Why are Americans so fat?

[jamartheg]

[USLegionary]

Where to start. It's a cultural problem routed in laziness, greed and ignorance.

It's all to do with our diet. We eat to excess too much of all the wrong foods. We consume too much sugar, we put sugar on and in everything, we drink stuff like coca~cola which is basically fizzy water and sugar when we should be just drinking water. We eat too much fast food which is fattening in of itself in small amounts but we have to supersize it and order double and triple what we should, processed deep fried processed meat on bad bread with cheese washed down with a bucket of sugar. People complain that they have to buy unhealthy food because it costs less but the truth is they should buy less only healthy foods. Food is all important, doesn't matter how much you exercise if aren't eating right.

Then there's the growing culture of laziness. People won't walk or cycle a mile rather taking the car. Kids don't play sports no more. Parents let their kids opt out of PE in school. People just don't go to the gym or do any sort of physical or manual activity.

Then there's the fat acceptance and healthy at any size movements. They have been around since the 60s but oy really gained momentum in around 2000, that was around 20 years ago. So 20 years ago we really could have solved the obesity crisis or made progress in it which would have born visible results in the population in 2023 but instead we let the fat acceptance movement gain momentum and people in America just got fatter and fatter and the percentage of overweight and obese Americans just grew to the point where its 40-60% of the population especially high amonst AfricanAmericanwomen. I mean they wanted universal health care in this country but the truth is because of the obesity crisis we can not afford it. What the first thing a doctor tells and obese person with any problem surgical or otherwise? That's right lose weight because it's difficult for them to diagnosis, treat or operate when there's a wall of fat preventing them. Stop fat shaming? How about being fat is shameful.

Was in England a while ago, they are where we were 15 years ago

[WindAtMyBack]

Probably a combination of genetics, sedentary lifestyle, and shitty food.

I'm also going to throw in capitalism. That's because capitalism is based on competition. Competition has led to huge portions of food at restaurants. When I was young, portions were far smaller than they today. Restaurants tried to outdo each other by advertising bigger portions. Plus free refills at restaurants, also due to competition. Then there are the huge fountain drinks of sugar water at convenience stores and gas stations, which are huge and cheap for the same reason. It's a way to get customers in without much cost.

Is it coincidence that the most common ancestries in the US are from some of the countries with the highest percentage of overweight people? This suggests either genetics, or the popular foods they brought here from their homeland, probably both.

I might as well blame feminism too - far fewer house wives to make healthy meals - not time for that - just grab whatever is quick and filling.

And computers/Internet. Might as well throw in television. Oh hell, I'll throw in electricity and internal combustion engines while I'm at it. Does anybody do any real work any more?

[FreyaRed]

I think, shift to convenience food or highly processed ingredients is responsible for obesity. People in US had already cars in 1950-ties and were lazy like they are today, but obesity epidemic started mid 1970ties. This was the time when food industry started to maximize their margins, with using corn fructose instead of sugar and hardened plant fats like palm oil instead of animal fats. Turbo animal farming with use of steroids and antibiotics reduced amount of nutrients in meats. Using of nitrate fertilizer reduced nutrition quality of vegetables as well.
The main problem people eat far too much calories but amount of minerals, natural fibers and most vitamins (with exception of artificial ones) people consume is too low.

That's why knowing how to cook with basic ingredients and knowing how to grow your plants in garden is an essential skill, if you want to live healthy. Unfortunately obesity epidemic isn't only limited on US nowadays, its world wide issue even in third world countries with low quality of living.

[Sour-rose]

i like to blame that we're just too lazy and stupid. Stupid to know much shi we consume that makes us fat aaand can't even take a minute to park farther from the walmart and take a walk. And once we get into walmart, proceed to buy $300+ of shi we don't need like whole shelves of instant noodles and chips.

And for those who do excercise... they do it for...30 seconds. Or until they are tired and outta breath. (which is still not even 45 minutes of working out) Then either they keep doing it to fail then give up or get back in the old habits and just never try again. :)

[DryGermanGuy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me

Quote:

"Spurlock ate at McDonald's restaurants three times a day, eating every item on the chain's menu at least once. Spurlock consumed an average of 20.9 megajoules or 5,000 kcal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment. He also walked about 2 kilometers (1.5 miles) a day. An intake of around 2,500 kcal within a healthy balanced diet is more generally recommended for a man to maintain his weight. As a result, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 24.5 pounds (11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase, increased his cholesterol to 230 mg/dL (6.0 mmol/L), and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose all the weight gained from his experiment using a vegan diet supervised by his then-girlfriend, a chef who specializes in gourmet vegan dishes"

[AMS700CX4u2]

It is a fact among veterinarians that most animals will eat as long as a food source is available. When we struggle to find a meal as we did as hunter gatherers we were eating every three days. It was under those conditions that humans developed such efficient digestive system. Enter the industrialized society and place on top of that a system that makes food available at no cost and considers it a reward for anything.

Twinkies after school.

[AsaKyo]

- They eat fast food all the time
- Don't exercise and would rather sit and do nothing but play video games or watch TV all day
- Most are depressed beyond repair
- Since "body positivity" is a thing now, people think it's okay to be a lard ass

The list goes on..

[Astarlessnightsky]

Its the number on in sugar consumtion pet capita, even though Mexico is getting closer and closer.

Also they drive everywhere, and fast food is really big there.

A small coke in the US is bigger than the large coke in Europe.

[irifebeck]

The food portions/consumption/nutrition, lack of exercise, the fact that everyone uses cars and some side walks just end making it impossible to even go on a walk.

[exitseven]

they do not get enough exercise and eat too much. I recently spent a lot of time at the beach and noticed that even young people both male and female are too fat and out of shape.

[Guy13]

Spoiled. Fat people will become hot over the next years if food access lessens.

[lightbulb27]

primary diet is sugar and carbs as well as loads of preservatives.

lack of activity

[FilmGuy93]

Honestly, as big a problem as laziness is in America, I think the bigger problem is that our country just isn't set up for walking around.

[Bethany22]

Because a lot of their food is extra buttery and greasy than Canadian food

[jennifer_bloom]

Added sugar in the diet along with other chemicals

[joeldalton]

Our government was bought off by the sugar industry and produced dietary guidelines that lead to obesity. Most of our food is processed garbage. People are lazy.

[TroyDT2]

Of those who are obese: sedentary lifestyles and crappy diets consisting of highly processed, nutrient deficient foods.

[worldscolide]

The Fat acceptance movement for one thing. and huge portions in all of our foods.

[Anonymous]

Fast food, an obsession with eating meat and large servings wherever you go.

[Anonymous]

Society lies to women and tells them that it’s ok to be obese and that men should still want hem and find them sexy.

[BLP11520]

Poor diet and lack of exercise... when i was a kid there were less fat people.

[Anonymous]

i wonder that myself. it makes it harder for me to buy clothes knowing all these clothing designers make clothes for these big and fat people

[NathanDavis]

because we can afford it...

[Nomina]

Have you seen their food?

[SlothySlob]

Diet and the food available.

[SlothySlob]

I forgot to mention, what additives and or components of the foods.

[PinkRose24]

Not me. I weigh 115 pounds

[DavidRaul]

They eat a lot of fast food

[zrnobya]

Fast food, oil , not moving ass