No more Super Size at McDonalds

[Uraniun235]

But it really irks me to see people abuse their body that way. It rubs the salt in the wound when they know it too.

Part of the problem is just simple laziness.

Someone needs to remind the Christians that gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. That ought to do it.

I thought the "deadly sins" concept was Catholic? In any case, it certainly doesn't prevent them from doing other things like Lust or Greed. (And I think Sloth would be more applicable.)

[Luzifer's right hand]

Large fries is the biggest portion available in Austria.
I prefer regular menus myself.
Large is too much just for me.

[Crayz9000]

I suspect that the majority of American voters won't pay more taxes just to promote healthy lifestyles. The minute you talk about something like this, some conservative will grumble about "social engineering" and "paternalistic government" and your support will evapourate. They will only unhesitatingly support higher taxes for blowing up other countries or promoting "Christian values".

But we like blowing shit up!

[Robert Treder]

Sorry to chime in on something from page two, but:

Change the standards in public school so that it's OK to make fun of fat kids again, like it was when I was a kid. Stop humouring the "it's just genetics" bullshit being spewed by such kids and their parents. When the parents complain, ask them to step on a weigh scale first.

What kind of schools do they have in Canada? It's perfectly acceptable to make fun of fat kids at school, and in fact, we did it almost every day. It didn't make the fat kids skinnier.

About restaurants and responsibility: of course the restaurants are responsible for making fat people fat, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they should stop serving unhealthy food. I, for one, don't go to restaurants with the intent to eat healthily. If people want to eat well, they can make their own food or go to a healthy restaurant (they do exist).

And as for solutions, all I see are lamentations or pie-in-the-sky solutions.

Education? I was told in school since kindergarten how to eat right, and it didn't seem to sink in with some of my classmates. What more can they do?

Forced exercise? Good luck. I wouldn't oppose this if it ever happened, but I also don't think that obesity is enough of a problem to go through the trouble of pissing off that many fat people.

In general, I'm a socialist, and a proponent of paternalistic government. But when it comes to personal health, I think people are just too stupid to even be worth the trouble. If they can't figure out the problem with "feels good now but bad effects later" then do we really want them living as long as possible anyways?

[Illuminatus Primus]

Re: Admiral Valdemar's story, that's different from my own experiences. For some reason, I've found that wealthy people (around here, at least) tend to be thinner than poorer people for some reason (I've always surmised that it's because they have more spare time and they're more concerned with appearances, so they exercise a lot; it could also be that my sample size is waaaaaay too small ).

Part of America's elitism has to do with this. Expensive, varied, particularly ethnic and/or gourmet food is more likely to be smaller while tasting better, more varied in nutrients, etc.

Wealthy people are generally highly aware of their social stance compared to others and have the spare time and cash for personal trainers, gym memberships, special foods, etc.

And another biggie is the fact that fewer and fewer parents can cook varied, nutritious, decent meals anymore. The fact my mom can cook real food and taught me how to, and fed us right is one of the integral reasons I'm healthy, strong, and agile, and so many other people without that are not.

[Illuminatus Primus]

I'm actually sick of my thinness, but I can't put any weight on, metabolism burns too quick to gain a gram.

I have this "problem" too.

Only protein gorging and extensive weight training gets me anywhere; and never a gram of bodyfat seems to appear.

[Darth Servo]

Someone needs to remind the Christians that gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. That ought to do it.

The main problem isn't that they're eating too much, its that they eat crap.

[Iceberg]

Someone needs to remind the Christians that gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. That ought to do it.

Because we all know that the best way to fight a social wrong is to whine about somebody else's alleged hypocrisy.

[Vympel]

Well OK, if that's no solution to child obesity, then what's the answer?

Being teased at school did shit for me when I was fat- probably because I was at an all boys private school and there was not a girl in sight. What did make me lose weight was university and the opposite sex. I went from fat to slim in the space of a year, and have stayed that way for 5 years. Some relatives still don't recognize me unless they see me with my parents and realise who I'm supposed to be.

Heh, unfortunately, I don't think you can regulate fat kids waking up and smelling the coffee in terms of their love life, or the deleterious effect being fat has on it (unless you're one of those overweight dudes who somehow doens't let it effect their confidence).

EDIT: added "have" in front of stayed that way. Almost made it sound like I had gone back to fat.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Nice, Vyp. Amazing what the T&A about will do for motivation.

The searing pain in my upper body is proof enough. Us simple creatures.

[Sporkzen]

cest la vie, i got food poisoning form mcdonalds twice in my life wont eat there again.

Now if you want big portions get one of them 1/3 pounders from hardees now. Now thats a good burger. hehe

Speaking of the mcdonalds issue though.
Supersize or not your still eating shit, just different sized portions.

[Vympel]

Nice, Vyp. Amazing what the T&A about will do for motivation.

The searing pain in my upper body is proof enough. Us simple creatures.

Well, it did go too far. I was really thin for a time- not anorexic or anything, but definitely not at my optimal bodyweight. Same problem as you- even with protein drinks and all that shit, I can't seem to pack on the weight. Slowly but surely. I'm at 67kg now. Being 5'7, that's not heavy enough.

[Robert Treder]

Well, it did go too far. I was really thin for a time- not anorexic or anything, but definitely not at my optimal bodyweight. Same problem as you- even with protein drinks and all that shit, I can't seem to pack on the weight. Slowly but surely. I'm at 67kg now. Being 5'7, that's not heavy enough.

You sure? I weigh roughly the same (150 lbs) and I'm 6', and according to the chart at the doctor's office, I'm just barely on the low-end of the "healthy" zone. Just barely, but still in.

[Gandalf]

I am the exact opposite. I was a pudgy baby and ate anything until I started getting older and thinner. We're on the same curve just different ends.

I'm actually sick of my thinness, but I can't put any weight on, metabolism burns too quick to gain a gram.

Just like me.

I know your pain. I'm stuck at 63kgs and 183cms tall. I need more weight.

[Crayz9000]

I think that goes for a lot of us.

(But eating at McD's isn't going to help anything either.)

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Just like me.

I know your pain. I'm stuck at 63kgs and 183cms tall. I need more weight.

So go pump some iron.

[Peregrin Toker]

I'm actually sick of my thinness, but I can't put any weight on, metabolism burns too quick to gain a gram.

I have this "problem" too.

Only protein gorging and extensive weight training gets me anywhere; and never a gram of bodyfat seems to appear.

I know somebody who suffers from the worst possible extent of this problem - a girl who's wrongly diagnosed with anorexia simply because she is extremely lanky.

[Peregrin Toker]

I know somebody who suffers from the worst possible extent of this problem - a girl who's wrongly diagnosed with anorexia simply because she is extremely lanky.

I should add that she and all her friends know well that her eating habits are perfectly normal and she incidentally happens to have a very fast metabolism.

[Vympel]

You sure? I weigh roughly the same (150 lbs) and I'm 6', and according to the chart at the doctor's office, I'm just barely on the low-end of the "healthy" zone. Just barely, but still in.

Really? Maybe I'm just naturally slim. Hard to believe after all this time being called fat (my entire life up to 19 yrs old).

[Joe]

I'm about 5'9.5 and 140 pounds. My mom is always bitching at me for being too slim.

[Tsyroc]

I'm about 5'9.5 and 140 pounds. My mom is always bitching at me for being too slim.

Supposedly by being a little under weight you'll live longer, as long as you don't get ill. In that case it's better to be slightly over "ideal" body weight.

I've always been at least on the high end of what is supposed to be the ideal weight for my height which has tended to make me feel like I'm fat even when I was running track (I was fatter than many of the other guys on the team but not "fat").


Ideal Body Weight Calculator

[Tsyroc]

I think if you use that calculator you'll find that at your height and weight you fall into the suggested range. Since you are still in college I'm assuming you are in your early twenties? If so I doubt you'll have to try to put on weight later on. It just tends to come all on it's own.

[Wicked Pilot]

I would think that generally those who are succesfull are so due to a strong work ethic, which in turn also helps them with weight and appearance management. You don't become rich by being lazy, but that is how you become overweight. Obviousily genetics plays a huge factor in how individual bodies handle food, but it is not something that personal drive cannot overcome.

As to what to do about obesity, I really don't think that anything short of a famine will change the situation. So unless you want to automatically sent all overweight persons over to Africa in exchange for their straving populace, I don't see anyting changing any time soon.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Well, it did go too far. I was really thin for a time- not anorexic or anything, but definitely not at my optimal bodyweight. Same problem as you- even with protein drinks and all that shit, I can't seem to pack on the weight. Slowly but surely. I'm at 67kg now. Being 5'7, that's not heavy enough.

Wow.

I'm at 165 and 5'11 1/2''.

And I'm still trying to put on.

[DPDarkPrimus]

I'm about 5'9.5 and 140 pounds. My mom is always bitching at me for being too slim.

Fatty. I'm 5'6 and barely 100 lbs.