Why are people outside the city so damn fat??!

Off Topic
1

I’ve noticed this quite a bit over the years, and friends of mine have brought it up unpromted as well. I live in NYC (I have for the past 7 years – grew up in upstate New York). It becomes painfully obvious that, upon leaving the City, whether it be to upstate NY, CT, NJ, anywhere in Middle America, or suburbia in general, that you see a LOT more VERY obese people walking around. BIIIIG ones! You just don’t SEE people like that in Manhattan (or if you do, they’re almost always tourists, as is obvious from their white sneakers, bright colored clothing and fanny packs). Why the hell is this?

My 2 theories are that (1.) NYC is a very hip, fashion-conscious place; if you’re a real lardass here, you just ain’t going to be able to compete – socially, career-wise or otherwise. Most people make decent money, dress well, keep themselves in at least fairly respectable shape, etc. (2.) People in NYC have to walk a lot by nature. Most people don’t have cars, so they rely on public transportation, which still requires a good deal of walking (from the train to your office, from the bus to your home, etc.), whereas people in the 'burbs just drive from door-to-door.

My mother has a third theory, which is that people in suburban and rural areas are more poor on average, so what little comfort they have in life, even though they have very little money, is to go apeshit and pig out at Dunkin Donuts, Mickey D’s, on bags of Fritos, Twinkies, etc. Maybe she’s right. Thoughts, anyone?

2

About the poor tangent, it could be realistic. Not just on a soothing level, but on a cost-per-pound level too. Pasta, rice and carbs are far cheaper by the pound that high protein meals. Factor in a limited budget and it`s not long you have poor people loading up on Kraft Dinner, spaghetti, bread, cereals and any variation of cookies. Makes sense.

As for the big earners, well, liposuction is an option Joe Schmoe usually will not have or finance. Values must surely be different too. As for fat people at the top of the ladder, either they get there because of exceptional talent or become fat once they are secure, IMHO.

Any studies on the phenomenon out there?

3

I think the exercise is a big part of it.

Secondly it would have to be the lifestyle, but a far second.

All that walking is sure to keep people trimmer. Can someone exist in someplace like NYC without walking more than 50 feet per day? I mean it seriously. People can in some burbs. I’ve had some co workers that were so fat they had to buy certain cars, and they walked house to car, parking lot to job, and back again… That was it.

It just is horrible when you see people in an office building that take the fricken elevator to go up 1 flight because they would almost pass out if they walked it.

4

I think it’s cultural and nothing is more cultural than food. Out in the country in the old days farmers did more work harnessing their teams to go work the fields than most farmers do today all day. They ate a lot to fuel the manual effort.

Farming got easier, people moved off of the farm, but those huge high calorie meals were what they were used to. Kids grew up learning mom’s recipes and so the eating habits remain relatively unchanged while effort level dropped to nothing.

Toss in premade or whip it up from the box food to save time, drinking lots of high calorie soda, lattes, etc. and it’s easy to understand.

5

SteelyEyes, that’s an interesting historical illustration that I never thought about. I guess that applies to people in true rural/farming areas, though, not the modern 'burbs, although I’m sure some of the eating habits of modern suburbanites can be traced back to the old farming culture.

DanC, it’s interesting that you brought up the cost issue, as my Dad brought up the very same issue. Kraft Macaroni ‘n’ Cheese (minus the fixins’) is something like 79 cents per box! And a pound of spaghetti ain’t much more than that.

Antiliberal, no – there’s no way in hell anyone could live here and walk less 50 feet per day. You leave your apartment to walk to the train station (usually a few blocks, sometimes many blocks) or bus stop (same thing), get out of the train or bus and usually walk a few more blocks to your office. Going to the gym? You usually walk several blocks. Going to the grocery story? 5-minute walk to, and 5-minute walk fro. Going out of the office at midday to get lunch? You’re walking. You don’t notice it as much until you’re rally immersed in it, but people outside of this city really do drive EVERYWHERE – I mean door-to-frickin’-door! (God bless 'em! I wish I had a car; I miss driving)! Oh well.

Nevertheless, though, you would think (or at least those of us who read T-mag would think) that, even if you live in a car-centric area, you’d go to a gym, watch what you eat (at least a little), etc., so that you wouldn’t become morbidly obese. I wouldn’t WANT to be morbidly obese! Just IMAGINE how different your life (social life, everyday habits, etc.) would be if you were a 300 lb. lardass! These people just seem not to care (although I’m certainly no psychologist). I lived in the 'burbs in high school and in college, mostly drove to get around, but stayed in great shape because I CARED (watched what I ate, worked out, etc.). Even if someone is not into working out, I can’t see how they can let themselves go to SUCH an extreme. I mean, I’ve always thought that, SOMEWHERE between 200 lbs and 300 lbs, a person has got to notice, “Hey, something’s going a little wrong here. Maybe I ought to chill with this whole face stuffing thing a bit.” The sheer LEVEL of obesity of some people (MANY outside the City) is just mind-boggling. And there are LOTS of them like that. Take a trip to any WalMart and look around! Oh well. I know I’m rambling, but I just can’t understand it for the life of me.

6

Weird. Canadian farm boys and girls are normally the ones in shape, while the city folk (unless gym folk) are the skinny or obese. Least in my experience.

True, you see a lot more built people in a city, probably because of the availability of gyms (try finding one in a small town), but that’s about it.

7

two words…educational level.

8

I agree. I moved to NYC in July. The women in Manhattan are incredible. This place has to have the highest density of great looking women per square mile I have ever seen. It’s odd to see a really have chick. Most are fit and stylish. The best part is they are almost always up for getting out. The nighlife is great every night of the week.

9

demographics.

I live in CT and frequent NYC. There are just as many fatties in the city as out of the city.

however, you tend to see MORE hot/skinny/young people in NYC for sure, but it’s just an illusion.

fatties are everywhere.

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SeanC,

Sorry, but no way man. Just NO frigging way!!! Gotta’ disagree with you here. Now there might be some parts of CT that are a bit more cosmopolitan, well-to-do or whatever the reason may be, causing them to not be a haven for fat people, but I would almost lump those areas in with “the City.” On the whole, though, go to any suburban area (excluding, say, the really wealthier parts of CT, like Greenwich, New Canaan, etc.) and you see FAT people! I’m telling you, I’ve been living in NYC for seven years, and it’s not just that there are more skinny people, but really FAT people make up a much, MUCH smaller percentage of the populace. Others have pointed it out to me unprompted! (Then again, maybe I’m just losing my mind). Oh well. Take care.

11

I can’t say anything about NYC, having only been there once, but I can talk about LA. I live in a suburb in Orange County, south of LA, and there are many more fat and stupid people in LA than in the suburbs. While there’s still fat people in the suburbs, we get a lot more exercise than innercity people. Lots of surfers, bicyclists, joggers, etc. In the city all people can really do is watch tv, graffiti walls, and eat at a fast-food place.

And the educational level of inner cities are higher than suburbs? Haha, that one’s pretty funny. You’ve obviously never been to east LA.

12

hrmmm, maybe there is something.

whether CT is considered cosmopiltan or not is irrelevat, and the populous is far from poor. CT has had one of the highest per capita incomes since 1986, being either 1st or 2nd practically every year(the other is NJ btw), with the average income being over 40 grand a year. Of course, we get raped on taxes(income and sales), but that’s another story.

My theory for your observation is that, lots of young success driven types go to NY to try and make it big(cause, just like the song says, if you can make it there you can make it anywhere).

These types are usually prettier it seems.

Who knows though. I think my theory for why all the hot chicks stems from my reason above. Plus it is just plain numbers. There are an assload of people on the island, 1.5 million people LIVE there, according to the stats i’m looking at, there 66,000 people per square mile.

At least that many people commute in everyday, probably more.

13

I think it’s more of an economic thing. I think there’d be a higher correlation to one’s income than their location, as income would typically determine location.

I would assume most in NY fall in two classes. The first is the class that can’t afford to get out of the city. The second would be those that live in the city because that’s where there job is - a job that pays enough for them to experience the city well. I would venture that those in the first class would be significantly more obese on average than those in the second.

14

So I guess we’re all (I think) in agreement that it’s a combination of the fact that the City has a lot of success-driven people who are either wealthy or trying hard to get that way, and in order to succeed in that environment, you really can’t be a totally unattractive lardass. You’ve got to look at least halfway decent, dress well, interact well with others, etc. Plus, once they BECOME wealthy, they can afford to go to gyms, eat well (healthy food that’s actually GOOD – sushi anyone?), and are likely to be more educated than the poorer folk. Does that pretty much sum it up?

(PS: No, I’ve never been to any part of LA, so I guess I can’t speak for LA. NY is just a weird, unique microcosm of its own, I guess).

15

I live here in Kansas and there are a lot of fat bastards. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that there is nothing to do.

Take the city I work in. Topeka, Kansas. There isn’t jack to do in Topeka and I probably see more fat people here than anywhere. Not only that the gyms really suck. I’ve managed to find one that has what I need, but it still isn’t all that great. No 24 hour gyms! What the hell kind of town doesn’t have a 24 hour gym!

Economics might have something to do with it for some people. I’m usually broke off my ass but I still manage to get plenty of good food in and workout all the time.

16

Have you been to LA?

17

I’m not buying the economics reason(lots of cheap starch in the diet, etc…) for us poor hicks not living in NYC.

Quite the contrary, being American’s, incredibly calorie dense food is readily available.

The problem isn’t bread and pasta, it’s the bread, pasta, AND meatballs,sausage ,ribs etc…that go along with it. That make an otherwise 300-400 calorie meal suddenly become a 1300-1500 calorie gorge fest.

A buddy of mine and I were discussing this just the other day, but relative to other countries. He’s been all over the world and his observation was that American live stock eat better than MOST people in the rest of the world.

18

SeanC,

Do you think it’s the fashion-conscious/hipness/upward mobility thing, then?

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(By the way, I wasn’t trying to imply that people outside NYC are all fat, uneducated hicks or anything. I was just making an observation on the percentage of grossly obese people in the non-NYC population versus the NYC population).

20

Just some stuff to think about:

Economics of Obesity