Why the fat guy should lose his privilege

[ty]

Why the fat guy should lose his privilege

Read more: www.salon.com/news/2011/04/29/fat_guy_privileges

"In our culture, male obesity is considered innocuous -- or even beneficial. But when it comes to women ...

Obesity is a national health crisis ... If current trends continue, it will soon surpass smoking in the U.S. as the biggest single factor in early death, reduced quality of life and added health care costs ... Obesity is responsible for more than 160,000 excess deaths a year ... The average obese person costs society more than $7,000 a year in lost productivity and added medical treatment." — Scientific American, January 2011

Considering those troubling statistics, Advertising Age's headline this week is welcome news: "Weight Watchers Picks a New Target: Men." The story details how the nation's biggest diet company is using the NBA playoffs to launch its first male-focused advertising campaign. Sounds great -- except for one thing: Why only now?"

[safeharbor37]

Harvard University, for instance, found that 55 percent of Major League Baseball players are overweight, while the University of North Carolina found that 56 percent of National Football League players are obese.

I wonder how much the Federal Grant was that yielded that gem. Click on the TV and watch all the fat baseball players.
I'll grant that 300 pound linemen are probably "overweight," but I wonder about the alternative. You can ask Dwayne Johnson how he fared against Warren Sapp [by Harvard/Salon standards Dwayne Johnson is probably considered "overweight."].
Based on this article I'd conclude that Salon is written by simpletons for simpletons.

[Deleted]

He will lose his privilege under Obama care. He will live to 122 yo but his money will live until he's 82. ;D

[Deleted]

How odd that the Kaiser Family Foundation had to tell us Americans are fat. Why, just the other day I noticed on TV that the Brits look trim and fit, for the most part, and I'm just a cab driver.........

[Shirina]

Every so often, the media needs a "thing" to latch on to. It's just another form of propaganda where all of the sudden, there's a fitness craze because everyone is now fat. Now most of the ads out there show people being unrealistically active.

But at least from what I've seen, I don't see that many fat people, especially among the young (college age). There just aren't that many people waddling to their classes.

What happens though is that, with all the attention focused on people who are morbidly obese, they stand out in our minds. We'll definitely remember the 5 or 6 people we saw that were massive, but we'll forget about the hundreds of people we saw who were within an acceptable weight. Now it seems like everyone is fat!

And the statistics are misleading. There is a rather precise measurement to determine if you're overweight, and statistically, if you're so much as a percentage point over your index, you can be included in the "overweight" category. Does this mean you weigh 500 pounds and inhale Big Macs for dinner every night? No. But that's the impression it lends.

[Deleted]

I have DEFINITELY noticed an abundance of fat people in Tucson, but we have a very large welfare class. From the people I see they seem to be poor. As I have noticed the food prices rising for years I have often thought that people on food stamps can't afford healthy food. Either that or they don't know how to eat healthy because no one taught them. I have had many problems providing healthy food for my kids over the years, even though I worked and had money-- just not enough, but my Mom raised us with healthy food, so I know how to eat skinny.
I always used to wonder how poor people could be fat, but I think I get it now. I think food stamps should be more like WIC, which allows only good foods because it is geared to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Makes sense to me. Here in Tucson you can now order and pay for Dominos pizza with your food stamp card.

[ty]

May 1, 2011 16:59:21 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

I have DEFINITELY noticed an abundance of fat people in Tucson, but we have a very large welfare class. From the people I see they seem to be poor. As I have noticed the food prices rising for years I have often thought that people on food stamps can't afford healthy food. Either that or they don't know how to eat healthy because no one taught them. I have had many problems providing healthy food for my kids over the years, even though I worked and had money-- just not enough, but my Mom raised us with healthy food, so I know how to eat skinny.
I always used to wonder how poor people could be fat, but I think I get it now. I think food stamps should be more like WIC, which allows only good foods because it is geared to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Makes sense to me. Here in Tucson you can now order and pay for Dominos pizza with your food stamp card.

[Shirina]

I think food stamps should be more like WIC, which allows only good foods because it is geared to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Makes sense to me. Here in Tucson you can now order and pay for Dominos pizza with your food stamp card.

People should be allowed to eat what they want to eat, whether they're on food stamps or not. If you don't want government on your back or you don't want to live in a nanny state, then the poor have to be free from it, as well. Freedom isn't a privilege of the wealthy.

If you're going to subject poor people to a diet regimen, then why shouldn't everyone be forced into it?

The argument about it being "other people's tax dollars and therefore they should have say" doesn't work, either.

The reason is because the American people do not get to micromanage any other aspect of how tax money is spent. With the defense budget, for instance, the people do not get to tell the armed forces how many M-16 rifles to buy or whether to build that new aircraft carrier, so telling people what they can eat is unfair.

[Deleted]

Sure, shirina, but I disagree. People on gov't money for any reason are already under gov't control. Housing-- no roommates or visitors for more than a week or two. Medical- restrictions on income, report all changes.. Food stamps-- restrictions on income, report all changes. Prison-- good luck with that one. Fact is that people who receive gov't money, aside from military, retirement, and SSI (restrictions on SSDI) are already subject to things people not on assistance are not.
Considering the medical issues that arise from obesity and poor diet, also in this case paid by tax payer monies, and the fact that they are ALREADY subject to gov't restrictions I see no reason to not keep food stamp people from feeding their kids ding dongs and kool-aid for breakfast. That's why I stay way from gov't programs. I HATE being told what to do.

[steff]

This message has been deleted.

[Deleted]

I'm looking forward to the day when the big gov. grocery truck drops off my allotment. Saves me the trouble of "what's for dinner"

[Deleted]

Welfare people are already under gov't control.

[Shirina]

Welfare people are already under gov't control.

In for an inch, in for a mile, then?

[Deleted]

I don't have that huge an opinion on this, shirina, just a thought. I just know the healthy food provided by WIC is a lot better than what I see some people using their food stamp cards for at convenience stores. It is a gov't program administered by gov't, and it seems like it could be better worked to me. Plus-- cut the junk food at convenience stores, and maybe they could afford to buy more fruit, dairy, cereal, etc. It's just a thought.

[marshabar1]

No way you're not going to get fat eating mayonnaise sandwiches, yo!

[formerexpat]

You hate being told what to do, but you want the govt to tell someone else what to do.....you don't want the govt to interfer with your life, but you want them to interfer with others and tell them what to do....

it's like a loopy loop circle logic....

Maybe my parents were the only ones that said "while you live under my roof, you will follow my rules"?

Same goes with those on the government dole. While you are living off the governments tit, you do not get [or should not get] to buy an endless supply donuts and bon bons, leading to your overweight self sucking the government health care system [and private system since it partially subsidizes government care] dry.

[vonnie6200]

May 1, 2011 19:58:54 GMT -5 formerexpat said:

You hate being told what to do, but you want the govt to tell someone else what to do.....you don't want the govt to interfer with your life, but you want them to interfer with others and tell them what to do....

it's like a loopy loop circle logic....

Maybe my parents were the only ones that said "while you live under my roof, you will follow my rules"?

Same goes with those on the government dole. While you are living off the governments tit, you do not get [or should not get] to buy an endless supply donuts and bon bons, leading to your overweight self sucking the government health care system [and private system since it partially subsidizes government care] dry.

[Deleted]

I've eaten so much Ramen in my life..........totally worthless food. Nutritional value 000000 straight down the line..

[marshabar1]

Gumint otta jest make them titty babies come on down to the subsidy store! Oh wait. . .

[Shirina]

So in other words, you want the government off YOUR back but if the government is micromanaging someone else, well, that's different!

I just can't get over how some people think freedom only applies to them.

[Deleted]

Until I am forced to accept Obamacare and be under gov't control against my will, I am a free American. I can choose my own food.

[ed1066]

May 1, 2011 20:03:48 GMT -5 @marshabar1 said:

Gumint otta jest make them titty babies come on down to the subsidy store! Oh wait. . .

Awesome!

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

So in other words, you want the government off YOUR back but if the government is micromanaging someone else, well, that's different!

I just can't get over how some people think freedom only applies to them.

Just the way it was when I was growing up. When I was living on my parent's dime, I had to follow their rules. If I didn't like it, I could support myself.

Why should those who are at the government teat be treated any differently? Don't like it? Don't accept it then!

[Angel!]

May 1, 2011 20:03:16 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

I've eaten so much Ramen in my life..........totally worthless food. Nutritional value 000000 straight down the line..

They aren't that bad other than the amount of sodium. Not a lot of nutritional value, but they aren't really too unhealthy either. A lot better than pretty much anything you will get from a fast food place & better than a lot of the sugary crap that people eat.

[Deleted]

Filling, too!
;D

[marshabar1]

Krickitt, I love to take the ramen that comes in a bowl, the spicy kind, bring water to boil in a pan then add spice and noodles broken up a little. You probably use a little more water than you would if making it in the bowl. When noodles soften a little turn down to slow simmer, make a couple little indentations in the noodles and carefully add a couple raw eggs to poach. Cover and cook until the eggs are set but yolks still soft. Add bean sprouts, scallion, shredded carrot, whatever you like, tofu. . . Shared with a friend it's only half the sodium.. ;D (Still WAY too much, but I love it so much!!!!)

This kind.

[Deleted]

HI, Marsha!! Missed you this morning!! I love the bowl ramen, and that recipe sounds really good. I'm pretty good at taking something with not much going for it, rummaging in the fridge, and actually turning it in to real food!!!
;D

[ed1066]

Actually when it comes to noodle cups, if you just drain off some of the broth after you cook them, that's most of the sodium right there. I have these for lunch at work sometimes, and I just drain about half the broth, then replace it with hot water. Otherwise they are just too salty...

[ty]

May 2, 2011 14:41:58 GMT -5 @ed1066 said:

Actually when it comes to noodle cups, if you just drain off some of the broth after you cook them, that's most of the sodium right there. I have these for lunch at work sometimes, and I just drain about half the broth, then replace it with hot water. Otherwise they are just too salty...

What I do with these ramen noodles is use just 1/4 of the season packet and add some hawt sauce to it, dice up a few veggees and nuke them all in the micowave.

[Deleted]

...and cheese.... YUM!!!