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HEALTH

Wealth and Waistlines

A new book explains how the obesity epidemic has been shaped by economics, and what we can do to reverse the trend.

By Jennifer Barrett | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 28, 2007 | Updated: 1:12  p.m. ET Dec 28, 2007

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  • Posted By: Cathexis @ 01/18/2008 2:03:43 PM

    Comment: Also, the speaker states: "In order to be a cost-saving program, employees would have to lose enough weight, keep it off long enough and stay with the company long enough so that the reduction in health-related costs would be borne by the company. In reality, people change jobs every five years on average, so these programs are unlikely to pay off for most firms. "

    Let me ask ... when a person leaves one company, where do they go?

    I'll go out on a limb and guess "to another company." With a closed system like that, if you could get consensus from all companies, then when they hired a person who left another company, they'd gain the benefits of the fitness program used.

    If they don't gain such a consensus, then companies with fitness programs merely subsidize those companies who hire thos eemployees, later.

  • Posted By: Cathexis @ 01/18/2008 1:59:44 PM

    Comment: I suggest that it may be overly simplistic to generally correlate "overweight" with "wealth/ economic standing." While that may well be a factor in SOME cases, remember that the cheapest foods tend to be nutrionally deficient and calorie dense, contributing to the obesity occurrences among the lower socio-economic rungs (of otherwise industrialized countries).

    • Posted By: health_guru1 @ 01/18/2008 15:48:58

      Comment: You are right. Actually, that is exactly the point the author made in his famous article published on May 13, 2003, "National Medical Spending Attributable to Overweight and Obesity. How much, and Who's Paying." It seems to me that Dr. Finkelstein just reversed himself now, calling obesity a necessary result of prosperity.

      People in all kind of socio-economic classes can be fat, and they have all kind of excuses. No time. No money. Too much travel and eating out. No car to drive to good grocery stores. No side walks, etc. But the truth is unhealthy life style appeals to our nature, and the only way to like vegetables and exercise is by discipline. However, generally speaking, people of higher income are less likely to be fat, because they have good education, which requires disciplines and the ability to make good choices. They tend to have more resistence to immediate gratification.

      Dr. Finkelstein's idea that since we have technology to treat all the obesity-caused problem, we should just let everyone be happy and fat. I agree that people have the right to choose their own life style. But I certainly don't like to pay for their consequence. At a time when our health care is bankrupting our country, this book appeals to the lowest common denominator, and sends out the wrong message to a mass already too good at finding excuses.

  • Posted By: mercyman88 @ 01/15/2008 8:19:35 AM

    Comment: A year ago I weighed 412 pounds, now I weigh 310 , its a process and you have to be in for the long haul.
    I didnt get this way over night, so I cant talk it off overnight.

    My Keys to weight loss,

    1. Stop drinking regular pop/soda averages 100 calories per 8 oz serving, put another way thats 20 minutes son the treadmill averageing 3mph to burn that off.

    2. Drink Water- no calories.

    3. WALKING - i WALK ON AVERAGE OF 2-4 MILES DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK, YES YOUR BODY NEEDS TIME TO REST .

    4. Watch less TV I got rid of mine at home and now only watch Tv when I walk at the Gym. Amazing how things like that go hand in hand.

    5. Set goals, take photos, and reward yourself.

    6. My Father died from heart disease in 2006 and I was on my way tobecomming a victim f it to unless I did something to reverse the trend. Well I have, and I will continue until I reach my weight goal.

  • Posted By: gorgeousgeorge @ 01/13/2008 1:46:09 PM

    Comment: You CANNOT tell a person's health just by looking at him. You CANNOT tell his personal habits simply by his appearance and you CANNOT tell how "virtuous" he is by his appearance, or what "choices" he is making. Let me make this very simple: Assuming an entire group of people behaves a particular way because of the behavior you've seen ONE person who belongs to that group exhibit, is BIGOTRY. (And very, very stupid). Assuming anyone holds a particular belief, or acts a certain way, or thinks a certain way, because of his appearance is BIGOTRY. When it comes to obesity, the "health" and "economic" theories are merely shields that lazy thinkers can conveniently hide their bigotry behind. And as to that, not all fat people are unhealthy, and just because they might seek medical care does NOT mean fat caused their particular ailment. Further, fat people pay both taxes and insurance. Even if you want to persist in the utterly wrongheaded belief that weight is always deadly and always the result of "choice," and from that standpoint, either deny healthcare or charge more for it, you would have to do the same thing across the board. That is, the government would have to begin policing EVERYONE for "lifestyle choices," and become the final arbiter between what is a "legitimate" illness and what is the result of "irresponsibility." If that prospect doesn't frighten you, it should.

    • Posted By: health_guru1 @ 01/18/2008 03:15:23

      Comment: You said "fat people are not always unhealthy". I don't know where you got this info. Statistics show they have a much higher rate for diabetes, hypertension, blocked artery, kidney problems, etc. Yes. Fat people pay taxes and premium. But they don't pay more than those healthy people, yet they use more health care. Let's face it, health insurance is a misnomer. It is not an insurance. We all try to be good drivers because accidents will raise our insurance premium. While medicare, medicaid or employer provided health 'insurance' charge everyone the same, regardless of his history or life style.

      No. I don't want the government to monitor us. It is impossible to determine if any illess is 'legitimate' or 'self inflicted'. But the current health insurance system is bankrupting the US. (This is not a surprise. One out of three Americans is obese. Can you imagine how much your home insurance will be if one out of three houses is burned down?) Unless people start taking responsibility for their own health, the US economy will go down the drain soon.

      I believe people should be free to make their own choice as long as they don't hurt others. If they want to eat, drink, watch TV, and get sick, it is their choice - at least they got some fun out of what they did. A life without fun is not worth of living. (I get my fun from healthy food and exercise. This is not because I have different genes. Rather, it is because I disciplined myself to get fun from my regiment.) But the society cannot spend unlimited amount of money to treat his illness caused by his obesity. I used to think I wanted to be an organ doner. Not any more, because there are just too many people who abuse their health. If there were unlimited supply of organs, probably 50% of our GNP would go to health care !!

  • Posted By: fat_police2 @ 01/11/2008 7:31:59 PM

    Comment: So fat people are happy. But what about the cost of health care to ALL of us?

    I cannot believe this book is from a health economist. He did not address the cost of health care at ALL

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 01/10/2008 3:34:08 PM

    Comment: Regarding my strict regimen, I should have noted I'm a competitive runner and need to be very light (5'8 115 lb). A lot of foods don't agree with me (like sugar), so it's easier for me to maintain. Plus, my job is outdoors and very physical--having endurance and being in shape is pretty much a job requirement. Running is my meditation, too. I agree that most people wouldn't be happy doing all this.
    Ifjourney, I'm glad to hear you're happy where you are. My only objection was that when people want better results they might have to push harder (some people want results without the work). If that's not possible, they'll have to learn to be happy where they're at. All just fine, as long as the person is really happy doing what they're doing. And there are genetic differences, too.

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 01/09/2008 8:25:38 PM

    Comment: re: ifjourney59
    If you're happy at 215, great. I wouldn't judge anyone who is really happy with themselves regardless of weight. But, if you can't get the scale to budge and want to lose more, I guarantee if you exercise a hard 1.5 hours a day and eat just 1200 calories, it will come off unless you have a medical reason.
    I run 7-9 miles every day and eat mostly vegetables and lentils to stay very thin. I work my tail off and it is not easy. I count every bite, every calorie. No sugar, no butter, no oil in anything (occasional peanut butter).
    You get used to it.

    • Posted By: lfjourney59 @ 01/10/2008 14:40:36

      Comment: skinny, thanks for your gracious answer. I am actually very happy with my life. I salute you for your endurance, but I don't think I'd be happy if I followed your regimen. Life is too short to spend it running and eating lentils. mrsd, I appreciate your comments. You seem like the kind of person who wouldn't insist chubby people starve and do hard labor just so they'll look like you. Skinny people everywhere...see what it takes for some of us to be thin? Unless you're willing to subject yourselves to the same, please give us some slack!

    • Posted By: mrsavizdrav @ 01/10/2008 13:48:56

      Comment: Count every bite, every calorie, run 7-9 miles a day? Isn't that a bit too much? If you are happy with a life like that, that's OK, but I'm afraid most of people can't follow such a strict diet regimen.
      I am a 5'6", 124 lbs, 37 years old woman. I almost never exercise and I don't count calories. But I watch what and how much I eat. I cook most of the meals for my family, from scratch. That has been a part of my "work-out" routine for every day since college. I work part-time, so I have enough time for everything. Of course, less work means less money earned, but how would I use the extra money? For eating out, for paying somebody to mow my lawn and do the housework, for a bigger home and bigger car (like this planet needs more pollution)...
      I think the key of being thin and healthy is in doing everything in moderation: a balanced diet, an active lifestyle, less stress over material things...

  • Posted By: lfjourney59 @ 01/08/2008 10:01:43 PM

    Comment: Thin people are not morally superior--they're biologically lucky. Some people are fat because they eat too much and don't exercise. Many of us, though, have tried everything and can't get it (or keep it) off. Those of you who have shared such harsh words, please don't make it even harder for us. I would recommend a book: Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata, the science writer for the New York Times. It will change the way you see overweight people.

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 01/08/2008 7:05:59 PM

    Comment: Oh come on.....healthy food isn't necessarily expensive. So don't get the alaskan salmon or the organic vegetables. Brown rice, lentils, fruit/vegetables in season are all reasonable. Even frozen vegetables are reasonable.
    And as far as walking environments, I knew a guy who'd walk the same four flights of stairs during lunch just to get his workout in. Where there's a will, there's a way.
    Stop with the excuses already.

  • Posted By: aopeeks @ 01/07/2008 1:47:05 PM

    Comment: Hey, I'd love to do all my shopping at Whole Foods and get really great, fresh, fresh, fresh organic food, free-range meats, Alaskan salmon, etc., but there's a reason they call it "Whole Paycheck". Good food is EXPENSIVE, not cheap. Walking is wonderful, healthful exercise, but so many people live in places where it's just not pleasant to walk--not safe, loud, dirty air, etc. Educating people on GOOD food and providing beautiful, relaxing environment to walk is the key.

    • Posted By: Bullsfan @ 01/18/2008 16:44:45

      Comment: excuses, excuses! so buy frozen veggies and fruit.... not expensive! neither are fresh bags of apples and bananas.
      and do some jumping jacks in your house. or do you not feel safe in there either?
      any other excuses you wanna throw out there? come on! I know you must have something better!

  • Posted By: rosenamj @ 01/06/2008 12:03:38 PM

    Comment: I disagree with this author's point of view - it's fatalistic. Exercising does not have take up that much time - just 30 minutes, 4 times a week at a fast walk is recommended. On top of that, center your food intake around fresh vegetables, drink a lot of water and voila, you are not overweight or obese. But people would have to learn to think/act outside the norm to do this, and most are patently uncomfortable doing that. Which sucks because unhealthy people cost a lot of money - preventable disease take up something like 80% of all health care costs. Would you rather spend that extra money on vegetables or on your health insurance premium?

  • Posted By: Bullsfan @ 01/03/2008 2:16:38 PM

    Comment: I'm going to be blunt here for one minute.....
    In MOST cases... people are fat, because they are poor, because they are lazy! You're probably on welfare or below the poverty line because you are lazy! Therefore, you can't afford the "expensive" healthy foods, and you are fat. I live on less than $10,000 per year, work, go to school, and I can afford healthy or at least decent foods. I am so tired of hearing that excuse! It is an excuse for lazy/ poor people. I'm sorry, but the two go hand in hand! Maybe if you had been raised right, you would have a job, take the time to make a cheap, healthy turkey sandwich for lunch instead of saying "oh, poor me, I work two jobs and don't have time to make a gourment healthy meal... let me just run through the half hour drive thu line at McDonalds." Seriously, for all of your "reasons" there is a reason why it is an excuse.

    • Posted By: health_guru1 @ 01/18/2008 03:27:07

      Comment: Some poor people are not necessarily lazy. They just lack disciplines and make stupid decisions. I agree with you. Healthy food is not always expensive. In Texas, huge ruby grapefruits in the winter and mangoes in the summer are often 33 cents. Greens are 95 cents a big bunch. Asparagus, snow peas and berries are expensive. But one does not have to eat them to be healthy.

      Most Americans buy packaged precut vegetables, which is terribly expensive. They can save a lot of money if they do their own washing and cutting.

  • Posted By: IslandNation @ 01/01/2008 11:46:31 PM

    Comment: I have relatives who wonder outloud why they are overweight (and I/others are not), while munching through a boox of cookies or the like.

    As I said to my mother when one particular person left the kitchen - try eating less and exercising more.

    I don't belong to a gym or play any competitive sports - I don't have the money, time, or interest. I do walk when / where I can, try not to eat (too much) junk food and eat at home with the family whenever possible. I try to stop eating when I'm full. It helps offset sitting on a chair 12 hours a day at work.

    I don't have anything resembling a washboard stomach and I've definitely put on weight slowly as I've gotten older (40+). Still, I'm healthier than most of my colleagues including those younger than me with lower counts of most bad things in my blood and all that.

    Eat less.

    Exercise more.

    Think about it.

  • Posted By: fotoking @ 01/01/2008 11:16:06 PM

    Comment: The safest bet on fat free and safe foods are but not 100% home grown or hunted. Heirloom vegetables, wild game and free range farm produce. Most urbanites do not have the time to raise vegetables or put in the time and effort to harvest free range game or gather the fruits produced from domestic farm animals. It is the lack of side walks, city centers, and the monsanto genetics that keep America obese.

  • Posted By: fotoking @ 01/01/2008 11:15:47 PM

    Comment: The safest bet on fat free and safe foods are but not 100% home grown or hunted. Heirloom vegetables, wild game and free range farm produce. Most urbanites do not have the time to raise vegetables or put in the time and effort to harvest free range game or gather the fruits produced from domestic farm animals. It is the lack of side walks, city centers, and the monsanto genetics that keep America obese.

  • Posted By: pochero @ 01/01/2008 11:12:43 PM

    Comment: Mr. Finkelstein seems to have ignored Japan and South Korea -- two countries with very advanced economies, where obesity doesn't seem to be a problem.

  • Posted By: phiomalibumalibu @ 01/01/2008 9:57:20 PM

    Comment: For simple diet tips regardless of how much money you have go to wonderrx.com

  • Posted By: chansonsmom @ 12/31/2007 9:12:41 PM

    Comment: Essentially this is a personal issue, and if one is not motivated to be healthy it won't happen regardless of the compelling reasons. The article mentioned shorter life span and health complications in the long run but did not stress the benefits of being healthy here and now. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle cause more than long-term disease. They cause chronic fatigue and problems like insomnia and musculoskeletal issues. This translates directly into a quality of life issue. The people who don't want to give up their high-paying salaries (an excuse at any rate) might be surprised to find their quality of life improve by taking care of their bodies, even with a cut in pay. This is altogether an issue of motivation, not economics. Someone motivated will find time to exercise even if s/he works 80 hours per week, and an unmotivated individual who is unemployed will not. Besides, there are lots of healthy alternatives to restarant trash, even at the fast-food level. It's time people take responsibility for themselves.

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 12/30/2007 9:32:35 AM

    Comment: Excluding the disabled, I've had it with the excuses from people.. It's really quite easy: Work out--or at least walk/move around a lot. Choose foods wisely, foods without empty calories and with nutritioinal value--the info in on most packaging (better yet, choose fresh).
    Yes, economy is a REASON for easily obtained, bad foods. It is not, however, an excuse for poor choices. If society wants to be fit, it will need to modify its behavior. If not, people will be fat (and who cares anyway if that is their choice).

  • Posted By: eddiewhere @ 12/30/2007 7:05:09 AM

    Comment: FOR ALL YOU FAT INDIVIDUALS YOU NEED TO VOTE FOR OBAMA. HE HAS WORKE VIGOURSLY FOR FAT INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS YOURSELF. LOOK AT HIS RECORD.
    : sANDY, EDWARDS IS DESpERATE. thIS MAN FOLLOWED JOHN KERRY. HE WILL DO AND SAY ANYTHING. EVEN IF HE MEANS IT NOW IT IS TOO LATE. OBAMA AND CLINTON ARE TOO SMART, THEY KNOW THAT WHAT YOU SAY TODAY COULD FINISH YOU TOMORROW. ONLY A CANDIDATE WITH NOTHING TO LOSE WILL SAY WHAT EDWARDS IS SAYING. WHAT HAS HE DONE. BE HONEST. HILLARY IS pROUD THAT SHE WENT AGIANST HER pRINCIpLES TO GIVE BUSH A BLAND CHECK. WHY. IT WAS GOOD FOR WESTERN NEW YORK. HILLARY IS NOT STUpID IF THE WAR HAD NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES IN BUFFALO, SHE WOULD HAVE VOTED AGAINST IT. TRANSpERENCY SOMETHING NIETHER pARTY WANTS. NO ONE LIKE GETTING CAUGHT WITH THEIR pANTS DOWN AND THEN LECTURE ABOUT JUDGEMENT CALLS.

    • Posted By: HeatherC46 @ 01/01/2008 17:10:31

      Comment: Perhaps you should redirect your comments to a more appropriate page...such as the election message boards.

  • Posted By: letha c. chamberlain @ 12/29/2007 7:10:26 PM

    Comment: As I was trying to say, I am not able to exercise-having spinal conditions that preclude using either my legs or arms... but I have lost weight by STARVING myself, which is darned uncomfortable and even painful.. I, too, am low-income and live on disability--so I simply don't eat much--and suffer the effects of stafvation, which I have learned through spiritual means to "reinterpret" as a "good thing". I DO supplement this with life-saving nutrients so I stay nurtrient healthy, however. This sort of thing takes a tremendous amount of "personal stuff" that many cannot do without the spiritual help I have received. i am aware of that, and therefore, I say anyone who can lose weight with the viscissitiudes of lifeas they are is to be commended.

  • Posted By: Julian Damanas @ 12/29/2007 3:49:11 PM

    Comment: How much weight?


    How much weight would a weight-chucker chuck,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    How much cash would the weight-loss industry lose,
    if there wasn't so much on my plate?
    And how many treadmills would Santa not bring?
    And who would buy a size twelve diamond ring,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    And how many clinics and dietitians
    would end up as sweat-shops and morticians,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    Who would buy six cartloads of gourmet ice-cream
    at 4.99 for a tub full of dream?
    And who would buy those eclairs fulla cream,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    And how could you sell a large pair of panties
    for enough cash to stock three over-large pantries,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    Alas, it is true
    the economy's blue,
    and if we get skinny,
    and our purchases mini,
    we'll be awfully sorry,
    we ever did worry,
    about weight-chuckers chucking that weight!

  • Posted By: Julian Damanas @ 12/29/2007 3:48:09 PM

    Comment: How much weight?


    How much weight would a weight-chucker chuck,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    How much cash would the weight-loss industry lose,
    if there wasn't so much on my plate?
    And how many treadmills would Santa not bring?
    And who would buy a size twelve diamond ring,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    And how many clinics and dietitians
    would end up as sweat-shops and morticians,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    Who would buy six cartloads of gourmet ice-cream
    at 4.99 for a tub full of dream?
    And who would buy those eclairs fulla cream,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    And how could you sell a large pair of panties
    for enough cash to stock three over-large pantries,
    if a weight-chucker could chuck weight?
    Alas, it is true
    the economy's blue,
    and if we get skinny,
    and our purchases mini,
    we'll be awfully sorry,
    we ever did worry,
    about weight-chuckers chucking that weight!

  • Posted By: nordictk @ 12/29/2007 1:37:47 PM

    Comment: Keep the articles like this coming, but maybe drill down more to what obesity actually costs (in $) the average family over time. Money seems to be the only thing that motivates most people. I've exercised regularly and kept the weight off for almost 30 years, partly for me, and partly as an example to my patients. Working 50-70 hours per week as a PCP, I try to show my patients that they CAN work and also exercise. (By the way recent sutdies have shown that most of our kids calories come when they are NOT at school, but I totally agree with getting unhealthful snacks out of schools, and resuming 4 years of physical education

  • Posted By: nyaffs @ 12/29/2007 10:14:36 AM

    Comment: I simply hate being over weight or obese it is really depressing. Being an out going person I hate the life of confinement.

  • Posted By: nyaffs @ 12/29/2007 9:59:08 AM

    Comment: Infact I hate being over weight or obese. For me I see those people living a depressing kind of life. I like a size I can easily carry around . Being an out going person I hate being confined in a car, office and home. I would rather be small or average size to be over weight.

  • Posted By: dbradberry @ 12/29/2007 1:40:52 AM

    Comment: hey all, is this part of a plan?

    see http://youtube.com/watch?v=xq8aopATYyw

    look, don't flame me, i'm not a wako, just a regular guy, but.....stuff adds up

    govt subsidizes food that is bad for us, passes an act the makes our kids inactive, has laws/zoning that requires we buy transportation, etc. Taking a walk with your family costs nothing, which means no one is making money on it either.

    Bottom line: Fat, lazy, and happy equals apathy and acceptance of condition (docile). Sort of like a farm animal, being fed and tended to makes you think life is good, until that day they take you to the slaughter house.

    OK, see the video and post if you think they are NOT connected.

  • Posted By: dbradberry @ 12/29/2007 1:37:19 AM

    Comment: hey all, is this part of a plan?

    see http://youtube.com/watch?v=xq8aopATYyw

    look, don't flame me, i'm not a wako, just a regular guy, but.....stuff adds up

    govt subsidizes food that is bad for us, passes an act the makes our kids inactive, has laws/zoning that requires we buy transportation, etc. Taking a walk with your family costs nothing, which means no one is making money on it either. Stay in debt, eat good, die early - keeps the economy healthy

    Bottom line: Fat, lazy, and happy equals apathy and acceptance of condition (docile). Sort of like a farm animal, being fed and tended to makes you think life is good, until that day they take you to the slaughter house.

    OK, see the video and post if you think they are NOT connected.

  • Posted By: JaredSD @ 12/29/2007 1:27:00 AM

    Comment: I cannot believe that this person even posted this damn review. It is ppl like this that are misleading everybody. Post something INFORMATIVE, as in the TRUTH about how how to lose weight! Jerk.

  • Posted By: jake1961 @ 12/29/2007 1:21:14 AM

    Comment: I do not agree with the comment good food cost more , I can buy a week`s supply of carbohydrates and I mean good carb`s at my local farmer or ranch market for the same cost as two box`s of capitan crunch cereal.

  • Posted By: MileHighHappy @ 12/29/2007 1:13:21 AM

    Comment: Oh bull. My parents - and their parents' parents were pretty well off, and they were quite active, not just chopping firewood, but going to our mountain homes, vacationing, working in the gardens, doing outdoor summer and winter activities - and chopping wood. Lazy begets lazy. Lazy parents raise lazy children. And I won't have any of that nonsense in this house. And yes, we do need Physical Education in our schools. This crap that we can't afford is killing our kids.

    Further, it's no more expensive to have a healthy diet. In fact, I don't spend my hard earned money on cookies and frozen dinners when for half the price I have a well balanced meal that's less calories and fat, but I have to put in some effort to produce. Stouffer's and Kraft Dinners are garbage and you can just feel your arteries clogging up with every bite. Go buy a whole chicken, a few of potatoes and throw them in the oven for a few bucks and see how happy you make your kids. A bag of potatoes is like less than a Starbuck's.

    Get real. And get some real food and then take a walk with your kids - even if they are teenagers like mine are.

  • Posted By: jake1961 @ 12/29/2007 1:12:56 AM

    Comment: Posted by:codyhemohill@12/28/2007
    I do not agree with the comment better food cost more .
    I can go to local farmers or ranch market and buy a week`s worth of carbohydrates and, I mean good carb`s for the same cost as two box`s of capitan crunch .

  • Posted By: valaraj @ 12/29/2007 1:09:55 AM

    Comment: How are you going to blame government intervention for the problem (of which this person is certainly right) and then say you need more government intervention to SOLVE the problem? That's ridiculous! Get the government out of our affairs! Let things happen as they will. Give people the freedom to suffer from their poor choices and soon enough they will make the right ones. Sometimes people only learn through trial and error.

  • Posted By: Shazza @ 12/29/2007 12:47:15 AM

    Comment: The reason more people are overweight is that inexpensive foods have less nutrition and higher values of fats, carbohydrates, and additives. The reason people buy more inexpensive foods should be obvious: better foods cost more. The price of absolutely everything has gone up but the wages sure haven't. I don't know where this author has been but in towns with depressed economies, the ratio of overweight people to properly-fit people is higher than in towns with higher standards of living. It's simple: bad food makes you fat, even if you eat a reasonable amount. If you can't afford lean cuts of meat, fresh vegetables and fruit, you end up buying cheaper, less nutritious meats and canned vegetables -- when you can't afford even cheaper quality meats and canned vegetables, you start trying to find "filling" foods: store-brand white bread, peanut butter, beans and rice -- and anyone who tells you that you can lose weight on that diet is a damned liar. It's the high carbohydrates in vegetable proteins, combined with the high carbohydrates in breads, pastas, and cereals made from bleached enriched wheat flour that's gotten us into this mess! Sure, it'd be nice if we could all afford to buy memberships in gyms, or if we could all afford home gym equipment, or even if we all lived in a safe-enough area to at least go for brisk walks, but the reality is, we all can't. The next best thing is to eat a nutritious, balanced diet; good luck with that, with non-fat milk over $3.00 a gallon, just to pick out one item.

    • Posted By: JaredSD @ 12/29/2007 01:21:04

      Comment: You may be the most ignorant person I have ever seen type. Chicken is damn cheap, so is fruit, and veggies. Oh yeah, exercises in your house or apt are easy and free! Quit being lazy and blaming other ppl, do it and quit talking! Oh yeah, drink water!!!!!!!! lots of it!!!!!

    • Posted By: JaredSD @ 12/29/2007 01:09:44

      Comment: You are wrong

    • Posted By: P-Steg @ 12/29/2007 00:54:01

      Comment: Well put. We would proably go broke just trying to make it to get something to eat , with these gas prices!!!!(LOL)

  • Posted By: P-Steg @ 12/29/2007 12:41:47 AM

    Comment: I think the article is very useful! I just have to say in today's society it is very hard to have a well built diet. Looking at the startification system in America, the lower and middle class population have to work at least two jobs to have the simple things in life, that some other people in higher class ranking may not even think twice about. Do you think these people have time to go home and cook a good wholesome meal before going off to work at a second job? Why of course not, they are going to grab fast some type of fast food and try to catch some sleep before the second job. America is devastated at this time! Look at all the people whom lost there everything in the catastrophe of 911, look at all the people whom ben misplaced since the episode of New Orlean under water seige, look at all the people whom lost their homes to greedy mortage company who has hiked the the prices of mortage rates, then in turn look at the people that are doing everything in their power struggling trying just to stay a float! Look at all the jobs that have been taken out of America, into other countries for cheap labor, leaving Americans hopeless and without. Companies are continually closing because they can not compete with rising costs. America is slowing slipping away and pretty soon no one will have to worry about whose fat and whose not because no one will be able to afford the simplest thing......like food. Most of us will be below the poverty line. It is sad to say that all these things contribute greatly to a persons health, well being, and ability to cope with the worldly attributes to ones life.

  • Posted By: theusual @ 12/29/2007 12:41:06 AM

    Comment: Bottom line - you either CARE or you DON'T. I make a lot of effort to stay fit. It sets a wonderful example to my kids, I can wear the same size pants I did back in my teens, I have more energy, and I'm healthier because of it. We have choices people. For those who insist on making endless excuses for their laziness, maybe a health scare will be the wake-up call to nurture the gift of good health. Eat less, excercise more. No magic here. Just the truth.

  • Posted By: theusual @ 12/29/2007 12:35:00 AM

    Comment: Amazing - all this spinning, when it comes down to ONE TRUTH.... You either care enough about yourself, and the gift of good health, or you don't. The virtue comment is true. My husband and I are exactly the same age. I love fast food and 'bad' food just as much as he does, but I control my urges. I force myself to workout at least three times a week. I rarely eat food late in the evening. I make these sacrifices because I want to set the right example to our kids, AND I CARE! Period. I eat less and excercise more. As a result, I have a lot of energy, I wear the same size pants as I did as a teenager, and my health is better. My husband, on the other hand, eats a lot of bad food, ( a CHOICE ) hardly ever excercises, ( a CHOICE ), and he eats food at night, not long before bedtime. (Again - a CHOICE ) As a result, he is fat. I sometimes wonder if that affects him in business. A physically fit person shows that effort, dedication and conviction are present. When I see a heavy person, I think that if they let themselves go that much, in what other areas of their life do they 'let things go'?

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 12/29/2007 12:30:26 AM

    Comment: Thank God I have a job in a science field that involves intense field labor and am a vegetarian. Not everyone has a lazy, sit-around-all-day-job, and its a job I chose in order to keep from being lazy. Keeps my BMI at 17.

  • Posted By: gorgeousgeorge @ 12/29/2007 12:13:10 AM

    Comment: There is absolutely nothing new presented in this article. We've heard the same theories over and over and over. I am disappointed Newsweek does not challenge these widely held notions--especially when their sources contradict themselves. He says in one breath it's not about willpower, then proceeds merrily on to insist that it is. The fact is, people do not "choose" to be obese any more than they "choose" to be tall or short. The fact is, many fat people DO exercise and eat healthfully. It's equally true that plenty of thin people do not. Weight may be cause for great debate, but the one thing it is NOT indicative of is virtue. The problem is people don't like to hear that, for the most part, they have limited control over their body size. Thus, they attack anyone who suggests otherwise, and insist that person is "just making excuses." Newsflash for Newsweek: Fat people have nothing to excuse, but if you're hell bent on some "explanation," do try to at least avoid tired theories.

    • Posted By: lfjourney59 @ 01/08/2008 21:21:47

      Comment: It's true--many of us who struggle with weight do exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. I'm a vegetarian and stay away from processed food. I exercise at least 30 minutes every day. I weigh 215 lbs and cannot get the scale to budge. It's terribly frustrating, and it's hurtful to live in a society where my size is considered a moral issue instead of a biological issue. People, have some pity on us! We're not all lazy gluttons.

  • Posted By: RocketDan @ 12/28/2007 11:58:23 PM

    Comment: Get off our butts, exercise and eat less. Save gas, save money and save your life. I have lost 70 pounds so far this year and I feel great!!!

    • Posted By: Kbrn93 @ 12/29/2007 00:13:36

      Comment: Congrats Dan! I have lost 20 so far and an well out of the obesity range. Th enew muscles look awesome - better than the ugly fat that was there before!

  • Posted By: neil from D.C. @ 12/28/2007 11:58:19 PM

    Comment: The author focuses on the choices as if they were perfectly rational, ignoring that his orthodox economic theory has been undermined through empirical data and new theoretical models of choice that question individual rationality.

    Some of the "choices" are the result of individuals making poor choices or not having options at all. For instance, individuals may sacrifice time working out for what appears to be a rational choice--such as earning more money at work or spending time with family--only to worsen their health in a way that "costs" them more in the long run. While this may be difficult to measure, proxies such as diminished satisfaction and lifespan are available.

    Second, the situation of his lawyer uncle illustrates why we need an economy that does not pose such stark choices of massive obesity and 90 hours a week or complete job insecurity and decreased renumeration. This situation is less choice than an illustration of the failure of individual choice to provide what collectively individuals who select were they given the bargaining power and ability to employ it to select more universal options that would balance the two criteria.

    As a side note, I used to bike to work and still walk or run at least three miles a day, so I have made some of these choices. I merely note that in the aggregate, peoples' choices are affected by the structural nature of the economy and inter-occupational competition such that totally individual rational choice becomes impossible.

  • Posted By: Kbrn93 @ 12/28/2007 11:38:19 PM

    Comment: We give ourselves some great excuses for self neglect. The computer, phone, cell phone, Blackberry can be turned off long enough to exercise. Get with it America, unplug and enjoy exercise, enjoy good health - AND like the person you see staring back at you in the mirror!

    • Posted By: RocketDan @ 12/29/2007 00:03:38

      Comment: Great comment! Be a little selfish and set an hour aside each day for yourself. I do my workout from 5:30 - 6:30AM every morning. Keep it up and you will start liking the person in the mirror!

  • Posted By: RhodeIsland12 @ 12/28/2007 11:27:48 PM

    Comment: This is terrible, it's horrifying and it's a digusting message.Just from reading this article, it's obvious that the culprit of America's trend toward obesity is not only corporate issues such as the ones outlined in this article, but the justifications and excuses made by today's Americans to allow themselves to fall victim to the trend. Today's American's look towards drugs such as the ones mentioned to maintain a false sense of health which could easily be maintained instead by natural excersize. And furthermore, as to the issue of justification of the trend by the change of lifestyle in the current day in age, i see this as no more than a convineint excuse which really has little basis. Issues such as the subsidization of farmers who produce products which are used in fatty foods are largely unknown and not considered by the population of people who consumes them, so i do not see this as a viable excuse for those people as long as other options still exist. In particular, the statements about occupations such as his uncle's profession in law are ones i feel hold absolutely no ground. I cannot see how work as a lawyer can be used as an excuse for a modern day trend. Have lawyers not existed for decades? How is it reasonable to say that a lawyer's work is adversely affected suddenly by this trend, when it has never been part of such a trend in the past? And more importantly, how relavent is occupation at all? I am willing to bet that there many people in a wide variety of jobs who suffer from obesity, and conversely, that many people with similar sedentary jobs can afford to stay fit without sacrificing such a large amount of time as to not be successful. With all the areas where time may be spent unwisely in many careers, i can hardly see excersize as being called a waste of valuable business time in a career, when an individual's health may be compromised by this loss of activity. If your occupation gives you little opportunity for physical activity, all the more reason to find ways to stay active outside of work.

  • Posted By: Kbrn93 @ 12/28/2007 11:06:56 PM

    Comment: You will surely stop losing weight if you only diet. Improving your strength and metabolism through regular exercise is the solution. It explains why obesity is a new epidemic in our society. We used to walk, hike and site see out doors, now we do it from the couch. No single fruit, vegetable or diet program is the magic bullet. In all the research I have done over the years, the research participants that chose exercise and diet were the most successful and kept the weight off. Portion control and food content is also critical, but alone will not prevent you from gaining weight. The number one cause of bone loss that leads to osteoporosis is lack of regular weight bearing exercise. We can blame it on menopause, hormones or not getting enough calcium in the diet, those all contribute, but it all boils down to getting off the couch or out from behind the computer and exercising. I know starting an exercise program is not easy, and most of us do not like to do it or make it a priority - I have heard all the excuses! But, once you get started and get through the first month (you do not need to bench press 300 pounds or run for an hour on the tread mill) you will grow to love it and crave it.

  • Posted By: lorenzo_ca @ 12/28/2007 11:05:00 PM

    Comment: Too bad poor fat-ass Uncle Al couldn't figure out a way to make more money in less hours and then have time to get in a walk or two or tennis or basketball or some other fun sport to stay fit instead of sitting in front of his MAC jacking off to Jessica Alba while his boss thinks he's really working.

  • Posted By: Wally123 @ 12/28/2007 10:17:06 PM

    Comment: Many of you have heard this before, I will say it anyway. It's not about working out or anything. It's all portion sizes. Many of you who have been on a diet and are still sticking with it, you all know that all it takes is a 2 slices of Pizza or a Cheese burger or a "nice full plate of pasta" which will cause you not to loose any pounds at all within that week. infact it will just maintain or you will game a pound or 2.

    Here is a secret to really burn off that fat....EAT CANTALOPE. Cantalope will help you kick off that weight. I use to weigh 325 pounds, I now weigh 227 and I am still loosing. Another trick is to not eat the same things, always change up the foods you eat. If you eat the same foods all the time, you're going to hit a "plato" which you wont loose anymore weight or it's just going to be hard as hell to loose it.

    Samon, lean meats (steak), Chicken, Turkey, Veggies, Fruite. If you are in definite need of some surger, I highly suggest Surgercain, you know...the kind that you bite down and suck out the surgery juice, only ONE cube should work and it will completely crush that surger craving. Milk chocolate is also pretty bad but if you can take it, extra dark chocolate isn't nearly as bad.

    All it comes down to is portion sizes but alittle tiny bit is what you actually eat. I completely stay away from fast-food places. If I go out to eat with people or myself, I get either Samon with a side of broccoli or a chicken Ceaser Salad (tell them to put the dressing on the side, don't use the whole thing of dressing).

    Before I went on this diet, I dedicated a day to fast ( I know people will say it's not good for you) but for a big eater such as me, it helps. 1 day of not eating, all I did was drink grapefruite juice, water, or pure cranberry juice. the next day when you eat breakfast, you wont be able to eat a lot. Always remember, don't eat untill you're full, always eat untill you're satesfied.

    Bread is the number 1 cause of weight gain, a person should only have 2 slices of bread a day. completely restrict yourself of potatochips for 1 straight year, after that have the portion size if you decide to eat potato chips. I highly suggest, that is if anyone reading decides to try my method...weight untill you hit your goal in weight before you decide to jump to potato chip serving sizes.

  • Posted By: letha c. chamberlain @ 12/28/2007 10:09:11 PM

    Comment: I am a wheelchair bound person with six disabling conditions--three of which could take my life at any time... and in chronic unremitting pain. yet I am a productive member of society. I have recently lost 70 pounds over three years with a combination of spirituality (being in solidarity with the starving poor of the world) and a anticonvulsant drug that helps with pain control AND weight loss--but it does not mitigate hunger pain, which I have unrelentingly, too. Since I also have GI problems, including severe excess acid reflux and "nutcracker esophagus" (as well as angina and a heart block) I suffer sometimes intensely because of this hunger. Yet i have learned to reinterpret it as "a good thing" rather than "bad". i also know it will go on to the end of my life with which i need to be satisfied. I like being thinner, but it does not reduce my pain, nor make me more mobile. It just makes me more "human" and less a "glutton". Yet I know others have their own problems--and this has been such a huge one I cannot expect others to do the same thing. It is an immense, incredible sacrifice I have made willingly and with mammoth effort, even iwth the addition of the helpful medicine. Those who do not have this problem are exceedingly blessed and cannot guess what it is for those of us who go through it. But i add my encouragement to all who are trying to do something about it--it is well worth the effort! Bravo for you!

  • Posted By: Melangell @ 12/28/2007 9:53:46 PM

    Comment: Well, not to mention the fact that the 40-hour workweek is now largely a thing of the past. I am a 47-year old mid-level manager; I work at *least* 60 hours a week. I would love to carve out more time for exercise ... but once or twice a week won't cancel out the effects of the time I spend chained to a desk. Advanced economy, my ever-spreading-rear-end. What is this but a return to the pre-40 hour work week? ANd where is Sinclair Lewis when you need him??

    • Posted By: Kbrn93 @ 12/28/2007 21:59:33

      Comment: I work long hours too, usually more than 50 a week plus all the commuting and air travel. Try this, every 30 mintues, get up from your desk and move around - walk, stretch, do some squats, work your muscles. The computer will still be there when you are done. Trust me, carving out the time is well worth the effort. Many fitness places are open for very extended hours to accomodate people like us. Take advantage of it. There really are no good excuses for not exercising.

  • Posted By: Kbrn93 @ 12/28/2007 9:51:20 PM

    Comment: It is this simple....we have done this to ourselves. We are over weight because we over eat and do not exercise. Working in front of a computer is no excuse. I do it all the time, but make the time and the committment to get regular exercise. I avoid fast food and restaurants as much as possible and pack my own lunches. All restaurant food, whether you get it at a drive thru or at an expensive sit down restaurant is not only loaded with tons of fat and other unhealthy ingredients, but is served to consumers in huge portions which many of us feel obligated to finish. Most places do not even post nutritional information about what they serve you...why do you think that is? If a restaurant tells you your meal will contain over 3000 calories, with 400 of those coming from fat...you would not eat it! After we eat these huge meals, we retreat to the computer, video games or TV for entertainment. The solution, eat right and exercise...make the committment to do it. Your health is worth the investment. And by the way, obesity is not a natural or normal condition, scientific data tells us that excessive weight does much more harm than good. Wake up, America - being obese is not normal or healthy...even if it is becoming more common.

  • Posted By: letha c. chamberlain @ 12/28/2007 9:47:10 PM

    Comment: I am wheelchair-bound and can't exercise. I also have chronic pain. I have found a medicine that helps relieve my pain that has also made it possible for me to lose 70 pounds over the last three years along with a sensible eating program. i just couldn't do it before that with my level of inactivity and my excess stomach acid, which required eating every few hours because of GI distress. This medicine is Topamax. on it I am no onger bothered by the stomach pain of an empty stomach--I can be hungry and it doesnt' bother me--I just don't feel like eating. Furthermore, my spirituality has helped, too. i am in solidarity with those who do not have food in their stomachs all the time because they are too poor to afford this wealth. All-in-all it has meant much to me. I KNOW it is possible to lose weight--and cut down and feel hungry--and learn to reinterpret the feeling as "not bad"... yes, I have the medicine to help--but it takes a certain more than that, too--a willingness to not be a 'glutton" and be a "real" member of society. I eat very small portions--and only one small meal a day supplemented by two cans of Ensure--three if I've been busy and active. This I know to be my lifetime routine--if not less than this as I get older. I do not need anymore than what I need to maintain this weight loss into the future--and I've lost it so slowly it should stay off. I have about 30 poinds to go--another year or so or weight loss, then i will still stay on the same intake because my needs for calorie will be less because i'll weigh less. I am satisfied with that. I live on meals-on-wheels for elderly reduced income seniors..

  • Posted By: Tom C. @ 12/28/2007 9:41:06 PM

    Comment: Whole wheat bread is no more expensive than white bread. Oatmeal is inexpensive and plentiful than sugar coated cereal. Soy milk is cost effective and healthy. Whole wheat pasta costs about the same as regular
    pasta. Frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, with soy and flaxseed. Fat free, sugar free,
    Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with some low fat swiss cheese, some spinach salad with onions
    and green peppers and black olives and omega rich olive oil and some fish oil pills. Some oatmeal
    with raisins and a cup of coffee. Quinoa, lentils, tomato sause, soup base, brown rice, with chilli powde

  • Posted By: seriously_people @ 12/28/2007 9:27:15 PM

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  • Posted By: kneel @ 12/28/2007 8:35:54 PM

    Comment: What nonsense. I'm sorry, I've lived in different European cities, ones in which walking is pleasant and useful (i.e., I don't make myself go for a walk to exercise - I walk to the shops, work, whatever). I start to accumulate the fat when I'm in the US or Australia, where walking places is difficult to impossible. Look at a dog that never gets to exercise - it gets fat and has to be fed low-cal food. Our dogs, even ones that were overweight when we got them, eat high-cal foods their whole lives, and all they want of it, because we exercise with them. Looking at European societies, it's not so much an advanced economy as one where care hasn't been taken to keep communities walkable. The furthest we usually walk is to our cars (which we've driven 'round and 'round to get as close to the entrance as possible). Too many Americans don't, and even feel they can't, walk more about fifteen minutes consecutively. You're probably one of them.

    • Posted By: witcheywoman56 @ 12/28/2007 21:43:23

      Comment: You know your the kind of person i like to eat for LUNCH.. you pass judgement and you dont know anything about the person you judge..hense they may not be fat from over eating, illness can cause obesity..I will trade my bad joints, my fybromalga which by the way i did not get from over eating, to be a normal weight, if we ever meet I am the far red neck woman with a bad attitude for folks like YOU !

      • Posted By: JaredSD @ 12/29/2007 01:18:24

        Comment: Whatever

  • Posted By: roland signett @ 12/28/2007 6:37:37 PM

    Comment: I'm not so sure that middle and upper class families are more over weight than the less affluent. In fact general observation would lead me to postulate otherwise. Add to that the fact that healthier foods generally cost more. Go to any supermarket and see what you can buy on a limited budget and still feed a family. You will find the pastas, corn, peas, white bread, etc. Few of those with limited incomes purchase fresh green vegetables or higher priced lean meats. Look for low fat items and you will usually find that they cost more than the same item without the reduced fat. Check out food banks and see what they pass out to their patrons. It is not the more healty and less fattening food products.

    Roland Signett

  • Posted By: roland signett @ 12/28/2007 6:35:36 PM

    Comment: I'm not so sure that middle and upper class families are more over weight than the less affluent. In fact general observation would lead me to postulate otherwise. Add to that the fact that healthier foods generally cost more. Go to any supermarket and see what you can buy on a limited budget and still feed a family. You will find the pastas, corn, peas, white bread, etc. Few of those with limited incomes purchase fresh green vegetables or higher priced lean meats. Look for low fat items and you will usually find that they cost more than the same item without the reduced fat. Check out food banks and see what they pass out to their patrons. It is not the more healty and less fattening food products.

    Roland Signett

  • Posted By: Johnsonium @ 12/28/2007 6:21:05 PM

    Comment: What's missing from this article is the concept of portions. Just because food is cheap and calorie dense doesn't mean that someone has to eat massive amounts of it at once. There is no time penalty for eating less, like there is for exercising. So, pretending that people in modern society face an either/or choice is misleading. It's not either they take the time to exercise and be poor, or get fat and have more time for work and be more affluent. This is a false dichotomy.. If people would simply cut the portions of most restaurant food in half, then they could lose weight and their productivity wouldn't be affected. In fact, it would be enhanced because you could spend less actual time eating. Blaming modern culture is just an excuse.
    This

  • Posted By: jeffn111 @ 12/28/2007 6:08:55 PM

    Comment: What about that fact that higher income people statistically are less overweight than lower income people?

    Moreover, even if it were true that "weightiness" was correlated with wealth, new technology could easily change the situation. If new technology allowed us to develop lower calorie foods that were just as satisfying as the high calorie alternatives, then the weathier socieities (that can afford the newer technology foods) could become increasingly thin, as compared to poorer societies.

    Jeffrey Naness

    • Posted By: lawstudentNnc @ 12/28/2007 23:06:58

      Comment: I'm a law student and it is very difficult to make i to the gym when you are spending 16 hour days in the library...my attempt at a solution for times when getting to the gym is just not feasible is calisthenics...even if you are stuck in a study room (or office) you can find time and a place to drop and crank out a few sets of push-ups, sit-ups, squats etc...with limited time activating muscle mass like these type of exercises do seems more effective then just walking around the block and also gets the blood flowing again to help one think...sadly, still have to stay away from the pasta and sweets

 
 
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