When you look at a fat person, what do you see? Somebody who eats too much? Somebody who exercises too little? Do you ever think that you might be looking at a person who is suffering from internal starvation?
We live in a society where the tastiest, cheapest, easiest-to-obtain calories come from carbohydrates. If you look around, the poorest among us are also the fattest. They eat breaded meats, casseroles, potatoes, gravy, rolls, corn, sugary soft drinks and desserts. Because they are poor, they often work jobs that require manual labor, but the extra exercise does not seem to keep them from becoming obese. They suffer from increased rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and Type II diabetes. Is it possible that it is not their lifestyle, nor the amount of food they are eating, but the type of food they are eating that is putting them at risk? Is it possible that they are giving their bodies empty calories (delicious calories, but empty calories nonetheless) and in exchange are becoming both obese and unhealthy?
We live in a society where the tastiest, cheapest, easiest-to-obtain calories come from carbohydrates. If you look around, the poorest among us are also the fattest. They eat breaded meats, casseroles, potatoes, gravy, rolls, corn, sugary soft drinks and desserts. Because they are poor, they often work jobs that require manual labor, but the extra exercise does not seem to keep them from becoming obese. They suffer from increased rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and Type II diabetes. Is it possible that it is not their lifestyle, nor the amount of food they are eating, but the type of food they are eating that is putting them at risk? Is it possible that they are giving their bodies empty calories (delicious calories, but empty calories nonetheless) and in exchange are becoming both obese and unhealthy?
(The illustration is made of screen captures from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs3ZNLQhe40 by Svegen.)
I agree with you to some extent. But another factor that affects people of all income levels is the quality of food available. Fruits and vegetables are grown in depleted soil, thus lack nutrients. And how many people eat grass-fed meat, wild salmon to obtain omega-3s?
ReplyDeleteHello, Carol! I agree with you about the importance of getting high-quality foods. But I'm a little confused about the implications fo your question. Are you saying that nutrient-poor fruits and vegetables and factory farmed beef and salmon are responsible for obesity? Or possibly that they account for the increased incidence of heart disease, high blood pressure and Type II diabetes in modern society?
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and commenting, by the way!
Stargazey