What Cause The Rise of Obesity?

January 9, 2014

• Physical Inactivity – too many machines to do our work?
• Increase availability of high calorie foods?
• Too much cheap fast foods?
• Additives in food supplies such as hormones?
• Our genetic make ups?
• Not enough health education?


UCTVPrime Channel

{ 225 comments… read them below or add one }

fcarter-doreau June 17, 2014 at 6:59 pm

Wow this video is quite depressing… I knew obesity is a huge problem in the US but they break it down in plain black and white. For this reason,(having such a high rate of obesity) is why I don’t understand why Doctors don’t do more work with dietitians. I’m not saying all of the patients would follow or even take it serious but early intervention of this problem is key. And doctors can see these signs early in a lot of cases and they could make it real to people about what they are headed for if they don’t get their weight and/or eating habits under control. When you are diabetic they send you to a dietitian, why not do that before it goes to far. I actually had a doctor that tries the natural approach with medicines and diets before the prescription route, tell me that insurances didn’t want to pay for the dietitians services even when he would give the referral so he had to pay her out of his pocket to work in his office! Ridiculous if you ask me… so much could be prevented or helped with these services. Another reason for the obesity rates could be linked to the high depression rates and vice versa… its a vicious circle.

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Freeman KL January 28, 2015 at 3:07 pm

I agree with you that Dr’s should work more with nutritionist and not just meds. I think the patients working closely with a nutritionist will not only provide knowledge base, but also help hold them accountable.

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Atheroux October 7, 2015 at 10:14 pm

I agree. Some people just do not understand that food can really affect your health.

aellis February 24, 2016 at 11:21 pm

I think Dr’s need to share their daily nutrition plan with their patients so we can kind of have a guide to lean on.

Mwatkins1 March 1, 2016 at 2:18 pm

I agree. I think Drs. should work closely with patients on nutrition. It seems like they are just quick to prescribe meds which is just a quick fix not really a long term solution.

Jlacombe March 2, 2016 at 2:59 pm

Indeed they do need more of a personal interest in each and every patient.

reagonj March 9, 2016 at 2:56 pm

I definitely agree! Some doctors don’t even know much abut nutrition, that is why there are dietitians. They could really help the patients out more and get them on healthier food plans.

kgray5 April 27, 2016 at 6:54 pm

I have to agree with you too. Some people don’t know what is good for them or bad for them and a nutritionist could really help and person with this.

JessyM July 28, 2016 at 9:40 pm

I worked with a nutritionist during my pregnancies to keep my weight gain under control. That is the only time a dr even has mentioned a dietician as a suggestion in my overall health in my 40 years. I know it would help with high cholesterol and high blood pressure in many cases.

vrogers October 1, 2016 at 12:32 am

I agree doctor and nutritionist should work together more often to help with the obesity.

bburks March 7, 2017 at 7:26 pm

Doctors should work with nutritionist more as a first line of defense to combat disease, but in 1964 the doctor’s oath changed from treating patients with nutrition first to medication. You would think a doctor would know that our food can be either our medicine, or our poison.

khoward October 8, 2017 at 3:07 pm

I agree in that physicians should work more closely with the patient in regards to nutrition. The patient should be provided a nutrition plan, have access to a dietitian and be held accountable. A pill might assist for a quick jump start, but is not the solution to a long term issue.

mpurifoy February 1, 2018 at 2:53 pm

I believe it should become a big part of americans life to start visiting a dietician along with going to the doctor. I didn’t realize that doctors could help so much with obesity. Obesity is related to so many health problems that it should be one of the main issues that this country takes up

bcox2 March 1, 2018 at 9:40 pm

I agree with you but its just like prescribing medication to people. they still have to take it. So they can’t force people to eat right. It starts with the person they have to want to do the right thing and eat the right foods. I agree that doctors can educate patients more and they will hopefully make the right choice.

ssmith0817 March 11, 2018 at 11:46 pm

Totally agree, instead of just subscribing the latest diet pill doctors should be more apt to send patients to a dietician or nutritionist to get a subscribed food list.

Cwatkins7091 September 18, 2019 at 12:55 am

We are what we eat and it can have affects on how we feel.

ahenry2551 October 8, 2019 at 4:14 pm

I agree that people should work closely with nutritionists because I think it would help them understand to make better choices and make their life better.

Panda August 29, 2022 at 2:49 pm

I agree with you on that doctors should do more get that far.I mean come on they see the patients obese to the point that it is a health risk, a i know a lot of them dot even say a thing to them about it when they come for check ups.

acrockett6564 September 25, 2022 at 2:47 pm

I agree, I believe when it comes to the kids , it could be because of the diet that was kept while pregnant with the kids. Also some parents work a lot, and choose quick and easy routes to feed the kids.

ctrue February 11, 2015 at 9:48 pm

I agree that nutritionists should be more available to people through their doctors. you would assume that doctors would want to take their oath to help people seriously enough to refer them to the people who can help their patients.

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devans February 16, 2015 at 11:05 am

I agree. Both my parents died from complications of obesity. Both had a regular doctor. The doctor not once addressed the obesity or causes, just the symptoms from the consequences.

DRobinson March 30, 2015 at 3:31 pm

Doctors should work more closely with nutritionist they should also encourage any patient they have suffering with weight problems to see one also, I also think that schools should have a mandatory nutrition class in middle school to help kids suffering with weight problems early on in life.

cpettit8913 April 30, 2015 at 9:15 pm

I bet if they did do that and worked together then we could decrease the rate of obesity. Doctors weigh you everytime you come in, so they can obviously see if you are gaining weight and whether or not it is okay or not. They can have those dieticians intervene and prevent the detrimental obesity from occurring.

saylett October 12, 2015 at 7:36 pm

I totally agree with this statement. Nutritionist should always be available through a person’s family physician. This might control a lot of the obesity we see down here in the south.

Megan moore February 24, 2016 at 11:33 pm

Yeah I agree. This is why I’m studying to become a registered dietician. I want to help people out in anyway possible and help them become better and healthier.

knichole March 1, 2016 at 10:29 am

I can agree, we need to have nutritionists available to help us with what we need to get some weight off of us. We as a country need take better pride in ourselves.

AToney86 March 11, 2016 at 12:37 am

I agree every doctor should team up and work with a nutritionist, but on the other hand I have seen a doctor hand a list of foods to stay away from to their patient and the patient totally disregarded the list and went straight from the doctor to eating the unhealthy crap that was on that list. So it’s really up to us to eat healthy and find healthy alternatives to our unhealthy food choices.

thicks July 6, 2016 at 10:03 pm

I agree with this statement! Nutritionists should be easily available and readily recommended by doctors.

dhutchens October 3, 2016 at 3:44 pm

I agree. There is so much to know about how and what to eat. So having contact with a nutritionist would be a huge benefit.

Aflores1965 October 6, 2016 at 12:39 am

I definitely agree with you.

awood February 9, 2017 at 12:04 am

I agree, most doctors just want to do the least amount of work possible. They diagnose you by just sitting there looking at you without even doing any tests hardly. If you find a good doctor that cares about what’s best for you keep them because they are hard to find.

mfranklin1` March 11, 2017 at 12:22 pm

And it doesnt help that healthy food is so much more expensive than junk food.

mjones13 March 11, 2017 at 9:41 pm

I’d think that doctors would at least have some reading material to give patients or at least be able to recommend some.

Autumn Donleytumn October 10, 2017 at 11:55 am

It’s like all doctors want to do is prescribe medicine and move to the next patient.

swhite1 October 11, 2017 at 11:32 pm

Some doctors just push whatever drug on a patient that can get them the most profit. Now, not all are like this but I do think doctors should be REQUIRED to take more nutrition courses than they are now. Food should be medicine, not pharmaceuticals.

H.Robinson February 24, 2018 at 1:59 pm

Agreed. Most of our health deals with our guts and what we eat. Doctors should always be available to readily discuss with a RD as to how to treat gut issues with patients.

stephanie rogers March 7, 2018 at 3:46 pm

I agree as well. It seems like doctors are truly caring less and less about their patients. They might give them a few pointers and that’s about it, it doesn’t seem like they really stress it like they should.

abane June 27, 2018 at 11:52 am

So true. Its depressing that doctors would rather hide the information the patients need just to keep them coming back.

mwilson98 June 27, 2018 at 10:29 pm

I do agree because people should have the option of being healthy or be obese.

MandyL777 June 28, 2018 at 12:09 am

I agree in that people and doctors alike do not take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that nutritionists have and all the ways they could help us and our family’s health just by dietary changes. I would love to work in the field of nutrition just to see how much people benefit in numerous ways just from the simplest changes.

Keri Watson October 2, 2018 at 8:03 pm

I do agrre that it should be easier to talk to a nutritionist. But you cant help those who don’t want help. Honestly our nation is full of lazy people who do not care.

LogozzoM October 10, 2018 at 11:16 pm

I agree. I believe if people had the resources of a nutritionist they would utilize it and it could benefit them. As sad as it sounds, America looks for convenience rather than healthy. Convenience and cheap, which is food that is not good for you.

hmbower February 28, 2022 at 5:49 pm

I agree. Nutritionist and dieticians should be more available to patients through their doctors especially the way some hound their patients about their weight.

Demetric.Jennings2061 July 1, 2015 at 11:00 pm

i agree with you fcarter, it’s quite sad that someone could let their obesity run over to that far and still not take action. It’s sad that people do not want to exercise and take part in becoming all that their body can be.

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mcash97 January 25, 2016 at 5:27 pm

people just eat until they are full and way beyond or eat too much fast food which is all carbs and calories. People need to take action when they notice the weight gain.

tclift23 February 22, 2016 at 1:46 pm

Its all a mindset that people need help trying to find. The mindset that you truly feel better after you exercise. Its not always fun but after its over your glad you did it.

IReagan February 27, 2016 at 1:53 pm

I agree, it’s frustrating to see overweight people continue to go down the path that caused their obesity. I feel that we’re so used to quick fixes for everything, one would rather ignore their bad health rather than fuel their body with nutrients and partake in some physical activity. Obesity holds you back from so many things that your body is capable of, it really is sad.

bjohnson October 1, 2016 at 2:18 pm

Eating until you are full is the exact reason that many people are obese. I read in an article that if you eat until you are full then you are already over eating.

jreyes August 28, 2015 at 10:08 pm

Yea, this video is the biggest eye-opener yet! And as for the the insurances not covering the the dietitians is all politics!! I believe the reason is because as he said in the video all these health problems make 75% medical costs…..if the population gets well through learning the proper and healthy eating habits and foods then they would be losing money!!

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abrewer2016 October 5, 2016 at 9:10 pm

It’s really sad the way that the world works. That they would rather everyone be obese because they’re scared of it costing them money.

ckilpatrick October 10, 2016 at 3:59 pm

I agree! Why lose that profit? How pathetic that It has come to this. Hurting our fellow americans all for the money! Its pitiful.

sdegler March 6, 2018 at 6:59 pm

I agree that this video is a real eye-opener. I also did not know that insurances doesnt cover dietitians. I agree one hundred percent with your reason on why they dont cover it.

ANowlin March 2, 2022 at 9:11 am

I agree with you, this video was really eye-opening and almost dauntingly sad. I could not believe my eyes when he said that the health problems that obesity comes with make-up 75% of medical costs. The other fact that scared me was when he pointed out the president saying that those diseases were more of a threat to the developing world than diseases like cholera.

RebeccaBeck August 30, 2015 at 3:21 am

I could not agree more with you. Pharmaceuticals for weight loss in many cases are just a short term solution. Many people I have seen regain any weight they lost and then some. It is a shame that insurance companies make it easier to get medication than a gym membership. That will never make sense to me.

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lefj1979 February 24, 2016 at 5:06 pm

it’s all about the money. point blank!

Averyel85 October 30, 2016 at 9:24 pm

Yes it is all about the money! Just think about how many Americans are on some type of prescription just from something obesity related. The Pharmaceutical companies would lose so much money if everyone lost weight and got healthy.

Jadamson February 2, 2017 at 1:17 pm

I agree. I think that insurance companies should pay for gym memberships, because so many things would change. Especially if the insurance companies offered some kind of incentive for going. I admit that I am one of those who have a gym membership, but when I get busy I will go months without going!

Kmclane1426 September 5, 2015 at 5:56 pm

I agree!! But I think also that the world is selfish any more. Everyone is more about the dollar they can make than helping people get better naturally without medications, etc. I see it more and more all the time. But it’ not just the doctors that need to help. Parents with children need to teach them at a young age what healthy eating is. It’s ok to have the bad stuff every now and then but not in a consumption.

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annadannelle October 5, 2015 at 12:35 pm

I could not agree more. I also believe that parents could help prevent obesity in their kids too. Parents are not teaching or setting an example on good health.

acgill February 28, 2016 at 9:52 pm

I agree with you, it is important to start teaching about healthy eating at an early age. I also agree about the world being selfish. It is all about money, unfortunately.

KatelynOstrem October 5, 2017 at 10:30 pm

I agree that people do need to teach their children young. And treats are very tempting but I think if the media did not portray them as a snack, people would not eat so much of them in excess.

Kfalcone June 11, 2018 at 10:14 pm

I agree with that. Parents need to teach there children when they are young. If they start out eating healthy then they will be more likely to stay healthy. Yes, it is OK to indulge every now and then but they must know the difference.

EWalters October 9, 2015 at 10:42 am

The problem is that people won’t follow their doctor’s advice. Trust me on this. I am an ICU nurse, and I (and the doctor’s I work with) are constantly educating our patients about the risks of obesity and how to live a healthier lifestyle. The general population of people we work with simply do not care. They refuse to take responsibility for their own health. The same with prescriptions for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, etc. We tell them how to correct the issue without having to take prescription drugs, but they refuse to make even the slightest attempt to take control of their own health.

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aekwelle January 18, 2016 at 5:17 pm

I agree when I watch that TV show My 600lbs Life and how some of them make excesses on how the could not lose the weight for some reason even after they get the surgery it makes me mad. Some people have just become lazy about their body.

EPUGH September 16, 2016 at 12:46 pm

The hospital that I worked at gave people soda, as much as they wanted as long as they didn’t have diabetes or were NPO… The last thing people need while laying in a hospital bed for days is an overload of soda… We had juice and milk also but of course most people wanted soda… If you want people hydrated and to get better give them IV fluids or water and a limit on juice. Just seemed a little wild to me. Not all patients were obese obviously but does soda benefit anyone?

drandle October 5, 2016 at 3:44 pm

This is sad that people can’t help themselves when someone is trying to help them. I think that is really great you and your coworkers try and make suggestions for ways to not have to take prescription drugs. I hope y’all keep trying because you’re helping someone out there!

Aflores1965 October 6, 2016 at 12:40 am

So true, people don’t follow the doctor advice at all.

lmehalic March 5, 2018 at 9:58 pm

I couldn’t agree with you more! Personally, I believe if it takes hard work people are done trying or easily going to point the finger at you for not helping them. People cannot seem to understand there isn’t an easy way to diet or lose weight.

ggilb23 October 11, 2023 at 3:35 pm

I agree, many people seem to be against following the doctor’s orders but I also feel like with junky/fast food being cheaper most people have to be on a budget and have fast food 24/7, I’ve noticed more people going to Mcdonalds then buying the healthy options to make themselves a healthier option.

pharvey February 5, 2016 at 7:03 pm

I agree with you. I believe that obesity is the underlying problem to a lot of health issues today. If the doctors would address that issue first and not pay so much attention to all the other problems that are coming along with it, these people could possibly find the results more pleasing and helpful.

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lmitchell March 2, 2016 at 8:12 pm

I do agree that if the obesity was addressed along with the problem and not just doctors writing a prescription for the quick fix, people would be better off and a lot healthier. The obesity goes along with the metabolic problems, so they do have to be addressed. However, it’s like we discussed in the diabetes content, diet and exercise are very important to keeping that under control. Seems like that thought process would work for other issues that go with obesity as well.

mhigginbotham March 6, 2017 at 10:20 am

I agree with you Aflores. People dont want to follow the doctors orders because they are stubborn have their eating habits they would have to break. Of course thats to hard. I read a stat the other day more than 70% of americans over the age of 18 are overweight. Thats sad.

mcunningham February 23, 2016 at 9:21 pm

I COMPLETELY agree with you. We always depend on medicines when we are sick or overweight. But, in all honestly we can self medicate naturally by eating right and exercising. I also agree that if we just went to a dietician before we had diabetes or got close people would have a lesser chance of developing diabetes.

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sparrish February 28, 2016 at 12:45 am

Very Scary. “Metabolic Syndrome”??? The Perfect Storm. This video had my total attention. I am diabetic. Really made me stop and think. I went to a dietician … I was sooooooo not impressed. I have to rely on self-education about nutrition.

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vgibson March 1, 2016 at 7:59 pm

Wow that’s crazy. We all know how insurance runs everything… So maybe that’s why doctors don’t that route, because insurance won’t cover it. So maybe if insurance would include a dietician appointment for assessment and what ever interventions needed part of their yearly requirements maybe then we would see the numbers start turning around. Another major problem with obesity is denial. Many people get very offended and defensive when the doctor brings up their weight or their child’s weight. I hear it all the time, people always say “We are just big boned. We can’t help it, it is in our genetic make-up.”.

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Cbrown1900 March 1, 2016 at 10:02 pm

Good point, I think doctors should take a different approach to obesity, but the sad fact is they won’t because for most doctors it benefits their pockets more when their patients are not healthy versus if they are healthy.

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Bsossamon June 30, 2016 at 2:26 pm

Doctors can’t change a persons eating habits. The person must decide to change their lifestyle. In today’s society, people are not at home taking care of themselves. They are out running from event to event.

hlong1 September 14, 2016 at 1:06 pm

I agree with you Bsossamon. I don’t think doctors can change a persons eating habits but they can point them in the right direction to get healthier.

DHarrington June 30, 2016 at 3:20 pm

Right? Exactly why aren’t the doctors working closer with dietitians and being trained in nutrition for early intervention of these problems? This seriously blows my mind.
Nutrition doesn’t make money they way pharmaceutical meds do. If we didn’t have these diseases because everyone was eating properly, the doctors and the pharmacy’s wouldn’t be getting paid..
Just a little something to chew on.

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Ashleigh Wiggins July 5, 2016 at 11:06 pm

I agree! The whole system is messed up. If we all knew how to heal and fuel ourselves naturally without medication the pharmacy’s would be out of business, they cant have that now can they.

esmith October 11, 2023 at 8:32 pm

I agree doctors should work closer with dietitians and figure out things to do early on then waiting until it’s to late.

Molly Harvey September 7, 2016 at 3:01 pm

It is sad to say, but as a nurse I see patients every day that are in end stage renal or congestive heart failure. These patients do require very specialized diets limiting protein or salt intake, fluid restrictions, etc… I have heard so many times how they wish they would have been more diligent managing their diabetes, or watched their weight, but usually by the time I get them, it is too late.

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Angelena essary September 30, 2016 at 11:31 pm

I agree. Such a depressing thought of obesity. People need to see the signs and get the help before the problems come.

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MeagonPorter October 5, 2016 at 11:40 am

I agree. A majority of nutritional issues could be prevented with some education.

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afriedl October 5, 2016 at 4:51 pm

Don’t forget about exercise! A sedentary lifestyle is a huge factor in obesity as well!

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ltutt October 6, 2016 at 9:45 am

I agree I think that it would be more beneficial if doctors would send patients to dieticians more often than just prescribing medicine for weight loss.

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Pauffmomma March 3, 2017 at 8:22 pm

It’s easy to place all the blame on just ourselves but finances have slot to do with a persons diet as well

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ameiklejohn October 3, 2019 at 3:58 pm

I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s to the point that if you don’t have money then you eat cheap stuff which is not healthy for you like fast food or hot dogs. People that have money can buy organic and healthy foods.

Natalie Fusilier October 11, 2017 at 9:14 pm

I agree. Obesity rates have spiked, and I believe that doctors need to refer more patients to a nutritionist. It is very easy in today’s society to over consume calories, and not eat a balanced diet.

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stroxel October 12, 2017 at 12:13 am

You’re definitely right, it is a vicious cycle. A healthy lifestyle improves mental health, but as he said our busy lifestyles just don’t allow time for food. Healthy foods need to be dispersed better throughout the world.

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Lcatlett October 12, 2017 at 12:15 am

I think the idea of a doctor working with a nutritionist or dietitian is definitely a great start and a move in the right direction! We need to figure out a way to curve this obesity trend we have going on. Obesity is becoming a major problem in America, and can be prevented with the right motivation from the beginning.

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emartinez1 March 4, 2018 at 6:48 pm

Doctors are required to take a nutrition class in their line of study, but they usually don’t like it. Doctors are trying to get out having to take those classes because they don’t want to see the correlation of food and diseases. Sadly though it also has to do with money. The less patients you have the less money you get is what they see when stuff like this comes up.

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asmith March 6, 2018 at 4:50 pm

agree!

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smcneely24 March 7, 2018 at 8:00 pm

I completely agree, if steps were taken before it got out of hand there would be less cases of obesity.

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hubence September 22, 2018 at 8:51 pm

I agree. I have recently been working with doctors helping treat my grandmother who has dementia. In this case the doctors want to use the dietitians, but they are not taking referrals or insurance just won’t cover it. Seems that even if you find a good doctor who knows about the importance of nutrition, the medical systems itself does not value the importance of such a practice. (Which is ridiculous!)

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agolleher October 1, 2018 at 12:12 pm

You are 100% right that doctors should work more with dietitians/nutritionists, because I’ve noticed how quickly the doctor is to prescribe meds before even suggesting a lifestyle change. If the med completely fixes their problem, then the patient won’t see a need in the lifestyle change that their body so desperately needs. Its rough to watch as a nurse, but I see it every single day.

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ageorge5 October 1, 2018 at 10:01 pm

I believe that America needs more nutrition information and use it to help heal people. It is scary to think that obesity is just the beginning of our health issues. I genuinely believe that if we started to understand what we eat that it would begin to change this epidemic.

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LogozzoM October 10, 2018 at 3:39 pm

I found it to be depressing as well. I agree that the cheapness in unhealthy foods and the social environment plays a huge role in obesity and why it’s on the rise in America.

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Adiehl October 3, 2019 at 11:31 am

You did a very excellent comment. I agree with you I do not really watch what I eat and I do not eat the healthiest but I still run and exerciser every once in a while to make sure I am staying remotely health. I know genetics is a major problem but I think anyone can control their weight if they work hard enough.

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jicaldw October 11, 2019 at 5:44 pm

I agree Doctors can do a lot more collaborating, but patients have to be willing to make the change within.

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AAtkin2020 October 5, 2020 at 9:25 pm

I agree with you completely. As a nursing student, I see a lot of this. Most doctors do not spend the quality time with their patients that they should and that is definitely step one of preventing this problem in the US.
Doctors go into the job wanting to help people, but only few actually help anything. Nurses take on a lot of the grunt work and doctors spend all but five minutes with their patients. On a personal level, doctors want to go for the prescription route before anything else, especially with newer generations of MDs.

AAtkin2020

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Mholyfiel March 1, 2022 at 10:01 pm

I believe that it is also a responsibility of parents raising children to teach them healthy habits and how to choose healthy foods.

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pbridges9020 June 14, 2014 at 11:46 am

Wow!! I grew up in the 70’s and I always thought only of calories and fat, Eat less calories and loss weight! It is sad to know that other countries are learning bad habits for us. It is true! Times have changed, our family always had meals at home, my mother cooked Breakfast, fixed lunch for school and we ate at the table as a family, we could not watch TV until after dinner and only for 1 hour and I remember running outside catching lightening bugs. When it was time for bed we were ready and had all the exercise we needed. Now with Entertainment not needing any movement except our hands, ipads, smartphones combined with all the fast foods places that have internet access. I feel that Exercise or Lack of is a Big factor! Just think no exercise except our hands how does anyone expect to burn calories. Get fit or stay fit.

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kbennett February 23, 2015 at 4:49 pm

That’s why kids need to get involved in sports at a young age. Parents need to take the time to work out whether its play sports or walking around the track with their kids for outdoor activities to be more fit. We need to make better choices in our food habits & being more active. Kids learn by what their parents do.

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Lindsey Thompson September 30, 2015 at 6:37 pm

I agree that times have completely changed. Kids have no interest in physical activity they can just play games on the new technology.

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Jgaines October 5, 2016 at 9:09 pm

This is so true. I am only 21 and even 10 years ago I remember running outside with my cousins or constantly moving with sports in school. My mom made breakfast and after she got off at five in the evening she was at home cooking. We almost always ate as a family. Parents now do not make their children be active outside of the house. All kids know today is youtube ,and playing Xboxes ,and watching tv.

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mpearce June 6, 2014 at 8:59 pm

Wow. That’s amazing that metabolic syndrome will have greater ramifications than infectious diseases have ever had, or that’s how I understood it. They are saying that average weight people have similar risks of metabolic syndrome. I would guess that a lot of thin people don’t get the exercise they need or eat the right foods either. Pretty spooky stuff. This makes me want to eat nothing but salad for a week…

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ctrue February 11, 2015 at 9:52 pm

Every time I watch a video that involves the obesity epidemic it scares me almost to the same “nothing but salad for a week” stage.

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amandap20 October 4, 2016 at 4:48 pm

I am the same way. It makes me get in those moods where I wanna eat less and really healthy.

Pauffmomma March 3, 2017 at 8:24 pm

Most of us could use more exercise in or day to say activity’s

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sparks June 4, 2014 at 11:54 am

I think that the reason for the rise in obesity is because of our fast paced lives. We are always on the go and don’t really have time to cook at home all the time. So, we just go get fast food because it is faster and easier. And every where you turn around, there are fast food restaurants. Everyone also eats fast food so much because its cheap. I think that this is the reason for the rise in obesity.

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sboyett February 25, 2015 at 9:39 am

I totally agree. I think that the fast paced lives we live now is the main reason for obesity. It is so much faster and cheaper to grab fast food or prepackaged or frozen meals. Many people have to commute to work 1 to 2 hours added on to their work day and when they get home they have ball games, etc.. to attend. It just takes so much time to plan and cook nutritious meals and its just so much faster to pick up something on the way home. Its not that eating nutritious is impossible…it just takes planning.

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NvrLandon March 3, 2015 at 10:39 pm

I agree with you here. I work 7 days a week and by the time i get home its time to get homework done and get ready for bed not cooking a nice meal. Fast food is easy and fast, so it’s always the go to choice.

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ywilson June 16, 2015 at 9:47 am

I agree. I know my life is very fast paced. Sometimes it’s cheaper for my family to eat out, instead of cooking, and by the time we get home from our busy day, it’s to late to cook.

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swhitfield February 27, 2016 at 9:33 pm

I totally agree!! Fast paced lives, lead to fast food for sure. And what is so sad is that innocent children are also having to suffer from their parents choices, like the 6 month old baby with obesity??? Like seriously? Now that is ridiculous. I remember when I worked at a restaurant when I was a teenager and I took the order of a family who were all obese, mother father and 2 children that could not have been more old than maybe 11- 12 years. They ALL ordered TRIPLE cheeseburgers (like most fattening/unhealthiest thing on the menu) even the kids!!! For me, it makes me wonder what the parents are thinking letting their kids eat that. Its one thing for you to have a bad habit, but it’s another for you to push it on your kids. Just like someone said previously kids learn from their parents.. We are literally sabotaging our young as well!!! No wonder its such a huge issue. 🙁

Pauffmomma March 3, 2017 at 8:25 pm

I deal with this on a daily as well. It’s so hard with our lives being so fast paced

Mwatkins1 March 1, 2016 at 3:25 pm

I totally agree. Everything is easier and faster to just go thru drive thru. Ive found it easier to do meal preps to help from making bad decisions.

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kglasgow June 7, 2016 at 2:14 pm

I totally agree. Everyone is always too busy to slow down and enjoy a home cooked meal.

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ppendergrass June 13, 2016 at 10:02 pm

My family and I always eat as a family, but are also on the go majority of our time. I came to realize this past year that it was time to slow down. My husband and I are both veterans, so we were so use to being on the go, that we didn’t think of how it would effect our toddlers. They love to be on the go just like us, so what is the problem??? It took some time, but I have now forced our new routine to be home before 4pm and have all home cooked meals. We have all loved the new routine, and are much happier with it. My husband and I will occasionally drift from this for breakfast or lunch, but we no longer take our children down with us. I say that is a huge improvement in any aspect.

wevans June 21, 2016 at 5:05 pm

The price we are paying for not slowing down is far greater than the benefits of the speed and convenience we get from fast food.

Ashleigh Wiggins July 5, 2016 at 11:10 pm

Its pretty ridiculous that fast food is so cheap. To eat healthy your gonna have to be willing to spend a little money because produce is so overpriced. I cannot blame a tired mother of three for picking up fast food if thats all she can afford. Something has to be done so we can afford to eat and make healthy choices.

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wmccoy3365 October 8, 2019 at 9:22 am

I have to agree with you. With having family and having extra outings with sports and it being late most people will just grab something on the way home. I try not to do this but when its 8:30 at night on a school night and just heading home from a sports event it would be 11 before you ate supper.

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zreilly October 6, 2020 at 9:13 pm

I totally agree with your point and I also thinks its because more jobs require you to sit still for hours on end without any moving around or exercise.

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Sdecker May 30, 2014 at 3:48 pm

I definitely understand that obesity is on the rise because the fact is, it is way too easy to go to a fast food restaurant, drive through the drive thru, and eat all in about 5-10 minutes. This video shares so much truth about what people need to consider when they don’t care about what they eat. Yet, it is not difficult to see that most of Americans do not exercise. They hardly go outside anymore! We all need to remember how important exercise is. Even something so simple as a walk around the neighborhood can help.

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Pauffmomma March 3, 2017 at 8:26 pm

There are allot of factors that lead us to obisity or lives when and how we easy and finances

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pharrell7786 May 2, 2014 at 8:01 pm

did anyone know that if fast food industries were charged for the additives in the food then a dollar cheeseburger would cost 35 dollars

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dberryhill March 6, 2015 at 6:14 pm

Yea it is ridiculous what all is actually in a McDonald’s “all beef” cheese burger.

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pharrell7786 May 2, 2014 at 7:59 pm

The fast food industry isn’t helping with obesity because of the advertisement of a cheap fast meal.

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Sdecker May 30, 2014 at 3:52 pm

this is so true. but it takes will power from individuals to not want to take that easy road.

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ywilson June 16, 2015 at 9:49 am

This is so true. I found that eating out everyday was not helping my diabetes. I gained to much weight.

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lmanning June 23, 2015 at 2:59 pm

I agree but as much as I hate to say I do love my Mcdonalds french frys.

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eramsey4317 March 8, 2017 at 12:48 am

They specifically target children as well with adding toys to their happy meals that are cheap and easy to get. I think it’s important to teach children healthy eating habits early on.

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bkulis March 21, 2014 at 7:20 pm

The reason that many people are obese is because they don’t have self control. Yes, there are terribly healthy foods and they do contribute to obesity. But a lot of it is lack of self control.

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Darius2 March 2, 2016 at 12:06 am

Self control is usually the last thing on a child’s mind when their eating; but that is where it starts. Learning healthy eating habits as a child is the best way to prevent obesity and reinforce healthy life style choices.

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alec_young2 July 3, 2016 at 7:19 pm

I do agree that self control is usually a role player in one’s status of whether or not they are obese. However, this is not always the case. Unfortunately, some people are born with insufficient metabolic rates, thyroid issues, steroid imbalances, and many other problems that can lead to unintended weight gain.

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Jallinson90 March 6, 2017 at 4:00 pm

I agree that a lot of people lack of self control. I also think that the corporations prey off of those people. Most people’s eyes light up when they believe they’re getting some sort of deal. And when they’re informed that they could “supersize” their meal for an extra 43 cents, I doubt many would give it a second thought. If people valued their health as much as they valued what they saw as “getting more for less,” we likely wouldn’t be in this situation.

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MCogburn3 March 9, 2014 at 9:27 pm

Mind-boggling for sure~!! Perfect way to end the video, metabolic dysfunction of the majority, even in developing countries?!! O.o This video blew my mind~!! Just Wow~ …

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Aowens March 5, 2014 at 11:59 pm

I work at a restaurant and I see people come in all the time who are very much overweight and then sit down and order cheese fries, dessert, milkshakes, etc. I honestly don’t get it. Why would anyone wanna be that unhealthy and most likely unhappy with the way they look. You can enjoy healthy foods too. Everyone should have to watch these videos.

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lbabb1 February 16, 2015 at 7:15 pm

For real! It grosses me out and makes me sad when people sit down and continue to make themselves bigger and more unhealthy. I agree everyone should be exposed to these videos!

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awagner March 5, 2014 at 11:22 pm

About 6 years ago, I went to Chile for about 2 weeks. One thing that I noticed after only a few days was that there was very few obese people. Everyone seemed to be in pretty good shape. Now, there are obvious reasons, 1 being that Chile has different landscapes, so they can’t grow certain foods. That being said, 1 thing I saw a lot of people doing was exercising. Biking was very popular there, especially around mountain, or coastal towns. I think that’s something many American’s don’t do, is exercise. I feel like that could help greatly with the obesity problem.

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bsonger March 5, 2015 at 7:56 pm

That is very interesting. I think that if America made most cities bike friendly and so on that it may help with obesity. When I lived in Fayetteville, you could get anywhere on a bike and that kept everyone excercising bc biking was so in there.

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Natasha Toudouze March 5, 2014 at 9:06 pm

Its eye opening to read or even watch videos like this about obesity because its such a huge problem here and it would help if it didn’t cost so much to eat healthier too.

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RAPAPM September 30, 2016 at 12:49 pm

It makes you want to rethink your eating habits and your right, If it wouldn’t cost so much to eat healthy, we probably wouldn’t have obesity as bad as we do.

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csmart January 22, 2017 at 7:15 pm

I agree that more people would eat healthier if it cost less but I also believe the person has to make a life choice to want to lose the weight and be healthier. a cheeseburger may be cheaper than a salad but its worth more to choose the salad in my opinion.

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cosborne March 5, 2014 at 7:47 pm

When i was younger, the only choices we had for free time was going outside to play or have an after school activity. There was none of this stay inside on the computer all day or play video games. We are so inactive so there is no weight loss happening.

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ywilson June 16, 2015 at 9:53 am

That is so true. We couldn’t stay in the house and play, my parents would make us go outside and run around. It’s funny how times have change.

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wvandiver October 5, 2015 at 9:10 pm

Exactly. In addition, Mom was in the kitchen cutting up fresh veggies and preparing meat that had not been injected with chemicals. Eating out was almost unheard of–except for pot luck suppers at the church once a month. Change is not always for the better, is it?

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Ashleigh Wiggins July 5, 2016 at 11:12 pm

All the kids do now is stay inside playing on their phones or video games. There is no physical activity anymore like it was back then. I remember riding my bike all summer for miles as a child and now you barley see kids riding bikes. Its pretty sad.

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Peyton Blackerby July 6, 2016 at 10:49 pm

Agreed. I have noticed that since I was in grade school vs now the recess time has decreased gradually over the years too. Its just an all around problem that some people refuse to address.

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cosborne March 5, 2014 at 7:46 pm

One of the main reasons i feel america is obese is because of the rise in technology and the prices in foods. We can choose to either drink water or soda but because water is 2.50 and soda is 99cents which do you think society will choose. Same with big mac or salad. Salad is almost 5 dollars while a bigmac is almost 3

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MSmith March 5, 2014 at 4:49 pm

I think video games have taken the place of going outside and playing. P.E. at the schools isn’t what it used to be and what happened to recess? When I was in school we had these things. The only time kids get exercise now is when their hands are moving on the control. Also portion size has increased in fast food and cafe’. Most children are encouraged to clean their plate. We see more unhealthy foods and the cause of obesity is out of control. This video was packed with information, however, I’ve seen so many ways to help control it and parents see what they want.

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ethacker March 5, 2014 at 1:42 pm

I agree that a huge issue in obesity is fast food. Today 90% of people are always on the go and eat fast food because it is fast to make and fast to eat. I myself am guilty of this as well, but a lot consume too many calories and don’t exercise enough. It is mentioned that p.e. in schools is not common anymore, I know when I took p.e. in grade school we never did anything.

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iramirez March 5, 2014 at 12:23 pm

Obesity is definitely a serious issue many health problems come along with it. It is sad to see people let themselves go I understand others gain weight because of health issues but surely they can do something to not get to be so big. I feel bad for them because I can just imagine how tough it is to live an unhealthy life and then having to change your eating habits to become healthier.

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ckuhn March 5, 2014 at 12:27 am

I know we all need to stay away from fast food but eating healthier and the healthier restaurants do cost more. And most of the time take more time. I agree with others that mcdonalds is so convenient and most people are always rushing or need something quick and thats what sounds easy and cheap. And not to mention how many mcdonalds we have just in our town. I will honestly say my parents didn’t raise my siblings and I by letting us get a happy meal everyday. My mom steered clear from all of that. I really do hate seeing adults feeding their children fast food and cokes all the time. The coke really bothers me because you could give the child water or milk and would have no other effect. I do understand at an older age having a coke every once in awhile but not all the time and at a young age. That is right there teaching the kid bad habits. Also fast food and sit down restaurants is also a social outing for Americans. I eat with my friends all the time just because on the weekends we always want to go get dinner. And most of my friends don’t eat healthier. So maybe trying more social dinners at each others house and including healthier meals could help this situation out.

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ckuhn March 5, 2014 at 12:28 am

NOT letting us get happy meals everyday****

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Natasha Toudouze March 5, 2014 at 9:07 pm

That’s a good idea to try eating at each others houses and making healthier meals.

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wbukowski March 4, 2014 at 8:48 pm

It’s crazy how in the last 30 years the population has gotten fatter and really unhealthy. It makes sense that the lifestyles we are currently making are bad. Also, our lives have gotten easy, such as most people have riding lawn mowers and we seem to be getting lazier along with not eating the correct portions.

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chobbs March 4, 2014 at 7:13 pm

I hate that any converation about obesity often includes some mention of McDonalds. It is unfair to blame the obesity epidemic on fast food restaurants, especially McDonals, who often takes the blame. Nobody controlls what goes into our bodies except for ourselves. In the fast paced world we live in, it is often difficult to make healthy food choices on the go. However, there are no excuses! Anyone is capable of prepping a meal and placing it in a lunch box. Also, many argue that genetics play a huge factor, and this is true. However, it still is not an excuse. Most likely, the problem is- that individual inherited their eating habits from thier parents and that is where the soul problem lies.

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Katarina Lazic March 3, 2014 at 3:02 pm

I found this video very interesting. People tend not to pay attention to what they eat. They just want it fast, and cheap. Although, those foods tend to be the worst for you. They have a lot of calories and a lot of bad fat, as well.
People need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and not to eat fast food and processed foods.
I believe if people just ate things they needed to, we wouldn’t have so much obesity.

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atoney January 27, 2017 at 1:36 pm

I agree with you.

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atoney January 27, 2017 at 1:38 pm

This video made me cringe. Just the thought of what we are doing to ourselves just by doing the one thing that we have to do to survive. It is sickening. We need to offer nutrition classes to children in elementary/high school. Something needs to be done to address this problem.

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jostie March 2, 2014 at 7:32 pm

We eat these foods because not only is McDonalds cheap but its convenient. There is a McDonalds close my school, close to my home, and there are many between the two.

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dgray January 29, 2015 at 7:49 am

exactly, everyone is looking for convenience! the fact that I cant think of 1 restaurant near me that actually sells healthy food is sad. Another thing to add is if there were any restaurants near me that did have healthy foods, would it be able to stay open because the costs are so much more when purchasing healthier foods.

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cgreene March 2, 2014 at 2:43 pm

“The only Dogma is, there is none”, I love that statement. I get so frustrated with my friends who won’t get a piece of cake or a candy bar because they think it’s going to kill them. I always say, eat what you like in moderation. No one should have to completely avoid foods that they desire especially sweets. Just eat it in moderation and be physical and not lax as the video exclaims. Avoid stress, get proper sleep and have a healthy environment just as you strive for biological health.

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autumnd October 15, 2017 at 2:10 pm

It is a good idea to allow yourself a treat every once in a while.

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beasterling March 1, 2014 at 1:02 pm

Well, I myself am obese. I went to the doctor and found out I weighed over 100 pounds more than I should. I can tell you that I got that way from eating fast, easy and unaware. I started making simple changes to my diet and exercise daily. Just slowly making small changes so it didn’t seem so drastic to me. I quickly lost 25 pounds. I continued and slowly over the last year I’ve lost over 60 pounds and I am not stopping. Just be aware of what you’re putting in your mouth and the exercise that you’re doing. No matter how overweight you are, only you can make the changes to fix it.

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chobbs March 4, 2014 at 7:14 pm

Congrats on your progress!!

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adaniel7 February 24, 2015 at 3:37 pm

Very inspiring! Way to go! Keep up the good work!

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Ashleigh Wiggins July 5, 2016 at 11:13 pm

WOW! Congrats and good for you. I do think its all about small changes. We cannot burn down all the fast food places but we can choose not to visit them. You are so inspiring.

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havenhughes October 11, 2019 at 5:33 pm

Wow, good for you! What an inspiring story. I hope you keep doing great, and nail the weight goal you want to be at!!!!

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ACOOPER March 1, 2014 at 11:36 am

It is unreal how available these types of food are to us humans. We need to eliminate the easy access to fast food. Another thing, if it wasn’t so cheap, we wouldn’t buy it. With the economy the way it is, cheap “on the go food” is the choice we often make. Our lives are so chaotic that its not uncommon to stop through McDonalds once or twice a day. They ever growing fast food world and the pace of the world not slowing anytime soon is a recipe for disaster.

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jostie March 2, 2014 at 7:29 pm

I agree! I myself have been known to stop at McDonalds more than once in a day.

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wbukowski March 4, 2014 at 8:52 pm

I agree with you! With the current lifestyles and busy schedules the cheap fast food is quick and easy.

jemerson February 27, 2014 at 4:33 pm

It has a lot to do with the foods and portions that we eat but it has a lot to do with out sedentary lifestyle as well. The more technologically advanced we become the less we seem to use our muscles to get things accomplished. Probably not a good routine to get into.

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Pauffmomma March 3, 2017 at 8:28 pm

I completely agree it is hard to maintain a healthy life style from what and when we eat to how much and so on

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aeasley February 26, 2014 at 3:45 pm

We say that fast food is the problem and that we are disgusting, but how many of use contribute to the convenience by going to McDonald’s and buying that 1$ hamburger? I even do it myself because I think that it is alright to do that once in a blue moon. If you want a salad, it is more expensive than it is to buy a loaf of bread and sandwich meat. It is all a choice and everyone is entitled to make it however they want to.

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JALSTON February 26, 2014 at 3:22 pm

Oh I could go on for days about the rise of obesity in our current society. The foods we take in are so “contaminated” with preservatives and a ton of other chemicals. Another huge factor is the sedentary lifestyle that our culture is now accustomed to. I guarantee that if physical activity was as much of a concern as the food we eat then obesity rates would decline tremendously.

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cgreene February 25, 2014 at 7:35 pm

I agree with a lot of what was said by other classmates regarding fast food. AS mentioned in the video, obesity is rising especially in countries where processed and fast foods are on every corner. I fear for my nieces who basically eat out at least four days a week because their parents are so tired or just don’t want to cook a healthy meal. THese girls are young and I’m afraid they’re going to develop bad eating habits. It’s also so important to teach by example good nutrition and set the standard for a healthy lifestyle. WE all need to slow down and take the time to consider our health and help to put obesity on the decline instead of on the rise.

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Reginia Jennings February 25, 2014 at 7:26 pm

I feel people just don’t care. physical Inactivity is a thing of the past. We live in a world that everything goes. If you don’t like what i’m doing or look like it’s your problem. i understand some people have medical issues that prevent weight loss. I think all this fast food and being able to super size plays a large part.

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bkulis February 25, 2014 at 5:23 pm

Having so many processed foods available to us is not a good thing, I don’t think. We Americans are very blessed to have food to eat unlike some countries, but I almost look at it as a curse as well as a blessing. Yes, we don’t have to deal with starvation and famine, but we have to deal with obesity, and many other problems. Most of the food we have here is JUNK. It doesn’t do anything for people except make us fat, make us want more, and make us unhealthy. It would be nice if everyone would just see that healthy eating is important and not to have all this junk taunting us constantly.

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Cstrickland5947 February 25, 2014 at 1:34 pm

I have never thought about obesity in such a serious way, but this video made me realized how serious it is. I think everything together is causing obesity, like fast food, laziness, no time, manufacturer, and society.

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Ashleigh Wiggins July 5, 2016 at 11:14 pm

I completely agree!

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Emerson February 24, 2014 at 1:58 am

It has a lot to do with the foods and portions that we eat but it has a lot to do with out sedentary lifestyle as well. The more technologically advanced we become the less we seem to use our muscles to get things accomplished. Probably not a good routine to get into.

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kbeard7948 February 23, 2014 at 11:19 pm

I definitely learned a lot from this video, and I am the worlds worst for fast food. But as a college student that works, I don’t have time to always cook a full course meal or eat several healthy snacks. If a salad was $1 like the McDouble, it would be easy to eat healthy. It’s too expensive to buy lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and all of the other stuff to make a salad with when you can honestly buy a $2 pack of hot dogs, $1 for 8 buns, and $2 for a can of chili. Thats a $5 meal that feeds a family compared to the $20+ that goes into making a salad.

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Ldavis February 20, 2014 at 6:08 pm

I have no room to talk about anyone I eat plenty of unhealthy foods but I am by no means lazy. I agree with the video about all the sodas and stuff making Americans obese. I know back in the day they lived without all of this stuff but we are just spoiled I guess.

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wearnest February 20, 2014 at 2:45 pm

One of the problems in America is the increase of fast food places. There are more fast food restraunts than there are restaurants that contain helathy foods like Subway. Fast food is a lot more convienent and there are a lot more of them. Since a lot of families are busy with work and the children’s sports it is easier to go out to eat then to cook something at home. Time is a big problem. Also I believe it has a lot to do with laziness. More people have techology devices and they like to sit around and play on their phone or the computer. Also the appliances. It is a lot easier to just wipe the dishes and then throw them into the dishwasher rather than take the time to wash them in the sink and dry them and put them up. The problem with obesity all falls back onto unhealthy eating and laziness. This video was very interesting.

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Cstrickland5947 February 25, 2014 at 1:32 pm

Fast food is easier and more convenient. I agree it has a lot to do with laziness and just no time. But Being a single mom and going to college I have a hard time getting everything done I need and still having time to cook 3 meals a day.

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mjoyner February 20, 2014 at 12:28 am

Everyone knows what causes obesity high in fat foods not enough exercise and eating at fast food places because it is easier then cooking.

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preed February 17, 2014 at 11:28 am

I think that the pace of daily life has affected us all and one result is the rise of obesity. People get so busy that they pick up food at McDonalds and eat it without thinking about the health consequences. I have tried to start sitting down and planning out menus for meals at home including quicker meals for when things are rushed. With a little extra planning you can make meals at home and still not be rushed (for instance cooking a day ahead and reheating can make a quick meal). I am still guilty of giving into fast food on occasion but I have found that fresher, home cooked food tastes so much better than the stuff that I can buy at McDonalds.

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Stephanie Herndon February 16, 2014 at 3:42 pm

Yes, we as Americans it has become so easy with fast food. But I think a lot of it starts at home and how you discipline yourself and your children on eating habits. If you plan ahead on meals they can be done and involve the children to help. My daughter is now 14 and it’s amazing when she has friends over at the foods they won’t eat and how they can’t believe the foods my daughter will eat. I was raised on a farm and we ate our four food groups and we raised probably 80% of this food. When she was little she would eat salad, cabbage, beans, brussel sprouts. She also loves salmon, deer meat and so much more. There are to many processed items in our food world today and the fresher the food the better. Activity also plays an important role in obesity get out and do something with your kids instead sitting in front of the T.V. It will do nothing but help you and your child. When I was young we never stayed in the house.

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bpryor February 15, 2014 at 5:28 pm

I must admit that I am a television junkie. Since I’ve gotten older I’ve become addicted to reality TV and it has taken up a lot of my daily time that should be spent on more exercise. The obesity rate of Americans is so sad. Families replacing meals with fast food in my opinion is one of the biggest problems.People never take the time to cook anymore nor do they sit at the table to enjoy a meal. Everyone now a days is in there own space or lounging around.

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ccantrell1 February 13, 2014 at 10:44 am

Obesity is a disease, individuals believe they have to eat what is easiest for them to in order to get back to their rushed lifestyles. Always being in a hurry and always trying to find the easiest way to do things should not be acceptable! Take a deep breath and get a salad from home people! baby steps!

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awagner March 5, 2014 at 11:14 pm

While I do agree with you that people should slow down, and take steps towards better health, I do not agree that obesity is a disease. I am aware that obesity is now officially classified as a disease, and you are not wrong by stating that, but I still disagree. To me, calling obesity a disease is an excuse. I don’t want to offend anyone who happens to be obese, but that’s how I feel about it. Obesity can cause diseases, yes, however, if we began referring to it as a disease, I feel like that would prompt a lot of people not to take action and try to fix themselves, but instead become content with themselves and tell anybody who questions them about it, “Oh, I have a disease, so its not my fault.” That, to me, is a very dangerous thing.

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mboswell February 12, 2014 at 10:18 am

i really think the problem is convience, self indulgence and just plain greed. People have become more selfish and tend to think (the more i have, the more i want). Its really a bad situation. Obesity is not good for anyone.

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ccantrell1 February 13, 2014 at 10:42 am

I agree 100%, it is convenient to go to McDonalds down the road where there is hot food waiting for you, so many people are taking this convenience as a routine instead of a once in a while treat… Spoiling our youth to think its ok to eat this unhealthy food, and then have their school lunches not even have enough food to give them energy throughout the day…

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aschaeffer February 10, 2014 at 2:58 pm

This video reminded me of a home video I watched over the Christmas holiday. It was of my family 22 years ago. I was 10 years old, my sister was 8, and my brother was 6. At the time, my mother was going to school and my step-dad worked full time. Our income was below the poverty line. We ate foods that were cheap and convenient. Three years later, our income raised a great deal and lifestyle changes followed. Our meals were prepared from fresh ingredients instead of from a drive-thru or the frozen aisle. All of my family now is on the heavy side of the normal range, except me. Once my wife returned to work, my diet (because of my own laziness) reverted to restaurant and convenient foods.

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mhicks February 8, 2014 at 3:58 pm

This video was really knowledgeable and interesting. I think the fast paced lifestyle everyone lives causes people to take what is convenient. People haven’t had to care for their health so it increases and becomes worse.

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ethacker March 5, 2014 at 3:32 pm

I also think the fast paced lifestyles have a huge partake in obesity in todays world. The convience for people is easier to go to than healthy, self prepared meals.

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agraham2 March 8, 2017 at 5:58 pm

yes, I agree! I do believe living a fast paced lifestyle is a big reason of why people choose unhealthy options that are calorie bombs rather than healthy ones!! I’m guilty of grabbing something from the drive thru rather than cooking something healthier for my family and if I don’t want my children to grow up obese i’m going to have to slow down and change some of these bad habits.

wwalker3804 February 5, 2014 at 1:01 pm

The real problem that we Americans have is that we have withdrawn from involvement in our government. We elect someone and send them to Washington and ignore what happens after that. Our present leadership both Democrat and Republican are prime examples. They are not representing us.They are doing their own thing. If we get more involved in all areas of the operation of our nation, these kinds of things will be taken care of.

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dbalding7689 February 4, 2014 at 5:26 pm

I think the convenience of cheap, easy fast-food is a major contributor to the rise of obesity. It’s so much quicker and simpler to stop at a drive-thru on the way to or from anywhere and pick up something to eat than to cook a meal at home. Most of us compromise health for convenience, and that will inevitably cost us in the long run in terms of our health and weight.

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bpryor February 12, 2014 at 5:57 pm

I completely agree with this post. You took the words right out of my mouth! A prime example in my family is myself and my parents work so much during the week that I know for a fact we have fast food at least three to four time. With a week being a seven day period I need say more. Being a college student as well fast food is the quickest option for lunch when pressing a hour to get back to class as well as staying on campus where you have no way to actually prepare a meal.

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Sporterfield February 25, 2018 at 11:10 pm

When you get down to the root cause of it all, it really does seem like this is one of the main reasons why people struggle with their weight so much. Our society has become some hectic and busy that no one feels that they have time to sit back and enjoy food anymore which is why we feed our bodies with these empty fast-food calories and not nutrient dense ones.

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hyoung1 January 30, 2014 at 1:23 am

I agree. We are a disgusting breed. It’s all about convenience here. We don’t appreciate most of the things that we have like other countries do. I would love to travel the world to see third-world countries, tribes, different ethnicity, etc just to see their way of living. I know that places that don’t have foods in abundant supply and right at their finger tips like we do, appreciate it more. They don’t over-indulge themselves. I think that the whole “super-size” thing is backed by money. I would love to be able to grow my own foods and raise my own meat and dairy. If my parents were able to do this when I was younger, I’m sure that many of the health issues I face today could have been avoided.

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btubbs February 12, 2014 at 8:56 am

Go buy a gun, or a bow, or a fishing rod. I dont mean to sound like Ted Nuggett but these animals were put here for me to eat, and they taste better than anything in the store. I think our overprocessed and steroid packed meat is an issue. If you are taking your game from the wild to the table it cuts out a lot of that.

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Stephanie Herndon February 16, 2014 at 3:45 pm

OMG! You sound like the guy I’m dating. You can always kill it, catch it, or grow it in the garden. And yes it does taste a lot better.

Ldavis February 20, 2014 at 6:06 pm

That is exactly what my 11 year old son says. He loves deer, fish, and squirrel. I am not so into that kind of stuff haha.

mpearce June 6, 2014 at 8:42 pm

I just have to add, that for those that don’t desire to hunt, build yourself a chicken coup and grow your own chickens and eggs to eat. They are fairly easy to tend to, and this doesn’t require a lot of space. And I will be honest with you, if you ever saw the conditions that a lot of our poultry and eggs came from, you’d pass on it. Throw a nice garden by your chicken coup, learn to can, and next thing you know, you are growing a lot of your own food! At the very least, find a local that you can buy chicken and eggs from. I get a little irritated when people complain about what all is put in food they buy. Food you buy is mass produced. They are going to cut corners and bring food to your table that is most cost effective for them. What can we really expect it to be? It isn’t difficult to take more control of your own diet, but it does take a little effort and having a yard.

Reginia Jennings February 25, 2014 at 8:14 pm

As i said before we live in a world of who cares anything goes. We drive down the street and all you see on both sides of the road is fast food. turn on the tv and see tons of madonald’s ads. Even McDonalds posted not to long what would happen if an employee eats there food everyday what would happen. Now that’s pretty bad.

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scasteel February 13, 2017 at 4:50 pm

I agree how are we supposed to stop eating this type of food when it is everywhere, it is impossible!!!
Sheena Burrow

KaycieBullion March 5, 2016 at 12:49 pm

I agree with you. It really is all about convenience. We don’t like to work hard or put ourselves out unless absolutely necessary. Some of us won’t even do it then!

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sladet January 28, 2014 at 6:58 pm

Americans are so greedy everything is available to us and because we have the freedom to choose what we eat its sad because in this day and time there are more obese adults and children, If I could grow my own food and survive off that it would be great. Many people are not educated on the food industry, a lot of times people only eat what they were raised on and because our elders lived long lives it seems the right way to go despite the changes that have been made its just different today than it was years ago there was obese people but not as many chemicals in the products today which cause all these health problems.

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btubbs January 28, 2014 at 11:44 am

As Americans I believe we are a fairly disgusting breed of human. I feel I have the right to say what I will of America, being a combat veteran. If you disagree then stop reading my post. I have lived in several other countries and admire them for their ways of life. What we call a strict diet and self discipline is actually just a way of life for many of them. I would venture to say that the percentage of people in this country who actually know what they are putting in their bodies in our country would be in the low teens if not single digits. There are very few people who harvest their own food let alone even care what it is they are ingesting. I am somewhat guilty of this myself. I do buy things from the grocery store. I think some of our issue is that we are always in a hurry to do nothing. we are always on the go and usually when we get to where we are going it consist of sitting down, eating, drinking, or something that doesn’t revolve around physical efforts. I feel technology plays a roll in this as well. Technology is a good thing in this day in age, but I feel it one day will be the ruin of our society. We are crying because we don’t have jobs anymore, well you have built one machine to replace the jobs of 100 men. Great idea! We complain that we are fat but instead of walking to the store to buy a black coffee, we drive and get some variation of whipping cream mixed with whole milk and caramel syrup and some additive that taste of coffee. 50 years ago, when we weren’t the food nation that we have come to be, people didn’t have the option of that super coffee flavored beverage at their finger tips. I saw something on the news the other morning that spells our whole pandemic out. It was a vending machine that made, cooked, and dispensed burritos, and while you were waiting you could sing karaoke. I cant wait till we get one im going to post up on this thing and wait for people to come and sing into it while they wait for their 1000 calorie burrito. Ill make a million on ad-space on you tube. I feel that a lot of the preservatives we use contribute to this as well but we have increased our portion sizes, our artifital everything, our meat and carbohydrate intake, our fat intake, and our physical activity decreases every time a new gadget comes out.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not an un-educated hillbilly, that is angry with America or the world for that matter. I do not hate technology. I actually carry my iphone, and my ipad about every day. I am simply stating my opinion. If I am terribly wrong you have every right to post that on here. I would think most would agree with me. I am opinionated on this topic because we try to put a label on everything in this country to make it ok. I am not saying that there are not people who have serious medical conditions rendering them obese. I understand that there are people in dyer need of help, however there are many Americans who are mislabeled. Im not bashing anyone. im just stating that, these are the reasons I feel we as a country are obese.

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dbalding7689 February 4, 2014 at 5:17 pm

I definitely agree with you! Most Americans these days care more about convenience and what is easy (contributing also to their laziness) than their health and what is beneficial. I believe that if a person was strong-willed and determined to be healthy, that it is possible to avoid fast-food and other processed food. We still have the option to grow/harvest our own food and know what is in the food we buy. Sadly, the way things are going, I feel like we won’t have this option in the future.

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hyoung1 January 25, 2014 at 2:48 am

I don’t understand the whole rise in obesity either. I mean, I know we eat unhealthy foods, but it’s always been that way throughout modern time. The sedentary lifestyle does make sense to contribute more to the pandemic than anything else in-particular. But how do third-world countries suffer from obesity where food is so rare? I believe that humans have adapted certain diets and certain foods simply because they are easy to come by. I mean, it’s easy to just pop a can of ravioli into the microwave for a minute and it’s easy to just stop at a drive-thru and get your food already prepped and cooked. Do restaurant owners have no compassion to the people that suffer from obesity? I just have to ask this because seeing as business owners are out to make money, where is the line? Every single day people are dying from this horrific state, and what’s even worse is that young children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, not juvenile diabetes, TYPE 2! It’s scary because to fix all of these problems, we have to get to the root of the problem. Will there ever be a cure for these metabolic issues? There are ways to control them, but will there ever be a cure? We have to change our lifestyles and the chemicals/foods we put into our bodies. Humankind is killing itself. We have indulged in too much bad that it’s having a serious effect on our well-being and the future of our species. Nowadays it’s rare to see people counting carbs or reading labels unless they have a medical issue that needs to be monitored with a certain diet. We should do this either way. Stay away from the fast foods, and that’s not just restaurant foods, it’s stuff like hamburger helper, canned and packaged goods, RAMEN noodles. I was reading the back of a ramen noodle package and it contains over 80% of our daily sodium allowance. That’s terrible, in one package of noodles! This has got to be controlled. There has got to be a way but humans are humans and nobody likes being forced to do anything. This is the scariest thing ever because we don’t know how this is going to effect the future generations or if it is going to be the thing that kills us.

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mhicks February 8, 2014 at 3:59 pm

I am totally with you on this!! People don’t pay attention to what they are taking in! There are so many chemicals and processes in foods now! Like you said, it needs to be controlled!

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kbeard7948 February 23, 2014 at 11:15 pm

I completely agree. So much crap is put into our food nowadays!!

AAD December 4, 2015 at 12:15 pm

Yes! Easy is not always better!!

nwade October 6, 2017 at 9:13 pm

I am sadly that person. I really do not pay attention to what I eat. I don’t eat a lot. I never have but I eat what I want.

Reginia Jennings February 25, 2014 at 8:09 pm

It makes me angry to see a type 2 diabetic not taking care of them self. My child is a type 1 diabetic to no fault of his own. When I see someone who has a choice and does not do anything about it just makes me sick. These parents and adults who consume massive amounts of food and carbs should take a long hard look at what is going on around them.

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CLovell March 2, 2014 at 10:10 pm

Seems like everything is processed now

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lekeisha ollison March 2, 2015 at 12:17 pm

yeah its hard choosing the right foods espically if your on the go all the time.its does seem like everything is processed.yes people should watch and understand what they put into the body.eating more than you burn you will gain weight.if you burn more than you eat you will loose weight.

kherrick February 7, 2017 at 8:47 pm

There are so many unhealth items in our food now. But when I try to buy health for my family it becomes very costly. I enjoy cooking for my loved ones but going broke doing so.

hcrabb September 8, 2018 at 3:28 pm

I’m right there with you, I’m truly passionate about the state of our food industry and how its affecting our health! I am in college to get a degree in nutrition so that I can help with this epidemic. I’m healthy, but still struggle with my own eating habits. I seek a Balanced Diet, but seem to be all or nothing! Temptations are all around us and it’s more work to gather and cook healthy meals when the world is spinning so fast. The way things are it’s hard to find the time. I suggest local farmers markets and building community gardens and more food education for children in schools. I hope to find my place that I can be the most service to those struggling with this. There is much truth in what you said in your post. I felt inspired to connect.

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kfowler October 8, 2019 at 12:01 pm

I do completely agree with you. However, I am a college student living on my own and I do make horrible decisions on my food choices. I think it has a lot to do with our lifestyles and how we choose we live them. We do need more healthy things we can make that are easy and convenient because thats what most people buy now a days. Thats what I buy what is quick and easy not knowing what horrible things it is doing to my body. We need more healthy fast food options as well. We are limited in Arkansas because there are not very many healthier options. Everywhere we drive this is Mcdonalds just around the conner. It is scary and I fall in the category where I making these horrible lifestyle decisions.

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