Why Are So Many People in America Fat? page 9

[Scott F]

Well, there are things you didn't see (yes, knowledge does matter) - greater security - security of job, security of medical care, security of affordable education, security of retirement, security of rest etc. For those who don't know, greater security means lesser stress. And yes, stress, chronic constant stress affects every aspect of life, health and weight including.
Seems to be obvious. Why is this not seen or rather not known?
I am always irritated when I hear Americans who wined and dined in Europe (and only that) complain about how horrible and horribly expensive life is in Europe ("coffee is more expensive there" whined some retard).

The problem with this argument is that you a person can hop a short plane ride from fat Miami to Nassau Bahamas and see lean people with six pack abs who probably never exercise on purpose. On the times I was there some of the people hustling drugs on the beaches looked like they've been wearing the same closes for weeks. Yet they looked lean and healthy. They don't have the same securities as we do in the US. I've tried to find what the typical Bahamian diet was but found little on the internet.

[anna5]

The problem with this argument is that you a person can hop a short plane ride from fat Miami to Nassau Bahamas and see lean people with six pack abs who probably never exercise on purpose. On the times I was there some of the people hustling drugs on the beaches looked like they've been wearing the same closes for weeks. Yet they looked lean and healthy. They don't have the same securities as we do in the US. I've tried to find what the typical Bahamian diet was but found little on the internet.

Well, your "they were the same clothes" demonstrates how ignorant you are. In many parts of the world, people tend to were what they like, quite often every day the same. I most certainly did it in my past life. Imagine my shock when one of the first thing I heard was "In America we change clothes every day" (what??? where's freedom?). The reason of course was obvious and predictable - some heavy marketing went probably decades ago into developing of a uniquely American habit. Then I watched the insanity of lunch shopping (at that time some Americans still had lunches) when mobs were attaching department stores grabbing a lot of poorly executed clothes.
I know very little about Bahamas, but I am pretty sure that their lifestyle is entirely different.
A friend once told a story. An American, after many mouths of some corner cubicle living went on vacation, proud of his wealth, power and an ability to enjoy the sun, water and food. Unwealthy locals giggled: they enjoy their sun, water and food year around.
The problem with ignorance is ... well ... ignorance.
It's always the same. Once some genius told me "But in Europe people are poor. Most cars there are small. And many people can't afford cars - they bike." I am not lying. The conversations tool place a decade ago or so.

[Scott F]

You sound like me and so many of my friends. And most people will say "mmmm, thyroid" and there often isn't. People don't get that we feel great and have amazing energy. I do think people like you and I probably ruined our metabolism with chronic dieting and probably for people like us, the issue was more about food sensitivity (IE, going to bet that sugar and grains made us fat). When I fully eliminate processed sugar, fat drains off of me. I honestly think my body just kept inflaming and adding fat to protect itself from a bad food and no amount of dieting without eliminating was going to change that. The good news for me is that I can eat quite a bit of whole foods, calorically if I keep the wheat and sugar out.

In terms of my bodies response to a small amount of wheat and sugar- for my birthday, I gained 7lbs of water that took over a week to get rid of. Now start eating this sugar and wheat daily and your body just keeps ballooning.

Problem is no doctors will ever say "geez, maybe it is something you aren't processing", just an assumption that you are an out of control fat ass. I think gluten and sugar sensitivity are big problems especially for women and would take a bet that if more of the "fat/fit" people fully eliminated those that would take a chunk out of that population.

Living without those two chemicals is SO EASY that it is clear for me that my issue was never calories in/calories out or even a diet too high in carbs. It's a straight up chemical reaction that packs on weight and makes me unhealthy.

Look into Dr Richard Johnson's research. He come to the belief that Metabolic Syndrome is not a disease per say but a natural seasonal response to putting on weight for lean months. There are seasonal foods the trigger animals to put on fat. All these foods do the same thing in that they drive up intracellular uric acid. That uric acid affects the mitochondria ability to produce ATP. It down regulates ATP production making the cell insulin resistant. The brain becomes leptin resistant. It makes the animal want to eat more through the course of the day and to move less in an effort to conserve energy....to put on fat reserves. Picture the stereotypical coach potato.

In humans the primary food that triggers this fat storage response come from fructose. Our ancestors (Grok) had access to fructose sources in summer to late fall in the form of fruits and berries...and maybe honey. It's thought (can't be proven) that the Venus Figurines' head dress from 30,000 years ago (http://www.lessing-photo.com/p2/060101/06010126.jpg) represents a beehive http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/images_download/beehive.gif.

The problem with humans, today, is that we have access to fructose year round from sugar, HFCS in just about everything, fruit year round, and grains like wheat. Wheat is the number one source of fructan (a polymer of fructose). That fructose causes fatty liver (other animals get it too) and uric acid production. Chronic excess production of UA leads to metabolic syndrome. Another major source for uric acid production is brewer's yeast, beer. In their lab Johnson's team put rats on non-alcoholic and they still got the equivalent of a beer belly. When I grew up in the 70s there was no such thing as "lite" beer. Miller came out with Miller Lite and most beer drinkers switched to that for the fewer calories in an effort to not get fat. Looking back, I can't tell that switching to lite beer prevented any beer bellies. All the regular beer drinkers I know have the same beer gut. You don't hear about anyone getting a wine or liquor belly.

You need the enzyme fructokinase to metabolize fructose. Animals and people who lack the genetics to produce fructokinase don't get obese. So that can explain why you might see someone who seems to be able to eat whatever junk food and still not get fat.

Here's Johnson's Bio: RICHARD J JOHNSON, M.D. | Academics | University of Colorado Denver

[Scott F]

Well, your "they were the same clothes" demonstrates how ignorant you are. In many parts of the world, people tend to were what they like, quite often every day the same. I most certainly did it in my past life. Imagine my shock when one of the first thing I heard was "In America we change clothes every day" (what??? where's freedom?). The reason of course was obvious and predictable - some heavy marketing went probably decades ago into developing of a uniquely American habit. Then I watched the insanity of lunch shopping (at that time some Americans still had lunches) when mobs were attaching department stores grabbing a lot of poorly executed clothes.
I know very little about Bahamas, but I am pretty sure that their lifestyle is entirely different.
A friend once told a story. An American, after many mouths of some corner cubicle living went on vacation, proud of his wealth, power and an ability to enjoy the sun, water and food. Unwealthy locals giggled: they enjoy their sun, water and food year around.
The problem with ignorance is ... well ... ignorance.
It's always the same. Once some genius told me "But in Europe people are poor. Most cars there are small. And many people can't afford cars - they bike." I am not lying. The conversations tool place a decade ago or so.

When I say wear the same cloths, anna, I mean wear the same cloths...as in dirty and never washing them.

[anna5]

Scott, when I meant the same clothes, I meant the same clothes.

[Scott F]

Scott, when I meant the same clothes, I meant the same clothes.

So? Yeah I know people around the world have fewer cloths. I'll wear the same jeans days in a row if they are dirty. The guys I'm talking about we're "beach bums" whose cloths looked like they were slep in, dirty, and not washed for weeks. Yet non of these guys look like a malnourished gaunt vegan. They had the build most people strive for

[qqemokitty]

In America we are stressed beyond reason, we hate ourselves for all our imperfections, and we cure these things with cheap, delicious, addictive food.

When it comes to food, I am no different than an alcoholic or a drug addict. My poison is salty delicious fast foods. My behavior is just like that of an addict. Going back for more even when I know it is unhealthy, binging, secret eating, and all of it escalating during times of high stress. Then I try hard to be healthy, and I enter withdrawals. Withdrawal + a high stress incident = return to binging and self hate.

I am not alone in this. I am very, very self aware though, which is a recent thing. I am sure many Americans are in similar self hate / binge / health attempt / failure cycles.