Why are Southerners so Fat?

Originally posted by MagicaRose
reply to post by TwiTcHomatic

 

Actually I don't .
We eat in moderation and have active lifestyles.

I don't know why you said I act "mightier than Thou" . I'm just speaking the truth as I know it for me.

And manners?

Every single Northener that I HAVE EVER MET are the rudest people in this country and that includes my husband and his entire family.
Just being truthful, thats all.

Thanks for that hip shot, but my post was not directed at yours.... your quote just happened to be in the one that I quoted from STFUPPERCUT.

I was referring to no manners in the north... try fully looking at a post before firing off... it clearly shows I was not responding to your post.

I am born and raised Southern as well....

The last time I travelled to one of the northern states, I saw a lot of fat people. I was wondering why is everyone so fat in the North? Then I went to work (it was a business trip) and they had fatty donuts for us everyday. I got tired of donuts and all the fatty snacks every morning. Then when we out to eat I remember at one restaurant I ordered some dessert because I was still hungry. I thought I was going to get one little piece of cake with a little bit of ice cream. Instead I was surprised with a whole large plate with several pieces of cake and ice cream. The serving size seemed incredibly big compared to what I'm used to in southern restaurants. Then I realized, now I know why everyone seems so fat in the North. It's either too freezing cold in the winter or you're eating donuts and tons of other snacks year round.

However in the South I've noticed it's too hot and humid in the summertime. On the other hand, if you do anything in this heat, you lose a few pounds of water and don't feel like eating as much. Then there are many here that would rather do as little work as possible and don't bother to exercise at all. They tend to get fat. Therefore I believe the North and South are competing to see who can get the fattest. It's a close competition.


[edit on 11-7-2009 by orionthehunter]

The fried food and heavy fat content in them makes sense to me but to hear people say that it's too hot is silly. I grew up in the south and I still got exercise in the summer. Swimming anyone? Or how about a gym with AC. It can be done, it just takes a little effort, which seems to be the main thing lacking here.

reply to post by kleverone

Please...don't be so serious I was being funny.

Of course I have breathing problems (COPD) and the heat and humidity does affect that big time.

As for southern hospitality...its a strict formality...never mistake it for actually liking you.


[edit on 11-7-2009 by grover]

reply to post by grover


That was directed to the OP who mentioned it's "hot as hell" down there. Didn't even see your post.

And there you have it.
No manners in the north.....

You act "mightier than thou" .... but I guarantee you have obesity in your family somewhere... of course everyone does.
No manners? Sorry if i dont feel liek sitting by idly and not commenting on people bragging about eating themselves to death. Also, theres no obesity in my immediate family or extended that i know of. I guess part of that comes from a vegetarian lifestyle and omgosh wahts this.......excersize?
Stop the self hate and crulty filled lifestyle your living, its better for you, the animals, and the envioronment.
but then again, its probably jsut easier to sit back with some bacon grase, buttered corn bread, deeep fried turkey, grits and lard, and some sweet sweet chtilins. or w.e. it is you are forcing down your foodhole these days.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


I don't buy the heat deal. If you look at statistics, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington are all amongst the healthiest states and the weather in the first two is bloody freezing a few months a year and in rains for several straight months in Washington. People in NYC are also more healthy than Southerners and that is one of the most difficult places in the country to get outdoor exercise.

You'll also notice that folks in Arizona are not amongst the fattest in the country and it certainly gets hot there.

I think it has to do with culture. Fitness is simply not a priority. I've lived in CA, WA, NJ, NY and NC and by FAR the folks in NC are the least concerned about making healhy choices (by and large). It's tough to find a place outside of a major city to get a piece of grilled fish in NC (grilled catfish is fantastic, making it a shame). In CA, you would find it equally difficult to find fried fish. Folks just don't eat it as a regular choice.

If you want to be healthy you can make choices that will get you there.

As far as the poverty bit and folks being unable to eat well, I don't buy that either. It is relatively easy to grow food in the south and most folks in rural areas have a yard in which to do so. Most don't. Rather that have a salad, they would simply go to "Billy's quick fry" and have a big plate of fried pork steak and a slew of fried hush puppys.

I'm sick and tired of hearing about some government/societal responsibility to help fat folks. Why not have pictures of fat folks on the wrappers of Big Macs they same way they have pictures of ruined lungs on a pack of smokes?

If folks took off the feed-bag, the problem would go away.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Ive lived in the south since 1970, and I do the gym 6 days a week and look GOOOD. So not all southerns are fat. "Flex's". heh.

I live in north georgia and it gets pretty hot. Which sucks because i dont have Air Conditioning. But the heat never stops me from walking somewhere or riding my bike. I eat a TON of food. But i dont get fat. I weigh about 145 ish.
I think its peoples laziness. Where i live its pretty rural. You have to drive to any restuarant. In the North. You can just walk to alot. Instead of driving to the traffic.
I dont know how the hospitality issue came but i live in the south and some people are nice, and some arent. Just like in the north. I lived in Detroit for 8 years. And i new a lot of nice people. IT is just a stereotype. Like all northern women like the southern draw.

Originally posted by kleverone
The fried food and heavy fat content in them makes sense to me but to hear people say that it's too hot is silly. I grew up in the south and I still got exercise in the summer. Swimming anyone? Or how about a gym with AC. It can be done, it just takes a little effort, which seems to be the main thing lacking here.

No doubt, I get my swimming in as well. But I don't bike everywhere like I did when I lived up north. Too damned hot :-)

The south is full of obese people, but the article makes it seem that the north and west are completely immune to obesity...which is completely false. The obesity problem is about the culture of the south, if you've lived in the south and haven't heard your grand mother or father tell you to eat more then you didn't live a southern life. It used to be that being more plump showed that you were more wealthy and that has carried down over generations. In my opinion, it's not necessarily what they eat (that plays a minor role), I'm sure the south consumes many more vegetables than the north...but it's that they don't know when to stop eating.

[edit on 11-7-2009 by yellowcard]

I'm in the dirty south and I'm not fat. Before I got sick I was actually big into bodybuilding and sports.

Originally posted by grover
As for southern hospitality...its a strict formality...never mistake it for actually liking you.

Actually, I am from the South and I genuinely am friendly/courteous to folks, be it topical daily interactions with unknowns or passing time with people that I have known for a years.

I reserve my "caustic" side for those individuals who display through their actions or words a verifiable reason for me to raise my ire.

I suppose that I should not be surprised when someone casts a "blanket" condemnation of a particular group of people from a given region, I assume that it makes them feel superior possibly???

Well lets give it a try, now if I were to say something like...

"All Northerners are A**holes and enunciate as if they have a mouth full of dung"

Does this make me feel better about myself and my life???

I think not.

Guess I will return to a generally amicable and congenial interactive template(even if there are some who question my motives)

Pass the chicken & biscuits please...

Hehe, the North and South still have issues with each other even after all these years. Anyhow, I live in the U.K (funny enough we have a North/South rivalry too, although we've never been to war about it, instead we just call each other names) and I've been to neither place but if I did go to the U.S I would want to go to the South to try out their food, I'm fairly trim but I do love food, I don't just taste food.....I experience it.

Originally posted by Iamonlyhuman

"When you're poor, you tend to eat more calorie-dense foods because they're cheaper than fruits and vegetables," explains Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America. Poor neighborhoods also have fewer grocery stores, even in the rural South.

Sorry, not buying it. It's a cultural thing.. we love fried things and biscuits and gravy, to name two. Plus, the fact that it's very easy climate-wise to grow vegies. Ever heard the title "Fat and happy"?

We do like more fattening foods in general down this way. I am in Tex-Mex country, though, so i get to have the fattening Mexican fare as well.

but the point that you are disputing is real. I have told the story on ATS before, but will tell again.

I have seen a guy turned away from plasma donation because his BP was too high. The nurse was counseling him about medical attention,a nd recommending limited calorie intake. She asked him what he had for supper the night before, so she could work off a real world example. He told her he had eaten a pack of hot dogs. She said, "See, that is a good example of a bad food choice. You should choose a salad or even just pasta instead of a pack of hot dogs."

He told her, "I only had a buck to eat with, and a pack of hot dogs were only 89 cents" (this was 1993). He went on to explain that, since he could not donate plasma, he would not be able to eat that night, since he was broke.

Yes, being poor is a major factor in obesity. I can buy a Totino's pizza (feeds just over 1 person) for under a dollar. Taco Bell keeps singing to me with "69, 79, 89, aye-ya-ya!". Cheap food is unhealthy, and tastes nowhere near as good as something that is more healthy.

It's cause we know how to cook and we know how to eat!

Can't beat good BBQ and ice cold beer and some good biscuts and gravy.

I don't have much of a weight problem because of what I eat, it's from lack of cardio exercise. We have weights at home, which I use, but I don't have anywhere safe (traffic wise) to walk and I find I get lazy when I think of getting in the car and driving somewhere to do it, so I have nothing to blame it on buy myself. When my daughter starts cheerleading next week, I'll walk for and hour or more when I'm waiting for her at practice by using the ball fields at the school.

We do eat alot of fried food at my house, but we eat more fruits and veggies. I don't agree with the article as we have a pretty good garden and so does everyone else I know. The grocery stores have good produce and there are tons of tailgate markets in addition to a big farmers market.

But then again, what did Paula Deen say about food...something like it wasn't good unless it was covered in butter or fried. I don't remember the exact quote, but go on line and search her recipes...they'll kill ya, but they're good.
I know also the school my daughter attends has good healthy food, but that may be because it is elementary and she hasn't gotten to middle school where they have more choices that aren't so healthy, but she eats healthy on her own, I don't have to tell her. She's always been one to order apple dippers and milkor salad and a fruit salad or fruit and yogurt
at Mc Donalds instead of fries.

At my part time job at the grocery, I see people with food stamps buying tons of mac and cheese and rice a roni and chips and meat and processed lunchmeat and frozen dinners, seldom healthier choices. I think alot of it boils down to laziness but alot of times fixing a salad doesn't take much longer than 5 minutes of frozen food in a microwave. If states are worried about obesity, then they need to crackdown on what is covered with foodstamps. I mean energy drinks...gimme a break.

Oh well. It boils down to personal choices.

[edit on 7/11/09 by opal13]

I didn't know obesity was only rampant in the south.

I have been from California to NY and I haven't noticed a big differance in the weight of people.

There is a thread I just posted that may possibly be of interest to anyone who is overweight.

Evidently along with the health risks that are linked with being overweight such as heart disease and diabetes etc. now it appears there is an increased risk of death for obese people from complications associated with contracting the H1N1 "Swine" flu.


Obesity emerges as risk factor in severe flu

Most women in America have undiagnosed hypothiroidism. They could exercise and eat sticks and berries and they would still gain weight easily and have difficult time losing weight. Dieting is popular with women in the south but yoga and weight lifting are not all that popular with Southern women.

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman


I used to be a lil chubby last year, about 155, and i'm 5'6, 16 years old, so i just started hittin the gyms and the weights, three protein shakes a day, no fatty food like pork, then i quit meat for about a month, before i started getting sick. now i'm back to my normal eating habits(except for pork), and i can't ever get over 135, probably because i exercise twice a day, most days. But yeah man, people in the south, love that pork, biscuits and gravy, i should know i'm black and from NC.