Why do you think Americans are so preoccupied with diet?

[Colleen]

It's strange, isn't it, how much we think and talk about diet in this country. I'm not necessarily talking about a diet plan, but just diet in general. I am always hearing people (on the board and in "real life" ~ you people aren't real, are you?;)) talking about changes they're making in their diet. It runs the gamut: lower carbs, less protein, raw foods, "nourishing traditions" ~ and so on.

 

It strikes me as odd, how preoccupied this country is with diet, as if we've lost all ability to just eat normally but in moderation and enjoy the range of good food available to us without obsessing about it. That doesn't seem to be the case in other cultures. Why do you think it's an American pastime?

[klmama]

I think it's our desire to be helpful to others. If we find something that helps us, we want to share it with those who may need something similar. Because so many of us have found the typical, modern American diet to be harmful to our health, we seek out alternatives.

[milovany]

I actually read an article about this once and the conclusion was (in part) that it's because of our relatively newness on the scene and that we're a mix of so many ethnicities. We don't have a food history or heritage like the French and the Italian and the Chinese and so we've focused instead just on eating in general (which has led to a preoccupation with dieting as well). Or something like that. What do you think?

[DB in NJ]

My own politically-incorrect theoretical answer to this is that -- in general, on the whole -- we are a lazy, immediate-gratification society. We lack discipline, and have no desire to limit ourselves in any way whatsoever. The poorest of Americans (excepting truly homeless people) have access to more food than many in other societies.

 

Our food is processed beyond recognition, and being all about convenience, we eat it up. Literally. So we're overweight. We have remote controls for everything, and we use them - for TV, DVD, ceiling fan, cell phones, wireless phones....and we are looking for the same kind of easy out to our overweight-ness.

 

I have been thinking a lot about this lately. My great-grandmother ate white bread, eggs, whole milk, cheese, deli ham, red meat. And she was never overweight. She had candy every night or ice cream after dinner. How did she manage??? Well, a glass of juice was 4 ounces, not 12. A hamburger patty was little. A scoop of ice cream was JUST A SCOOP - not a cereal bowl full. And she was active. She was a waitress until she was well into her 80's, and she never drove. If she couldn't take the bus, she walked. She ate breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Portion sizes were normal, she didn't stuff herself, never snacked, ate when she was hungry, drank when she was thirsty. She ate normally but in moderation and enjoyed the range of good food available to her without obsessing about it -- just like you said.

 

We could all learn a lesson from the people of her generation.

[VaKim]

I think it is because we have such an outrageous abundance of both choices, and food itself. Just plain too much of everything (which is why so many of us are not exactly slim and healthy.)

[PiCO]

as if we've lost all ability to just eat normally but in moderation and enjoy the range of good food available to us without obsessing about it. That doesn't seem to be the case in other cultures. Why do you think it's an American pastime?

 

This is exactly the problem. Americans are growing up with "fake" food and unhealthy attitudes towards food, and no longer know how to listen to their bodies.

 

I am one obsessed with diet. I grew up with an unhealthy body image, and an unhealthy attitude toward food. My mom was always on one diet or another, but I thought she was beautiful. I was bulimic in high school and college. I just can't seem to eat right. I'm trying not to pass on my problems to my daughters, and so far they tend to eat to live not live to eat. When I want to cut back, I tell them I'm "eating healthy"-- I try to avoid the "D" word. I don't talk about my negative body image in front of them. We talk about the girls who always say, "I'm so fat!" who really aren't, and how some girls get too skinny for their body types.

 

I'm interested in what others have to say on this topic, obsessed as I am...

[Colleen]

I think it is because we have such an outrageous abundance of both choices, and food itself. Just plain too much of everything (which is why so many of us are not exactly slim and healthy.)

 

Yes, I see what you're saying. But what, then, of countries where just as much choice exists, yet there isn't the hyper-focus on diet?

[DB in NJ]

I think it is because we have such an outrageous abundance of both choices, and food itself. Just plain too much of everything (which is why so many of us are not exactly slim and healthy.)

 

I see what you're saying, but what about personal responsibility? It's not society's fault or the government's fault or the food store's fault; they make the food available, but each individual decides what to do with it.

[Old Dominion Heather]

I think it is because we have the luxury of being worried about the minutia while living in a culture obsessed with appearance and health.

 

But that sounds really cynical when I type it out!

 

What I mean is that we don't have to worry about dying in tribal warfare, or roadside bombs, or being killed by militias. We won't die of polio, aids, or measles or famine. We have a quality of life that is far higher than the majority of the world who don't have access to the foods and medical care that we do.

 

I think it is sort of like the asthma or allergies theory that your body reacts to normal things because it doesn't have enough "real" stuff to fight off.

[Jumping In Puddles]

It's strange, isn't it, how much we think and talk about diet in this country. I'm not necessarily talking about a diet plan, but just diet in general. I am always hearing people (on the board and in "real life" ~ you people aren't real, are you?;)) talking about changes they're making in their diet. It runs the gamut: lower carbs, less protein, raw foods, "nourishing traditions" ~ and so on.

 

It strikes me as odd, how preoccupied this country is with diet, as if we've lost all ability to just eat normally but in moderation and enjoy the range of good food available to us without obsessing about it. That doesn't seem to be the case in other cultures. Why do you think it's an American pastime?

 

People in my generation, in the US, grew up on food that was processed and heavily marketed to our parents as healthful and quick and easy and most of them bought into it. Of course, now that we are finding out that these processed foods, while easy, are by no means good for us we are trying to do our best to find out about real food. To those that grew up with "real" food, it's no big deal but to those who haven't its more difficult not to mention the salty fatty foods that we have been eating our whole lives are addicting and some of them quite tasty.

 

Being that we are a nation of over weight adults and children (not everyone!) and armed with more information, Americans are trying to change the way they eat - hence all the diet talk.

[melissel]

I also think that we're obsessed with "perfection" a little bit--not so much that we want to be or act perfect, but like there's some magic combo out there and if we could just find it, everything would fall into place. We'd be healthier and happier, and everything would seem effortless and just right. KWIM? I don't think that's limited to food and diet either--we're always looking for the right schedule, the right school system, the right car, house, neighborhood, job. It's the same thing that's driving our increasing work hours and decreasing leisure and sleep time. I really think that's on a national level too--our competition with other countries, etc.

 

Or maybe it's just me :lol:

[Janet in Toronto]

I actually read an article about this once and the conclusion was (in part) that it's because of our relatively newness on the scene and that we're a mix of so many ethnicities. We don't have a food history or heritage like the French and the Italian and the Chinese and so we've focused instead just on eating in general (which has led to a preoccupation with dieting as well). Or something like that. What do you think?

 

That is one of the premises of Michael Pollan's excellent books The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. These are both excellent books and went a long way to help me understand the dysfunctional relationship we have with food here in North America. Countries in Europe with traditional food cultures who are moving to an industrialised food production system are experiencing the same health issues we have over here.

 

I cannot recommend these books enough. They have really changed the way I think about food and diet.

[abreakfromlife]

I actually read an article about this once and the conclusion was (in part) that it's because of our relatively newness on the scene and that we're a mix of so many ethnicities. We don't have a food history or heritage like the French and the Italian and the Chinese and so we've focused instead just on eating in general (which has led to a preoccupation with dieting as well). Or something like that. What do you think?

 

:iagree: Michael Pollan makes this point in his book In Defense of Food, as well. I think as time goes on and other countries start to adapt the western diet, they will be more diet/food conscious as well, b/c they get the same health issues.

 

I think the biggest reason is b/c most of our food is fake and processed and loaded with chemicals and toxins, and people don't exercise anymore. People don't want to take the time to prepare and eat real food, so they're trying to be healthy without doing the hard work needed to truly be healthy.

[Riverfront Headmistress]

I agree with everything written above. The persons that said we have too many choices, too many unhealthy choices, and we're a self-gratifying people (general) hit the nail on the head!

 

I've had a few foreign kids come through my home in the last year and food is always a big issue. They recognize all the choices we have; food is not enjoyed, yet consumed on the run; and many choose processed over whole.

[VaKim]

I see what you're saying, but what about personal responsibility? It's not society's fault or the government's fault or the food store's fault; they make the food available, but each individual decides what to do with it.

 

Oh, I absolutely agree with you there! I was just keeping it simple. :) To elaborate, because of these things, we just let our natural gluttonous, sinful natures take over and it is all downhill from there. In places where people actually have to worry about even if they will have a meal at all, this is an impossibility.

[VaKim]

 

Yes, I see what you're saying. But what, then, of countries where just as much choice exists, yet there isn't the hyper-focus on diet?

 

Are there such places? I just thought that the whole "rich" Western world was pretty much the same.

[TXMomof4]

My own politically-incorrect theoretical answer to this is that -- in general, on the whole -- we are a lazy, immediate-gratification society. We lack discipline, and have no desire to limit ourselves in any way whatsoever. The poorest of Americans (excepting truly homeless people) have access to more food than many in other societies.

 

 

 

I was listening to the Dennis Miller show the other night and he was talking about how proud he is that in his country, the good old USA, the poor people are OBESE. Not a problem you see everywhere in the world, that's for sure.

 

I thought that was pretty interesting, and a testimony to how MUCH Americans have overall.

[Danestress]

Is that by and large, Americans have adopted a joyless approach to food.

They don't eat so much for the pleasure of eating, but see eating as a tool. And what's the tool for? Helping us meet our desire for youth, power, beauty, and health.

 

But then the question arises ..... why are Americans so obsessed with being young and gorgeous?

 

I also think that cooking takes a lot of time, and Americans value quick and easy. I think American women have spent the last few decades trying to make everything "fair" in the battle of the sexes, and cooking has suffered. There has been a change in focus on the part of American women from pleasing their husbands and extended families (remember back in the day when Grandparents came for dinner every Sunday?) to making their children's lives perfect (so that the world will know they are amazing Moms). And because Americans have been trained to think that children are happiest eating grilled cheese, hot dogs, frozen pizzas and nuggets, and that good Moms have their children in variety of activities from 4 - 6 at night, American women have started feeding their husbands that way too.

 

And then everyone's health gets even worse, and everyone starts getting fat (including the children!) and everyone looks to food for a solution.

 

On some level, I think food is what women do for their families. If you wanted to be "magazine perfect Mom" in the 50s, you cooked an amazing, hearty meal. Now if you want to be "amazing Mom" it's all about your children achieving incredible success while you make being thin and beautiful look effortless, meanwhile feeding your family some kind of ideal diet in terms of health, but easy. And of course, the kids have to have those activities.

 

Finally, I think we see the sinister everywhere, so we examine all of our food for enemies. But on the other hand, there are a lot of ethical issues involved in eating, and I think we are right to sort of focus on those. Was my peach shipped from California? Do I feel good about that? Was this chicken in a cage? Is that the right way to buy? How much methane did that cow realise before I drank this milk, and would soy milk (but really, gag me) be a better choice?

[melissel]

Finally, I think we see the sinister everywhere, so we examine all of our food for enemies. But on the other hand, there are a lot of ethical issues involved in eating, and I think we are right to sort of focus on those. Was my peach shipped from California? Do I feel good about that? Was this chicken in a cage? Is that the right way to buy? How much methane did that cow realise before I drank this milk, and would soy milk (but really, gag me) be a better choice?

 

Excellent points!

[Jenny in Atl]

It's strange, isn't it, how much we think and talk about diet in this country. I'm not necessarily talking about a diet plan, but just diet in general. I am always hearing people (on the board and in "real life" ~ you people aren't real, are you?;)) talking about changes they're making in their diet. It runs the gamut: lower carbs, less protein, raw foods, "nourishing traditions" ~ and so on.

 

It strikes me as odd, how preoccupied this country is with diet, as if we've lost all ability to just eat normally but in moderation and enjoy the range of good food available to us without obsessing about it. That doesn't seem to be the case in other cultures. Why do you think it's an American pastime?

 

My theory is the loss of culture. So many other countries and their people's diet is based on the culture (long traditions of foods/dishes native to their land). We have it all here, from all over. We are also obsessed with our health in general. We have some of the best care in the world, yet we (US) are some of the most unhealthy people. In some ways we have it too easy, to much time on our hands, and too much information. We tend to live to work and not work to live. Food and health here is not celebrated but calculated. It's all very odd indeed!

[Doran]

We are among the wealthiest of nations. What American household doesn't have at least one and probably several television sets? And, don't the majority of Americans spend large amounts of time plugged in each day (radio and print ads count in this example)? So, we have an intimate relationship with advertisers whose very job it is to convince us that we are missing whatever it is they have to offer. And, isn't one of the most popular topics for advertisers the state of our health? Presented with the idea that we might be able to better our health by simply changing this or that about our diet, I perceive that many Americans think, "Oh, yes, that sounds like just the right thing for me." Having disposable income and access to well stocked grocery stores, they (we?) can afford to make the choices, or the changes. Fueled by our dollars, the manufacturers and the advertisers continue to market whatever it is we seem to buy into. What do you think? :D

 

That said, I also think that the fact that we are obsessed with diets is somewhat of a myth. We talk about it a lot, but I'd suggest that in a survey of large numbers of average Americans, what we eat is something we want to tamper with very little.

 

Boy, those thoughts kind of went all over the map, didn't they? ;)

[abreakfromlife]

I agree. I think part of it, too, is that people don't really know much about nutrition. They don't want to or don't know how to take the time to learn, so when a cereal company advertises it's cereal as 'healthy' b/c they added omega 3's - they buy it thinking they are healthy, when really they are far from it, and could get their omega 3's from flax, easier and cheaper, and more of it.

 

Magazines with their articles about health and nutrition and diets and recipes do not help at all. I think they make the problem even worse. And I understand their dilemma - trying to write an article on truly healthy food, while thier pages are filled with ads for fake food, is a delicate balance. It's just a shame people take all of this stuff for fact instead of digging in and doing their own research on what nutrition and healthy foods really are.

[Aunty Social]

My own politically-incorrect theoretical answer to this is that -- in general, on the whole -- we are a lazy, immediate-gratification society. We lack discipline, and have no desire to limit ourselves in any way whatsoever. The poorest of Americans (excepting truly homeless people) have access to more food than many in other societies.

 

Our food is processed beyond recognition, and being all about convenience, we eat it up. Literally. So we're overweight. We have remote controls for everything, and we use them - for TV, DVD, ceiling fan, cell phones, wireless phones....and we are looking for the same kind of easy out to our overweight-ness.

 

I have been thinking a lot about this lately. My great-grandmother ate white bread, eggs, whole milk, cheese, deli ham, red meat. And she was never overweight. She had candy every night or ice cream after dinner. How did she manage??? Well, a glass of juice was 4 ounces, not 12. A hamburger patty was little. A scoop of ice cream was JUST A SCOOP - not a cereal bowl full. And she was active. She was a waitress until she was well into her 80's, and she never drove. If she couldn't take the bus, she walked. She ate breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Portion sizes were normal, she didn't stuff herself, never snacked, ate when she was hungry, drank when she was thirsty. She ate normally but in moderation and enjoyed the range of good food available to her without obsessing about it -- just like you said.

 

We could all learn a lesson from the people of her generation.

:iagree: Portion sizes have spiraled out of control. How many times do you go out get given a normal plate of food? It's always supersize, biggie, etc. I've never been able to finish a meal when we go out - and then I feel guilty for wasting!

That has bled over into our home lives. So between overeating (because we've been trained to believe larger is better), lack of exercise, and busy schedules that make us rely on packaged junk it's no wonder that we obsess about diet and nutrition. We know that something is wrong, just not what.

We need to reset our internal cues, get moving, and eat reasonable amounts of food. I don't necessarily believe any food is "bad" - but there is daily nutritious food, and then there is the occasional treat food.

[OnTheBrink]

I was listening to the Dennis Miller show the other night and he was talking about how proud he is that in his country, the good old USA, the poor people are OBESE. Not a problem you see everywhere in the world, that's for sure.

 

I thought that was pretty interesting, and a testimony to how MUCH Americans have overall.

 

I'm not so sure that obesity among the poor is an indicator of how much Americans have by comparison to other cultures. I don't disagree that the US is a rich country, but having once been poor, I can testify that it's MUCH less expensive to buy boxed mac and cheese and other processed chemical foods than it is to buy fresh produce and lean cuts of meat.

 

However, I think that's only one component to the reasons behind why there is obesity among the poor.

 

I think the US is so obsessed with food because we're always rushing here and there. We have to "have it all" and have our kids "have it all" so there's no norm anymore of Mom being home to prepare meals for the family; she's taxiing kids to activities, going to work herself, etc. I think American's just move too fast and we've resorted to fast food, on-the-go snacks, etc.

[Jumping In Puddles]

I was listening to the Dennis Miller show the other night and he was talking about how proud he is that in his country, the good old USA, the poor people are OBESE. Not a problem you see everywhere in the world, that's for sure.

 

I thought that was pretty interesting, and a testimony to how MUCH Americans have overall.

 

In a sense, you are right because in many places poverty means you get a few grains of rice every few days but in the US, we for the most part, offer free school lunches, food stamps and welfare.

 

To stretch the meager budgets of those poor, and this goes for people not on welfare but who don't make very much money, they buy a lot of cheap carbs such as pasta, rice, processed food such as mac and cheese and now they are not starving, probably still hungry and yet fat.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

I was listening to the Dennis Miller show the other night and he was talking about how proud he is that in his country, the good old USA, the poor people are OBESE. Not a problem you see everywhere in the world, that's for sure.

 

I thought that was pretty interesting, and a testimony to how MUCH Americans have overall.

 

Impoverished people are obese, generally speaking, because they are undernourished. It's a very strange thing to wrap one's mind around, but it's true. Too many calories and not enough nutrition. We have people in this country who truly believe Gogurt is a healthful snack for children. We have poor families who get food boxes from Second Harvest and fish out the mac and cheese and cookies and trash the rest. It boggles the mind.

 

In fact, I think many of us in this country overeat because we are undernourished. It's certainly true for me.

 

I read on a blog somewhere that it is amazing that we have whole companies devoted to making less nutritious, fake food out of chemicals solely in order to be able to continue to overeat. There's something very wrong with that. Something perhaps morally wrong with that.

 

Ok, I found it -- here's the exact quote: Rosemary Stanton - made these comments:

 

"Much of the world's population starves because they don't have the resources to feed themselves, whereas we produce these foods that have little or no nutritional value just so we can eat more. I really find it quite offensive.''

 

I attended Weight Watchers with a friend earlier this year. This is what they were selling -- pushing -- before and after each meeting. Uh huh, let me tell you, the ladies and gentlemen who were buying 5 boxes of these a week were just MELTING off the pounds. I felt like screaming, "You gained all this weight by eating crap, and now you're still obsessed with buying more overpriced crap and eating it. Do you not find something wrong with this picture??" Watching the leader sell this stuff and knowing she was making commission off the sales, it just made me sick. I won't go back to a WW meeting ever again. They might have been great once, but that's just wrong.

[Riverfront Headmistress]

Uh huh, let me tell you, the ladies and gentlemen who were buying 5 boxes of these a week were just MELTING off the pounds. I felt like screaming, "You gained all this weight by eating crap, and now you're still obsessed with buying more overpriced crap and eating it. Do you not find something wrong with this picture??" Watching the leader sell this stuff and knowing she was making commission off the sales, it just made me sick. I won't go back to a WW meeting ever again. They might have been great once, but that's just wrong.

 

Have you seen the enormous amount of prepackaged 100 calorie crap offered nowadays? Its crazy.

[Doran]

Impoverished people are obese, generally speaking, because they are undernourished. It's a very strange thing to wrap one's mind around, but it's true. Too many calories and not enough nutrition. We have people in this country who truly believe Gogurt is a healthful snack for children. We have poor families who get food boxes from Second Harvest and fish out the mac and cheese and cookies and trash the rest. It boggles the mind.

 

In fact, I think many of us in this country overeat because we are undernourished. It's certainly true for me.

 

I read on a blog somewhere that it is amazing that we have whole companies devoted to making less nutritious, fake food out of chemicals solely in order to be able to continue to overeat. There's something very wrong with that. Something perhaps morally wrong with that.

 

Ok, I found it -- here's the exact quote: Rosemary Stanton - made these comments:

 

"Much of the world's population starves because they don't have the resources to feed themselves, whereas we produce these foods that have little or no nutritional value just so we can eat more. I really find it quite offensive.''

 

I attended Weight Watchers with a friend earlier this year. This is what they were selling -- pushing -- before and after each meeting. Uh huh, let me tell you, the ladies and gentlemen who were buying 5 boxes of these a week were just MELTING off the pounds. I felt like screaming, "You gained all this weight by eating crap, and now you're still obsessed with buying more overpriced crap and eating it. Do you not find something wrong with this picture??" Watching the leader sell this stuff and knowing she was making commission off the sales, it just made me sick. I won't go back to a WW meeting ever again. They might have been great once, but that's just wrong.

 

 

Yet, I still can't sort out the chicken or the egg thing. Do manufacturers make this crap because we buy it, or do we buy it because they make it *and someone markets it*? The whole concept of being too busy to make real food falls flat with me because, in many cases, that's an excuse. But, the fact that our food/subsidy/farming system supports cheap food which lacks nutrients - that connects. And, so many people have no idea that the preponderance of what's being consumed is junk. So, whose "fault" is it? Government? Advertisers? Or consumers? (That's just shy of being rhetorical..I realize there answer is complex, if one can even find it).

[Jenny in Atl]

I actually think we are less busy (physically). We do a ton of sitting around, which allows us to eat more, whether that be on the go or at home. Not sure which came first, but I would bet some was - find a market and then make what that customer craves. Since humans used to live on the verge of starvation, we naturally crave salt, fats, and sweets (things not spoiled)... ever taste breast milk? So most packaged/processed foods are high in all these. One draw-back of science. They know their customer a little too well.

[readwithem]

Just an add on to the thoughts of others -

 

Americans are in such a hurry. I remember when the first Starbucks arrived in the UK (we were living there at the time) and our British friends couldn't understand the concept of drinking coffee in a "go cup". In their minds, coffee was meant to be savored with good friends. The same with food. When we lived in Australia, our friends there LOVED to "food shop" - go to the grocery store. To them, food was an event. The idea of eating in the car was foreign to them.

[Stacy in NJ]

We have greater variety and volume. We're trying to manage, find our footing, if you will, in a world of expanding options. Other cultures have generations of relatively unchanged traditions. They do what they've always done. Americans, well, we are comfortable with creative destruction, even with regards to our diet.

[JennifersLost]

I think everyone is right. We are surrounded by crap that is so highly flavored it burns out our taste buds, so "real" food doesn't even taste good any more. Everything about the crud is so geared to our senses - bright colors, bold flavors, fast, easy to eat, easy to hold, easy to get more of. I lost so much weight last winter and spring and here at my parents' house where the junk food surrounds me, I've already gained back a bunch of it. I know better and I still have trouble resisting it.

 

Last year I began hosting potluck dinners with international themes. I intend to do more of that this year, and my first one this fall will actually have a "harvest" theme - I hope everyone will either make something from their own garden or hit the farmers' market before they cook. All we can do is support each other in stopping the madness!

[abreakfromlife]

 

so "real" food doesn't even taste good any more.

although, once you get away from processed foods, your taste buds do adjust and real food does taste good and processed food, not so much. Although I still love me some chips and cheetos :001_smile: My dh does ask for the nasty store bought tomatoes. He says the real ones are so flavorful, they overpower his sandwich :lol: My kids were at the in-laws the other day and they made grilled cheese sandwiches, with the kraft individual slices. It was embarrassing - they didn't like it and made comments about how bready and yucky it was :glare: Which they got in trouble for :tongue_smilie: But I was secretly glad - they used to love those sandwiches. And now, we make them with real cheese, and they are so much cheesier. I was impressed to see their tastes changing already.

[laylamcb]

I'm trying not to pass on my problems to my daughters, and so far they tend to eat to live not live to eat.

 

This is a fascinating topic to me. One thing that I find paradoxical is this comment above. Of course, I totally get what you're saying here, and I agree with it: We Americans just plain eat too dang much and all the wrong things--the immediate gratification angle that someone else mentioned.

 

On the other hand, my grandmother was French, and I'd say that she lived to eat. Now I don't mean that literally; I mean that, to the French (or at least to the French of her generation), life was about such simple pleasures as a glass of really good red wine, a slice of excellent cheese, a daub of perfectly ripe avocado on a crisp homemade cracker. YKWIM? To my grandmother, every meal was, in a sense, sacred, a gift. We ate very, very well at her house--but we never overate. Plenty of fat and calories, but very few preservatives or sugars. A slice of junk never passed my lips at her house. Cheap wine? Anathema! Velveeta? Unthinkable! A sub sandwich? Mon dieu! Corn flakes? Degoutant! She'd rather have gone hungry than not eat well.

 

Interesting.

[Joanne]

Ok, I know that some readers will hate that I'm using this as a soapbox for my low carb agenda. ;):lurk5::glare:

 

But I think the pre-occupation, while complex, has its *roots* in when we began as a nation and culture to believe the carb/grain based suggestions as the basis of nutrition.

 

This fueled, literally, a need for more food since without fat and protein, we are not satieted and we keep eating. This was exacerbated by lifestyle changes, pace of life, gender role shifts. It has culminated in a an epidemic of unhealth and obesity. The remedy to which is influenced by the culture that drove the emerging preoccupation; let's lose the weight quick and easy.

 

I lost a lot of respect for the low carb industry when they developed Frankenfoods and also the low fat industry (of which Weight Watchers is a member) when they started selling processed product instead of a program.

 

We've become fat and unhealthy because the food we've been told to eat fuels more need to eat. :001_huh::confused:

 

Poor people are often fat and unhealthy - ever see what's available in a food pantry? I've been recently and it's a sick perpetuating cycle of unhealth.

[laylamcb]

Last year I began hosting potluck dinners with international themes. I intend to do more of that this year, and my first one this fall will actually have a "harvest" theme - I hope everyone will either make something from their own garden or hit the farmers' market before they cook. All we can do is support each other in stopping the madness!

 

I hope that you report back about how this worked out and give us some pointers on doing the same. I'd LOVE to do something like this. Let's bring back real food to the table!

[Snickerdoodle]

I think Americans are obsessed with diet because of the availability of food both in variety and amount is completely overwhelming.

[Faith]

We've become fat and unhealthy because the food we've been told to eat fuels more need to eat. :001_huh::confused:

 

Poor people are often fat and unhealthy - ever see what's available in a food pantry? I've been recently and it's a sick perpetuating cycle of unhealth.

 

:iagree: You said what I was thinking.

[Desert Rat]

Hmmm, because I lean in this direction, we're a nation of control freaks?! Just my 2 cents.

[Happy]

This is a fascinating topic to me. One thing that I find paradoxical is this comment above. Of course, I totally get what you're saying here, and I agree with it: We Americans just plain eat too dang much and all the wrong things--the immediate gratification angle that someone else mentioned.

 

On the other hand, my grandmother was French, and I'd say that she lived to eat. Now I don't mean that literally; I mean that, to the French (or at least to the French of her generation), life was about such simple pleasures as a glass of really good red wine, a slice of excellent cheese, a daub of perfectly ripe avocado on a crisp homemade cracker. YKWIM? To my grandmother, every meal was, in a sense, sacred, a gift. We ate very, very well at her house--but we never overate. Plenty of fat and calories, but very few preservatives or sugars. A slice of junk never passed my lips at her house. Cheap wine? Anathema! Velveeta? Unthinkable! A sub sandwich? Mon dieu! Corn flakes? Degoutant! She'd rather have gone hungry than not eat well.

 

Interesting.

 

She'd rather gone hungry than not eat well...

 

I remember being stunned by the American grocery stores when we returned from living in Europe. Too much was pre-packaged. I kept telling my friends that in ten years no one in America would know how to cook from raw ingredients anymore.

 

By the same token, what was raw or fresh in the stores was not of good quality. Produce is not tasty at all. Unsatisfying, for sure. Certainly a contrast to what we had been buying overseas.

 

We've lost our ability to appreciate great tasting, well prepared food. There are too many women out there who work all day and shuttle kids to activities all evening. Who cooks? MickeyD's, of course.

 

Slowing down. Enjoying food and friends. Appreciating talent in the kitchen.

 

These are all things we've got to do to save our health as a nation.

[Susan in TN]

It seems to me that people were healthier way back (when I was little :)) and people were simply encouraged to eat something from all 4 food groups - dairy, meat/protein, bread, fruit/veg. Of course, "back then" food was usually purchased (and eaten) closer to their original forms, and not as processed as so much is today.

[Susan in TN]

although, once you get away from processed foods, your taste buds do adjust and real food does taste good and processed food, not so much. Although I still love me some chips and cheetos :001_smile: My dh does ask for the nasty store bought tomatoes. He says the real ones are so flavorful, they overpower his sandwich :lol: My kids were at the in-laws the other day and they made grilled cheese sandwiches, with the kraft individual slices. It was embarrassing - they didn't like it and made comments about how bready and yucky it was :glare: Which they got in trouble for :tongue_smilie: But I was secretly glad - they used to love those sandwiches. And now, we make them with real cheese, and they are so much cheesier. I was impressed to see their tastes changing already.

 

That's funny. I usually make mac & cheese from scratch but once in a while, my kids will ask me if I'll make the boxed kind "with the fake cheese". :tongue_smilie:

[PariSarah]

 

Yes, I see what you're saying. But what, then, of countries where just as much choice exists, yet there isn't the hyper-focus on diet?

 

. . . typically develop American disease patterns as well? Isn't that becoming a fairly well-known phenomenon?

 

Maybe they're just a couple decades "behind" us. They're just now starting to adopt our food patterns; in a few decades, they'll start to adopt our food neuroses as well. :D

[Colleen]

I absolutely loved reading all these thoughtful replies (and spent my daily allotment of rep thanking many of you for sharing your insights. I will try to remember in the days ahead to get to more of you!:)) Needless to say, I agree with everything that's been offered here. There's of course no one right answer as the reasons are manifold, including the abundance of food available to us ~ much of it poor quality such that we eat more because what we do eat isn't nourishing; lack of self-discipline; the "supersize me" culture to eating; lack of physical movement ~ to name a few.

 

Our lives, imo, are so off-kilter in many respects. I think Dana (danestress) summed it up well when she said we've adopted a "joyless approach to food". On the one hand, we think a great deal about food; we're surrounded by a great deal of food; we talk a great deal about food and diet and exercise ~ and yet bottom line, the appreciation of real food, slow food, nourishing food, is a lost art. As Pam said, when people believe Gogurts are a healthy snack, something is amiss.

 

Thanks for thinking about this with me!

[laylamcb]

 

Our lives, imo, are so off-kilter in many respects. I think Dana (danestress) summed it up well when she said we've adopted a "joyless approach to food". On the one hand, we think a great deal about food; we're surrounded by a great deal of food; we talk a great deal about food and diet and exercise ~ and yet bottom line, an appreciation of real food, slow food, nourishing food, is hard to find. As Pam said, when people believe Gogurts are a healthy snack, something is amiss.

 

 

EXCELLENT summary. The Gogurt comment KILLED me. :lol: My DH is a paramedic, and I remember him looking at the nutritional info on the back of a Gogurt and commenting in an awed voice that he didn't give that much sugar to a patient going into a diabetic coma. And he was serious! :001_huh:

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

EXCELLENT summary. The Gogurt comment KILLED me. :lol: My DH is a paramedic, and I remember him looking at the nutritional info on the back of a Gogurt and commenting in an awed voice that he didn't give that much sugar to a patient going into a diabetic coma. And he was serious! :001_huh:

 

And you know, I think Gogurt if FINE if a person understands that it is candy with a bit of calcium included. I have no quarrel with sweets. But let us please just call it what it is.

[Colleen]

You said earlier, re your French grandmother, that

 

life was about such simple pleasures as a glass of really good red wine, a slice of excellent cheese, a daub of perfectly ripe avocado on a crisp homemade cracker. YKWIM? To my grandmother, every meal was, in a sense, sacred, a gift. We ate very, very well at her house--but we never overate. Plenty of fat and calories, but very few preservatives or sugars.

 

Yes, precisely! And that is so true of many Europeans I know. I aspire to be that way myself, but alas, I am a glutton at heart, too fond of homemade sweets and quality ice cream.

 

I really loved your comments in this thread. You, along with many others, are on my "to be repped" list.;)

[Frontier Mom]

And you know, I think Gogurt if FINE if a person understands that it is candy with a bit of calcium included. I have no quarrel with sweets. But let us please just call it what it is.

 

I agree. I do buy the "stuff" for ball games when the kids need a little snack to tide them over. Quick & lots of sugar for quick energy. As long as it is identified as gooey sugary mess, then that's OK.

 

Seriously, I struggle all the time with my weight and it is definitely when my life just gets too busy and we eat out too much. I can just load those pounds on in no time.

 

When I lived on the Indian Reservation, the low income received commodity food. It was nasty. It made me so mad because most of them were already suffering with diabetes. The grocery stores carried nothing but cheap junk food too. I had to drive over 30 miles to get anything worthwhile. My heart really goes out to them.

 

Along the lines of WW, I lost weight with them a couple of years ago. However, I felt like I learned how to "snack my way to weight loss" instead of learning to eat healthy. This was entirely my fault because I could have fixed really healthy meals but most of our meetings were discussing low point snacks. I got in a really bad habit of snacking and eating processed foods, which is why I stopped attending. However, in their defense, the stores are lined with "controlled calorie" snacks.

 

Basically it boils down to what my grandma used to say, "You eat too much and work too little."

[Spy Car]

I attended Weight Watchers with a friend earlier this year. This is what they were selling -- pushing -- before and after each meeting. Uh huh, let me tell you, the ladies and gentlemen who were buying 5 boxes of these a week were just MELTING off the pounds. I felt like screaming, "You gained all this weight by eating crap, and now you're still obsessed with buying more overpriced crap and eating it. Do you not find something wrong with this picture??"

 

I'm enjoying this side of you! :D

 

Bill

[Jenny in Atl]

EXCELLENT summary. The Gogurt comment KILLED me. :lol: My DH is a paramedic, and I remember him looking at the nutritional info on the back of a Gogurt and commenting in an awed voice that he didn't give that much sugar to a patient going into a diabetic coma. And he was serious! :001_huh:

 

Not to be nit-picky... but an average Gogurt (which to my is crap) is much lower in carbs than most other flavored yogurts, like Dannon (27 carbs) Some other yogurts can have as much as 36 carbs.

 

Only 13 carbs, one carb more than the average serving of glucose tabs given to one having a low blood sugar reading (50-70). Usually it's recommended to give 15 carbs of a fast acting sugar (no fat), and then some fat ~ 10 mins later to maintain the sugar level. And if one is low enough to be going into a coma, you would give far more (~24-40 carbs) if they are still awake enough to drink juice, if not you would use glucagon (a shot given to those who are very low or passed out).

 

There is an average of 11-20 carbs in a piece of wheat bread. Double for things like pasta, potatoes, and rice. Many have no idea of the hidden sugars in most all of their food. It's not so much the sugar, but the form (type/package) it's delivered. Gogurts are not so much "sugary" as they are devoid of much else.