sycasey said:

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LMK5 said:

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sycasey said:

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LMK5 said:

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sycasey said:

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LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

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B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL?

---

Hang on . . . how do you think some cities got rid of their homeless problem? Nice words about personal responsibility?

---

They raised taxes on the homeless? Started charging rent for sidewalk or park space? Raised taxes on tents? Or did they just enforce plain vanilla vagrancy laws already on the books?

---

So in other words the government enforced laws that banished them from certain spaces. Does that sound right?

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Banish is such a strong word sy. I would say they are required to "move right along." They don't get round up and shipped off to Berkeley. They are just told to start walking. In other words, you cannot homestead a space that's earmarked for the good of all citizens. I'm sure you agree.

---

Just like we did for smoking. Lots of places where you're not allowed to smoke.

Placing higher taxes on soda or cigarettes is basically encouraging people to "move right along" to buying something else, right? I'm sure you agree.

---

I do agree that placing higher taxes on what we can consider a vice is warranted because the extra health care costs associated with some of these products should be borne by the users. But I believe that some of those taxes should be used on public education campaigns. Those do the real job--over a length of time--to shape behaviors. Some good examples are anti-smoking; reduction of fats in our diet; and safe driving habits.

---

No objection to that.

---

I've always loved the idea of a modest "soda tax". And people that don't and cite whataboutism or wheredoesitendism as their counter just give me more great ideas!

Pfizer data from Israel finds vaccine prevents 94% of asymptomatic infections - Axios


https://www.axios.com/pfizer-vaccine-asymptomatic-infection-7ac7de09-527f-4f76-803b-b55460aac1ab.html

CNN: "President Joe Biden will use his first evening address to the nation Thursday to announce he is directing US states to open coronavirus vaccine eligibility to all adults no later than May 1, a step he will say could allow for small Independence Day gatherings on July 4."

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Watch a video of Disneyland opening and then one of Disneyland today. It's like most of the folks were inflated with an air pump. No one reason but I'd say the availability of bad, addictive food and it's abundance plays a huge part. Once you start eating that stuff it's tough to stop.

82gradDLSdad said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Watch a video of Disneyland opening and then one of Disneyland today. It's like most of the folks were inflated with an air pump. No one reason but I'd say the availability of bad, addictive food and it's abundance plays a huge part. Once you start eating that stuff it's tough to stop.

---

A lot of this stuff is also specifically engineered to make you want to binge eat.

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Jackie Gleason was always overweight. That's why he played Minnesota Fats in the Hustler. Everyone else on The Honeymooners was slim. Watch a few movies from the 70s or 80s and come back and tell us if you've changed your mind about average weight then and now.

sycasey said:

---

82gradDLSdad said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Watch a video of Disneyland opening and then one of Disneyland today. It's like most of the folks were inflated with an air pump. No one reason but I'd say the availability of bad, addictive food and it's abundance plays a huge part. Once you start eating that stuff it's tough to stop.

---

A lot of this stuff is also specifically engineered to make you want to binge eat.

---

That's probably true, but sweets have always been readily accessible. I think one difference is people today have plenty of money to spend on the stuff. When I was a kid I distinctly remember when a Hershey bar went from 5 cents to 6 cents and people noticed it. Today people line up for Starbucks and pay $3 for something they can easily make at home for a nickel. Starbucks started out in expensive neighborhoods but can now be found at truck stops. We're wealthier than people like to admit.

LMK5 said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Jackie Gleason was always overweight. That's why he played Minnesota Fats in the Hustler. Everyone else on The Honeymooners was slim. Watch a few movies from the 70s or 80s and come back and tell us if you've changed your mind about average weight then and now.

---

Not sure why anyone would be using TV shows and movies as the gage, since actors are often specifically chosen for their desirable looks (which means that as a group they are going to be in better shape than the general population). Most people don't look like Marvel superheroes.

Obesity has definitely increased over the years. I don't think this is all down to increased wealth/laziness of the population. A lot of food (especially the cheaper food) has become increasingly engineered over the years to prevent the feeling of fullness, which means more overeating. Can you, the individual, recognize these things and adjust your behavior to compensate? Yes, of course. But it's not realistic to expect that everyone will know how to do that.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225

Leon Askin a/k/a General Burkhalter of Hogan's Heroes fame died at age 97, which proves, irrefutably, that being a 100 pounds overweight makes you immortal.

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Jackie Gleason was always overweight. That's why he played Minnesota Fats in the Hustler. Everyone else on The Honeymooners was slim. Watch a few movies from the 70s or 80s and come back and tell us if you've changed your mind about average weight then and now.

---

Not sure why anyone would be using TV shows and movies as the gage, since actors are often specifically chosen for their desirable looks (which means that as a group they are going to be in better shape than the general population). Most people don't look like Marvel superheroes.

---

Exactly. I am not disputing the assertion, but using The Brady Bunch as evidence seems weird.

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Jackie Gleason was always overweight. That's why he played Minnesota Fats in the Hustler. Everyone else on The Honeymooners was slim. Watch a few movies from the 70s or 80s and come back and tell us if you've changed your mind about average weight then and now.

---

Not sure why anyone would be using TV shows and movies as the gage, since actors are often specifically chosen for their desirable looks (which means that as a group they are going to be in better shape than the general population). Most people don't look like Marvel superheroes.

Obesity has definitely increased over the years. I don't think this is all down to increased wealth/laziness of the population. A lot of food (especially the cheaper food) has become increasingly engineered over the years to prevent the feeling of fullness, which means more overeating. Can you, the individual, recognize these things and adjust your behavior to compensate? Yes, of course. But it's not realistic to expect that everyone will know how to do that.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225

---

More screen time, more processed food, more fried food, Big Gulp, fast food, etc. How could the general population not become closer to obese? Two of the more dangerous misinformation were stupid government warning about fat (as opposed to just saturated or trans fat) and all the stupid fad diets. I remember during the 80s and 90s the prevalence of junk fat-free processed food that were high on simple carbs, spiking up insulin level, and crashing metabolism and storing body fat. And then people would go on crash diets or stupid things like cabbage diet that would ruin their body's ability to efficiently burn fat and generate lean muscles to burn more calories . When I used to lift weights religiously and cut body fat, I did so eating a lot of good protein and fat like salmon, avocado and steak as well as complex carbs like oatmeal and brown rice and eating 5 or 6 times a day so that my body had constant fuel and amino acids. Other than crap like simple sugar or trans fat, I didn't cut anything out even when I had really low body fat (of course, time catches up to all of us). People were starving themselves, crashing their metabolism, doing useless low intensity cardio and no high intensity or resistance training, and drinking a lot of "low calorie" alcohol that would suppress the body's release of fat burning hormones like HGH and wondering why they were not losing that gut.

We have more extremes now than we did during the 50s and 60s. A lot more people who are in ridiculously good shape with a lot more knowledge on proper and efficient exercise and a lot obese people from more processed food, especially among the poor communities.

calbear93 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Jackie Gleason was always overweight. That's why he played Minnesota Fats in the Hustler. Everyone else on The Honeymooners was slim. Watch a few movies from the 70s or 80s and come back and tell us if you've changed your mind about average weight then and now.

---

Not sure why anyone would be using TV shows and movies as the gage, since actors are often specifically chosen for their desirable looks (which means that as a group they are going to be in better shape than the general population). Most people don't look like Marvel superheroes.

Obesity has definitely increased over the years. I don't think this is all down to increased wealth/laziness of the population. A lot of food (especially the cheaper food) has become increasingly engineered over the years to prevent the feeling of fullness, which means more overeating. Can you, the individual, recognize these things and adjust your behavior to compensate? Yes, of course. But it's not realistic to expect that everyone will know how to do that.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225

---

More screen time, more processed food, more fried food, Big Gulp, fast food, etc. How could the general population not become closer to obese? Two of the more dangerous misinformation were stupid government warning about fat (as opposed to just saturated or trans fat) and all the stupid fad diets. I remember during the 80s and 90s the prevalence of junk fat-free processed food that were high on simple carbs, spiking up insulin level, and crashing metabolism and storing body fat. And then people would go on crash diets or stupid things like cabbage diet that would ruin their body's ability to efficiently burn fat and generate lean muscles to burn more calories . When I used to lift weights religiously and cut body fat, I did so eating a lot of good protein and fat like salmon, avocado and steak as well as complex carbs like oatmeal and brown rice and eating 5 or 6 times a day so that my body had constant fuel and amino acids. Other than crap like simple sugar or trans fat, I didn't cut anything out even when I had really low body fat (of course, time catches up to all of us). People were starving themselves, crashing their metabolism, doing useless low intensity cardio and no high intensity or resistance training, and drinking a lot of "low calorie" alcohol that would suppress the body's release of fat burning hormones like HGH and wondering why they were not losing that gut.

We have more extremes now than we did during the 50s and 60s. A lot more people who are in ridiculously good shape with a lot more knowledge on proper and efficient exercise and a lot obese people from more processed food, especially among the poor communities.

---

Let's not overlook the influence of industry lobbyists and their impact on nutritional policy making.

The Snack Food and Corn Syrup Lobbyist Shaping Trump's Dietary Guidelines for Americans

This is just about the Trump administration, but it has happened in other big business friendly administrations as well.

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

LMK5 said:

---

B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

---

I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

---

Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

---

You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

---

sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

---

The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

---

Jackie Gleason was always overweight. That's why he played Minnesota Fats in the Hustler. Everyone else on The Honeymooners was slim. Watch a few movies from the 70s or 80s and come back and tell us if you've changed your mind about average weight then and now.

---

Not sure why anyone would be using TV shows and movies as the gage, since actors are often specifically chosen for their desirable looks (which means that as a group they are going to be in better shape than the general population). Most people don't look like Marvel superheroes.

Obesity has definitely increased over the years. I don't think this is all down to increased wealth/laziness of the population. A lot of food (especially the cheaper food) has become increasingly engineered over the years to prevent the feeling of fullness, which means more overeating. Can you, the individual, recognize these things and adjust your behavior to compensate? Yes, of course. But it's not realistic to expect that everyone will know how to do that.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225

---

I agree that actors are not the best gauge, but watch some documentaries from the same era. Watch some old videos of sporting events and look at the people in the stands as opposed to the people you see today at games.

I think as a nation we have become more indulgent, and food is one of those indulgences that you don't have to feel all crappy about. After all, it's legal and you can't kill anyone if you drive after eating a Big Mac. Think we're not food-obsessed? Could a Food Network have existed years back? Remember when Julia Child and Graham Kerr were relegated to PBS?

When I was growing up, going out to eat in a restaurant was a treat, a special occasion even. Today, everyone does it regularly. When I was at my first job back in 1984, all the salaried employees brown-bagged it. At my present job, there are quite a few colleagues who eat out every day of the week. We're a very privileged nation.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/03/28/295332576/why-we-got-fatter-during-the-fat-free-food-boom

LMK5 said:

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sycasey said:

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LMK5 said:

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dimitrig said:

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LMK5 said:

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sycasey said:

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LMK5 said:

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sycasey said:

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LMK5 said:

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B.A., I think trying to tie America's issue with obesity with a political party is a little ridiculous.

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I agree. I also hope you remember this point the next time you feel the urge to rail against crime or homelessness in "Democrat-run cities."

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Oh you're better than that sy. You can directly affect crime rates and vagrancy by enacting policies and enforcing them. OC had a vagrancy problem along the Santa Ana River trail and it was cleaned up in one week once the decision was made. You cannot change human eating habits with policies. That takes education over a long period of time and resulting family and personal responsibility.

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You could absolutely change human eating habits with policies. You could more heavily tax or even outright ban certain types of food. In general this isn't done because people want their freedoms. Some homeless people and their advocates also say they should be free to live as they please. These are all policy decisions with trade offs.

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sycasey, you are definitely the liberal's liberal. So the way to modify peoples' behavior is with onerous taxation or outright banishment by a government entity LOL? Wow, just wow. Would that really do it? Is that how we reduced the rate of smoking in this country, or was it a long, drawn out educational campaign that everyone eventually bought into?

Do your kids ever watch re-runs of the Brady Bunch? Ever notice how thin everybody was? Was it because we had higher taxes on baked goods back in the 70s, or was it a prevailing attitude that said, in effect: "Don't stuff yourself; it's unseemly and wasteful. Have some respect."?

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The Brady Bunch is a fantasy. The kids were hand picked for their appearance - including Cousin Oliver who was supposed to be stupid and clumsy because he was chubby, I guess.

Did you ever see The Honeymooners? Clear proof that men in the 1950's were overweight.

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Jackie Gleason was always overweight. That's why he played Minnesota Fats in the Hustler. Everyone else on The Honeymooners was slim. Watch a few movies from the 70s or 80s and come back and tell us if you've changed your mind about average weight then and now.

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Not sure why anyone would be using TV shows and movies as the gage, since actors are often specifically chosen for their desirable looks (which means that as a group they are going to be in better shape than the general population). Most people don't look like Marvel superheroes.

Obesity has definitely increased over the years. I don't think this is all down to increased wealth/laziness of the population. A lot of food (especially the cheaper food) has become increasingly engineered over the years to prevent the feeling of fullness, which means more overeating. Can you, the individual, recognize these things and adjust your behavior to compensate? Yes, of course. But it's not realistic to expect that everyone will know how to do that.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225

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I agree that actors are not the best gauge, but watch some documentaries from the same era. Watch some old videos of sporting events and look at the people in the stands as opposed to the people you see today at games.

I think as a nation we have become more indulgent, and food is one of those indulgences that you don't have to feel all crappy about. After all, it's legal and you can't kill anyone if you drive after eating a Big Mac. Think we're not food-obsessed? Could a Food Network have existed years back? Remember when Julia Child and Graham Kerr were relegated to PBS?

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You use some weird examples to back up your points. Until the advent of cable TV there were exactly three networks. Of course there wouldn't have been a food network. There wasn't a network dedicated to sports either, and now there are multiple. Are we more sports obsessed now or are there just more avenues for it?

This is chicken and egg stuff. People became more food obsessed because food became tastier and cheaper. It's way easier to "go out" for dinner when you just saunter up to the McDonalds counter. So did people just decide to get fatter or are societal and capitalist incentives driving it?

Vox: It's easy to become obese in America. These 7 charts explain why.

"In America, the unhealthiest foods are the tastiest foods, the cheapest foods, the largest-portion foods."



1) We eat out a lot

2) Portion sizes have gone up, up, up



3) We guzzle sugary beverages on an unrivaled scale

4) Healthier foods can cost more

5) Our vegetables consist mainly of potatoes and tomatoes



6) Too many of our meals are like dessert



7) We're bombarded with ads for unhealthy food

B.A. Bearacus said:

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3) We guzzle sugary beverages on an unrivaled scale

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This right here. When I started tracking calories and trying to lose weight, I was stunned at how much sugary drinks take up (alcohol too). Just cutting those out entirely went a long way for me. I'd rather eat my calories than drink them.

The chart on obesity is interesting. Looks like standard rates of being overweight have remained fairly constant (and some of that could be explained by different body types), but the rise in obesity is the big problem.

I enjoy a Coke, but I buy the tiny 7.5 oz. cans and I find that's plenty. The smallest size at any take-out place must have over twice as much. The amount of fries that they serve is nuts.

People rarely walk anywhere. I LOVE walking! Many residential neighborhoods now don't even have sidewalks. My kids' elementary school is just far enough that maybe I walk, maybe I drive. It's crazy out there at 3:00, so my kids know to meet me a block away. One block. The other parents have to pick up their kids RIGHT at school, so they keep circling around the block. And if there's a light rain, well, don't get me started...

Yes, my kids' school has started up again. That's a whole 'nother issue...

Big C said:

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I enjoy a Coke, but I buy the tiny 7.5 oz. cans and I find that's plenty. The smallest size at any take-out place must have over twice as much. The amount of fries that they serve is nuts.

People rarely walk anywhere. I LOVE walking! Many residential neighborhoods now don't even have sidewalks. My kids' elementary school is just far enough that maybe I walk, maybe I drive. It's crazy out there at 3:00, so my kids know to meet me a block away. One block. The other parents have to pick up their kids RIGHT at school, so they keep circling around the block. And if there's a light rain, well, don't get me started...

Yes, my kids' school has started up again. That's a whole 'nother issue...

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This reminds me of my neighbor. She puts her husky son in the car and they drive 2 blocks to where the trail starts LOL.

When I go to a hotel I always use the stairs. I never bump into anyone.

This is just one of many ways that American culture is broken, and why policy can be helpful, particularly if that policy isn't captured by the industries looking to profit from our poor eating habits.

I thought California was pretty good as a state but I live in the SF bubble. Apparently, SF only has around 11% obesity rate (best in the state) and it appears to have improved somewhat from 2001-2012. Maybe we should let Lululemon guide our policies.

https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/Documents/PDF/2015/obesityreport-jun2015.pdf

bearister said:

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Please list all counter arguments to Dr. Fauci's position:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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One - let them live with the consequences of trusting a con man as the sole source of truth.

The person who has power is the one everyone views as having power.

calbear93 said:

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bearister said:

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Please list all counter arguments to Dr. Fauci's position:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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One - let them live with the consequences of trusting a con man as the sole source of truth.

The person who has power is the one everyone views as having power.

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Problem is, as long as they can be spreaders, they're a problem for the rest of us as well. We need the whole country vaccinated.

SFBear92 said:

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calbear93 said:

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bearister said:

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Please list all counter arguments to Dr. Fauci's position:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

---

One - let them live with the consequences of trusting a con man as the sole source of truth.

The person who has power is the one everyone views as having power.

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Problem is, as long as they can be spreaders, they're a problem for the rest of us as well. We need the whole country vaccinated.

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Good point. Just enough to get herd immunity.

calbear93 said:

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SFBear92 said:

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calbear93 said:

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bearister said:

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Please list all counter arguments to Dr. Fauci's position:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

---

One - let them live with the consequences of trusting a con man as the sole source of truth.

The person who has power is the one everyone views as having power.

---

Problem is, as long as they can be spreaders, they're a problem for the rest of us as well. We need the whole country vaccinated.

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Good point. Just enough to get herd immunity.

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I would create a financial incentive for vaccination with a sliding scale so that the longer you wait to get it after May (when Biden has instructed the states to go first come first served), the less you get paid.

SFBear92 said:

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calbear93 said:

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SFBear92 said:

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calbear93 said:

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bearister said:

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Please list all counter arguments to Dr. Fauci's position:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

---

One - let them live with the consequences of trusting a con man as the sole source of truth.

The person who has power is the one everyone views as having power.

---

Problem is, as long as they can be spreaders, they're a problem for the rest of us as well. We need the whole country vaccinated.

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Good point. Just enough to get herd immunity.

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I would create a financial incentive for vaccination with a sliding scale so that the longer you wait to get it after May (when Biden has instructed the states to go first come first served), the less you get paid.

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I have a feeling the market will provide these incentives all on its own.

Concern about Republican coronavirus vaccine hesitancy is growing - Axios


https://www.axios.com/concern-republican-coronavirus-vaccine-hesitancy-trump-6220b95e-f334-49c4-ad4f-854d5af6b76b.html

Genuine kudos to Trump for telling his low information cult followers to get the vaccine despite the science.

I agree. It truly surprises me. I wonder how it will be received? One can only imagine that some of his One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest supporters will claim that he sold out.

Did anyone tell tRump the vaccine triggers a 5 year gestation period: