Obesity is only a "problem" because...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

And salt, sugar, and meat. We need to put together a master list of things which the government should ban to improve the health of all Americans! We could have a utopia

Meat and salt can be very healthy. Lots of people have reversed multiple health conditions on an animal based diet.

The current food pyramid is what is unhealthy and it tracks with an explosion in obesity and insulin becoming a huge money maker.

+1

The food pyramid is wrong. We don't need grains, it lead to this obesity epidemic. Cut them out and see what it does to your body. You won't know until you give it a try

First, no, the food pyramid recommendations (which no one has ever followed anyway) did not lead to the obesity epidemic. Second, the word you are looking for in this context is “led” - I assume you also don’t understand the difference between “loose” and “lose”.

Exactly - the idea that the 40% of Americans that are obese are that way because they meticulously followed some food pyramid guidelines is so intellectually dishonest its impossible to know where to start.

The sad part is the rush to blame externalities in all this ends up neutering the ability of people from taking control of their own health. Any time you speak any form of actual truth its too mean and its shaming. The opposite of the empowerment.

Imagine being arrogant enough to think you, and only you, know "the actual truth" about the complexities of a stranger's physical health. What an AH.

Imagine being so dishonest that you decide obesity on a population level is all about elaborate exceptions and narrow medical conditions. Its impossible to even have this discussion because people always wade in here with some elaborate tale that is not at all a reflection of what is actually happening on a population level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

And salt, sugar, and meat. We need to put together a master list of things which the government should ban to improve the health of all Americans! We could have a utopia

Meat and salt can be very healthy. Lots of people have reversed multiple health conditions on an animal based diet.

The current food pyramid is what is unhealthy and it tracks with an explosion in obesity and insulin becoming a huge money maker.

+1

The food pyramid is wrong. We don't need grains, it lead to this obesity epidemic. Cut them out and see what it does to your body. You won't know until you give it a try

First, no, the food pyramid recommendations (which no one has ever followed anyway) did not lead to the obesity epidemic. Second, the word you are looking for in this context is “led” - I assume you also don’t understand the difference between “loose” and “lose”.

Exactly - the idea that the 40% of Americans that are obese are that way because they meticulously followed some food pyramid guidelines is so intellectually dishonest its impossible to know where to start.

The sad part is the rush to blame externalities in all this ends up neutering the ability of people from taking control of their own health. Any time you speak any form of actual truth it's too mean and its shaming. The opposite of the empowerment.

Most Americans start their day with carbs, carbs and more carbs (ceral/toast), they then snack their way thru the day with chips/crackers/more carbs and sugared snacks, and typically have desserts along the way as well. Most Americans don't get enough fruits and veggies. If they simply did that and cut the carbs, they would do better. Ideally everyone should follow the diabetic diet---it's a healthy path for everyone and can help stave off diabetes. Fact is most Americans consume way too much sugars (carbs are simply sugars and yes, your body processes carbs from sweet potatoes/potatoes and fruits very differently than a slice of bread or bowl of cereal)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

Come on, we all grew up being told we should eat a ton of carbs and that fat was our worst enemy. We are surrounded by ultra processed foods marketed as "healthy". Of course there is deceptive advertising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

Come on, we all grew up being told we should eat a ton of carbs and that fat was our worst enemy. We are surrounded by ultra processed foods marketed as "healthy". Of course there is deceptive advertising.

So the US is fat because they were perceptive enough to be paying attention but stopped around the year 2000?

The problems with consuming processed carbohydrates is exceptionally well known and expressed everywhere. It’s all over media. The pamphlet at every GP physical says it in bold letters and I am confident your GP and every other one on the planet repeats that line - even with their sometimes poor understanding of nutrition.

It’s not a grand conspiracy. People don’t care and don’t want to put in the effort if they are privileged enough to avoid it. Preferring instead to dose themselves all day. Others are in a financial or socioeconomic circumstance that fights against them - that’s not the DCUM demographic for the majority of participants here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

Come on, we all grew up being told we should eat a ton of carbs and that fat was our worst enemy. We are surrounded by ultra processed foods marketed as "healthy". Of course there is deceptive advertising.

So the US is fat because they were perceptive enough to be paying attention but stopped around the year 2000?

The problems with consuming processed carbohydrates is exceptionally well known and expressed everywhere. It’s all over media. The pamphlet at every GP physical says it in bold letters and I am confident your GP and every other one on the planet repeats that line - even with their sometimes poor understanding of nutrition.

It’s not a grand conspiracy. People don’t care and don’t want to put in the effort if they are privileged enough to avoid it. Preferring instead to dose themselves all day. Others are in a financial or socioeconomic circumstance that fights against them - that’s not the DCUM demographic for the majority of participants here.

Whoosh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

Come on, we all grew up being told we should eat a ton of carbs and that fat was our worst enemy. We are surrounded by ultra processed foods marketed as "healthy". Of course there is deceptive advertising.

So the US is fat because they were perceptive enough to be paying attention but stopped around the year 2000?

The problems with consuming processed carbohydrates is exceptionally well known and expressed everywhere. It’s all over media. The pamphlet at every GP physical says it in bold letters and I am confident your GP and every other one on the planet repeats that line - even with their sometimes poor understanding of nutrition.

It’s not a grand conspiracy. People don’t care and don’t want to put in the effort if they are privileged enough to avoid it. Preferring instead to dose themselves all day. Others are in a financial or socioeconomic circumstance that fights against them - that’s not the DCUM demographic for the majority of participants here.

Whoosh

The response that we grew up thinking it was good to eat ultra processed food is both incorrect and dumb. How many decades have we known to eat fruits and vegetables and lean protein? Is any doctor who has counseled otherwise in decades? What is the deception today? I understand the convience issue in the U.S. in 2025. But deception?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

Come on, we all grew up being told we should eat a ton of carbs and that fat was our worst enemy. We are surrounded by ultra processed foods marketed as "healthy". Of course there is deceptive advertising.

So the US is fat because they were perceptive enough to be paying attention but stopped around the year 2000?

The problems with consuming processed carbohydrates is exceptionally well known and expressed everywhere. It’s all over media. The pamphlet at every GP physical says it in bold letters and I am confident your GP and every other one on the planet repeats that line - even with their sometimes poor understanding of nutrition.

It’s not a grand conspiracy. People don’t care and don’t want to put in the effort if they are privileged enough to avoid it. Preferring instead to dose themselves all day. Others are in a financial or socioeconomic circumstance that fights against them - that’s not the DCUM demographic for the majority of participants here.

Whoosh

The response that we grew up thinking it was good to eat ultra processed food is both incorrect and dumb. How many decades have we known to eat fruits and vegetables and lean protein? Is any doctor who has counseled otherwise in decades? What is the deception today? I understand the convience issue in the U.S. in 2025. But deception?

The response that we grew up thinking it was good to eat ultra processed food is both incorrect and dumb. How many decades have we known to eat fruits and vegetables and lean protein? Is any doctor who has counseled otherwise in decades? What is the deception today? I understand the convience issue in the U.S. in 2025. But deception?

Ads. Ads are deception. They hire some celebrity (or worse, an "influencer") to hawk their processed shite so people think you can consume processed foods and still look like the spokespeople do. And you can't. Those people have a trainers and dieticians and orthorexic meal plans and ridiculous exercise schedules.

Also, "processed food" used to mean corn flakes (originally made only of lightly fermented corn, according to the patent: https://www.tastinghistory.com/recipes/cornflakes), not corn flakes as we know them now (now made of: Milled corn, sugar, malt flavor, 2% or less of salt, Iron (ferric phosphate), niacinamide, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride), folic acid, vitamin D3, vitamin B12 according to https://smartlabel.wkkellogg.com/Product/Index?gtin=00038000001208#ingredients)

There's rBST in your milk, there's antibiotics in all the meats you eat, there's cow crap on all your salad greens... You say "eat fruits and vegetables and lean proteins" like those aren't subject to nutritional alterations, but they all are. Antibiotics cause massive inflammatory responses in the gut, which can lead to depression, which can lead to weight gain (especially if meds are used to compensate).

There's literally no way to "put in the effort" to get around these things. The "effort" a lot of hangry jerks on this board are putting in seems to be obsessively counting calories and working out and going hungry. As a formerly anorexic person, let me assure you this WILL catch up with you someday (or you'll die from your disordered eating, which is the flip side of this "obesity" argument).

The deception is that people believe "calories in, calories out" is some kind of magical math that is the end all be all of the weight management dilemma when there is WAY more nuance to this conversation than fatshaming and a cutesy slogan will allow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

Come on, we all grew up being told we should eat a ton of carbs and that fat was our worst enemy. We are surrounded by ultra processed foods marketed as "healthy". Of course there is deceptive advertising.

Remember snackwells, and the anti-fat craze in the late 90s? The juice diets? The cabbage soup diet? Metabolife?

I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

And salt, sugar, and meat. We need to put together a master list of things which the government should ban to improve the health of all Americans! We could have a utopia

Meat and salt can be very healthy. Lots of people have reversed multiple health conditions on an animal based diet.

The current food pyramid is what is unhealthy and it tracks with an explosion in obesity and insulin becoming a huge money maker.

+1

The food pyramid is wrong. We don't need grains, it lead to this obesity epidemic. Cut them out and see what it does to your body. You won't know until you give it a try

First, no, the food pyramid recommendations (which no one has ever followed anyway) did not lead to the obesity epidemic. Second, the word you are looking for in this context is “led” - I assume you also don’t understand the difference between “loose” and “lose”.

Exactly - the idea that the 40% of Americans that are obese are that way because they meticulously followed some food pyramid guidelines is so intellectually dishonest its impossible to know where to start.

The sad part is the rush to blame externalities in all this ends up neutering the ability of people from taking control of their own health. Any time you speak any form of actual truth its too mean and its shaming. The opposite of the empowerment.

Imagine being arrogant enough to think you, and only you, know "the actual truth" about the complexities of a stranger's physical health. What an AH.

Imagine being so dishonest that you decide obesity on a population level is all about elaborate exceptions and narrow medical conditions. Its impossible to even have this discussion because people always wade in here with some elaborate tale that is not at all a reflection of what is actually happening on a population level.

So, according to you, a DCUM shitposter/self-proclaimed expert, the whole problem is "fat people eat too much"?

You're a simple-minded fool, and a judgmental ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

We get obese working long hours at assigned seats in office buildings that we can't walk to from where we live. But we produce plenty of market value before interventions are required.

Eating garbage food also fattens the profits of the fast food industry and most food conglomerates. This also has contributed to economic growth as the agriculture sector has been transformed by this change in consumer habits.

You're only looking at the externalities and not the full accounting.

RTO takes personal commute time people could devote to exercise and reassign it to a polluting, sedentary pastime. Yet many conservatives believe RTO is "productive".

You cannot blame people for every consequence of our obesogenic culture.

I drive 45 minutes each way, to an office where I sit for 9+ hours, 5 days a week, and I am not even remotely close to overweight. Take responsibility for your choices.

DP

When the vast majority of the population is overweight (I am actually not overweight so spare me your "advice"), there is something systemic that is wrong. Obviously people have agency, but many people struggle to lose weight because our bodies did not evolve to lose weight, rather to gain it.

Another DP and I agree with you that obesity is happening due to systemic issues and not just lack of personal responsibility by each individual obese person.

Which is why OP's premise is exactly backwards. OP is arguing that obesity is fine but there's a conspiracy among the powers that be to try and convince us that obesity is bad so that they can more effectively starve us and force us to do physical work.

In reality, "the powers that be" are likely responsible for obesity, creating a food supply loaded with hyper-processed foods.

Bolded part = Food Pyramid. Created decades ago by government. That will make you think, if you are capable of reflection.

Italics part = backwards. You meant a conspiracy to make people think obesity is ok. "big is beautiful" propangada.

Picture show a morbidly obese and unhealthy woman, yet the "powers that be" are gaslighting gullible people into thinking that's ok.

So we started celebrating obese people and the.ln people became obese

Pretty much it. Telling everyone it is "cool" to be fat just makes the lazy people in society get even fatter.

Remember when Rosie O'Donnell and John Candy were considered hilariously obese and put in fat character roles? Now they look smaller than the average person you see waddling around in public.

the fatshaming in this post is extreme.

Hard to shame the shameless. Also, if shame worked, there wouldn't be any fat people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

+1
We also need to eliminate food deserts and redesign our communities so we are less car dependent. Also change work culture, and ultra wealthy agree to fund universal basic income so folks don't need to work multiple jobs just to get by.

I’m all for high taxes in exchange for healthcare and education and environmental things, but universal income just doesn’t work with human nature. Jobs need to pay people a living wage instead. Why should a corporation get rich paying folks $7/hr when the govt then has to pay them too?

Governments are corporations. The largest corporation in every country is the government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

And salt, sugar, and meat. We need to put together a master list of things which the government should ban to improve the health of all Americans! We could have a utopia

Meat and salt can be very healthy. Lots of people have reversed multiple health conditions on an animal based diet.

The current food pyramid is what is unhealthy and it tracks with an explosion in obesity and insulin becoming a huge money maker.

+1

The food pyramid is wrong. We don't need grains, it lead to this obesity epidemic. Cut them out and see what it does to your body. You won't know until you give it a try

This. ^ People have known this for decades, fit people that is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a problem because inevitably non obese shell out billions of dollars to compensate for the incredible drain obese people are on our society.

Yeah that’s what I was going to say. Obesity is a huge factor of most chronic health issues. WE as a society pay for that when their care drives up healthcare costs for all.

I feel that way about smoking and vaping. And unlike consumption of food, it’s not necessary. But if we cared about health care costs we’d ban all this and extreme processed foods. It’s easier to blame individuals than take meaningful action so there is no need for “discipline” (which is bullshit as we are not all equal when it comes to addiction)

I’m 50 and so obviously I have seen attitudes towards smoking change since I was a kid. Even when smoking was commonplace, I don’t recall people blaming society or structures for smoking. Was that happening?

Then you don't understand what happened with smoking. The shift against smoking was driven by government action -- municipalities banning smoking, state AGs filing lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers for lying to the public about the addictive qualities of cigarettes and the impacts on health. Federal and state health agencies also launched campaigns to educate the public on the dangers if smoking, and the marketing of cigarettes was heavily regulated to force companies to disclose the risks and to eliminate advertising that targeted children.

The shift away from smoking was almost entirely due to societal factors, not individuals taking personal responsibility and changing behavior.

What you have described is deceptive advertising. Are you telling me that people are deceived today about the food and movement?

Come on, we all grew up being told we should eat a ton of carbs and that fat was our worst enemy. We are surrounded by ultra processed foods marketed as "healthy". Of course there is deceptive advertising.

So the US is fat because they were perceptive enough to be paying attention but stopped around the year 2000?

The problems with consuming processed carbohydrates is exceptionally well known and expressed everywhere. It’s all over media. The pamphlet at every GP physical says it in bold letters and I am confident your GP and every other one on the planet repeats that line - even with their sometimes poor understanding of nutrition.

It’s not a grand conspiracy. People don’t care and don’t want to put in the effort if they are privileged enough to avoid it. Preferring instead to dose themselves all day. Others are in a financial or socioeconomic circumstance that fights against them - that’s not the DCUM demographic for the majority of participants here.

Whoosh

The response that we grew up thinking it was good to eat ultra processed food is both incorrect and dumb. How many decades have we known to eat fruits and vegetables and lean protein? Is any doctor who has counseled otherwise in decades? What is the deception today? I understand the convience issue in the U.S. in 2025. But deception?

Bolded part "lean" is part of the food pyramid propaganda. Fat is good for you.