Cost of Food & Obesity Amongst Poorer People

Saturnalia

CLAPTON wrote: »

there is no unhealthy food
only unhealthy diets and unhealthy ways of living.

Very true - moderation is everything.

adouglasmhor

You also have the skinny-fat AKA Metabollicaly Obese Normal Weight. In the healthy weight range but carrying too high a fat ratio. More prone to heart disease or osteo-porosis etc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/skinny-fat_b_1799797.html

adouglasmhor

CLAPTON wrote: »

there is no unhealthy food
only unhealthy diets and unhealthy ways of living.

There are unhealthy foods, there are some foodstuffs for which the recomended intake is zero.

aliasojo

CLAPTON wrote: »

there is no unhealthy food

I would have thought a battered and deep fried mars bar would have come into that category.

pelirocco

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Based on what exactly? No robust trial evidence, it's pure consensus!

Clearly eating fruit and veg is much better for you than processed foods from a scientific perspective, but there is no "should be" about it!

Why should it be either lots of fruit and veg or processed foods ?

We follow a low carb diet at home , husband is diabetic i'm gluten intolerant, This means little fruit ( hi in sugar so therefore high in carbs ), certain veg are better then others carb wise , and rarely eat processed foods . Its not that difficult to eat foods that dont need to be bought from a supermarket. probably very similar to food we were brought up on when we were kids in the 60's ( just less potatoes and no bread )

Loughton_Monkey

breadlinebetty wrote: »

But you haven't explained why rich people tend to be slimmer than poor people?

This one is relatively easy. It is to do with basic intelligence and responsible behaviour.

Those with reasonable intelligence/behaviour are infinitely better placed to get a good job with good pay than stupid and/or irresponsible people. Hence the strong correlation between 'wealth' and 'health' is simply that - a mathematical correlation. It is not 'cause and effect'.

It irritates me in the extreme to see so many 'surveys' and lobby groups try to pretend otherwise. Put simply, they say poor people are unhealthy, so give them more money and they will become more healthy. Absolute rubbish! And rather perversely, this tripe is put about by people not educated enough to understand this. Quite a vicious circle it seems to me.

Miggie

Most cheap food is high in carbohydrate and fat (especially ready meals). High carb = high insulin, which means that food is laid down as fat instead of being used for energy.

Many people can develop insulin resistance as a result adn this leads to more laying down of fat, even on low calorie diets.

This has lead to the phenomenon of severely obese people suffering from malnutrition.

An interesting book about the science of high carbs/obesity is "Why we get fat and what to do about it" by Gary Taubes.

From a personal point of view, I've been on low fat/low calorie diets for years and have just got more and more tired and also more fat. I'm not lazy, stupid or any of the other ignorant and rude things people say. Since cutting out carbs I've lost 2 stones and am still losing.

Kennyboy66

A._Badger wrote: »

unscientific twaddle ?

For example, Americans were eating what the NPs like to call 'junk food' back in the early 1950s, a time when no one but a child rode a bicycle, a gym was for body builders and boxers, food was routinely fried in animal fat, few walked from choice, jogging hadn't been invented.. and yet Americans were thin.

This is largely nonsense.

American consumption of added fats, sweeteners (sugars), refined grains and meat has increased by 40% since the 1950's

source http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.pdf

Weight gain for 99% of people is fairly simple its calories consumed and calories expended.

1960 American male consumed 2200 calories (average)
2000 American male consumed 2700 calories (average).

its really that simple.

adouglasmhor

Miggie wrote: »

Most cheap food is high in carbohydrate and fat (especially ready meals). High carb = high insulin, which means that food is laid down as fat instead of being used for energy.

Many people can develop insulin resistance as a result adn this leads to more laying down of fat, even on low calorie diets.

This has lead to the phenomenon of severely obese people suffering from malnutrition.

An interesting book about the science of high carbs/obesity is "Why we get fat and what to do about it" by Gary Taubes.

From a personal point of view, I've been on low fat/low calorie diets for years and have just got more and more tired and also more fat. I'm not lazy, stupid or any of the other ignorant and rude things people say. Since cutting out carbs I've lost 2 stones and am still losing.

Since I started 5:2 IF I have got over the insulin resistance hump and my metabolism has started to speed back up.

ILW

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

This is largely nonsense.

American consumption of added fats, sweeteners (sugars), refined grains and meat has increased by 40% since the 1950's

source http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.pdf

Weight gain for 99% of people is fairly simple its calories consumed and calories expended.

1960 American male consumed 2200 calories (average)
2000 American male consumed 2700 calories (average).

its really that simple.

The obese will never accept that as it gives them no excuses.