The Land of the Obese?

The sad truth is that food companies actually put chemicals in the food that alter our natural appetite suppression which makes us eat more. Under normal circumstances, people can change their diet and lose weight... but not when the food industry is deliberately fooling us by leaving out the dangerous chemicals and additives that are in the food and labeling them as "natural". It's no wonder that so many people are overweight. It's the agenda of the food industry to make us that way.

Here is a very good NewsTarget article that discusses the false claims of grocery products. It will make you change your eating habits (if you're smart and you care about your health).

Don't be fooled by "all natural" claims on foods and grocery products

Yes, they are poisoning us with the food. Recognize it and eat smart.

It's also amazing, the lengths companies will go to to be able to label something a certain way. A perfect example is Splenda which is terrible for you! Especially if you are diabetic. It's supposed to be a sugar substitute that's "all natural because it's made from sugar". Nothing could be further from the truth! There are so many ways to get around the "rules" and they know every one.

Furthermore it is exactly right that they put addictive additives in food to keep you craving them. They get you addicted to food and clean up $$$ and then the Pharmaceutical industry provides the medication and cleans up $$$ and the medical industry sells you surgery, ect...and they clean up as well $$$. Anyone see a reoccurring pattern here.

Finally, BES wonders why there isn't rehabs and programs like there is for drug addicts. There are a few but for the most part it's not taken seriously as an addiction or disease. Going to drug rehab is not as expensive comparatively as it was in the 60's but rehab for obesity is very expensive.

I think the country is starting to see the effects now as our children are growing up as an obese generation. The good part is that many of these children can be caught before it becomes a way of life for them.

Just came across this, and thought it worth a mention:

Obesity 'triggers' disease fears
Discrimination against fat people might not be all the fault of bullies, international scientists say.

They found, for some people, the sight of obesity sparked strong subconscious reactions, such as disgust.

The Evolution and Human Behaviour study suggests this is part of a deep-seated behavioural reponse designed to help detect and avoid those with infections.

But experts said there was no excuse for pre-meditated prejudice against obese people.
The researchers looked at the results of a questionnaire completed by more than 250 people from the University of British Columbia.

They found that, just as rotten food can trigger nausea, the sight of someone obese could trigger reactions such as disgust.
news.bbc.co.uk...

I know this is slightly off topic, but in understanding effects like this, we may be able to help more people overcome the stigma associated with obesity.

Good theory.

I think there's also a measure of projection. Putting one's faults that one hates the most onto others and ascribing 'bad' characteristics. (Fat people are slobs, and slothful and greedy).

I'm sure most people can recall making fun of an obese person, only to look at their own gut and realize they're technically obese also.

The main answer to weight loss involves getting the right information. You -must- know what your maintenance calories are per day and you -must- track what you eat long enough to learn how many calories you are eating in a typical week.

Just my 2 cents.

Finished the parasite cleanse, and if you have never done one....my sympathy goes out to you. You most likely are giving food and shelter to some form or another.

ps. They will never pay rent!

They strip all of the nutritional value from the food you eat, and leave the bad stuff for you, which your body takes and stores in fat cells, which you never use.

Lately I was feeling like I was carying an excess of foreign material around in my body. Guess what, they all left.

I now have much more energy, and feel great as well. One way to walk a more healthy lifestyle is to get rid of the parasites you are protecting.

win 52, can you go over your program again please?

I think I'd like to try a detox and cleansing.

Originally posted by jbondo
win 52, can you go over your program again please?...

I,ll second that.. I Got *cough* 1 or 2 pounds to lose too.

Originally posted by jbondo
win 52, can you go over your program again please?

I think I'd like to try a detox and cleansing.

It is a Renew Life product called Paragone 1 & 2

The program comes with directions on the diet that is advised to go with the detox. I have strayed a bit on the diet, and I feel it has lessened the effect a bit. I am considering going another 15 days, and seeing how I feel then. I may take the diet even more seriously.

There is a maintinance product called Parazine that you will need to take as well, during anfd after the cleanse.

If you Google the product, there is other info on it as well.

You will not feel sory that you took this advice, I promise.

Originally posted by AGENT_T
I,ll second that.. I Got *cough* 1 or 2 pounds to lose too.

I heard of one guy who had 15 lbs. of "adhesions" taken out by a physician.

I like how they term the problem. Why don't they just say parasites. That would be too easy. We might get wise to the fact we do not need all of the drugs they are cramming down out throats. All we need are some herbs and a change in diet.

I think we need to take a serious look at the Chineese Medical System, where parasite cleansing is a routine thing.

It seems that there is a lot in the news about obesity. A lot of scare tactics are going on, perhaps only to let people know of the dangers.
This is the latest one I've come across:
news.bbc.co.uk...

It would appear that the UK government are really trying to tackle this, but are scare tactics the right approach?
Surely education about sensible eating and exercise should be made available, rather than just doom mongering.
As far as education goes, we shouldn't be relying on what a TV chef says is healthy - there should be information available to those who need it most, in whatever form is most suitable.
i.e. a dietician, a health worker and in some cases perhaps a psychiatrist.

It was also good to see in the news, the Doctor who came out and said "diet pills don't work" - during the course of this thread, what everybody has said DOES work, is eating sensibly and getting what exercise you can.

There is no magic cure, just like the doc said.

Hi across the pond to you.This subject is a little more complicated and a lot more faceted then is on the surface.
There isn't anyone one reason, such as fast food joints.
Contrary to popular beliefs, most Americans aren't lazy. We are really busy in fact. Most of us, including whole families, don't get home till late at night. I had a discussion with a Canadian friend of mine who noticed that Americans dress more casual. My cousin who was recently in Italy said she felt sloppy there. It is not that we dress casual, we dress functional, we were clothes that take us to work, to happy hour, to pick up the kids, to stop by the carry out, and hold up through a long day and be comfotable. So most of us wear the standard issue plain shirt and khakis. With the expection of Africon Americans who IMO dress nicer and are more trendy. Thank heavens or we would all look like drones. After our long days we are exhausted and plop in front of the tv. Not being able to accomplish anything else. then weekends are spent doing things we couldn't do during the week. Some of us have the audacity to go somewhere. Our high maintenance lifestyle makes us work a lot to afford our crap. Then parents are too tired to take care of kids, becaue everyone is working, so they plop them in front of the tv to keep them quiet.
Add that too the media insists of reporting every hideous crime so that most american parents don't want their kids outside for face every ax murdered, pedophile, rapist, gangster and drug dealer that is lurking on every corner.
In the intelligence race, and the horrible No Child Left BEhind Act that GW so graciously encumbered us with, kids have been piled with more homework then they can handle. So what down time there was at night, is now spent doing homework. Recess has been cut back continually including other activities like music and art to include more time for studying for standardized testing. Kids don't even have time to play anymore.I think we get less leave, less vacation. I was shocked to hear that in Canada you get a year paid matertiny leave. Here, if you are lucky, you get 12 unpaid weeks.A lot of women save sick and vacation time to offset this. Many go back earlier then that to pay for all the big houses and their crap.It is not totally our fault. IF yo have ever been here, there is RELENTLESS advertising.I find it tiring. I went skiiing one christmas to find ads on the top of all the lift columns so you can read them riding up. It is ridiculous. There is now commercials in front of movies, that we pay 10$ a person for. All we see is buy buy buy, you need this to be sexy, successful, and to beat the Joneses.If you ever watch the movie, "super size me",they point out the amount of advertising fast food spends, compared to what the heatlh agencies have, and it is staggering. Kids are conditioned to want fast food.
We also have this sick societal notion that families are not to live together.many immediate families live states apart. There is a breakdown in the family system leaving families to handle things entirely on their own, where usually they would have a village type setup to assist them.I had a friend from africa point this out to me. There, all the sisters get together and raise children, leaving each other enough time for personal and recreational activities, instead of an institutional daycare type system. She was wealthy, but still had her sisters live with her to help with children. She said we do ourselves a huge disservice by this.We can't handle kids,much less aging parents, who get put in a home that any income that could be passed down is sucked up by the nursing home. Usually leaving the children with debt. I think all the isolation causes a lot of the rampant depression and other mental disorders, and guilt at not being able to maintain an ideal life. Which in turn, leaves people less able to properly feed their families, too sick to do so, and turn to conveinance food.
So yes, it is affluence.

In short, what we need to do is, eliminate televison.

I don't think anyone suggested Americans are lazy - except regarding proper diet and exercise, and that's only a perhaps.

Nor do I think that banning TV is the answer - although regulations on advertising may be appropriate sometimes.

You neglected to mention much about fast food, which is one of the biggest culprits - too much salt, too much grease, too much sugar - and don't forget that fast food is pretty much a US invention - the US gave the world mcdonalds, burger king, wendy's, kfc etc etc.
www.businessweek.com...

This, according to articles I've read, contributes greatly to obesity levels, although other factors shouldn't be ignored.

nixie_nox,

You have many good points and I too believe we are having this "new" style family situation crammed down our throats. When I was growing up many of my relatives lived on the very same street as us. The adults all shared the raising of the children. When one of my aunts or uncles said something it was the same to us as our own parents saying it. I think the family unit of old is vital to children and obesity is one of the results from not having a stable family unit.

I was listening to that thing on the radio this morning where they did the testing with kids to find out how much advertising sinks in at a young age and it was amazing how things wrapped in McDonalds paper was always chosen over other things. They would offer them the same exact food with or without the McDonalds paper and the kids always chose the McD's food as better.

This jogged my memory to 18 yrs ago as my father was getting ready to take his granddaughter to breakfast and she wanted McDonald's but he wanted to go to a regular diner. She flipped out because McDonald's was ingrained into her so much that it was actually emotional.

Now they are just realizing now as to just how much power these places have over our children and it's been going on for years! No wonder kids are obese...

I've just been watching a program on TV called "Cook Yourself Thin" in which 4 women (chefs, lifestyle specialists), not one under a UK size 12, remade favourite dishes with a lower calorie content.

It didn't address any dietary issues regarding vitamin/mineral intake, or do anything except show how to make lower calorie versions of popular dishes.

On the whole though, a good program.

Originally posted by budski
I don't think anyone suggested Americans are lazy - except regarding proper diet and exercise, and that's only a perhaps.

Nor do I think that banning TV is the answer - although regulations on advertising may be appropriate sometimes.

You neglected to mention much about fast food, which is one of the biggest culprits - too much salt, too much grease, too much sugar - and don't forget that fast food is pretty much a US invention - the US gave the world mcdonalds, burger king, wendy's, kfc etc etc.
www.businessweek.com...

This, according to articles I've read, contributes greatly to obesity levels, although other factors shouldn't be ignored.

I snuck it in there

Basically parents don't feel well about themselves, neither do children. People resort to conveinance food because it is well...convienant.
Instead of taking the time to make wholesome food, they pick up something on the way home.Like fast food. Stressful living is leading to bad habits. Plus it is easy to bribe kids with fast food.
Don't get me started on the cafeteria food at schools....

Televsion contains most of the advertising. A lot of it to children. people watch tv instead of reading and doing something else. Tehy use it to babysit t their children. The news is wrought with horrors. I remember a comedian saying once that he couldn't handle all the sex and violence on tv so he stopped watching the news.

After hurricane Isabel 4 years ago, we were without power in this area for 3 weeks. Some areas 2 months. Many people said that it is amazing what you do and get done without a tv around. (there were a lot of pregnancies too:duh A lot of them found themselves again.

Bud,

I think Graham Kerr does a very good job on his cooking healthy show. Are they showing that over there. I believe he started it about 8 years ago and I think he just resurrected it last year after a hiatus. He would actually do all the numbers on a white board as the show progressed. Showing calories, fat content, salt, etc...

Weight has never been an issue for me, but now that I am in my mid-30s (and post-baby), I am noticing a difference in how fast I can burn off a not-so-healthy meal. Suffice it to say that it's rather slow.

The best strategy has been to eat a few small meals per day and get some walking in, when I'm not able to work out or go to a class.

Canada is also experiencing a rapid rise in obesity. 1/3 of our preschoolers are overweight. Fortunately my son is not one of them, but he doesn't eat much generally (small for his age).

Budski, interesting about the program detailing remaking favorite dishes with lower calorie count.

There are a lot of things that you can do, even with stuff like hamburger.

Take your hamburger, and cook it lightly. Then drain off the fat and put it into a large strainer (big spoon with wire mesh bowl).

Preheat some water in a kettle or microwave and pour one cup of the water over the meat in the strainer. Repeat one more time. Obviously, discard the water/fat.

Then add tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions or whatever to the hamburger. You end up with a dish that is about 100-200 calories less per serving than the 'unrinsed' version. Every spoonful of fat that you rinse out drops the calories by 100.

But I must emphasize again that it makes little difference if you are still underestimating what you are eating. It is almost essential to track your foods day-to-day for at least a week.

IOW, what good does it do to be cutting fat and remaking foods if you're still eating 500 calories over maintenance. Indeed, what if you have no idea what your maintenance calories are?

It used to be quite difficult to track calories. But now, with sites like Fitday.com, it's ridiculously easy. Just takes getting over the emotional block to revealing to yourself what you are actually eating.

Originally posted by serpentine7
Fortunately my son is not one of them, but he doesn't eat much generally (small for his age).

Serpentine,

When I was your son's age I was so thin you could easily see my ribs. My mother had a heck of a time getting me to eat or even sit long enough to eat.

You are not out of the woods by any means as I started my weight gain in first grade. I believe my father's genetics had allot to do with it though but as I have said before once you get addicted it becomes all about the food.

One thing I can advise you not to do and that's obsess over weight as my mother did my entire life. I believe that was a major contributor to my problems. To this day she still doesn't realize it even though both my sisters and I agree on this issue. Don't get me wrong, although she had her faults she was and still is a loving and wonderful woman. I don't think she realized it but even though she didn't insult me directly as a child her implied disappointment in me for being overweight and constantly trying to put me on diets had quite an impact on me. She thought she was doing the right thing and never realized how she was compounding the problem. She would often show muted disgust when talking about her obese girlfriends or my father and make disparaging comments like "Her doctor told her to lose weight and she has no one to blame but herself" or "I just don't understand why she doesn't go on a diet". Her tone would tell the whole story and as an obese child I just felt as if she was indirectly disgusted with me.

Just love your kids for who they are and don't take them to McD's or cook fattening food. Train them without disappointment and "well meaning" lessons. If they are not obsessed with how they look and are just fed nutritious meals and snacks I think they will be well adjusted and normal weighted.

Let's try this instead, it'll be fun and tasty goes allot further than, you don't need that! You'll never lose weight eating that! Look at Mary! She didn't listen and now she's diabetic!

If just once my mother would have said: Hey instead of that candy bar why don't we cut up some apples and make a delicious yogurt dip for them?

If I had a dollar for every time my mother said "you don't need that!"