Becuase Everything Else Sucks

The Obesity Problem Grows Larger

By Manila Ryce
Published Thursday, August 17th, 2006, 4:57 pm
Filed under: Health, Economic, World Issues, Society/Culture

According to Professor Barry Popkin, of the University of North Carolina, the population of obese people in the world now outnumbers the world’s hungry. He says that it is not only the rich and urban who are affected but also the poor. There are now an estimated 1 billion overweight people compared to the 800 million who are undernourished. This large increase in large people is the result of new unhealthy diets and a less active lifestyle.

China typified the changes, with a major shift in diet from cereals to animal products and vegetable oils accompanied by a decline in physical work, more motorized transport and more television viewing, he added.

And he urged governments to begin to develop better strategies to combat the problem. He said food prices could be used to manipulate people’s diets and tilt them towards healthier options. “For instance, if we charge money for every calorie of soft drink and fruit drink that was consumed, people would consume less of it. “If we subsidize fruit and vegetable production, people would consume more of it and we would have a healthier diet.”

University of Minnesota’s Professor Benjamin Senauer has also done significant research into the problem by analyzing Japanese and American lifestyles. While he thinks a direct tax on certain foods would be unacceptable, due to the corporate/government interaction in the US, he does think agricultural subsidies for certain cheap foods could be reduced. He cited exercise and spending habits in the US to also be major factors. “The average Japanese household spends almost a quarter of its income on food compared to under 14% in the US,” he said. “Japanese cities are based on efficient public transport and walking. The average American commutes to work, drives to the supermarket and does as little walking as possible.”

source
thanks to DarkAngelJG for the story

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6 Responses to “The Obesity Problem Grows Larger”

  1. The picture is horrific.
    I mean a parent seing their child like this and not doing anything just proves how much the parent doesn’t care. Children and overweight non adults should be allowed free gym passes, get free training sessions at local areas, have bike races etc…
    i understand some get it genetically but Mc D is the lest place to be if you have such problems.. for the love of god… i haven;t stepped into a Mc D since i was 10 and even then it was a treat!

    DarkAngelJG
    08/18/06 at 1:18 am

  2. I think the economic factor is far more prevalent than the genetic one, (as always it seems!) Shitty food is simply, in most cases, cheaper. In an age of $3 gas, rising costs of living, a congress that refuses to lift minimum wage, and fear of inflation, the cost of buying food is no small motivation. As stated by the article, the government Could have a very substantial effect by alleviating these costs, or rather, the Perceived cost of healthier food and food “dealers,” not to mention the point about public and human powered transportation. As is evident, however, our government sees no reason for Americans to change their lifestyles AT ALL. This, just as the depleting oil reserves, the Climate Crisis, and evolution, are Liberal Hoaxes, aimed only at destroying the Christian Ideals that makes this country so fucking “great!”
    The people aren’t off the hook either. I’ve acted as a physical trainer a few times, that is, trained friends and family who asked me to do so, as well as in the work place. For a person to live a healthier life requires good ol’ fashion exercise and better eating, (I don’t say diets because diets are bullshit.) The obstacle almost all of the people I have worked with run into right away is the breaking of their old habits, namely the shit they are so used to eating and think they can’t live without. Consistantly, after only a few weeks on better food, which coincidentally they get to eat More of, their taste for shit lessens. But in the beginning, the will to Actually change a person’s own lifestyle turns out to be less than they really thought. “I don’t wan’t to die from obesity, but I REALLY love Del Taco!!” Oh, I sympathize, changing one’s own lifestyle, one that one has lived with for most of one’s life, and sometimes having to change it drastically, is daunting and even scary. But I argue the wisdom of Not doing something that could greatly improve one’s quality of life because it’s “Really Hard.”
    Lastly, this isn’t a socialist state. Economically facist, maybe, but still socially and technically a democracy. The right for people to chose how to live their lives, even if it kills ‘em, must be protected in all its forms, including the right for people to chose Not to go to the gym. This isn’t China. The benefits of State Mandated Exercise, while real and admirable, cannot supercede one’s inherent right to fuck themselves up with fat. No, the government must not wield its power in this regard, but instead, use the vast influence of economical facism to “nudge” people in this direction. It’s worked so many times before, for instance, in the age of $3.25/gallon, somehow SUV’s, V8’s, and Hummers continue to be GM’s top sellers. So if it’s possible to “nudge” Americans this way, it should be possible to “nudge” ‘em in a good way, right?
    Yes, I know, very idealistic. Perhaps Mandatory Exercise would be far more practical…

    PapaFigue
    08/18/06 at 10:36 am

  3. I like the idea of subsidizing healthy food. There are so many beneficial changes that the government can make, yet all the controversy is about gay marriage and abortion. Stuff like this never even gets brought up because of all the knee jerk reaction issues that the politicians live by.

    And there is a government mandated exercise program…in school. It’s called P.E. But once you leave school you have to get your own fat ass up off the couch and work at it.

    And Dan, the reason why the government *should* take an active interest in the health of it’s citizens is that there will be no more fat chicks! Have you ever been to a country where only 10% or less of it’s population is overweight? I haven’t, but it sure sounds nice.

    Kaziglu Bey
    08/18/06 at 11:13 am

  4. @ Kaziglu Bey: Yes, PE. PE has been reduced in most states to maybe once or twice a week sessions. I used to love PE. It sucks now.
    As far as fat chicks, there are two countries that immediately come to mind: Brazil, and the Czech Republic. Some of THE HOTTEST women in the world. Of course hot women mean more fucking. The last thing our Christian Government wants, for some gay reason, is more fucking. I think the government will rather take an active role in altering our standards of beauty so fat people become sexy. I think it’s already started with the recent BBW phenomenon. We must resist! The only alternative I can see is finding those Christian chicks who think Oral and Anal are LOOPHOLES. (Where the fuck were they when I was Christian?!)

    PapaFigue
    08/18/06 at 8:07 pm

  5. I still insist they could economically influence life styles. Forexample, as PapaGFigue said, unhealthy food is alot cheaper. Other things i proposed could be done too specially Gyms… In the Uk gyms are an expensive luxury…iam talking about my local gym charging Ł40 pounds per month membership (and thats a low price because u sign a contract for a whole year!)! In university forexample it was Ł30 per annum… i used to go to the gym daily and sometimes even twice now i only cycle and in cold windy days i just do my own aerobics. Point is, they are making it unaffordable for people to live healthy lifestyles, which means more obese people, more diabetes/ heart disease/ blood pressure/ which means more money needs to be pumped into healthcare (the NHS (our health care service) is already in A LOT of debt!).

    DarkAngelJG
    08/19/06 at 3:17 am

  6. Colonics baby.

    Colonics.

    I swear by them, I do.

    yazo
    08/24/06 at 5:10 pm

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