Food, Fat, Obesity and Airplanes - a question

[aborgman]

Another trend is that food is now heavily subsidized since the Great Depression. From what I have read, Americans spend a lower percentage of our income on food than any other country.

Well, farmers are subsidized AND prices are held artificially high.

Yet we pay less than most other countries, and way less than people did in the past.

In the 1930s it was about 25% of disposable income.

It's about 10% today.

 

[rakirksey]

So I guess it's true that you get what you pay for.

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Or you pay for what you get.

 

[sloasdaylight]

What were the previous attempts by your government?

The previous attempts by the Federal Government to implement some sort of government run health care for everybody. HillaryCare in the early nineties is the most recent example of this (other than the obvious recent one).

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

"HillaryCare" did more harm than good? I thought it didn't get put into effect at all.

 

[sloasdaylight]

"HillaryCare" did more harm than good? I thought it didn't get put into effect at all.

Ok, I phrased my initial statement poorly. What I meant to say is that the government has never offered, to my knowledge, a legitimate way to provide healthcare to a wider group of Americans, and as a result has tainted the debate because no one trusts our government to do anything good when it comes to health care. And HillaryCare is only an example, Medicare and Medicaid have both helped to bankrupt this nation because they're completely unsustainable, and were from the day they were implemented.

 

[john turner]

The image is too small, John.

Oh, right … that would be irony!!

actually, i think you can get away with tiling it, for a desktop covered in bacon.

 

[john turner]

oh, and hey guys...politics...NO...you know the drill.

 

[spade2you]

oh, and hey guys...politics...NO...you know the drill.

See, the man is already telling us what to do!

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Please remember that most of us work almost the entire first half of every year just to pay TAXES.

No, I think most of us have a better withholding setup than that.

 

[kserg]

Actually, there are a couple of countries that are worse:
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"Dude, I know I'm fat," Smith said. "That's not why I was truly thrown off that plane because I fit perfectly in the seat."

I never been bumped of the flight for being fat (yet)... but it's kinda funny to me. I am a big guy, but i fit in the seat with out any problems, never am i on other person seat, nor do i ever use the arm rest that separates seats. Only time I've touched person next to me is when they pass out and put their head on my shoulder (or if it's someone i know.}
Only time i heard complain is some lady before seating down start going of about "I am not seating next to him!" It was a good thing, because later on in flight she demanded another seat change because she didn't like seating next to someone, then another... If airline are truly concern is comfort of customers, they would stop selling tickets to annoying people. Like, if you demand a seat change more then 2 times a flight, you are banned from flying unless you buy EVERY seat on the plane. See how those holes like that.

 

[BassFunkMaster]

I've always wondered how Americans become so obese.

As an Asian living in an Asian country, our "fat" people would look skinny in America. I'm considered marginally "fat" by most of my peers, yet I am 5'7" and 143 pounds. Consider that.

A lot of Asian countries have a diet comprised moreof fish than beef. Fish is generally a more heathly choice for far, and has Omega 6 in it, so less fatties, and less heart problems. That's just the most obvious and easy answer, but there's way more to it than geographical location (Culture and all that).

 

[GregC]

For the record, the width of airline seats hasn't changed much in 40 years. Boeing 737's have had a single aisle with 3 seats on either side since their first flight in 1968. Same goes for every other aircraft. What has changed is seat pitch or leg room. Obesity has no impact on legroom.

Which is utterly ridiculous--people are getting taller, not shorter. I'm 6'5", and coach seats are a nightmare these days.

 

[ehque]

A lot of Asian countries have a diet comprised moreof fish than beef. Fish is generally a more heathly choice for far, and has Omega 6 in it, so less fatties, and less heart problems. That's just the most obvious and easy answer, but there's way more to it than geographical location (Culture and all that).

Hur. Fish is expensive.

Much more common to find chicken or pork on the table in an average home, at least over here.

 

[TrooperFarva]

I'm 6'3, about 260. With my last 2 companies, I was flying several times a month. The problem is, I'm basically built like a brick wall. I can fit between the arms rests without any problems, but my shoulders are way into the seats next to me.

I feel bad for the people sitting next to me, but it's not my fault. I just have a very wide frame. I'm not that fat, but even if I was skinny, I'd still be every bit as wide. I typically request an aisle seat. If I have a window seat, my shoulder will be pressed into the fuselage the whole time.

It's a big part of the reason I try to drive when I travel.

But quarterbacks love me

 

[PZapdos]

Well, actually a lot of people who are larger than their seating area have to buy 2 tickets on certain airlines.


I'm a personal trainer, so i deal with these questions a lot (and have in school, etc.)

"the right to eat unhealthy foods" is controversial especially if you take it deeper.
a few points:

People can eat what they want. They get fat, i get more work *sarcastic truth. i'd rather people be healthy. tho it DOES give me more work *

Obesity is caused mainly by people eating TOO MUCH, not what they eat. (though what they eat certainly affects other things.)

I could get to be a 400 lb obese man by eating nothing but broccoli, technically.

doublestop starts in on my argument that I had (merely for being the devil's advocate, not my actual personal view of things) is that if we are demanding unhealthy food "freedom" why do we ban drugs that are especially harmful? WAYY more people die from obesity related illnesses than drug related.

and one more point, just cause i have to say it:

DONT WORRY. Trust me. if your NOT fat, and they ARE. You are most likely MUCH happier. Being overweight is a TERRIBLE way to live. Plus, most of them will die before you, so be happy about that too

(just dont get me started on how much the US sucks. i cant wait to move out of this country.. just a few more years in grad school! )

 

[bmc]

Which is utterly ridiculous--people are getting taller, not shorter. I'm 6'5", and coach seats are a nightmare these days.

Here's a chart that allows you to compare pitch (leg room) and seat width.

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[PZapdos]

A lot of Asian countries have a diet comprised moreof fish than beef. Fish is generally a more heathly choice for far, and has Omega 6 in it, so less fatties, and less heart problems. That's just the most obvious and easy answer, but there's way more to it than geographical location (Culture and all that).

I never new that fish was made of rapeseed!


(omega-6 derives from rapeseed, sunflowers, flax, and a few other places)

Omega-3 is fish

Also - the only cause of obesity is excessive calories, not what you specifically eat. huge misconception.

I could lose weight with deep fried twinkies, and get up to 400 lbs eating only broccoli.

though, obvious other things (cholesterol, etc.) are affected by types of foods. but not subcutaneous fat.

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

I sort of agree with username, but that's another topic.

I want to see all of this food additive ******** cut out of our food. I am so sick of seeing High Fructose Corn Syrup in every ******* thing here. Last January through June I lived in England and I noticed my body weight dropped. Soon as I came back I'd say by the end of the summer I put on ten pounds. Another thing that gets me going is our work hours, I've heard this contributes to obesity and I will not argue this. Two years ago I worked 10-12 hours a day in an office and I put on a whole hell of a lot of weight. I was really disgusted when I realized that at the end of the summer. I just hate how much crap our food has in it and how hard it is to find stuff that doesn't.

Well, really its not that hard to find healthy food. Fruit & vegetables, nuts and wholegrain foods are everywhere... I dont know of a supermarket that does not have a produce department.

The hard part is choosing to actually eat the healthy foods that often take more time to prepare than fatty foods which are quick and designed to taste good.

Its really all a matter of self-discipline.

 

[doublestop]

Done some research

* Netherlands, average man (1986): 71 inches; 183 lbs. Body Mass Index (BMI) 25
* USA, average man (2002): 69 inches; 191 lbs. BMI 28

We can use the BMI to compensate for the height difference. Remember, the European man is taller and should weigh a bit more....

* A European man now weighs 183 lbs. With an "American" BMI (28) he would weigh 202 lbs
* A American man now weighs 191 lbs; with a "European" BMI (25) he would weigh 173 lbs

So, compensated for height the average American man weighs 18 pounds more than the average Dutch man.


When I travel, what I see much more "very heavy" (obese) people in the USA. You don't see very much of these extremely fat people here.

The statistics confirmed my impression:

Netherlands men:
- healthy weight: 47%
- overweight: 43%
- obese: 10%

USA men:
- healthy weight: 28%
- overweight: 40%
- obese: 32%


I believe that many coutries, including my own (the Netherlands) and the USA have a serious public health issue here. The problem in the USA to me looks even more serious