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The scientific consensus on the "why" of America’s obesity problem has recently- since about 2002- undergone a profound paradigm shift.

 

The old way of thinking illustrated by the food pyramid with grains and carbs as the base of the pyramid is and was wrong and damaging. We should be eating far fewer carbs/grains (whether whole grain or not) and more fat and protein.

 

Respected physicians who head the nutrition science departments at Harvard and Duke have conducted clinical trials (not observational studies - for those who care about the distinction) which have shown:

 

1. Carbs cause insulin resistance which promotes obesity and weight gain.

2. Fat does not as previously thought cause heart disease.

3. Type 2 diabetes can be cured by practicing a LCHF (low carb/high fat) diet.

 

If diet, health, and weight gain/loss is a concern for you, please look into LCHF diets and do some research. Here are some valuable links:

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684196?dopt=Abstract

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html?scp=1&sq=what%20if%20its%20all%20been%20a%20big%20fat%20lie?&st=cse

 

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/

 

Stepping off my soap box now......

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Yep. And a big shout out to all the people on these boards who have recommended Good Calories, Bad Calories (which has a terrible title but actually includes some very impressive science) and Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It by the same author (same basic content but much more readable by a layperson). These books by Gary Taubes pull together lots of the research and report the same.

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None of this explains why other cultures with a diet that is heavily based on carbs do not have the same obesity problems as Americans do.

The main difference is not that the Americans eat more carbs (I am coming from a country of bread lovers with amazing bread which is the basis for two meals each day) but rather the amount of physical activity that is built into a daily schedule.

 

ETA: In former times, most people could not afford a diet high in protein and fat - carbs was almost all they had to satisfy their hunger. Yet obesity was not an issue because they did physical work. Nor is obesity a problem for people in other parts of the world whose daily meals consist mainly of a couple bowls of rice because they have nothing else.

Edited by regentrude
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The old way of thinking illustrated by the food pyramid with grains and carbs as the base of the pyramid is and was wrong and damaging. We should be eating far fewer carbs/grains (whether whole grain or not) and more fat and protein.

 

 

 

I whole-heartedly agree with your post! Thanks for the links.

 

It makes me chuckle to see the food pyramid labeled the "old way of thinking" since for many of us 40 and above it was the "new way". I grew up learning about the "Basic 4" food groups. In school we were taught that a healthy diet was to be balanced between the 4 groups (meat, grains, fruit/veg, and dairy) and not majoring on grains/carbs. The idea that fat was bad was just being introduced when I was a kid.

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I guess I can count myself blessed that I grew up in an area and a family, where whole grains were the norm, fresh grown vegetables were readily available, grass raised beef was what everyone had, and free range chicken was pretty common. It wasn't until I was hitting my teens that I noticed people around here starting to eat more processed junk, refined carbs, and sugary foods. It's rather sad. I was somewhat shocked as a kid when I realized how much bread and meat everyone else ate. Seemed so backwards to me.

Edited by Dory
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None of this explains why other cultures with a diet that is heavily based on carbs do not have the same obesity problems as Americans do.

The main difference is not that the Americans eat more carbs (I am coming from a country of bread lovers with amazing bread which is the basis for two meals each day) but rather the amount of physical activity that is built into a daily schedule.

 

ETA: In former times, most people could not afford a diet high in protein and fat - carbs was almost all they had to satisfy their hunger. Yet obesity was not an issue because they did physical work.

 

 

:iagree: I also believe it's all the fast food, larger portions, sedentary lifestyle..... I don't believe carbs/grains are bad. I think people need to eat more whole foods, less processed foods, and get off of their butts once in awhile. :D

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None of this explains why other cultures with a diet that is heavily based on carbs do not have the same obesity problems as Americans do.

The main difference is not that the Americans eat more carbs (I am coming from a country of bread lovers with amazing bread which is the basis for two meals each day) but rather the amount of physical activity that is built into a daily schedule.

 

What cultures eat diets that are heavily based on carbs that don't have obesity problems? Perhaps the Japanese (much rice)? These cultures use practically no sugar. Carbs minus sugar can be eaten in moderation. Add sugar to the equation and any significant intake of all carbs leads to insulin resistence.

 

The physical activity issue is also unproven.

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None of this explains why other cultures with a diet that is heavily based on carbs do not have the same obesity problems as Americans do.

The main difference is not that the Americans eat more carbs (I am coming from a country of bread lovers with amazing bread which is the basis for two meals each day) but rather the amount of physical activity that is built into a daily schedule.

 

Actually, it does explain it.

 

 

Here's a Swedish Dr who is working hard to bring the low carb high fat revolution-which is working in Sweden, here.

 

Here's his vid, and it's amazing, and he explains why those countries seems to not be as obese.

 

They also, because of lack of easy carbs and sugar, may not have gotten themselves to the point of metabolic disorder. Also the exercise/lose weight equation has been disproved for years. Not saying that you need to keep up with the science, but for years they've known that.

 

But, don't take that and say well if I cut out sugar I can keep my carbs as high as I want and just eat a lot more fat. That's not true.

Edited by justamouse
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None of this explains why other cultures with a diet that is heavily based on carbs do not have the same obesity problems as Americans do.

The main difference is not that the Americans eat more carbs (I am coming from a country of bread lovers with amazing bread which is the basis for two meals each day) but rather the amount of physical activity that is built into a daily schedule.

 

ETA: In former times, most people could not afford a diet high in protein and fat - carbs was almost all they had to satisfy their hunger. Yet obesity was not an issue because they did physical work. Nor is obesity a problem for people in other parts of the world whose daily meals consist mainly of a couple bowls of rice because they have nothing else.

 

follow the links above.

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Americans are fat because they eat too much. Just look at American restaurant portions vs. European portions.

 

Sorry, but I could care less where a calorie comes from. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It's the same whether it's from fat, sugars, or proteins. There is some minor processing differences, i.e. fat triggers satiety, proteins trigger some liver enzymes, etc. But it still boils down to too many calories in the American diet for the amount of expenditure.

 

Science is trying to make, "Close your mouth and get active" something more complicated than it is.

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None of this explains why other cultures with a diet that is heavily based on carbs do not have the same obesity problems as Americans do.

The main difference is not that the Americans eat more carbs (I am coming from a country of bread lovers with amazing bread which is the basis for two meals each day) but rather the amount of physical activity that is built into a daily schedule.

 

ETA: In former times, most people could not afford a diet high in protein and fat - carbs was almost all they had to satisfy their hunger. Yet obesity was not an issue because they did physical work.

 

 

I also agree with this, but I think that it underscores just how awful the combination of high-carb and highly-refined is. I know people who eat plenty of white rice/fresh bread, and round out their diet with minimally processed foods, who do just fine. But I think that the blast of highly-refined, corn-based carb heavy foods that comprise the SAD start wreaking havoc on our bodies in childhood, and the issues just mount from there.

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What cultures eat diets that are heavily based on carbs that don't have obesity problems? Perhaps the Japanese (much rice)? These cultures use practically no sugar. Carbs minus sugar can be eaten in moderation. Add sugar to the equation and any significant intake of all carbs leads to insulin resistence.

 

Just look at all traditional diets before a highly industrialized society made an overabundance of cheap foods available.

In medieval central Europe, cooked cereal was the staple of the diet: oatmeal-like mush. Later, bread was introduced which was the basis for several meals. In the 19th century, the potatoe was added. Meat was for most people only available on Sunday dinners.

Other countries build their meals around corn products (tortillas) or pasta.

 

I grew up in Germany. Breakfast: bread and jam. Lunch: potatoes or pasta with veggies and meat/fish. Dinner: bread again.

My Italian friends build their meals based on pasta.

 

 

The physical activity issue is also unproven.

The physical activity is basic thermodynamics, energy conservation - calories expended for physical activity can not be stored as fat. Simple.

People who walk several miles each day for their errands or who have physically demanding jobs or who climb mountains for fun typically are not fat.

I have not seen a fat long distance hiker or bicyclist.

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Actually, it does explain it.

 

 

Here's a Swedish Dr who is working hard to bring the low carb high fat revolution-which is working in Sweden, here.

 

Here's his vid, and it's amazing, and he explains why those countries seems to not be as obese.

 

They also, because of lack of easy carbs and sugar, may not have gotten themselves to the point of metabolic disorder. Also the exercise/lose weight equation has been disproved for years. Not saying that you need to keep up with the science, but for years they've known that.

 

But, don't take that and say well if I cut out sugar I can keep my carbs as high as I want and just eat a lot more fat. That's not true.

 

He's great at explaining the science in lay terms.

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I think it has much more to do with processed and GMO foods. I am astounded how hard I have to work to find just pure, whole-ingredient foods that I can afford, but that is all my grandmother and great-grandmother ever ate!

 

My mother's parents and grandparents ate a very starchy diet, but it was all 100% natural food. They were German American farmers in northern Indiana. They used lots of sugar, white flour for bread, noodles, cakes, and cookies, a zillion potatoes every year, home-canned vegetables and fruits, lots of bean and vegetable soups, and home-raised meat.

 

Their diet looked like an Amish cookbook with less pie and more noodle. But they certainly had lots of baked goods and a lot of sugar.

 

They worked very hard physically. Again, none were the least bit fat.

 

My DH is very lean, strong, and visibly muscular, and he's been the same size and weight for the last 20 years. He likes one serving of meat or egg per day, but otherwise eats huge salads, lots of fresh fruit, and whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. He gets his fats from avocadoes, nuts, a little butter, a little animal fat, and olive oil, but on any given day he eats very little fat.

 

Sometimes I wonder if LC/HF works for so many people is because the foods involved in that diet are whole foods and less likely to be genetically modified.

Edited by Tibbie Dunbar
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Guest Zenibrut

I blame the video games. We grew up with Pac Man which taught terrible eating habits.

 

If today's games can be blamed for causing violent teens, Pac Man can be responsible for today's overweight adults.

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Americans are fat because they eat too much. Just look at American restaurant portions vs. European portions.

 

Sorry, but I could care less where a calorie comes from. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It's the same whether it's from fat, sugars, or proteins. There is some minor processing differences, i.e. fat triggers satiety, proteins trigger some liver enzymes, etc. But it still boils down to too many calories in the American diet for the amount of expenditure.

 

Science is trying to make, "Close your mouth and get active" something more complicated than it is.

 

I totally agree with this. Americans eat WAY too much. If they aren't stuffing their face with food, they are slurping down a grande frappucino or a 64 oz Big Gulp of full calorie coke.

 

If they cut their calories half, even if all they ate was grains, they would lose weight immediately.

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Americans are fat because they eat too much. Just look at American restaurant portions vs. European portions.

 

 

 

But WHY do americans eat too much???? Why are people eating a ton and still hungry? That is the real question, and one that the OP answered.

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None of this explains why other cultures with a diet that is heavily based on carbs do not have the same obesity problems as Americans do.

The main difference is not that the Americans eat more carbs (I am coming from a country of bread lovers with amazing bread which is the basis for two meals each day) but rather the amount of physical activity that is built into a daily schedule.

 

ETA: In former times, most people could not afford a diet high in protein and fat - carbs was almost all they had to satisfy their hunger. Yet obesity was not an issue because they did physical work. Nor is obesity a problem for people in other parts of the world whose daily meals consist mainly of a couple bowls of rice because they have nothing else.

 

 

:iagree:

 

I live in Italy. You know who the fat people are? The Americans. You can spot them a mile away.

 

Italians bike. Italians walk. Italians buy fresh ingredients and tax their processed items - the more processed, the more taxed. Italians take pride in their food and use fresh herbs to season their dishes. They savor, not inhale, their meals. They drink socially and getting drunk is frowned upon.

 

 

Americans live a life of excess. They complain when gas reaches $4/gallon while the rest of the world pays $8-10. They complain about their rights when the idea of banning the sale of soda greater than the size of an average stomach is talked about. They fill their carts at Cosco with boxes of salted and sugared foods. Children stay in strollers until age 4 or 5, but have 16oz sippy cups filled with juice.

 

 

The problem is not the diet. It's the lack of one and the sedentary ways that American people embrace. People in the 30's and 40's ate largely carb diets, but stayed skinny because the work exerted equaled the intake of energy. I mean, the "fat lady" at the circus in 1900 would be simply average in our country of a 2/3 obesity rate! Carbs are not bad. Meat is not bad. Having a portion size grow 300% is!

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Americans are fat because they eat too much. Just look at American restaurant portions vs. European portions.

 

Sorry, but I could care less where a calorie comes from. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It's the same whether it's from fat, sugars, or proteins. There is some minor processing differences, i.e. fat triggers satiety, proteins trigger some liver enzymes, etc. But it still boils down to too many calories in the American diet for the amount of expenditure.

 

Science is trying to make, "Close your mouth and get active" something more complicated than it is.

 

There is profound proof that this is completely incorrect. Stacey linked them.

 

Just look at all traditional diets before a highly industrialized society made an overabundance of cheap foods available.

In medieval central Europe, cooked cereal was the staple of the diet: oatmeal-like mush. Later, bread was introduced which was the basis for several meals. In the 19th century, the potatoe was added. Meat was for most people only available on Sunday dinners.

Other countries build their meals around corn products (tortillas) or pasta.

 

I grew up in Germany. Breakfast: bread and jam. Lunch: potatoes or pasta with veggies and meat/fish. Dinner: bread again.

My Italian friends build their meals based on pasta.

 

 

The physical activity is basic thermodynamics, energy conservation - calories expended for physical activity can not be stored as fat. Simple.

People who walk several miles each day for their errands or who have physically demanding jobs or who climb mountains for fun typically are not fat.

I have not seen a fat long distance hiker or bicyclist.

 

People who have not destroyed their metabolism MAY be able to eat like that. But once you veer into metabolic disorder territory, it's different.

 

Watch the vids (if you have the time) because everything you talk about it answered in them.

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I think it has much more to do with processed and GMO foods. I am astounded how hard I have to work to find just pure, whole-ingredient foods that I can afford, but that is all my grandmother and great-grandmother ever ate!

 

 

:iagree: I think as soon as mankind looked at the food God gave us and did a 'I can do better', we were in trouble.

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I totally agree with this. Americans eat WAY too much. If they aren't stuffing their face with food, they are slurping down a grande frappucino or a 64 oz Big Gulp of full calorie coke.

 

If they cut their calories half, even if all they ate was grains, they would lose weight immediately.

 

As someone that is Obese, but hasn't has a frappucino in years, or a big gulp ever in my whole life, or sugared drinks more than twice a year, etc etc...no, that isn't the problem. There is so much more too it than that.

 

I've watched my mother cut her calories in less than half and lose very little weight. There are actual scientific studies showing that you can eat MORE calories and lose weight if you change WHAT you eat. That people on a 2,000 calorie diet lost more and more easily than those on a 1,200 calorie diet. And that was in controlled studies.

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:iagree:

 

I live in Italy. You know who the fat people are? The Americans. You can spot them a mile away.

 

Italians bike. Italians walk. Italians buy fresh ingredients and tax their processed items - the more processed, the more taxed. Italians take pride in their food and use fresh herbs to season their dishes. They savor, not inhale, their meals. They drink socially and getting drunk is frowned upon.

 

 

Americans live a life of excess. They complain when gas reaches $4/gallon while the rest of the world pays $8-10. They complain about their rights when the idea of banning the sale of soda greater than the size of an average stomach is talked about. They fill their carts at Cosco with boxes of salted and sugared foods. Children stay in strollers until age 4 or 5, but have 16oz sippy cups filled with juice.

 

 

The problem is not the diet. It's the lack of one and the sedentary ways that American people embrace. People in the 30's and 40's ate largely carb diets, but stayed skinny because the work exerted equaled the intake of energy. I mean, the "fat lady" at the circus in 1900 would be simply average in our country of a 2/3 obesity rate! Carbs are not bad. Meat is not bad. Having a portion size grow 300% is!

 

I'd like this post a lot better if you said *some* Americans instead of bashing the whole nation. JMHO, of course. None of this is true of all Americans. I certainly don't eat, shop, or raise my children as you've described, and neither do most people of my acquaintance.

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I can't help but think all you can eat buffets have a hand in it - along with super-sized everything, remote controls, more office workers than farm workers, and other such things. ;)

 

that we're fat and lazy because of our choices just isn't supported by the science any more.

 

The science tells us that we eat more total calories and get less exercise because we're ingesting more carbs as a total percent of our diet which can and does lead to insulin resistance in many people - not everyone- but many people. Insulin resistance means our bodies are storing those carb calories as fat while telling our bodies that we're starving which lead to an increase in our carb intake to satisfy our cravings which leads to more fat storage. A horrible, negative loop.

 

Please have a look at this video which explains the insulin resistance:

 

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\

I've watched my mother cut her calories in less than half and lose very little weight. There are actual scientific studies showing that you can eat MORE calories and lose weight if you change WHAT you eat. That people on a 2,000 calorie diet lost more and more easily than those on a 1,200 calorie diet. And that was in controlled studies.

 

That's because your body goes into starvation mode and tries to conserve energy when calorie intake is dropped that low.

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I'd like this post a lot better if you said *some* Americans instead of bashing the whole nation. JMHO, of course. None of this is true of all Americans. I certainly don't eat, shop, or raise my children as you've described, and neither do most people of my acquaintance.

 

I know, right? Good thing she's not infected by us Americans.

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that we're fat and lazy because of our choices just isn't supported by the science any more.

 

The science tells us that we eat more total calories and get less exercise because we're ingesting more carbs as a total percent of our diet which can and does lead to insulin resistance in many people - not everyone- but many people. Insulin resistance means our bodies are storing those carb calories as fat while telling our bodies that we're starving which lead to an increase in our carb intake to satisfy our cravings which leads to more fat storage. A horrible, negative loop.

 

Please have a look at this video which explains the insulin resistance:

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

And the part that really gets me mad is that they've KNOWN this for *years* and glossed right over it.

 

Of course they have all that wheat and corn to sell which the government subsidizes and then there's the flipping pyramid which they have to sell...

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Americans are fat because they eat too much. Just look at American restaurant portions vs. European portions.

 

Sorry, but I could care less where a calorie comes from. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It's the same whether it's from fat, sugars, or proteins. There is some minor processing differences, i.e. fat triggers satiety, proteins trigger some liver enzymes, etc. But it still boils down to too many calories in the American diet for the amount of expenditure.

 

Science is trying to make, "Close your mouth and get active" something more complicated than it is.

 

Did you read the articles? What books have you read on the subject?

 

For all the people who think the OP is bogus, I've been where you are. I pooh-poohed all the people here recommending Why We Get Fat and Good Calories Bad Calories too. Until I read them.

 

Now I'm in the camp that finds it extraordinarily frustrating to try to explain how these are not diet books. They are science books. And all the people who want to write, "Well, I think..." and "It must be..." and "I didn't read the articles but I know they're crap anyway..." make me want to tear my hair out. :tongue_smilie:

 

I would love it if some people here who really, truly know how the body works (scientifically speaking!) would read the books/articles and discuss particulars.

 

Incidentally, exercise, calories in/calories, and other commonly believed ideas about weight are addressed in the reading. You just have to read them to see that and understand the science. I started typing excerpts but got too frustrated. :lol:

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But WHY do americans eat too much???? Why are people eating a ton and still hungry? That is the real question, and one that the OP answered.

 

Personally I agree with Jillian Michaels on that one-- it's because people are eating so much highly processed crap/chemicals that the body does not recognize as food. So people eat and eat and are never truly "satisfied."

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I know, right? Good thing she's not infected by us Americans.

:confused:

I am an American. And I still stand by what I said. The culture is different there than it is here. *You* may not be as I described, but the vast majority of people living in the US are. If they weren't, we wouldn't have "epidemic" that is going on right now.

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I know, right? Good thing she's not infected by us Americans.

 

The whole "Americans are fat because they don't walk or bike to work, the market, school, etc." comment just never fails to make me wince. It's almost always offered through the lenses of those who live in smaller, densely populated nations with adequate public transportation, a fresh market on nearly every corner and super highways circling AROUND the cities, not THROUGH them.

 

Walk or bike to the market? I'd definitely be thin because I'd be flattened by an 18 wheeler if I attempted that. ;)

 

astrid

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:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

And the part that really gets me mad is that they've KNOWN this for *years* and glossed right over it.

 

Of course they have all that wheat and corn to sell which the government subsidizes and then there's the flipping pyramid which they have to sell...

 

I've never been obese but have stuggled to lose that 20 pounds of unnecessary padding. The fact that used and failed at low-fat dieting based upon the advice of "experts" many times makes me want to punch someone in the face.

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:confused:

I am an American. And I still stand by what I said. The culture is different there than it is here. *You* may not be as I described, but the vast majority of people living in the US are. If they weren't, we wouldn't have "epidemic" that is going on right now.

 

But the US is very different geographically than Italy. It's HUGE. Urban sprawl-- housing developments and long stretches of box stores and malls, fewer small businesses within walking distance, etc. make it impossible for most Americans to live like Italians. It's just not possible in many areas.

 

astrid

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Americans are fat because they eat too much. Just look at American restaurant portions vs. European portions.

 

Sorry, but I could care less where a calorie comes from. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It's the same whether it's from fat, sugars, or proteins. There is some minor processing differences, i.e. fat triggers satiety, proteins trigger some liver enzymes, etc. But it still boils down to too many calories in the American diet for the amount of expenditure.

 

Science is trying to make, "Close your mouth and get active" something more complicated than it is.

 

:iagree:Pretty sure if everyone stopped eating enough for three people at every meal the problem would be solved. Americans are fat because they eat too much. Period.

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I'd like this post a lot better if you said *some* Americans instead of bashing the whole nation. JMHO, of course. None of this is true of all Americans. I certainly don't eat, shop, or raise my children as you've described, and neither do most people of my acquaintance.

 

:iagree:

 

As far as the lack of biking and walking here, that Europeans do a lot more of, I do agree that's a problem. We need to make our cities and suburbs more pedestrian friendly, because unfortunately it's actually very hard to do in a lot of states and cities here. I live in a sprawling metroplex, you have to drive 30 minutes just to get to the next city.

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I understand the science of why a body turns to ketosis when eating no carbs. That is nothing new or revolutionary. :confused: And it's not a diet that can be supported long term. No one will want to spend the rest of their lives eating ONLY bacon cheeseburgers, hunks of cheese and steak. I have a dairy and egg allergy, so that means if I were to need this diet I would ONLY be able to eat meat. :ack2::ack2:

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But WHY do americans eat too much???? Why are people eating a ton and still hungry? That is the real question, and one that the OP answered.

 

You are assuming people eat because they are hungry. Often, people eat because they are bored, because snacking is fun when watching television, people eat and drink a lot with social visits. It's hard to snack while mending socks in the evening, while knitting, while building furniture, while cycling around the neighborhood in the evening, etc. It's so easy to eat and drink when sedentary.

 

I don't think most Americans really know what hunger is. Eating is primarily a pleasure thing.

 

My great-grandmother knew hunger. She died of malnutrition which led to dementia because she refused to eat so her kids could. They ate practically only potatoes.

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The democratic process should work on a local level. Why haven't Americans managed to develop their communities in ways that provide for an "0n foot and bike" lifestyle? Why does everyone have to own a car to have reliable transportation, except in a few major cities? It's not like the Chinese did our community planning and zoning. We did it.

 

 

 

 

The whole "Americans are fat because they don't walk or bike to work, the market, school, etc." comment just never fails to make me wince. It's almost always offered through the lenses of those who live in smaller, densely populated nations with adequate public transportation, a fresh market on nearly every corner and super highways circling AROUND the cities, not THROUGH them.

 

Walk or bike to the market? I'd definitely be thin because I'd be flattened by an 18 wheeler if I attempted that. ;)

 

astrid

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:iagree:Pretty sure if everyone stopped eating enough for three people at every meal the problem would be solved. Americans are fat because they eat too much. Period.

 

But we're not allowed to say this or we're the big joke. :tongue_smilie:

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