Obese People

[Evil Eye]

In your opinion are people obese because they lack willpower?

No, in my opinion people who are obese because of advertisement lack willpower.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

What Causes Overweight and Obesity?





Other Causes

An Inactive Lifestyle

Many Americans aren't very physically active. One reason for this is that many people spend hours in front of TVs and computers doing work, schoolwork, and leisure activities. In fact, more than 2 hours a day of regular TV viewing time has been linked to overweight and obesity.



Other reasons for not being active include: relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work or at home because of modern technology and conveniences, and lack of physical education classes in schools for children.



People who are inactive are more likely to gain weight because they don't burn up the calories that they take in from food and drinks. An inactive lifestyle also raises your risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, and other health problems.



Environment

Our environment doesn't support healthy lifestyle habits; in fact, it encourages obesity. Some reasons include:



Lack of neighborhood sidewalks and safe places for recreation. Not having area parks, trails, sidewalks, and affordable gyms makes it hard for people to be physically active.



Work schedules. People often say that they don't have time to be physically active because of long work hours and time spent commuting.



Oversized food portions. Americans are surrounded by huge food portions in restaurants, fast food places, gas stations, movie theaters, supermarkets, and even home. Some of these meals and snacks can feed two or more people. Eating large portions means too much energy IN. Over time, this will cause weight gain if it isn't balanced with physical activity.



Lack of access to healthy foods. Some people don't live in neighborhoods that have supermarkets that sell healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Or, for some people, these healthy foods are too costly.



Food advertising. Americans are surrounded by ads from food companies. Often children are the targets of advertising for high-calorie, high-fat snacks and sugary drinks. The goal of these ads is to sway people to buy these high-calorie foods, and often they do.



Link: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_causes.html

There was obese people a hundred years ago before any of these were around as well.

 

[Temerit]

There were? Do you have evidence?



If so, it was due to lifestyle choice or a disorder. But we aren't talking about those with a disorder.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Who says we arent? The original post this topic says:

What are your feelings on obesity?

Pretty general statement.



Anyways, it doesn’t matter how a person got to be overweight. Im just saying that losing it all and becoming skinny can be a difficult challenge that cannot be accomplished by everyone (like those who have medical problems).



Those who have never been overweight can just sit back and easily say Well they should just eat right and exercise

Regarding people who are overweight due to a lifestyle choice: Easier said than done. Doing that is pretty much starting a complete overhaul on one's life. Many people cannot do it alone. If they don’t have the support and help to do it, chances are they will just give up. People ridiculing them (example: suggesting they go to a tent store to buy clothes) will probably just send them into a spiraling depression where weight gain will increase and they will just be trapped.

 

[Temerit]

Oh sorry Theez, I guess it makes sense where you are coming from on that. I just thought that everybody would agree that its terrible to talk bad about or discriminate against those who are obese due to medical issues, although I am not familiar with many medical conditions resulting in obesity.



But as hard as the choice is, its still a choice.

 

[sbfc]

I don't have a problem with obese people really though in almost all cases I reckon they can help it whatever they say.

 

[DrLeftover]

Some are obese because they lack personal ambition, are lazy, eat too much, and simply chose to be.



Others are metabolically predisposed to be big and would be unless they ate nothing but rabbit food and ran a triathlon every other week.



I don't think it is an epidemic and we do not need a fat tax to fight it.

 

[Temerit]

It's not an epidemic? Considering that 60% of American adults are overweight and many many more children are becoming obese than ever? That kids today receive much less physical activity than those of previous generations? That the nutritional content of our foods in America are garbage?



That none of this or at least a much lesser extent of this is happening in Europe?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

60% of the people I see everyday arent fat.

 

[Temerit]

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm



The CDC has spoken. I think on average obese people are less likely to be seen outside or as active in the community. But I dunno. Maybe it's just San Fran.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Statistics are meaningless to me.

There could be a 99.9% chance that I could get shot in the head next time I walk down the street but that doesnt mean Im going to.

 

[Mike]

I wouldn't ignore that statistic if was you T

I don't have anything against obese people, as at the end of the day it's impossible to judge every single one of them as a group fairly, it's just stereotyping. I admit that the obese people that moan about being obese, but do nothing to change their diet, annoy me, because that is in their hands. But obese people that are like that because of a condition, illness or something similar shouldn't be judged.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

But obese people that are like that because of a condition, illness or something similar shouldn't be judged.

Nobody should be judged. I hate judgemental people.

 

[Temerit]

Statistics are meaningless to me.

There could be a 99.9% chance that I could get shot in the head next time I walk down the street but that doesnt mean Im going to.

The statistics matter, for when these rates in the United States become so vastly different from those in Europe, there can be cultural causes or environmental causes for the epidemic.

 

[Evil Eye]

That none of this or at least a much lesser extent of this is happening in Europe?

It's happening though:

http://www.euro.who.int/Document/EHI/ENHIS_Factsheet_2_3.pdf

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

The statistics matter, for when these rates in the United States become so vastly different from those in Europe, there can be cultural causes or environmental causes for the epidemic.

Why are you always comparing US to Europe? There is other continents / countries in the world as well you know.

Anyways, they have an obesity problem too. Obesity is everywhere.

Also its not really an epidemic. Its not like you can catch Obesity. Its not contagious. lol

 

[Christian]

How is this even a debate. Who cares if someone else is fat, skinny, tall, short, whatever?

I don't. People are people.

 

[Evil Eye]

Obesity is everywhere.

That can't be true. Obesity is only with the rich.

 

[Lloyd]

i have no sympathy for overweight people.. its their fault they got them self like this and its up to them to get them out of it..



seriously its a free country no body is forced to do anything



call me rude but they need to face the music and do something about it or stop moaning and looking for a shoulder to cry on



on the exception if they have an illness what makes them eat .. i haven't heard about one

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

That can't be true. Obesity is only with the rich.

Poor people are overweight because its cheaper to buy unhealthy food than healthy food.