Obesity - Global phenomenon or blown out of purportion?

[Crni Vuk]

Well, the western world is hardly global, or well in that sense it's just a part of the world. 30% of the human population (I think?) is living in the industrialised nations.

Most of the world has probably other problems than obesity.

 

[Stone Cold Robert House]

It seems a lot of people are only considering people who are "chubby" or "out of shape" or "overweight", which can already be problematic and increase risks of health disease, etc. However, the medical term "Obesity" is a much more serious level of food abuse where their dependency on food causes then to no longer be conscious about what they eat. This is an entire different mental mindset and it's a vicious cycle. I don't think it's right to call it a "global phenomenon" (a good chunk of the world would do well if they had more food) but the problem isn't really blown out of proportion either. I wouldn't say being slightly overweight is a disease - it's not "healthy" but it's also not terribly harmful and can be reversed relatively easily. But when we get to actual obesity, there's a definite psychological and physiological change in how your body works - it's not something that's caused by choice, it can happen because a person's parents were careless and made their kids addicted to processed high calorie bullshit. If your parents screw you over weight-wise at a young age, then it takes a lot of effort to overcome that, and it's hard enough to not get bigger if you're already big.

The problem is more social than anything. People are are raised with unhealthy eating habits from a young age. For the first 15 or so years of my life I suffered from the opposite problem and was frequently very underweight, and I'll tell you that even though I took medication for my thyroid every single day (and still do) it was really difficult to get in the habit of eating properly. Not because I didn't want to (in fact I desperately needed to gain that weight) but because changing your habits and adapting your metabolism to them is incredibly difficult; the idea is easy, but the psychology is hard. Even if you have the right mind, internalizing it is a problem. And this is an even bigger problem for people who developed obesity since they were children.

Sure, obesity is a much smaller issue than a lot of diseases and social obstacles in the world, but that's kind of a screwed up analysis, isn't it? Just because it's a relatively "less important" problem doesn't mean we shouldn't dedicate resources to fixing it, as it still kills or lowers the quality of life for many people every day. It's not like promoting healthy eating habits and physical exercise will take time away from fighting cancer or malaria, and if everyone does their part we can make a lot of progress.

 

[Gonzalez]

Most of the world has probably other problems than obesity.

You mean like the contrary to obesity?

Too bad we see it only when the Pope visits Africa or something. You said it yourself, the western world is blind to anything that isn't the western world or western world problems, so the western world IS the entire world for people who live there.

Think about it, there is all this cheap engineered-to-be-delicious food they flood us with, and then all these expensive diet food and diet programs and gyms and fitness devices. It's a whole business around getting people fat and then charging them to loose all the excess fat. It would be easier if the human body got filled on a calorie basis rather than space and we had to stop eating as soon as we had our daily quota, but nature designed us to be the oposite so we could survive periods of food shortage, something that in the 'western world' is inexistent.

 

[Crni Vuk]

We have right now the issue of loosing net neutrality in Germany, Thx to the German Telecom. To make it short, big corporations screwing everyone except themself.

Aparantly not much of a problem. Or at least not really a big concern.

But, even suggest to have the sensible rule to force ALL German canteens/cafeterias to have at least ONE day where absolutely no meat is served, and people start to build barricades and reaching for their pichforks. It's a serious threat to freedom and choice! - As like you can't have all the meat of the world when you're at home.

Most of the world has probably other problems than obesity.

You mean like the contrary to obesity?

Yeah, I agree. That poor child has already to deal with starving and now the pope as well. When will this suffering stop?

 

[zegh8578]

You mean like the contrary to obesity?

Duuude wtf...

That kid needs nutrition, not blessings... only fat, full, happy, wealthy people think like that... it's the same when people go "money doesn't make you happy!", eh, yes. Yes it does. Money makes you a ton more happy than no money, because with no money you sit under a bridge with pneumonia, which I can only assume is a very unhappy situation

Money, food, shelter. They can shove their blessings up their pooper.

 

[Crni Vuk]

No, money doesn't make you happy. Or at least I don't think it does.

But you can just as well be depressed in front of a full fridge like in front of an empty one.

To believe that money can't buy happyness probably isn't wrong. But many think that it means you also don't need money, or that it isn't important. Up the point where they don't have it anymore.

 

[zegh8578]

No, money doesn't make you happy. Or at least I don't think it does.

But you can just as well be depressed in front of a full fridge like in front of an empty one.

To believe that money can't buy happyness probably isn't wrong. But many think that it means you also don't need money, or that it isn't important. Up the point where they don't have it anymore.

That's what I mean. People assume that it imples riches or great wealth. Being a multi-millionaire is probably a hastle, people squander it - or they have to work to maintain it - but having money - at all - is extremely important!
To all cultures except jungle-tribes who barter directly with goods

But to have access to currency is to have access to most joys in life, like clothes, food, shelter - hell, most socializing requires SOME funds!

It's an easy thing to say for those who have the money and take it for granted "money isn't important, friendship and family is!" yeah, try to collect friends while being a homeless hobo

I know I'm nitpicking a bit here...

 

[Gonzalez]

The only thing blown out of proportion here is my belly. Thank you.

 

[Crni Vuk]

No, money doesn't make you happy. Or at least I don't think it does.

But you can just as well be depressed in front of a full fridge like in front of an empty one.

To believe that money can't buy happyness probably isn't wrong. But many think that it means you also don't need money, or that it isn't important. Up the point where they don't have it anymore.

That's what I mean. People assume that it imples riches or great wealth. Being a multi-millionaire is probably a hastle, people squander it - or they have to work to maintain it - but having money - at all - is extremely important!
To all cultures except jungle-tribes who barter directly with goods

But to have access to currency is to have access to most joys in life, like clothes, food, shelter - hell, most socializing requires SOME funds!

It's an easy thing to say for those who have the money and take it for granted "money isn't important, friendship and family is!" yeah, try to collect friends while being a homeless hobo

I know I'm nitpicking a bit here...

Now that you mention it, I read recently that Mojang, the guy behind Minecraft, was complaining about his riches. Like his life has become extremly boring. I thought to may self, I know at least a dozen of people that would change positions with him in an instant.

I mean money, for it self, can not make you less depressed if you're suffering from a condition. Don't think I disagree with you however. We are on the same page. I mean if I had to chose between beeing depressend and poor and depressed and rich, I know what I would chose.

 

[Walpknut]

As a fatty fat fatty I can say that both sides are insuferable. One side is overly judgemental and get into other people's businesses on the guise of "helping them" even ignoring that there is a difference between being fat and being obese and just in general being obnoxious, but the other side is also fucking annoying, "Fat" is apparently a slur to some people now and you have to act like having 3 chins should be considered beauty, some even go as far as to attack healthier people or just naturally skinny people just to make themselves feel better.

I do have a glutten allergy that makes me get bloated when eating white bread, but I also lead a sedentary lifestyle both because of work and because I am a lazy asshole, also I love to eat a lot of things with Glutten and other shit I don't metabolize well so I am basically asking for it. Not morbidly obese but definetly overweight.

 

[TransgenderVaultDeweller]

As a fatty fat fatty I can say that both sides are insuferable. One side is overly judgemental and get into other people's businesses on the guise of "helping them" even ignoring that there is a difference between being fat and being obese and just in general being obnoxious, but the other side is also fucking annoying, "Fat" is apparently a slur to some people now and you have to act like having 3 chins should be considered beauty, some even go as far as to attack healthier people or just naturally skinny people just to make themselves feel better.

I do have a glutten allergy that makes me get bloated when eating white bread, but I also lead a sedentary lifestyle both because of work and because I am a lazy asshole, also I love to eat a lot of things with Glutten and other shit I don't metabolize well so I am basically asking for it. Not morbidly obese but definetly overweight.

Vegans are the WORST, Let me tell you.


Never look up anything vegan on youtube, Bunch of pretentious asswhipes who spread sensationalized misinformation. It's like talking to conspiracy theorist i tell ya.

 

[Walpknut]

My best buddy is a Vegetarian (he eats milk products and eggs too) and he has never lectured me on my weight or anything beyond the occasional fat joke.

 

[zegh8578]

Vegans avoid all animal products, afaik. It's much more "mission"-based than simply not enjoying meat, and with that mission comes their sense of superiority and need to resque all of us degenerate meat eaters from ourselves.

The few times I bothered to argue with one, I had to keep pointing out that I usually eat things other than meat, it's not like I roll in meat, and rub myself in it, but that's what they think.

Again, these are not simply "vegetarians", but they are on a religious/political crusade to save the universe against meat eating/ crusade to destroy all plants, since they clearly are the spawn of satan, and must die.

In fact, one of my funniest debates with one was when I became very existential about what life is, what perception is, and how a plant is a living thing exactly the same, with organs, inner and outer, genders, reproductive cycles - and for all we know - a perception. Flowers can tell between light and dark, cold and hot, they close up when it rains - they are reactive - and it is dismissive to simply declare their reaction to not be as important as animals.
Only one vegan admitted to me that it eventually comes down to emotion - that is, the emotion of the vegan: An animal screams and twitches - a plant dies in silence, and does not bother you with its death.

I love reminding vegans that plants actually stay alive after you chop them up, since their physiology is different from animals. This comforts them - or pisses them off, depending on how they see it :]

 

[Hassknecht]

Doesn't eating stuff with gluten completely wreck your intestine if you have an actual gluten-allergy?
As in, if it's actually coeliac disease you'll ruin your intestine walls if you keep on eating it.

 

[zegh8578]

Doesn't eating stuff with gluten completely wreck your intestine if you have an actual gluten-allergy?
As in, if it's actually coeliac disease you'll ruin your intestine walls if you keep on eating it.

Nonsense!
ALL plants are healthy!
You know why?
Because they are NATURAL

And nature never hurt anybody!

 

[Walpknut]

Doesn't eating stuff with gluten completely wreck your intestine if you have an actual gluten-allergy?
As in, if it's actually coeliac disease you'll ruin your intestine walls if you keep on eating it.

Not necessarily. Some people just get the bloating and constipation without the celiac disease. It's on a scale I think. I still need to take laxatives when eating white bread, I can't even eat Hamburgers often. My mom does have Celiac disease tho, so maybe is just a matter of time. I have actually reduced my gluten intake recently, I still eat lots of vegetables and gluten free whole wheat food so it's not like I just eat Glutten all day.

 

[Crni Vuk]

I honestly believe most of it is all bullshit anyway. Don't eat anything with gluten! Don't even dare to drink something with Aspartame! It's going to kill you. Yeah. Do people actually know that many of those chemical components happen to be in pretty much all of the natural food sources too? I mean it's called organic chemistry for a reason

 

[Walpknut]

Gluten allergy and Intolerance is real. Gluten itself is not harmful to everybody, tho, which is where the misconception comes from

 

[Stone Cold Robert House]

I have a cousin with celiac disease. It's pretty bad. Of course, if you don't have anything of the sort, there's no harm in gluten. Still, though, I'm glad there's such a big push for gluten-free stuff in the market (even if most don't have to worry about it), as it gives more options for people who can't consume it. 20 years ago my cousin had a lot of difficulty finding variety of gluten-free food, nowadays she has as many options as ordinary people.

 

[Crni Vuk]

Gluten allergy and Intolerance is real. Gluten itself is not harmful to everybody, tho, which is where the misconception comes from

Those are rather special and pecuilar conditions though. Some people are allergic to bees and their sting. Doesn't mean they would be some kind of killer insect, well the typical european honey bee that is, don't know how it's for you jungle people (just joking, love your nation Walp, it's where Columbo comes from! )

Without joking though, I don't really see a problem in most food today, as long you're not really allergic to something, where in most cases it would harm you either way, even if all you at was natural food, since gluten happens to be appear in some natural stuff too.