[OT] Why are so many Americans "overweight"

[MaxKaladin]

2) PARENTS ARE RETARDED!!!!

I've noticed this a lot nowadays. When I was a kid (only 20 years ago) we *never* wore helmets, kneepads, etc. If you fell down and broke your arm, oh well, it healed. Nowadays kids are pampered and cushioned and protected. Show me ANY kid on tv who rides a bike without a helmet. Soccer moms listen to the sensational news reports about SIDS or kidnappings (like that girl in Utah who had 300 FBI agents looking for her when several other cases go unsolved each year, but that's another topic) and they get the idea that kids are being kidnapped left and right. These parents then overreact, and THAT's the safety issue that someone else was talking about. An overreaction, not an indication that it's truly dangerous outside.

I'm the one who brought it up and that's exactly what I'm talking about. Its not real danger, its overhyped dangers from everything under the sun that makes overprotective mothers try to lock their kids away where they will be safe. Its not just crime. Its all kinds of stuff. I have two nephews and one niece under the age of 18. Their mothers get paranoind about every possible hazzard. One of them won't even let the kid walk barefoot outside because she's just sure he's going to get injured somehow. Sure there is a remote possibility of danger, but my generation somehow made it through childhood healthy walking barefoot all summer.

 

[Spindel]

No! There hasn't been nearly enough Australia v's America!

Right, we're not as obese, but apparently, and this is based on what I've overheard from that terribly reliable and completely objective source, TV, that we have a greater rate of increase. So watch out America, Australia's coming to steal you fat flag!!

Now to go eat a cream bun.

Seriously though, I'm of the opinion that obesity is a factor of suburban living. There's typically lots of food, everythings conveniently close and if it isn't, there's plenty of consideration for cars. I don't keep much track of my weight (91kg according to the scales at the vets) but I used to be a lot more... flabbier.

I'm looking (and feeling) a lot healthier because of two (threeish) things.
1) I moved to a house on 22 achres, and it's just plain nice to go wander around it. That and I've now taken up fencing (not that silly sword thing).
2) My wife found she had a minor sugar intoerance and as a result of use cleaning up our diet we really cut back on the amount of meat we consume. I still think we could cut it back more, but I don't see any real point right now.
3) We got a 2nd dog, a Border collie-Kelpy cross which has too much energy, more so than our other dog (whose just over 12 months) so now I play with them an keep them tired.

I've seen plently of statistics about abesity, but I'd like more info about the source. From my observation, people who live in a more spacious area don't have nearly the same problem. Is it largely a lfunction of suburbia?

There is, however, a problem with using wieght as an indication. My wife took up a job working in stables a while back and she put on weight. Why? Because she built up a whole lot of muscles, which are denser than fat.

And to tie this thread back into the forums, I think the class with the lowest body fat ratio would have to be the Monk.