Rubato

I gave up smoking after god knows how many years, I could be an arrogant prick about it and look down my nose at those still hooked to their cancer sticks, but I don't because I've been through it and know how difficult kicking a bad habit can be, I'd say I owe most of it to having enough free time to change my daily routine, I'm confident that most people can't afford that same luxury.

Preaching does nothing to help those caught in unhealthy routines, I'm fairly sure most of them don't need you to point it out to them that they could lose a few pounds or they could make a few changes to their diet. It takes a bit optimism for someone to give enough ****s about their own health to get through a change in lifestyle, which would be stressful enough without a job or kids to work around. Making them feel guilty about it certainly won't help them find that optimism.

Guybrush

Certainly capitalist society is to blame to some extent for obesity. It creates class differences in resources and what we eat and, as you write, every day we are constantly bombarded with commercials trying to tempt us into making bad lifestyle choices. I feel like when it comes down to each one of us, I generally think we have to take personal responsibility. But when we're talking about obesity as an epidemic and how it taxes a nation etc, then one can blame society and hopefully exercise ones political power in order to change things.

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GuitarBizarre

Well, I can't say I like the contentious ground we are covering at the moment, but I'm glad to see that everyone in the thread has finally accepted that people can look good with a little extra on them.


Because dear sweet crap that took forever.

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someonecompletelyrandom

It's definitely a difficult line to define. Where does personal responsibily end and societal responsibility begin?

anticipation

In my experience with "society" and it's influences on the human condition, I'm extremely skeptical that any sort of conscious organized effort to educate or actually increase awareness of the way the world actually is has ever occurred. Society is more about appearances, about the dichotomy between symbolic and non-verbal pressures that most people aren't aware dictate everything they do, with the denial that we are a self-destructive species. Mankind has never contributed a single beneficial thing to the planet. Our very nature is to consume, destroy, and to indulge in vacuous and vapid self-aggrandizing in an attempt to mask the existential crisis that is our place in the universe. Our species is constantly fighting a battle with ourselves to validate our existence. We exhibit almost no symbiotic tendencies aside from superfluous interactions with each other that more often than not lack any sort of acknowledgement of our actions or their repercussions. So the prevalence of self-destructive and harmful activities that we fill our days with is a logical extension of this situation, with society only perpetuating the motivations to throw your life away, e.g. the pursuit of material items as an ultimate goal, the importance of dominating your fellow man, the lack of concern for the environment, other people or their wellbeing. If your life is constant negative reinforcement and the promulgation of such ideals as the glorification of idiots, the endorsement of the horribly detrimental actions of our species, and the justifications of essentially everything we do, how can you rise up if you do not shred the bonds of society? Unfortunately the idea that civilization can be a support system is illusory, unless you're living in some far-flung tribe devoid of any sort of widespread media and have maintained the hunter-gatherer mentality of antiquity.

In short, society is a web and we're the flies trapped in it. The more we struggle to make it work and to break free, the more we become entrenched in its paralyzing effects. Just my opinion.

midnight rain

I think it's fair to say we're unique in the animal kingdom in that the survival of our own species isn't the highest priority, cause otherwise you would think we'd be taking these measures at all costs, inconvenience be damned. We evolved from a point where we weren't much different from apes, occupying our time gathering food and living off the land, to inventing anything possible to make our lives as easy as possible and give as much free time as possible, using that free time to fill with more stuff that society has created.

It may be our emotions that makes us unique and that it seems our own personal satisfaction and happiness is our goal in life, rather than the greater good of the species. In the end we'll just be one of the luck species that graced the top of the animal kingdom for a period of time. At some point we will be wiped out, whether it be by our own actions or the introduction of a new species. I think life will find a way to survive the amount of damage we do to the Earth, it always does.

That's all I have to say cause I'm too lazy to write anymore. Also, the irony that I'm eating fast food as I post in this thread.

hip hop bunny hop

As long as they're able to decide what to put in their mouth, they're actively trying to be overweight. As far as the processed food argument; you can lose weight even if you get the majority of your calories from junk food link.

Now, whether or not they'd accept this - I doubt it. One need only peruse this thread to see the excuses made.

"Difficult" is a relative term that is more or less meaningless. Poverty is correlated with obesity, but I'd question whether it's causative. Now, yes, stress can make it more difficult to lose weight, however.... The fact of the matter is that everyone can lose weight by ensuring that they take in less calories than they burn. It's that simple.

There's no shortage of individuals and events which glamorize health. Take, for instance, any action film (conan the barbarian, for instance), sports, the numerous television programs dedicated to health (the biggest loser, celebrity fit club, etc.).... Our media is saturated with fit individuals.

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Rubato

I don't think it's that simple, looking at the correlation between obesity and depression I'd be hesitant to rule out Obesity (or at least in continued problems with obesity) being a result of a more deep seated problem rather than through their own volition.


again I think you're oversimplifying things just a tad
Caloric Restriction Experience Reprograms Stress and Orexigenic Pathways and Promotes Binge Eating

I'm not saying people should make excuses to validate their own eating disorders, I'm saying obesity should be seen as a more serious medical problem that just a symptom of laziness or feeble mindedness.

Dr_Rez

This was a fantastic post. Actually probably the best I have seen from you to this date. I agree with this 100% except for one thing. While nearly every society today and throughout history has not given back to the earth or even tried to leave it as it was found, their ARE exceptions to the rule. A prime example in this very country is the Native Americans. They were known for treating the earth as it was a living breathing being.

It is simply a lifestyle choice. Either you have things, or you dont. Obviously the acquisition of stuff hurts the earth.

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FETCHER.

HHBH, you're ideas of losing weight are completely unrealistic, anyone who followed your advice would be as much as a moron as you are. Your views sound like they're coming from someone who's battling anorexia, atleast be realistic bro.

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