What's causing American obesity and cardiovascular disease?

[Jim Beaux]

Yes genetics play a role but obese people tend to use it as an excuse to their poor health while eating a supersize big Mack meal. Obesety runs in my family as well but I refuse to let myself surcum to it. Moderation, proper diet, and exercise are key. I have a terrible sweet tooth so I use fruit to calm my craving. I love food especially fast food and it takes self control to keep from stuffing my face. This is something obese and overweight people (including my family) seems to lack. Calories in, calories out. It's a tough road but it's worth it to stay healthy.

I somewhat, no, probably a whole lot, disagree.

I dont want to get into a long drawn out narrative, so in short, discipline certainly plays some part, but you disparage many who are obese due to poor metabolism or have hypothyroidism. Many obese people cannot drop weight as easily as some of us take for granted. Reduced eating does not always correlate with controlling obesity, rather the answer may be to gain weight by building lean muscle mass.

Genetics dictate where & how people process & store fat. Some store fat in the belly, some in the thighs and butt & some store little fat because they have metabolisms that burn calories as soon as it hits the gut.

Mitochondria are found in cells, especially in muscle cells, and they are the fuel burners. More muscle equals more mitochondria & thus, metabolism. Some people inherit large muscles and some dont. Women have problems with obesity due to their lack of muscle. In short how one's body processes those big super burgers, large fries & super sized soft drinks are directly due to genetics.

You would be surprised at the number of obese who cant drop weight because their body is in a famine state. Their body hoards fat & burns muscle instead (losing mitochondria!) It is a vicious cycle.... Stop eating, lose muscle, hoard fat...before too long the obese loses most of their ability to burn calories. Dieticians will advise some to eat more to stop the cycle and begin weight training.

Many obese have learned to eat from television commercials & many have diligently stuck to a program and saw little to no result. (diet coke, diet ice cream, diet peanut butter, etc.) Then they became frustrated and gave up.

In general the answer to controlling obesity is knowledge, discipline & motivation. We need to do a better job of teaching our children the principles of diet.

For anyone who is interested in learning more, or dropping weight, this site is very good. Very knowledgeable people will share their tips and experiences.

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Some people suffer from medical conditions, the vast majority suffers from laziness and overeating.

http://authoritynutrition.com/12-graphs ... e-get-fat/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just eat right and exercise, for most it's that easy. Try a diet and exercise regime for more than a week before you blame genetics.

If youre directing that comment at me you should know that Ive been a cyclist and runner for 25+ years. Ive studied nutrition. I also know what it is to bonk 35 miles from home with no money to buy carbs. I know what Im talking about without having to make blind assumptions.

Have a good one.

[Tracker]

Yes genetics play a role but obese people tend to use it as an excuse to their poor health while eating a supersize big Mack meal. Obesety runs in my family as well but I refuse to let myself surcum to it. Moderation, proper diet, and exercise are key. I have a terrible sweet tooth so I use fruit to calm my craving. I love food especially fast food and it takes self control to keep from stuffing my face. This is something obese and overweight people (including my family) seems to lack. Calories in, calories out. It's a tough road but it's worth it to stay healthy.

I somewhat, no, probably a whole lot, disagree.

I dont want to get into a long drawn out narrative, so in short, discipline certainly plays some part, but you disparage many who are obese due to poor metabolism or have hypothyroidism. Many obese people cannot drop weight as easily as some of us take for granted. Reduced eating does not always correlate with controlling obesity, rather the answer may be to gain weight by building lean muscle mass.

Genetics dictate where & how people process & store fat. Some store fat in the belly, some in the thighs and butt & some store little fat because they have metabolisms that burn calories as soon as it hits the gut.

Mitochondria are found in cells, especially in muscle cells, and they are the fuel burners. More muscle equals more mitochondria & thus, metabolism. Some people inherit large muscles and some dont. Women have problems with obesity due to their lack of muscle. In short how one's body processes those big super burgers, large fries & super sized soft drinks are directly due to genetics.

You would be surprised at the number of obese who cant drop weight because their body is in a famine state. Their body hoards fat & burns muscle instead (losing mitochondria!) It is a vicious cycle.... Stop eating, lose muscle, hoard fat...before too long the obese loses most of their ability to burn calories. Dieticians will advise some to eat more to stop the cycle and begin weight training.

Many obese have learned to eat from television commercials & many have diligently stuck to a program and saw little to no result. (diet coke, diet ice cream, diet peanut butter, etc.) Then they became frustrated and gave up.

In general the answer to controlling obesity is knowledge, discipline & motivation. We need to do a better job of teaching our children the principles of diet.

For anyone who is interested in learning more, or dropping weight, this site is very good. Very knowledgeable people will share their tips and experiences.

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Some people suffer from medical conditions, the vast majority suffers from laziness and overeating.

http://authoritynutrition.com/12-graphs ... e-get-fat/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just eat right and exercise, for most it's that easy. Try a diet and exercise regime for more than a week before you blame genetics.

You didn't watch this Gary Taubes video. As Taubes and Attia say, from a science POV, if is a fact that if you eat more calories then you burn you will gain weight.....but...that doesn't explain why you are eating more than you need. I've noticed in myself that what I eat the day/night before affects my appetite the next day. A couple of times now we've going to a place up North of St JO, Tx that has a wood-fired outdoor pizza oven. (It a family business out in the country and they get a lot of people from DFW.) Each time that I've been there I ate a lot of pizza. It's mostly bread with some cheeze. Not a lot of meat. The next day I woke up hungry as a bear. I'm never that hungry in the morning. Since then I've noticed that if I eat a lot of carbs the night before I wake up hungry where usually I'm not.

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University of California pediatrician endocrinologist, Robert Lustig MD who treats obese kids, on how excess insulin production makes you feel crappy, lazy, no desire to exercise.....a couch potato.

[video][/video]


And as he says, accusing people of being lazy doesn't explain why we have an epidemic of fat 6 month old infants.


[video][/video]

[mrvmax]

Your theory sounds good but there is no proof of your assertions from 10000 years ago. This thread is interesting but there are a million theories on eating and most theories have doctors tha will back them up.

Since the year 2000, PubMed lists over over 20,000 studies published on Paleo and low carb eating as compared to the current "standard American diet" as summarized by the USDA food pyramid. The scientific evidence is becoming overwhelming. . .

Sorry, I was posting from my phone so I did not explain. Nobody was around 10000 years ago so there is no data from that far back - it is all theory without evidence (and I think you can deduce that I do not believe the earth is millions of years old).

[philip964]

To answer the original Subject title: What's causing American obesity and cardiovascular disease? Genes.

Two separate issues, but both caused by Genes.

[Beiruty]

Stress.

[MeMelYup]

Stress.

I think that is the biggest factor. I think people live more stressful lives today, by choise than 50 years ago. Look at the kids today. They don't know how to relax. They are always trying to do 3 or more things at once,and then are upset if something doesn't turn out great. Look at the stupidity of road rage incidents.

[Jim Beaux]

***SNIP***

I've noticed in myself that what I eat the day/night before affects my appetite the next day. A couple of times now we've going to a place up North of St JO, Tx that has a wood-fired outdoor pizza oven. (It a family business out in the country and they get a lot of people from DFW.) Each time that I've been there I ate a lot of pizza. It's mostly bread with some cheeze. Not a lot of meat. The next day I woke up hungry as a bear. I'm never that hungry in the morning. Since then I've noticed that if I eat a lot of carbs the night before I wake up hungry where usually I'm not.

When I was in peak condition I biked the same 15 mile route every morning & rode a group ride 50+ miler on Sat or Sun. No exceptions unless it was raining. I knew the route like the back of my hand and my bike was equipped with a computer. I clocked myself every ride and knew that at a cadence of XX rpm, in XX gear I should be at a precise spot. I always tried to set a new record every ride.

Though I was gorging on carbs, I ate very clean & only baked or broiled meat. One night I ate a few fried shrimp and drank one beer. The next morning I was dead. I couldnt believe how bad my performance was - it wasnt even close. From then on I started experimenting with diet and dialed in a pre ride meal that never left me on the road.

The night before a long ride I ate a big bowl of spaghetti, english peas, blackeye peas & fresh spinach tossed in olive oil. On the bike I ate several bananas, fig newtons & raisins.

[Jim Beaux]

Stress.

Exercise is a good cure for stress.

[Tracker]

To answer the original Subject title: What's causing American obesity and cardiovascular disease? Genes.

Two separate issues, but both caused by Genes.

That genes haven't changed enough in the last hundred years. And you can say people worked harder then because I know overweight roughnecks and roustabouts. Like I said if I put my cattle on a grain diet they'll put on fat. If I take them off the grains they'll lose weight. Insulin is the fat storage hormone and that's been known since the 60's

[Tracker]

***SNIP***

I've noticed in myself that what I eat the day/night before affects my appetite the next day. A couple of times now we've going to a place up North of St JO, Tx that has a wood-fired outdoor pizza oven. (It a family business out in the country and they get a lot of people from DFW.) Each time that I've been there I ate a lot of pizza. It's mostly bread with some cheeze. Not a lot of meat. The next day I woke up hungry as a bear. I'm never that hungry in the morning. Since then I've noticed that if I eat a lot of carbs the night before I wake up hungry where usually I'm not.

When I was in peak condition I biked the same 15 mile route every morning & rode a group ride 50+ miler on Sat or Sun. No exceptions unless it was raining. I knew the route like the back of my hand and my bike was equipped with a computer. I clocked myself every ride and knew that at a cadence of XX rpm, in XX gear I should be at a precise spot. I always tried to set a new record every ride.

Though I was gorging on carbs, I ate very clean & only baked or broiled meat. One night I ate a few fried shrimp and drank one beer. The next morning I was dead. I couldnt believe how bad my performance was - it wasnt even close. From then on I started experimenting with diet and dialed in a pre ride meal that never left me on the road.

The night before a long ride I ate a big bowl of spaghetti, english peas, blackeye peas & fresh spinach tossed in olive oil. On the bike I ate several bananas, fig newtons & raisins.

With distance running and HIT weight training I was doing I thought high carbs was required. But there was this nagging questions that I had. If the body only stores ~500 grams of glycogen in skeletal muscle and ~100 grams in the liver for a total caloric storage of ~2400 calories do you really burn through that much glycogen ever day? And if you do and you need that to survive it's not a very efficient means of storing energy for lean times. What was God thinking? The liver releases glucose to keep blood sugar stable (I think by total volume there's only about a teaspoon of glucose in the blood). It would take a 90lb liver to store the energy equivalent of 10lb of body fat. It just seemed fat would be the preferred energy for the body.

If you haven't, listen to the podcast I posted to with prof Timothy Noskes. He wrote the bible on carb loading and endurance sports. He's since done s 180 on that belief

Edit: iirc, in his book Fit or Fat Covert Bailey said it would take 120lb liver to store the energy equivalent to 9lb of body fat

[Tracker]

Stress.

Exercise is a good cure for stress.

If that's so true, Jim, why are there any overweight marathoners? I just googled Dallas marathon
http://www.examiner.com/article/dallas- ... ens-june-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The person I mentioned earlier who trained for half marathons and now has a pacemaker once commented this to me years ago: "You know _____ as much running as I do I'm still fat." I had a saying you can't exercise the weight off, you have to eat it off" that always got a courious look followed by a question to what I meant.

Here's the math. I'll be generous and say a person burns 100 calories walking per mile. How many miles does he/she have to walk to burn off to he calories in 1 pound of fat? 35 miles.
3500cal in a pound / 100cal per mile = 35 miles
You'd have to walk 700 miles to burn off the calories in 20lb of fat
35 miles x 20 = 700.

And that's why you see all these overweight people who do daily walks/Runs but never seem to never be able to lean down. I use to do a sag wagon for a bike rally every year. I would listen to them talk about their training and rallies the did every year. A number of them were still overweight

[nightmare69]

To answer the original Subject title: What's causing American obesity and cardiovascular disease? Genes.

Two separate issues, but both caused by Genes.

That genes haven't changed enough in the last hundred years. And you can say people worked harder then because I know overweight roughnecks and roustabouts. Like I said if I put my cattle on a grain diet they'll put on fat. If I take them off the grains they'll lose weight. Insulin is the fat storage hormone and that's been known since the 60's

This. I don't understand why people including my family like to complicate it. For me the abundance of fast food restaurants and sweets out there are really tempting at times. Look at the data from 50yrs ago to now, we are much fatter and our genetics have not changed. Evolution takes a bit longer than 50yrs.

Time to air up the tires on my Trek and hit the trails.

[PaJ]

To answer the original Subject title: What's causing American obesity and cardiovascular disease? Genes.

Two separate issues, but both caused by Genes.

That genes haven't changed enough in the last hundred years. And you can say people worked harder then because I know overweight roughnecks and roustabouts. Like I said if I put my cattle on a grain diet they'll put on fat. If I take them off the grains they'll lose weight. Insulin is the fat storage hormone and that's been known since the 60's

This. I don't understand why people including my family like to complicate it. For me the abundance of fast food restaurants and sweets out there are really tempting at times. Look at the data from 50yrs ago to now, we are much fatter and our genetics have not changed. Evolution takes a bit longer than 50yrs.

Time to air up the tires on my Trek and hit the trails.

Genes play a factor, but they are not the reason. I'm 5'9". At one point, I starved myself to a weight of 155#. I looked horrible and sick. At 170# I look "skinny". At 180# I start looking pudgy. For other people of that height, 155# would be normal. If you believe BMI, I am overweight at 170.

I have three kids. My oldest has my build except taller. He's 6'2" and weighs about 230. He looks healthy with a few extra pounds, and is athletic and eats fairly well for a 19 year old college student. My 17 year old is 5'10" and weighs ~130#. He is very skinny. Not because he wants to be. He eats every calorie he can but cannot gain weight. My 15 year old daughter is similar in build to my 17 year old. Same parents. Very different builds.

That being said, categorically speaking, I don't think genes is the problem in America. It's a matter of food choices (including tons of processed foods) and exercise. When I go to Spain, I don't see fat people. Why? Their diet is much different and they walk a lot. Their diet is largely from fresh foods be it grain, meat, vegetables, etc. Wine or beer are always consumed even at lunch. But its all in moderation.

So, while I'm looking into the Paleo diet, that is primarily to discover and eliminate the cause of my health issues, which I believe to be linked to inflammation. But, when I've successfully lost weight, it has always been by portion control (aka moderation) than by cutting out certain foods. When I got to 155#, I ate ice cream every night. But I only ate about 5 or 6 bites. Just enough to cure the sweet tooth. Over time, I cut the amount of food I'd eat in a restaurant by more than 75%. And I learned to "eat when I was hungry and stop when I was full."

I may choose to continue with Paleo principles, but don't see that I can every go 100% in any particular direction. I am very dedicated to things I believe in, but when it comes to diet it's difficult for me because of my travel schedule. The one thing I can always do, though, is to always consume in moderation (which I've not done a good job of for the past few years).

[Abraham]

After school, I worked in a super market.

We had a family come in once a week and load up on masses of sugary sweets, gallons of ice cream, cases of soft drinks and the rest processed food. No fresh veggies ever and I don't recall them buying much in the way of meat, maybe some hot dogs, but nothing that would take a little effort to prepare.

The entire family could've been members of a sideshow carnival featuring a freakishly obese family. Mom, Dad, two brothers and a sister, monstrously fat.

Other customers would stare at them. Stunned. The family wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. They acted as if they were ashamed. They would have as many as 5 shopping carts massively loaded by the time they were ready to check out.

Once high school was complete, I went off to college. Upon returning and visiting a few years later, I ran into one of the brothers. He was normal weight. Looked healthy. I commented that he was "looking good". He beamed and said, "yeah, once I started living on my own, I started doing all the healthy things I should've been doing all along.

He didn't have a problem with his glands or genes. He just ate junk (not his fault) and ballooned up as anyone would who only eats loads of sugary stuff and processed food.

[rdcrags]

I think some of you and other experts are making losing weight far too complicated. An excerpt from one of my essays:

"What about the attempts to encourage people to become healthier in order to reduce the need for medical assistance? Five percent of the U.S. population has thyroid or other issues that cause continual weight gain no matter what they eat or how much they exercise. Twenty-five percent of the U.S. population will tell you that they have thyroid or other issues that cause continual weight gain no matter what they eat or how much they exercise. In any case, the emphasis has been shifted from a personal issue to a national economic necessity to “fit” individuals (fitness programs).

Since the turn of the 20th century, the U.S. has been considered a place where food is plentiful. And with plenty comes overindulgence. People store fat for that hibernation that never comes, but they are ready if it ever does. I believe the issue is more basic. An extensive amount of effort is expended in essential one-on-one training over a long period of time for a newborn human to ultimately be able to sustain life by shoving solid food and pouring fluids through that opening at the top front of the human body. It is a long training period, and death would result without that training. Yet, there is no similar one-on-one training, except for athletes, for an adult in the necessary act of controlling the quantity of solid food and caloric fluids pushed and poured into that opening at the top front of the body. Then, there is the 30-30-30 syndrome. Goes like this: Let’s say that a person stuffs until he feels really full. His stomach feels undersized and the brain tells it to grow larger, which it does. He stuffs again, only due to the larger stomach, he feels full only after consuming even more than before. The cycle continues until, 30 years later, his stomach is 30% larger and he is carrying 30 pounds more fat. O.K., I made up the statistics, but I have bought into the concept. Doctors say that candidates for stomach bypass operations have enlarged stomachs. Net result of the initial training and absence of later training: Death at infancy is averted but premature death later is not. Until recently, that is. We now have trainers for celebrities and others who can afford trainers. The training often covers managing both intake and exercise, the essential balance required to stay trim. In some publicized cases, the trainer is engaged twice, first for the task and later to the celebrity herself.

The rest of us are on our own. Engineers understand the concept of calories in and work out. We are able to compare our bodies with manmade machines where such things are calculated routinely. We even know about storing excess energy input into batteries when the intake is greater than the output. In our bodies, the receptacle of that surplus energy is called “fat.” Yet, some engineers still eat too much and/or exercise too little. The basic unit of expending energy is the foot-pound. It means lifting one pound against the force of gravity a distance of one foot. The foot-pound is convertible to other units, including calories and Btu’s. If you pump iron by lifting a weight of 100 pounds a distance of one foot, and do it ten times, doing so is equivalent to eating food containing 650 calories, equivalent to a typical dinner. The latest statistic that I heard is, if you eat one M&M, you need to walk 3 blocks to burn the equivalent number of calories."