Obesity, A Southern tradition.

tallyho8 · Jul 17, 2008

After reading the following article I reached a couple of conclusions:

These are the 10 states with the highest levels of adult obesity, according to a 2007 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1. Mississippi, 32.0 percent
2. Alabama, 30.3
3. Tennessee, 30.1
4. Louisiana, 29.8
5. West Virginia, 29.5
6. Arkansas, 28.7
7. South Carolina, 28.4
8. Georgia, 28.2
9. Oklahoma, 28.1
10. Texas, 28.1

Let me state that I have been underweight most of my life until the last few years and at my last doctors visit he said I was 4 pounds overweight. Looking back at people I have met over the years most of the very friendly and jolly people I have met have been overweight. Most of the unfriendly people I have met have been "lean and mean". When I watch the news of all the people who get arrested for various crimes it looks like they are almost never overweight. The South, with all it's obese people has always been known for it's "Southern Hospitality".

Since our prison systems have been failing miserably in trying to rehabilitate our criminals, I say we should try a different approach. Let's give the inmates all the fried chicken and french fries they want and see if this can get them started on a happier and more honest lifestyle.

Redbug · Jul 17, 2008

At least they could not run very far before being caught...and I would not want to be held up by a criminal wanting me to fry up some chicken for him in the kitchen, (not that I would want to be held up at all). Happy bees are well fed bees.

I think what we have heah is a failuh tu communikate...

Lasgambler · Jul 17, 2008

Well I have to say that growing up, and spending 'half my adult life, in States # 1 and #4 on the list that I really miss the food. I have always been Lean, (not to mean) I would love to come back home to get FAT. Fried Chicken, Fried Speckled Trout, Fried Catfish, Fried Shrimp, Fried Soft Shell Crab. Fried Zucchini, Fried Tomatoes, I could go on all day. Thanks for getting me started on this TallyHo.

You should see some of the people in the Buffet Lines in Las vegas. They must be from 'Down South.

Skyco · Jul 17, 2008

Fried chicken and french fries are fattening

I was 170 lbs when I moved to SC now I'm 250....its all beginning to make sense now

Volfandt · Jul 17, 2008

Interesting, must be that life is slower which slows the metabolism which leads to plump happy folks.
-or-
The cooking is much better in the south, which also leads to plump happy folks

Bird · Jul 17, 2008

I have been underweight most of my life until the last few years

I wouldn't really say I was underweight, but in my early 20s I drank lots of milkshakes and such working hard to gain weght to get from 150 pounds to 175 pounds, which was about where I wanted to be. And when I joined the police department at the age of 24, I weighed 178 pounds. When I retired 25 years later, I weighed about 190 pounds.

But unfortunately, having moved back to town 5 and a half years ago, and having quit smoking 2 years ago, I'm now up to 230 and told my wife today that I really need to work at losing 40 or 50 pounds.

EddieWalker · Jul 17, 2008

tallyho8 said:
Looking back at people I have met over the years most of the very friendly and jolly people I have met have been overweight. Most of the unfriendly people I have met have been "lean and mean".

You got me to wondering about how I stereotype people based on their weight. When I see a fat woman, I generally have a very low opinion of her and the fatter she is, the less my opinion tends to be. We're talking obese here, not just overweight or fat. Obese is a catagory that takes allot of effort and denial to get there. When I see an obese guy, I wonder if he's productive, or just lazy. I wonder about how he got that way and if he cares.

It's totally different with women and men for me. It might be because I'm a guy and don't understand women, or that I work hard, don't make excuses and live with the results of my choises.

Either way, the most commone crtitism that people have given me is my lack of empithy towards others. I just don't have any. People create their situations in life and are responsible for what they are. If a person is obese, that's because they chose to be that way. Wether it's depression that they ignore or compensate with food, or just plain lazy, it doesn't matter. There is no such thing as a gland issue and there is no such thing as a person who cannot lose weight if they eat less.

I've overweight because I eat too much and enjoy my wifes cooking. I'm very happy and content with my life and don't care if I'm twenty pounds overweight. That is my choice and I live with that decision.

Eddie

Gravdigr · Jul 17, 2008

If a person is obese, that's because they chose to be that way. Wether it's depression that they ignore or compensate with food, or just plain lazy, it doesn't matter. There is no such thing as a gland issue and there is no such thing as a person who cannot lose weight if they eat less.

"Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS, is a metabolic disorder that affects the female reproductive system. The key characteristics include irregular menstruation, obesity, infertility, acne and hair growth on the face, chest, and back (hirsutism) and ovarian cysts. Polycystic means "many cysts," and the ovaries in women with PCOS are usually large and full of cysts, although they may not have symptoms. About 6% to 10% of women have PCOS. To be diagnosed with PCOS, a woman must have at least one of the clinical signs mentioned above. Many women with PCOS are insulin resistant and overweight or obese and some may have Type 2 diabetes."

Go to the back of the class.

EddieWalker · Jul 18, 2008

I'm not trying to get into a pissing contest with you on this, and I'm aware of medical conditions that people have, but I don't believe that it's an excuse to be obese. Those who do tend to have a close relation who is obese and use these medical diagnosis for their weight.

Eat less, lose weight is a very simple truth. There is no such thing as a medical condition that keeps people fat or makes them gain weight when eating small portions of food. There are plenty of medical conditions that lead to people using food for comfort, but that doesn't mean that if they ate less, they would still weigh the same or more.

Sorry if we disagree, but telling me to "go to the back of the class" based on one quote that lists obesity as a clinical sign of a disorder seems a little far fetched. If you would post your source for this information, I'd enjoy taking a look at it.

Eddie

Skyco · Jul 18, 2008

I tend to agree if you don't eat it it can't turn into fat. About 17 years ago I had my jaws wired shut for 6 weeks. Everything I consumed had to pass through a very small opening where I had a missing molar that was pulled when I was a kid. I went from about 210 to 170 in those 6 weeks. I was delighted with the weight loss and had hoped to make it permanent. Note the wiring was because of a broken jaw, not any attempt to lose weight.

Thing is your metabolism readjusts to be more efficient. When I got "unwired" I gained 10 pounds back in ONE week! I wasn't eating very much either, my metabolism had readjusted and the sudden, relatively minor increase in food shot me up quick.

Now I happen to be one of the big gut beer belly types, my legs, butt, arms etc are all "normal" for my height. Every extra calorie ends up on my gut, which is reportedly the worst place to have it.

All that being said I'm back to agreeing, if I didn't eat it, then it cannot possibly turn into fat, so its my fault in the end.

I'm very concerned about my 24 year old son- he is bigger bellied and heavier than me. It took me 40+ years to get a belly and he has one at such a young age....

Thing is no amount of prodding can make him lose weight, he has to decide he WANTS to do it. I've had to fuss at his grandfather, my father, to get off his back about it, all it does is upset the kid and then granddad wonders why he doesn't get visited as much as he would like...well duh quit riding the grandkid, who wants to get chastised every time they visit

My wife and I have a code my dad hasn't figured out yet. When we are around him I announce the number of minutes since we've been together until he slips in some veiled comment about my weight. He hasn't figured out why I suddenly announce a number out loud, denoting how many minutes we've been together before he mentions MY weight, we rarely get much farther than the teens on this number, we then laugh and he looks puzzled. Note he has always been thin.