be considered a Southern State, since it was at one point part of Virginia that broke off during the Civil War.
West Virginia split so that it would NOT be part of the South.
Michael, you are an idiot.
i like how everyone else is getting fat, compared to them i am starting to look like Gisele!
LOL!
LOL That cracks me up!
Wow you are a complete and utter idiot. You must be one of those Yanks in the North who's obnoxious and obviously rude. Not all Southerners are fat and "rat trash" moron. I've seen more than my fair share of Northern trash. At least here in the South, we have something called Southern Hospitality.
Southern Hospitality is just waiting for people to leave and then you talk about them behind their backs.
Well said !!! Hehehe ! And they take so much pains to point out their "hospitality" in every forum....yeah those poor slaves would call it hospitality though.
Southern hospitality?? Is that what you call waving the confederate flag with a swastika tattooed to your chest, and dragging people by trucks?
Yeah, because we know there's no racism up north.
I agree with you completely.
With foodstamps, you can buy chips, soda, candy, frozen pizza and any other junk food. I think the only limitations are non-food items, alcohol and cigarettes. A lot of foodstamp recipients find ways to cash them in for money too.
You can also purchase cheese, fruits, vegatables, etc with the same food stamps. Really it's about what's important to you.
(My last post was a reply but I put it in the wrong place). Someone suggested that there be limits to what you can purchase with foodstamps similar to the WIC program. Someone replied that there were already restrictions. Unfortunately, per my post, there are few restrictions on what you can buy with foodstamps. The USDA's argument is that limiting choices on foodstamps would seem like a punishment for being of low income. They have a point there, but I do believe that my tax dollars should pay for quality food.
At the very least, those who use food stamps should thank all the other people in line at the grocery store for paying their food bill.
and if they thanked you, you would be ok with it?
Well, guess in conclusion:
If you are not doing anything but mouthing off about the situation in our country, you will continue to pay and pay dearly~enjoy
Don't forget about the man screwing the horse.
Paul,
I am a GRITS but NEVER have I owned a confederate flag, had ANYTHING tattooed ANYWHERE especially NOT a swastika nor have I drug anyone from behind a truck – OR even own a truck SO....WHO is sterotyping whom?
Not sure how you guys got so off topic BUT another FYI, not all southerns are obese who only eat fattening foods and never exercise. I am 5'2" and weigh 126. My husband is 6'1" and weighs 165. Neither of my teenaged daughters weigh over 120 so again ~ sterotyping!
My husband and I both attended and graduated from college. My oldest just graduated from HS with Honors ~ 4.34 GPA! So much for the dumb hick mantra!
As for southern hospitality, if I invite someone to my home I CERTAINLY go out of my way to accommodate my guests HOWEVER if someone comes UNINVITED then I do NOT consider myself under any obligation to be hospitable! Therefore if someone of the northern persuasion comes to our 'neck of the woods' and begins telling us how backwards, racist or fat I am; then I feel obligated to call them on their BS! We are hospitable NOT stupid!
Speak on sister!!! Congratulations on your eldest's GPA!
I've never been to the South. To me, South is Connecticut (I'm Canadian), but if ever I should go, I'm glad it's not what you see in movies.
Y'all are chunky butts....HAHAHAHA!
Thanks Lady! And you are welcome to the South anytime! 'Come on down and sit a spell'!
Southern Hospitality is such a load of crock. People down here are some of the rudest in my life, and will back stab you the second you turn around. People in the North tell you how it is to your face and Southerners can't handle that.
I could care less if you call me "Sir" if in reality you're a complete A$$.
No worries, I would NEVER consider referring to you as 'sir'!
You are an idiot! I wish I saw you in person because I would tell you that to your face as well.
From A Southerner (Atlanta)
Much of this has to do with infrastructure issues in the South compared to the north and west. Many southerners live in remote areas where there are no sidewalks or any trails, So many of them would have to walk up streets that have traffic. Also, another issue is that outside of the cities many southerners do not have adequate transportation, so most get their food from local stores that do not sell healthy foods. Also, there is an extreeme shortage of family docs in the south as well and poor health education. You couple all of that together with the tradition of fried and fatty foods and poor health and obesity shouldn't be a real suprize.
Like where you head is in this one Harry. I want to see the data that Trust for America’s Health is getting it from. Is it a survey, people actually going to doctors or what. This data could possibly be negatively skewed and the orgainzation is not calculating the people that are too poor to go to doctors or dont fill out the survey. However it is not hard to change people's life style. Number one thing family needs more is FAMILY TIME!. The more time people spend on the telephones texting and sitting on the computer less time exercising. Do it as a family.
I was watching the TLC program on the fat family. They said in a interview that they didn't know what a calorie was( poor health education). After doing research on the internet they found that everything in there house was terrible to eat. Now since they changed there life style by eating better and playing basketball as a family , the have lost a total of 300 pounds and counting!
I agree with the above factors, plus a few more. The government subsidizes only obesity-producing foods like corn, dairy, and other fatty foods that are sold very cheaply. Thus, the corner stores that don't sell much more expensive healthy foods sell much cheaper processed junk. Another factor is sweet and fatty food as an emotional balm; when there is only depressing poverty to look forward to, overindulging, with peers who don't look down on you, is about the only "happy" thing to do. I'm guesing that Forida's obesity rate is much lower than that in the other southern states because of social disdain for fat and presure to be thin, and the existence of lots of fun diversions other than eating. Lack of a good exercise environment could be a factor, but if you look at old photos from the south (or anywhere in the US for that matter), you don't see fat people. Period. People worked off all their calories, even in hot humid weather, and there was not cheap fatty food available on every corner. One fundamental thing that must change before national obesity rates change, is the cultural mantra that happiness depends upon material wealth. Get rid of the emotional factors for over-eating and everything else will fall into place.
Thank you,
It's always an arguement that people try to make that folks should know how 'bad' foods are for them and how much they should exercise. I have seen folks decide to go on fad diets because it was the 'thing' to get them 50 lighter in a hurry or half way kill themselves because they decided to start running or lifting heavy weights because someone said that they should do something about their weight. Eating right and exercise is more than just simply doing it, it has to be a change in lifestyle which can go far beyond what the person is actually eating. This is were good health education comes in, folks think okay I will order chicken with broccoli because it has broccoli and that's a veggie, right? but don't fully understand that the dish contains a large amount of sodium and bad carbs. Or that exercise is gradual and that you have to work yourself up to running 5 miles a day. The funniest thing I ever saw in addition to the family on TLC, was on biggest loser, the first day at the ranch during last season, the instructors told the contestants to work out on the machines without any instruction. What happend? Folks stood around in the GYM and played or stared at the machines trying to figure out how to use them. It's easy for you and I to say get exercise to people because we know how, but some people have never done a pushup or lifted a barbel, or grew up in a household that server veggies on a regular basis.
I agree with you Harry. College kid....do you even live in the South? I DO. The oil spill has caused depression, paranoia...unfounded? I think not- do you trust your government to tell you if there's a tidal wave coming up b/c the proverbial bottom (of the ocean floor) just fell out? Anyways, Harry, you are right. Corner stores & more parks I think would help a bunch. I live in rural suburbia with no sidewalks, no corner grocery anything, and you might actually get hit on your bike with this fast back road country driving. ALL THE PEOPLE WITH RUDE COMMENTS SHOULD JUST SHOVE IT. DO YOU REALLY THINK CONDESCENDING ATTITUDES CAN'T BE POINTED AT YOU??
Enough with blaming "fried foods"...this is not about eating fat, it's about eating too many carbs. Anyone who has lowered their carb intake significantly will tell you that they have lost weight. That's because the more carbs you eat, the more insulin your body generates, and insulin is a fat-storing hormone. Cut down on the bread, potatoes, chips, crackers, fruit roll-ups, pasta, rice, and sugared drinks, and our nation will lose weight in droves. More meat, eggs, green veggies, and nuts. Carby food is cheap and available.
Hate to break it to you but frying food will add carbs. If you say fat in diets isn't the problem then please explain why heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the US? Fat from animal by prodocts clogs you're arteries causing your heart to work harder which leads to a whole host of issues. I'm not saying carbs aren't to blame either... but it's about have a well balanced diet.
Fried foods are carbs- the food to be fried is dipped in flour (a carb) then in grease and cooked. So it is carbs.
Weight gain and weight loss are about calories. People blame carbs but you could have a carb-free diet and still gain weight. A pound equals 3500 calories (note the lack of distinction on whether those calories come from fat, protein or carbs). Eat 3500 calories less and you'll lose a pound. Ultimately, that's what it's all about.
Frying food doesn't inherently add carbs, it adds fat. Breading food will add carbs.
Animal fats (or fat from natural sources) are far from the worst offending fats. The fats contained in things like margarine and other foods containing hydrogen oils and transfats are your killers. If your diet consisted of drinking whole milk and eating meat, you would be much much much healthier off than the obese portion of the nation. There are cultures that survive almost exclusively on animal meat (and not just fish and chicken), red meat, and are vastly healthier than the general US population.
Actually, Angela is correct to an extent, if you fry foods at 375 degrees and promply drain off excess grease and oils the amount of fat added during frying is minor. Also, If you stir fry veggies you can end up sealling in vitamins and minerals.
Plus, another thing people don't realize is that that simple carbs cause people to gain weight and have more problems than high fat. This is processed sugars in while bread, rice, and some corn products are worse than fats because they cause surges in GI(sugars) for most people. These are typical items that are easily purchased over the counter, like Cheese-nips, white bread, corn chips, hamberger helper (bleached Pasta), and so on.
All carbs are not equal. We do need carbs- they're the basic source of energy that our bodies need. Our problem is *processed* carbs- white flour, white rice, white sugar, etc. They are a significant factor in the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. A rational amount of whole grains can be a part of a balanced, healthy diet.
Thing is, the poorer you are, the less likely to have access to healthy food. There are large portions of our inner cities that have no regular 'grocery stores'- only convenience stores, where food in processed, high-calorie, and expensive. And an incredible amount of people grow up without learning how to cook! I know a woman who has a Master's degree but doesn't know how to cook an ordinary meal. It has to come out of a box or a can or she doesn't cook it. And she had three kids! So what happens to a young mom in an urban setting, with not enough money and no skills? You live on highly processed carbs- macaroni and cheese out of a box, breakfast cereals, white bread...
I have an issue with paying for people's sins, whether it's smoking, drinking, or cheeseburgers. If you get lung cancer, cirrhosis , or type 2 diabetes, it's your own darn fault, stop making other people pay for it. Why not make part of health care reform personal responsibility? Eating too much or smoking is a lifestyle choice. If you want to get fat and get heart disease and diabetes, it's on you.
My question is how much of the food these people eat also paid for by tax payers? Why does the US have a food stamp program that let's parents fill their kids up with junk food? Why not replace food stamps with a WIC type program? No tax payer funded doritos and frozen pizza, just healthy fruits and vegetables, beans, lean meat, fish, etc.
agreed!
I totally agree with your comments. It is startling to see a young child in the child seat of a grocery store shopping cart eating a large box of store-bought fried chicken, and whose arms are bigger than a lot of adults I see. I definitely agree with your comment on government programs (food stamps) and the connection with obesity. I am in my late 50s and I can't recall seeing so many large people. I think the more government programs we see for low income, the more obesity we are going to see. I don't believe we had many of the programs in place when I was younger that we do today, and we didn't have as much obesity. And I have never seen so much junk and ready-made food being purchsed with food stamps either.
Jake, check what food stamps actually pay for. You can only by certain things with food stamps and junk food is not one of them. Now we know that obesity is dominant in certain population that can't afford to go skiing every weekend, and can't afford to pay for the gym because they are attempting to pay bills. And don't even reply with "Black people need to get it right etc.." because a whole lot of unemployed, undereducated white people fit into the category I am describing. It's ignorant to say that people are fat because they want to be. Just like it's ignorant to say people smoke because they think it's great for their health. Lifestyles are learned and sometimes unavoidable. Change comes with help from nutritionist etc..
Yea my mom's insurance has a great system. Everyone gets a physical and based on that, their insurance rates go up or down. So if you're a smoker and overweight, it will automatically go up. This is incentive for people to be healthy.
Well said. I used to work at a bank located in a grocery store and people would come through the check out line with buggies full of junk food.
When people get sports injuries, I don't want to pay for that either. I mean, if you are dumb enough to go skydiving and break your leg when you land, it is your own darn fault! Or if they speed and get into a car accident, they should have to pay for their own health care as well as well. I also don't want to pay for people's STD treatment. I also think that old men just need to accept that they are getting old - I don't want to pay for their viagra! So - let's start holding EVERYONE accountable for their actions, not just fat people!!
I like Jakes idea about replacing food stamps with a WIC like program. All too much I see people with foodstamps buying the cheap snack foods, frozen junk food and not enough meats, veggies and fruits. Great soulution Jake. However, for those people that don't live in the south, you have no clue. I'm a fit Tx girl, but there are so many days where I refuse to go outside and I ran track. There is not enough health education out there so people hear a certain food isn't good but they don't see facts. Where I'm from there is signifigant job loss and even those with jobs don't make enough to splurge on gym or top dollar foods. I was never properly educated on this subject until I joined the military. Now that I know better, I do better and I will be the first to say that grocery shopping is more costly. Another thing! Being able to get medical care is important. Members of my family have had to forgo this because they make too much to be on welfare and too little to pay for their own. Prevention is key. These people that know a lot about health, you learned it through doctors or able to afford luxeries. Knowledge is power. When I started teaching my family some of the small things I learned, their habits changed. It's not about exercise or eating, it's a balance of those things plus knowledge of what you are putting in your body.
Sonia's comment is wrong. Food stamps allow people to buy all non-premade food in the store. You can't buy light-bulbs, beer, or those tasty deli sandwiches or cooked rotisserie chickens.
Sonia I don't know what food stamp program you are talking about but in America you can buy jusnk food with food stamps. As long as the food is not prepared you can buy it. Little Debbie, sodas, chips all of this is available with the food stamp card. I went shopping with a friend a couple of years ago and her cart was loaded with all the processed junk.
Boka-because I am so sure that you have a sculpted body with washboard abs right? Doubtful....
Sir, will you be including Michigan in your kean analysis?
Well I live in Florida & usually take a 30 minute walk outside around 6:45 am. It was very humid today but if you get up early you can do it. Most folks just make excuses not to exercise & eat right. Once you make it a habit it becomes much easier. I don't love to do it but it sure beats getting fat & taking a bunch of drugs for all sorts of self inflected problems. Plus as a bonus you enjoy a longer quality of life!!
Exactly, You don't have to run marathons or starve yourself. It is a lifestyle, just like you choose where to shop or what to wear, it's a choice to make the right, healthy decisions on a daily basis.
Part of the socioeconomic issue is that if people are not employed (incomes < $15k), they do not have to get up in the morning to get to work. Lounging around all day in PJs and slippers, which some then wear to Wal-Mart to buy more junk food, contributes to the obesity. Depression also plays a part, as does the culture (or subculture) of living off government aid and never getting a real job. Education and personal pride also must be factored in.
"living on government aid?" Ignorant. Plenty of people on government aid are underweight! So explain your theory please since you seem to know so much.
Sonia,
It makes perfect sense, people that are on welfare can not afford healthier foods for one, and second it's been proven over and over again, those who are educated are healthier. Hence, educated people usually are not on welfare. So you've seen a few skinny people on government assistance, obviously not ever single person will be overweight, but in general, those on welfare are unhealthy.
Sonia -
Are you too stupid to understand basic economics and the government system? Yes everyone is paying for the medical costs of these fat people one way or another. They increase the demand for medical services because of their "condition" and when supply cannot keep up with the demand – take a guess what happens to the prices. They increase and will continue to increase because of the obesity "epidemic". Also a large percentage of Americans who are obese as this article mentions are lower income individuals who are likely on government medicaid or medicare.
I'm going to ignore the one "thing" that refereed to me as stupid.
Angelina: That's a whole bunch of people in the south, not on government aid, who are fat as hell. From being able to purchase way too much food t FRY!
The idea that government aid doesn't contribute to obesity is misguided. When i worked in a grocery store in high school, the people who bought the worst food, by far, were the ones paying with food stamps. People with pork rinds, greasy chips, fried chicken, candy bars, etc. The healthier food isn't more expensive, but it's more time intensive. A can of green beans is $0.60, and an onion is at worst $1.50. Pasta is $1 for a box. Heck, if you're more ambitious, tomato seeds are $0.50.
They'll soon be on gvt aid when they get heart disease or diabetes and can't afford the medicine or medical care they need.
Really surprised Texas isn't in the top 10
Me too! I just knew Tx would be in the mix. I just left San Antonio and moved to Denver. The difference in weight as I've seen so far is a major difference. The resturants here aren't open as long and there is more info out there about healthy choices and working out.
Yeah, I'm surprised as well; I was watching the Food Channel, Travel Channel, somewhere along those lines, and this guy Andrew Zimmerman was at a TX fair. All you SAW was fried this and that, even PB&J sandwiches! And with all the BBQ places all over the state, they're no where in the top 5???
With the exception of the very few who are obese due to medical reasons, I don't feel sorry for these people. I live in the south and I am not overweight. It's called personal responsibility. Eat right and exercise and you won't be overweight. If you are lazy, oh well than you pay the price and why should we care??? It's not other's responsibilities to help you. Companies are businesses and it's your choice what you put in your mouth.
I agree with Boka, unless its a medical issue...which 99.99999% of the time its not. Otherwise less calories= less fat. SIMPLE.
Unless you have struggled with being over weight, you dont know what its like. Statements like "If people don't have self control, then that's their problem" , "I have no sympathy for fat people", "Have you heard of exercising indoors" is really sad. Some people do struggle with what is the right exercise for me as well as the diet. Walking doesnt always lead to weight loss, but good heart health. It may be common sense for some, but not others. So for those of you who are so great at judging people, why not create a healthy meal plan and exercise program and help someone who may struggle with their weight.
Ok, to clarify: at 35 I was 240lbs. Not huge but by BMI tipping obese. My doctor did a lipid panel and I was put on Lipator. It was my wake up call. I tracked every calory for two years and kept fat at under 10% of total calorie intake. I ate unprocessed complex carbs, not pasta et al. I began working out every day. Now I run 3-4 marathons a year, am off Lipator, bounce between 190-195lb/12-16% fat by body wieght and frankly can eat what I want (although I am still pretty good). It was hard. It took effort, self dedication and control but it can be done. I reversed 35 years of bad habits. It is not easy, but it is a choice.
"why not create a healthy meal plan and exercise program and help someone who may struggle with their weight".....yeah, I did create a healthy meal plan........for myself. Didn't beg anyone to do it for me, and didn't mock their factual statements (you ARE fat, not curvy) as being "sad". The statements are not sad, you are. You don't want to take responsibility for yourself. Even a simple job like creating a meal plan (no fried food, loads of veggies, some excercise – I mean, how frikkin hard is it ?) has to be done by someone else for you. No wonder you're fat.
Sue is ignorant Kim. Let her go smoke her pot.
Oooooooooooooooooooooh....."Sue is ignorant".....what a brilliant, witty response !!!! Whoa ! I'm floored. And yeah, I'll still be alive and "smoking pot" when you and your dear Kim are either in a hospital with your third heart attacks, or six feet under. Your call.
Be nice guys!
At the end of the day, it is not MY responsibility to hand an overweight person a healthy menu and exercise schedule for their life. That is personal responsibility. At the same time, we should not call people names and insult them for being overweight. Being overweight is a challenge for most, I get that, but its also not my job to take care of random strangers.
Kim,
I understand that losing weight and keeping it off is a challenge for some people. And insulting them doesn't help the situation.
You suggest that I help out an overweight person by creating a meal plan and exercise program. If it were as simple as that, it would be an excellent idea, and I would gladly volunteer my time to help someone. But we all know it's not as easy as just passing out information, as if it's a password or secret formula.
I could design the most realistic eating/exercise plan and try to give it to my friend who is overweight. Would that solve the problem? Not by a longshot! He would have to accept the plan and change his lifestyle accordingly. What would make him do that? If he is already ignoring the well-known advice of nutrition and fitness experts, how likely will he be to follow my plan? Actually he probably would just get annoyed at me for trying to help, because he'd think I'm looking down at him.
The problem isn't that my fat friend lacks proper information. It's that he hasn't yet made the choice to incorporate that info into his lifestyle. That's why your suggestion, though well intentioned, wouldn't really help.
Hard to believe Wisconsin (my home state) is not on the list! We've got a lot of very big people here. I just don't see how people can let themselves go and get into this situation in the first place.
I am not for overweight teens, but in this case, your comment makes me think it is just as well the high school girls are heavier if it makes you stop looking at them. Your comment is a little scary considering the problems with pedophiles these days.
The most fattening foods, tend to be the cheapest ones, and the South, has traditionally been poor. You expected something else?
Thank you Rick! People don't understand this.
Gee Sonia, you sure have posted a ton regarding this article.....either your 1) Obese 2) Wannabe Dietician. I'll go with #1. Why don't you posted less comments and actually go exercise. Keyboarding pounding does not qualify
Fat Boy Scott: Why don't you go back to elementary school and learn spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax?
Great, thanks to Obamacare responsible people who take care of themselves will have to pay for all these fatties who can't keep a cheeseburger out of their mouths.
uhm...you must be a republican? you have no point. your life is pointless right now.
guest, I tried to bite my tounge but you are seriously retarded. Sweetie, we've been paying for obesity with medicade and medicare all this time, not to mention not being able to get insurance. Because guess what, when you don't have insurance, you end up going to the emergency room with problems that has built up because you were not given preventive care. Obama is phasing it in to where everyone will get some type of insurance and making it harder for insurance companies to turn them down. When people have more knowledge of conditions and are able to prevent them, there will be less health problems in American. I'm independent and read upon this subject for myself. Yea it's going to cost more now but it'll even out later. Americans are so cheap that we will let others suffer to keep a few extra dollars in our pocket. We should be ashamed, but seeing these comments, I know many are not.
News flash: we already do!
You were already paying for others' care through your old insurance company. That's how insurance has, and always will, work. "Obamacare" will reduce your national defecit and keep insurance companies from denying care to those who need it.
It's all about choices people! I'm not overweight, nor have I ever been. People just get lazy. Watch what you put in your body. Exercise. Moderation iis the key.
Genetics have a lot to do with things as well. Some folks will only get but a certain size. Not to say that eating a balanced diet and exercise should not be done. But there will always be anomolies. A person's BMI can be a an indicator of someone's health, but not an absolute indicator, folks who have high muscle mass will always show up as overweight or obease, at the same time folks who have low muscle mass typically older people and folks who never work out and habitually slender will have low or ideal BMI, but are really not healthy.
Genetics are a factor, but it's more like greasing a slide. Somebody has to get on the slide first... There is no way that someone eating 2000 calories and walking 45 min a night is going to gain weight. This is where self-control and motivation comes in. I used to be 6'1" and 255lbs, and i just got tired of being so large. I started jogging, biking, walking, and playing tennis without intentionally changing my diet. My weight came down to 220lbs and my diet started changing. I'm not exactly skinny right now, but 6'1" 205 is a lot healthier, and i did it all on my own.
Great points, Harry.
A short note for "Reason", I am sure that 20 yr ago there were high temp (above 90) in the South and still the obesity rate was not so high, there has to be something else, we eat more than we need and after siting indoors in AC outside is hell, it is impossible to walk let aside exercise or work in the garden, we do not tolerate heat as we used to and we do not do any physical work, how many people are walking anymore?
I moved to South Carolina from the Northeast two years ago and am shocked that there isn't a simple salad bar in any of the 9 supermakets in my town. I think part of the obesity ratesin the South are due to the food culture. Many things are fried, cooked with bacon or covered in high fat gravies. There is less emphasis on fruits, vegetables and low fat items. Even healthy foods lose that quality after they've been sauteed in bacon grease. I don't hear many people lamenting their size or saying they want to eat more healthfully. I think in order for obesity rates to change, food education needs to go up. How about starting with the school lunch program? I will admit, after I moved here, I put on 20 pounds. Southern recipes make really tasty food! But that weight gain made me look more carefully at how the food was prepared and I made different choices to eat a more healthy selection of foods from then on.
There isn't a deli on every corner either. A lack of salad bars isn't indicative of anything.
Actually MICHAEL HALL, within a 1 miles stetch of main road in my small town, there are 15 (that's right, 15) fast food restaurants, as well as other fast food restaurants off the main road. There's an abundance of restaurants and the parking lots are spilling over at dinner time. I'm not saying one can't eat out and maintain a healthy weight, I'm simply responding to your comment directly regarding the "not a deli on every corner" comment. So juxtaposing the lack of available quick, healthy options (such as a salad bar) with the abundance of less than healthy options, in an interesting point that you just helped me clarify.
It's about time we stop finding excuses and be responsible for our own health. We simply eat way, way too much. If the government added extra tax on tanning sessions, then they should make all fast food and buffet restaurants illegal – besides, how could anyone eat those junks anyway?
in the spirit of free entreprise, these things should not be illegal but viewed the way you and I do- as UNHEALTHY. These places are fine to eat at, oh, once a month. when you eat there multiple times a week (or god forbid, a DAY) they might as well start including coffin discounts in your happy meals.
This isn't to say that everything you cook for yourself is healthy- a single box of prepared kraft macaroni and cheese is roughly 1400 calories. for a normal healthy adult, that's anywhere from 100-600 calories below your standard daily consumption. And that's not even getting into things like fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
So here's my take on this situation: People like to point fingers and take no personal responsibility anymore, and that's where the REAL problem is. That's the difference between this generation and the last one. It's why our kids aren't just becoming fatter, but less intelligent as well. Stop placing the blame on fast food and soda and all that junk; As long as they have been in existence, people have been aware of their unhealthy nature. Nobody is forcing you to be a fat lazy ass and go through the drive through instead of waiting an extra 5-10 minutes to get home and COOK something healthier. Nobody is forcing you to replace water with the high-fructose laden soft drinks. Do a little research, and rediscover that willpower that everyone seems to lack anymore. I was OBESE at 365 pounds only 13 months ago. I currently weigh 270lbs, on my way to a goal weight (that is healthy for me and my body type) at about 225-235llbs. I lost 95lbs over the last year off of mainly changing my eating habits. I cut soda out of my diet. I limited my portion sizes to CORRECT and HEALTHY portions. I even started *gasp* exercising. It doesn't matter what is keeping you from doing it, all that matters is that YOU keep making excuses not to do it. If you want to be a fat, lazy, smelly, unhealthy burden on society, be my guest. but dont you DARE ever come to me complaining about how you had to pay for an extra seat on an airplane or how you cant fit your fat ass through a door sideways anymore. Also, Don't expect me to be so willing to pay for your medical bills because you can't afford them. This is my mentality. You're going to be hard pressed to find an overweight person that says they are completely happy with the way they are. if they say so, theres a good chance they're lying. If that are genuine, than let us hope they never procreate because beyond the disgusting concept of someone like that attempting to have intercourse, we certainly don't need the genes of these degenerates polluting our gene pool any further.
P.S. For the record, I recognize that a very small percentage of people who are overweight are so due to factors out of their control. This rant was not directed at these people, and if I offended you than I apologize. This was intended for the 350lb fatties like I used to be who refuse to lift a finger to help themselves fit into normal clothing once again.
I don't know if I believe you were formerly a fatty. You would have to know that calling fat people "lazy ass" would not be a motivating factor.
"Just discover that will power." Riiiiiight, I'm sure they didn't think of that.
Former Fatty, I used to be like you, I was once 335lbs and lost over 100 lbs exercising and etc. But I also became very conceeded and looked down on everyone that was big saying that they just don't understand what they are doing to themselves and preaching to them everytime I saw them about what they should be doing about their health. One day my wife explained that everyone has to reach their end point with food and decide to get up one day and change their life. And that what I was doing was actually hurting them and forcing them to tune me out. So know I just give information to help people when asked and show individuals different things that can help them have a healthier lifestyle. But I stopped tearing people down each time I see them. There is always some other reason why someone liveswith a poor lifestyle and much of that has nothing to do with food. Sometimes it's stress, sometimes is a death in the family, sometimes it's problems at work etc. is causing people not care about their health. This is what I think about each time I see someone who appears to be unhealthy. If I see someone in grocery store and I see something healthier on sale, there are times I will point that out to them. When I go to an outiing at my church or someone's home and I am asked to bring food, I usually bring a veggie or fruit tray or make a salad for them. I always try to think of the fact that most people really aren't thinking about their health and most people are just think about eating something. When I place a veggie out, most folks say thank you and usually the veggie is consumed. I think as long as people are given the opportunity to have something healthy then they usually partake in it.
That's a very good point, and you're right. Since I am in that stage of it still being relatively fresh, I am still very angry at myself for never caring. You see, my breaking point happened to be watching my father wither away due to complications of diabetes. He cannot eat anymore, and sure his diabetes are no longer a problem due to the forced weight loss, but hes about as healthy as an 80 year old man. Who cant eat solid foods. I was on my way to this, and quicker than he got there. You're right, its different for EVERYONE. I shouldn't be so judgmental.
I think this is a more complicated issue than most of these commenters are affording it. I'm an avid runner but in Washington, DC where I live, it's been far too hot to run outside for over a week. I'm lucky enough to be able to afford a gym and can move my workouts inside.
Most here are ignoring the socioeconomic aspect of this issue. Those below the 15k level tend to either live in rural areas or dense urban environments, neither of which lends itself to access to inexpensive indoor workout facilities.
A certain degree of sensitivity is needed but, at the same time, so is an open forum for discussion.
Agreed. Gym memberships are not usually cheap, and not everyone's place of work offers reduced prices or gyms attached to the buildings for employee use. Southern states (especially, but many others too) are oppressively hot during the summer months, the dangers of overheating and becoming dehydrated are very real dangers, and if you are overweight you are at more of a risk for heat-induced hazards.
true, but what about exercising in the evening or morning when it's still relatively cool outiside? How about push-up, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and resistance based exercises indoors?
Seriously, blaming the heat is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, I know it gets hot but there is a little thing called determination, get some. I live in Texas and work out in the early afternoon, and in case you havent been down here, its pretty freaking hot
Here's one no one seems to be thinking of- the mall! Malls are air conditioned, they're safe, and you can walk around and around all day if you want to. The malls around here actually open an hour or so before the stores do, specifically for the walkers. And the worst than can happen is that you'll be run over by a little old lady in a track suit!
Well with the McD's triple FAT latte, Dunkin Donuts triple FAT latte, and who knows what other high fat, high energy (read sugar) companies are pushing these days it's no wonder we are F A T in this country. It is also because of the size of our country.
European countries are small and provide the option to walk or bike rather than sit in a car and commute 50 miles each way. Until companies (fast food and grocery stores) offer low fat, low sodium options be prepared for the battle of the muffin tops.
The European remark is kinda interesting: these countries also invest heavily in public infrastructure than we do in the US. we love our cars, our large homes in the middle of nowhere. You can ride a train in Europe to get from city to city, here you really can't because folks pat themselves on the back for being exclusive.
bECAUSE OF U ALL GIVE CRDIT TO FAST FOOD RESTURANT TODAY ALL AMERICAN R LAZY TO MAKE A FOOD @ HOME
THEY ALWAYS WANT TO GO OUT AN HAVE A FOOD
STOP ALL THE FAST FOOD FRANCHISE OPEN A RESTURANT THAT IS REALLY GOOD FOOD N HAVE MORE GOOD STUFF THT DOES NOT GIVE U SOMETHING U DONT WANT
No I dont want to go out and have a food, i want to have a your mother very nice!!
Whats with all the excuses?????? hot, poor, fried food everywhere, depression, unemployment. The biggest problem is that everyone is more PC than ever and its becoming more acceptable.
somebody get me a cheeseburger
This is the agenda of the conservative movement. to keep our public fat, stupid, and entertained. These are the same fat people that show up to our emergency rooms and leach off our system because they have no insurance and vote for the politicians that stop them from making them get insurance.
Congratulations. I think you have earned the award for the dumbest post on this discussion. Treat yourself to Dairy Queen as your reward.
Funny how this the country is ALL about not being judgmental because of the diversity here. And yet.. look at most of these comments.. Just goes to show that most people are ok with being hypocrites! If you've ever done any research into obesity then you know that not all of the problem is due to lazy fried food loving folks. Like the article mentioned money is a factor. I dont make much money and healthier foods coast double what all the fat loaded foods coast. Anything organic could very well take you to the cleaners! so people with money issues tend to buy what they can afford. Obesity is also sometimes hereditary. There is strong evidence of a "fat gene" being passed to kids from the parents. Ever wonder why a person that is rail thin can eat micky D's all day long and sit on their butt and not gain a pound but I can eat just one french fry and gain 10 lbs?
I eat healthy. I exercise regularly. I've consulted with numerous nutritionist and doctors. I've completely changed my lifestyle.. I've done every thing they say to do by the book. And yet I'm still obese. Have been since I was 8 yrs old. I'm not raising your health cost because I dont have health insurance. When I go to the doctor I pay out of pocket and i DO pay my bills. So dont throw your judgmental crap in my fat face. Some of us southerns are just heavy and the only thing the doctors can figure with me is my genetic make up is to be heavy.
and Michael: Dont you think its kinda funny how most of the south in the last couple years is being bombarded by the northerners moving down here? Maybe thats why our obesity ratings are going up? Could be.. you never know.. something to ponder tho..
BS. I am a broke college student and I managed to lose weight while still eating healthy. Its all about the choices you make. Its all about willpower. Water comes from your tap- its damn cheap compared to the other drinks you buy at the store. Theres your number one source of calorie reduction. Cut down your portion sizes so you are getting 400 calories instead of 600. These things go a LONG ways. Park a little further from the grocery store entrance so you have to walk a bit further.
oh and in case people forgot, sweating is a good thing when you're trying to lose weight. Keep yourself hydrated while exercising and that sweat are tears of joy being cried by your body after years of neglect and abuse.
oh and you say that you changed your eating habits. did you cut your portion sizes? because if you are eating healthy foods at the same amount that you were eating unhealthy foods, you wont lose much weight at all. I don't deny that there are legitimate health causes for obesity that can be out of one's control, but those are so few and far between and I hear so many FAT people use that excuse. I used to. I have been overweight since i was a child too. You have to find your breaking point and do it for yourself. Dont you get tired of shopping in the big and tall section? nobody looking at you with wanting eyes or picturing you naked? sorry to be so brash, but it's true. Society may put too much emphasis on being SKINNY, but being HEALTHY is all that matters. and being healthy is NOT being obese.
It's not expensive at all to eat reasonably healthy
4 chicken leg quarter with skin removed (leg and thigh): ~$3.20
16 ounces, canned black beans: ~$2.00
24 ounces, brown rice: ~$2.25
Spices (cilantro, black pepper, cumin): ~$.75
4 8-ounce glasses of skim milk: ~$1.60
Is $9.80 for a meal for a family of 4 an enormous burden? What unhealthy alternatives are costing under $2.45 per person?
You're right Matt, I live in the South, I'm slim, I don't eat fast food very much but any time I do, I find it surprisingly expensive!
There is so much I would like to comment on after reading all these comments. I live in TX, work out daily (hour cardio plus weights) and eat right. But i'm still considered obese. Muscle weights more than fat. Have you ever considered that the grid we used for measuring BMI is maybe inaccurate for people today? I have less than 30% body fat. Not that i'm trying to say obestiy is not a issue, because it clearly is, but there is alot of factors that play into this epidemic. First and foremost: EXERCISE IS FREE. Please stop making excuses on why you won't get up and take a walk. You say "its hot outside"? Good! Sweat a little. It never hurt anybody!!
That has been well documented and for whatever reason the CDC has not adjusted the BMI disclaimer for folks who have a lot or little muscle mass in their equation. Really BMI is not a good way of indicating how healthy someone really is. The cheapest and easiest test is the NAVY test, where you messure you neck, sholder, waist and hip circumference. This can give a more acturate way of determining how healthy someone really is.
My husband has the same problem. He has been a body builder for years and was told before by his doctor that his BMI was too high, while they are busy looking at the chart and not paying attention to the fact that his muscle mass could be the cause of the extra weight. They definitely need to have better guidelines for the BMI when it comes to people with more developed muscle mass.
Let's start with trying to help by giving advice. Ideas for small changes: switch to water or low-carb/sugar beverages instead of soda pop, don't "super-size" or buy "king-sized," take the stairs ot the elevator/escalator, if you're on the phone stand instead of sitting, etc... I'm sure we can collectively come up with thousands of small changes that will help many people gradually adjust to larger changes. I've lost 10 pounds soley by being more aware of my physical activity and when/how/what I eat. Some people are not blessed with a high metabolism and need to work a lot harder. Hormones that control appetite and suppression of appetite are also at play here. Hormones profoundly affect some, and some operate on a positive feedback loop, it isn't easy to break this cycle. I just hope this epidemic can get more support, although I understand why there is so much negative commentary, for some, it is just impossible to relate to in any kind of way.
surprise surprise, 11 of the top 12 are red states.
Why is this study equating low income with obesity ? It just might be coincidence that Southern states are plagued by both. Does it take a load more money to grill a chicken breast than to wrap it in bacon and deep fry it ? Nope. Or to order a grilled chicken sandwich at McD instead of the triple quarter punder ? It's only long-time habits that stop people from eating healthy.
And to those slobs who complain about the 90-degree heat ? well it didnt stop you from eating heavy food, did it ? ONly stopped you from excercising ! How convenient !
make no mistake about it- theres virtually nothing mcdonalds will serve you that is conducive to weight loss. Eat REAL food instead of making the choice to eat there.
PUT DOWN THE FORK!
I have a solution. Since so many people in Mississippi are obese and we have people like Billy Nungesser complaining that no one is helping (ah, Mr. Nungesser, ask your governor why he has only called 58 national guard members out of 6,000) we can have Mr. Nungesser work off his fat and the fat of thousands keeping the beaches clean.
Eat more ham.