America is fat

[Fish]

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia ) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.

This is from the CDC's data. Ranked from fattest % of population and marked Red/Blue as they voted in the 2008 presidential election.

So, America is fat and getting fatter. What are the causes? I believe that one of those causes is being poor.

2008 State Obesity Rates

Mississippi 32.8
Alabama 31.4
West Virginia 31.2
Tennessee 30.6
Oklahoma 30.3
South Carolina 30.1
Kentucky 29.8
North Carolina 29.0
Michigan 28.9
Arkansas 28.7
Ohio 28.7
Texas 28.3
Louisiana 28.3
South Dakota 27.5
Kansas 27.4
Georgia 27.3
Delaware 27.0
North Dakota 27.1
Nebraska 26.6
Illinois 26.4
Indiana 26.3
Alaska 26.1
Iowa 26.0
Maryland 26.0
Washington 25.4
Wisconsin 25.4
New Mexico 25.2
Maine 25.2
Virginia 25.0
Nevada 25.0
Wyoming 24.6
New York 24.4
Florida 24.4
Arizona 24.8
Minnesota 24.3
Oregon 24.2
New Hampshire 24.0
Montana 23.9
California 23.7
New Jersey 22.9
Vermont 22.7
Utah 22.5
Hawaii 22.6
Washington DC 21.8
Rhode Island 21.5
Connecticut 21.0
Massachusetts 20.9
Colorado 18.5

Compared with the 10 poorest states (Median Household Income):

# South Carolina – $43,329
# Tennessee – $42,367
# Oklahoma – $41,567
# New Mexico – $41,452
# Louisiana – $40,926
# Alabama – $40,554
# Kentucky – $40,267
# Arkansas – $38,134
# West Virginia – $37,060
# Mississippi – $36,338

The poor have a tough time getting a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets and many have to deal with times of food insecurity, which has serious links with obesity.

Many in poverty work multiple jobs at varying 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shift schedules and are eating the cheapest easiest meals to eat on the go: fast food.

Why do you think America is fat?

[PostmodernProphet]

Why do you think America is fat?

they eat too much and exercise too little....

[DamnYankee]

We need a good continental war. That will take care of the excess weight issue. Let's make up an issue to start it. How about Obamacare's death panels?

[Fish]

they eat too much and exercise too little....

"No health care? Buy health care! Move on, nothing to see here."

[PostmodernProphet]

"No health care? Buy health care! Move on, nothing to see here."

well there you have it then....if we spend a trillion dollars everyone in America will get skinny....probably because they will all have to live on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sliced cheese....

[meme]

Liberals are fascist at heart..this what is going to happen they pass this hostile takeover of our health care, they will tell people what to eat, tax the shit out of things they deem UNhealthy, cause they gotta pay for that free health care..take a good look..this is what will be coming..

[Fish]

well there you have it then....if we spend a trillion dollars everyone in America will get skinny....probably because they will all have to live on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sliced cheese....

This is only partially a health care issue, it's mainly a poverty/consumer culture issue.

[Cancel5]

This is from the CDC's data. Ranked from fattest % of population and marked Red/Blue as they voted in the 2008 presidential election.

So, America is fat and getting fatter. What are the causes? I believe that one of those causes is being poor.

2008 State Obesity Rates

Mississippi 32.8
Alabama 31.4
West Virginia 31.2
Tennessee 30.6
Oklahoma 30.3
South Carolina 30.1
Kentucky 29.8
North Carolina 29.0
Michigan 28.9
Arkansas 28.7
Ohio 28.7
Texas 28.3
Louisiana 28.3
South Dakota 27.5
Kansas 27.4
Georgia 27.3
Delaware 27.0
North Dakota 27.1
Nebraska 26.6
Illinois 26.4
Indiana 26.3
Alaska 26.1
Iowa 26.0
Maryland 26.0
Washington 25.4
Wisconsin 25.4
New Mexico 25.2
Maine 25.2
Virginia 25.0
Nevada 25.0
Wyoming 24.6
New York 24.4
Florida 24.4
Arizona 24.8
Minnesota 24.3
Oregon 24.2
New Hampshire 24.0
Montana 23.9
California 23.7
New Jersey 22.9
Vermont 22.7
Utah 22.5
Hawaii 22.6
Washington DC 21.8
Rhode Island 21.5
Connecticut 21.0
Massachusetts 20.9
Colorado 18.5

Compared with the 10 poorest states (Median Household Income):

# South Carolina – $43,329
# Tennessee – $42,367
# Oklahoma – $41,567
# New Mexico – $41,452
# Louisiana – $40,926
# Alabama – $40,554
# Kentucky – $40,267
# Arkansas – $38,134
# West Virginia – $37,060
# Mississippi – $36,338

The poor have a tough time getting a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets and many have to deal with times of food insecurity, which has serious links with obesity.

Many in poverty work multiple jobs at varying 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shift schedules and are eating the cheapest easiest meals to eat on the go: fast food.

Why do you think America is fat?

Alaska, no data!

[Fish]

Alaska is one of the skinnier red states

[uscitizen]

So per the statistics conservaties are fatter than liberals?

[Mott the Hoople]

This is only partially a health care issue, it's mainly a poverty/consumer culture issue.

Ironic. For the first time in human history a nation is suffering the consequences of having to much food.

In essence it is an easy solution. Eat less, exercise more. For a lot of people, how do you prioritize that when career demands 10 to 12 hour work days and an hour or two of commuting, family commitments and responsibilities, when are you supposed to fit exercise in? Not to mention other cultural and behavioral issues such as the extraordinary levels of stress that todays electronic induced productivity requires in the work place as well as a mass media that induces you to slurp down high sugar, high fat, high caloric products. Those who discount these cultural conditionings by saying "eat less, exercise more" are probably the most obese persons.

The obvious solution is education on proper nutrition, lifestyle choices and human physiology but even then you have to get your ass off the couch.

I know how a friend of mine solved the obesity problem with his kids. #1. He took a sledge hammer to their nintendo play station. #2. He banned all soft drinks from his home. #3. His kids, after they get home from school, have to either do chores our play outdoors until dinner time at around 6pm. It seems to have worked. His kids hated him for about a month after he destroyed their nintendo but they got over it.

As for me. I ride my hybrid bike to work (10 miles round trip) every work day and I do around 75 to 125 miles per week on my road bike after work and on weekend. Most weeks I do about 150 miles combined. That's about 8 hours a week of exercise and that works for me.

[Fish]

So per the statistics conservaties are fatter than liberals?

The correlation can also say that conservatives often cast votes that hurt them economically, keeping them poor.

[Cancel5]

they eat too much and exercise too little....

Time's article says exercise has nothing to do with weight loss, just what you eat, the old saying, you are what you eat!

[Fish]

Ironic. For the first time in human history a nation is suffering the consequences of having to much food.

In essence it is an easy solution. Eat less, exercise more. For a lot of people, how do you prioritize that when career demands 10 to 12 hour work days and an hour or two of commuting, family commitments and responsibilities, when are you supposed to fit exercise in? Not to mention other cultural and behavioral issues such as the extraordinary levels of stress that todays electronic induced productivity requires in the work place as well as a mass media that induces you to slurp down high sugar, high fat, high caloric products. Those who discount these cultural conditionings by saying "eat less, exercise more are probably the most obese persons.

The obvious solution is education on proper nutrition, lifestyle choices and human physiology but even then you have to get your ass off the couch.

Hurray, someone gets it.

I think excessive and constant advertising plays into the issue a lot as well. We live in a 24 hour ad blitz where avoiding constant demands to consume is nearly impossible.

The market breeds generations of fast food, brand name, useless junk consumers.

[uscitizen]

Time's article says exercise has nothing to do with weight loss, just what you eat, the old saying, you are what you eat!

I am a big pile of Nestles Quick!