How Did Americans Get So Fat, In Seven Charts
Americans are fat. They are so fat very few would even bother to click on a hyperlink in this article explaining how fat they are, so instead we will present an animated chart showing the severity of the US obesity problem over the past 30 years.
Cartoons aside, here are the facts: today two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Half are afflicted with chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure that can often be prevented with better diets, but aren't and as a result debt-funded healthcare costs have exploded, and while this chronic obesity has made pharma companies richer beyond their wildest dreams, it means future US healthcare spending and welfare obligations are unsustainable.
America didn't get this way overnight. The average calories available to the average American increased 25 percent, to more than 2500, between 1970 and 2010, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There was no extra meal added to the day, instead an evolution in the type of foods Americans eat led to steady growth in calories.
Added fats and grains account for a growing share of total caloric intake. These two categories, which include oils and fats in processed foods and flour in cereals and breads, made up about 37 percent of our diet in 1970. By 2010, they were 46 percent—a larger share of the growing pie. One of the main factor: cost; the increasingly more caloric foods become progressively cheaper and more affordable. The result: more of the lower and middle classes gravitated toward it, leading to the epidemic shown above.
Here, courtesy of Bloomberg, are seven charts showing the detail behind America's troubling obesity trend.
First, this is where America's calories come from.
Cheese is replacing milk.
A lot more fat goes into our foods.
Calories from wheat, rice, and corn have increased. This includes refined grains like white bread that provide calories but are stripped of much of the nutrients in whole grains.
There are some indications that Americans are changing their diets to become healthier. For example, we're swapping red meat for chicken.
And though corn syrup boomed since the 1970s, the total amount of sweeteners we eat has declined. That's partly because Americans are drinking less soda.
These positive changes haven't negated the overall increase in calories on our plates. More than two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, compared to less than half in the 1970s.
The government's dietary guidelines are simple: "Almost all people in the United States could benefit from shifting choices to better support healthy eating patterns." Right, now if only the government would also subsidize this healthy - which means more expensive - eating. We won't hold our breath: after all the massive pharma lobby would generate far less profits for its clients if US obesity were to sharply decline as a result of someone doing the right thing.
So until something does take place to shock the US out of its fatty momentum, here is Family Guy.
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If you want to be healthy eat small amounts of lean red meat,avoid pork,processed meats of all types. Make your own food do not buy prepared. A diet high in vegetables,modest amount of fruit as high in sugar. Do not cook with olive oil it is carcingenic at high temperatures. Buy small amounts of the best quality. Make sure you have a low iron meal twice a week. Too much iron can result in bowel cancer. Limit sugar.
Misleading charts. The main culprit imo is modern grains CDC stats from the beginning of tracking in the 80's to present coincides with the proliferation of Noman Borlaug's Frankengrain and perfectly reflects increase in grain consumption with increase in obesity and diabetes. Read Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD, and you'll quickly understand.
Processed foods and added sugars are the primary problems.
Most people don't realize thst refined sugar is more like a chemical than a natural sweetener. There are low-refined sugars like Sucranat that have all the minerals, enzymes and vitamins thst actually help the body digest the sugar. Still has a lot of calories of course, but people are crazy eating white sugar and brown sugar which is just white sugar covered with a little molasses.
Refined is always worse, within the context of food.
Same is true of drugs, in a sense. Chewing Coca leaves? Mild stimulant. Snorting coke? Different story.
Grains are carbs. Upon digestion, carbs are broken down to glucose. Americans are carbaholics. They get more glucose spikes from carbs than sugar. 2 pieces of whole wheat bread will spike blood sugar more than 6 teaspoons of sugar, so you are better off eating jelly beans than wheat bread. Repeated blood sugar spikes result in insulin release to clear out blood glucose resulting in increase in belly fat. Similar to biochemical mechanism that results in beer belly, thus wheat belly, but you're entitled to your opinion, even when you're wrong.
You're both right. And both wrong about the source of the problem.
The source of the problem is subsidies for grain production. It causes the overproduction of corn and other grains, the excesses of which are turned into high fructose corn syrup, which is just a mix of glucose and fructose. It's used everywhere because it's really cheap and it's really cheap because it's subsidised. These are simple sugars which hit your body metabolically instantly.
it's all the preservatives...body cant digest that shit and its everywhere in everything
Could be a coincidence, but obesity epidemic went into hyperdrive right after 9/11.
66% are lard asses and a whopping 50% are on mood altering medications. It's so bad now they advertise new drugs to take that help you digest food if you're on opiod medication. Now THAT'S fucked up.
If you move that chart back a century, you'll see a huge increase in meat and dairy and refine sugar consumption. That's not healthy at current levels. And then there's the olive oil is healthy myth. And of course fast food. A diet of fresh veggies, fruits and grains with a moderate amount of meat and NO refined sugar, would fix most people. Daily exercise of course and stay out of the malls.
1. No physical activity.
2. Eating fast food.
3. Drinking Soda !!!
I have lost 45 pounds in last 2+ years. And these are my 3 main changes. Especially surprisingly the soda. I only drank one can a day. But when I first stopped drinking that crap. No lie. I lost 10 pounds in about a month and didn't really make any other significant changes at that point. 10 pounds !!!!
One observation I have made is that when you went to the physician for an examination when I was younger, in the 1970s and 1980s, you were weighed in your skivvies (underwear) in the exam room. Now you are weighed while wearing your clothes in a common area, and the physician's do not deduct an estimated 3-7 lbs extra for your weight. In fact, one physician I went to has their scales already set at 3lbs before you even step on it. Why? I suspect they likely they get paid more for treating difficult patients with weight-related maladies--although I do not know if that is, in fact the case. In any case, there are a lot of false extra pounds out there from this way for physician's to save some quick dollars by having fewer scales (and thus locating them in common areas).
Does that resolve all of the trend, no. But it is a part of it.
No...we do not get paid more for treating obese patients...unless it is for obesity of course.
It is the relative weight we are looking for. Are you gaining weight.
Absolute weight is up to you to find. Weigh yourself naked after peeing in the AM.
What is your 'Heart Age'?
It'll be a wake up call for some esp for those who see the effect of high blood pressure and/or weight on their heart age:
http://www.heartage.me/your-heart-age/you
Actually, that is what I do. I agree that does not account for a lot of the obesity, but does account for some of the increase in weight overall. And the weight the doc takes in his clinic does and should matter because that is what gets reported to the insurance company. All of the data is electronic now. To deny that it will or is being mined is to deny reality.
Stay out of doctors' offices unless you have a problem you cannot fix on your own.
Three to five pounds of clothes isn't going to drive someone into the "obese" category. That said, the BMI measure is a joke for muscular people; a better measure of health might be a simple waist to height ratio.
Does this scale make me look fat? LOL......
No, it's your fat ass.
Sorry, don't know why it double-posted. I only hit "save" once.
fat finger
Hollywood always like to exagerate things...
But how many TV Shows depict people as thin not over weight, but always eating takeways. You could view this as, if your overweight your not eating enogh junk food and you need get out more.
Here is one solution...no gimmicks and free...I have used (and still use)it. several friends have too.
It does require some committment but so does a huge gut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHQbg4xH9lw
Excellent recommendation. Thanks.
Natural fat is NOT bad for you. Vegetable oil is. It doesn't exist in nature.
Our bodies are not designed to handle the volume of sugar that is stealthily thrown at us through everything. Sugar has the same effect on the liver as alcolhol. It suppresses the body's chemical response that says we're no longer hungry (ie we;re full) and it mildly stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain - all a recipe for disaster.
Our bodies with rare exceptions, are not equipped to handle the processed grains and carbs in our food. They lead to a spike in insulin when consumed. Eventually, the body gives up = Adult onset Type II diabetes.
I agree, exluding the processing of course. Forcing hydrogen into vegetable oil created something not found in the food chain, it was never food. This fear that is being pushed about natural animal fats and the great demon of "cholesterol" probably isn't helping old people who have brain tissue atrophe either.
The same people that told us animal fats are bad approved glyphosate and asparatame. Bleached white wheat covered in glyphosate isn't really a food anymore either.
"Vegetable oil doesn't exist in nature"???
Of course it does, it is extracted from a plant and it has been with us for a very, very long time.
I was referring to hydrogenated oils.
"Hydrogenation – to treat with hydrogen – is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen (H2) and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as nickel, palladium or platinum. The process is commonly employed to reduce or saturate organic compounds. Hydrogenation typically constitutes the addition of pairs of hydrogen atoms to a molecule, generally an alkene."
"Hydrogenation of unsaturated fats produces saturated fats. In the case of partial hydrogenation, trans fats may be generated as well."
Also we have been eating animal fat much longer than we have been farming although it is true that there would have been some wild vegetables.
Yes, crisco is not natural.
I have several large containers of it htat have been mouldering in my pantry for years since I learned how bad that stuff was for you, and that you can just substitute bacon grease or coconut oil for much tastier and much much healthier foods.
I really should throw that shit away. In fact, I think I'll go do that right now.
If Crisco is "not natural", what is it then, supernatural?
It does make an excellent industrial grease. Seriously, it's rumored that was its original intended purpose.
Keep the crisco. It's fuel for tallow wicks. Tradeable post-collapse.
In fact I suspect edible oil will be one of the most valuable sought-after commodities post-collapse, even crisco. It is not easy to get from nature. Turkeys (heritage-breeds) and ducks are very good sources.
Well okay but actually, everything is natural. Everything on earth comes from nature and is 100% natural and that would include all "chemicals", metals, saturated fats, even you and I are 100% natural regardless of what we eat. You would do well to keep that in mind.
Oh yes, that term natural you see everywhere now days. I see what you are getting at.
Grok on.
"Big Mac got veggies in em'! Eat my ass you tree hugging hippies!" - Joe Walmart
FDA Hitting long term goals in 8 charts!
The Healthy At Any Size movement also has some blame. No, sorry lady, being 100 pounds overweight cannot be healthy.
Yup,
There have been a coupe recent studies that fit and overweight is WORSE than thin and no exercise.
Being fat is still being fat, and being "in shape" is not a substitute.
Yup. I could not bear to watch that crappy Mike and Molly sitcom. They're both horrifically unhealthy.
Yes fat shaming needs to take a central role in our society. Here in Thailand you just call someone a fat fvck without thinking twice. Most people here are still skinny.
the difference in thailand is the person you called fat would probably laugh at themselves. in the usa, they might punch you or crumble into tears. americans don't like to be faced with their own reality.
Lived in Jamaica last year.
Ate local. Organically.
Lost 40 pounds.
Moved back here.
Began eating like an 'Merican again (big mistake).
Gained it right back.
Organic food here is fucking expensive, and I do not have land to grow anything.
The sugar Americans consume is awful. The shit is injected into everything.
Eat less, mostly vegitables. If you dont get much bright sunlight, take a 5000 Vitamin D daily.
Halloween candy corn is a vegitable, right?
So is carrot cake. Must have 10 servings of this veggie daily.
To get the health benefits you need to eat the whole thing, not refined candy corn which is only includes the white tip.
Triggered!
It's not about "organic". It's about the TYPE of food you eat.
BTW, organic is NOT pesticide free. Tell me, if you sprayed your food with a can of RAID, would it still be organic? YES. The pesticide in RAID is pyrethrin, a CERTIFIED ORGANIC pesticide.
The ONLY thing I believe in all these stats is that we need less SUGAR in our diets.