Americans are becoming visibily FAT

[hexola]

In a recent Alumni bulletin - my mother saw a recent incoming class photo from the college she attended. She compared it to her class photo from the late 1950s.

Nearly every person in the recent photo was obese or overweight....the 1950's version, primarily folks of healthy proportions/weight

Noteable contrast...

===============

Take a look at some footage of the crowd from the Grateful Dead movie "Sunshine Daydream" - filmed in Oregon in 1972. Everybody - thousands of people - all lean and mean! Skinny if anything!

===============

I leave you with this from our local paper: Recent photos from "Project Big Love" - part of the local fire co fair.

http://photos.publicopiniononline.com/2014/08/02/project-big-love-2014/#1

Nearly every visible person is overweight/obese.

===============

The photographic contrasts are becoming more interesting - I'd like to create an album of "THEN" and "NOW" pictures - of groups that have annual photos taken.

I think it makes a better point to highlight the way we have changed as a group/whole - rather than individuals...

[DURHAM D]

1. Fat shaming is not allowed on DU.

From the TOS -

Do not post bigotry based on someone's race or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or lack thereof, disability, or other comparable personal characteristics.

Please delete your OP.

[DetlefK]

2. Two things:

1. So it's forbidden to mention attributes on DU, if those attributes can be used to tell people apart? (I bet, those damn non-freckled right-handed people were behind this.)

2. If a sizable portion of a population is overweight, then being overweight is no longer an outstanding characteristic.

[DURHAM D]

3. So you are defending the OPs fat shaming?

If you want to pick the TOS apart why don't you chat up skinner and EarlG.

[pipi_k]

9. My two cents...

I am "zaftig".

Which is just a nicer name for being fat.

I don't see the OP as being fat shaming because it's only making an observation...not passing judgement.

If it were instead about the increase in height of the average American, would that be "tall shaming"?

How about an increase in lifespan of the average American..."age shaming"?

No.


Are you overweight? Just wondering...

[DetlefK]

12. "zaftig"?

That sounds like the german "saftig".
"Saft" = juice
"saftig" = juicy; often used for a juicy piece of meat

Where does "zaftig" come from? Is it yiddish? Or a leftover from the german settlers in the Midwest?

[Agschmid]

18. Pig Latin I think?

[Spider Jerusalem]

25. Yiddish, yes, "zaftik", meaning "juicy"

in colloquial use: "of a woman: pleasantly plump or full-figured"

[pipi_k]

69. Thank you...yes... and

for any of the zaftig ladies here, there's a company called "Zaftique" with lovely clothing for plus sizes


http://www.wholelottashopping.com/zaftique_shop.htm


I haven't shopped there in a long time so I don't know if they're still using the very plus sized models.

Another place is "Junonia"

Those two were the only two I knew of that used the very plus sized models.

It was discouraging for me to shop through some of the plus sized catalogs that featured models who are only a size 12 or 14.

Good lord, what I would give to be a size 14 again.

[DURHAM D]

14. So you think I pointed out the TOS violation because

I am overweight. Interesting.

I am not overweight, I am not even zaftig. I work out, eat right, still play sports and weigh the same as I did when I graduated from high school more than 50 years ago. Recently I attended the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of a friend and she had saved my bridesmade dress. She had me wear it to the reception and everyone got a big laugh out of it because of the style.

[Agschmid]

19. Naw I'm pretty sure you did it because your fat...

Just in case:

[pipi_k]

27. No

that is NOT why I think you "pointed out the TOS violation".

Here's why I want to know.

I'm sick and tired of people who don't belong to a particular group trying to "protect" the actual members of that group from imagined insults to them.

In this case, fat people.

What...we're not smart enough to know what's fat shaming and what isn't?

We need someone who's slim and fit to stick up for us?


See, here's the thing...if you had said, "Yes, I'm fat, and I find the OP to be 'fat shaming'", then I could understand your interference and reluctance to see the topic discussed here.

And, in truth, I find this:

I work out, eat right, still play sports and weigh the same as I did when I graduated from high school more than 50 years ago.

to be much more fat shaming than the OP...as if those of us who ARE fat are that way because we're lazy pigs who don't give a shit what we look like.

I don't find the OP to be judgmental. I do find your sentence above to be somewhat judgmental.

[DURHAM D]

33. So following your logic -

Only people who are differently abled can defend others who are?

[pipi_k]

39. No

Just leave the faux outrage at the door.

And when those of us who are different say we're not offended, don't go on and on trying to "defend" us like we're too stupid to do it ourselves IF we feel like we're being picked on.

And I would repeat that "defending" us fat people while showing pride in the fact that you are NOT fat comes off as quite insincere.

[DURHAM D]

42. Simply pointing out a TOS violation is not outrage, faux or otherwise. nt

[pipi_k]

55. Sigh...

See, it would sound so much better to say, "Simply pointing out what I thought was a TOS violation..."


Or, "Simply pointing out what looked like a TOS violation..."


In any case, a bunch of us directly affected by the problem of obesity have said it's not fat shaming, and the topic stands, in spite of what I suspect (judging from a post elsewhere) might have been someone's attempt to get the discussion shut down via an alert.

[MADem]

108. Hey pipi--

I gotta say, I admire your spirited argument and your logic, and I'd rec your posts in this thread if I could. Well argued.

[MADem]

107. Probably those left handed freckled bald people--they're always stirring up trouble....

Jurors, note intense

I agree, it's a characteristic. So long as one isn't putting people down for it, there's not a problem IMO.

Should we not mention that Japanese people are much, MUCH taller nowadays than they were prior to WW2? Is that "insulting" somehow?

Diet does change people, and it's appropriate to discuss it so long as we aren't making "Fatty" jokes.

[AngryAmish]

4. Not fat shaming.

Fat shaming is pointing to a fat person and saying they should be ashamed
This is merely pointing out an obvious fact about societal problem with a desire to discuss it rationally...and it seems by your post it cannot be discussed rationally.

[DURHAM D]

6. There is no reason to discuss this on DU rationally or otherwise. nt

[2pooped2pop]

8. Michelle Obama thinks obesity is a national concern

It's also a poverty issue. Poorer people can't afford to eat right. High levels of stress like wondering how the hell you are going to pay your rent or even buy school clothes for the kids, causes people to overeat.

I think DU has become a little over sensitive.

This poster was not making fun of the people.

[get the red out]

126. Food deserts is another one

This is definitely discussion-worthy. If we can talk about cancer rates and such, why can't the obesity problem be discussed? When articulated as an overall health related change in the population I don't see how that is shaming anyone.

[2pooped2pop]

127. I fall into that catagory,

Last edited Thu Aug 7, 2014, 12:11 PM - Edit history (1)

and this is not name calling, shaming, nor discriminating. It is what it is.

[snooper2]

23. Can we talk about fat gopher?

[Throd]

53. Who the hell are you to say that?

Society is fatter as a whole than it used to be. That isn't a judgement. It's a fact.

[closeupready]

57. Disagree. Obesity is a public health concern which leads to

all kinds of health disorders, even early death. Thus, it very much needs to be discussed, ideally in a rational way.

[kcr]

77. THe obesity itself is not the primary public health concern

It is the policies that have changed how and what Americans eat, and those policies effect most people negatively whether they are obese or not. Obesity is not a cause. It is a symptom. We change those policies and all Americans are healthier, and obesity rates will drop. Focusing on the fat people and declaring they are the problem changes nothing.

[closeupready]

79. People are not blank slates, though, are they.

By that I mean, while government policies have a role to play in how public health fares in a society, citizens are not robots, implementing orders transmitted directly from the FDA or Michelle Obama.

A modern democracy's lifeblood is an informed citizenry, and education in all realms of life is essential to good living and good health.

[kcr]

80. Yes, education. Not shaming.

Your first sentence isn't even relevant as no one is claiming that. It would be nice if everyone had the opportunity to own land and farm and produce their own food. It would be nice if jobs weren't necessary and we could all do whatever we pleased, free to make whatever choices we want because time and money are no object. But that isn't the case.

[closeupready]

83. No one is shaming - at least, the OP wasn't. Regardless,

I agree with your larger point that there are people of modest circumstances (or who simply don't know how to eat healthy) for whom government policy plays a larger role than middle class people.

But how do you get from that point to 'we shouldn't be discussing obesity on DU?' ??

[eridani]

112. Oh, so THAT explains why life expectancies keep on increasing

Correlation does not equal causation, of course.

[closeupready]

121. Huh? People are getting fatter and living longer.

Not sure what's confusing about that, really.

[eridani]

122. If fat was a really serious health threat, you'd expect decreasing life expectancy n/t

[closeupready]

124. But obesity DOES reduce life expectancy! WTF?

Who are you, and what did you do with eridani who is usually pretty smart?

Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease ... Hello? Is there anyone in there?

[AuntPatsy]

116. It's not so much the weight as it is the poisonous toxins we are unwittingly digesting

And or breathing it all in, climate changes are not exactly aiding in giving off healthy results, common sense...

[closeupready]

125. That contributes to higher mortality rates, for sure.

[lonestarnot]

109. When were you voted in as DU topic selector for OPs?

[former9thward]

24. It is not fat shaming and is not a TOS violation.

I am glad the OP did not allow you to shut down discussion. If Michelle Obama posted here about obesity you would attempt to tombstone her.

[pscot]

30. Aw, Go soak your head!

[brush]

36. Post seems to be an observation . . .

not fat shaming. IMO it's an indictment of the food/advertising industry complex for subliminally pushing over-sized, fat and sugar-laden empty calorie bombs upon the whole country over the last couple of generations. I'd say at least 70% of foods on grocery store shelves are sugar/salt temptations beckoning to be chosen. And they make it so easy since many of them are at eye-level and "ready-to-eat" with no prep necessary.

People are going to get fat if they are constantly encouraged to "super-size" it or to patronize all-you-can-eat buffets, or to buy those what-seems-like half gallon cups of sugary soda pop when you go to a movie — not to mention the huge tubs of popcorn with that oily butter substitute — whatever that is, you know it's full of unhealthy calories.

It takes discipline to not fall victim to the bombardment, and many of us don't have that as the pounds just creep up on you over the years. Gain five to ten pounds a year from super-sizing stuff and you get fat. It's that simple and it's that easy when most of the choices are not healthy.

We need to start pressuring the food and ad industries to stop pushing fat on us.

We have to learn to say, "NO, I DON'T WANT TO SUPER-SIZE IT."

[cwydro]

43. How is this fat shaming?

This country is overweight. It well known, and in the news everyday.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

45. I'm fat. The OP is NOT fat shaming. Please delete your post. nt

[L0oniX]

89. Epic reframing fail.

[AuntPatsy]

115. You would hope, sad..

[AuntPatsy]

117. Not surprised your getting attacked, but for the record I agree with you

[newfie11]

5. Yes I am

But at almost 70 to heck with it!

[GOLGO 13]

7. On this forum...

You'll be consistently reminded to keep your attacks to republicans, fox news, Texas, Florida, 2nd Amendment, Israel and Men.



Anything else is verboten.

[2pooped2pop]

10. yes, apparently so.

makes you wanna cringe. I mostly just read now coz there is still an enormous amount of information on this forum, but it has become the wilting wallflower of the websites of late.

[brooklynite]

29. ...and Hillary Clinton.

[Eleanors38]

98. You know, that really does sum it up! Ah! The Dead...

I so like the style of the mass concert, then. Thousands of people, yet still room to dance around. Less clogging up around the stage as seems the case, nowadays. Did anyone see that Iowa-class pipe being hefted around?

[seveneyes]

11. There's a heap of trouble in the land of plenty

Once upon a time in the west.

[randome]

13. Forget about personal appearance or even health.

Being overweight means you are less likely to help anyone in an emergency. It means you will likely need help in an emergency or even in a non-emergency simply because of slowness or lack of muscle.

To each their own but I think that's something to consider.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[safeinOhio]

15. 1966 video proof

[Hassin Bin Sober]

16. To be fair, there was a lot of speed and LSD goin' on in that video.

Just sayn'

[Agschmid]

20. We should all just switch back to doing that instead of weed.

Weed just makes us fat and hungry.

[tridim]

17. Poor kids, the partially-hydrogenated scam was just starting around that time.

As well as the "Saturated fat is evil!" and the "Eat lots of starch for health!" scams.

All three cause diabetes and thus obesity.

I choked down margarine for a few years, but even as a kid I knew that it was horrible for me. I stopped and went back to butter.

[jen63]

26. ^^This^^

Also "dinner in a box", fast food, and high fructose corn syrup hidden in everything.

[one_voice]

46. HFC...

I try to buy products without it. I was shocked to see how many products use this. It's difficult because it's used so much.

Canned diced tomatoes. I always keep some in the house. Hunts doesn't use hfc but Del Monte does....I never would have thought to look diced tomatoes. It takes longer when I shop because I do read labels.

[hedgehog]

101. Sugared tomatoes! No wonder we have a problem!

I buy 99% of my grocery order in the organic aisle these days - partly because I can get products without sugar there. (It's the only section where the canned sauerkraut doesn't have any sugar.) I also get yogurt from grass fed cows. It is wonderfully tangy. Even the sugar I do buy is different. it isn't as refined and has large, off-white crystals. When I do see regular sugar now, it looks strange and rather bland. (And yes, i do know that "all sucrose is the same.)

I wonder if part of the problem is that our industrial agriculture produces food so bland it needs salt and sugar to make it appetizing.

[redqueen]

28. " the "Saturated fat is evil!" and the "Eat lots of starch for health!" scams. "

Science hater!




FWIW I think the OP is pointless. Your post makes a point. The OP is such a thoughtless,substance-free no-brainer that I'm not surprised at all by the responses.

Absent any commentary it makes sense to wonder about whatever point is supposed to he conveyed.

[pipi_k]

32. Absolutely!

When I was a kid we ate all sorts of stuff that was allegedly BAD for us.

Then they came out with low fat, low sugar chemical filled crap, which we now know (or at least suspect) is even worse than what we were eating before.

I've told Mr Pipi, who does the shopping, don't even think of getting low fat and low sugar shit because it will go to waste. I will NOT touch it.

Oh, and no more artificial sweetener filled soda, either. I do water every day.

[blueamy66]

38. Switched back to regular, salted butter myself

And how does anyone drink diet soda? I cannot choke it down.

Water and unsweetened iced tea for me...and an occasional cherry Koolaid with the neighbor kids.

[pipi_k]

44. I know...

diet soda is just vile.

It didn't used to be, as I got used to the taste of Aspartame, but then studies said it was basically poison (not to mention it seriously affected my anxiety disorder) so we switched to Splenda, which is real sugar with manipulated molecules or something. Also bad for you.

So on the rare occasions I do have a soda (maybe 2x per month) it's the real sugar kind, and only one glass.

For hot tea, it's either unsweetened Chamomile or Peppermint tea.

[blueamy66]

56. I'll have a 7 Up every now and then

Or Ginger Ale, but not very often. Oh or a root beer from the local drive in joint.

But prefer unsweetened stuff.

I often wonder why people get super sized meals at McDonalds and drink a diet Coke with it. Not making fun, just wonder....

[pipi_k]

67. I know...tell me about it

Mr Pipi has been Type II for a long time.

Here's the non-logic

He loves butterscotch candies and orders them online by the box full.

We have a whole cabinet devoted to his oatmeal raisin cookies, chips, birthday cake flavored Oreos, and other crap.

Yet he buys, and drinks, diet soda.

WTF???

I've given up trying to reason with him. He just doesn't want to hear it.

[blueamy66]

90. Could it be some type of addiction?

Not worth trying to reason. LOL

My guy eats:
1. Hot dogs with American cheese and Miracle Whip
2. Bologna samiches with American cheese and Miracle Whip
3. Double bacon cheeseburgers with Miracle Whip
4. Fried egg samiches with American cheese and Miracle Whip
5. Brats with onions and Miracle Whip
6. Beer

Yet his blood tests come back perfect.

He's 6'4" and about 200 lbs and has a flat belly.

WTF?????

I am a total foodie and want to cook for him but he doesn't want it.

Men...

[tridim]

93. Of the food items you mentioned...

Only the beer, bread and Miracle Whip will cause problems. Carbs, sugar and processed fat (or low fat) causes diabetes and obesity.

Natural saturated fats are good for you, and your guy.

[blueamy66]

97. I don't eat what he does.

But I have been buying good hot dogs, bologna and lean burgers.

He's not gonna quit the beer.

The only exercise he gets is golfing. And he doesn't walk the course.

It's just not fair.

[hfojvt]

113. I don't understand

why isn't he putting miracle whip on his beer?

but clearly I am confusing miracle whip with cool whip. Miracle whip is that mayo slop and thus would go IN the beer rather than ON it like cool whip.

[blueamy66]

120. I will have to ask him when he gets home from work.

We have Cool Whip in the fridge as well, for when the neighbor kiddos come over and want jello!

LOL!!!!!!

[MADem]

111. They make a soda w/stevia. Expensive as hell. The ginger ale isn't bad.

Good grief, they're selling it at WALMART now!!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/17199218?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=41833582510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem

You used to only be able to get this stuff at places like Whole Paycheck!

[Eleanors38]

99. Yep, I'm a last tango man myself. Things go better with butter.

[aikoaiko]

21. Of course you are correct, but a thread dedicated to then=skinny and now=fat

doesn't seem particularly kind.

[pipi_k]

35. Well I think it's worth

discussing the possible reasons why then was skinny and now is fat.

I wonder the same thing myself as I look at various photos from the past, or I recall being in grammar school and there were maybe two fat kids in the entire school...and now...it's like 50% or more.

What happened between then and now?

Where have we gone wrong?

If obesity is the huge health problem it's purported to be, then we're not doing our kids/grandkids any favors by sweeping the past under the rug as if it never existed. We can't, for their sakes, ignore it all as if it's OK because it's not.

We, as a country, have become fat. And it happened so gradually that we hardly notice anymore.

Comparing the past to the present isn't a bad thing here, IMO.

[octoberlib]

54. I think technology is part of it.

When I was growing up in the 60's and 70's , we didn't have 500 television channels, video games, computers , netflix. I know kids who spend every free minute they have playing video games. I've always been a bookworm but when I was bored with that , I was out riding my bike or playing with friends.

[Art_from_Ark]

118. I was also a '60s/'70s kid, and a bookworm, too

But I was pushed out of the house on Saturdays and summer weekdays so that I wouldn't vegetate. And my food intake was carefully controlled, with no between-meal snacking unless it was approved by Mom.

[aikoaiko]

71. Of course discussion is fine, but the OP requested pictures.

I think we know what skinny and obese looks like.

I'm not even sure what it proves to post pictures.

Does this contemporary sunshine daydream crowd disprove the thesis? Of course not.

[Spider Jerusalem]

22. I'm kind of taken aback at the responses, somehow.

Mentioning that typical Americans are increasingly overweight is "fat shaming"? Something like three-quarters of Americans are overweight. It's a major public health problem. Pretending that it's okay and perfectly normal because it now affects a majority of the population doesn't make it so.

[kcr]

37. There are much better and kinder ways to make that point

It's very common for fat shamers to use "concern about health" as a guise. The OP is a perfect example.

[Spider Jerusalem]

40. The OP says nothing at all about "concern for health", actually.

It just says "look, Americans weren't always fat!"

[kcr]

76. Then it's straight up fat shaming without the attempt to hide the motivation

[Spider Jerusalem]

78. No, it isn't

it's a commentary on a major change in society. A significant percentage of Americans are overweight because Americans drive everywhere and eat crap food. These are factors that are within people's control, generally.

[kcr]

82. Well, which is it? A major change in society worthy of discussion

Or health wasn't even mentioned in the OP as you say? Both can't be right.

[Spider Jerusalem]

84. Sure they can

and health actually wasn't mentioned in the OP; can't you read?

[kcr]

85. Only if you think it's okay to point at people and laugh

Maybe if you think the appearance of the general population is of paramount concern to society. I don't know. I try not to be superficial, myself. I don't think that's a goal to aspire to.

Yes, I can read just fine. I see the OP didn't mention health specifically. All the more reason to take it for the fat shaming it is. Hey, look at the pics of fat people! Health concern trolling is happening plenty in the posts defending it, though, which isn't surprising.

[cwydro]

123. It's not fat shaming.

Sheesh. If you cannot look around and see the difference in people.

Maybe you are very young. I am not. People were much slimmer back in the 60's and before. This is a fact.

Pictures prove the difference. I'm always struck by how skinny the soldiers in Vietnam were compared to the bulked up soldiers of today. Compare in pics of soldiers in Vietnam to soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan. Or baseball players...even football players are supersized nowadays. Article in the NY Times recently that the average offensive lineman is over 300 pounds, but they weren't 20 years ago.

In no way did the OP attempt to shame anyone. The OP pointed out a fact for discussion. This is a discussion board.

[jeff47]

81. There's a difference between "increasingly overweight" and FAT

FAT, all caps, implies saying it with a sneer or otherwise derogatory manner.

Something like three-quarters of Americans are overweight. It's a major public health problem.

Yes, we've got too many skinny people, and to many obese people.

It turns out being "overweight", roughly 10-20 lbs depending on height, gender and body composition, results in living longest.

Height-weight charts were more-or-less pulled out of researchers asses. We then got all scientific and changed to BMI by dividing weight by height. As if that somehow made the original assumptions correct.

There really is a lack of science on this subject. There's a whole lot of opinions and small studies. Opinions are pretty worthless, and those small studies frequently don't hold up when you go to a larger population.

Or much more commonly, the two collide. "Fat is evil!!!" arose from a small study, where the researchers radically changed the group's diet and activity. Then they concluded the resulting weight loss was all due to low-fat, ignoring the rest of the changes because that's what the researchers wanted. Now, the hot topic is "Sugar is evil!!!!!". Guess how they came to that conclusion?

We know obvious things - being too skinny causes problems. Being way overweight causes problems. But we really don't know where "ideal" is.

[L0oniX]

87. ^^^this^^^

Watching a loved one eat themselves to death by heart attack, stroke and cancer is a terrible thing to go through. You can't say anything about it or you could end up fighting and in the case of being married you could end up divorced.

[NightWatcher]

31. Facebook should change its name to Puffybook With Kids

Because everyone I know from school looks the same, but only puffy and with kids. I guess none of us look the way we did at 18 in highschool.

[redstatebluegirl]

34. I don't see this as fat shaming.

I am overweight, I have fought it for years since injuring my back 10 years ago. I don't like being this size and have started water walking at the Y in hopes of bringing this under control. Mine is more from lack of exercise I think but I don't make excuses I, like many other American's are fat.

I see this OP as more of a cultural observation, one that is true! I do notice that more of my former students are working out, biking to work, walking more and encouraging their young children to do the same. I think there is hope for this generation.

I hope there is hope for me by using the water aerobics and water walking. First day was a week ago and I already feel much better.

I don't like fat shaming but the shoe fits me unfortunately.

[closeupready]

60. Good for you! For about 20 years I failed to exercise. Then,

about 3 years ago, someone took a picture of me in a group shot, and I really saw how my weight was getting out of control. I was, in fact, overweight. I resolved to incorporate regular exercise into my life.

Like you, I started modestly, walking, and doing a few pushups and stuff, cranking up the intensity as I progressed and got stronger. I have since lost 40 pounds, and technically, I am now underweight, but actually, I am in just about the best physical shape I've been in many years - I sleep better, I feel better about myself, I look better, and all my health tests come back "beautiful", "perfect", etc. I have more energy, and I'm stronger.

Keep it up.

[redstatebluegirl]

65. Thanks! I'm dragging my husband with me kicking and screaming!

[CrispyQ]

41. Our food is full of HFCS & fat & most of us sit in cubicles for 40+ hours a week.

Our cities & towns are designed for driving, not walking or biking. In all my years working for corporate, I only worked for two companies that had an on-site gym. When I was 50 pounds overweight, the doctor I saw at the time lectured me every year about not getting a mammogram but never said one word about my burgeoning middle. A lot of these are lifestyle choices, but many are cultural, too.

Transit Agencies Face the New Calculus of Broader Backsides
Jan. 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/16/nyregion/transit-agencies-in-new-york-area-consider-wider-seats.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

It was called the “First All-American Tush Tally,” an informal test to measure the behinds of two dozen New Yorkers to see if they could fit into the prescribed space in new subway cars made by Kawasaki.

The seats were about 17 inches wide; the rears ranged between 13 and 23 inches wide. The organizer of the tush tally was Carol Greitzer, then on the City Council. The year was 1984.

The problem of American waists that are too big for seats meant to accommodate them is certainly not new. Today, everything from love seats to toilet seats can be built bigger to accommodate wider profiles, and the seats offered on public transportation are no different.

Each time an agency decides to purchase new trains or buses, it must consider whether to make its seats wider, knowing that a decision to do so could come at the expense of passenger capacity.

[pipi_k]

47. Medical, too...

Stress and lack of sleep can release high levels of cortisol into the bloodstream. Cortisol raises blood glucose levels, much like what happens with Type II diabetes.

Then there are those with myofascial disorders like CFS and FMS who find it extremely difficult to exercise on a consistent basis.

Some people take antidepressants, which tend to make them gain weight no matter what they do.


I think we are probably seeing a lot more stress-related illnesses than in the past, for some reason.

[Avalux]

48. It's our lifestyle, unfortunately. Have you traveled outside of the US?

I spent time in Europe this summer; and everyone walks or rides bikes, or uses public transit. They are much more active than we are overall; they are not fat. Most Americans get in their cars and go to work, then come home and sit in front of the TV. Often eating and drinking are involved while sitting in front of the TV.

Not all of us are like this, but as a whole, as you point out, the American lifestyle is not good for us.

[Puzzledtraveller]

63. nailed it.

[whatchamacallit]

49. As opposed to 'invisibly' fat?

[pnwest]

103. Lol, that was my first question! I'd sign up

for invisibly fat.

[oberliner]

50. I've noticed the opposite

In fact, I think Americans today are more concerned with eating healthily and exercising than at any time in recent history than I can remember.

[pipi_k]

59. I'm wondering, though...

if it's manufactured "concern".


I have a relative by marriage who is always posting feel-good crap on Facebook about healthy foods, healthy lifestyle, blah blah blah, and how it's so good for kids, blah blah blah.

yet every time we see photos, her kid is eating some crap or another, and at family functions she skips over the healthy stuff and is allowed to almost gorge on cake and ice cream or whatever desserts there are (mostly to shut her up because she's whining or throwing a fit).

The child's mom is an eating machine, and is probably 200 lbs overweight, if not more. Even her own father is ashamed of her eating habits (though not of HER, I just want to make that clear!).

She can wolf down three plates of food to my one.

Wolfing food is, as most of us know, not good. You end up eating way more than you would because your stomach isn't sending "I'm FULL!!!" signals to your brain.

Slow down. Enjoy your food...the taste...the texture. Don't just shovel it in.

So, getting to the point...maybe there's a big disconnect between what Americans are "concerned" about and what they actually do...

[oberliner]

62. Depends where you are I guess

Where I am people do seem to walk the walk with respect to this stuff. But that may be an anomaly nationally.

[pipi_k]

68. I'm in Mass...

supposedly one of the "less fat" states.

And the person in question is...


wait for it...
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
a surgical nurse.

Go figure...

[Lodestar]

51. Probably partially due to the fact that we've been 'fattened up' with growth hormones

fed to beef and other domesticated animals. I know there are many reasons...fast food, sedentary behaviors, etc., that all contribute to the problem, but I'll bet the growth hormones played a big part. Also our entire society is based on being
CONSUMERS. And boy do we consume.

[lonestarnot]

110. mmm. GMO's.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

52. Don't see any shaming going on here

No one is being made fun of and no specific fat person is being singled out. Obesity is a significant health issue. Concern for people with health problems is not shaming.

[Marr]

102. Neither do I. I don't understand the response.

Obesity is a major public health crisis.

[rock]

58. Ah, "visibily FAT", not that other kind of FAT

That's just a little joke. Also "visibly" is misspelled. But my real point is that "noticeably" might have been a better choice of words. God do I sound like a pedant!

[Dreamer Tatum]

61. What a sack of ridiculous horseshit

Suggest you go read up at least two logical fallacies:

1. Begging the question, and

2. Confirmation bias.


Those are the first two. I'm sure there are more.

[cwydro]

105. How is the OP ridiculous?

Surely you don't deny that America is getting fatter???

[MurrayDelph]

64. Ironically, Visibly FAT

is the name of my Biggie Smalls cover band.

[dilby]

66. Not sure what your point is, you showed OR then PA

People in Oregon still look like the people in the video. You should try comparing apples to apples.

[Xyzse]

70. I can understand where you're coming from... However, please.

If you're going to put up a link of pictures, why would you put up Big Love?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

72. Try looking at grade school photos --

I was in grade school in the 60s -- looking back, our "chubby" kids were maybe 10 pounds overweight. Today I see obese -- sometimes morbidly obese -- kids from the local grade schools. It is shocking, it is sad, and I think it is a public health crisis.

[Starry Messenger]

73. Um, don't you think people going to a rock show would tend to be self-selected?

[phil89]

74. Just making life more difficult for overweight people

Adding a little more misery to the world. Odd thing to devote time and energy to. Not sure why pics of a dead concert are indicative of anything.

[ecstatic]

75. My dad mentioned this the other day. He's 58 y.o. and

said that he rarely saw fat people when he was growing up. (BTW, he is considered "fat" now as well)

[L0oniX]

86. "becoming"? Oh & IBTL

[Arugula Latte]

88. Yeah, no kidding ...

That train left the station a loooong time ago.

[Throd]

91. It really breaks down along socioeconomic lines.

I used to live in a struggling neighborhood (90813) where overweight and obese children were commonplace.

Now I live in a wealthier neighborhood (95762) where overweight and obese children are rare.

[brooklynite]

92. The Daily Beast: Kids Don’t Know How Overweight They Really Are

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/29/kids-don-t-know-how-overweight-they-really-are.html#

There are plenty of touchy subjects I am happy to discuss with my patients and their families. When a child is brought to see me, especially for an annual check-up, I ask about all aspects of his or her life.

I ask about school performance and behavioral concerns, which can sometimes be dicey. I routinely ask my teenage patients about substance abuse and sexual activity. Working in a clinic during my training to specialize in adolescent medicine, I got used to discussing all manner of extremely sensitive topics frankly and without embarrassment.

But I absolutely hate talking to patients about being overweight.

Given that more than a third of American children and adolescents are now overweight or obese, with obesity rates for children doubling and for adolescents quadrupling over the past 30 years, it’s a subject I know I have to tackle. However, I am all too aware of how very important it is to do so in a respectful and nonjudgmental way, and to make it clear that the focus is on health rather than appearance.

[Katashi_itto]

94. K&R!

[pnwmom]

95. People in their 50's and 60's usually weigh more than in their teens and twenties.

Women, for example, typically gain weight during menopause.

A more realistic comparison would be among the same age group then and now.

[Rex]

96. Enjoy your stay!

[Marr]

100. There's a fantastic documentary from the BBC called "The Men Who Made Us Fat".

It's a really fascinating topic, imho. In a nutshell, food has just become incredibly calorie dense, nutrient-light, easy to get, and amazingly tasty.

I'm always blown away by the calorie count in a lot of these very convenient fast food meals. It's not uncommon for them to weigh in around 1500 calories, which is just unbelievably large for one meal. Your average adult needs something in the neighborhood of 2000 calories/day. You can get just about all the calories you need from a ten minute fast food meal-- but only a fraction of the nutrients you need. And everything else you eat that day is only going to make you larger.

[upaloopa]

104. In July I traveled to the Midwest from California and also

To Hawaii. I was in LAX, Dallas Fort Worth, Dayton, Honolulu and Hilo air ports. The place with the highest number of very obese folks was Dayton. I grew up there and we were no where near as obese as folks there today.
My guess is that Dayton has faced a long term decline since the factories closed and people live what I call the "comfort food" life style. Meaning eating is one way to combat the depression that comes with bleak economic outcomes. Eating comfort foods puts on weight.

[MADem]

106. I went to a wedding a week or two back. It was a big do.

There were six groomsmen, six bridesmaids. All of them, save one bridesmaid and one groomsman, were normal weight; a few even quite slim-- and fit. Even the two chunky ones were fit and didn't have any trouble on the dance floor.

Most of the guests were normal weight. The older folks may have had a spare tire, but nothing chair-breaking.

Maybe it was a case of two fit people from two fit families marrying. Maybe it had to do with MA being more farty about nutrition than some other states. Maybe it was an anomaly. Maybe the trend is reversing itself with the reduction of extra high fructose corn syrup in every fricken thing.

[AuntPatsy]

114. And?

[eridani]

119. In the 50s, children dieting was unheard of (unless maybe they had Prader-Willi Syndrome)

Most 10-Year-Olds Are More Afraid Of Getting 'Fat' Than Getting Cancer
http://www.upworthy.com/most-10-year-olds-are-more-afraid-of-getting-fat-than-getting-cancer?c=upw1

&feature=player_embedded

So, here is some really sad real talk. 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat. It's the biggest fear. It's bigger than cancer or losing both of their parents. OK. In a survey of 9 and 10 year olds, 40% of them have tried to lose weight. It is almost half of our fourth and fifth graders who are dieting, folks. And then as adults, 91% of women are unhappy with their body, 91%. And interesting thing is, only 5% of women naturally have the body shape that we see in the media. So that leaves 95% of us, pretty much all of us unable to achieve that in real life. So, we have this failure-shame, failure-shame. It's just we are quite ugly.