The possibility of a recession and fat people

[MakiSupaStar]

As some of you may know, I'm a teacher, and I've been pretty vocal about the frequency of obesity in our children. Most American adults are fat too. Since the possibility of a recession and or a depression is very likely, and since we're already seeing the cost of food increase, do you think this will result in a nation of people that are thinner, and in better shape?

[Big Joe]

No.

Fast food and junk food isn't all that cheap... It's just easy and fast.

You can cook a healthy, well balanced meal for less than the cost of a supersized Big Mac meal but that involves going to the store, picking up the ingredients, preparing them and then actually sitting down and eating it somewhere.

[Benjamin Strange]

I guess it depends on how bad it gets. If we fall into a serious depression, all we'll have to eat and drink is peaches and breast milk. And as we all know, peaches and breast milk give you the skiters. Rampant skitters = skinny people.

[René_Julien]

Well, people that are fat because they eat a lot wont likely kick that habit.

I can imagine healthier and the more quality food will become expensive. A lot of cheap food products can be fattening.
A well balanced healthy diet is as expensive as gluttony eating habits.

Just my thoughts.

Unless food supply becomes limited itself, not price, I don't think there will be that much of a difference.

[Grizzly700]

I'm an obese kid and I lost 11 pounds in the past week for no apparent reason. So, yes I think it is causing us to get skinny. Although I did go to a GI specialist today and he thinks I have Crohn's Disease. But, he said that it would explain why I am fat because I don't eat fried foods anyway.

[BartmanPDX]

Originally Posted by Big Joe

No.

I agree with that.

Fast food and junk food isn't all that cheap... It's just easy and fast.

You can cook a healthy, well balanced meal for less than the cost of a supersized Big Mac meal but that involves going to the store, picking up the ingredients, preparing them and then actually sitting down and eating it somewhere.

Gotta disagree here. It's damn near impossible to make food as cheaply as fast food places, and healthy food (vegetables, fish) is much more expensive than cheap unhealthy food (high fructose corn syrup, bulk ground meat, fillers and whatnot). The fact is, the food that is cheapest is often the worst food for you.

I'd say people are more likely to get fat as a result of a recession as they eat cheaper, less healthy food. If you look around, you'll see that the biggest problems with obesity in America are often in the poorer populations.

[cheezewiz]

It will probably make MORE people fat. For example....2 Mickey D's double cheeseburgers, 1 medium fry, 1 small coke....$4.

[jive1]

In the name of science, Kserg and Jady should take a pic of their gut, and a measurement on a biweekly basis during this recessionary period to see if there is any validity to Maki's thesis.

[DudeistMonk]

No Americans are fat because...

We work desk jobs

We are on the road so much/so busy that we will eat whatever is most convenient... which is always a burger and fries.

A super value meal costs less than half of a turkey sandwich and a cup of soup, and there is a McDonalds on every corner, and only 1 Panera bread on the entire highway.

We give our kids milk and juice and soda and not water.

A single can of soda has so much sugar(12 tablespoons) that you would throw up instantly if not for the lactic acid in it.

We can't turn on the TV without seeing a strip of Bacon.

When I was in college a Ceaser salad was priced at 4.50 and a Bacon Cheeseburger with fries and a soda was 3.75

Healthy food with the exception of maybe rice and beans all needs to be fresh, you can freeze the crap out of a whole crap ton of cow and as long as you deep fry it, it will still taste good.

We believe in eating until full, and then having desert.

We have mothers who love it when we eat what they make, and who love to make things full of meat, potatoes and gravy.

Food is the only thing we have to look forward too in our empty commercial existence (besides beer which is also full of calories).

[kesslari]

No.

The simplest observation is that fat rich people are statistically no more common than fat poor people in this country.

[jady]

Originally Posted by jive1

In the name of science, Kserg and Jady should take a pic of their gut, and a measurement on a biweekly basis during this recessionary period to see if there is any validity to Maki's thesis.

Im on it!!!!!

[pointbass]

It's much too easy to eat prepared fast food, and as stated above, in a great many ways it's cheaper, too. Fast food is not healthy food, in general, and I could easily see a situation where the more dire the economic conditions, the more fat-laden diets will become.

About a year ago we made a pretty significant change in our household diets and as we eat healthier, less processed, fresher food, the higher our food bills are. It would be MUCH cheaper if we ate fast food .... people really hurting for money will eat the cheapest crap they can find. And ironically, the less money people have the greater the tendancy to smoke and drink ....

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by DudeistMonk

No Americans are fat because...

We work desk jobs

We are on the road so much/so busy that we will eat whatever is most convenient... which is always a burger and fries.

A super value meal costs less than half of a turkey sandwich and a cup of soup, and there is a McDonalds on every corner, and only 1 Panera bread on the entire highway.

We give our kids milk and juice and soda and not water.

A single can of soda has so much sugar(12 tablespoons) that you would throw up instantly if not for the lactic acid in it.

We can't turn on the TV without seeing a strip of Bacon.

When I was in college a Ceaser salad was priced at 4.50 and a Bacon Cheeseburger with fries and a soda was 3.75

Healthy food with the exception of maybe rice and beans all needs to be fresh, you can freeze the crap out of a whole crap ton of cow and as long as you deep fry it, it will still taste good.

We believe in eating until full, and then having desert.

We have mothers who love it when we eat what they make, and who love to make things full of meat, potatoes and gravy.

Food is the only thing we have to look forward too in our empty commercial existence (besides beer which is also full of calories).

I agree with all these things, but if we are first to change to way we spend money, and we are possibly forced to change the way we get to work due to rising gas prices will that result in people eating healthier and moving more. For instance, if you get to the point where you can't afford a seven dollar combo meal from Mc.Donalds, you might start bringing sack lunches, so in turn you generally start eating healthier and less because you're buying food that you can afford. Just a thought.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by DudeistMonk

No Americans are fat because...

We can't turn on the TV without seeing a strip of Bacon.

Food is the only thing we have to look forward too in our empty commercial existence (besides beer which is also full of calories).

I was with you until you besmirched the good name of bacon and beer.

I bid you good day sir.

The reality is that in this country a period of financial hardship doesn't mean the same thing as it does elsewhere in the world. People in this country that live below the "poverty line" still own cars, have TVs, and generally pay their basic bills. We are so far from the majority of Americans lacking money to buy food that I don't see this being a possibility. Besides, as already mentioned, unhealthy meals are generally at least as cheap if not more so than healthy meals anyway.

But the ultimate point here is that decreasing obesity in this country can't be a byproduct of circumstances, but a conscious choice for health.

[msquared]

Another thing to consider: fast/junk food is 'comfort food'. As times get tougher, those who need comforting are likely to eat more unhealthy food if they can afford it short-term.

[L-A]

While I don't believe in it that much, I sure hope for it.

[MJ5150]

So much for how you thought the thread may go.

-Mike

[Kosko]

One thing to consider is that "fat" people who eat at fast food and unhealthy choices are actually starving. The food they consume contains no caloric benefits and so the body remains hungry and weak; unable to process the given food into necessary nutrients. IE getting sleepy after fast food, do less.

[bassman1185]

Like what everyone else said, healthy food is expensive; junk food is cheap. When I moved out of my parents' house about two years ago and started buying my own groceries, I was mainly looking to get the most food for the least ammount of money. That usually meant pastas and frozen, processed meats and chicken. It was cheap. I also gained about 50 pounds in the first year and a half or so of being on my own. I got married this summer, and since about March, my then fiance/now wife has been really pushing me to eat much healthier foods, and less of them. I've lost about 30 pounds since then, close to 20 of which has been since the wedding (at the end of June) and her moving in and cooking for both of us. Yeah, I'm a lot healthier and I feel better, but the food is close to twice as expensive as when I was eating junk.

[SpectorBass308]

Originally Posted by jive1

In the name of science, Kserg and Jady should take a pic of their gut, and a measurement on a biweekly basis during this recessionary period to see if there is any validity to Maki's thesis.

Always beware of when a sentence starts with, "in the name of science"