Foo - Obesity: America, read it and weep...

From today's WSJ (they cited the World Health Organization as their source).

Estimated obesity rates for people aged 15 years and older:

U.S.A. 39.2%

U.K. 22.9%

Germany 20.7% (well, if you included Jan, 20.8%)

France 7.2%

China 1.7%

Japan 1.6%

Those are rather startling numbers. But don't blame me. I don't eat solid food now that cycling season is here.

You forgot...

Tonga Islanders 99%

You forgot...

Tonga Islanders 99%

Well, when you live on an island there isn't much to do other than eat. :D

Well, when you live on an island there isn't much to do other than eat. :D

That should really make Americans feel better about themselves. Forget the fact that the rate of obesity here is roughly TWENTY TIMES that of the Japanese. Makes you wonder how they lost WWII.

That should really make Americans feel better about themselves. Forget the fact that the rate of obesity here is roughly TWENTY TIMES that of the Japanese. Makes you wonder how they lost WWII.


We blew them over with a little atomic power.

That should really make Americans feel better about themselves. Forget the fact that the rate of obesity here is roughly TWENTY TIMES that of the Japanese. Makes you wonder how they lost WWII.

We weren't as fat then?

We were well fed.

We weren't as fat then?

Hard to get fat when you're huddled in the jungle in the pouring rain trying not to get trench foot.

mmm trench foot...nothin' like having part of your foot come off when you pull your boot off.

That should really make Americans feel better about themselves. Forget the fact that the rate of obesity here is roughly TWENTY TIMES that of the Japanese. Makes you wonder how they lost WWII.

America sent the Fatboy into Nagasaki...go figure what time would tell.

It's my fault, I'm 75% of the US' 39% - but I'm cutting down on my eating, really, I ate Joisey last night and I think I've got food poisoning. :eek:

It's my fault, I'm 75% of the US' 39% - but I'm cutting down on my eating, really, I ate Joisey last night and I think I've got food poisoning. :eek:

You are SUCH a Fred. What would we do without you around here?

You are SUCH a Fred. What would we do without you around here?

We might get REAL playboy covers.....

That's disgusting. Don't people take tcare of their body. I mean, it's bad when someone abuses a 50k car and there's paint peeling on the hood and roof after only one year, but to just let your own body become a blob and inefficient piece of flesh and blood. Come on, you take your body with you WHEREVER you go.

I am actually happy for this news. I hope America gets fatter as well. It makes us cyclists look all the better!!! Think of it this way, in job interviews, meetings etc.., the more fat people, the better you will come across. Nothing better from my own personal financial perspective than the dumbing down and fattening of America.

Any wonder that they advertise Little Debee snack cakes in NASCAR?

What do you think the obesity % is for NASCAR fan? Or even better, drag racing fan!

That's disgusting. Don't people take tcare of their body.

Nope...

I recently read a study where they give kids in a Scandinavians country (i forget which) a pedometer, and kids in America a pedometer. I don't remember the results exactly but needless to say the average american child walked several (10,000??) thousand steps less a day then the average from the other country.

It starts from childhood. Schools are cutting funding to extra caricular activities (coupled by the growing demand for college acceptance...some kids probably just don't feel they the time). We live in a very spread out country where driving is often the more practical mode of transportation and of course our food is simply not healthy. I lived in the dorm last year at Iowa that houses all the foreign exchange students, it was embarrassing going to the store with them. They bashed most the stuff on the shelves, and they had every right to. I generally make food from scratch but my roommates this year, for example, buy prepackaged crap that you throw in the microwave and "eat it up".

We aren't very active anymore and we eat like ****. By the time you realize you're fat, you have no motivation to change it. I almost lost it myself, i hit 195 and said "woah there...something has to change". Looking back at it, i was falling down the typical american path and i'm glad i caught it before it really got out of hand.

You are SUCH a Fred. What would we do without you around here?

You'd have to resort to eating your own. :p

Think of it this way, in job interviews, meetings etc.., the more fat people, the better you will come across.

yeah until all the people doing the hiring and at the meetings are fat.

then you'll just look like the abnormal person :p

I am actually happy for this news. I hope America gets fatter as well. It makes us cyclists look all the better!!! Think of it this way, in job interviews, meetings etc.., the more fat people, the better you will come across. Nothing better from my own personel financial perspective that the dubming down and fattening of America.

That's not gonna work well when the whole company's fat, the person you're interviewing is fat, the boss is fat... they already do that at some places. I think what I'm rooting for is dumbing down and making people less healthy, not necessairly fat.

I am actually happy for this news. I hope America gets fatter as well. It makes us cyclists look all the better!!! Think of it this way, in job interviews, meetings etc.., the more fat people, the better you will come across. Nothing better from my own personel financial perspective that the dubming down and fattening of America.

WTF? Why would you want this world to go to ****? Don't you want your kids and grandkids to live in a better world than you do now?

And what satisfaction would it bring you to be the best out of a bunch of losers? Would you feel a sense of pride if you won a gold medal at the Special Olympics?

You might like this movie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fAYnc_-ddlw

Were #1,
Were #1


Yup,In Ohio we are first in obesity with almost epidemic numbers of diabetics according to World News Report this past winter.
The sad thing is,we have some of the best and longest paved trails and park roads to cycle in the nation.

Nothing better from my own personel financial perspective that the dubming down and fattening of America.

I see.

And what satisfaction would it bring you to be the best out of a bunch of losers? Would you feel a sense of pride if you won a gold medal at the Special Olympics?



haha, mean :p

That's disgusting. Don't people take tcare of their body. I mean, it's bad when someone abuses a 50k car and there's paint peeling on the hood and roof after only one year, but to just let your own body become a blob and inefficient piece of flesh and blood. Come on, you take your body with you WHEREVER you go.

I didn't know America produced a car that cost $50k...:p

Don't get me started...I'm setting here with the Economist 2007 Pocket World in Figures.:D

It's, uh, not actually in my pocket, but, uh...it could be. It looks a tad uncomfortable though.

Were #1,
Were #1


Yup,In Ohio we are first in obesity with almost epidemic numbers of diabetics according to World News Report this past winter.
The sad thing is,we have some of the best and longest paved trails and park roads to cycle in the nation.

On a positive note, you probably have those trails and park roads all to yourself. :D

Chipcom.

yes - I failed to proof-read my post. Kind of tough when you are at work and taking a quick break from what you are working on. But my point is still the same.

I am disgusted with obesity, and it sucks to see so many people with no chin (or extra chins), driving SUV's, and thinking that sitting all the time is living. Sure, I would like it if more of them actually got out and exercised, but they never will. We have become a society where literally sitting around watching 8 straight hours of basketball and gorging on food is considered normal.

Most obese people have the impression that once you are past 18, any activity you do must include sitting around and watching "others" do something (whether it be movies, sports, etc...). Seriously, they have determined that once you are out of college, any athletic endeavor is for kids.

My fiancé and I have taken the approach that we are not going to shuttle our kids around to sports where (a) we stand around watching and (b) they stand around half the time anyways waiting for some overweight wanna-be coach try to explain some sort of skill they could care less about. We are going to take our kids cycling, climbing, and other activities where the entire family interacts, and more importantly, all of us are active.

Now - I would sure like the United States to slim down. But it will not. You know, I know it. My only question is how much higher can it go? I fear that with already a record number of overweight children, it is going to rise to near the 50% obesity mark, with 80% overweight. Rather than hoping all of these people get it, and change their lives (they won’t), we can at least use it to our advantage in life.

I believe a few intelligent cyclists already described the cause and solution of this problem in a single imperative: throw your television at your car. or as I prefer to see it, crush the media tycoons in the automakers production dies.

Edit: +1 to VT Biker's plans on raising his kids.

DXchulo,

your analogy is a false one. First of all, Special Olympics participants are born that way. A better analogy would be me feeling great about dropping lard a$$ up a hill. Yes - I agree that there is little satisfaction there, as there is no benefit.

But - when it comes to success in life, there is an actual (studies prove it) fiscal reward for staying in shape.

Now - 1 critique of those studies is the "chicken-egg" theory. Do people who stay in shape end up earning more, or do people who earn more have the ability, incentive, and wherewithal to stay thin?

On a positive note, you probably have those trails and park roads all to yourself. :D

Unfortunately, that's not the case here in Toledo. In the winter that's true, but now that spring has come there are plenty of idiots out there.

DXchulo,

your analogy is a false one. First of all, Special Olympics participants are born that way. A better analogy would be me feeling great about dropping lard a$$ up a hill. Yes - I agree that there is little satisfaction there, as there is no benefit.

But - when it comes to success in life, there is an actual (studies prove it) fiscal reward for staying in shape.

Now - 1 critique of those studies is the "chicken-egg" theory. Do people who stay in shape end up earning more, or do people who earn more have the ability, incentive, and wherewithal to stay thin?

You don't have to convince me that being in shape has its benefits. All I'm saying is that you seem to want everyone else to be fatter and dumber so you can succeed. Shouldn't you be focusing on making yourself thinner and smarter instead?

If the world was full of smart people who were in shape, they would push you harder than you're being pushed right now. Wouldn't that be better for everybody?

One note to my comments. I appluad all overweight people who get the courage to put on a pair of lycra shorts and cycle. I also think those people should be applauded for doing something to take care of themselves. They have finally seen the light, and should always be encouraged by us fellow cyclists.

coach-class air travel is in for some revolutionary changes with all these wide-arsed people around.

http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/c050706b.gif (http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/d050706a.htm)

Kablam! (well still not too good, plus I live in the fattest part of the country).

Whatever happened to the airline policy of charging overweight people an extra ticket?

I know a woman (damned fat acceptance type) sued, but was not sure of the outcome?

http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/c050706b.gif (http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/d050706a.htm)

Kablam! (well still not too good, plus I live in the fattest part of the country).

how can that be with all the timbits and poutine you guys eat :P

The WHO uses BMI for these results, so take that for what it's worth. Not that the US probably isn't the fattest country or anything.

Who cares though... you live, you ride, you die... isn't that REALLY what it's all about anyway? :)

Edit: +1 to VT Biker's plans on raising his kids.
agreed! starts form the very early years,
I used to take her swimming as a baby, and then it was tennis at a young age,then hiking, we also took surfing lessons together and right now she is 13 we are doing kick boxing together, we are very close and I believe doing all these activities together helped promote the importance of fitness. That even gave her enough self confidence to join the wrestling team ( all men except for two girls).
She's my #1 fan at my races and I know that comes from the bond we develop through sports.

We were well fed.

According to the socialists in charge, we were living on a below-subsistence diet.

I am actually happy for this news. I hope America gets fatter as well. It makes us cyclists look all the better!!! Think of it this way, in job interviews, meetings etc.., the more fat people, the better you will come across. Nothing better from my own personal financial perspective than the dumbing down and fattening of America.

Actually, they think you're emaciated because they can see your cheeks and you have a neck.

Whatever happened to the airline policy of charging overweight people an extra ticket?

I know a woman (damned fat acceptance type) sued, but was not sure of the outcome?


That's all fine and well when you only have the occasional one seat per buttock passenger. Clearly, when over a third of all passengers are like this something's got to change. Airlines can't just charge them more; they'll have to readjust the seating.

I'm not sure of the exact figure, but roughly 10% of seats in new movie theaters and university classrooms extra-wide to accommodate obese/pregnant folk.

http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/c050706b.gif (http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/d050706a.htm)

Kablam! (well still not too good, plus I live in the fattest part of the country).

Look at that- 23% for Canadian men and women. Here in the good ol' US of A more women are obese than men. Look at that 10% difference between Canadian and US women. American men are getting ripped off.

American men are getting ripped off.

I DEMAND JUSTICE!!!! Just kidding, I out-fat my SO.

Look at that- 23% for Canadian men and women. Here in the good ol' US of A more women are obese than men. Look at that 10% difference between Canadian and US women. American men are getting ripped off.

Spinal Tap: "the looser the waste band the deeper the quicksand"

Blonduathlongrl:

When my fiance and I go climbing, we cannot help but notice the fun and joy the kids have climbing with their parents.

First of all - individual sports teach more self-confidence than any team sport. This is because unless your child is an amazing athlete, your child will likely spend time comparing themselves to their teamates, deferring to them, or otherwise already feeling (at a young age) inferior. But when we see these kids climbing, all they are doing is competing with themselves, and at a young age, this build more confidence.

Now - once they get above the age of 9, I think they have the self-confidence built in to handle more overt competition. I am not one of these "more musical chairs than competitors types" like in that Simpson's episode where everyone wins. I just think that in the formative years, kids can quickly sour on athletic endeavors if they do not see that the joy of participating is the more important part. Once they get that down, I think competition adds to the experience. Which is why I hope our children will race as juniors when they get old enough.

Secondly - the bond these kids have with their parents while climbing is amazing. Since you have to trust your partner belaying you, the kids not only learn to trust their parent, but see their parents as partners for these activities rather than as just parents/taxi driver/fan. It builds bonds that I do not think are the same as when a parent watches a soccer game.

Finally - cycling, surfing, climbing, hiking - these are all activities kids can learn and spend the rest of their lives participating in. How many O-linemen are there over the age of 22 not in professional football?

We blew them over with a little atomic power.

The war was over long before that...

Blonduathlongrl:

When my fiance and I go climbing, we cannot help but notice the fun and joy the kids have climbing with their parents.

First of all - individual sports teach more self-confidence than any team sport. This is because unless your child is an amazing athlete, your child will likely spend time comparing themselves to their teamates, deferring to them, or otherwise already feeling (at a young age) inferior. But when we see these kids climbing, all they are doing is competing with themselves, and at a young age, this build more confidence.

Now - once they get above the age of 9, I think they have the self-confidence built in to handle more overt competition. I am not one of these "more musical chairs than competitors types" like in that Simpson's episode where everyone wins. I just think that in the formative years, kids can quickly sour on athletic endeavors if they do not see that the joy of participating is the more important part. Once they get that down, I think competition adds to the experience. Which is why I hope our children will race as juniors when they get old enough.

Secondly - the bond these kids have with their parents while climbing is amazing. Since you have to trust your partner belaying you, the kids not only learn to trust their parent, but see their parents as partners for these activities rather than as just parents/taxi driver/fan. It builds bonds that I do not think are the same as when a parent watches a soccer game.

Finally - cycling, surfing, climbing, hiking - these are all activities kids can learn and spend the rest of their lives participating in. How many O-linemen are there over the age of 22 not in professional football?
well said and my kid is one of the example as to how it builts self confidence, Im not saying she will be a great wrestler,but she had enough nerves to give it a try, that's more then the average girls that are her friends, and that's commendable.:)
I only do recreational races but last year I raced one where the weather got the best of me, I wanted to quit in transition, she was there and said"mom, you rock, you can do this"
corny, I know..but she is the reason why I did it.:)

how can that be with all the timbits and poutine you guys eat :P

Timbits and poutine are bad for you?!

In all seriousness I'd bet it as more to do with the much of the population in the southern states dragging the rest of your country down as per usual.

On a positive note, you probably have those trails and park roads all to yourself. :D

nope, it's just people on roller blades and slow pace walking. unless you get outside the city areas, then it's pretty laid back.