"That's why Americans are so fat."

[Slacker]

Every fad diet, weight loss trick, scientific nutrition plan, whatever, typically boils down to those two basic fundamentals — eat a bit less, move a bit more. Burn more calories than you take in. It's simple math.
Unfortunately, I've always sucked at math.

Maybe you could forage for insects in the woods.

 

[goalmouth]

 

[sgreenwell]

Every fad diet, weight loss trick, scientific nutrition plan, whatever, typically boils down to those two basic fundamentals — eat a bit less, move a bit more. Burn more calories than you take in. It's simple math.
Unfortunately, I've always sucked at math.

My issue has always been that I'd rather do pretty much anything than go on a solo run, or use a treadmill or exercise bike. Pre-pandemic, I had gotten in with a fun group of pick-up hoops players, but that group partially disbanded and partially tightened around the better players, so I'm stuck trying to get random games at the local park (almost always ****ty) or playing at the college I work at (I'm pretty much the only one older than 25). I'm probably the only guy looking forward to hitting 40, simply because I can get in the 40+ league around here, haha.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

During golf season, I walk (interspersed with swings) about 3 1/2-4 miles a day five-six days a week, which is pretty good for a septuagenarian. But then winter comes and I just don't find exercise options appealing. When it's not raining or snowing I walk maybe 1-1 1/2 miles a day before I get bored with the usual neighborhood scenery. So for the last month, I've been on a pre-holiday diet, as I know I won't really restrain myself between Thanksgiving and New Year's. No alcohol, no salty snacks (a big weakness), no appetizers or dessert on rare occasions we eat out. So far I've lost somewhere around 3-4 pounds. Still fat, but less fat.

 

[Cosmo]

Even with a cart, you can end up walking more than 10,000 steps playing golf. It's better exercise than people give it credit for. I walk a ton around my general area and use it as an excuse to listen to podcasts. Win win.

 

[Scout]

The Charles Barkley Diet - don’t put so much food in your damn mouth.

I’ve heard fast food but I’ve heard on here don’t get food at gas stations. So many American lives are so damn busy that this is where we eat due to time.

I get 10,000 steps in days I work. When I don’t work, I try my best to get these steps. The Apple Watch don’t lie.

We have money, food is easy to get and skinny children were a sign of a bad parent at one time.

 

[playthrough]

Even with a cart, you can end up walking more than 10,000 steps playing golf. It's better exercise than people give it credit for. I walk a ton around my general area and use it as an excuse to listen to podcasts. Win win.

I feel like I have to make an excuse for walking at my home course ("this is to make up for missing the gym") when I'm paired with guys in carts. And my place is flat and pretty cramped; you go from one green to the next tee with little effort. Yet so few guys walk. And "I want to golf and drink" isn't an excuse either, take a push cart and fill the basket with beer.

 

[Cosmo]

I actually prefer walking if the course allows for it. But there are a lot of places we play with big distances between holes that makes the cart almost a necessity.

We played a course for our volunteer appreciation day yesterday that I usually walk but took a cart because it was a shotgun and we had a lot of older folks in the event. I ended up walking between holes most times anyway.

 

[justgladtobehere]

The key is eating protein. It's less calorie dense and keeps you satiated longer. A plain yogurt or a high protein cereal like Go are better than eating any bread type food.

 

[Octave]

When you need to buy a new belt entirely it's a pretty good feeling. No existing holes will suffice. Elimination of bread, is right. That's the ticket.

 

[OscarMadison]

Good on ya!

In other news, I find myself wanting to pimpslap Neal Barnard and tell him I want a piece of toast.

 

[JC]

Well done.

 

[DanOregon]

Started taking a 10 minute nap instead of grabbing a snack during my last break at work. It makes a difference.

 

[WriteThinking]

The Charles Barkley Diet - don’t put so much food in your damn mouth.

I’ve heard fast food but I’ve heard on here don’t get food at gas stations. So many American lives are so damn busy that this is where we eat due to time.

I get 10,000 steps in days I work. When I don’t work, I try my best to get these steps. The Apple Watch don’t lie.

We have money, food is easy to get and skinny children were a sign of a bad parent at one time.

Now, fat children are, at least in my opinion.

Seriously, it is scary how fat kids -- even little kids -- are getting. I saw a kid, who looked like maybe a 4- or 5-year-old, who wanted to ride in a store cart while her mom was shopping. Kid could not climb in the cart, and mom tried to pick her up and lift her in. She could not do it. The cart almost fell over on top of both of them. Another time, a boy, who looked to be about 8, was the spitting image of his dad, in looks, and, unfortunately, his body shape and relative size, too. He had the same stocky build, which isn't so bad. But he also already had the same big, round, drooping, beer-belly stomach as dad, and looked like he might be lucky if he ever loses it, already. Another kid, whose family is a regular in the store, is about 11 or 12, and I've literally never seen him walk alongside the cart. He's always crammed into it, playing games on his phone while mom pushes him around. And that's exactly what he looks like he always does. Then, there's the little girl, maybe 5 or 6, with plump, dough-boy legs that make her waddle side-to-side with each step and breasts, developing already. It will not surprise me if that girl is menstruating by the time she's 7. (I know about this because I started relatively early -- although not that early -- myself).

These kids cannot possibly be able to run and play and exercise in the way that young, healthy people should be able to do, and I would not be surprised if their hearts, lungs and knees are already being taxed terribly by the weight they are carrying.

This is all so bad because weight issues do not get better or easier to handle as people get older; they almost always only get worse. Parents should be doing everything they can to keep their kids from having to deal with them for as long as is possible.

 

[Azrael]

Now, fat children are, at least in my opinion.

Seriously, it is scary how fat kids -- even little kids -- are getting. I saw a kid, who looked like maybe a 4- or 5-year-old, who wanted to ride in a store cart while her mom was shopping. Kid could not climb in the cart, and mom tried to pick her up and lift her in. She could not do it. The cart almost fell over on top of both of them. Another time, a boy, who looked to be about 8, was the spitting image of his dad, in looks, and, unfortunately, his body shape and relative size, too. He had the same stocky build, which isn't so bad. But he also already had the same big, round, drooping, beer-belly stomach as dad, and looked like he might be lucky if he ever loses it, already. Another kid, whose family is a regular in the store, is about 11 or 12, and I've literally never seen him walk alongside the cart. He's always crammed into it, playing games on his phone while mom pushes him around. And that's exactly what he looks like he always does. Then, there's the little girl, maybe 5 or 6, with plump, dough-boy legs that make her waddle side-to-side with each step and breasts, developing already. It will not surprise me if that girl is menstruating by the time she's 7. (I know about this because I started relatively early -- although not that early -- myself).

These kids cannot possibly be able to run and play and exercise in the way that young, healthy people should be able to do, and I would not be surprised if their hearts, lungs and knees are already being taxed terribly by the weight they are carrying.

This is all so bad because weight issues do not get better or easier to handle as people get older; they almost always only get worse. Parents should be doing everything they can to keep their kids from having to deal with them for as long as is possible.

Horny teens and the LSU gymnast

We need to get more kids more exercise more often.

This we might do by dismantling the hierarchical sports organizations adults build to plug their children into some sort of college scholarship fantasy.

Peewee travel teams are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

I think if we disorganized sports early, we'd get more kids getting more exercise and having more fun.

The more rigidly we organize and regiment sports, the more exclusionary they become.

"That's why Americans are so fat."

 

[MisterCreosote]

My son is plenty active. Loves rock climbing, basketball, bike riding, boxing, various track and field events, etc.

He’s still gained 30 pounds since last summer because of a medication he has to take.

 

[Azrael]

My son is plenty active. Loves rock climbing, basketball, bike riding, boxing, various track and field events, etc.

He’s still gained 30 pounds since last summer because of a medication he has to take.

Glad he's active, and hope he's off that medication soon.

But I think the general trend in weight gain among US children is pretty well documented, even with allowances for how we define 'overweight' or 'obese.'

https://thehill.com/changing-americ...e-us-children-becoming-obese-at-younger-ages/

More than half of U.S. children will have obesity as adults if current trends continue | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

 

[MisterCreosote]

Glad he's active, and hope he's off that medication soon.

But I think the general trend in weight gain among US children is pretty well documented, even with allowances for how we define 'overweight' or 'obese.'

https://thehill.com/changing-americ...e-us-children-becoming-obese-at-younger-ages/

More than half of U.S. children will have obesity as adults if current trends continue | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

No doubt where we’re trending, but in my experience, it doesn’t take much prodding to get kids out and about.

Part of my sample is self-selecting, being a youth sports coach, but I’m also involved in cub scouts and those kids never stop moving once you get them out in the wilderness.

Physical exercise is great for kids even if it doesn’t result in weight loss.

I’m at a loss as to why moving the needle on this is so hard.

 

[OscarMadison]

It will not surprise me if that girl is menstruating by the time she's 7. (I know about this because I started relatively early -- although not that early -- myself).

Academic writing about early-onset menarche by clinicians who specialize in pediatric medicine was already filtering into popular media in the mid to late 90s. Diet was seen as a key factor.

No doubt where we’re trending, but in my experience, it doesn’t take much prodding to get kids out and about.

Really depends on the child, the environment, and a lot of other things. My street used to be a hive of activity after school and during breaks. Now there is much less evidence children live here than there was a decade or two before.

 

[sgreenwell]

I’m at a loss as to why moving the needle on this is so hard.

The family factors on this are probably a huge impediment. Both my wife and I come from families where a handful of Cheez-Its, or dipping some Wheat Thins into cream cheese, were the "healthy" snacks as compared to eating potato chips. Processed food is still huge in this country. And while I'm not saying everyone needs to be on an all-organic diet 100 percent of the time, the availability and cheapness of that kind of food makes it ever-present. When my parents stayed the week, they had remarks for all the "fancy" food in our cupboard, which basically amounted to more basic grains (rice, quinoa) and things like Whisps instead of Ritz.

The other thing, well, eating healthier does take more time than not, excluding stuff like a salad. Cooking or meal prep for a week takes more time and equipment than just grabbing fast food. Making a lentil stew is a bit more complicated than boiling a box of pasta with some jarred sauce. Plenty of families don't have the luxury of time or the energy after an exhausting job to do either.