America the Obese

[Tmy]

Ive been seeing alot of these reports on how Americans are obese and its an epidemic. Have you ever looked at one of those height weight charts?? They seem to be outdated.

Do you think we're are getting fatter or are we just getting bigger due to nutrition and environment. Dont they grow em big in the states. If you follow sports you can see how the average football player has become much bigger over the last 30 years.

If we are so obeses then why all the complaing about these unatainable body types in the media. We should strive to get into better shape. I dont see how having a bunch of fat people on TV will help.

[hgc]

Originally posted by Tmy
Ive been seeing alot of these reports on how Americans are obese and its an epidemic. Have you ever looked at one of those height weight charts?? They seem to be outdated.

Do you think we're are getting fatter or are we just getting bigger due to nutrition and environment. Dont they grow em big in the states. If you follow sports you can see how the average football player has become much bigger over the last 30 years.

If we are so obeses then why all the complaing about these unatainable body types in the media. We should strive to get into better shape. I dont see how having a bunch of fat people on TV will help.
Why do the height/weight charts seem to be outdated? I think they've actually been updated to make it easier than before to be classified as overweight and obese.

As for "getting bigger," well, that would apply to height and weight simultaneously if there were not a weight problem, ie., taller and bigger not so much a problem as just plain bigger. Yeah we grow 'em big, big and fat, and unhealthily so. Don't take football players as a reliable sample; they are a special sample of the population who are in football because of their size to start with, and also weight train to bigger sizes.

[dingler44]

Do you think we're are getting fatter or are we just getting bigger due to nutrition and environment. Dont they grow em big in the states. If you follow sports you can see how the average football player has become much bigger over the last 30 years.

From personal observation I'd say yeah, we're getting fatter. You definitely can not use the size of professional sports players as any sort of indicator of a trend in the size of Americans. Professional athletes are always at the extreme end of the scale. If the athletes are getting bigger... it's probably either because the pool of potential players has increased (population increase or scout range) to include bigger athletes or the knowledge of training, nutrition and supplements has improved to allow players to achieve more growth.

[Tmy]

NO way man! Amerians are growing bigger. Ever go to a forgien country, the people are smaller. Europeans, South Americans, Asians, theyre all smaller.

Big Macs have made us superhuman!

Wheres my cape.

[GrapeJ713]

The hieght and wieght guidlines need to be updated. I read somewhere on the web ( I searched but couldn't re-find it) that took the hieghts and wieghts of celebrities and sports figures and gave the government classifications. I think Russel Crowe was obese, anyone man that was muscular was at least overwieght. And most of the players on the final four basketball teams were obese. So the gov't definition of obesity doesn't have much to do with health in some cases. Some people ARE big boned.

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by GrapeJ713
The hieght and wieght guidlines need to be updated. I read somewhere on the web ( I searched but couldn't re-find it) that took the hieghts and wieghts of celebrities and sports figures and gave the government classifications. I think Russel Crowe was obese, anyone man that was muscular was at least overwieght. And most of the players on the final four basketball teams were obese. So the gov't definition of obesity doesn't have much to do with health in some cases. Some people ARE big boned.
Yeah, that's it. I'm just like Russell Crowe!

[Michael Redman]

Height/weight charts are crap. Having accurately measured the percentage of body fat I carried through my late teens and early twenties, those charts always said that I need to lose all my body fat, and a good 15 to 30 pound of additional weight to be in the acceptable range. Hardly healthy. The charts make absolutely no accommodation for muscle, and it's excess fat, not muscle, or total weight, that's the problem.

[aerocontrols]

Obese aerocontrols (http://controls.ae.gatech.edu/people/mjohnson/images/Pics/Me/Matt_closeup.jpg), at least according to height/weight.

[HarryKeogh]

a) we have too much food and portions served are too big. ever order pasta in a restaurant? they give you enough for 3 or 4 people. plus the competition among restaurants is convincing them that the way to get more customers is to serve bigger portions. We have "super-size" and "biggie size". when mcdonalds first opened you could get a 10oz coke. now their large is over 30 ozs.

b) weight charts are crap. you have to measure body fat.

c) football players (at least lineman) are getting bigger and unhealthier every year. the average has gone up 30 lbs. in 10 years and once they retire they tend to get heavier because theyre not working out every day. HBO's real sports did a great item on this topic. they are dropping dead at an alarming rate.

i think the way to lose weight is to not let all your dietary decisions be based on taste and stop "emotional" eating (out of boredom,depression).

[Mike B.]

mmmmmmmmmm doughnuts

[aerocontrols]

If anyone is interested, Australia (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/04/1051987606983.html) and the US are tied fat neck and fat neck.

MattJ

[hgc]

Originally posted by GrapeJ713
The hieght and wieght guidlines need to be updated. I read somewhere on the web ( I searched but couldn't re-find it) that took the hieghts and wieghts of celebrities and sports figures and gave the government classifications. I think Russel Crowe was obese, anyone man that was muscular was at least overwieght. And most of the players on the final four basketball teams were obese. So the gov't definition of obesity doesn't have much to do with health in some cases. Some people ARE big boned.
It's not an issue of the guidelines having to be updated. It's more about recognizing them for what they are: very broad, approximate guidelines that should not be taken as the final answer for any person if they're overweight. Obviously if your heavy with muscle mass and not with fat, you can figure out for yourself that you're not in the kind of danger as if you're heavy with cookie dough mass.

[dingler44]

Originally posted by GrapeJ713
The hieght and wieght guidlines need to be updated. I read somewhere on the web ( I searched but couldn't re-find it) that took the hieghts and wieghts of celebrities and sports figures and gave the government classifications. I think Russel Crowe was obese, anyone man that was muscular was at least overwieght. And most of the players on the final four basketball teams were obese. So the gov't definition of obesity doesn't have much to do with health in some cases. Some people ARE big boned.

Those height and weight guidelines are EXTREMELY broad and obviously won't fit every body profile. If you want to know how to use the guidelines for what they're worth, you ought to read up on them a little.

One thing I can guarantee you is that they don't waste time with "Russel Crowe clauses" that tailor fit and custom case the guidelines to fit every individual human. It's just not possible to do that with a simple arithmetic formula that is easy for your average Joe to use.

[WildCat]

Originally posted by GrapeJ713
The hieght and wieght guidlines need to be updated. I read somewhere on the web ( I searched but couldn't re-find it) that took the hieghts and wieghts of celebrities and sports figures and gave the government classifications. I think Russel Crowe was obese, anyone man that was muscular was at least overwieght. And most of the players on the final four basketball teams were obese. So the gov't definition of obesity doesn't have much to do with health in some cases. Some people ARE big boned.
I think this was referring to the Body Mass Index (http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/). As you can see, this index doesn't even take gender into account! Since men are more muscular than women and muscle weighs more than fat, this is no small flaw. Anyone know why gender was left out of this calculation?

[shuize]

Never fear fatbodies, help is on the way:

Suit seeks to ban kids from eating oreos (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030512/ap_on_fe_st/oreo_suit_1)

What would we ever do without the anoited to protect us from ourselves?

[ZeeGerman]

Originally posted by WildCat

I think this was referring to the Body Mass Index (http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/). As you can see, this index doesn't even take gender into account! Since men are more muscular than women and muscle weighs more than fat, this is no small flaw. Anyone know why gender was left out of this calculation?

If you google around just a little , there are many calculators which take gender and age into account, e.g. here (http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/av.htm)

On a personal note: since I spent about 2 years in the states, I would simply claim that there are a lot more overweight people in the states than in germany and I think whole Europe as well. I woud be interested in opinions of the people on this board why that is so? Standard of living is comparable, the availability and diversity of food as well, so the deciding factors must lie somewhere else...

Zee

[Michael Redman]

I don't think that even Europe has the availability of as cheap and high calorie food as here in the US. Even the poorest here can affort to eat themselves into obesity.

There are cultural factors at work as well, I'm sure. Don't worry, thought, soon you'll catch up with us, and the whole world will be fat!

[ZeeGerman]

Originally posted by Michael Redman
I don't think that even Europe has the availability of as cheap and high calorie food as here in the US.

I don't see that. I can only speak from my personal experience but you can get basically the same stuff over here than you can get in the US and the prices are comparable as well maybe even a bit lower over here (depends on where you live of course).

Originally posted by Michael Redman

There are cultural factors at work as well, I'm sure. Don't worry, thought, soon you'll catch up with us, and the whole world will be fat!

I guess the cultural ARE the major factors and I'd like to find out what they might be.

How is this one?
Americans consume more convenience food (usually rich in calories) - In Europe, "real" cooking is still more common.

Again, a completely subjective view (I don't even own a microwave oven)

Zee

[dingler44]

and observed the same - a general level of fitness higher than I was used to in the US.

The Germans I knew that were fit (which was most of them) simply ENJOYED physical activity. It was normal for them to just go for a walk if they were bored... most of them participated in some kind of physical sport and if they didn't, they found another way to exercise.

My university campus wasn't that big... and the offered athletic facilities were were limited but I can say that the resources available were in constant use. Every sports club I visited was thriving... and often had trouble supplying enough equipment for all the attendees to participate. I visited dance classes, aerobics classes, football club, badminton club and ping pong club. (*note* my ass was kicked in each respective sport)

Also during my 5 months in Germany, only once did I go to a fast food restaraunt with any Germans - and it was only a matter of convenience - McDonald's being the only place in the area still open at midnight.

With all that said... let me reiterate that these are just personal observations, nothing I would use, or suggest you use as conclusive evidence.

[Mike B.]

Originally posted by ZeeGerman

I don't see that. I can only speak from my personal experience but you can get basically the same stuff over here than you can get in the US and the prices are comparable as well maybe even a bit lower over here (depends on where you live of course).



I guess the cultural ARE the major factors and I'd like to find out what they might be.

How is this one?
Americans consume more convenience food (usually rich in calories) - In Europe, "real" cooking is still more common.

Again, a completely subjective view (I don't even own a microwave oven)

Zee

That sounds about right. I wonder if "drive-thrus" are part of it as well. We have drive-thru banks here in the US. I didn't see any in Europe, they might be there now. I just think people in Europe walk more in their everyday life. Increased public transportation too means walking instead of having a car right there.

[Michael Redman]

My experience is that calorie-rich fast food (Mc Donalds' for example) is significantly more expensive in Europe than in the US. 50% to 100% more, in fact. Of course, it's expensive in Manhattan as well, but most Americans live in suburbia.

Of course, I haven't spent any real time in suburbal Europe, so maybe it's the same there.

But, of course, you're right. Fast-food culture is largely to blame, and Americans don't like to wait very long for their food. We would rather be working (for some reason).

[Linda]

Another problem with obesity is it's so common now in children, whereas in my generation, you usually didn't start porking up until middle age. Schools have cut back on Phys. Ed. classes, school cafeterias have coke and candy vending machines, fast food restaurants are everywhere and kids spend more and more time in front of a computer or television. Kids are organized into highly competitive leagues instead of just being allowed to get together and play, so not as many kids are into physical activity, because it's just not fun....it's too competitive. Plus, kids don't walk anywhere anymore.....too dangerous or it's too far to walk to get to anywhere. The lack of activity combined with poor eating habits and the super-sized portions in restaurants all contribute to the obesity problem in young people and as those of us fighting a weight problem know, it goes on a lot easier than coming off. And the younger you are when you start with weight problems, the unhealthier it is and the harder it is to reverse the situation.

[Nikk]

Originally posted by Michael Redman
I don't think that even Europe has the availability of as cheap and high calorie food as here in the US. Even the poorest here can affort to eat themselves into obesity.

There are cultural factors at work as well, I'm sure. Don't worry, thought, soon you'll catch up with us, and the whole world will be fat!

Rest assured there is abundant cheap high calorie food in Europe. From my observations (anecdotal evidence!) it is the poor in most european countries who tend to be fatter than the affluent.

Cultural factors are more important than the cost of food. That said, I believe that there is an unhealthy upward trend in general porkiness here too.

[Michael Redman]

Originally posted by Nikk
From my observations (anecdotal evidence!) it is the poor in most european countries who tend to be fatter than the affluent.It's that way here, too. Good quality food is more expensive. It's cheaper and easier to feed your kids crap than good, healthy meals.

Linda's got a good point. We don't treat exercise as a core eductional / developmental requirement anymore in schools. We ignore it.

[Tmy]

I dont think its a healthy food issue. Most euro food is drowing in butter and/or salt.

I believe its the portions. Ive seen news stories about the bigger portions (supersized) meals in the US vs those in Europe. Plus AMericans are so busy-busy rush-rush workaholics that they live off fast food.

[karl]

Originally posted by Mike B.


That sounds about right. I wonder if "drive-thrus" are part of it as well. We have drive-thru banks here in the US. I didn't see any in Europe, they might be there now. I just think people in Europe walk more in their everyday life. Increased public transportation too means walking instead of having a car right there.

Yeah, Americans drive a lot. According to an OECD newsletter, your average driven distance per person and year in 1998 was about 5700 miles, which is over 40% more than for example Brits, Germans and Swedes. That has to account for something.