RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (Full Version)

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NoShow -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/12/2008 5:27:10 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Liveloved

But the habits we adopt do affect our bodies and that's where we can make some changes. How can the church/the body of Christ be involved in the solution to this problem?

Do we in the church offer classes in healthful eating? Teach people how to cook good food? Help people make informed choices when grocery shopping, etc?

Part of the problem is that we all live separate/apart lives now. In the NT days there was much more community.

Do any of you have ideas/thoughts that we can implement in the places and among the people we fellowship with?


Honestly, all of the information is out there and free, people are just turning a blind eye towards it. I find it somewhat comical when people take the "we're not being given the proper nutritional content (or in reality lack of) information" stance. I don't need to read anything to know that a super-sized meal from McDonalds isn't good for you. And those same people are the ones proclaiming that they'd die of boredom if they had to eat salad 4, 5 times a week.

The thing is, in most cases, the person has to want to change, first. I've been to Mens Bible groups where bragging about gluttony went on. When someone pointed out that gluttony was a sin, the ones bragging downplayed it with the standard "well, it's not as bad as ...." Well as long as someone's making excuses, change isn't likely to happen. But when it does come, we should be supportive and encouraging.



csl7037 -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/12/2008 5:36:48 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: 3cappuccinosmom
Some of it is culture and perception though. If I could get down to 170, I would be happy the rest of my life. At that weight I was healthy, if sturdy, and had absolutely no health problems or hinderances.


This is key. It is so sad to me to see people struggle to just walk through a store. Even just 15 pounds more than I am now, I felt sluggish and miserable.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Liveloved
Do any of you have ideas/thoughts that we can implement in the places and among the people we fellowship with?


We have a cell group that meets at my house and we start with a group pot-luck kind of dinner to save time. If we had to feed our kids and get everything else done, it would make the evening just too complicated. We take turns doing the main dish and I've tried so hard to come up with healthy things that people wont complain about. And I've made a couple things that people raved about - they even (at the time) rave about how much they enjoy eating healthy. Then, when it's their turn to bring the main dish, it's inevitably something smothered in cheese and/or battered and fried!

quote:

ORIGINAL: NoShow
Honestly, all of the information is out there and free, people are just turning a blind eye towards it. I find it somewhat comical when people take the "we're not being given the proper nutritional content (or in reality lack of) information" stance. I don't need to read anything to know that a super-sized meal from McDonalds isn't good for you. And those same people are the ones proclaiming that they'd die of boredom if they had to eat salad 4, 5 times a week.

The thing is, in most cases, the person has to want to change, first. I've been to Mens Bible groups where bragging about gluttony went on. When someone pointed out that gluttony was a sin, the ones bragging downplayed it with the standard "well, it's not as bad as ...." Well as long as someone's making excuses, change isn't likely to happen. But when it does come, we should be supportive and encouraging.


I completely agree with you except that there is a lot of MISinformation out there. Granted, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that none of that fad or quick-fix stuff works....but people that should know better still fall into the trap over and over and over. But it's easier to rationalize or make excuses than to do what it takes.



womaninchrist -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 12:10:25 AM)

There is a TON of misinforation out there, starting with the rather popular misconception (held even by a lot of doctors) that *no one* REALLY has any conditions like a metabolic disorder that can cause weight gain or make weight loss difficult or this idea's close companions (also held lots of doctors) that medication induced weight gain can ALWAYS be controlled, that it never goes beyond a certain amount (or if does it's the patients fault, not the medication's) and that medication weight gains should be tolerated as "fair trade offs" for whatever improvements they made in the condition(s) they treat as if they carry no health risks.

Then too, beyond the really obvious, if you overeat then you gain weight - who's got the right info? How much fiber does a person honestly need? Should we follow low fat, low carb, Mediterranean, South Beach, Zone or Weight Watchers style diets or just count calories? Or is some other diet the right one? Are eggs safe or not? Did anyone ever make up their minds about butter? Margarine? Are organics necessary as some sources say or does it not matter as other sources say? A person could easily be befuddled into not bothering (as has been the case with many of my relatives).



csl7037 -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 8:51:03 AM)

womaninchrist, I've also never met a person eating totally clean suffering from outrageous weight gain on medication or from a "metabolic disorder". I personally think metabolic disorders are from a horrible (which for us would be an Average American) diet for a long period of time - maybe reactions to the stuff we call food that isn't food! I'm just saying, eating a clean whole foods diet can overcome a lot of that and I don't think it's something most people are willing to commit to.

And with the misinformation, the only way to really fall for all that is to get caught in the trap of looking for the "quick fix" or magic bullet. People are looking for the shortcut. By and large, people aren't willing to eat what they know they should be eating and STOP eating what they know they shouldn't be.

When I learned to eat 19 points worth of junk food in a day on Weight Watchers and I got stuck and couldn't get to my goal, I decided I needed to do my homework. But it's not rocket science and there really aren't any excuses.



womaninchrist -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 3:47:12 PM)

And you just made my point without intending to do so. Before my PCOS was diagnosed and properly treated, I gained weight eating 1200 calories per day and faithfully exercising or if I was really lucky and cut out almost all carbs I *might* very slowly lose weight (like 10 pounds in six or so months). On one medication, I was told that the problem was that I "was refusing to admit I was overeating and under exercising" so I kept eating less and exercising more until I was eating *maybe* 500 calories (as coffee, carrots, apples and a few gummi worms force fed to me by the grandkids who both thought Grandma needed to eat more) per day and jogging/running an hour on most days - and even with those habits (which met the diagnostic criteria for anorexia except for my BMI) my weight continued to rapidly increase (approximately 10 pounds per month). I got off the med and had to see an endocrinologist for a while to get a lot of problems known to be caused by that med corrected before my body would correctly metabolize food and allow me to lose weight or even maintain weight again.



Liveloved -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 5:08:41 PM)

quote:

Honestly, all of the information is out there and free, people are just turning a blind eye towards it.


Noshow,

If this is our attitude, why do we preach the gospel or teach God's word? It's all out there. Anyone and everyone can have a Bible and read for themselves.

The information is out there but it is TOO MUCH information and much WRONG information. And people don't know who to trust and how to weed through all the muck of science.

Perhaps I'm just dreaming. But my husband and I eat very healthfully and exercise. We also both have health problems that could contribute to weight problems. And, in addition, I have genetics that would predispose me to obesity. So why are we not obese???

I think there are answers. But you are right. We are a quick fix, take a pill, put the blame on someone or something else society and that goes for the church as well.

But if some of us had some ideas, some positive teaching plans to help others, couldn't we make a difference? I'd like to think so.

Anyway those are my thoughts. [:)]LL



NoShow -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 5:43:50 PM)

LL;

You are correct. I was talking more "out loud", expressing my self dialog. My approach to fitness is very similar to my approach to the Word. I'm a one-on-one type, no one will every call me an evangelist or an advocate, without first really getting to know me.

I'm not the type that will stand on a soapbox and point out that someone should lose weight or not get caught up in material things. I do my best to live an example, and when people approach me to inquiry, I'm happy to share with them my knowledge and experience and try to point them down a path for themselves.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 6:58:38 PM)

quote:

I've also never met a person eating totally clean suffering from outrageous weight gain on medication or from a "metabolic disorder". I personally think metabolic disorders are from a horrible (which for us would be an Average American) diet for a long period of time - maybe reactions to the stuff we call food that isn't food! I'm just saying, eating a clean whole foods diet can overcome a lot of that and I don't think it's something most people are willing to commit to.


I agree, to an extent. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 18, and I had never been allowed to eat a junk-filled diet so I don't think I can blame it on that. Although it's certainly managed and treated by eating clean(although not always organic).



csl7037 -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 7:51:18 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: womaninchrist

And you just made my point without intending to do so. Before my PCOS was diagnosed and properly treated, I gained weight eating 1200 calories per day and faithfully exercising or if I was really lucky and cut out almost all carbs I *might* very slowly lose weight (like 10 pounds in six or so months). On one medication, I was told that the problem was that I "was refusing to admit I was overeating and under exercising" so I kept eating less and exercising more until I was eating *maybe* 500 calories (as coffee, carrots, apples and a few gummi worms force fed to me by the grandkids who both thought Grandma needed to eat more) per day and jogging/running an hour on most days - and even with those habits (which met the diagnostic criteria for anorexia except for my BMI) my weight continued to rapidly increase (approximately 10 pounds per month). I got off the med and had to see an endocrinologist for a while to get a lot of problems known to be caused by that med corrected before my body would correctly metabolize food and allow me to lose weight or even maintain weight again.


Unless you're about 4'11" (like my mother), you probably shouldn't have been eating 1200 calories/day much less dropping from there! You were starving. We need carbs - good carbs. We need fat - good fats/Omegas. And we need protein - lean protein. When you're eating clean you needs lots of it! Low carb isn't good for anyone except maybe for a very short time frame.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mrs.Wifey
I agree, to an extent. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 18, and I had never been allowed to eat a junk-filled diet so I don't think I can blame it on that. Although it's certainly managed and treated by eating clean(although not always organic).


Clean doesn't mean organic, BTW...I do very little organic. Maybe I should for other reasons, though.

But I would challenge anyone with virtually any medical history to take their current body weight, multiply by ten, and eat that many calories in grilled chicken, green veggies, and a little (plain) brown rice, drink 1 gal + water/day (and not drink anything else) for a month and say they didn't lose weight and feel better.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 8:07:30 PM)

Oh, I know it doesn't mean organice. We can't afford clean+organic so we only eat clean. In fact, tonights dinner is smelling delish(Quinoa, Chicken, and broccoli slaw).



womaninchrist -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (8/13/2008 8:39:25 PM)

Beyond what I'd gotten in 4-H cooking classes and health classes growing up (mostly talk of the 4 food groups), once the PCOS symptoms started showing up (at which point I wasn't eating badly at all and I was eating normal amounts) the only information I could get from even my doctors was that the problem was caused by my weight which was caused by eating too much, eating too many fats and not exercising enough That's how I ended up over time not eating nearly enough. The doc that finally did figure out that I had PCOS about had a conniption fit over how little I ate (the 1200 calories) and made a point of making sure I ate a minimum of around 1800. This was what went on until I went on the med where I once again was told the problem was that I was "eating too much" (really? I knew I was being VERY careful to keep to around 1800 or so calories per day which was about what it would take to properly maintain my weight healthily) and so once again I started cutting back on my food and kept cutting back because I kept gaining and kept being told I was still "eating too much" - that the problem just *had* to be *me*. I knew I wasn't eating much, but I had no idea how badly I'd cut back until I requested a new gp and she flat out told me the calorie count for the menus I'd listed. When my husband brought it to her attention that the only inaccuracy was a tendency to overestite what I ate, that was when the new doctor KNEW it was the med via side effects like metabolic changes that had caused the weight gains, not my failure to exercise or an inability to admit I over ate.

I've always drunk skim milk and bought lean meats (I have digestive troubles with fats, have since I was a kid). I'm not big on eating breads and the ones I buy are whole grain and often multigrain. I always avoid RBST, I try to avoid or at least minimize antibiotics and hormones in meats and when I can I get organic produce (mostly because I grew up watching what happened from the older pesticides and fertilizers). Except for chocolate, I've never really liked any junk food. I grew up teased by family because in a family of transplanted Texans I dislike gravy and I'm not much of a meat fan (I prefer vegetarian proteins or fish).



Bevik -> RE: All Americans overweight in 40 years? (9/3/2008 9:33:31 PM)

I just started reading this thread. All Americans Obese in 40 years? That's pretty pessimistic. I'm not buying it. I agree the American diet is largely processed garbage-which I don't eat because I suffer from IBS. There will always be people who cannot stand the processed stuff or cannot eat it like myself. Refined food tastes like Play Doh to me. A certain percentage of the population will always be health nuts or disciplined enough to watch their weight.



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