Everything you know about obesity is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

Even if we could wave a magic wand and instantly remove all the "bad food," there are plenty of people on here swearing that they can become obese on eating only healthy food.

I don't believe this, but say they are right. So then, there actually is no hope except, again, personal responsibility. Or drugs, I suppose.

Then you literally don't believe in math. Literally are not able to understand that a calorie is a calorie from any food; that maintaining an obese weight is only slightly different than maintaining a healthy weight. I just cannot wrap my mind around this level of ignorance.

Fine, so then admit that regulating food won't help you if you can become obese eating salad and apples.

but the thing is, two cups of salad is something like 15 calories (minus dressing)...so you'd have to eat literally 100 cups of salad just to get the caloric equivalent of say, three pieces of pizza. I don't think it is physically possible for your body to do that in a day, is it? (Not a facetious question.) If I ate 4 apples (400 calories) I think I'd be stuffed. If I ate a third of a bag of potato chips (also around 400 calories)...I would probably not be very satiated. So technically, yea, a calorie is a calorie from any food but it's physically very difficult (if not impossible for some foods) to eat the physical mass of said food you'd need to become obese.

Agree, but yet posters here are claiming they do just that. Eat only healthy foods and become obese.

No one is claiming to only eat lettuce. Healthy whole foods includes non lettuce items.

Yes, and if you eat them, in a moderate amount, you most likely will not get fat.

No one is saying that’s not true (as long as by “moderate” you actually mean “precisely the amount that will not cause weight gain.”) But many people are saying if you only eat healthful foods you can’t become obese. Which is absolute nonsense given, well, math.

Some people are saying we need to completely overhaul the food industry so that only healthy foods are available, because otherwise people can't control themselves and will eat the junk.

Others are saying that even if only healthy food were left, people would still become obese.

So looks like we are all destined to become obese?

Yes. That is in fact the reality of today, assuming nothing changes. Look around you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As with many complex phenomena, it's obviously a combination of systemic failures and individual choices. We can't really control things like subsidies to the junk food industrial complex, but we do have some control over our individual choices. That is the point. When you go to a Super Walmart and spend your money on soda, that's a choice.

Yes, exactly. It's many things, but the only one we can control is what we eat.

What we eat, by carefully weighing and measuring it all, to make sure we are inside of the narrow band of allowable calories that will maintain a healthy weight, despite the signals from your body that that's not enough, because that's what your hunger hormones are telling you. The level of control required of weight loss maintainers is significant.

You cannot claim that all obese people have hormones telling them they are hungry all the time. It is well known that many overweight people eat for emotional reasons - not because they are hungry. Stress, anxiety, relationships, kids, work, depression, etc. Go to any weight loss forum and you will hear people that eat because it makes them psychologically feel better, food is their best friend. They eat well past the point of being satisfied from a physiological perspective. They are feeding emotional needs.

That is why we also need more available mental health treatments in this country.

It’s not all drama. Food is entertainment. And even good food is cheap compared to many hobbies. So when rich people are bored they can pick up a game of golf or go shopping but when poor people are bored they can eat chips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

You think the government should force you to exercise a minimum amount and restrict your screen time? I just don't see that ever happening in America, and I don't think it's even desirable to have that level of control.

Agree people don't make good choices, but honestly can't think of any way to legally force those things on people. All we can do is provide incentives, and money seems to be the most effective. Maybe give a tax credit to under 25 BMI? Free gym memberships for all? Food subsidies - yes, due to lobbies will be very hard to overcome Big Ag. But maybe other subsidies to encourage fresh and organic food, like some places that give double/triple SNAP credits when you buy at a farmers market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

Even if we could wave a magic wand and instantly remove all the "bad food," there are plenty of people on here swearing that they can become obese on eating only healthy food.

I don't believe this, but say they are right. So then, there actually is no hope except, again, personal responsibility. Or drugs, I suppose.

Then you literally don't believe in math. Literally are not able to understand that a calorie is a calorie from any food; that maintaining an obese weight is only slightly different than maintaining a healthy weight. I just cannot wrap my mind around this level of ignorance.

This is not true at all. Different foods have vastly different effects on the body. Read Gary Taubes and Jason Fung.

With regard to nutrition? Sure.

With regards to weight? Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

Even if we could wave a magic wand and instantly remove all the "bad food," there are plenty of people on here swearing that they can become obese on eating only healthy food.

I don't believe this, but say they are right. So then, there actually is no hope except, again, personal responsibility. Or drugs, I suppose.

Then you literally don't believe in math. Literally are not able to understand that a calorie is a calorie from any food; that maintaining an obese weight is only slightly different than maintaining a healthy weight. I just cannot wrap my mind around this level of ignorance.

This is not true at all. Different foods have vastly different effects on the body. Read Gary Taubes and Jason Fung.

With regard to nutrition? Sure.

With regards to weight? Nope.

DP. It’s Dunning-Kruger in action, folks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

You think the government should force you to exercise a minimum amount and restrict your screen time? I just don't see that ever happening in America, and I don't think it's even desirable to have that level of control.

Agree people don't make good choices, but honestly can't think of any way to legally force those things on people. All we can do is provide incentives, and money seems to be the most effective. Maybe give a tax credit to under 25 BMI? Free gym memberships for all? Food subsidies - yes, due to lobbies will be very hard to overcome Big Ag. But maybe other subsidies to encourage fresh and organic food, like some places that give double/triple SNAP credits when you buy at a farmers market.

No I don’t think the govt should restrict screen time. I was making an analogy that most of us can relate to- we all do things we know we shouldn’t.

I don’t believe people will suddenly start making good choices around food given the obesity trends. I think we need a higher-level solution related to the food supply. The subsidies that you mention are within the kinds of actions I’m suggesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

You think the government should force you to exercise a minimum amount and restrict your screen time? I just don't see that ever happening in America, and I don't think it's even desirable to have that level of control.

Agree people don't make good choices, but honestly can't think of any way to legally force those things on people. All we can do is provide incentives, and money seems to be the most effective. Maybe give a tax credit to under 25 BMI? Free gym memberships for all? Food subsidies - yes, due to lobbies will be very hard to overcome Big Ag. But maybe other subsidies to encourage fresh and organic food, like some places that give double/triple SNAP credits when you buy at a farmers market.

No I don’t think the govt should restrict screen time. I was making an analogy that most of us can relate to- we all do things we know we shouldn’t.

I don’t believe people will suddenly start making good choices around food given the obesity trends. I think we need a higher-level solution related to the food supply. The subsidies that you mention are within the kinds of actions I’m suggesting.

I agree with you. I don’t get the people who are just shrugging their shoulders and saying the government should be hands off. The government now is pushing obesity (via subsidies)! We haven’t even tried in the slightest to take a regulatory approach to obesity — instead we are okay with the government promoting obesity. There are so many things we could do that aren’t complex. I do not get this nonsense about how we can’t do it and it’s too hard. Here are some simple public policy approaches:

Tax sales of chips extremely highly
Ban soda and chips sales to minors, require use of ID
Remove corn and sugar subsidies
Bar fried food in school cafeterias

This is just a short list; there are many policy options, some harder than others. And the fact is, if we don’t do something like this, yes, we will all end up obese. That is where we as as a society are headed. It’s not going to stop. The numbers don’t lie. Sure there may be a few individuals who hold out for a few years, but the trend is shockingly clear. Like you said, we NEED to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

Even if we could wave a magic wand and instantly remove all the "bad food," there are plenty of people on here swearing that they can become obese on eating only healthy food.

I don't believe this, but say they are right. So then, there actually is no hope except, again, personal responsibility. Or drugs, I suppose.

Then you literally don't believe in math. Literally are not able to understand that a calorie is a calorie from any food; that maintaining an obese weight is only slightly different than maintaining a healthy weight. I just cannot wrap my mind around this level of ignorance.

This is not true at all. Different foods have vastly different effects on the body. Read Gary Taubes and Jason Fung.

With regard to nutrition? Sure.

With regards to weight? Nope.

DP. It’s Dunning-Kruger in action, folks!

DP. Gary Taubes is a crackpot. Jason Fung has some iffy biology but isn't totally wrong for people who are obese, diabetic and have ESRD. Fortunately, that is not the majority of the population.

[Anonymous]

Here’s why I’m against regulating for obesity by doing things like high taxes for chips, requiring an ID for soda etc. because it’s stupid, ineffective and detracts from important regulatory issues.

On stupid and ineffective, so potato chips get taxesd very high. How about cookies, doughnuts, cakes, crackers, popcorn at the movie theater, pizza rolls, all the appetizers at Applebees type places. I can’t buy a soda under 18 but I can get an energy drink, a Snapple, a milkshake or a venti carmel macchiato. It will have zero effect because there are so many options that have the high sugar, high fat, high carb combo that people seek.

There is a finite amount of political and monetary capitol toward any issue or regulatory space. Important food industry regulations like disease and safety monitoring, worker conditions and hygiene to keep the food and workers safe, breaking up the monopolization of the food supply, water management, etc are all way, way more important. Seriously, banning almonds and pistachios makes more sense. If your platform is ban chips to save fat people, you only invite backlash that puts people in office who would take away all of the above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s why I’m against regulating for obesity by doing things like high taxes for chips, requiring an ID for soda etc. because it’s stupid, ineffective and detracts from important regulatory issues.

On stupid and ineffective, so potato chips get taxesd very high. How about cookies, doughnuts, cakes, crackers, popcorn at the movie theater, pizza rolls, all the appetizers at Applebees type places. I can’t buy a soda under 18 but I can get an energy drink, a Snapple, a milkshake or a venti carmel macchiato. It will have zero effect because there are so many options that have the high sugar, high fat, high carb combo that people seek.

There is a finite amount of political and monetary capitol toward any issue or regulatory space. Important food industry regulations like disease and safety monitoring, worker conditions and hygiene to keep the food and workers safe, breaking up the monopolization of the food supply, water management, etc are all way, way more important. Seriously, banning almonds and pistachios makes more sense. If your platform is ban chips to save fat people, you only invite backlash that puts people in office who would take away all of the above.

Agree. There are just too many options and combinations of high fat, high calorie, high sugar foods to regulate. Be it “homemade” or processed.

The best you can hope for is getting soda, vending machines, flavored milk, juice, high sugar items (the crappy “breakfast” stuff they pass out) out of school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s why I’m against regulating for obesity by doing things like high taxes for chips, requiring an ID for soda etc. because it’s stupid, ineffective and detracts from important regulatory issues.

On stupid and ineffective, so potato chips get taxesd very high. How about cookies, doughnuts, cakes, crackers, popcorn at the movie theater, pizza rolls, all the appetizers at Applebees type places. I can’t buy a soda under 18 but I can get an energy drink, a Snapple, a milkshake or a venti carmel macchiato. It will have zero effect because there are so many options that have the high sugar, high fat, high carb combo that people seek.

There is a finite amount of political and monetary capitol toward any issue or regulatory space. Important food industry regulations like disease and safety monitoring, worker conditions and hygiene to keep the food and workers safe, breaking up the monopolization of the food supply, water management, etc are all way, way more important. Seriously, banning almonds and pistachios makes more sense. If your platform is ban chips to save fat people, you only invite backlash that puts people in office who would take away all of the above.

Yeah, I was reading this thinking about how easy it is to make a lot of these things at home. The problem with taxing processed food is it’s impossible to get everything and the problem with taxing raw ingredients is they aren’t inherently problematic (I guess you could make a case for taking sugar cane but then there’s corn/corn syrup, sugar beets, etc, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

Even if we could wave a magic wand and instantly remove all the "bad food," there are plenty of people on here swearing that they can become obese on eating only healthy food.

I don't believe this, but say they are right. So then, there actually is no hope except, again, personal responsibility. Or drugs, I suppose.

Then you literally don't believe in math. Literally are not able to understand that a calorie is a calorie from any food; that maintaining an obese weight is only slightly different than maintaining a healthy weight. I just cannot wrap my mind around this level of ignorance.

This is not true at all. Different foods have vastly different effects on the body. Read Gary Taubes and Jason Fung.

With regard to nutrition? Sure.

With regards to weight? Nope.

DP. It’s Dunning-Kruger in action, folks!

DP. Gary Taubes is a crackpot. Jason Fung has some iffy biology but isn't totally wrong for people who are obese, diabetic and have ESRD. Fortunately, that is not the majority of the population.

Why do you say Taubes a crockpot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

Even if we could wave a magic wand and instantly remove all the "bad food," there are plenty of people on here swearing that they can become obese on eating only healthy food.

I don't believe this, but say they are right. So then, there actually is no hope except, again, personal responsibility. Or drugs, I suppose.

Then you literally don't believe in math. Literally are not able to understand that a calorie is a calorie from any food; that maintaining an obese weight is only slightly different than maintaining a healthy weight. I just cannot wrap my mind around this level of ignorance.

This is not true at all. Different foods have vastly different effects on the body. Read Gary Taubes and Jason Fung.

With regard to nutrition? Sure.

With regards to weight? Nope.

DP. It’s Dunning-Kruger in action, folks!

DP. Gary Taubes is a crackpot. Jason Fung has some iffy biology but isn't totally wrong for people who are obese, diabetic and have ESRD. Fortunately, that is not the majority of the population.

Why do you say Taubes a crockpot?

(I mean “crackpot”)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

Even if we could wave a magic wand and instantly remove all the "bad food," there are plenty of people on here swearing that they can become obese on eating only healthy food.

I don't believe this, but say they are right. So then, there actually is no hope except, again, personal responsibility. Or drugs, I suppose.

Then you literally don't believe in math. Literally are not able to understand that a calorie is a calorie from any food; that maintaining an obese weight is only slightly different than maintaining a healthy weight. I just cannot wrap my mind around this level of ignorance.

This is not true at all. Different foods have vastly different effects on the body. Read Gary Taubes and Jason Fung.

With regard to nutrition? Sure.

With regards to weight? Nope.

DP. It’s Dunning-Kruger in action, folks!

What is Dunning-Kruger?