How do we combat the obesity epidemic?

[Human]

In 1990, obese adults made up less than 15% of the population. Today they make up 36% of the population. 69 percent (!!) of adults are overweight or obese. $190 billion -- That's the amount of added medical costs every year that are estimated to stem from obesity-related problems. It's nearly 21% of total U.S. health care costs. 1/5 deaths in this country are obesity related, etc, etc.

This is unacceptable.

Regardless of your political affiliation, I think most of us can agree that we need to combat the obesity epidemic, but how do you think we should do it? I will post my plan to combat the obesity epidemic shortly.

[ElectionsGuy]

Create more games like Pokemon Go.

[Antonio the Sixth]

69 percent (!!) of adults are overweight or obese.

Seriously?

Can't say I have noticed, but admittedly I live in a very specific social environment in a very specific region of the country.

[DINGO Joe]

less food?

It's like combating smoking-- education, some nanny-statism.  High obesity does tend to overlap with high rates of smoking, high rates of just about every public health thing, and they peak in the interior South and Appalachia.  They're not terribly receptive to education or being told what to do, so that's a bit of stymie. 

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Inb4 someone seriously suggests fat person tax

[Antonio the Sixth]

Inb4 someone seriously suggests fat person tax

Too late.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Inb4 someone seriously suggests fat person tax

Too late.

Lol

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Make healthy food cheaper. A lot of obese people are poor and can only afford the food that leads to obesity.

Also, if the cheap food had less of the fattening material (but not enough to distract from the taste) it could work.

[Rules for me, but not for thee]

Go back to a production economy instead of a services economy.  Oh and grow vegetables that actually taste good like in Italy.  They can even be engineered: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2015/07/garden_gem_tomato_why_harry_klee_s_perfect_cultivar_isn_t_sold_in_supermarkets.html

[MK]

Make healthy food cheaper. A lot of obese people are poor and can only afford the food that leads to obesity.

Also, if the cheap food had less of the fattening material (but not enough to distract from the taste) it could work.

This.  I don't know where most of you are from , but in the south go to any dollar store or similar chains and you will notice junk food is super cheap.

Also tax the hell out of places that refuse to comply with healthier choices.

 

[Badger]

internet access to Atlas only powered by treadmill.

[dead0man]

The garbage food pyramid (and now food ...array?  idk what stupid thing they're calling this decade) the FDA sells to school children needs to go.  Grains?  Really?  Meat and vegetables, with some fruit for snacks is the best diet for most people.  Grains (and other starches) are fine in small amounts but they shouldn't make up 40% of our diet (or whatever too high percentage they're selling).

[RINO Tom]

It's a vague answer, but we have to raise each coming generation with more of an indoctrinated love of being outdoors, enjoying physical activity, eating healthily, etc.  My school system did a pretty good job of this, thankfully.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

It's a vague answer, but we have to raise each coming generation with more of an indoctrinated love of being outdoors, enjoying physical activity, eating healthily, etc.  My school system did a pretty good job of this, thankfully.

Put the Department of Education underneath the DNR? All for it.

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

Federal policy:
rejigger farm subsidies to incentivize vegetable and fruit operations.

Maybe DoE subsidies for local districts that keep around recess.

State/local policy:
Emphasize walkable and mixed use development to create car-independent cities and towns

mandate recess!

personal policy

Eat healthy, walk, exercise, and encourage your family to do the same.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

internet access to Atlas porn only powered by treadmill.

ftfy 

[Taco Truck 🚚]

The garbage food pyramid (and now food ...array?  idk what stupid thing they're calling this decade) the FDA sells to school children needs to go.  Grains?  Really?  Meat and vegetables, with some fruit for snacks is the best diet for most people.  Grains (and other starches) are fine in small amounts but they shouldn't make up 40% of our diet (or whatever too high percentage they're selling).

There is nothing wrong with eating a bowl of oatmeal or having a sandwich made with whole grain bread.  I haven't seen a single scientific study that has said otherwise.  Meat on the other hand has been implicated in all kinds of miladies.  Oily fish (ie salmon) is good but red meat must be consumed in very restricted portions.  And of course processed meats such as sausage, hot dogs, and bacon are big no nos.  Laying a solid foundation with minimally processed whole grains is an important part of most of the successful diets I've seen.  The Mediterranean diet and vegan diets all feature plenty of whole grains.

That doesn't mean I don't eat bacon or sausages.  But I eat those as a rare treat.  What I like to do is be fairly strict at home and then on those infrequent occasions I do go out to eat I just eat and drink whatever I want.  I really don't give a damn what the calorie count for a meal is when I go out.  I eat that stuff so rarely it is irrelevant.

Really I think that is one of the problems in America.  There are people out there who honestly believe eating oatmeal and whole grain bread is making people fat.  There is so much misinformation.  I have never met anyone who has gotten fat eating oatmeal or whole grain bread.  When people get fat from "carbs" if you go to their home you will see piles of refined grains (cake, wonder bread, cookies, etc).  You go to those peoples homes and you will find a ton of sugar, fat, and ultra refined grains.  If they have money plenty of red meat as well.

This is from Harvard...

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https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/

I couldn't agree more.  I've never met anyone that was doing a reasonable amount of exercise that became overweight eating oatmeal and whole grain bread.  Cake yes.  Oatmeal and whole grain bread?  No.

It's a vague answer, but we have to raise each coming generation with more of an indoctrinated love of being outdoors, enjoying physical activity, eating healthily, etc.  My school system did a pretty good job of this, thankfully.

Lord knows I rarely agree with you but on this you are spot on.  Of all the responses in this thread yours is the best.  I'm glad your school system did a good job with that.  Sadly that is the exception.

One thing you have really pointed out is it is about personal responsibility.  School should give people the tools to take care of their own health.  If we don't show people what healthy food and healthy portions look like they will never know.  If we don't show them what good exercise looks like they will never know.  The problem I see is the private sector has a vested interest in making being healthy look like it is this big complicated thing that requires gym memberships, expensive workout clothes, crazy diets, and a truckload of supplements.

If Americans did something as simple as saying the only thing I will drink is water for 6 out of 7 days each week a ton of weight would be lost.  The average walking speed is 3.1 miles an hour.  So if 5 days a week everyone said I am going to walk for a bit less than an hour we would all be racking up 15 miles worth of walking a week.  

At 3 mph a 180 lb person is burning 95 Kcal (Calories).

https://www.verywell.com/calories-burned-while-walking-3432716

A Coke is 140 Kcal.  You can do the math and see what eliminating Coke for 6 out of 7 days does for you.

There is a lot of debate about how many calories you have to burn and/or eliminate from your diet to lose a pound of fat but sufficed to say the walking and drinking water diet plan will eliminate thousands of calories from your diet every week.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Pokémon Go

[Taco Truck 🚚]

Pokémon Go

You could have just empty quoted ElectionGuy.

[Hermit For Peace]

Some of these people have already mentioned, but....

Start making PE in school mandatory again. Teach kids good health habits that they will take with them into adulthood.

Instead of building more buildings, build more parks and trails and things for communities to do outside. And if Pokemon Go type of games help in the process, then so be it.

More commercials on all electronic-type devices that show people eating healthy food "together", making it a big social thing to eat healthy with all your friends.

Many people overeat because they are lonely, or have internal problems that need addressing. I don't really know how to go about helping with this problem, but becoming aware of it is the first step.

Somehow we need to make it cool to raise social awareness that being healthy is the best thing since sliced bread. Everyone wants to be healthy so join in the movement.

[Del Tachi]

(1) Mandatory physical education requirements for all students Pre-K to Grade 12.  Physical activity should take up 1.5-2 hours of the school day

(2) A national recommitment to competitive sport

(3) Expand SNAP benefits.  Stop making poor people eat off the dollar menu. 

[Ban my account ffs!]

The garbage food pyramid (and now food ...array?  idk what stupid thing they're calling this decade) the FDA sells to school children needs to go.  Grains?  Really?  Meat and vegetables, with some fruit for snacks is the best diet for most people.  Grains (and other starches) are fine in small amounts but they shouldn't make up 40% of our diet (or whatever too high percentage they're selling).

For once we agree!

They advocate as much as 65% of calories should be carbohydrates while seriously undercutting healthy fat intake and leaving protein pretty minimal.

Of the three macronutrients, only carbs are 100% unnecessary.  Your body absolutely needs enough complete protein (from animals or combinations of plants) and fats to keep your body running normally.  If you don't eat carbs, your body will convert the other nutrients into carbs in your liver.

You can get lots of protein from plant sources.  Both soy and quinoa offer good amounts of complete protein along with meat and dairy.  Beans and rice together also offer complete protein but are loaded with carbs.

Fat is necessary for both body function, blood sugar regulation, and allowing you to feel satiated and not hungry.  They sell protein as the solution to that...but fat is by far the best for slow digestion and feeling fuller faster.

A better meal than, say, spaghetti in meat sauce, roll, salad with fat free ranch, fruit, cookie, and milk would be...

A seasoned, grilled pork chop with gravy over wild rice, creamy cucumber salad, roasted carrots, and some red grapes. Serve with milk.

The school lunch program needs a complete redo.

[Taco Truck 🚚]

Of the three macronutrients, only carbs are 100% unnecessary.  Your body absolutely needs enough complete protein (from animals or combinations of plants) and fats to keep your body running normally.  If you don't eat carbs, your body will convert the other nutrients into carbs in your liver.

Just because the human body can do something doesn't mean it should.  Every major proven healthy diet for health and longevity has whole grains as a major corner stone (Mediterranean, Vegan).  This isn't something to argue about.  The studies have been done.

That is another problem with America.  Everyone thinks stuff has to be complicated.  Is a plain bowl of oatmeal unhealthy or going to kill you?  Of course not.  The average person living a sedentary life in America gets TOO MUCH protein.  Let's give people reasonable cheap and workable diets vs coming up with all this screwball stuff that is totally contradictory to science.  As long as you are living at or above the poverty line and not suffering from Kwashiorkor you don't need to sweat your protein intake.  I don't know of anyone who's been rushed to the hospital because they've eaten too little protein.  Too much, yes (CAD, MI, PVD, etc).  Too little?  Not in America.

I lost 10 lbs eating whole grain pasta almost every day.  Sometimes twice a day.  A chunk of that was eating out.  And I didn't do the BS of subtracting stuff from it.  I just ordered it as it came off the menu.

Something else to keep in mind.  A lot of misleading terms and buzzwords are being used here and being misrepresented.  For example for your 2-3 servings of protein in a day you can eat oily fish and also nuts.  So you are getting tons of both protein and good fats there.  If you eat two to three servings of fat free dairy you get tons of protein right there.  Where do you think a lot of body builders get protein from?  That's right dairy.  Whey protein is a by product of yogurt production.  Also as you pointed out there are plants in the vegetable group that have protein.  Even the so called "carbs" you are going on about contain protein.

My advice is to look at the label on foods.  Advocates fought big business tooth and nail for those labels for a reason.  Pasta is not "carbs".  It contains many nutrients.  And not all pasta is created equal.  Yes, you have to read a bit but just calling everything from cake, to wonder bread, to plain oatmeal and whole grain pasta "Carbs" is malpractice beyond comprehension.

[Frodo]

Important to note that just because you may be skinny now doesn't mean you aren't already obese:

Skinny and 119 Pounds,
but With the Health
Hallmarks of Obesity:
A small group of thin patients who develop
disorders typically tied to obesity pose a medical
mystery and a potential opportunity for scientists.

By GINA KOLATA
JULY 22, 2016

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[progressive85]

Do nothing.

I am far far from a libertarian, but the government can't be Mom all the time.  Let people eat what they want.  A lot of times the fast food tastes better than the healthy food.  People'll do what they want to.  This is like asking "How do we end smoking?"

And the fast food restaurants are getting more and more expensive.  McDonalds was cheaper in the 90s.

Of course we should absolutely give out larger Social Security benefits and larger Food Stamp benefits, but people always make their own choices about food.  Government is wasting its time and money trying to make us all eat vegetables.