Astonishing fact: 70% of Americans are either overweight or obese

[Doc Holliday]

I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw this statistic! Will poor eating habits become the #1 killer of Americans?

How 'healthy' foods are killing you

 

[iSpartacus]

Americans are fat. No denial. They are everywhere. In Montreal I hardly ever see someone like that. But eating twice as much sugar as Americans? Just a bit rigged wasn't it.

 

[tiannas]

Is it just me or do Americans seem to be more overweight than Canadians? When I lived in Vancouver I was blown away by the obesity in the Pacific NW of the USA. I haven't seen statistics, it's just my perception, but if it's true, why would that be?

 

[Thor Jr]

Man, ok yes, to the south of Canada there is a percentage of overweight people, but remember with this percentage, from 330 million in the U.S. to 34 million in Canada, that percentage is a little different. And lets not forget that if you were to throw a tennis ball in any direction here in Montreal, you would hit a hot dog and poutine stand, i have never seen so many stands in my life....:lol: Its a heart attack waiting to happen all these poutines...:faint: I was on my way to DQ:wave: last night and with every stop or red light i stopped at, there it is a pataterie......hot dogs,hamburgers, and poutine oh my.


Thor Jr

 

[wolfie7]

The US is a large country. Yes, there are definitely large swaths of the country where obesity over-indexes. If you separate out both coasts, specifically the Northeast and the West Coast, though, I bet the average weight is less than the Midwest and the South. Cities like Boston and New York, a lot of residents walk, rather than drive everywhere, in contrast to Texas, for example. It helps. And Cali has all the vegan health nuts. Come on now, we want to be the top in all categories! :lol: Good and bad...

There are some large people in Montreal, too. Poutine is not a slimming food!

Anyways, 70% is astonishing. The metric is, to a degree, a reflection of work-life balance. Or lack thereof in the US. Americans take the least vacation days, and, have among the longest work weeks in the world. The stress of keeping up with the Joneses and to continually move ahead professionally has knocked American work-life balance completely off kilter, versus Europe, for example. I think Canadians are slightly better at it, but still, with your proximity, the bad habits are rubbing off. 40-50 hours a week in the office, and another 10-15 hours working from home, sitting in a chair slouched over a laptop is not conducive to a healthy, fit body. An unfortunate reality.

Oh, and it doesn't help we have some of the best and most sophisticated food marketing in the world...

 

[Doc Holliday]

A good friend from California would always go shopping for clothes whenever he'd come to Mtl. One day i asked him why....don't they have any clothes in California? He replied that American sizes are different from Canadian sizes. I found this odd, since i had never heard of this. He went on to say that Americans are generally fatter and bigger than Canadians, so that's why there's now a difference in clothing sizes. He explained that a large size in Canada is smaller than large size in the States, and so on. He also mentionned that the clothing is cut/shaped differently. There is more room in the midsection area, and in the buttocks for the pants.

He was one of the brightest persons i've ever met, so he was probably correct.

 

[wolfie7]

And European and Asian sizes are even smaller and more fitted.

Here's the reverse funny - women who come back to the US from Hong Kong / Shanghai / Singapore are often ecstatic to finally be size 'S' again, where they were Large in Asia. One friend spent her first day back stateside, refreshing her entire everyday wardrobe, and burned all the size L's she had been forced to buy in Asia. A cathartic experience she said. :lol: :lol:

 

[Philip J. Fry]

70% sound high, if you measure people with the perfect bodies then few would not be obese.

 

[zmontreal]

The U.S.'s obesity problem is an economic issue, plain and simple. Anyone who's been to the U.S. will notice two things - junk food is much cheaper than healthy food, and you have a lot of people living below the poverty line.

 

[wolfie7]

Not 70% though. Yes, junk food is cheaper, to a degree. But as long as you stay away from Whole Foods and other yuppy organic stores, healthier is not always more expensive. People are just lazy to prepare and cook healthy alternatives. Rather than pay $5 of whatever it is for McDonald's, you can make a great salad and spend just $2-3 per meal when you average it out. When I'm at home for a week, my vegetable and fruit spend for one is $5-10 at the local farmer's market. That's super cheap.

Also, a lot of people who are well off just make bad choices. More than anything, it's bad choices.

 

[Thor Jr]

The U.S.'s obesity problem is an economic issue, plain and simple. Anyone who's been to the U.S. will notice two things - junk food is much cheaper than healthy food, and you have a lot of people living below the poverty line.

By junk food, do you mean fast food? Cause i see junk food as chips, chocolate,(sorry ladies) cake,(again sorry) brownies,(my brownies are special) and things like this, but mcdonalds and burger king is fast food, just like places like chez gerard, patate rouge and la belle province is quebec fast food....

Thor Jr

 

[zmontreal]

By junk food, do you mean fast food? Cause i see junk food as chips, chocolate,(sorry ladies) cake,(again sorry) brownies,(my brownies are special) and things like this, but mcdonalds and burger king is fast food, just like places like chez gerard, patate rouge and la belle province is quebec fast food....

Thor Jr

I tend to lump them both in the same category, though in this case I mean junk food without including fast food (there are plenty of studies that show fast food costs more per meal than healthy food).

And wolfie, I agree with you for the most part but I think it's important to consider that most families living in poverty have both parents working around the clock so that by the time their shifts end they don't have the time or energy to cook a proper meal for their kids. I also like the point someone made earlier in the thread about how people in the U.S. work longer hours than the typical Canadian. When I was younger my parents would often work 7am-11pm and we ordered take out most nights. I think the only reason I didn't become overweight is because I was lucky enough to have a very fast metabolism. But I can certainly sympathize with those who are not so lucky.

 

[themonk83]

I think the only reason I didn't become overweight is because I was lucky enough to have a very fast metabolism. But I can certainly sympathize with those who are not so lucky.

like you, i have a fast metabolism too but we all know that just because one is slim doesn't necessarily mean they are healthy

anyway, yes, the US size problem is closely tied to economics and lack of time.

and for anyone who enjoys shopping or just like fashion, the sizing is getting bigger in canada. for comparison, say an XS is more of a S today (even if labeled as XS) than it was 10 years ago. of course, depending on the brand

 

[wolfie7]

I also like the point someone made earlier in the thread about how people in the U.S. work longer hours than the typical Canadian. When I was younger my parents would often work 7am-11pm and we ordered take out most nights.

It was also me that made that point. :lol: I like this thread. Thank you for not slaughtering my comments. :lol:

I do feel bad for kids that grow up in families that just don't know any better. Similar to growing up around smokers, some kids just never get the chance to learn there is choice. And that is unfortunate.

My issue is more with middle-class families and richer, who actually do know better and have choice, and still choose poorly. And there are a lot... For those families, when they complain about not having time to cook a proper meal... I go back to prioritizing, and will, and discipline. Just like with exercise, if you deem it important enough, you will MAKE the time.

 

[Roadtripr]

70% is not surprising at all. I'm actually not surprised it's not higher.

Have you been to the USA ppl Mecca's that draw ppl from a cross section of US population? What am I talking about? Disney World in FL (family destination) and Las Vegas NV (Disney World for adults). If you visit these hot spots and see the people from all walks of life across the Us and you'll see lots of Large ppl in these places. It's easy to comprehend the 70% figure.

Sure. It's much cheaper and easier to eat unhealthy and they make it taste So Good. In addition to the issue being nutrition the other side is the lack of exercise There is a direct relationship between the lower percentages of overweight ppl by state and the areas of the US that are considered more health conscience. This is partly due to way of life.

Typically the highest percentage of over weight is in the Southeast US (Mississippi, Alabamai, Louisiana). Why? Diet. Traditionally SE states lots fried (gotta luv fried chicken) and fatty foods plus it's damn hot temperature-wise a good portion of the yr. Lower percentage in "outdoorsy, health conscious" states like CA or Colorado.

 

[Thor Jr]

I bet 200 years from now there will be a way to remove 50% of your body weight via surgery, which will also be low risk. The fatter we get the more money to be made to made.

They have that now, its called DIVORCE..............

Thor Jr

 

[wolfie7]

You do not see as many fat people in LA or Miami because their bodies are on display more often than in other parts of the country.

In Miami and LA, there is this newfangled technology called 'lipo'. :lol: :lol: It's a thriving business down here.

Sure there are some really fit and health-conscious people in both places. But residents of neither metropolis are depriving themselves of Mexican/great steaks/great burger chains (In n' Out, Fatburgers, etc) in LA, and Cuban / great steaks / unbelievable Argentine steaks in Miami. Go for a run at dawn on the beaches, or a hike in Runyon Canyon, and there are not as many people as you might think... There's also a disproportionate number of people in both cities who make a living off their bodies. So not necessarily great examples.

The thing about ROW is walking. In the US and Canada, you drive everywhere. That extra 5-6 miles of walking per day New Yorkers hustle through - that makes a huge difference. In Europe and Asia, the same, people walk or bike to work. They don't load boats of food into their SUVs.

I know for myself, if I average at least 5 miles a day, over the course of a week, I'm good. If I do less, my weight starts slipping and I start feeling like shit.

 

[Element 115]

70% is a high number, plus it lumps in overweight with obese. The 70% stat can only be achievec with the broadest of definitions of overweight and obese.

 

[jalimon]

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cance...ty/body-weight-and-cancer-risk/adult-bmi.html

Fuck I am still on the first rate of overweight... I need to go down to 153 pounds!! I lost 7-8 pound in the last 2 years. Need to loose another 7. Men this is hard!

Element the percentage is actually higher then 70. Look at the chart. Being overweight is easy

 

[Julia Sky]

This is the most stupid thing I’ve read in my whole life. The person behind this fails to realize that two people can be the same height and weight and have two completely different bodies. Muscle weighs more than fat. A 5’7 muscular healthy person can weigh the same as a 5’7 unhealthy overweight person. Weight means nothing it all depends on what that weight is made of.