Why is everybody so FAT???

[69finder]

There's nothing you can click (except maybe the ShutDown button) to help weight loss.

People are afraid of hard work.  They want the easiest job for the most pay. 

Some guy broke down today, and they all drove around him.  It's rush hour and he's holding up traffic.  I pulled up and offered to push his car out of the intersection.  Then I ran back to my car.  I guess it was just easier for the 100 other people to just 'drive around.'

[Silver R/T]

Mostly people that are on welfare, they sit at home, eat snacks while watching tv, go out to McDonald's, go back home and eat some more. There are some people with thyroid problems but there's not many of them. Most of obese people lack exercise and good diet.

[Brock Lee]

I agree that fructose has a role, but it isn't the only one. This country eats more than it used to. Whenever I have friends come in from abroad, they are shocked by the portions at our restaurants. When I was a kid, the fries and sodas at McDonalds were no where near as big as they are now. The Quarter pounder and Big Mac were huge at the time, now there are even bigger burgers on the menu, and sometimes even "double meat" versions made available.

Another problem I see is many people only eat once a day. They figure they can eat a big meal at the end of the day and be alright. But the body slows the metabolism down when you do that.

[440]

I sort of come from the other side of the fence. I was 6' and 135lbs at one stage. I used to ride my bike everywhere and work on my cars. My mind was always busy so I wouldn't really think about food, plus I always tried to eat fairly healthy. I also used to walk every day during my lunch break.

Now that I'm married etc I've cut out the bike, don't work on the cars as much and eat much crappier food. I've noticed a fair weight gain and I'm not nearly as fit as I was.

I think as long as you eat well, exercise a little bit and not stuff your face with crap you'll feel pretty good. As long as you burn more calories than you consume you will lose weight. Eating smaller more frequent meals helps instead of a mass calorie hit, and eating slower, smaller mouthfulls helps also. It takes roughly 10 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that it's full.

[Mike DC]

     
Portion size is part of the problem for sure.  I'm average size and I get full after 1/3 of what most restaurants call a regular meal.  It's crazy.

[Tilar]

Eating smaller more frequent meals helps instead of a mass calorie hit, and eating slower....

That's part of my problem. For so many years the only time I managed to eat lunch was between customers and sometimes it would take me 30 to 45 minutes or even an hour to eat a sandwich and maybe a bag of chips... As a result I just ate real fast to get it down while it was still hot. Then I decided to wait till mid afternoon to eat, so up until maybe 5 years ago I would eat one big meal around 2pm or so and that was my meal for the day. I'm eating 3 meals now but I still catch myself eating fast.

[doctor4766]

My excuse for being a little overweight (well around my tummy) is beer. 


I'm suprised at the comment about Maccas burgers being large.
Here in Oz they're pathetically small, in particular the Big Mac. Go figure..

[BigBlackDodge]

We're not fat...............we're just big boned! (as in skeleton................don't go crazy on me!)


BBD 

[TK73]

We're not fat...............we're just big boned!

[skip68]

I still blame lack of exercise as the real problem.  I know plenty of people that eat like crap and are thin because they're active.   Some people can eat anything they want and never gain weight while others gain just by looking at food.   You know what I mean.   It's body chemistry that determines fat burn rate and everyone's different.   

[Old Moparz]

I still blame lack of exercise as the real problem.  I know plenty of people that eat like crap and are thin because they're active.   Some people can eat anything they want and never gain weight while others gain just by looking at food.   You know what I mean.   It's body chemistry that determines fat burn rate and everyone's different.   

Same thing goes for poison ivy. I know people that can roll naked in it & never feel itchy, but if I see it I start scratching. 

[skip68]

    
There wouldn't happen to be pictures of these people rolling naked by chance? 

[Old Moparz]

   
There wouldn't happen to be pictures of these people rolling naked by chance? 

No, just video I took when I was at Maxim's photo shoot for the "Models Camping In the Woods" issue.

[nvrbdn]

yea, we dont even need the pic's to be taken around poison ivy. just lots of naked women rolling anywhere will do.

[Dino]

yea, we dont even need the pic's to be taken around poison ivy. just lots of naked women rolling anywhere will do.

They can be just standing still for all I care.  See?  I'm not picky.

[Back N Black]

Because someone is not over weight does not mean they are in good physical shape. You still require cardio and strength training. I know skinny people with no muscle tone at all, just skinny and flabby. 

[nh_mopar_fan]

Because someone is not over weight does not mean they are in good physical shape. You still require cardio and strength training. I know skinny people with no muscle tone at all, just skinny and flabby. 

Absolutely. My sister-in-law is tiny. She's a size 1. She gets winded walking up a hill.

The issue is portion size and exercise. Stop eating crap and get off you ass.

Stop looking for the spot closest to the door when you go to the mall. Park the furthest away and WALK. Take the stairs. It all adds up.

[Paul G]

Live fat and die young!

My Dad spent 1 1/2 years in a nursing home before he passed away at 89 years old. In that home all the residents were thin people, old people, but thin. What I am thinking is that fat people dont live long enough to need elder care. My Dad was not a thin man, just a little over weight, but he worked hard all of his life, well in to his 80's and he stayed active.

[A383Wing]

Another way to look at it is this:

"If I'm gonna die, it's gonna be on my terms: Fat, Happy, & Full"

Bryan

[Steve P.]

I want to add something about those in wheelchairs and using powered chairs. DO NOT take anything for granted when you see someone in a chair or parking in a handicapped spot. Just because you can't SEE what is wrong with someone does not mean they are just fat and need help moving around. I'll give you 2 examples.

1) Before I broke my back in 97', part of my job was working on the top of 400 foot smoke stacks. 4 plus times per day I had to climb straight up the side to the top. Always carrying tools and sometimes steel and suitcase welders with welding cables and rod.. End of the day everything had to come back down. After breaking my back I put on nearly 80 pounds. Lack of exercise, yes. Lots of drugs to relieve pain also had this funny side effect. I gained like a monster. I cannot walk very far and park in handicapped parking spots. About half of the time I do not look like I have a bad back on the way in to do my shopping. But I need a cart to keep me vertical pushing a cart and by the time I am done shopping, (about an hour), I am having issues walking...

2) My wife has MS. She is 5'8" 126 pounds.. She has many of the same issues walking only hers are due to muscle problems.. She also cannot walk far or carry much of anything and sometimes uses the powered chairs at the stores... To look at her you would never know there was a damned thing wrong with her. Although you would never see her on a really bad day due to her not getting out of bed....

So before you pass judgement when you see someone using a powered chair or in a handicapped spot, think of this..

If you could see what is really wrong with someone just by looking at them, you would have millions of people asking for the exact problem and you would be very rich... I also think we'd have a name for you like DOCTOR....

One last thing. I know many of us here have these same type issues. They are all saying: YOU GOT THAT RIGHT, right now. For the rest of you, be happy you have no issues that cause you to need help from a machine....  

[Steve P.]

I still blame lack of exercise as the real problem.  I know plenty of people that eat like crap and are thin because they're active.   Some people can eat anything they want and never gain weight while others gain just by looking at food.   You know what I mean.   It's body chemistry that determines fat burn rate and everyone's different.   

Absolutely true.... Everything adds up. Nothing like being capable of exercise or having that SKINNY gene.

My buddy Doug does everything wrong as far as eating. He is now about 60 and still weighs 165 pounds at 5'8'. Pizza and beer at least 5 nights per week. Wendy's and Burger King when he's not in line at Drunken Doughnuts.. His only exercise is going to the fridge for yet another beer... We met when I was 14 and he has always been exactly like this... 

[Brock Lee]

My Dad spent 1 1/2 years in a nursing home before he passed away at 89 years old. In that home all the residents were thin people, old people, but thin. What I am thinking is that fat people dont live long enough to need elder care.

No, that is the nursing home watching their patients diet. My great grandmother lived to 100. She was a heavyset Italian woman. The last 10 years she was in a nursing home and the she lost all her weight within a short time after her arrival as they paid attention to what she ate.

[twodko]

I want to add something about those in wheelchairs and using powered chairs. DO NOT take anything for granted when you see someone in a chair or parking in a handicapped spot. Just because you can't SEE what is wrong with someone does not mean they are just fat and need help moving around. I'll give you 2 examples.

1) Before I broke my back in 97', part of my job was working on the top of 400 foot smoke stacks. 4 plus times per day I had to climb straight up the side to the top. Always carrying tools and sometimes steel and suitcase welders with welding cables and rod.. End of the day everything had to come back down. After breaking my back I put on nearly 80 pounds. Lack of exercise, yes. Lots of drugs to relieve pain also had this funny side effect. I gained like a monster. I cannot walk very far and park in handicapped parking spots. About half of the time I do not look like I have a bad back on the way in to do my shopping. But I need a cart to keep me vertical pushing a cart and by the time I am done shopping, (about an hour), I am having issues walking...

2) My wife has MS. She is 5'8" 126 pounds.. She has many of the same issues walking only hers are due to muscle problems.. She also cannot walk far or carry much of anything and sometimes uses the powered chairs at the stores... To look at her you would never know there was a damned thing wrong with her. Although you would never see her on a really bad day due to her not getting out of bed....

So before you pass judgement when you see someone using a powered chair or in a handicapped spot, think of this..

If you could see what is really wrong with someone just by looking at them, you would have millions of people asking for the exact problem and you would be very rich... I also think we'd have a name for you like DOCTOR....

One last thing. I know many of us here have these same type issues. They are all saying: YOU GOT THAT RIGHT, right now. For the rest of you, be happy you have no issues that cause you to need help from a machine....  

[twodko]

Sorry guys, I screwed up the "quote reply" thingy all to hell and back.
I was referring to Steve P's post 69. Damn man.....I can't see the freakin' keyboard through my waterworks here. Our families could be dopplegangers..........it's like a mirror......a soul ripping mirror. It breaks and breaks an keeps breaking. You and me same same....your Mrs. MS.....mine Fahr's.
I feel you bro.

[69finder]

Steve; I don't think anyone is passing judgement.  They are commenting on what the OP said, and that's about weight gain 'in general'.  There's lots of easy ways to gain weight and eat badly, not exercise etc.

But to do the 'right' thing is very difficult.  And the worst part is, for some people, even doing the right thing won't work.  Or it works so slowly that most people just give up.

The body is an extremely effective homeostatic device, it wants to keep things 'status' quo.  If you slowly add calories, your body will adjust to maintain it's weight to a certain point.  If you decide to change your mind and lose those calories, your body is going to resist. 

Some people just can't exercise, their knees and body just cannot handle the stress.  Some people's environment is impossible to change.  We are not trying to pass judgement, I think most of us are trying to help in any way we can.

I just offered my advice, the best I have is; drink 3 glasses of water before eating.  Water is always good for you.  It's going to pre-reduce the appetite (really most people can survive on little to no calories for a LONG time!).  It doesn't take much effort and most people are dehydrated.  It confuses the body when it's thirsty and it's fed food.  (You need water to break down food btw making the situation worse).