I spend much of the day with my cousins who are visiting from Scotland (my cousin, her husband, and their two teenage children). While "we girls" were walking around the mall so that my "niece" could get some trendy clothes to take back home, my cousin and I talked about a number of the differences between Scotland and the States. One of the biggest that she had noticed was the lack of physical activity in the US as compared to her home.
As a sweeping generalization, it's very difficult to walk or bicycle anywhere. On top of that, the lack of accessible and convenient public transportation (especially outside of major cities) leaves many people dependent on cars to get everywhere. In comparison, most children in her village (yes, village not town or city) walk or bicycle to school. Her husband even rides his bike the 7 miles to work and back each day. Even if I wanted to ride a bike to work, there's no way I could safely do so with the roads and highways I'd have to navigate.
Another difference was the availability of food. She commented on the portion sizes being served at restaurants, that they were much larger here. And I got the impression that the selection of food (like on the menu at the Chinese restaurant) was much larger as well. They have definitely been eating well while on their vacation, being self-described piggies, but also seemed overwhelmed by all the food options before them.
I don't remember the specific statistics quoted in "Super Size Me" but there was something about America being the most obese first-world nation in the world. I did a quick check and there were a couple of different pieces of information. One site says that as of 2008 the US is third behind American Samoa and Kiribati. However another site says that the US is first in obesity and that over two-thirds of the population is overweight.
I definitely think there's something to American society that fosters a lifestyle that encourages (and maybe even rewards) obesity. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that particular behaviors and choices are encouraged/rewarded and these behaviors and choices also foster obesity. So not that obesity is directly encouraged but that certain priorities and values are reinforced, feeding into the American weight crisis. While many of these are sweeping generalizations and likely based on stereotypes, here are a few things that come to mind:
For example, people are often on-the-go, running from one thing to the next, often without a moment to spare. To stay on this tight schedule, they need to have things convenient to them and ready to go. Cue the drive-thru, the Lunchables, and whatever other pre-packaged, ready-made food options you can think of. (I'm guilty of this too, with the Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones meals instead of taking the time to actually cook a meal myself.)
Then there are the meals themselves - over the past decades there's been a documented decline in the quality of ingredients used in preparing restaurant meals and a dramatic increase in the serving size. People want to get their money's worth at a restaurant and this is often equated with the mass of the food on the plate.
Don't forget the "Protestant work ethic" - Americans work longer hours and get/take less vacation than any other first-world nation, but this is also associated with poorer health and less life satisfaction. People often compromise their own well-being for the demands of their jobs. So when does a person have time to exercise or prepare quality meals within this demanding schedule?
With regard to the "quick fix" you only have to tune into a few infomercials for the latest pill or exercise equipment that promises that you'll lose inches effortlessly simply by doing .... If it was that easy, don't you think doctors would be recommending it? That there'd be an end to obesity if it really was THAT simple.
Lastly, I think that the scape-goating is more my feeling irritated with the litigious society that we're living in. I definitely believe that there are systems in place that make it difficult to make healthy choices. For example, accessing healthier foods in a poverty-stricken urban setting is much more difficult than getting the same foods in a wealthy suburban neighborhood. And commuting for several hours a day or working two or more jobs means there isn't time to exercise, and that's before we discuss having access to a space where one can actually exercise. When schools cut their after-school sports and their gym classes, they're taking away opportunities for children to learn how to be fit, as well as the environment where they can do so easily and safely. Despite all this, however, I find myself getting annoyed when these extreme lawsuits are brought up against big corporations. This isn't to say that the cases don't have merit, I just feel as though they remove the individual's choices from the equation. (And this is probably a legal move more than anything.) I'm reminded of the woman who sued McDonald's because she was burned by her hot coffee. Yes, there was probably something wrong with the lid, the way the coffee was handed over to her, and the temperature of the coffee, but coffee is meant to be hot and I would expect one to be careful/cautious in anticipation of hot coffee.
Okay, I'm done for the day. As long as we don't end up like the people in WALL-E....
Food Log:
As a sweeping generalization, it's very difficult to walk or bicycle anywhere. On top of that, the lack of accessible and convenient public transportation (especially outside of major cities) leaves many people dependent on cars to get everywhere. In comparison, most children in her village (yes, village not town or city) walk or bicycle to school. Her husband even rides his bike the 7 miles to work and back each day. Even if I wanted to ride a bike to work, there's no way I could safely do so with the roads and highways I'd have to navigate.
Another difference was the availability of food. She commented on the portion sizes being served at restaurants, that they were much larger here. And I got the impression that the selection of food (like on the menu at the Chinese restaurant) was much larger as well. They have definitely been eating well while on their vacation, being self-described piggies, but also seemed overwhelmed by all the food options before them.
I don't remember the specific statistics quoted in "Super Size Me" but there was something about America being the most obese first-world nation in the world. I did a quick check and there were a couple of different pieces of information. One site says that as of 2008 the US is third behind American Samoa and Kiribati. However another site says that the US is first in obesity and that over two-thirds of the population is overweight.
I definitely think there's something to American society that fosters a lifestyle that encourages (and maybe even rewards) obesity. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that particular behaviors and choices are encouraged/rewarded and these behaviors and choices also foster obesity. So not that obesity is directly encouraged but that certain priorities and values are reinforced, feeding into the American weight crisis. While many of these are sweeping generalizations and likely based on stereotypes, here are a few things that come to mind:
- Convenience
- Quantity over Quality - More is always better, right? Go big or go home!
- Longer work hours leaving less time for family, recreation, and fitness
- Quick Fix - looking for a pill or a shake or a surgery to remedy the situation rather than consistent, persistent, diligent efforts over a longer period of time
- Scape-Goating - externalizing responsibility for situations rather than looking at individual choices and actions for which the individual can take ownership.
For example, people are often on-the-go, running from one thing to the next, often without a moment to spare. To stay on this tight schedule, they need to have things convenient to them and ready to go. Cue the drive-thru, the Lunchables, and whatever other pre-packaged, ready-made food options you can think of. (I'm guilty of this too, with the Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones meals instead of taking the time to actually cook a meal myself.)
Then there are the meals themselves - over the past decades there's been a documented decline in the quality of ingredients used in preparing restaurant meals and a dramatic increase in the serving size. People want to get their money's worth at a restaurant and this is often equated with the mass of the food on the plate.
Don't forget the "Protestant work ethic" - Americans work longer hours and get/take less vacation than any other first-world nation, but this is also associated with poorer health and less life satisfaction. People often compromise their own well-being for the demands of their jobs. So when does a person have time to exercise or prepare quality meals within this demanding schedule?
With regard to the "quick fix" you only have to tune into a few infomercials for the latest pill or exercise equipment that promises that you'll lose inches effortlessly simply by doing .... If it was that easy, don't you think doctors would be recommending it? That there'd be an end to obesity if it really was THAT simple.
Lastly, I think that the scape-goating is more my feeling irritated with the litigious society that we're living in. I definitely believe that there are systems in place that make it difficult to make healthy choices. For example, accessing healthier foods in a poverty-stricken urban setting is much more difficult than getting the same foods in a wealthy suburban neighborhood. And commuting for several hours a day or working two or more jobs means there isn't time to exercise, and that's before we discuss having access to a space where one can actually exercise. When schools cut their after-school sports and their gym classes, they're taking away opportunities for children to learn how to be fit, as well as the environment where they can do so easily and safely. Despite all this, however, I find myself getting annoyed when these extreme lawsuits are brought up against big corporations. This isn't to say that the cases don't have merit, I just feel as though they remove the individual's choices from the equation. (And this is probably a legal move more than anything.) I'm reminded of the woman who sued McDonald's because she was burned by her hot coffee. Yes, there was probably something wrong with the lid, the way the coffee was handed over to her, and the temperature of the coffee, but coffee is meant to be hot and I would expect one to be careful/cautious in anticipation of hot coffee.
Okay, I'm done for the day. As long as we don't end up like the people in WALL-E....
Food Log:
- Meal 1
- 3 egg whites
- 50g dry cream of rice (cooked in water)
- Meal 2 - Ate this cold which was quite refreshing given how blasted hot it was today!
- 3 oz chicken
- Green beans
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Meal 3
- 0% flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Meal 4 - CHEAT
- Black bean veggie burger with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onion (no cheese or fries)
- FUNNEL CAKE!
- Meal 5 - SKIPPED (Trainer had said that cheat meal takes the place of last two meals of the day)
Weigh-In: 145.8 / 145.6
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