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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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Obviously there are many facts at work here, but does anyone know if age is taken into account when looking at obesity rates? I am just curious because typically there is a link between age and weight gain and the baby boomers account for a large segment of the population. Any thoughts?
Give us 20 years and all Boomers will be senior citizens and another 20 and we will mostly be dead from both natural and unnatural causes. If we Boomers are the source of extra weight problems, time will solve it.
Unfortunately, so many people are misinformed like many of you. It is easy to see someone who is overweight and obese and think, well that is disgusting they have no will-power, they are lazy, they sit around and eat all day, ect, ect. But do you consider how much you truly know about medical science and how much you truly understand about the human body? Obesity is a disease, not a result of a series of lazy summer days. Our bodies naturally adapt when calories are slightly high or exercise is slightly low. However, when someone is in a diseased state, mentally or physically, and does something like using food to cope with emotional distress, they don't experience the same kind of hunger and satiety signals that a normal person might. No one WANTS to be obese, but it becomes a very difficult cycle to escape. I live in the South and no you cannot exercise in any temperature, you have obviosuly never heard of something called heat stroke that kills many people each year. The diet is higher in fat down here, but people are not obese from eating only a Southern-style diet. Last time I checked, you can walk into a McDonalds in most countries around the world. It is sadly ignorant to insult people for not going to a gym in order to lose weight. Gym memberships are expensive and especially in an economy like ours, having such a luxury is not a top priority for most people. Instead of hurling blame and judgement at someone for being obese, ask yourself if you would laugh at someone living on the streets because they cannot stop shooting heroine. Unlike drugs and alcohol, a food addiction is not one you can completely remove from your life because we require food to live. Instead, be grateful that your healthy bodies have allowed you to maintain appropriate weights and participate in enjoyable physical activity. No one is perfect, but we are one nation of people, why can't we help each other instead?
its about not putting labels on things and pointing fingers. Guess what? it took a decision to get into that habit of over eating and continue to do so. I understand better than most people being formerly obese myself. I got tired of it one day and decided that i wasnt going to be that anymore. You know how i did it? one decision at a time. You dont need to eat this or that. You should drink water instead of soda. Etc. its ALLLLLLLLLL ABOUT WILL POWER. if you have it and the desire to change, you can. Stop pointing fingers. Everybody who is obese ultimately must make the change themselves.
You're either the worst Nutritionist ever or you got your degree in the 60s. I'm not sure which.
Moreover, most cities and moderate size towns have some sort of gym that costs roughly $30 a month ( a dollar a day). I think they could swing that for their health. Plus, the heat comment is ridiculous. You've clearly never gone running in -10 like I do here in Minnesota. Yet I don't see many of the colder states on that list. We do have winter sports, true, but I'm assuming you have pools.
It's not fun breathing frigid air and being on the verge of getting frostbite but it's possible. I've ran a marathon where the temperature at the start was 85 and was 95 by finish, plus the god awful humidity.... but I was still able because I was properly hydrated. If I can RUN that far and be OK, I'm guessing they can manage to get up and WALK a mile or two here and there. I sure don't see Arizona or New Mexico up there where heat is a much larger issue.
When it gets hot out, go to a gym. Can't afford that? Go to the local air-conditioned mall and do laps. No excuses.
Finally, a reasonable, compassionate health professional. Yes, that's it, I'm diseased. Can't hep myself.
If only I could find the right diet or supplement. Maybe "Nutritionist" could enlighten me. I've been making observations lately but don't know what to make of them. While munching on candied popcorn and watching the World Cup I couldn't help but notice that all these soccer players seem so trim and fit – can't be a coincidence. My problem is, I can't figure out what special diet they're on. Since they come from all sorts of countries with an incredible variety of cuisines, I figure that all soccer players must not eat their regional foods. They must all order those frozen food diets mailed through FedX. But which one?
I have also noted this as they held up traffic to let a bunch of marathoners run by the intersection. Man, what a pain waiting to get to lunch. All these folks seemed really skinny. What's their secret? Supplements, herbs, grapefruit snorted through a straw? This enquiring mind wants to know!
Construction workers and loggers too. And did you ever notice that these neighbors who walk by your house are usually pretty trim or on their way to becoming trim? Are thy walking to some special health food store?
And what about those Indians on the North Sonoran Desert who run around all day barefoot turning over rocks for food and kicking stones for amusement.? Are they eating some special grub that accelerates their metabolisms?
With the billions spent on Big Placebo, why can't the government reveal to we who are afflicted with glandular imbalances and diseased satiety centers the genuine elixir, tincture or pill that assures a healthy weight?
I grew up on the Southern Diet and thinking that being at a desk all day was the best type of job. That is what makes for fat. Down here people drive to go across the street and then dump money into Healthy Trim adn other crap instead of doing this crazy thing where you eat vegetables and fruit (which also prevents getting sick) and WALKING. It is really hot right now, but it won't be at 830 tonight or 830 tomorrow morning. It isn't hot inside the mall. People are great at making excuses, not so great at getting off their butts and just MOVING. Also, fresh vegetables take almost the same amount of work as processed, but have less packaging and chemicals, why is that such a difficult concept?
To eb0lagirl – have you ever thought about those individuals that truly have health issues that cannot lost weight like normal individuals and are truly trying to lose weight to be healthly. Think before you speak ignorance.
it not the fried foods or living in the south that makes people fat, it the amount of food they eat. People eat too much and being obesity is now the norm so they do not even realsze that they are obesit not just overweight
I recommend reading the book "Good Calories Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes for an explanation of why obesity is increasing. He gave an excellent presentation at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock explaining his thesis. Google "gary taubes dartmouth" and you will find it.
Some people have some very ugly comments on here. I am fit, I workout on average 4-5 times a week. I was not an athletic kid but learned to enjoy working out very much. Like it or not I know that I must do it. However, I think a person has the right to be fat if that is the life they choose. I am not here to judge them or name call. Unfortunately I feel many people do not have a great understand of nutrition. Education and programs at schools must be enforced to educate the youth about what you should/shouldn't do/eat. If people choose to be lazy, let them be without harassment. We all do things in this world that we shouldn’t. Lets not be hypocritical!
I would buy that plan, if buying the health services for the life style "choices" did not cost so many billions of dollars every year.
Highly caloric and nutritionally vacant foods should be regulated and taxed just like cigarettes and alcohol. Obesity contributes so much to the healthcare costs in this country and people should have more of an incentive to make healthier choices.
I think its funny that we've passed off ALL "FAT" people as just being lazy. My family and I are very active. My youngest daughter is 7, 4 feet tall and 70 lbs, by my eldest daughter has gained about 14 lbs per year (with her decline beginning last year) since she was 3. We took her to every doctor we could think and were told that we were feeding her too much, letting her drink too much juice, and that she wasn't exercising; even though she spent most of her time on the monkey bars, or riding her scooter. She has been in track and field, cheerleading, tennis, swimming, and ice skating and NOTHING helped. It has taken all this time to find a diagnosis and it turns out that she has a genetic mutation and has been diagnosed with hypothalamic obesity. She is overweight and we've found a great nutritionist, but there is nothing – medically- that can be done for her. The endocronologist told her that all we can do is make sure she gets proper exercise and that her diet is inline with the recommendations of her nutritionist- but even with all the dieting (no sugar, etc...) and the constant exercise (she's in cheerleading for the summer) and swims in the fall/winter, she has only lost 2 lbs in the past three months. Her doctor said that with her genetic makeup, its very hard for her to lose weight, because her metabolism is turtle slow – even with all her activity. When people looked at her; they saw some overendulgent kid – but she actually eats less than most for that reason. Point is: look at little deeper. Not every person is overweight by CHOICE
Apparently there are 10 states that have a genetic mutation.
While I agree that people need to take responsibility for their own choices, the vast majority of comments here reflect a complete disregard of the multitude of factors that contribute to obesity – on micro- and macro-levels. I lived under the shadow of prejudice like those reflected here for most of my life, and am very thankful that I no longer have to do so. Personally, I think socioeconomic factors weigh heavily in this situation (pun intended). People learn bad habits, and convince themselves that their lives can never be better than what they've experienced. Likewise, people who have never experienced that form of learned helplessness find others' lack of motivation mind-boggling. I get it. That does not justify, in my opinion, some of the attitudes reflected above. Given the condescending and judgmental tone of so many comments here, I remember why I used to be so scared to go to a gym (because, unlike so many, I am blessed enough to be able to afford one). Fat people are not dumb people, at least not necessarily. My bad choices manifested themselves physically, so it's easy to isolate them for your ridicule. People make bad choices all the time, and others pay for those bad choices in financial and non-financial ways. I think some of you should come down off your high horses, and focus on the planks sticking out of your own eyes before you worry about the splinter in someone else's.
The demographic/geographic location tangent is stupid. Stick to topic. Fat people are lazy. No one likes getting out of work at 7pm, running 6 miles, then eating dinner at 9pm. But people who are in shape do it, while fat people make excuses. Some people make changes, while other people make excuses. It's embarrassing to see how people take their body and health for granted.
I am black and grew up in Louisiana. I can tell you that black people place a premium on light colored skin and "good" hair. and a low value on keeping in shape. what is considered overweight to the mainstream is normal weight to many blacks. and what is normal weight to mainstream in "too skinny". Crazy.
Name Required-you may want to check your stereotypes about black folks. Second, "mainstream" doesn't equal normal, so I'd watch that comment about black people not accepting mainstream standards. Much of what the "mainstream" deems normal falls into the unhealthy and dangerous category, and contributes to health care costs as much as obesity.
Overall, the rank hypocrisy and bigotry on this thread is stunning. I would bet that the bulk of folks making inflammatory statements like "stop eating!!!" and "get off the couch you lazy fatties!!!" are struggling with weight problems themselves. At least two guys on here have admitted to not being their ideal weight, yet they have some of the most judgmental comments about other fat people. Let me ask you: how's that willpower and discipline working out for you?
MC-i made an observation about people's attitudes where I grew up in Louisiana. I am qualified to make it since I lived there. I would not call it stereotyping the entire black population. it's a statement about the culture in a certain area. I invite anyone from the New Orleans area to say something different. I bet you they won't.
There were no surveys for obesity years ago, and everyone lived there lives without judgement, I suggest we continue to stop judgeing people because of their size, so we can live in harmony!!
Thank you skygirl!! I am so tired of trying to say that here today. I wish all big people the motivation to get healthy and all ignorant narcissistic idiots would visit the wizard of OZ for some brains.
Ah the South. The states that all turned down universal healthcare are the ones that need it the most.
PEOPLE, Why is everyone psychotic here? How about this? Everyone take your finger and rather than pointing it at Southerners, Northerners, Democrats or Republicans, try pointing it at your own fat a$$. According to these reports, if you are not fat yourself, then someone in your family probably is. I will be the first to admit that I am no different, but at least i realize that blaming others is not considered a valid form of exercise.
I am reading this while I down my third Betty Crocker's Warm Delights molten chocolate cake of the day... Yummy! I am fat and happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's the spirit! Make sure you buy an extra seat on the plane so I don't have to be consumed by your fat and happy self.
Hope you're not one of those who is offended when "normies" look at you and point, stare, giggle... Because we do that.
You people have no sense of humor... kindly remove the 2X4 out of your asses and lighten up! And yeah... you are all so "normal"... right! LMAO
I do have a sculpted body. But not from steroids or other drugs. It took a very long time but It's really just staying active and eating consistantly through out the day. Also there nothing wrong with looking at highschool girls. God bless them. You gotta love when they wash cars in the highschool parking lot for fund raisers.
Pervert...
Boka, I'm not sure where you're from, but with that attitude toward High School girls, I'll warn ya: There may be lots of fat Southerners, but I betcha you mess with their daughters and you won't be able to outrun them.
(just a little friendly advice)
Wal-mart, weather, pre-packaged food are all excuses. You are in control of what you buy, and more importantly what you put in your mouth. You do not want to be fat, change your attitude about food; eat to live not live to eat. Oh, and excercise; it takes work and effort it is not convinient. That is why excercise is called "WORK"ING-OUT.
Everyone seems to have excuses (no matter where they live) for being overweight or obese. The simple fact is that getting slimmer or staying in shape requires sacrifice, dedication, focus, and hard work. If people are unwilling to commit to a lifestyle where healthy eating and exercise is a priority, they will never be healthy. They will continue to make excuses. Excuses are like rear-end holes...everybody has one and they all stink.
It is easy to get fat. One teaspoon of sugar a day equals 16 pounds per year. One soda (pop or whatever you call it) per day has even more weight in the form of sugars that no body needs as part of the diet. Though correlation is not necessarily causation, just look and cola sales and all the junk juices that have HFCS in them and you will see one major contributing factor to the steady weight gain of people in ALL part of the world. This is not just a southern American states thing. Also, exercise less = eat less. People who are over weight just eat more than they need to. Yes there are a few people who have metabolic disorders that lead to massive weight, but not everyone can claim that condition.
Hell yeah!!! We're #1!! We're #1!! We're #1!! whoo, I'm a little winded. Think I need to get off of my feet and have another RC Cola and a Moon Pie.
Of all these posts, yours made me smile. I grew up in Mississippi, and your humor is perfect!
You know last time i checked, being poor doesn't make you consume more calories than you expend in a day.
In 1991 no state had an obesity rate over 20%. I assume that weather & humidity patterns, traditional foods, and family culture would all stay relatively the same in the past twenty years....so what has changed?
Portion sizes. Check out: http://www.divinecaroline.com/79975/49492-portion-size-vs-now
I would also guess the time spent sedentary, especially in front of computer screens has also increased...but that is a guess.
Not weather. Nothing that any bigoted folks can come up with. Just the idea of what is normal in body size and portion size.
D, what has also changed in the last thirty years has been the amount of sugar and salt added to most processed foods. Stuff that contains so much refined sugars like HFC are being added unnecesserarily to foods to enhance their sweetness. White bread, cereals, and so on, that don't even need these sugars are the main coulprates. Do you really think that eating a bowl of raisin bran would have about 30% of the needed sugar and about one third of the allowable amount of sodium in one day? Unless folks eat only frozen or fresh fruit and vegetables, there are largely getting by-products that they don't need.
Let me guess... probably because they fry EVERYTHING.
One of the first things I thought when I got to Amsterdam was where are all the fat people. It's not just the South. Americans are fatbodies coast to coast and some of them look like they could reach coast to coast. Geez, cover yourselves up. It's disgusting!
I live in Georgia and I'm shocked this state's not in the top 10.
I'm not obese, but I don' think a good way to motivate anyone to change is to insult or degrade them. It just makes them depressed and want to eat more which defeats the purpose. Treat others how you'd want to be treated. Also, I'd like someone from the feds to explain to me HOW fat people are increasing taxes. People have only been saying this for the past five years all of a sudden- you can't tell me higher taxes all of a sudden are the fault of fat people. How about a $400 billion war? How about all the money the current admin is spending on comprehensive free healthcare. THAT is what's driving up taxes, not fat people. Get a life!
99% of the time, there is no excuse for obesity. It's an easy equation: Expend/burn more than you consume. Simple, basic.....yet so misunderstood.
It's easily misunderstood and easier, yet, to ignore. But the worst part is that is a sign of the times. It takes "too much" effort to exercise regularly, control your diet and live a healthier life-style. End of western civilization, maybe. Fat, dumb and too slow to avoid the terrorist's bayonette. What a way to go.
It is the Govt.'s Fault and they should fix it. They need to reg. those fat states and get the people in line. I don't wants to pay new national HC system.
The main reasons why the south lost the Civil War are:
1. It's too hot to move fast
2. The food is way to fatty
3. They cant drive in the snow
cracking up at this!
Not a surprise, our whole country is becoming obese. Eat junk, don't exercise. It's pretty basic but no one wants to give up their fried, fatty, salt-laden junk for a salad or get up off the couch and work out. Just a shame the rest of us have to pay increased health costs for them.
Lots of people on here are arguing over whether or not bad weather is to blame for obesity in the south or lack of gym access. I do not know who is right or wrong and I know gyms are very expensive. I think maybe we should push to open public gyms, just like how we have public libraries. Just like reading is important, our health is very important and it's horrible that we have to pay $50+ a month to join a private gym. Because the fact is working out outdoors is not always safe all the time. Why can't we get the pricey health insurance companies to work with the government to open public gyms?
Some insurance plans do provide partial or full coverage of the cost of a gym membership.
But in any case, if you can afford cable TV or internet access, you can afford a gym membership. Why is cable TV considered, by some people, to be a necessity, while a gym membership is dismissed as a luxury or a yuppie expense?
Exercise is important enough that a person should do everything reasonably possible to get it. Don’t tell me those “poor folks” are just dying to get gym memberships, but are sadly locked out by pricing. Even if that were the case, they could workout to an exercise DVD at home. I have yet to hear a really compelling reason why a person has absolutely no access to any form of exercise.
You know, a lot of the problem is genetic. Couple the body's attempts to hoard fat (from back when meals were not served 3-5 times a day) and lack of exercise and you have a growing problem (pun intended). And the link between poverty diets (high in carb low in fresh anything) and weight is well-documented. Some inner cities don't even have grocery stores where fresh food is available. But that doesn't mean people should give up. Get up and move, try diets until you find one that works.
The problem is "FAT IS ACCEPTABLE" now days. You've all heard it "I want a woman or man with meat on his bones" like you want a fat steak or something. When we get fat we think everyone should accommodate us and it's a social problem rather than your problem. We should just accept your fatness. The other problem is all the chemicals in the food. They use growth hormones and other nonsense in food these days to make the animals grow bigger faster. I was in the market the other day and I heard some people complaining about the chick breast on display being too small. Well chicken aren't very big unless you shoot them up with hormones and that gets passed to you. We also eat way too much food we love our supper size.
Food stamps/WIC is just that....a wicked program that should be regulated. We should demand regulation on what these people can eat and drink so you do not further burden the tax payers with unness. HC costs.
It is like a bad cycle people lose job, feel bad, we give "free money", person eats because they feel bad, they get fat, have health problems, given "free HC" because they are fat from the free food.
Ahha I can solve the problem easy. Put them to work for the food card, call them "credits" if you will!
It's not Northern or Southern weather that has anything to do with it. It's laziness. I lived in NY and now in NC. I run (Outdoors) more in the south than i did in the long cold winter in NY. Get up early. I run at 6 AM in the summer before work and switch to after work in the winter months. No More Excuses America!
It's funny how southerners make all these excuses for being fat, but weather and poverty existed there 40 years ago without causing this level of obesity.
A lot of it is the giant portion sizes. I'm from Canada, and every time we go down to the South, we're mindboggled by the size of food portions. You really can't eat that much without intensive exercise to balance it.
I'm Canadian too, and the difference in portion size is shocking! Up here I can polish off a supersized meal from McDonalds no problem (not that I choose to do that very often), but down in the States I can't even finish it.
Ahhh-hot links, fried chicken, cheese burgers, pizza-the spice of life!!
All the way to the morgue!!
This tread of soundoffs sounds more like a war; "FAT against the Fit" and vice versa. Who gives a care about the FAT individuals being FAT. Want to be FAT, it is their right; those who want to be Fit, it is our right too.
FYI; anybody criticizing my comment; I am 5'11, 170lbs. and bike 100 miles per week and this is my choice; not to be thin but to be healthy and live long enough to enjoy life.
and to add to my post; I live in Oklahaoma
Thank God I am not fat!! Heck, with all of the fat bashing around here I might try to harm myself. Seriously people, are fat people the root of all evil? I think not. Get over your damrn selves and your bad attitudes about fat people. Most of you bashing fat people probably smoke, drink or do drugs and we all pay for that too! What other nasty habits do you have that aren't as visable as being fat? Hmm????
Racism is every where but it is a lot worse in the South. I live in the rural and work in the city and there is not much difference as far as I can tell.
Did you see the current news from SC and how a white man dragged a black man behind his truck for 10 miles? Sorry but I have lived in many places before but I have never been afraid to tell people my religious or political beliefs as I am living in SC. I was brave the other day and told somebody my political party. You know what their response was "What are you doing living in SC?".
Hello Linda Thomas,
Thank you for your contribution to our discussion on obesity!
A workout plan or mandatory weight plan should be in place for WIC participants and to couple with unemployment over 2 months a mandatory workout program or service program (Hab. For Humanity, community service hours, something) Give them membership to YMCA like place or put a gym over in Govt. Housing units. Or keep doing the same thing and creating the weak link in our chains...
I love all you ignorant fools with your South bashing. I was born and raised on Long Island but got smart and moved. I'll take NC any day. Northerners are arrogant and have a false sense of entitlement and you know it.
The reason that the South is getting bashed is because the most gluttonous (one of the seven deadly sins in God's eyes), most racist, most wacky religious, most hypocritical, most undereducated people in our country happen to concentrate there. Come on! 1 out of every 3 people you meet in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee are big fat cows according to these numbers. That is shocking! Ironically, these are probably the least educated states in the country, take in more of our hard-earned federal tax $$ than they pay out in taxes (ie, these are welfare states), and have the most hatred towards blacks, Jews, Catholics, immigrants, and gays. No wonder God sends tornadoes their way each year. His power is awesome!
Since the health Nazis have lowered the definition of "obese" to 30 BMI, we now have an "obesity epidemic." How about we lower the definition of "obese" to those over 15 BMI? Then most of us would qualify as obese. I think it is ironic that no one is upset about Americans' lack of MENTAL exercise. But then again, we all know that our masters want healthy slaves and would prefer that we didn't think at all.
I applaud anyone who decides to make lifestyle changes. I got a wake up call from my Dr. and had to start making diet changes and working out. It's hard to change your habits, I still want my sugary treat after dinner. I buy nuts now instead of chocolate, fruit instead of cookies and while I'm not jogging anywhere I did start walking alot more, slow steady but I'll get there, every little bit helps, but I refuse to give up my one glass of red wine!
i suppose obama will be blames for this, too.
I'm overweight. I have been my whole life. I spend my college years working out everyday just to fit into a size 14. Two years after college, I was in a very bad car accident that left me with a spinal injury. I tried to maintain my workout schedule after recovery, but I landed back in the hospital with 100% numbness in my leg for 2 weeks.
Flash forward 10 years.... I am in pain every minute of every day. I take a swim class that the gym 3 times a week, I don't consume more than 1500 calories a day, I don't eat meat or processed foods. I don't drink anything but water and the occasional diet soda. I have annual blood work and all of my panels are within the normal range. I haven't had so much as a cold in over 6 years. I am healthy. I am not any kind of drain on anyone's tax dollars.
I am still 80 pounds overweight. Sorry. It's just who I am. My body has been through ENOUGH in my lifetime and I'm not about to risk and more injury just so all of the haters on this site can approve of my size.
Not everyone on this planet was dealt a perfect hand. I do my best with what I have.
Hey there – I understand your situation. I was 70 pounds overweight, and thought it would be impossible to lose weight. I lost 70 pounds on a raw foods vegan diet/lifestyle in 12 months.....it was slow going, but it can be done. Stay encouraged....
I'm overweight. I have been my whole life. I spend my college years working out everyday just to fit into a size 14. Two years after college, I was in a very bad car accident that left me with a spinal injury. I tried to maintain my workout schedule after recovery, but I landed back in the hospital with 100% numbness in my leg for 2 weeks.
Flash forward 10 years.... I am in pain every minute of every day. I take a swim class that the gym 3 times a week, I don't consume more than 1500 calories a day, I don't eat meat or processed foods. I don't drink anything but water and the occasional diet soda. I have annual blood work and all of my panels are within the normal range. I haven't had so much as a cold in over 6 years. I am healthy. I am not any kind of drain on anyone's tax dollars.
I am still 80 pounds overweight. Sorry. It's just who I am. My body has been through ENOUGH in my lifetime and I'm not about to risk and more injury just so all of the haters on this site can approve of my size.
Not everyone on this planet was dealt a perfect hand. I do my best with what I have.
Ana – you're doing the best you can, and that's all anyone can ever do. Keeping my weight in check is a daily chore for me, too; I keep a food diary, I am a vegetarian, and I have a congenital condition that makes it harder for me to get normal exercise – so I really feel you there. Keep up the good fight.
Who cares how fat we get....in 2012 it won't matter. Another thing, I say forget the fat people...no insurance should be offered at all to drug addicts, alcoholics, and smokers. How many people die of diseases directly attributed to smoking...not to mention cirrhosis and alcoholic medical problems. Food and exercise are not our only problems in the good ole U.S.