By Julia Havey
 This is a GREAT poll from Forbes:
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Why are Americans so fat?
 Doctors focused on limiting fat and cholesterol rather than carbohydrates.(2 %)
Cars. People drive too much and exercise too little.(11 %)
We’re addicted to fast food.(14 %)
Anti-obesity drugs just aren’t effective enough.(0 %)
Americans work too much, grabbing their meals on the run.(8 %)
Restaurant portions are too big.(3 %)
Healthy food is too expensive, while unhealthy food is very cheap.(11 %)
Television, the Internet and video games keep children from exercising.(12 %)
People lack self-discipline.(34 %)
We’re not really fat. It’s just the media telling us we are.(1 %)
I don’t know.(1 %)
None of the above.(3 %)
I have long been declaring fast food and sedentary lives (too much TV) as a BIG part of the obesity problem. The only category missing from this poll is soft drink consumption! As for the 34% that think we lack self-discipline, they couldn’t be more wrong! We just think that going “on” a diet for a short term is going to solve the problem. To solve the problem we must actually change a few of our most unhealthy habits for ever! And that takes a lot LESS discipline than you might think!
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Which one would have you voted for? I would have had to go with the majority and answer people lack self-discipline. At least that is my case. It is a see-saw for me. Determination and then abandonment. Working my way to freedom. How about you?
February 27th, 2006 at 6:04 am
[Healthy food is too expensive, while unhealthy food is very cheap.(11 %) ]
I could see a couple of reasons I’ld like to pick…but in my area - at this time of year this would be my pick…When I can but a frozen pizza and feed my family for $3.00 it gets tougher to look at chicken for $2.00 plus a salad $2.00 [prepackaged and there is no tomatoes, cukes, carrots, peppers, or anything else added], and if I want a fresh vegtable…asparagus is $2.00…..that makes a small but fresh dinner costing $6.00…….I could spend the $2.00 for chicken…$1.00 for canned asparagus [or .50 cents for canned beans], but the salad is still $2.00 with nothing added…and that total would be $5.00 ..[ $4.50]…frozen pizza is still cheaper….fresh foods for a week would be out of my budget…it is hard to eat healthy as a family…not quite as bad if only for one, and I still have the same income. If my income dropped like it would if I was retired….even for 1 would be expensive. I agree our discipline, lack of ‘chores’/exercise and easier access to fast foods is also a problem…
February 27th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
You are right, Angelic. Food is the very first place we cut back in with our expenses. Many things I just will not buy because of price. We still eat well—just too much.
February 27th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
After I wrote this, I remembered one time when I took a suggested eating plan, to lose 1-2 pounds a week, and wrote out the shopping list, then the prices next to the items… This was a couple of years ago, the cost of the one week that I just figured costs was over $100.00…like I said, that was a couple of weeks ago…I was only spending $40.00 - $50.00 under normal shopping days.
February 28th, 2006 at 2:55 am
So true about following a plan. Some recipes are simply too expensive and I won’t make them. I also see 2 weight loss programs on TV that send you your food for the month. Definitely not in my budget although that would be nice. The solution has always been for me to calorie count.