Why Obesity Is Not Entirely The Individual's Fault

[Anonymous]

America is one of the fattest country in the world. With obesity and obesity-related illnesses on the rise, there is money to be made in helping people try to lose weight. However, I do not believe that obesity is entirely the individual's fault.

Corn is subsidized by the United States Department of Agriculture, and corn can be processed into high-fructose corn syrup to sweeten food more cheaply than table sugar. Otherwise, soda couldn't be sold so cheaply like water, because of all the work that goes into it. If soda is more expensive than water, then it would make more economic sense to drink water.

Fitness is not just about doing rigorous exercise, but also about eating milder-tasting food of the natural world. Sucralose and high-fructose corn syrup are both sweeter than sucrose, and a palate that has been accustomed to the former sugars may not accept sucrose as sweet; hence, that person may not find apples and strawberries sweet.

It's incredibly easier to buy packaged, processed food than it is to buy whole food that may have to be processed at home to be eaten. With fast-paced, busy lives, sometimes you just want something immediate.

Processed food is engineered to be addictive and profitable. Because processed food is plentiful, addictive, tasteful, and packed with excess calories, you can see why it is difficult to maintain a fit body, especially in "food desert" regions.

The federal government, super-sweet artificial sweeteners, modern life, and food desert regions make being fit nearly impossible, especially for economically disadvantaged people. And on top of that, people constantly blame on the fat people for being fat. First of all, blame is helping no one. All it does is bring needless self-shame instead of political action.

Solutions

The obvious solution to the food deserts is to grow fresh vegetables and fruits on top of rooftops in the cities. This brings accessible healthy food supply to the inner city population. Many plants are full of nutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and dietary fiber.

Politics does play a big role in obesity. Children are not fed well in public schools, because public schools are receiving funding from fast food companies in exchange for allowing fast food companies to serve fast food on the menu. Junk food is cheaper than healthy food.

While urban farming gets immediate results, taking political action involves lobbying and time. Until then, the best way is to avoid ALL processed food and respect everyone. You have no idea what people are going through to get fat. Some people are poor. Some people are highly stressed out. Some people are too accustomed to eating junk food. (Okay, maybe the last one can be changed by the individual.) But as you can see, obesity is a societal problem, not just a personal problem.

[Melcart23]

It is ALWAYS up to the individual if he/she wants to be healthy and fit or obese UNLESS there's a medical condition involved. With a medical condition, I can understand that. I cannot stand when people say "I don't have time to cook healthy food", or "healthy food is more expensive". Give me a break. First of all, healthy food isn't more expensive than that ready to eat processed garbage; and secondly, there's 24 hours in a day. If you can't find time to take care of your health and your body, then you're just simply not caring enough to do so. Remember, we only get 1 body in this life.

[FaithHopeLove32]

While I agree with you fully, I think some people just haven't learned time managment skills. It wasn't until I learned that, that I was able to realize how much cheaper it actually is to buy fresh foods and cook them at home (as compared to eating at McDonalds several times a week). I have begun to invest time in prepping food on Sunday nights, so I have fresh, grab-n-go meals throughout the week. But not all people have learned that skill. Maybe that should be a part of home economics (if that's still taught today)... :)

[Melcart23]

@FaithHopeLove32 I agree with you. Time is only a good thing to have IF you know how to use it.

[kaylaS91]

Obesity is a societal problem because so many have become afflicted by it, being overweight or even obese is now almost encouraged. 'Body positivity' has become telling overweight people that it's okay to put themselves and their children at increased risks for having a heart attack, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc..

[akadatank44]

And who has to pay for it all? We do. Our health insurance premiums and doc bills go up. Especially for those who are healthy and watch what we eat. We have to pay for the people who don't take care of themselves. That ain't fair

[kaylaS91]

@akadatank44 yea I agree but in the end, I'm fine to continue paying taxes so long as my health will be looked after needbe. I think there are other issues going on that will make it more difficult for you to get into a hospital at times of need than the obesity pandemic.

[akadatank44]

That is true.

[Rainie_]

Junk food is certainly NOT cheaper than healthy food and vegetables and whatnot. The only thing is that when you buy healthy food, most of the time you actually have to cook it and put something together and a lot of people are just so damn lazy so they just buy ready made junk food instead.

Go watch series like supersize vs super skinny and you will actually see what they eat. Packet of crisps and chocolate bars every day, humongous fatty and oily breakfast, add that with Macdonalds for lunch and cake or doughnut for supper, another bag of crisps and God knows what would be for dinner, pizza most likely.

Sure there are obese people who do try to eat healthy but those are an incredibly small minority.
As for school lunch, why not just make your kids a packed lunch? How hard can it be? I had packed lunch to school every day while some of my other friends ate pizza from the school lunch menu. They could've picked a bowl of chicken salad but no, pizza is tastier. It's was their decision, and they know it's fatty. It's not like these people are blind to the fact that these kind of foods are bad for them.

People want to blame the companies for their fatness, "oh this thing has artificial sweeteners And I'm addicted to it". Boohoo, it's so easy to get over it if you actually try. I used to drink a lot of soda but now I don't even like drinking it, and tbh I prefer to drink water instead. You just have to push yourself to do things and take responsibility for yourself, and your kids if you have some.

[akadatank44]

This right here. Couldn't of said it better myself

[Righttobeararms83]

A big part of America's obesity problem is people not taking responsibility for themselves and their kids. Most obese people go to wallmart and buy the cheap fattening food but also because it costs three times less than healthier food they buy three times as much and then feed there kids as if they were farm yard animals. Then those same obese people get no exercise and allow their kids to sit around fat and stupid playing xbox all day. Certainly the government could do more in schools with healthy eating and exercise but if like me your kids school cafeteria serves food unfit for consumption then pack a lunch just like if your child's school is teaching your kid properly as a parent its your job to step in and do something about it. A real eye opener for me is the school cafeterias in france where the kids are feed like they are at a four star restaurant by an actual chef and cooks and only are allowed water to drink, and this actually costs less than what American schools pay for their school meals.

[-Bokie-]

I agree, it's not entirely their fault. I'm not obese, but when I was younger my parents didn't have a lot of money or time so they would go with the cheaper more processed options that we could cook for ourselves. (my mom was a teacher and after work she acted in plays. My dad had a morning job and a night job.) Anyways I just continued to eat and eat then I reached 153 about time I was 15. I started researching stuff about food, the good and the bad stuff. It really opened my eyes and I changed my eating habits. I remember it was hard and I had slip ups, but I ended up losing 20 pounds just by eating right and exercising. That's why I'm against fat-shaming, instead of fat shaming a person you should give them the knowledge they need to change their ways. Anyways great take!

[myTake Owner]

I totally agree. While there is nothing wrong with taking personal responsibility, I believe that people are not totally independent from their current environment as they would like to believe. Many people are ignorant/uneducated about healthier food choices, and sadly, this contributes to the rise of obesity.

[Anonymous]

"Children are not fed well in public schools, because public schools are receiving funding from fast food companies in exchange for allowing fast food companies to serve fast food on the menu."

Not just in public schools, in many work places, hotels, hospitals (seriously!), fast food in cafeterias and vending machines is the norm. As for it being cheaper that is because:

1. The fast food lobbies (read bribes) politicians to pass laws giving them tax incentives, aka they get money FROM the government.

2. They use their money to advertise their food non stop without any government intervention due to the lobbying (again, bribing) efforts of government officials.

I like your idea it is definitely a start! Ever since I went on a whole foods diet with plenty of fruits and veggies, and exercise, I have lost 20 lbs, and 3 inches off my waist!

[myTake Owner]

Make sure to maintain your whole foods diet long-term. Only a long-term diet is sustainable.

[posted]

Keyword 'not entirely'. Yeah in general they put a lot of cheaper garbage in food, schools are kind of a shitty one but all of these have pretty simple solutions. These minor excuses are used as crutches to say well I can't become skinny, I'm just fat because ____. Sure in some cases people have a medical condition and it's harder or almost impossible in RARE cases. But then fat people use it as a crutch and begin 'skinny shaming' and telling the world they're wrong for not liking dem rolls.

[myTake Owner]

You actually paid attention to the keyword. :)

[posted]

I WIN? :D

[Goldie757]

No matter how many excuses you come up with to deflect the blame of obesity, it boils down to one thing; your individual nutrition and activity choices. There are always going to be things that will make it hard to lose weight and factors that you will have to work against. Being healthy and physically fit is not easy! It never has been and it never will be.

The only thing you can really blame obesity on is each and every individual’s personal choices; choosing to take the easy way versus the hard way.

The key is to never give up and to never give in. If you slip up on your nutrition or physical activity don’t sweat it, just start again the next day. It is not about making huge life changes. It is about being as consistent as you can and being conscious about your decisions.

[Oram52]

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

We make our own choices. If you look at the map 'no car no supermarket within a mile' they're in the South in warmer climate. Is riding a bike difficult? Even then there are local stores/shops.

Is packaged ready meals cheaper than fresh food.. NO!!
How do I know personal experience. I was surprised when I started cooking again how much money I saved. All you gotta do is prepare your meals.

But but I don't have time. Average person watches 4 hours of TV everyday. You could even watch TV and prepare your meals. You can definitely set aside 30 min for exercise, you don't have to lift weights just pick any activity you may enjoy doing.

It is individual's choice because millions of us make that individual choice and eat healthy balanced diet and exercise. Once you stop making excuses the change will come.

[FaithHopeLove32]

The funny thing is we're taught it's all about exercise, but in reality what we eat is 80% of our weight loss, and exercise is only 20. So even if you're not able to get in the exercise, if you're eating well, you'll lose the weight - it will just take a bit longer. That exercise though, should be in weights/strength building, since muscle will help burn fat faster. :)

[myTake Owner]

@FaithHopeLove32 Totally agree. Every since I gave up on processed food completely, I lost 5 pounds. But I'm still overweight. I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds, so that I'm 150 pounds. I should weigh between 114-154 pounds.

[FaithHopeLove32]

I am still working on losing weight myself, I'm down 25 pounds since last August, it's been slow, but I've done it in a healthy way, and changed my lifestyle, so the weight will not come back! :) Good luck to you on your journey!

[Abe90]

This post isn't a really good excuse for individuals being obese. A lot of people become obese because they over-eat and don't do enough exercise or any at all. Then they blame the food that they eat is what's causing them to gain weight. Yes, a lot of the food that they eat isn't the best to choose, but they still put a lot of junk into their bodies. I never quite understood why organic food or healthier food is more expensive than foods that have chemicals in them or is processed. People also don't have a lot of time to themselves as well, which is why a lot of people will go to fast food restaurants because it's more convenient. If people were to be taught a little bit more about nutrition in school, then maybe the obesity rate wouldn't be so high. Technology is another influence that's causing people to become overweight. People turn to junk food and drinks that isn't the best alternative or choice. They eat more processed foods or frozen meals and drink a ton of energy drinks.

[Fingold]

Nailed it!

[goldfinch23]

1. Not always it's individual's fault. Sometimes it can be because of medical conditions. Problems with thyroid, etc.
2. Even without medical conditions it doesn't have to be individual's fault. Look at this image I posted. It's official suggestion from NHS TRUST UK.
news.images.itv.com/.../stream_img.jpg
If you as parents you'll see this, you can think there's nothing wrong with junk food.
Of course it is. But that's the case where government needs to be involved and forced to take action. It's is just wrong and it shouldn't happened at all.

[goldfinch23]

Here's the picture with full NHS logo
i.telegraph.co.uk/.../...trition-docs_3121202c.jpg

[myTake Owner]

Shame. I didn't like eating vegetables as a child, so Mom put the vegetables inside Chinese dumplings in a 3:1 ratio. 3 parts vegetables (cabbage) and 1 part meat. That always worked for me.

[goldfinch23]

It is vegetable, but it's not healthy at all.
Similar meal is Czech national cuisine. And it's one of the most unhealthiest meals because of meat and its fat. Also with boiling cabbage losing all its vitamins.

[myTake Owner]

What about stir-fried vegetables?

[ichot]

"All it does is bring needless self-shame instead of political action."

sigh.. typical. Can't do anything about the problem and instead blame someone else then expect governments to fix them.

Guess what? Junk food doesn't automatically make someone become fat, it is even possible to lose weight only on junk food. There goes half your entire myTake.

Additionally you suggest these kinds of people drink soda because it's cheaper... *laughs* these people genuinely don't like the 'taste' of water.

Since when being poor make you more fat than the Jews in the concentration camps? These people have enough money to buy more than enough food.

If there is one single thing obese people have not been doing is looking at the mirror and doing some introspection. You'd think they'd have some shame gaining 30lb.. nevertheless 100lb.

[oddwaffle]

That's not a solution. That's a dream. It looks pretty but does not work.

You need to make people eat healthier, not ask them to do it. They will not.

The simplest way is to make healthier food cheaper than others. Most unhealthy food are there not because they are unhealthy but because they are cheaper to produce, can be stored longer, transported easier, have longer shelf life and generally easy to grow.

There are a lot of good vegetables and herbs however they do not yield a lot, die quickly and turn ugly on the shelf. Nobody wants to sell ugly looking things because they do not sell well.

[NJ_Casanova]

I think the only time it isn't their fault is when they have medical issues that cause them to gain weight. Also a few people are genetically predisposed to being chunkier... but not obese.

No one is forcing them to eat what they do and how much they do. And for the most part people are lazy... for example my mother will go on her tread mill for 20min., but sit on the couch the rest of the day watching TV, WTF?

[myTake Owner]

If exercising is a very pleasurable activity, then maybe your mother would exercise for one hour or so. Actually, I think riding a bicycle is a better alternative. You have to pedal upslope and downslope, and if you ride for 1 hour, then you have to ride for the same amount of time to return home, making 2 hours. In addition, a little bit of textbook-weightlifting may be helpful.

Do you exercise with your mother? Maybe you should exercise with your mother, because she'll have someone to talk to while exercising. If she feels like she's going to quit, you can give her a pep talk and encourage her to move forward. Then, you may say positively, "Awesome! We did it! We walked X miles!"

[NJ_Casanova]

No I don't exercise with her... SHe always says no. I am a very active guy... and still have a six pack at my age and am in better shape than guys 10-15 years younger. I like walking at the beach/park.. the scenery takes my mind of my troubles.

[myTake Owner]

Can you take baby steps with her? Maybe take your mother to the movie theater to watch a movie, but you park the car really far away from the movie theater. Almost across the whole shopping center.

[NJ_Casanova]

We on occasion went walking at the beach or at the mall... but it's never often. Her problem is that she needs to do it everyday. She's also a VERY SLOW walker... I walk at twice her speed.

FYI, she one of those people that will drive around a parking lot just to find a closer spot. I think that is a good example why fat people are fat.

[myTake Owner]

Same. I naturally walk at a brisk pace. My parents are the extremely slow types. And they want me to slow down, so we can talk. Although I can slow down, I think it'd be better if they speed up; otherwise, it's not exercise. It's just hanging out.

I tend to park where there are less cars. Less cars = less traffic = less likely to bump into something. And since most cars are parked very close to the store, that means I have to park somewhat far away at the end. :P

[Nothanks700]

This makes sense, but it is clearly a systemic culture issue as well. In the Midwest for instance, obesity follows no real socio economic trends, fat is just accepted. In California, fitness is emphasized. Honestly, to me obesity is a disease much like cancer. The difference is in how people view it. Being fat should be as accepted as having cancer. I'm not going to judge anyone for having cancer obviously, but I do sympathize with them and hope they get better. I would find it odd though if someone who had cancer did nothing to get it treated. Obese people often continue to eat mass quantities of processed crap that they know is killing them. and society seems to be going towards this trend of - fat is fine. No it's not! Chubby is fine. Obesity is a freaking killer for god sake, you might as well say smoking is fine.

[lyannamormont]

I dont know what midwest state you're talking about and what part of California you point out but I can tell you that in Colorado, a midwest state, hiking, biking, skiing etc. are so promoted among even the poorest, and therefore conditional fitness is emphasized. You barely find obese there. I lived there I know it. For job related, i visited Cali a lot. Yes rich part around the Bay area, as in Boston near Cambridge, you only find fit people amd may bias into so called fitness promotion. But if you go down to LA metro area, you'll see many obese people in different ghettos because they are not the low strata of the society and do not have means to afford healthy food.

It may not follow exact rules of income disparity in your opinion but if you come to eastern coast specifically southeastern region where slavery took the harshest form, most obese people are unfortunately african-american low income families. And in the west, as I mentioned mostly immigrant families in ghettos.

[lyannamormont]

I mean your opinion on midwest is only true for Texas I believe.

Anyways this is a disease and it should be solved we all agree but it won't have a true solution if the income disparity continues to grow this much.

So societal emphasis impact etc play really minor role in this solution, to my observation.

[Nothanks700]

@lyannamormont haha, I live in Iowa, and I lived in Colorado for years. Colorado is not a Midwest state. I am originally form California as well. Trust me, I have seen the difference in eating habits per culture. It's just a cultural observation, I'm not saying everyone, or even most people, are fat or skinny in any of these states, just that they view obesity and fitness differently.

[Ratiocinative]

I agree with you points, both the govenment and private companies do things to that encouage people to overeat, but i disagree with you conclusion. It's still 100% the individual's fault.

Eating healthy is not expensive or complicated, you just have to have the willpower and discipline to do so. It's not easy, but increasing your willpower is a skill just like any other. The more you practice the more it grows, but the more you negect it the more it fades away.

[iwillansweryoutruly]

It is more expensive to eat healthy. I've done the comparisons in the supermarkets. At least for me, in the south, it's more expensive. I can get white bread, mayo, and pre-fab deli meat and make 10 meals with it. Want me to buy a cut of meat and cook it? Get wheat bread? Use olive oil-based mayo? Way more expensive and time consuming (for the cooking part). I can go to the McDonald's drive-thru and get a meal for $3-$5.

[myTake Owner]

@iwillansweryoutruly Sometimes, you have to wait for things that are on sale. I live in the North, and here, fresh vegetables can be on sale or have coupons. When a certain type of vegetable is on sale, you can buy more and stock up. That's how you can eat healthy and spend less. A rice cooker at home can cook rice, and vegetables can be stir-fried or eaten raw. For dessert, you may have a raw vegetable or a fruit. My local Wal-Mart has a couple of vending machines that sell water and soda. Water is the same price as soda: $0.50. But you can drink municipal tap water.

[Ratiocinative]

I never said it wasn't more expensive, just that it isn't expensive. The difference is negligible for anyone living in America. Both Giant Eagle and Kroger have steak on sale $3.49 at least once if not twice a month. Ground can be even cheaper. Sometimes less than $2.00. Kroger has frozen vegetable packs for $1.

1lb of ground beef + vegetables ends up being $3-4 depending if you get it on sale. Open it, dump it in a skillet or slow cooker, and you have a great tasting and very healthy meal cheap and easy. Sure, you can cheap out and buy bread bologna, but if you can't afford an extra dollar a day for food, you certainly can't afford the thousands of dollars in medical bills that will result from unhealthy eating.

[chrisbigman]

I'm a little confused in that map above. But to speak on my behalf, I believe that it's up to each individual what they eat. If they want to eat something, that's their decision. If they don't want to eat something, that's their decision. That includes corn. They can always protest the corporations that implement corn in their products, or they could just eat anything that doesn't have corn. We need to prosecute those that are putting into law the mandating of corn, if that's happening. We should not be eating things that are unhealthy - even if it may seem healthy.

[chrisbigman]

I buy fruits and veggies all the time. I personally don't find them that more expensive than fast foods. Also, my body told me a while ago to stop eating shitty food after getting horribly sick and bad headaches. That's why I don't eat fast food (or even junk food) anymore - because my body told me not to.

[myTake Owner]

I would go further and eliminate ALL STORE-BOUGHT PROCESSED FOODSTUFFS. All of them contain food additives and preservatives.

[mermaidrocketship]

I disagree. Individuals are responsible for their weight because they choose what to eat and when to exercise. No one's force feeding them junk. Also, kids have 5 out of 21 meals a week at school, and, last time I had it, school lunch was pretty much inedible. It's illogical to blame the schools for childhood obesity. Blame the parents.

[sedrftvgyhujik]

Most of the foods on offer aren't the healthiest but that's partly because of what people are buying.
Some people can't afford to eat clean and stay in shape and some are working stupid hours they can and should eat clean but may not have the energy to work out and some genuinely have medical problems but others buy alcohol and cigarettes then eat crap.
Eating healthy doesn't have to be that much more expensive ie
liver , peanut butter , eggs , a mix of grains like oats and rice , other offal like heart and kidneys , pumpkin , lettuce, mushrooms , muscles which seem to be cheaper than fish and non organ meat.
Also quitting drinking could make the difference in cost for most people and it would be cheaper if you were otherwise ordering takeouts.

[FakeName123]

It is still the individuals fault in any case. If they figure they are gaining weight it is their responsibillity to do something about it. That includes education themselves on how to eat properly. If they dont do it, its their fault. No ifs, no buts, no excuses.

[Fingold]

I agree! There is a way to pre plan healthy meals and there is always subway for people on the run. It comes down to commitment and dedication. I know first hand because I'm living proof!

[myTake Owner]

@Fingold Subway actually has preservatives and additives. It's not as healthy as people think. It's fast food.

[Fingold]

Well then like I said pre plan meals and isn't subway backed by the American heart institution on some meals? Hmm how crazy is that?

[Puppylove94]

It can start as a societal problem, but in the end it's up to the individual person. Will they make the change? It's definitely a lifestyle, and not always an easy one. It's a lot easier to grab a bag of chips than to cut up some celery, but it's a lot healthier for you.

[Oram52]

I would say Parental problem those bad habits are picked somewhere.

[Puppylove94]

@Oram52 yeah but the individual does nothing to change it for themselves. The individual is the one that puts the food into their body

[Oram52]

Agree.

[Gommers]

It's cheaper to not eat than it is to eat shit food

[BruceJender]

BOOM! Headshot!

[candyaurora]

Best answer right here!