Obesity rates still rising in the US

I wonder if you were to overlay a map of Krispy Kreme's store openings since 2000, you'd see a correlation on k8's map.

I'm an obese (eventually to be unobese) southerner, but not living in poverty and not completely ignorant. It's hotter 'n 2 hells here for long stretches during the year, and you can bet that curtails my enthusiasm for outdoor activity. If I lived in Colorado, it would be another story. Although they probably don't fry Twinkies in CO either. I know, I know... it's hot in AZ too, but humidity is a killah! So we're probably not as active here in general, and I guess you could call that laziness. That plus the fact most of us are raised on co'-colas and gravy hasn't helped. It's not an excuse, just the way it is.

One last random comment, have you ever seen those news segments about "obesity on the rise" and they show footage of fat people from the waist dow milling around in public? I'm mortified that I'll recognize myself one day!

I have been reading some of the posts.. and before my thunder gets stolen I will say what I have to say.. the prolly read it from someone else again.. I have a family of 4, I feed them for around 80 to 100 dollars a week.. Eating healthy is sooo much cheaper than eating junk food.. at least for us.. When all I bought was junk my grocery bill was never under 150 dollars a week.. and then we would eat out alot on top of that. Maybe we bought gourmet junk food.. I really have no idea.. and I dont mean that in a snarky way. But a 2 liter of pop is 1.99 here and a gallon of milk is 2.00.. and water is free. I used to shop every Monday and now I shop about ever 10 days for staples and every 5 days for fruit. I buy the fruit and veg that are in season.. except for special treats like asparagus that stuff is always pricey but the rest is gen. less than a dollar a lb. I buy our meats in bulk and on sale whenever I can.. I can say that with buying good for you food, making meal plans (huge money saver), and eating out less we are saving about 300 dollars or more a month. Also I do not pitch out any left overs. Todays roast chicken is tomorrows chicken with pasta and veggies. I freeze what we dont eat, (ie buns.. or cooked sausage) and pull it out later to thaw and finish it up. It has been a real savings.. sometimes I get tired of tacos for dinner, then for lunch, and dinner again.. but my wallet and my waist line dont seem to mind.

Sorry to tell you cocobutt but not everyone in Colorado is slender and healthy. I am living proof. Maybe its the marshmallows. Also, contrary to popular opinion, there are parts of the state that get very hot. I can attest to that, too. I try to have everything done by 10 am that needs done for the day. When the temp is over 100 degrees the only thing you see outside here are the lizards and rattlesnakes. Again, it gets hot enough to roast the marshmallows.

Ha! Don't blame my mallowy goodness! True, I have always envisioned CO as being on the cool side, but I bet it's for a relatively short span. As a sweaty fat girl, I would gladly trade your weather for ours. Maybe when I get shed of some of these rolls, it won't seem as bad.

@datadoll Speaking of marshmallows. Have you seen the new Campfire Marshmallows? They are the size of a soda can! My wife loves marshmallows and points them out to me every week when we go to the grocery store.

@cocobutt I grew up in South Carolina and then moved to Arizona. I understand what you talking about. I'll take Arizona any day of the week! I currently live a half block from Krispy Kreme which is normally ok except when that stupid "Hot Now" sign is lit!

@k8yk I agree Arizona is a sort of in between place. You see both extremes there. It is nice to have bike lanes and running trails though!

Oh, one last thing I wanted to share since we're talking about the relationship between low incomes and obesity ... there's this neat website, www.PoorGirlEatsWell.com, where this young lady shares her recipes for delicious and pretty healthy low-budget meals. I just wish we had a Trader Joe's in our state.

I think if marshmallows were that big here I would more easily avoid them. A normal marshmallow is only 25 calories. So why even think about stopping at one? The truth is.... I just won't buy them anymore except for camping and that is a whole different story that I REALLY want not to get into. ; ))

@phule HOT NOW! Seriously, my hubby and I could NOT drive past KK when that beacon was on. Damn those devilish donuts!

@datadoll Haha, you mm addict! I know, there are few things better than me roasting on a campfire. Good times...

OMG my kids go crazy for those big camp fire marshmallows.. we bought them one time.. 3.79 a bag.. and they are huge the bag was nearly as big as my daughter.. and each marshmallow is like 110 calories or some such nonsense.. I would rather cook 5 for 125 calories than one for 110.. cause really the same amount of time is gonna pass for one big one as one little one being roasted.. so I would just end up eating more. I should really get a bic lighter a tooth pick and the mini's

LOL I like the way you think!

Don't forget a chocolate chip.

I Believe in Louisiana it's culture more than anything. Even the wealthy here are at the very least overweight if not obese. The food here is just so delicious! It is very rich, with cream, and butter,and more cream and more butter,Oh and don't forget the alcohol! and there is tons of it. Actually in some places the wealthy have a tendency to be heavier because they eat more and serve more to prove they aren't poor. Just my observation in my little corner of the world- That and New Orleans just OOOZES decadence of all kinds.

I'm from Colorado also and I agree that our rate is lower than the rest due to the numerous outdoor activities. However, our rates are still rising along with the rest of the country. I blame it on how technology is replacing manual labor more than ever. Not only in ours jobs, but at home too. I used to run around in a production environment for 8 hours a day and now I perform my job in the same industry, in a chair on a computer, for 8 hours. I'm hearing this more and more from other people too. Everything is just becoming too convienent.

One quick thought on the cost.
How much money does it cost to eat 2000 calories of junk food? It could be one large bag of chips and a bottle of soda. Or one big meal at McDonalds
How much money does it cost to eat 2000 calories of healthy lean protein, fruits and vegetables? .....

Per calorie, healthy food is more expensive. That's why school lunch programs have such a problem.

I still disagree. If you prepare your own foods it much cheaper to eat healthy. How much does it cost to drink water? How much does it cost to buy bulk rice and beans? You see my point? For $10 you can make a big pot of stew and eat it for a week. It's the connivence factor at work here more than cost. Buying pre-made food takes 30 seconds. Shopping for, then preparing and preserving healthy, low-cost food yourself, takes TIME and organization. Most people don't have the time or don't want to be bothered.

Amen Phule. I personally believe that the kind of thinking that gets people into the poverty cycle is the same kind of thinking that keeps people obese. It's a "I don't care" attitude and not taking responsibility for oneself that causes both poverty and obesity. Of course- there are those in poverty or obese that are so for some legitimate reason-but these would be the minor excpetions- not the rule.

Just food for thought: one thing I haven't seen mentioned is the time commitment at issue. It often takes a lot more time and energy to prepare a healthy meal for a family than it does to toss a store-brand prepackaged boxed meal together. I know that not all healthy meals take time or effort or energy to make, but if you want to have any variety in your diet or if you need to keep a child (or multiple children) "happy" it is probably going to take some time. Not to mention the time it takes to discover and learn new recipes, foods, and techniques, which is necessary if you're trying to make a change to an unhealthy lifestyle. Similarly, exercise takes time. Again, I know I'm going to get a spate of responses along the lines of "I am xyz-busy, and I do abc -- it can be done!" but I think it's important to consider that for many of those living in poverty or near poverty, time can be as expensive as food. Like many of us, I am fortunate enough to have a regular, 40-hour a week desk job, and I still sometimes wonder where I'm going to find the time to cook, exercise, spend time with my family, and take care of my household. I can't imagine how difficult it would be if I worked off hours, had a rotating schedule, needed to have two jobs, or worked on my feet all day.

I understand your delima here. I returned to school 2 years ago and spent all my time in school or in front of the comp. No time for cooking, exercise, or anything. I gained 50 lbs! That's when I decided it was time for a change, I had to do something. I bought a WII Fit Plus and began cooking large amounts of food (chicken, steak, turkey, and pork) on the grill on weekends. I keep out enough meat for the week and freeze the rest. Then with vegetables, I throw them in the steamer and turn it on for about 30 min. Steamers are easy clean up and dishwasher safe . I don't have any kids living @ home but my nephews love playing the WII games, and we all play together, me, my husband and my nephews. Now every morning me and my husband get up, do the body test and a short workout.

Colorado was my home until earlier this year when I moved to California. Colorado has a lot of outdoor activities to offer residents, and a lot of people even move there for that reason. It's generally not hit too hard by big economic downturns. Also, there is a very high ratio of degreed-professionals to non-degreed, so I guess you could make the assumption that intelligence/income plays a role there somewhere too.

Probably other reasons too, like the people living in the mountains generally being more active and the same with farmers and farm workers. Though I do have to point out that half the state is flat (Denver included), it's not all mountains and snow!

I'm proud of you, CO!

I think we all have to realize that we are lucky. If you have the money for a computer and the internet, you are rich by world standards. Maybe not by the standards we are taught to aspire to in the US, but in terms of what most people have in this world, we should be grateful. If you are not starving and you have shelter and water, you're better off than many people in the world.

Personally, I realize I am very lucky and I have a lot of things going for me that helped me "win" the weight battle. I'm unmarried with no children, I'm an educated professional with an income level high enough to allow me to purchase a wide variety of foods and I have a supportive partner who has helped me every step of the way. Most people have many more obstacles than this. If your only obstacle is yourself (as mine was) consider yourself lucky. Even on this site, most people do not have it so easy.