Fat Americans.

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Its the car culture. If you have a walk, cycle or even public transport culture people simply cannot only walk 200 yards in a day. Do the ten minute walk to the bus/ tube/ train station, do the five min walk at the other end. Hay you are walking a couple of miles every day. Then walk to the shop, five mins each way - and on the way back carring all that crap you are going to stuff yourself with? See in a normal day thats the equivalent of a half hour gym session! Not only is it free, it actually makes you money! Woot!

Car culture is bad mmkay?

This idea is a good one, I agree. However, it isn't as applicable in the US as it is in the UK or Europe (isn't it funny how we distinguish between the two?). Things are farther apart in the US; unless you live in a CITY city, like New York or Boston, you really can't walk anywhere of consequence. For example, it's a good mile walk to the CLOSEST stores, and, if I were to walk to college, it would take *quick mental math* three and a half hours both ways.
I do advocate such anti-car sentinments in the cities, but in the country (which most of America is) it's just not practical.
If I were to move to Europe, though, I would most likely sell my car and invest in a bike.

 

[Xanikk999]

This idea is a good one, I agree. However, it isn't as applicable in the US as it is in the UK or Europe (isn't it funny how we distinguish between the two?). Things are farther apart in the US; unless you live in a CITY city, like New York or Boston, you really can't walk anywhere of consequence. For example, it's a good mile walk to the CLOSEST stores, and, if I were to walk to college, it would take *quick mental math* three and a half hours both ways.
I do advocate such anti-car sentinments in the cities, but in the country (which most of America is) it's just not practical.
If I were to move to Europe, though, I would most likely sell my car and invest in a bike.

Definitly. Hell if im walking 3 miles to class and back carrying a book bag and other crap. And not to mention work.

 

[Whomp]

Transfats, cars, exercise (ever seen a fat marathon runner?).

My fiancee' teaches in the inner city and you'd be stunned what these kids eat. Pretty sad.

 

[Yuri2356]

If they want to loose weight, they just need to hit an old Gypsy woman with their car.

 

[GinandTonic]

I used to cycle two and a half miles each way to college every day. Admittedly I would cry off when the weather was awful or I was ill or what have you. I did three weeks doing physical work and cycled twelve miles each way a year or so ago. Man thursday of the first week I stopped for a pint about three miles shy of home and honestly didnt know if I was going to make it, but it was the middle of the country so almost no taxies (and no cashpoint anyway).

Three miles is fine, so long as you have a way to cry-off occasionally.

 

[Xanikk999]

I used to cycle two and a half miles each way to college every day. Admittedly I would cry off when the weather was awful or I was ill or what have you. I did three weeks doing physical work and cycled twelve miles each way a year or so ago. Man thursday of the first week I stopped for a pint about three miles shy of home and honestly didnt know if I was going to make it, but it was the middle of the country so almost no taxies (and no cashpoint anyway).

Three miles is fine, so long as you have a way to cry-off occasionally.

Sorry i dont follow what you mean by "Cry-off". Is that a british term? I have never heard that here in the states.

 

[GinandTonic]

Cry-off. To cancel something. "Jonny cant make football this week. He's cried-off saying he's done his knee in at work".

 

[Xanikk999]

Bike riding or walking everywhere would take too much time.

And it would not work if i went to the grocery store, i could not carry all my grocieries home before the perishables melted/spoiled.

 

[Narz]

There are a variety of factors as many motavations as there are people.

One of the main ones is a lack of personal responsibility. There is the idea that it is the doctor's idea to take care of your health for you and that if you get a disease (due to lifestyle) you can always take a drug to fix it.

Like in those dumbass ads where some "normal male" (the image the ant-acid companies want you to believe in) scarfs down a pound of pork ribs and then gets heartburn (and then gets a stupid confused expression on his face). Then the jingle comes on and his brother or wife gives him the medication. God forbid he just eat half as much or something different altogether with a salad on the side. As if bandaids are an excuse to keep slashing your wrists daily.

I have compassion for people (as no one is perfect in regards to self-discipline), the culture of sedentary work and cars makes it difficult but not impossible.

If everyone biked to work not only would they save hundreds (probably thousands) of dollars a year, they'd also be significantly fitter.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

I'm not fat.. but I'm sure as heck not healthy. I binge eat merely to fill that special void I've been neglecting for studying too much. In addition, I tend to add a glaze coating over that void with virulent coffee.

Secondly, biking? Dude, my parents work an hour and two hours away from their home in central New Jersey respectively. It isn't always as simple as "walk to work". Sometimes people are just too tired at the end of the day from commuting and working to give a damn about exercising.

I agree with the self-discipline though, which is something a lot of young people should adhere too..

 

[Bluemofia]

Most people walk less than 200 yards every day, this is a big reason. America is becoming too convieant.

I walk about that much in an hour of a school day... They seem to position all of our classes on opposite ends of the building so we have to trek back and forth.

And speaking of weight, I'm at 105 and dropping, (at 6'7" or so) and I am relitivly healthy. I eat my vegeatables. I exercise by hauling 20 lbs of books and papers around daily for 7 hours a day. I don't do drugs or be stupid.

 

[Irish Caesar]

And speaking of weight, I'm at 105 and dropping, (at 6'7" or so) and I am relitivly healthy.

Um, you should really try and do something about that. That's not healthy.

 

[Bluemofia]

Um, you should really try and do something about that. That's not healthy.

I know that. But I eat a lot (or used to). Now I'm just depressed about school, so I'm too lazy to eat at school. (might be a good thing for my health though. Less fatty foods.)

 

[Stolen Rutters]

I feel fat. What to do?

Fifteen minute walk to the grocery store, a half hour walk to downtown where the pizza and the bars can be had. I'm thinking of investing in a bike now. Work is 15 miles away (half hour commute), though, so the car won't be replaced. That's more than a full marathon distance every single day. We don't have busses or public transport where I live (none at all between home and work).

 

[ArneHD]

Obisety has only recently become a problem in Norway, although I don't think the problem is that widesperead. I myself weigh about 100kg and I'm about 1.90m high so I proably ought to lose some weight.

Anyway, Norway has a culture of walking and sking, so were relativly healthy.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I read last winter that Mexico's set to overtake the US in lardassery - anyone know how that's going?

 

[Swedishguy]

Here's a tip that works with nearly any addiction: Stop eating so much!

 

[Blazer6]

When I started lifting weights, I always did a couple reps each hour for weeks despite pain and it worked much better than spending 30 minute sessions over several hours.
I think I will try that on the treadmill to lose the excess fat that lingered.

 

[spankey]

Well my typical schedule has me up before 5:30 am, communting to work 45 minutes one way, working until 5:00 or 6:00pm, commuting 45 minutes the other way, and then trying to catch up with my kids before they go to bed around 8:30 or so PM. If I want to spend any time with my family, there is no time to work out during the weekdays.

Those people who advocate bicycling or walking to work probably live in the city, have no kids or are involved in a very flexible job. Some of us do not.

Maybe you kiddies should stay away from manufacturing careers.....

 

[Masquerouge]

I would also suggest really bad eating habits. I'm not talking about fad foods, but eating habits, like snacking.
I see a lot of American CONSTANTLY eating. All day long. That's not healthy.
If you restrict yourself to three meals a day, you'll see improvements.
Yes, that means no pop-corn during the movie. No Mars bar at 10:00AM. No candies during the afternoon.
But alas I fear this habit is ingrained in the way kids are raised. I was shocked to see a little baby in his troller having a huge bag of cereals for him to pick and eat. When you're raised into an "instant gratification" frame of mind, it's really hard to get out of it.