Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

It isn't right now, but from the looks of things it will soon supplant tobacco as the #1 killer of people in the US.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/diet.fitness/06/05/obesity.reut/index.html

Bottom line: If you have kids, keep 'em off all that shitty ass food. Also...burn 100 extra calories a day (or eat 100 calories less, or both!) and you'll see improvements.

In the immortal words of Milo Bloom, from the comic strip Bloom County: Eat less, exercise more!

This has been a public service announcement!

 

I'm gonna read this as soon as I get back from my Double-Big Mac with triple cheese, Extra extra extra large fries, triple think milk shake and an apple pie!!

 

My grandfather defied every bit of modern advice about nutrition. He'd eat cookies and bacon for breakfast if he felt like it. Even as a little kid I always assumed his diet was going to kill him. However, he seemed to always be in good health and enjoyed a great quality of life. As an adult I asked him about his diet and he told me his simple rule: Eat whatever you want as long as its homemade. I'd never even noticed that he never ate out except on vacations. He packed his lunch for work and ate the other two meals at home - whatever he wanted to eat.

I'm convinced the strategy for beating obesity is much simpler than most think - Eat food that you cook in your kitchen (this does not include TV dinners). As a bonus, the money saved will make you smile about it.

 

Yeah, and sue the fast-food companies for "making" you eat their high-fat foods. Then pass laws regulating what kind of food they sell, because we all need a little more government in our lives!

 

toast

 

Here's the only kicker to that. In your Grandpap's day, there wasn't nearly as much crap in the food available at the grocery store. Maybe they even grew some of their own, like my grandparents.

Nowadays, if you look real close at the labels, the list of chemicals in most store bought items is incredible. There are hormones found in beef, chicken and pork for example. The amounts of sodium found in most of that stuff is just incredible. I won't even go into the sugar (via corn syrup for example in fruit juices) or the carbohydrate levels.

Adult onset diabetes in children is at an epidemic level in the United States. As is obesity.

It's not just fast food or eating out. It's the food sold in grocery stores that you, in turn, use to cook your meals.

 

Re: Re: Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

$13 billion a year is spent marketing to American children - by food and drink industries alone. Food advertising makes up about half of all advertising aimed at kids.

Analysis of the nutritional content of food and drink advertised during children’s viewing times demonstrates that over 95% of the products contained high levels of fat and/or sugar and/or salt. Whilst fruit and vegetables were not advertised at all, fatty and sugary foods were advertised in proportions up to 11 times higher than the proportion recommended in dietary guidelines. Children viewing Saturday morning TV will see more than twice as many ads per hour for unhealthy foods as adults viewing after 9pm.

So, Jay...I'm not calling for anything like that. I do, however, wish you alot of luck. It's you against tens of billions of dollars of ad campaigns. Maybe I'm cynical, but I think you've got an uphill battle on your hands.

 

Gimme a triple whooper with cheese, a bushel basket of french fries, a sack of onion rings, an apple pie with some cheese whiz on it and a gallon of diet Coke.

I'm watching my weight mother f@cker so don't be putting no regular coke in my bucket. Got it skippie? Well get to it and hurry it up before my diabetes acts up and my foot rots off!

 

dear dave,
shut the fuck up!

P.S. gobert fastest by 1.6s in the rain at road america.

love, grimace

 

Welcome back, K.O.T.S.*!


*King of the Schleprocks

 

Re: Re: Re: Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

Eric, can you say satire? I hate these insane lawsuits against McDonalds or the tobacco companys. I'm for individuals owning up to their own decisions, rather than blaming some corporation for their own irresponsible behavior.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

I got the satire.

Tobacco has a long record (documented by their own internal documents made public) of lying to their addicts, er, customers, the public and the govt about the side affects of their products and marketing practices. I could go on but you won't agree with me so it's a moot point.

Corporations should be able to do whatever they want and not be held responsible, right?

The food company lawsuit I agree with, by the way.

On the other hand, it's really hard to do battle with marketing of that level. Children see advertisements not just on TV but on clothes, in movies, etc... There's just so much of it for a parent to keep on top of, not including all the other things you have to do with your child.

I mean, heck, Sports Illustrated Kids came with an AOL CD last year. "Free 200 hours! No credit card needed!" I thought to myself, "Are you shitting me?? You assholes are sending my 10 year old nephew this stuff?!?!"

One irate phone call insured they aren't sending it again...to my nephew. But they still send them to anyone who hasn't complained.

Corporations see children as future revenues, nothing more nothing less. If they can hook kids early (like the tobacco industry does subtly here and not-so-subtly overseas) the better off they see themselves.

And they do not care about those kids well being. See the fun onset of adult diabetes in children here in the U.S. for reference. I don't see the food companies doing anything about it. They aren't making their food any healthier. They are putting more money into advertising that targets kids, though.

So, again, in seriousness...good luck brother Jay. It's only going to get worse.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

Yeah, and those mandated "CIGARETTES CAUSE CANCER AND BIRTH DEFECTS" clearly marked on each pack sure are misleading. Surely some evil tobacco guy must be holding a gun to my neighbor kid's head, telling him "Smoke these kid, or I'll off your family!"

 

Does anyone else find it ironic that we are being given nutritional advice from the " Head Bratwurst Wrangler " ????

 

hate to break it to you guys. but there is not one thing that can be the greatest health threat. all people die. if you ran five miles a day and ate only clover. if you never smoke, or drink. you will still die a pathetic piece of shit who never had any fun.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

Question: how much money has the fed gov't made off of tobacco taxes?

Question: Isn't it already illegal for under-age kids to buy cigarettes? Shouldn't the state and fed gov'ts be held responsible for NOT enforcing the law?

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

The responsibility lies completely with the PARENTS to be the guiding influence in a childs life. That's what being a parent is all about. Just like you teach a child to run if a stranger approaches, you teach a child the truth about advertising - there is no truth in advertising.

The same goes for food choices, if you are a responsible parent, it is your responsibility to teach your children that in reasonable amounts McDonalds is okay - too much is bad. You teach them that the fine people who manufacture cigarettes are perfectly willing to kill you in order to get your money. To make sure they get lots of your money, they'll kill you slowly.

Perhaps instead of suing McDonalds, these people should sue their parents for negelect.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Obesity, the #1 health threat in the US?

Damn, I have to agree with Due again. This is getting to be a bad habit.

I don't have a problem with cigarette manufacturers. Everybody that makes a product will portray that product in the best light to make more sales, no matter how bad that product really is. I smoke, but I never needed anybody to tell me that smoking is bad for me. I knew that inhaling smoke was bad.

One thing that hasn't been asked about fast food places - how much gas is used and pollutions put out by cars waiting in the drive-thru line?

 

Does your TV have a "power" button?

Unplug the damn thing. Child advertising problem solved, and it would also go a long way to stop childhood obesity.

 

Isn't that called 'parenting' ???

Maybe if the kids weren't parked in front of the t.v. they wouldn't be so friggin' fat!!!!