<p>I have a friend who is a vegan, and as a result (I assume), she is hungry all the time. So she is constantly eating, but she is very slim and fit. She always has fruits and veggies in her hands, plates of beans and even paper cups filled with brown rice. My point being (and Nrdsb4 raised this earlier), it is possible to eat frequently and in copious amounts without getting fat if you make the proper food choices.</p>
<p>I agree that a large part of the problem can be attributed to metabolism and we are all different. I have always been thin but it took me years to gradually lose the extra 20 pounds that hung around after my pregnancies, so I understand how difficult it can be to lose weight.</p>
<p>That said, I noticed a huge difference in the appetites of my thin children and their heavier friends. Those friends just seemed to be hungry all the time, and they ate enormous portions at every meal. </p>
<p>It’s difficult to know how much is caused by genetics or culture, or how much bad family eating habits are to blame. I do think our culture is responsible to some extent for the simple reason that the majority of citizens in other countries are way thinner than Americans. In addition, I have never seen morbidly obese people anywhere else but here. There are some real differences in the content of our food supply – mainly the presence of corn byproducts in every processed food and as livestock feed – that make me wonder how much our food industry contributes to the problem.</p>
<p>I am going to slip this in here rather than start a new thread, because this would appear to be on topic. Watch Colbert tonight as he discusses the issue of charging fat people more for health insurance:
</p>
<p>I think this is a very complex issue- not just in US- diabetes for example has reached epidemic proportions over other parts of the world, and that follows a shift to more processed food which is more readily available than it has been in the past.</p>
<p>I have been overweight- but also have been very thin, I seem to lose weight easily although I am an apple when I am overweight, which health wise I think is the worst kind to be)</p>
<p>My husbands family thinks being skinny shows " good character" :rolleyes:, my family thinks it is an automatic part of aging ( although I am the oldest sibling and the only one of normal weight), but I have always been more health conscious than the rest, they like eating candy in front of the television too much to change.</p>
<p>They haven’t experienced the energy benefit from exercise and eating less, and so they aren’t really motivated to try- I think for them- that having some sort of incentive ( as which we do when we tax cigarettes), to get them to pay more attention to weight and health is worth trying.</p>
<p>I do understand that medications can result both in weight gain and hunger pangs- often ironically the medications that are prescribed for depression.</p>
<p>I agree that many things are so salty ( although I love salt), and since high blood pressure is also such a heart risk, I would like to see more emphasis on reducing sodium in prepared and packaged foods as well as in restaurant meals.</p>
<p>I know that you can of course control that if you prepare all your own food- but I like eating everyday- I just don’t like cooking everyday.
;)</p>
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<p>I recently read the book *The End of Overeating:Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite *by David Kessler, MD (former surgeon general, I believe). It is a fascinating look at the food and restaurant industry. What they do to the food supply before it arrives on supermarket shelves and restaurant kitchens is almost beyond belief. Food is manipulated to be superpalatable-nothing wrong with that in theory. But so much salt, sugar, and fat is added to foods because the industry food engineers have discovered that eating foods high in those ingredients causes changes in brain chemistry similar to that which occurs with taking certain drugs. Specifically, it causes the diner to crave more of that food, eat more of that food in one sitting, and enjoy an almost narcotic-like effect as a result of eating it. The point of all that isn’t to make us fat, it’s to make us come back for more and thus improve the profit margins of these corporations. The sections on chain restaurants was quite amazing. Think that grilled Margarita Chicken is a healthy choice? Think again.</p>
<p>This was a great read and I recommend it to anyone who is wondering how our sudden explosion of obesity MIGHT be related to the processed food industry. It certainly provides “food for thought.”</p>
<p>Thanks. I’ve read about Kessler’s book, but haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ll make a point of that. Pollan addresses some of the same points, but he’s more of a layman than Kessler, so reading the latter’s take will be interesting (dare I say, weightier?)</p>
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<p>Makes sense, but it’s not appetite causing weight but weight causing appetite: our bodies are well designed to ensure we eat quantities to support our current weight. When you weigh a lot, you need a lot more fuel to maintain it, so our appetite will be bigger accordingly.</p>
<p>EmeraldKity, you don’t have to be able to cook. I’m such a non-cook…you have no idea. But seriously you can just do basics to avoid processed food. Really- like I say, you can put anything in a slow cooker 10 minutes before you leave for work, and steaming veggies and rice takes as long as putting something already-made in the microwave. And lets not forget opening a bad of salad! I think we’ve just forgot.</p>
<p>I have found that the worst influence of all is a spouse who doesn’t share the motivation to lose or maintain his or her weight. My adult life is a continuous struggle to lose ten pounds as my wife bakes cakes and cookies and makes Thanksgiving-like meals five nights a week. I consider myself lucky, but thin I fear I will never again be.</p>
<p>I have not found hunger to be a temporary feeling at all. It was just always there unless I was eating too much food. I have a friend (50ish) who lost down to her ideal weight. She said at that weight, if she ate too much lettuce she started gaining again! She allowed her weight to go up 8 lbs. or so (which was still within normal) and is finding that to be a weight she can maintain.</p>
<p>As to the nature/nurture thing, I met a woman who was losing weight following lap-band surgery. She had been over 300 lbs. She said she was adopted as an infant and her adoptive family members were all thin, while she was always very heavy. They were eating the same food, obviously. As a young woman, she met her birth family. Big surprise…they were all very large people. You can imagine the palpable relief she felt to see that her weight problems were a genetic issue, not a character issue.</p>
<p>I absolutely agree about the quality and quantity of our food. Since I have been working on losing weight, I have frequently looked up nutrition info online before heading to a restaurant. It is completely shocking! It is very difficult to find an entree that is less than 600 calories. I came to realize that unless I’m eating a salad with grilled chicken, no cheese, and dressing on the side, I had better only eat half of the entree portion. And we all know that’s better anyway.</p>
<p>One exception, though. As part of my weight loss plan, I drink a protein shake for breakfast every day. I know, I know…fake food. But it does really help because it’s so filling. Also, there’s that whole insulin thing. Eating a higher ratio of carbs to protein causes your insulin to go up, which causes your blood sugar to drop, which causes you to feel hungry. So, I’m trying to eat fairly equal portions of low-fat protein and “quality carbs” several times a day. That (along with the Welbutrin) is why I’m not hungry all the time anymore.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m a pill popper. So, sue me. I guess we probably all have things in our lives for which we can be criticized. And most of those criticisms are without merit and we should just shake them off. If someone wants to look down on others for being fat or skinny, pill-poppers, lazy, Bible thumpers, smokers, or whatever else, then let them.</p>
<p>I think it is also important to really look at what the " serving" size is on prepared food.
For example, my grocery store is discontinuing my favorite frozen pakoras, ( to stock a more expensive brand) so I bought many boxes.
I noticed that the calorie count is 150 per serving.
How many is in a serving you ask?
One.
That is like eating five potato chips.
;)</p>
<p>Also instead of skipping breakfast, I have started eating a big ( well lots larger than a piece of dry toast) breakfast, basically not more than half a sandwch and piece of fruit for lunch and a snack for dinner. I used to cook a lot more when the kids were home, but H doesn’t eat much dinner and I hate to have it left over- so this is actually working out ok, except sometimes I do like to cook, but he still doesn’t eat much.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of pakoras. What are they?</p>
<p>I read recently that people who skip breakfast are 4 1/2 times more likely to be overweight than those who do not. Your grandmother was right; breakfast is the most important meal of the day.</p>
<p>"If you are 300 lbs and happy with that, then great, I don’t have any issues with your choices. " - I do have a huge issue with that choice, unless person who chooses to be 300 lbs also chooses to be self-insured. The rising total cost of medicine is caused primarily by rising total weight in american population with wide spread epidemic of diabetese, hypertension, heart desease and many cases of cancer and other deseases that affect much younger population than they ever have. Obesity also pull more resources from other much less preventable deseases that we do not have as much control over. By not keeping our weight under control, we actually slowing down research and development in fighting other conditions that people are currently dying from. I measure my blood sugar, blood pressure on a very regular basis along with few other relatives, since we have history of diabetese on both sides of family. Few pounds of weight result in dropping both sugar and pressure in healthy person as well as person affected by either or both conditions. In addition, yearly cholesterol blood test also showed that mere drop of 5 lbs without changing in diet / exersice except more very little adjustment in amount of both or either resulted in drop of cholesterol by 17 points. One of my family members is MD. She confirmed the same self-observation based on her own results. There is no doubt in my mind that Type II diabetese as well as most cases (not all!) of hypertension and elevated cholesterol could be significantly improved/eliminated by weight loss.</p>
<p>Chedva
</p>
<p>It is hard to disagree with this, but I wonder what would happen if we applied the same thinking to other situations. Human beings are social creatures, and there are limitless instances when what we do, or how we are, impinges on others. When is it OK for us to go from being mildly annoyed, to taking action?</p>
<p>*Should the really tall guy who sits down right in front of you as the movie is about to start (when all other seats are taken) be ejected?</p>
<p>Should the smelly guy not be allowed to ride the train (or be forced to pay for his own train car)?</p>
<p>Should people with babies be required to drive where they need to go (or leave the loud, crying, pooping, vomiting toddler at home)?</p>
<p>Should people who crunch loudly, or reach into the crinkly bag of popcorn every 5 seconds, have to stay at home to watch the movie?</p>
<p>Do we eject loud whistlers from football games, so everyone around them doesn’t have to put their fingers in their ears every time they raise their hands to their mouths? What about those who curse or get intoxicated when others only want to spend some wholesome time at a game with younger children?*</p>
<p>Being left with half a seat does not happen, as large people need to fit within the armrest area. What does happen is that big people spill over into the other seat area, so unless you lean away there is some touching involved. But is this worse than </p>
<ul>
<li><p>bending back and forth for two hours to see a movie that you paid for?</p></li>
<li><p>breathing in someone’s BO throughout a long subway ride?</p></li>
<li><p>listening to a screaming infant for 3000 miles, or smelling a dirty diaper while you are eating your airplane food?</p></li>
<li><p>getting a headache at the football game you waited to see all week, or sitting there agitated throughout the whole thing because you are embarrassed to have brought your kids?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>-having a movie ruined by people who are clueless about how much noise they make when they eat in a quiet theater?</p>
<p>I would MUCH rather have to rub shoulders or hips with an overweight person than deal with any of those things - by far. </p>
<p>Obesity is one of a gazillion ways that others “impinge” on us. There is only one explanation for why overweight people alone are called out to pay for the margin by which they are “impinging” on the rights of others: discrimination.</p>
<p>*Should the really tall guy who sits down right in front of you as the movie is about to start (when all other seats are taken) be ejected?</p>
<p>Should the smelly guy not be allowed to ride the train (or be forced to pay for his own train car)?</p>
<p>Should people with babies be required to drive where they need to go (or leave the loud, crying, pooping, vomiting toddler at home)?</p>
<p>Should people who crunch loudly, or reach into the crinkly bag of popcorn every 5 seconds, have to stay at home to watch the movie?</p>
<p>Do we eject loud whistlers from football games, so everyone around them doesn’t have to put their fingers in their ears every time they raise their hands to their mouths? What about those who curse or get intoxicated when others only want to spend some wholesome time at a game with younger children?*</p>
<p>I like the way you think!
;)</p>
<p>I take the express bus and, let me tell you, having someone sitting on your body for 1 1/2 to 2 hours each way is just horrible. Sometimes it’s a heavy person, but in my 25 years of riding express buses, I’ve observed something. (Feel free to be offended) Men are much more likely to impinge on a woman’s seat. Even very small men will spread their legs so far apart that they appear to be in danger of splitting when sitting next to a woman. The same man will close his legs and fit himself in one seat when a man is next to him. Very large women will contort themselves to fit in one seat and will otherwise go to great lengths to not impinge.</p>
<p>spideygirl,
I’m with you on all of those annoying situations. Airplane seats are a little different, though, since in many cases you will have spent hundreds of dollars, there is no other available seat to move away to, and you may be confined for hours on end.</p>
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<p>Zoosermom, you are so correct. I fly Southwest on business on occasion…no reserved seats. It’s so dangerous to be a small woman with an empty seat next to you. Once I was by the window, another woman on the aisle. A very large man came and sat in the middle seat…AND got out a newspaper and opened it up all the way with his elbows on both arm rests. I think you’re right - a woman would never do that.</p>
<p>This is a very complicated issue. But I do know one thing. Folks here in the US could eat a LOT better. But it takes effort…and more dollars. The food industry in the US throws BAD food at us. Processed junk. And we eat it cause it’s easy and it’s cheap. And it makes us fat…granted it’s not the ONLY thing that makes us fat but it most certainly contributes.
Stop going to restaurants on a regular basis…fast food or any kind… or go once a week at the most. Wow, they serve bad stuff. Loaded with salt and fat…it tastes good…why not?
Shop at the exterior of the supermarket. Stock up on fruit, veggies, low fat meat and dairy. Find time to cook…use a slow cooker, or just find ways to do quick broiling and steaming. Avoid “hamburger helper” and similar junk (just look at the ingredients)!<br>
Forget soda and sweetened drinks! What a waste of calories and money! Water, teas, even and maybe a fine glass of wine or beer once in a while makes sense.<br>
The books recommended here are good…the first step in making a change is to be aware of what you’re doing. we are a fat society!</p>
<p>Bay
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<p>By that reasoning, should crying infants and toddlers be banned from airlines?</p>
<p>A person could easily have paid the same or more than the price of an airline ticket for three or four expensive football game seats. Should offenders (those who curse or whistle loudly and repeatedly, or who are obnoxiously drunk) then be removed from the stadium?</p>