Mississippi for the win?

[Mark Latimour]

Originally Posted by Wall Street Journal

One in Four Americans is Obese
Posted by Jacob Goldstein
The obesity rate in the U.S. went up again. While this may fall solidly into the dog-bites-man category of unsurprising news, the latest figure — 25.6% — puts us across a threshold: For the first time, according to an ongoing federal survey, more than one in four Americans is obese.

The data, published yesterday by the CDC, come from the 2007 results of a long-running national telephone survey (described here). The estimate is probably low, because people tend to overestimate their height and underestimate their weight, the CDC said.

Earlier versions of the same survey show how fast the obesity rate has risen in this country. In 2005, the rate was 23.9%, up from 19.8% in 2000 and 15.3% in 1995. So in a little over a decade, we’ve gone from an obesity rate of fewer than one in six people, to more than one in four.

What’s next for America? A few states — Alabama (30.3%), Mississippi (32.0%), and Tennessee (30.1%) — are pushing at the next frontier: One in three.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/07/...cans-is-obese/

Well, according to another study, Australia has overtaken the US with an average obesity of 26% (just over 1 in 4), but however you look at it, these are disturbing trends.

Here is a link to the CDC data: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obes...maps/index.htm

What can be done about this? Are you taking steps to avoid the problem for yourself? I try and exercise everyday and eat as healthy as I can, but I find it difficult to pull back from teh bad habits I gained during my early 20s.

[ROON]

I don't necessarily have a healthy lifestyle, but it is a lot more healthy than it once was. I used to eat snacks and even meals when I wasn't hungry. Used to eat LOADS of junk like chips, pies, burgers, sausage rolls. None of that now. I think by age 17 I realised how disgusting it all was.

If I'm having food when on the run, I'll walk a few extra blocks to find a Subway and have one of the "less than 6 grams of fat" subs, instead of stopping at the nearest McDonalds or KFC. I very rarely eat snacks anymore, maybe just a muesli bar to give me some energy until lunch time.

Don't really bother with excersize, I walk for about 40 minutes a day, max.

[FL Knifemaker]

As long as having a big fat booty is in style, like a permenantly attached fashion accessory, driven by the pop culture, these stats will only continue to rise.

[Mark Latimour]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

As long as having a big fat booty is in style, like a permenantly attached fashion accessory, driven by the pop culture, these stats will only continue to rise.

Is it in style though? I don't think I have ever seen the image of being obese as being "cool" or "hip", even by pop culture. You certainly don't need to be obese to have that certain, how do they say, "junk trunk", that is hip in some circles!

Am I missing something?

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Mark Latimour

Is it in style though? I don't think I have ever seen the image of being obese as being "cool" or "hip", even by pop culture. You certainly don't need to be obese to have that certain, how do they say, "junk trunk", that is hip in some circles!

Am I missing something?

Well.........2 things.

Consider what obese is. I'm 6'2' 275lbs large frame, big boned, and I'm considered obese.

I go by what I see on MTV to draw my conclusion. It seems that the booty is all that matters, obese or skinny. Some pretty DAMN obese women are considered beautiful if the they have a huge booty to balance it out In earlier days women would work hard to keep in shape, now they just fall back on the "big booty fashion". Queen Latifah was like the booty queen for years. She has spoken about this very subject on the talk shows. Now she's on a major weight loss program with the Jenny Craig program. I'll bet she looks DAMN good 75lbs lighter!!

Before you demand facts ............


http://www.people.com/people/article...167076,00.html

[Relic]

The solution is easy - teach your kids to eat right, limit TV time, limit the video games, teach them that there is a world outside that does not necessarily revolve around them, and drill that into them so they can pass that on to their kids. Eventually it will rectify itself.

This whole obesity issue is a symptom not THE problem. IMO of course.