America's Obesity Problem

[The Toecutter]

Re: America's Obesity Problem

Is that graph exclusive to a single state? That also would not be representative of America.


Of all american adults, obesity figures can be found here:

http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/obesity_US.shtml


For a chart describing the trends I mentioned(Among all ages, not just adults like the stats I mentioned covered):

http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepu...s/tablea.9.htm

The poorest fifth have about a 40% higher obesity rate than those in the middle income bracket in America. Double the obesity rate as the wealthiest 5th. This is a far greater disparity than in the state of West Virgina or any other industrialized nation. You can compare directly with Canada on that chart. Eliminate children and youth from the stats and the disparity grows further.


The median family spends $3.50 per day per capita on food. About 12% of their income for a family of 4. The less money spend per person per day on food, the greater the obesity rate. Someone on the Atkins diet(Which isn't very healthy), would typically spend $10 per person per day on food.


Other interesting reading on poverty and obesity:

http://www.frac.org/pdf/hungerandobesity.pdf

[Czechs Mex]

Re: America's Obesity Problem

Yes, terr, as I mentioned, it is exclusive to a single state - West Virginia. But even if it's not perfectly representative of the United States, it should give you some kind of insight that income may not be the sole driving factor that determines obesity. I'm not saying it doesn't contribute on some level, but you're completely ignoring the huge portion of people who are NOT living in poverty and yet are still obese.

I fail to see why this is difficult to understand.

Edit: Oh, you added content to your post. that's less frustrating. hold on.

Edit 2: Okay, that's good information. Thanks. I agree with you that income definitely plays a role in obesity, but I guess it was just frustrating because you're ignoring a bunch of other factors that cause obesity as well. It just sounded like you were trying to find one more thing to blame on the government, and that gets kind of old.

Here's a page from one of the links you provided that states the three main causes of obesity.

Genes. Environment. Behavior. I would agree with that.

[Alzar]

Re: America's Obesity Problem

There's a pretty strong correlation between poor and obese which surprised me to learn at first (normally I would think that poor people would be thin and bony and starving).

Granted it's not the only reason for obesity, but I don't think (hopefully) anyone really implied that crappy fatty food being quick/cheap/easily available for poorer people the ONLY reason for being obese... There is the whole eating too much thing, too, of course.

It's just...Eating crappy fatty foods = cheap + easy + quick = fat people

[The Toecutter]

Re: America's Obesity Problem

My statements weren't strictly aimed at poverty stricken families, but at the bottom 40% ,which includes the working class, a step above the working poor or underclass. Working class families aren't middle class by any means, but working class and below are 40% of America that I was referring to. Therin lies half of America's obese, the majority if you discount youth.

*edit*

I'd also like to add, quintiles don't do this stat justice. Of the 20-40% quintile, most of their obese are concentrated in the 20-30% part of that quintile and the latter part of the quintile more closely resembles the middle quintile. Basically, you have 42-43% of America's obese in the 30% poorest of its population.

[Vonwert]

Re: America's Obesity Problem

North Carolina is defintally filled with over-weight people.

An insurance company had a survey that had NC as one of the top over-weight states.

(I live in NC incase you didn't know)

I remember when I went to California, and didn't see a single over-weight person...unlike here where you practicaly bump into them all of the time.

We also have an imbred problem...but that is another story.

[The Toecutter]

Re: America's Obesity Problem

Speaking of inbreds, just walk into a Walmart.

You will wish you had never seen such things.