[OT] Why are so many Americans "overweight"

[Uller]

Wouldn't that make you tall/bulky rather than fat? Not that Americans aren't often taller and bulkier than us skinny Euros, also.

This is true. The larger proportions of meat and calcium in our diet has lead us to be larger. I read somewhere that in WWI the average American "dough-boy" was several inches taller than the average Brit or French soldier.

I saw someone mention they were trying to lose weight. Forget the fade diets, the pills, the powders, etc. Consume fewer calories than you burn per day. It isn't as hard as it sounds. I tried Atkins...it worked, but I just couldn't live like that. I _like_ bread and pasta and cake...I don't want to give up my favorite foods.

I was 200 pounds...am down to about 180 now. How? Easy(sort of): 5 days per week I consume about 1500 calories. Weekends are tougher so I allow one day of 2000 and one "cheat day" of 2500 or so. I've been losing about 1 pound or so per week. Take it slow. You probably took 10 or more years to put it on...take it slow taking it off. The important thing is you find a way that you can eat FOREVER because if you go back to your old habits.

A 1500 calorie day is tough, but with the cheat days inbetween it is A LOT easier.

Typical 1500 calorie day:

1 cup cereal + 1/2 1% milk = 200 calories (Even sugary cereals like Capt Crunch only have about 150 calories in a cup!)

Can of Campbells Chunky soup (Beef w/ vegatables): 320 calories

2 Pieces of Dominoes Pizza (no meat toppings!) = 600 calories
Small Salad w/ Dressing and toppings = 200 calories

Small Snack before bed (Banana and 1 cup of 1% Milk) = 205 calories

Total for day = 1525 calories. Throw in assorted pretzels and carrots for when you have a craving and you've got 1600-1650 calories. A typical male in his 20s or 30s burns about 2400 calories in day without exercise. So that is about 800 calories per day burned (average of about 600 or so after the cheat day). Every 500 calories you cut out of your diet per day is 1 pound per week. So this is consistant with the results I've been seeing.

On the 2000 calorie day, try to get in some nutritious food (but enjoy yourself a little too). On the cheat day (Game day! I could not "diet" while playing D&D to save my life) eat whatever you want...just be reasonable. At all costs avoid sugary drinks and beer except your cheat day and then limit them.

This has been working for me. As I get closer to my goal (165), I'll slowly start increasing my portions. The point is, I'm learning what I can eat in a day. This is what is REALLY important. Going on a "diet" that is aimed at quick weight loss is totally useless because you don't learn how to eat normally so when you reach yoru goal (or give up) you gain back everything and then some.

Note that you can eat just about anything you want. You just have to be aware of how much you can eat. You don't have to count every calorie every day. Just write down what you eat every day for a week or two. Add up the calories. Adjust down until you start losing. Eventually you learn how to do it and you don't have to write everything down or add up exactly what you are eating...you just start to have a general awareness of what you can eat.

Last week I had ribs and pizza almost every night for dinner and still lost over a pound. Lunches are generally soup, Subway or some other sandwich around 300 calories or so.

Here is a link to a good calorie guide.

Here is a link that will tell you how much is in your favorite fast food.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

This hits the nail on the head IMO. Americans do eat more than Europeans, bigger portions, better food (than us Brits), and lots of all-you-can-eat deals. But the big reason for widespread obesity is lack of exercise - most Americans don't seem to walk anywhere, they drive. I remember my first visit to America, complaining to my American (future) wife that we never walked anywhere. She took me the 1/4 mile 'walk' to the nearest post office. Suburban Knoxville in August. Hell on Earth.

1/4 mile of no sidewalk, poison ivy, 100% humidity, 100 degrees fahrenheit heat, cars whizzing past, people looking at us from the cars like we were escaped felons...

We staggered back into the apartment after the 1/2 mile round trip, drenched in sweat, exhausted, and in my case convinced never to try walking in the USA again outside officially designated walking zones (national parks, city centres etc).

S'mon, I totally understand!!! I have been there, dude.

The massive growth in American cities in the last 50 years has mostly been in "suburbs". Suburbs are planned for the convenience of cars, not people. Look at your typical grocery store, the pedestrians have to walk across a massive, ugly parking lot dodging cars to buy food. Not just the big suburban wastelands, but most smallish towns in America are now pedestrian hostile.

I lived in a smallish college town once, and I gave up on walking places. I had to navigate too many hazards to scurry to decent sidewalks.

I think the biggest factor is actually the eating habits. But your comments are sure on the mark.

 

[The Forsaken One]

Now cut that out! We are not over weight! It’s just that every single American is big boned. Now stop picking on us or we will take turns sitting on you!

Ok that got me really scared....

But as for that, what also scares me is that fact that all you guys know how much calories you eat and how much is in what kinda food. I honestly know noone who even thinks that precisely in calories. Here we want to lose wait by eating other stuff and working more out (but doesn't always work, some people are born to be big, I am inclined to say sadly enough, but that is bull since I got a "big-boned" friend and his kinda happy the way he is so that would have been some Bssing on my part..)

And about vacations... hmm dunno about that. I just graduated from my eduaction (I'm 18 years old) and I have had a rediculous amount of vacation this year, almost 5 months (har har!) but that is exclusive to graduation year and students. Adults get far less, but don't dare to say how much working people get in vacation weeks/days.

But still, vacation and work have nothing to do with putting on weight. You really don't think that you lose wait in vacations now... most people stay slim by living healthy whaterver that may mean in its 2147128438 ways of explaining that. And it involves regular healthy meals, working out, and plenty of sleep. And that doesn't have anything to do with work or vacation. (not where I live )

(I live in Holland btw for people wondering where I live to put this discussion up, althought I thought I mensioned that before.. too lame to check)

But it's scary how much you obviously are busy with your food and your weight. Guess culture and living patterns are mostly to blame (the heavy calory food just makes it worse).

I had a conversation about a month ago with 2 americans (one from L.A. and one from Chicago) and a Canadian, an Australian, a Finnish girl, and myself. We talked for several hours about our countries, safety, education systems social healthcare, social security, hospitals, distances to important and unimportant facilities and the whole lot. Street safety, criminals and stuff.

Conclusion: I'd never rather live then where I live, although Europe on the whole is really safe compared with the states. Exept for some major cities, as Amsterdam in Holland to bad... that city is a shame to this country.... and we take pride in it as our capital.. But more and more people here are liking Amsterdam to go shopping of for a "day out" but to live there *shrug*. It's old, filthy, dangerous at night and very very much cheap neighbourhoods where illigals live and are almost most certainly criminals.

Another point (off topic and hopefully not hyjacking my own thread). 57% of dutch youthprisons are occupied by foreign kids and youths...... That 57% is generated by 1 million people or less.... 40% is Turkish or Maroccan... that is 40% generated by half a million people. And still they say that illigals and forreign people from certain countries have same chances and most likely don't become criminals *lol*. Statistics prove them very very wrong in this country.

And it's a cultural thing why they turn criminal, look to Asians, other europeans, americans. THey hardly ever turn to becoem a criminal or even do some minor crimes when they are youths as shoplifting or something "harmless". So it's definately cultural and it doesn't have anything to do with keeping and holding on to your own culture, just look at Chinese, Korean and Indonesian people. They work hard, and learn hard and contribute to society and hold on fiercely to their own culture and there is absolutely no conflict between european culture and theres. EXist next to eachother perfectly while other are just dynamite combined with european cuylture as most middle eastern and north african cultures... other mentallity and way of thinking. Beefs it all up...

 

[kingpaul]

The whole obesity guidelines/criteria are rather arbitrary anyway. What one person considers obese another might find just right.

This is incredibly true. I am 6'1", 275 lbs. I realize that I am overweight. However, the doctor's office that I go to is a teaching practice, and I'm on my 3rd...intern...resident (they've passed the boards, can't remember what the correct term is)? Anyway, the first one said I should drop 25-30 lbs. The 2nd said I should be at 180. The current one says 225. Its enough to make my head spin.

 

[kingpaul]

I have read that, the average American gets less vacation time and works longer hours than his European counterpart (sorry, I don't recall where I read this). If this is true, and he's in a desk-job, he's spending more time at that desk, and has less time to get out and exercise.

I know I read this somewhere as well. Many corporations in America (at least the ones I'm familiar with) don't give you vacation time until you've put a year in. I got 1 week after I finished 6 months, then went to 2 weeks when I completed 12 months. I hit 5 years next year, at which point I'll get my 3rd week. Week 4 comes at the 15 year mark, and week 5 at 25 year mark.

 

[The Forsaken One]

2 different things here.

1: How you feel and how happy you are with it in sense of do I find myself to fat or not hasn't got anything to do with the fact if you are overweight or not.
My advise as 18 year old (.. sigh I know) is to get into a shape and get to the weight at which you are happy, you can still each what you like and still enjoy everything while you are happy with your body. That's all for ourselves to find out!

2: Docters are crazy yes and how overweighted are they themselves ? Compare that to their advisory weight and maybe you'll find a coincidence

(I'm off to bed Cya in the morning)

 

[The Forsaken One]

I know I read this somewhere as well. Many corporations in America (at least the ones I'm familiar with) don't give you vacation time until you've put a year in. I got 1 week after I finished 6 months, then went to 2 weeks when I completed 12 months. I hit 5 years next year, at which point I'll get my 3rd week. Week 4 comes at the 15 year mark, and week 5 at 25 year mark.

Sick that's kinda crude..... we do 200 times better here with time off.... How much hours you work btw?

A full job is 38-40 hours a week here I thought.

[EDIT: now I'm really gone ]

 

[kingpaul]

Sick that's kinda crude..... we do 200 times better here with time off.... How much hours you work btw?

A full job is 38-40 hours a week here I thought.

[EDIT: now I'm really gone ]

Heh...I'm management...I work as much as my boss says I have to, and get no overtime compensation. I average 50-60/week....and lots of overnight traveling.

 

[Darkness]

Note: This thread is clearly OT, so I changed its title to reflect that fact.

 

[Blacksad]

some comments

Being the richest country in the world isn't a good explanation

the luxembourg has the biggest Gross Domestic Product per habitant in the world, and its population is less overweight than US population.
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/eppi-ibdrp/SI/prr2001/gdp_e.asp

also, the quantity of Calorie (or joules in International Unit) is neither a good explanation , France is very close to the U.S. in this field, and french doesn't tend to have much more exercice than american, but we have a lot less of overweight

Basicaly, you can eat as much vegetable as you want without getting overweight, its the kind of food and the quantity of the food that shouldn't be eat in large quantity, that give weight.

i.e. Soda and Hamburger

P.S.: exercice doesn't really make you to loose weight, some weight but not much, though it change your silhouette.

P.P.S.: their is other elements to explain why french are less overweight than american, including some strange chemicals elements in red wine.

P.P.P.S.: and France is the laziest country in the world, a full job is 35 hours per week

P.P.P.P.S: I can't provides links for the health articles, those are password protected and in french on www.larecherche.fr