Word of Wisdom and Obesity?

[Hemidakota]

Some other weird things I see...I live a quarter mile from my neighborhood's elementary school. The kids on my street ride the bus there. Can anyone explain to me why that is? What's so hard about walking your kid a quarter mile to school and back. That's a great (really great) workout for the kid and a moderately good workout for the parent. And if all the kids within a half mile of the school walked, almost the entire school would be walking. I suspect that little things like this are really adding up to contribute to the problem.

Be fortunate you still have busing MOE. Where I live, most of the busing programs are turned off thanks to our “gubernator”. “If wanna cut cost,,,start with education first.” I really feel for the poor in having to commute the distance with children due to the sparsely built schools are now consolidated to cut further cost.

But living within half-mile, I believe like you, they either get a bike or just walk it. I remember when I was in England, my mother used to give me bus money to ride to school and back. England is notorious with on-time busing and rail system. What I did, learn to walk the distance at a fast walk pace. It helped to develop me with running and endurance for playing soccer with their middle school (2nd year). But the heartache which I never told my mother, with my friends, I used the bus money to stop on the way home at the train station sweet confectionary shop for candy. Obesity was never a problem when we walked to school.

[hordak]

It's not so much an issue of straight up cost, beans and brown rice are cheap and healthy and pretty much preservative free, so much as it is time. Eating a box of GV mac and cheese (or Top Ramen) is both cheap and quick. Also to get the most bang for your buck you need to buy beans and brown rice in bulk so even if it is ultimately cheaper a 25# or 50# bag of each has larger sticker shock than a $0.20 on sale box of Mac and Cheese.

Now if we are talking about healthy easy/quick to prepare foods then yeah, that stuff is definitely more expensive than it's less healthy counterparts.

Healthy food vs unhealthy food doesn't matter as much as people think. In the long run eating healthier is better, and unhealthy food tends to be more calorie rich ( e.g. the 400kcals in a king size reeses peanut butter cup will not fill up and "satisfy" in the way 2 cups of cooked rice would, fat has 9 cal per gram while protein and carbs have 4) but a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

Is a calorie a calorie? -- Buchholz and Schoeller 79 (5): 899S -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Not saying eating healthy isn't important, but portion control and exercise, energy in vs energy out, has a greater affect on body comp then eating right.

Edited June 17, 2010 by hordak

[martybess]

Healthy food vs unhealthy food doesn't matter as much as people think.

You may be skinny in that picture but eating unhealthy will produce high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes just to name a few. "Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2006". We have the word of wisdom for a reason is the whole point. Moderation in all things. Have you seen the documentary "Super Size Me"?

Edited June 17, 2010 by martybess

[marshac]

Healthy food vs unhealthy food doesn't matter as much as people think. In the long run eating healthier is better, and unhealthy food tends to be more calorie rich ( e.g. the 400kcals in a king size reeses peanut butter cup will not fill up and "satisfy" in the way 2 cups of cooked rice would, fat has 9 cal per gram while protein and carbs have 4) but a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

The makeup of everything going into those calories does matter however. For example, i'm sure nobody would argue that 100 calories worth of trans-fats is more harmful than 100 calories worth of olive oil. Granted, the impact of the trans-fats won't be felt for many years (and the pain will begin in the left arm...), although I suspect that when that day does come, you'll be thinking that those trans-fats just weren't worth it. I use trans-fats as an extreme example, but the types of fats we eat DO matter, especially for our cardiovascular health. Many foods have mixtures of fats with different ratios of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids- even seemingly healthy things such as Tilapia turn out to have an unhealthy ratio of 3/6 fatty acids.

As for type-2 diabetes, it can happen to anyone. My dad turns 62 this Aug, and he's beginning to routinely have blood sugar levels on the high end of normal- he's not overweight, swims a mile daily, and works in a physically demanding job- he's quite fit. Additionally, he eats only whole grains, and stays away from sugar. Despite this, it appears that he could quite possibly develop type-2 diabetes. He does drink a lot of milk, so I wonder if the insulin-like growth factor in milk could play a part.... I hesitate to tell him this however since my mom already complains about how difficult he is to cook for these days

[Dravin]

Healthy food vs unhealthy food doesn't matter as much as people think. In the long run eating healthier is better, and unhealthy food tends to be more calorie rich ( e.g. the 400kcals in a king size reeses peanut butter cup will not fill up and "satisfy" in the way 2 cups of cooked rice would, fat has 9 cal per gram while protein and carbs have 4) but a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

You are correct as far as weight loss (or gain goes) if you are eating Twinkies or a caloric equivalent of the most nutritionally balanced diet imaginable it doesn't particularly matter. What kills you (weight wise) about Big Mac with Supersized Fries and a Coke isn't the sodium, preservatives, corn syrup or that it's loaded with fat (other than as noted fat is energy dense) it's the sheer number of calories (1350). Me going to McDonald's for Lunch or Dinner? McDouble and a Spicy Chicken, tons of salt and fat but at ~800 falls in the bounds of my per meal calorie guidelines (Roughly 400 Breakfast, 800 Lunch and 800 Dinner). And at $2 not a bad price for eating out.

As far as what you quoted of mine I was just commenting on the whole healthy food costing more complaint, one can purchase what one needs for a meal with complete protein, high fiber and low fat for pretty darn cheap. I wasn't trying to argue that eating crap makes you fat, it's how much crap you eat that makes you fat.

Edit: As Marshac points out, there is more to health than weight gain or loss.

[Suzie]

Of course being skinny does not mean being healthy but how many folks would love to eat anything they want, as much as they want and not put a pound?

Edited June 17, 2010 by Suzie

[martybess]

As far as what you quoted of mine I was just commenting on the whole healthy food costing more complaint, one can purchase what one needs for a meal with complete protein, high fiber and low fat for pretty darn cheap. I wasn't trying to argue that eating crap makes you fat, it's how much crap you eat that makes you fat.

Depending on where you live eating healthy can be expensive compared to a bag or frozen burritos or hot dogs. Yes rice is cheap but once you start adding fruits and veggies (like a salad) it adds up! I went to the sun flower market sat and spent 20 dollars on just a few items. If I would of spent that on hot dogs from walmart no comparison.

[hordak]

You may be skinny in that picture but eating unhealthy will produce high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes just to name a few. "Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2006". We have the word of wisdom for a reason is the whole point. Moderation in all things. Have you seen the documentary "Super Size Me"?

Don't get me wrong i'm NOT advocating eating junk. ( I get regular physicals and the only negatives the Drs have ever had to tell me is quit smoking. Back then while on that diet i was also a pack a day smoker, which typically raises cholesterol levels and blood pressure, but i was still in healthy ranges. The magic of regular cardiovascular exercise)

My point is people get hung up on/ and discouraged because they can't/don't eat healthy and cause themselves to fail.

How many times have you seen someone start a diet Monday then Tuesday they slip up in the morning and have doughnut so at lunch they say

" I, already messed up today, i'll start tomorrow"

and they take the "bad" food option (or skip the calorie count). Tomorrow becomes next week, next month etc.

My point is a calorie is a calorie. If one "screws up" and has a 400kcal krispy kreme morning snack they can skip the 400kcal tuna on toast to make up for it and get the same calorie deficiency at the end of the day.

Healthy eating is better for the body, but not being able to eat healthy doesn't mean you can't lose weight or be healthier.

University Communications | Media Relations :: Eastern Illinois University

Portion size me. 2 students live off a diet of fast food,for a month,

Painter told the students to maintain their usual body weight, but both of them ended up losing weight and even lowering their cholesterol.

That’s a stark contrast from the experience of the subject in “Super Size Me,” as he gained more than 20 pounds and wrecked his health after eating a steady diet of fast food for a month.

“It wasn’t the food that he ate that caused the problems, it was the portions,” Painter said. “We really showed that you can eat fast food and not gain weight.”

[hordak]

You are correct as far as weight loss (or gain goes) if you are eating Twinkies or a caloric equivalent of the most nutritionally balanced diet imaginable it doesn't particularly matter. What kills you (weight wise) about Big Mac with Supersized Fries and a Coke isn't the sodium, preservatives, corn syrup or that it's loaded with fat (other than as noted fat is energy dense) it's the sheer number of calories (1350). Me going to McDonald's for Lunch or Dinner? McDouble and a Spicy Chicken, tons of salt and fat but at ~800 falls in the bounds of my per meal calorie guidelines (Roughly 400 Breakfast, 800 Lunch and 800 Dinner). And at $2 not a bad price for eating out.

As far as what you quoted of mine I was just commenting on the whole healthy food costing more complaint, one can purchase what one needs for a meal with complete protein, high fiber and low fat for pretty darn cheap. I wasn't trying to argue that eating crap makes you fat, it's how much crap you eat that makes you fat.

Edit: As Marshac points out, there is more to health than weight gain or loss.

I just linked to you because whoever you missed the name in whomever you quoted so i wasn't arguing that is what you were arguing just trying to point out people shouldn't get discouraged and forgo a "proper diet" (as it pertains to calorie intake) because they can't have a "proper diet" (as it pertains to healthy food.)

i.e. if one needs to lose weight and can't eat better eat smarter. If one has to eat Mac an Cheese instead of chicken Caesar salads eat less.

[Dravin]

Depending on where you live eating healthy can be expensive compared to a bag or frozen burritos or hot dogs. Yes rice is cheap but once you start adding fruits and veggies (like a salad) it adds up! I went to the sun flower market sat and spent 20 dollars on just a few items. If I would of spent that on hot dogs from walmart no comparison.

You don't have to add fruits and veggies though, I know it's ideal but beans and rice without a delightful salad on the side is still healthier than a box of Mac and Cheese. I suppose healthier would have been the better term to use as I doubt even vegetarians with produce budgets the size of a small mortgage are eating an ideal menu. My point was there are healthier alternatives out there and they can be quite affordable (fresh produce is generally not one of those quite affordable choices, though sometimes can be).

There are other barriers, for instance time (as I mentioned), limited storage space (makes hiding 50# of food in the cupboard tricky), limited knowledge (Does everyone know to soak dried beans? Do you know you don't have to soak lentils?), limited mobility (What if you lack a car? Are you gonna carry a 25# bag of rice or beans home? Or on the bus?), limited selection (I imagine quite a few inner city convenience stores don't carry 25# bags of rice or beans), and the difficulties of investing if cash is tight (Online 25# of Pintos (not including shipping, which would probably be a decent chunk of change) is $21 and Brown Rice is $18, hard to make that choice even if cheaper in the long run over Mac and Cheese or Hot dogs).

Edited June 17, 2010 by Dravin

[marshac]

Depending on where you live eating healthy can be expensive compared to a bag or frozen burritos or hot dogs. Yes rice is cheap but once you start adding fruits and veggies (like a salad) it adds up! I went to the sun flower market sat and spent 20 dollars on just a few items. If I would of spent that on hot dogs from walmart no comparison.

Frozen and canned veggies are relatively inexpensive. I can get a bag of mixed veggies ($2), can of chicken gravey ($1), a potato ($.50), frozen pie crust ($2), and make a relatively healthy pot-pie. You talked about rice- frozen veggies and rice make a decent stir-fry.

I think generally it takes more work to prepare healthy food, ans for that you pay a price- either time spent yourself, or money to pay someone else. The cost of the raw ingredients doesn't necessarily have to be expensive.

[Guest]

Calorie count is crazy anyway.

The food pyramid is a better gauge coupled with a healthy psychology to tell yourself when you are satisfied. You shouldn't have to eat to bursting to feel satisfied.

With proper exercise - like parking the farthest away from the grocery store even - it would equate healthy. Maybe.

Honestly, I'm just talking off my buns.

[Hemidakota]

I don't know how much truth is to this but needs further investigation.

I’m going to say it again: fat in the body is created as a swollen, inflamed, end-organ manifestation, from allergic reactions, or any of the above or additional triggering factors that I have mentioned.

From my observations, I have deduced that obesity is often a result of chronic, low-level inflammation. Further research documents that this is indeed a theory worth pursuing, and yet, astonishingly — even though obesity is such an enormous problem — I have yet to read of these studies in current, commonly cited literature! Let me share with you some of the studies and resources I have uncovered (these breakthrough concepts have been published within the past 10 years):

“Obesity is often accompanied by excess fat storage in tissues other than adipose tissue, including liver and skeletal muscle, which may stimulate inflammation… Some of these secreted proteins, including several proinflammatory mediators, may be produced by macrophages resident in the adipose tissue. The changes in inflammatory status of adipose tissue and liver with obesity feed a growing recognition that obesity represents a state of chronic low-level inflammation.” 1...

I have a plethora of additional information and studies that I want to share with you, and they’ll be coming in future articles. Then, once you know what’s going on inside your body, you’ll be better equipped with how to solve the obesity puzzle, once and for all, in your body, and get on with living again.

In the meantime, what can you do to proactively start ridding your body of the inflammation? You can start by eliminating the ingestion of processed foods, with their inflammatory ingredients. While this is definitely not a complete list, here are some:

• sugar,
• flavorings,
• dyes,
• caffeine,
• trans fatty acids,
• hydrogenated oils,
• sugar,
• preservatives,
• did I mention sugar before?

Meridian Magazine : : Healthy Outlook: Obesity: Your Body at War

Edited June 17, 2010 by Hemidakota

[Guest]

I don't know how much truth is to this but needs further investigation.

Meridian Magazine : : Healthy Outlook: Obesity: Your Body at War

LOTS of truth to that article.

It is not that nobody knows about it - everybody knows excess sugar is bad for you. Everybody knows excess salt is bad for you.

But, it's like smoking - they know it's bad for them but it is SUPER DUPER HARD to get rid of it.

Have you ever tasted anything without sugar? Yeck! A banana or carrots have lots of natural sugars in it. It's not a good idea to eat a banana or carrot 2 hours before bedtime. Banana and carrots are "healthy foods" in that they contain lots of vitamin/minerals needed by your body (e.g. potassium in banana, beta-carotene in carrots). It is recommended for every diet. But you are still laden with sugars with those things - that's why they taste good. My kids don't have a problem eating bananas or carrots.

Now, try replacing spinach for carrot for the beta-carotene and beet greens for bananas for potassium. One word. YECH!

So yeah, a low sugar diet is super duper difficult for those of us who grew up on modern eating. It's a drastic change.

[Moksha]

In the Philippines - McDonald's is fine dining (as in, only people with money can go to McDonald's). Most people go to the local market where fish, shrimps, crabs is the "poor man's food", chicken and pork is the "middle class", and beef is the "rich man's fare".

What position does Spam hold on this scale?

.

[Guest]

What position does Spam hold on this scale?

.

Spam is definitely on the "rich man's fare" list. Any canned meats, as a matter of fact. Preserved food is expensive!

The poor man got a good taste of Spam when Americans aided us during World War II and then again while there were vast deployments of American soldiers in the Philippines during the Korean and Vietnam wars. They were handing out Spam like manna from heaven. It was awesome. So, after the American bases closed, some poor folks would rub two pennies together skipping some needed necessities just to have one measly taste of their beloved Spam. :)

[Hemidakota]

To the Hawaiians, Spam is considered 'manna'.

[HiJolly]

To the Hawaiians, Spam is considered 'manna'.

Fried Tulip, baby! (for the uninitiated, it's Spam on steroids!)

HiJolly

[Hemidakota]

Google Image Result for http://www.tastyisland.net/images/spam_musubi/luncheon_meat_frying.jpg

[Dove]

I've really enjoyed reading everyone's posts concerning eating healthier. Thanks so much.

I've struggled with the time and effort it takes to make healthy food. I find it oh, so much easier (and more expensive) to eat low-calorie dishes at McDonald's. They have their nutritional information guide on the back of their tray liners. They really make an effort to have this info. available to the consumer. Plus, they do have low calorie choices (including salads) on their menu, which makes it nice and easy. I can't go wrong with their dollar menu, at times.

However, I have a dear friend who strives to eat "raw." Her and I have gone to a "raw" restaurant together, and I've eaten at her home a couple of times. For me, the feeling I have after eating one of those meals is a mix of cleansing and spirituality. It feels so good my body fairly tingles as a result. I'm really becoming a believer in the healthier eating and am aspiring towards very little meat in my diet, with mostly whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

With my diabetes, food portioning is very important in not only losing weight, but in gauging how much insulin I will need to offset the food intake. It makes a big difference for me if I eat a doughnut for breakfast (lots of refined sugar) to eating a balanced meal with say, a banana, whole grain cereal and milk. The kind of sugar I take in effects my blood sugars in drastically different ways. I believe this would be true also for the non-diabetic. Eating refined sugars can't help but stress the pancreas in having to produce the extra insulin needed to compensate. This is how my husband experienced his first insulin reaction. He had fasted all day and then drank an energy drink high in sugar and calories. Within a few hours he experienced his first reaction, which was very difficult for him.

One thing about even the "natural" artificial sweeteners~they are so close to the real thing in make up that they spike my blood sugars on an artificial high~Then, if I take the prescribed insulin needed to bring my sugars down, I drop like a rock into an insulin reaction. They really play havoc on me.

So, I'm really becoming converted to all natural, healthier ways of eating.

[neudawn]

One thing about even the "natural" artificial sweeteners~they are so close to the real thing in make up that they spike my blood sugars on an artificial high~Then, if I take the prescribed insulin needed to bring my sugars down, I drop like a rock into an insulin reaction. They really play havoc on me.

My son in law is glucose intolerant and we learned from him that artificial sweeteners have this reaction in the body. He drinks water and herbal teas.

As for myself, I thought I was eating healthy, but then I took a second look. I begin to make sure the proteins that I ate were low fat, switched to a diet that was higher in fiber, with lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetable. I cut out all soda...even diet soda.

These simple switches helped me to lose 75 pounds. (and have 15 to go)

The WoW speaks of running and not being weary. That to me means that we need to get in activity in our lives, so I started exercising.

Although I also have hormone imbalance, thyroid problems... I have been able to lose weight. It has been very very slow at times, even with exercise, but it can be done.

The key is to make life style changes and not look for quick fixes.

I have enjoyed all of the comments.

[martybess]

To me so much of life has to do with consistency. Studying the scriptures, saying our prayers, serving in callings etc. My wife is one of those ppl that is consistent at anything she starts and if she doesn't think she can be consistent she does not commit until she's ready. Myself on the other hand my weight is like a yo yo and that's not good. LOL Consistency for me is hard, it's frustrating because I know I need to learn consistency while in mortality, it's the key!

[Dravin]

Fried Tulip, baby! (for the uninitiated, it's Spam on steroids!)

HiJolly

I'm glad you explained as I was wondering what fried Calvinistic Doctrine tasted like...

[MarginOfError]

More people now die of being overweight than from starvation... is that a good thing or a bad thing?

It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out that having too much food is a lot better than having not enough food.

Any time I have to choose whether to face to problem of starvation or the problem of gluttony, I'll take gluttony. It's an awful lot easier to throw food away than it is to grow it.

[martybess]

I don't know how much truth is to this but needs further investigation.

Meridian Magazine : : Healthy Outlook: Obesity: Your Body at War

I read that article about a month ago and got me thinking. I put so much of that crap in my body. Pretty much everything we eat is processed and designed to induce cravings.