Obesity and sprawl?

[nerudite]

I'm sure we've been over this topic again and again... but like Downtown said, it has more to do with activities than food intake. Commuting, the nature of our jobs and our modern conveniences at home have made less physical work for us. Lots of individual tiny things can really add up. Things like swiffers instead of mopping. Lightweight pans instead of heavy cast iron pans for cooking. All these tiny things over years and years of consumer evolution have changed the way we expend (or not) energy. And the convenience foods don't help.

I, for one, am very overweight. It's not something I'm proud of, and I started weight watchers several months ago. I was fairly successful with it until the flood and I've totally gone off the program since then. However, due to all of the work that we are doing on our own in the basement, my clothes are fitting bigger and bigger on me. So it has been a real eye opener... exercise really does mean as much (or more) than what you eat.

Although I find some of his statements a little harsh, I tend to agree with Wanigas about my perception of you with all of these recurring statements about your looks and the looks of your prospective partner. This isn't the first time (although admittedly I am too lazy to do a forum search). Usually I just skip over your comments when you start bemoaning your love life and how you can't find a cute girl with a good personality, but this time I decided to say something for a change. It's funny how other people always seem to be the problem (i.e. what's wrong with society in the beginning of this thread).

[Michele Zone]

I, for one, am very overweight. It's not something I'm proud of, and I started weight watchers several months ago. I was fairly successful with it until the flood and I've totally gone off the program since then. However, due to all of the work that we are doing on our own in the basement, my clothes are fitting bigger and bigger on me. So it has been a real eye opener... exercise really does mean as much (or more) than what you eat.

My mom likes to say "If you work like a horse, you can eat like a pig."

[The One]

There's probably a link between sprawl and obesity, but I think lifestyle is the big factor. I work in a dense, walkable, small city and there plenty of poor heavy folk to go around. You see many of them walking a lot, probably with no cars - its more poverty and bad health choices. Fat Albert didn't live in the suburbs right? If you dropped a fit metrosexual in the suburbs he'd still maintain himself.

Why not study drug use and urban density or respiratory disease and urban density, or cancer and urban density or smoking and urban density (not so much anymore with all the bans on smoking) or alcahol abuse and urban density or traffic deaths and urban density or some other indicator of how we might die some day.....We're mostly fat, because we can be and there is huge money in fat sales for business (either trying to get rid of it or promote it).....If we didn't try to attract each other, can you imagine how bad it would be....

[H]

zoning gave me this extra chin.

whatever...it is the food we eat, not the sprawl. Not that I dont want a reason to bash sprawl, but this is not it.

[Grassroots]

i believe it's not only how much food, but what's in the food. after living in europe for years, i got the GMO scare pretty bad for a while there and have tried to go all organic ever since; regardless of the added small costs. ever consider how much chemicals, preservatives and non-natural components make up your tomato? it is damn scary when you think about it.

[Elisabeth]

What is it with so many obese people? The other day I was at the store to pick up a few things, and I weighed far, far less than anyone in the store. So I started to notice the amount of people that are significantly obese in almost every place I go. Even the at the gym!

What is it about our culture that causes so many people to be significantly obese, and having an unhealthy lifestyle is normal?

I kinda find it interesting that you're just noticing this as a significant problem. NBC nightly news has been doing stories about the obesity epidemic in America for years now. As far as overwight peeps at the gym, dude, give them some credit. I'm pretty active, but I can't imagine how much courage and self esteem it must take for heavier people to enter a gym with people who are, potentially, in much better shape than them.

Bottomline, most people are super busy and like to live a life of ease and, sometimes, that translates into poor food choices and inactivity.

[Wulf9]

You had me till the last line. What, inner city and rural folk do not eat fast food, drink soda/pop/coke and need two jobs? Explain what makes surburban lifestyle key in those things.

Ooops. Caught in the act of making unsubstantiated conclusions.

Nonetheless, I think I am right. The car use, fast foods, big houses requiring two jobs, car expenses, etc. all developed as a part of the car-dependent suburbs. I will concede the soda pop issue.

[michaelskis]

First of all, thank you Dan!

Why are you telling us this? Aren't you afraid of coming across as the most narcissistic Cyburbian out there? All those goofy avatars should be telling you something.

I hate having my pic taken… Hey, I am who I am. I work hard to look the way that I do. When I was in HS I was the geeky kid that had a core group of friends, but never got the hot girl. Needless to say college was good for me, and I never want to look the same way that I did before. I am still the same caring person who is very open minded, but now I have more confidence to realize that there are no “leagues” and the only limits I have is what I can’t dream of.

You and every other hot-blooded horny American male. As an aside, do you ever think about why it's so difficult to find a single, attractive, fit woman who also has a good personality? Maybe they are tired because they constantly have to listen to narcissistic, self-indulgent, boring, same-old same-old dudes that have mediocre personalities.

P. S. What's so wrong with a cute girl on the plumpy side? What are you afraid of, cooties?

I have dated many women who where on the plumpy side. Also, mediocrity is not an option for me, especially my personality. For me it is a physiological thing with the women that I choose. When I know that I look good, I feel good, then I have more confidence in who I am, and what I want to do with my life. I would like to be with a woman who has the same confidence in her self, and one that likes me for who I am.

Ever try masturbation?

Like I said, High School sucked… Now I channel that frustration into creativity and weigh lifting.

[Rumpy Tunanator]

Also, mediocrity is not an option for me,

We know michaelskis, we know

What were we talking about again? Oh sprawl and the beast within. This thread comes at a funny time at work for me. At work a person who does all the bike/ped work for the place keeps talking about the alt. transportation day that is coming up soon. Except, the funny thing is, she doesn't practice what she preaches. She doesn't take mass transit to work, she doesn't ride her bike to work. She doesn't even live in a pedestrian friendly community. She lives in sprawl, but keeps championing for pedestrian friendly communities.

Then she has the nerve to ask how people are getting to work on that "special" day. Hey oblivious a-hole, I've been taking the same means of mass transport for a while now. You do it once a year on your specially organized day.

Back to the point, most of these people are out of shape, even though they are on all kinds of the crazy current trend diets. And they work out. They best STFU about my smoking now .

[michaelskis]

Back on toppic

How do you modivate people to get out and be more active?

[valhallan]

Back on toppic

How do you modivate people to get out and be more active?

The only things that I can't achieve is what I can not dream. Mediocrity is not an Option!

[grammar nazi]
This is definitely tacky... but mikeyboy, you're grammatically average:

-toPic

- moTivate

- "the only things that I can't achieve ARE what I can not dream."

Oh and maybe change "can't" to "can not" if you're going for a strong delivery.
[/grammar nazi]

[Michele Zone]

Around the time he posted that, he also posted in the "Hey, I'm drunk" thread. I think his grammar is pretty good for someone who is in their cups. And he managed to not flame anyone. Additionally, two of the items you criticized were spelling, not grammar.


MZ -- actual (completely unaccredited) school teacher who runs her own 2 pupil school, according to the laws of California

[tsc]

I am not sure if it was on local or national news...but there was a story on how people in Manhattan are much thinner...as they walk a lot as opposed to drive everywhere.

Downtown...I notice that too when I go up to areas along the thruway corridor..and how obese they are compared to downstate people. We don't have those "Old Country Buffet" style generic eat all you can places....and not nearly as many grocery stores.

People don't seem as heavy in Ithaca though....of course how fat can you get eating wheat germ, goat cheese and tofu with bean sprouts?

[Wannaplan?]

mediocrity is not an option for me

Are you trying to be ironic?

[Lee Nellis]

The quality of what we eat is a major factor. High fructose corn syrup (for all of you soda drinkers) appears to do things to cells that other sugars do not. Same with the hydrogenated and partially hydrongenated fats. If you have the wrong genetic predisposition, you can get a lot of physical activity in, and still not stay healthy if you don't fix your diet.

[Dan]

Are you trying to be ironic? Yeah, I know ... it sounds like some early 1990s-era corporate management cliche. I wonder what color his parachute is? Does he pursue excellence? Is he six sigma? Sure, mediocrity is not an Option (sic), but do you live in a $500,000 house in Portage? Are you driving around in a BMW ... no, wait, a Mabach? Do you buy only high-end groceries at Whole Foods? Wait ... you buy Meijer store brands? Hey, you're pursuing mediocrity! Seriously, mediocrity sholdn't be an option, but you can't always shoot for the best of the best. It's just not always practical. Sometimes, you just have to ... wait a minute ... GIT-R-DONE!

[Polaris Planner]

There's probably a link between sprawl and obesity, but I think lifestyle is the big factor. I work in a dense, walkable, small city and there plenty of poor heavy folk to go around. You see many of them walking a lot, probably with no cars - its more poverty and bad health choices. Fat Albert didn't live in the suburbs right? If you dropped a fit metrosexual in the suburbs he'd still maintain himself.

Here is a recent study on the topic---"Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl : A National Analysis of Physical Activity, Obesity and Chronic Diseases" by Sprawl Watch and the Surface Transportation Policy Project:

http://www.transact.org/report.asp?id=229

[giff57]

Ooops. Caught in the act of making unsubstantiated conclusions.

Nonetheless, I think I am right. The car use, fast foods, big houses requiring two jobs, car expenses, etc. all developed as a part of the car-dependent suburbs. I will concede the soda pop issue.

I think the causality is deeper than the suburb. Suburbs are just another symptom of the same societal problem that causes the other things. Capitalism gone wild.

[valhallan]

I think the causality is deeper than the suburb. Suburbs are just another symptom of the same societal problem that causes the other things. Capitalism gone wild.

Bingo - a consumer system breeds consumers.. question answered.

MZ, I just couldn't resist.

[Maister]

Yeah, I know ... it sounds like some early 1990s-era corporate management cliche. I wonder what color his parachute is? Does he pursue excellence? Is he six sigma? Sure, mediocrity is not an Option (sic), but do you live in a $500,000 house in Portage? Are you driving around in a BMW ... no, wait, a Mabach? Do you bioy only high-end groceries at Whole Foods? Wait ... you buy Meijer store brands? Hey, you're pursuing mediocrity! Seriously, mediocrity sholdn't be an option, but you can't always shoot for the best of the best. It's just not always practical. Sometimes, you just have to ...

Dan, I know you're not intending any of this in a mean spirited way - but for the benefit of those who might not be attuned to your particular sense of humor I should mention that to Michaelskis those words are NOT cliches. This guy really won't pursue mediocrity on any level. I know because I see it every day. He associates/dates these georgeous women and while he may go down in flames in the romance department occasionally at least he can say he has competed in the AAA leagues. He seems to pursue this philosophy at work, as well. He's young now and I suspect may alter some of his goals/expectations in the future, as do we all sometimes for good reasons, but I certainly wouldn't advise him to change his outlook at this point without having some pretty compelling reason for doing so. He may not live in a $500K house now, but I have little doubt he actually will at some point in the not too distant future if he contiues on his current trajectory.

'Nuff said.

[Wannaplan?]

This guy really won't pursue mediocrity on any level.

This is tough to take seriously.

[Lee Nellis]

In the digression to dating behavior that accompanies this thread, I haven't noted anyone questioning a basic, but unstated premise. The premise is that women or men who look hot, are hot. Is that really true? I am not questioning the premise that people who think they look good, have more confidence. But is looking good the only source of self-confidence? I think not. And is looking good always a sign of self-confidence? I think not.

[Maister]

This is tough to take seriously.

No seriously, this guy walks the walk. Not just the talk. You need to see it to believe it.

I'm not just saying this cuz his cubicle is next to mine or to get on his good side. Believe me, we differ in opinions on LOTS of things. I wouldn't say it if there were't some basis in reality. Really.

[Wannaplan?]

this guy walks the walk

Again, this is still tough to take seriously. Mediocrity is such a relativistic idea. Nevertheless, if it were me and mediocrity was not an option, I would not be wasting away my time here on Cyburbia. And further, if mediocrity was not an option, I certainly would not let someone else defend my actions. Of course, this just illustrates the relativity of mediocrity.

[Downtown]

Also, mediocrity is not an option for me, especially my personality. For me it is a physiological thing with the women that I choose. When I know that I look good, I feel good, then I have more confidence in who I am, and what I want to do with my life. I would like to be with a woman who has the same confidence in her self, and one that likes me for who I am.

Oh honey. Where to start.

I'm trying to think of the best way to put this -

Ok - I think you need to prioritize. What kind of mediocrity are we talking about. Because no one excells in EVERYTHING. Do you want someone who is a 10 in looks? Do you want someone who is a 10 in sense of humor? Do you want someone who is a 10 in her profession? Do you want someone who is a 100% match in religion/politics/philosophy? Do you want someone who is a 10 in bed?

Because, MS, I hate to tell you, but finding your partner is entirely about compromise. You are NOT going to find Super Girl. She's not out there. How do you envision your future life with this future partner? Do you want to stay in Michigan? Do you want to retire young? Do you want to send your kids to Catholic School? These are the things where you need to find someone that is compatible with you.

For me - I wound up with someone who loves and respects me, is a great dad, has the same goals for retirement, is good at his job, but family is his first priority, i'm satisfied in the sack, and he's still attractive to me after 7 years, an additional 15 pounds on him, and a bit less hair. The only thing I refuse to accept mediocrity in is parenting and partnership.


Back on Topic:
Like Nerudite, I've done the weight watchers route, and regularly wear a pedometer. I'm 15 lbs under my pre-preg weight, and finally feel comfortable to not follow a "program". A lot of this is because I regularly run, and almost always get in my 10,000 steps a day. Wearing the pedometer really drives home the point that every little bit of activity counts - walking up the stairs, parking further away int he parking lot, taking the dogs out to play after dinner instead of watching seinfeld re-runs.