People in This Country are in Awful Shape

[Hyena]

I think there are a variety of causes for this problem. I will agree that apathy has something to do with it for a lot of people, but what about the people who are trying to do something about it? To be honest there is such an ocean of misinformation and bullshit out there that they don’t know where to start. You got shit like shake weights, and the “hollywood diet” where you drink this bottle of shit mixed with water, and consume nothing else for 48 hours.

With bullshit like that floating around in abundance, even if they wanted to change it would be pretty difficult. (The whole ‘quick fix’ society thing doesn’t help either) I’m sure you guys will all point, and scream that they could just look on the internet, but come on, how many reliable, accurate sources of fitness info are there on the web? Its hard to find when you don’t where to look, or even what you’re looking for.

Personally, I think that schools should use a LOT more time teaching kids about nutrition, and anatomy, and their physical bodies. How many years of your public education career are wasted on things like English? You know all the English you’ll ever need by 4th grade. Stop it there.

Also shit like literature, which is only going to be useful/applicable to a very scant population of the kids, and probably only briefly. Why not teach kids how to take care of their body, which, by the way, they’ll have for their entire lives, instead? If you ask me, the knowledge to keep your body functioning optimally for as many years as possible is a whole hell of a lot more important than an appreciation for shakespeare and the fine arts.

[AccipiterQ]

[quote]Hyena wrote:
I think there are a variety of causes for this problem. I will agree that apathy has something to do with it for a lot of people, but what about the people who are trying to do something about it? To be honest there is such an ocean of misinformation and bullshit out there that they don’t know where to start. You got shit like shake weights, and the “hollywood diet” where you drink this bottle of shit mixed with water, and consume nothing else for 48 hours.

With bullshit like that floating around in abundance, even if they wanted to change it would be pretty difficult. (The whole ‘quick fix’ society thing doesn’t help either) I’m sure you guys will all point, and scream that they could just look on the internet, but come on, how many reliable, accurate sources of fitness info are there on the web? Its hard to find when you don’t where to look, or even what you’re looking for.

Personally, I think that schools should use a LOT more time teaching kids about nutrition, and anatomy, and their physical bodies. How many years of your public education career are wasted on things like English? You know all the English you’ll ever need by 4th grade. Stop it there.

Also shit like literature, which is only going to be useful/applicable to a very scant population of the kids, and probably only briefly. Why not teach kids how to take care of their body, which, by the way, they’ll have for their entire lives, instead? If you ask me, the knowledge to keep your body functioning optimally for as many years as possible is a whole hell of a lot more important than an appreciation for shakespeare and the fine arts.

[/quote]

That’s actually a really good point. I summed up my thoughts in my training log:

I went to the beach the other day and I was shocked at how bad shape the people were in there. It got me thinking about how bad this country is fitness wise, and what an odd status that goes along with it. If someone smokes, you can tell them to knock it off. If someone drinks, you can tell them they’re hurting themselves and others. But if you’re killing yourself with food, are obese, and in awful shape, you can’t say anything to that person about it without being considered offensive. It’s baffling. Being out of shape, suffering adult-onset diabetes, and being overweight run in families, and it’s NOT mostly because of genetics. Like second-hand smoke poisoning those around you, children learn their eating and fitness habits from parents and pattern themselves after them. Yet somehow if you talk to someone about getting in better shape you’re the asshole, not the person that’s teaching their children how to kill themselves with food and degrade their quality of life. Our generation is potentially the first in centuries that will have a shorter life-span than the previous. Amazing.

The other part that pisses me off is seemingly every time someone makes a comment about working out, or comments that I’m in good shape it’s backhanded; “Oh I wish I had the kind of time to work out”. I hear variations of that constantly. My blood absolutely boils every time some smug asshole drops that one. There are people at my gym who are surgeons, lawyers, a rabbi even. Most of them work 60+ hours per week, have families, work with or run charities, and they all manage to workout at least three or four days per week. Last year I was working 40-48 hours per week, taking five classes per semester, making sure I slept at least 8 hours per night, hung out with friends 3 or 4 days per week, and I still had the time to make it to the gym 6 or 7 days per week. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to not be doing something to improve their health. Look, there is virtually nothing better you can do. If someone watches garbage television like CSI or American Idol, they have plenty of time to work out. Seriously, you don’t even need 6 days per week for an hour and a half each time. Take a half hour 3 days per week and you could probably be in better shape than you have ever been in your life. Combine that with putting the soda down, cut out anything with corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup in it, stop eating out as much, and eliminate garbage breakfast cereals, and that’d solve 50% of the problem right there.

There’s also the fact that I sure as hell don’t want to be paying for someone’s diabetes medication when you can’t work by 50 and have to go on government aid. I’m worried that as this country devolves into slovenliness that it’s going to be harder and harder for my children and friends that actually give a damn to find decent food to eat. I’m worried that living a healthy lifestyle is going to be frowned on, or even impossible in the future as our national obesity rate continue its’ inevitable march towards 50%, and the trillions of dollars that are going to have to go to healthcare for caring for these slobs.

So please, stop making excuses, acting entitled, and bitching about your weight/blood pressure/self-inflicted diabetes and either go die in a corner silently somewhere, or DO SOMETHING to help yourself.

[debraD]

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
There’s also the fact that I sure as hell don’t want to be paying for someone’s diabetes medication when you can’t work by 50 and have to go on government aid. I’m worried that as this country devolves into slovenliness that it’s going to be harder and harder for my children and friends that actually give a damn to find decent food to eat. I’m worried that living a healthy lifestyle is going to be frowned on, or even impossible in the future as our national obesity rate continue its’ inevitable march towards 50%, and the trillions of dollars that are going to have to go to healthcare for caring for these slobs.

So please, stop making excuses, acting entitled, and bitching about your weight/blood pressure/self-inflicted diabetes and either go die in a corner silently somewhere, or DO SOMETHING to help yourself. [/quote]

I was thinking about this and I think this way of thinking might be part of the problem. I hear a lot of Americans saying much the same thing as you in the quoted portion as well as the observations about obesity and lack of exercise and poor diet.

But I don’t see the same problems here. I see bad diets, for sure and a few people who claim they try anything but can’t lose weight but are clearly not doing everything, but aren’t obese either.

I live in a small city population < 75k and when I go for a jog in the morning to the park I see a handful of other runners and and handful of people out walking on the trail, a couple of days a week there is a ‘boot camp’ at the arena near the park where people are running up and down the stairs and this is all before 6:30 am.

I walk to work and I see people walking and cycling everywhere. Cycling and mountain biking are very popular. When I get to work, there are always a bunch of people in the changeroom who just worked out, just ran or just rode their bike to work.

At lunch when I go for a run or a walk, there are dozens of people out walking cycling running and some paddling in the river now that things are thawing. And after work I see 3-4 groups or 6-8 women joggers going on runs.

We have paved trails everywhere. There are constantly new construction projects adding lanes to allow for better/safer pedestrian and cyclists access to major routes. The running/walking cycling trails have decorative mile markers and water fountains and periodically maps of the networks of available trails.

We have a lot of public facilities with several outdoor tracks, indoor tracks, pools, exercise equipment, hockey teams, track & field teams, etc. We’ve produced some pro athletes from these facilities. (Too bad we’ve no Olympic lifting coaches!!) Also, dozens of tennis courts and some that get covered in the winter, many baseball diamonds and soccer fields and we host a lot of tournaments, meets and competitions with all of the available facilities. There are 5k,10k and half marathon races here regularly.

ALL of this is publicly funded and none of it would be possible without a lot of tax dollars. (also funded by some homegrown charity, but not enough to pay for the amount of facilities we have)

I think the idea that you can just demand that people be better and don’t get fat and unhealthy without impinging on others is nice but unrealistic. Well fed people are naturally going to be fat, lazy and lack motivation to exercise. It’s not going to happen without an investment into athletics and facilities and promotion of a culture that encourages activity.

[Bellmar]

don’t believe it Deb.

pics or it didn’t happen

[debraD]

[quote]Bellmar wrote:
don’t believe it Deb.

pics or it didn’t happen[/quote]

Pics of what? My tax bill? It’s not pretty…

[Bellmar]

Sorry Deb

Well, at least you wont have to pay to keep fat people alive in 10-20 years.

I fear for my future.

EDIT:

Hell, I fear for my nation’s future.

[AccipiterQ]

[quote]debraD wrote:

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
There’s also the fact that I sure as hell don’t want to be paying for someone’s diabetes medication when you can’t work by 50 and have to go on government aid. I’m worried that as this country devolves into slovenliness that it’s going to be harder and harder for my children and friends that actually give a damn to find decent food to eat. I’m worried that living a healthy lifestyle is going to be frowned on, or even impossible in the future as our national obesity rate continue its’ inevitable march towards 50%, and the trillions of dollars that are going to have to go to healthcare for caring for these slobs.

So please, stop making excuses, acting entitled, and bitching about your weight/blood pressure/self-inflicted diabetes and either go die in a corner silently somewhere, or DO SOMETHING to help yourself. [/quote]

I was thinking about this and I think this way of thinking might be part of the problem. I hear a lot of Americans saying much the same thing as you in the quoted portion as well as the observations about obesity and lack of exercise and poor diet.

But I don’t see the same problems here. I see bad diets, for sure and a few people who claim they try anything but can’t lose weight but are clearly not doing everything, but aren’t obese either.

I live in a small city population < 75k and when I go for a jog in the morning to the park I see a handful of other runners and and handful of people out walking on the trail, a couple of days a week there is a ‘boot camp’ at the arena near the park where people are running up and down the stairs and this is all before 6:30 am.

I walk to work and I see people walking and cycling everywhere. Cycling and mountain biking are very popular. When I get to work, there are always a bunch of people in the changeroom who just worked out, just ran or just rode their bike to work.

At lunch when I go for a run or a walk, there are dozens of people out walking cycling running and some paddling in the river now that things are thawing. And after work I see 3-4 groups or 6-8 women joggers going on runs.

We have paved trails everywhere. There are constantly new construction projects adding lanes to allow for better/safer pedestrian and cyclists access to major routes. The running/walking cycling trails have decorative mile markers and water fountains and periodically maps of the networks of available trails.

We have a lot of public facilities with several outdoor tracks, indoor tracks, pools, exercise equipment, hockey teams, track & field teams, etc. We’ve produced some pro athletes from these facilities. (Too bad we’ve no Olympic lifting coaches!!) Also, dozens of tennis courts and some that get covered in the winter, many baseball diamonds and soccer fields and we host a lot of tournaments, meets and competitions with all of the available facilities. There are 5k,10k and half marathon races here regularly.

ALL of this is publicly funded and none of it would be possible without a lot of tax dollars. (also funded by some homegrown charity, but not enough to pay for the amount of facilities we have)

I think the idea that you can just demand that people be better and don’t get fat and unhealthy without impinging on others is nice but unrealistic. Well fed people are naturally going to be fat, lazy and lack motivation to exercise. It’s not going to happen without an investment into athletics and facilities and promotion of a culture that encourages activity.
[/quote]

I’m not saying there shouldn’t be taxes, I don’t like the trillion dollar tax bill that people’s self-induced piss-poor diet and sedentary lifestyle brings. I agree with the bulk of your post that opportunities like these are necessary for many people to get/stay in shape, and that is 100% fine. But I feel that down here in America there ARE tons of opportunities like that. Even if you live out in the boondocks…well you’ve got 1000s of acres to go hiking through then. Cities have gyms, ball courts, tennis courts. Boston has bike lanes down every major street now and over 1000 miles of trails through our parks.

My post wasn’t so much aimed at criticizing the people that try to get in shape but have difficulty finding good info or figuring things out. It’s more about the culture of acceptance towards disgusting lifestyles, and moreover the attitude of those that are in awful shape that there is something to be proud of in it, and the way our culture actually reinforces this view and behavior.

[debraD]

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:

My post wasn’t so much aimed at criticizing the people that try to get in shape but have difficulty finding good info or figuring things out. It’s more about the culture of acceptance towards disgusting lifestyles, and moreover the attitude of those that are in awful shape that there is something to be proud of in it, and the way our culture actually reinforces this view and behavior. [/quote]

But the thing is you won’t influence the culture without injecting funds into the local governments to build facilities and encourage an active lifestyle. How else are you going to change the culture? Being disgusted and angered by obesity is not working, it’s only driving hoards of fat people into support groups and creating sub cultures of fat acceptance, while more being get fat. Fitness and active lifestyles are contagious.

If you had a problem with literacy you could start a campaign to encourage people to shame and mock the illiterate (admittedly, this might prove entertaining), or you could start funding literacy programs…which would you choose?

[PonceDeLeon]

Unless the majority of FL’s population is in the pan handle, I don’t buy that it’s not one of the leaner states.

People–more guys than girls, in my estimation–are fairly “fit” on average in the area where West and I live.

Actually, I’m pretty sure San Jose was rated in top 15 fittest cities. Likely due to the horrendous guy:girl ratio…Man Jose.

[PonceDeLeon]

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
What I find funny is that many of the same people in this thread who are lamenting the increase in fatties in this country are also in Squat Rack Curls, volumes 1-5, making fun of every single stupid thing they see in the gym. I think it’s beyond facetious to get on here and participate in a thread that almost solely consists of making fun of people who don’t know how to properly work out, without offering advice or doing anything to help those people, and then get on this thread and start bitching and whining about how many fat people there are.

If you care about how many fat people there are to the point where you feel the need to start a thread about what a travesty this is and how disgusting it is and how it didn’t used to be like this and blah, blah, blah, then what the fuck are you doing to help alleviate this epidemic, aside from ridiculing fat people’s appearances and ridiculing the warped, ineffective workout regimens of the fat masses you see in the gym?[/quote]

Nevermind the constant poking fun at the Crossfit “fad.” Shit, at least that’s getting people off their asses and WANTING to work out and compete against each other…

[PonceDeLeon]

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:

[quote]Edevus wrote:

If it was in my hand (like, politician) :
-I’d tax soda and junk food like McDonald’s and company.
-In the physical activity subject in school I’d add nutrition, so children learn more about it and maybe grow interested.

[/quote]

I’d ban it. It’s a drain on our economy when you consider the costs of diabetes, heart disease, etc. You want to cook that shit at home? Fine. But you won’t be going to the drive-thru to get it under my law. And yes, I do feel people need to be protected from themselves so whoever is about to give me the patriarchal-political lecture, save it :)[/quote]

I also believe people need to be protected “from themselves.” I hate that phrasing, by the way.

Why not tax companies that produce soda and junk food proportionate to their estimated contributions to the rise in obesity and diabetes (their impact on health care, I mean) and then also tax the consumer several times more for unhealthy items than healthy ones?

I think the obvious challenge would be setting up a non-corrupt entity to deem what foods are “healthy” and what foods are junk.

I mean, I recall the side of a Snapple label claiming the juice was ALL NATURAL but then reading fine print that said, “Yes, consumer, the FIVE PERCENT JUICE is what’s ALL NATURAL…SUCKER!”

Fucking big business. Stretching every definition as thin as possible.

[PonceDeLeon]

I love when people come up with very clear and honest reasons why they think they eat the way they do:

“I eat more when I’m stressed…”

“I don’t cook my meals and therefore end up grazing throughout the day…”

“I eat out all the time with coworkers…”

Wonderufl! Now that you KNOW the answer, why aren’t you doing anything about it?

[PonceDeLeon]

[quote]DBCooper wrote:

So she was skinny, eh? So in other words, she was hopelessly hooked on Turkish heroin?[/quote]

Come on, at least you KNOW she had discerning tastes.

[Edevus]

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
I love when people come up with very clear and honest reasons why they think they eat the way they do:

“I eat more when I’m stressed…”

“I don’t cook my meals and therefore end up grazing throughout the day…”

“I eat out all the time with coworkers…”

Wonderufl! Now that you KNOW the answer, why aren’t you doing anything about it?[/quote]

It takes effort.

One of my friends visited me last year. He was already overweight, but last time I saw him I wondered how in the world the plane could handle his weight. He was fat, just too fat, so we agreed that I’d help him to get in shape, so he had to write me a mail with the food he was eating. The mail never arrived.

Few months ago we decided to try again (I agreed with his girlfriend that I’d help), so we exchanged few mails and I sent him a long mail with what to expect, what it could involve, etc. all with a very positive and inspiring attitude, trying to get him ready for it.

He never replied.

So yeah…

[Nards]

I can understand why some hugely overweight people are daunted by the task ahead of them.

Imagine when you have a bad hair day ( I keep mine short and consider myself lucky to still have hair!) but anyway, you get up, get on the train and notice your hair is sticking up all funny.

So you try and fix it immediately and count yourself lucky you fixed your hair before anyone at work saw you.

Well, many of us may have had that “Oh shit!” moment as another poster called it, when you get the picture from the company picnic or Christmas party etc. and you see that you look like a fat thumb with your face on it. But we know that this cannot be fixed in one morning…the worse you are, the more time you will need…with every day being one filled with exercise and attention to your food intake.

I’m just saying that I can sympathize with the people that have that enormous task ahead of them.Just saying “Do it!” is of course correct, but hard.

Same thing as telling a smoker to just stop now.

[AccipiterQ]

[quote]debraD wrote:

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:

My post wasn’t so much aimed at criticizing the people that try to get in shape but have difficulty finding good info or figuring things out. It’s more about the culture of acceptance towards disgusting lifestyles, and moreover the attitude of those that are in awful shape that there is something to be proud of in it, and the way our culture actually reinforces this view and behavior. [/quote]

But the thing is you won’t influence the culture without injecting funds into the local governments to build facilities and encourage an active lifestyle. How else are you going to change the culture? Being disgusted and angered by obesity is not working, it’s only driving hoards of fat people into support groups and creating sub cultures of fat acceptance, while more being get fat. Fitness and active lifestyles are contagious.

If you had a problem with literacy you could start a campaign to encourage people to shame and mock the illiterate (admittedly, this might prove entertaining), or you could start funding literacy programs…which would you choose? [/quote]

We have those programs already though is what I’m saying. We are blanketed with gyms, health clubs, crossfit facilities, yoga studios, walking trails, parks, pools, woods, mountains. People just don’t take advantage of them, maybe there should be more funding towards awareness that these opportunities exist…

[Stronghold]

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:

[quote]Edevus wrote:

If it was in my hand (like, politician) :
-I’d tax soda and junk food like McDonald’s and company.
-In the physical activity subject in school I’d add nutrition, so children learn more about it and maybe grow interested.

[/quote]

I’d ban it. It’s a drain on our economy when you consider the costs of diabetes, heart disease, etc. You want to cook that shit at home? Fine. But you won’t be going to the drive-thru to get it under my law. And yes, I do feel people need to be protected from themselves so whoever is about to give me the patriarchal-political lecture, save it :)[/quote]

I also believe people need to be protected “from themselves.” I hate that phrasing, by the way.

Why not tax companies that produce soda and junk food proportionate to their estimated contributions to the rise in obesity and diabetes (their impact on health care, I mean) and then also tax the consumer several times more for unhealthy items than healthy ones?

I think the obvious challenge would be setting up a non-corrupt entity to deem what foods are “healthy” and what foods are junk.

I mean, I recall the side of a Snapple label claiming the juice was ALL NATURAL but then reading fine print that said, “Yes, consumer, the FIVE PERCENT JUICE is what’s ALL NATURAL…SUCKER!”

Fucking big business. Stretching every definition as thin as possible.[/quote]

How about instead, implement the fairtax (consumption tax- 27% sales tax) and then making produce and meat exempt. I guaran-fucking-tee that a lot of fatties would be far more likely to drink water than to reach for the 3L of berry blast Faygo as often if it cost more. Making produce and meat consumption tax exempt could also take the place of some of the ridiculous farm subsidies needed to keep American agriculture competitive.

[brnforce]

[quote]Stronghold wrote:

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:

[quote]Edevus wrote:

If it was in my hand (like, politician) :
-I’d tax soda and junk food like McDonald’s and company.
-In the physical activity subject in school I’d add nutrition, so children learn more about it and maybe grow interested.

[/quote]

I’d ban it. It’s a drain on our economy when you consider the costs of diabetes, heart disease, etc. You want to cook that shit at home? Fine. But you won’t be going to the drive-thru to get it under my law. And yes, I do feel people need to be protected from themselves so whoever is about to give me the patriarchal-political lecture, save it :)[/quote]

I also believe people need to be protected “from themselves.” I hate that phrasing, by the way.

Why not tax companies that produce soda and junk food proportionate to their estimated contributions to the rise in obesity and diabetes (their impact on health care, I mean) and then also tax the consumer several times more for unhealthy items than healthy ones?

I think the obvious challenge would be setting up a non-corrupt entity to deem what foods are “healthy” and what foods are junk.

I mean, I recall the side of a Snapple label claiming the juice was ALL NATURAL but then reading fine print that said, “Yes, consumer, the FIVE PERCENT JUICE is what’s ALL NATURAL…SUCKER!”

Fucking big business. Stretching every definition as thin as possible.[/quote]

How about instead, implement the fairtax (consumption tax- 27% sales tax) and then making produce and meat exempt. I guaran-fucking-tee that a lot of fatties would be far more likely to drink water than to reach for the 3L of berry blast Faygo as often if it cost more. Making produce and meat consumption tax exempt could also take the place of some of the ridiculous farm subsidies needed to keep American agriculture competitive.[/quote]

I never thought about a tax exemption for those. Nice! Our farmers could charge a lil extra and still be competitive. I approve, not that that means much.