Number one solution to obesity problem

[sealchan]

Self-discipline, imo.

Sure...but self-discipline has to go hand in hand with will power. Shaping will power to be in-line with a long-term goal requires a plan and a mutli-stage process of learning about your body and your psychological needs.

For me, my success has come from making individual small changes I can live with permanently. Identifying the short term impact of eating certain foods or certain amounts of foods, finding substitutions for bad choices and leveraging my non-food related interests have all been essential to my ability to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

But the biggest disciplinary change is exercise. Exercise, exercise, exercise. Aerobic exercise if you want to change your metabolism and most people need to change their rate of metabolism. That is the hardest one.

Exercise has to have some short term reward in the absence of the fear of what one's life is or will become without it. I've managed to enjoy music and/or videos as I exercise. Currently, running on a treadmill for 30 minutes includes watching Star Trek.

 

[Mindmaster]

What is the number one solution in your opinion?

Education by school? Cultural influece? Parent's responsibility? Health care? Food industry?

Delete carbs from diet, you don't even need to eat them technically. (You body actually regulates sugars better by consuming fats.) Most of the problem in the USA comes from the FDA food pyramid that has tons of things on it you never have to eat. Eliminating grains and sugar would easily let you shed 100 pounds, I did, lol. I know militant diets aren't enjoyable, even for me, but the workaround is when you want that 100% whole grain bread sandwich double up on the meat, skip the sides like fries and chips. Worthless and nutrition-less high-carb food is generally the culprit. Additional protein or healthy fats will slow down the glucose spike -- that blood sugar spike is why you are fat, basically. I still have anything I want, but anything that's in the carb-only zone is a few pieces of candy or less than a handful of the chips taken with a relatively massive meat sandwich. (Peanut butter, if that sweet tooth acts up.) Certain fruits like grapes are solid sugar (why they work great for wine), you shouldn't eat them - do eat the ones with lots of natural fiber. (Apples, oranges, peaches, anything that is requiring a good chew.)

Stuff that doesn't work: working out (you can never burn enough calories for it to matter, though does improve cardio), portion limiting (except for the specific carb items, if you don't eat substantial amounts of food you feel terrible), and so on. I actually eat way more than I did in the past, the only thing that changed for me is what is on the plate.All of my numbers, confirmed by blood test, are better as well. (average blood glucose, cholesterol, nutrients, etc...)

You can live on an all-meat diet as well, but it's pretty boring though the Alaskan natives do not have any problem with it.

 

[Anthem]

Delete carbs from diet, you don't even need to eat them technically. (You body actually regulates sugars better by consuming fats.) Most of the problem in the USA comes from the FDA food pyramid that has tons of things on it you never have to eat. Eliminating grains and sugar would easily let you shed 100 pounds, I did, lol. I know militant diets aren't enjoyable, even for me, but the workaround is when you want that 100% whole grain bread sandwich double up on the meat, skip the sides like fries and chips. Worthless and nutrition-less high-carb food is generally the culprit. Additional protein or healthy fats will slow down the glucose spike -- that blood sugar spike is why you are fat, basically. I still have anything I want, but anything that's in the carb-only zone is a few pieces of candy or less than a handful of the chips taken with a relatively massive meat sandwich. (Peanut butter, if that sweet tooth acts up.) Certain fruits like grapes are solid sugar (why they work great for wine), you shouldn't eat them - do eat the ones with lots of natural fiber. (Apples, oranges, peaches, anything that is requiring a good chew.)

Stuff that doesn't work: working out (you can never burn enough calories for it to matter, though does improve cardio), portion limiting (except for the specific carb items, if you don't eat substantial amounts of food you feel terrible), and so on. I actually eat way more than I did in the past, the only thing that changed for me is what is on the plate.All of my numbers, confirmed by blood test, are better as well. (average blood glucose, cholesterol, nutrients, etc...)

You can live on an all-meat diet as well, but it's pretty boring though the Alaskan natives do not have any problem with it.

But too much meat is bad for your bowels and increases risk for stomach cancer for one.

 

[JoshuaTree]

A systemic issue...

Parents who are busy don't take the time to shop for good food and cook it. Therefore its quick, microwavable meals and fast food.

Also exercise! All of which takes up time. How many people live in a home without a private yard sufficient for exercise? Is a park available and do the parents have the time and energy to go to the park?

Making time in life for the basics and not getting distracted with all the readily available information.

Schools need to allow for physical activity all the way through high school and remove junk food from being accessible. In any environment where people are expected to be confined for several hours they should have options for movement (vs only long-term standing or sitting).

Public transportation improvements can encourage people to walk to the bus stop from home and work and even for outings. Community planning can encourage the same.

I've spent at least an hour in the gym most days for the last 40 years or so, but what's easy for me isn't easy for others. It is my opinion that if schools and businesses 'required' an hour of physical activity daily grades and productivity would soar. The problem is that a lot of people either can't or won't participate in such a program, so what can you do? As you say it's a systemic issue, but I think fixing it would be painful. Same can be said of parenting. I'd love for my kids to be more active than they are, I'd also love for my kids to make better grades than they do... but for the most part kids are their own people and parents can't (or shouldn't) dictate friends, marriages, careers, grades, or fitness. And what holds true for kids holds true for people too unless the Nazis are in power with ambitions of sculpturing a super-race. Price of freedom? Thoughts?

 

[Shad]

What is the number one solution in your opinion?

Duct tape

Education by school? Cultural influece? Parent's responsibility? Health care? Food industry?

Honestly the food industry. The education system has been hammering health eating for decades yet here we are. I know of no culture which promotes eating yourself into obesity, at least around my area. Parents could help but many are swamped with work in order to maintain the high standard of living in 1st world nations. Stay at home parents has become a taboo for many largely due to ideology. Healthcare has been telling people for decades about their diet but people ignore it. Perhaps if healthcare cut off people that dig themselves into hole it was at least hit their wallet which is something many do care about.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Healthcare reform is a big one imo. Dietitians, physical trainers, nutritionists and counselors are inaccessible for many if not most people, and very little by way of food and exercise education is worked into mainstream medicine as part of treatment care.

But I think the absolute biggest factor is sugar. Americans consume a ridiculous amount (the highest per person of any nation, more than quadrupal the daily recommendation), and it's gone up steadily over the years. It's in everything, breads, drinks, condiments, sauces even deli meats. Even foods we think are health foods like yogurt. It's incredibly difficult to avoid unless doing a fairly extreme elimination diet like keto or whole 30. Other nations limit how much food manufacturers can add sugar and I hope America goes a similar direction.

 

[JoshuaTree]

Duct tape



Honestly the food industry. The education system has been hammering health eating for decades yet here we are. I know of no culture which promotes eating yourself into obesity, at least around my area. Parents could help but many are swamped with work in order to maintain the high standard of living in 1st world nations. Stay at home parents has become a taboo for many largely due to ideology. Healthcare has been telling people for decades about their diet but people ignore it. Perhaps if healthcare cut off people that dig themselves into hole it was at least hit their wallet which is something many do care about.

Here we go down that "wrong road" again... lol. There will probably eventually be a correction to the system and it's gonna be harsh I think.

 

[JoshuaTree]

Healthcare reform is a big one imo. Dietitians, physical trainers, nutritionists and counselors are inaccessible for many if not most people, and very little by way of food and exercise education is worked into mainstream medicine as part of treatment care.

But I think the absolute biggest factor is sugar. Americans consume a ridiculous amount (the highest per person of any nation, more than quadrupal the daily recommendation), and it's gone up steadily over the years. It's in everything, breads, drinks, condiments, sauces even deli meats. Even foods we think are health foods like yogurt. It's incredibly difficult to avoid unless doing a fairly extreme elimination diet like keto or whole 30. Other nations limit how much food manufacturers can add sugar and I hope America goes a similar direction.

Sugar isn't nearly as bad as high fructose corn syrup that has replaced sugar in nearly everything (yuck). I live in the corn belt, corn everywhere, gotta use it for something right?

 

[sun rise]

That isn't true. Healthy food is available cheap too.

Not if you live in a food desert and have almost no money. It's only cheap to those not on the utter bottom.

 

[sun rise]

There is no #1 solution because the causes are many.

Some are born with an imbalance in the hormones that regulate hunger and feel famished all the time. Some have reactions to drugs as noted earlier. Some grow up in a culture which emphasizes fattening foods. Some are at the bottom and live in food deserts where empty calories are cheapest. Some don't pay attention as the pounds creep up.

There was one study of fecal transplant causing weight gain Weight Gain After Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and there are others out there. This one is notable since the weight gain accompanied a medically supervised weight loss program.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Sugar isn't nearly as bad as high fructose corn syrup that has replaced sugar in nearly everything (yuck). I live in the corn belt, corn everywhere, gotta use it for something right?

Sugar is sugar. Both table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are disaccharides containing both glucose and fructose, and broken down the same way by the body. It's going to be unhealthy if you add either in excess to foods. But because HFCS is so cheap, it gets added to more food in greater amount. But a similar amount of table sugar to hfcs is equally bad.
It's even bad in natural fruit sugars, but the fruit also contains fiber to slow sugar metabolism as well as other helpful nutrients. (Though those can be obtained elsewhere in lower glycemic foods.)

 

[Shad]

My older brother, in contrast, began going to the doctor more often as an adult, often getting antibiotics for seemingly minor colds.

Antibiotics for colds is overkill and over prescribing medication imo. At face value it looks like his doctor(s) is abusing the system to make more money.

 

[JoshuaTree]

Sugar is sugar. Both table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are disaccharides containing both glucose and fructose, and broken down the same way by the body. It's going to be unhealthy if you add either in excess to foods. But because HFCS is so cheap, it gets added to more food in greater amount. But a similar amount of table sugar to hfcs is equally bad.
It's even bad in natural fruit sugars, but the fruit also contains fiber to slow sugar metabolism as well as other helpful nutrients. (Though those can be obtained elsewhere in lower glycemic foods.)

Thanks, I was under the impression that high fructose corn syrup was worse... I'll research this more. I agree sugar is sugar for the most part be it sugar cane, honey, or fructose all three unprocessed for the most part and should be limited. I try to avoid HFCS as well as all artificial sweeteners.

 

[exchemist]

So what do we do??

Stop drinking soda pop all the time for a start.

I'm a Brit who lived for 2 years in Houston TX. I was appalled at the number of revoltingly obese people I saw and also at the ingrained habit so many of my colleagues had of drinking sweet fizzy drinks. They even used to do this at meal times (something considered by my French wife to be barbarous!)

The result? I am convinced many people in the US are conditioned to a high background level of sweetness in everything, very noticeable to an outsider like me. The bread was sweet. The wine was sweet. Every the bloody potato crisps were sweet. And the jam was so sweet as to be inedible. And then you would go to a gas station and see yet another fatty waddling back to her SUV with a 40oz drink of soda pop.

The Cola Cola culture, a pervasive part of the wholesome all-American life, has a lot to answer for, I am sure.

The high fructose corn syrup issue may be in large part responsible. I see other posters have mentioned this. This seems to be just surfacing, but is fairly widespread in industrially prepared food and drink and may make matters even worse.

So my suggestion would be cut out soda pop, especially for kids who are forming their lifetime habits, ban it from the dining table, and cook your own food.

 

[Shad]

Here we go down that "wrong road" again... lol. There will probably eventually be a correction to the system and it's gonna be harsh I think.

I expect taxes to increase on specific products. It has been done with cigarettes and gas here for example. The cost is passed on to the consumer thus their wallet is effected. People are switching to alternatives, rationing and quitting as products become a luxury habit. This leaves it up to the individual. Pay more, pay less for alternatives or save money by no longer buying the product or alternative.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

You can live on an all-meat diet as well, but it's pretty boring though the Alaskan

This part is a bit of a wives tale. Studies on Inuit health still show higher bad cholestoral and cardiovascular disease like atherosclerosis and even higher strokes you would expect from an all meat diet. Low incidence of cardiovascular disease among the Inuit--what is the evidence? - PubMed - NCBI
What it doesn't show that is interesting is ketosis, which you would expect of a low carb low sugar diet. They think it's because using whole carcass and fermented meats allows for more carbs through the process of hydrolyzing. Also blubber and organ meat has higher glycogen stores.

 

[Anthem]

Stop drinking soda pop all the time for a start.

I'm a Brit who lived for 2 years in Houston TX. I was appalled at the number of revoltingly obese people I saw and also at the ingrained habit so many of my colleagues had of drinking sweet fizzy drinks. They even used to do this at meal times (something considered by my French wife to be barbarous!)

The result? I am convinced many people in the US are conditioned to a high background level of sweetness in everything, very noticeable to an outsider like me. The bread was sweet. The wine was sweet. Every the bloody potato crisps were sweet. And the jam was so sweet as to be inedible. And then you would go to a gas station and see yet another fatty waddling back to her SUV with a 40oz drink of soda pop.

The Cola Cola culture, a pervasive part of the wholesome all-American life, has a lot to answer for, I am sure.

The high fructose corn syrup issue may be in large part responsible. I see other posters have mentioned this. This seems to be just surfacing, but is fairly widespread in industrially prepared food and drink and may make matters even worse.

So my suggestion would be cut out soda pop, especially for kids who are forming their lifetime habits, ban it from the dining table, and cook your own food.

Soda isn't enough to make you fat but for some people it increasea appetite.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Antibiotics for colds is overkill and over prescribing medication imo. At face value it looks like his doctor(s) is abusing the system to make more money.

Antibiotics for colds isnt just overkill. It's useless. Colds are viruses which antibacterials do absolutely nothing for.

 

[JoshuaTree]

I expect taxes to increase on specific products. It has been done with cigarettes and gas here for example. The cost is passed on to the consumer thus their wallet is effected. People are switching to alternatives, rationing and quitting as products become a luxury habit. This leaves it up to the individual. Pay more, pay less for alternatives or save money by no longer buying the product or alternative.

From what I see agriculture is heavily subsidized in the US and food companies are out to maximize profits which means pushing as much low quality food as they can. I dunno if there's a good solution to that or not. I buy and/or grow organic as much as possible and cook to avoid Monsanto craziness which is another thread entirely.

 

[sealchan]

Delete carbs from diet, you don't even need to eat them technically. (You body actually regulates sugars better by consuming fats.) Most of the problem in the USA comes from the FDA food pyramid that has tons of things on it you never have to eat. Eliminating grains and sugar would easily let you shed 100 pounds, I did, lol. I know militant diets aren't enjoyable, even for me, but the workaround is when you want that 100% whole grain bread sandwich double up on the meat, skip the sides like fries and chips. Worthless and nutrition-less high-carb food is generally the culprit. Additional protein or healthy fats will slow down the glucose spike -- that blood sugar spike is why you are fat, basically. I still have anything I want, but anything that's in the carb-only zone is a few pieces of candy or less than a handful of the chips taken with a relatively massive meat sandwich. (Peanut butter, if that sweet tooth acts up.) Certain fruits like grapes are solid sugar (why they work great for wine), you shouldn't eat them - do eat the ones with lots of natural fiber. (Apples, oranges, peaches, anything that is requiring a good chew.)

Stuff that doesn't work: working out (you can never burn enough calories for it to matter, though does improve cardio), portion limiting (except for the specific carb items, if you don't eat substantial amounts of food you feel terrible), and so on. I actually eat way more than I did in the past, the only thing that changed for me is what is on the plate.All of my numbers, confirmed by blood test, are better as well. (average blood glucose, cholesterol, nutrients, etc...)

You can live on an all-meat diet as well, but it's pretty boring though the Alaskan natives do not have any problem with it.

You have to watch out for gout when you eat a lot of meat...unless, perhaps, you are Alaskan (lucky).

Total agree on the carbs...I have found that excess carb intake (over what my body needs) leads to sleeping issues where I can fall asleep but after about 3 to 5 hours I wake up and can't get back to sleep. I suspect this has something to do with the fat storage process. When there are too many carbs they kick in and produce energy in the body when your body goes through its sleep cycles and moves to a more waking state. So if sleep is a problem, carb control may be your godsend.

Exercise has to be aerobic for 20+ minutes and this will increase the efficiency of your body's process of turning food into energy. I have found that it makes you less tolerant of excess carbs (sleep-wise) so you really have to watch the carbs. I've lost about 30 pounds over 5+ years and I am almost into my normal weight range for my height.