[Me Too]

Every American knows that a bowl of steamed veggies is healthier than a plate of greasy fries.
So the question is why do we choose the fries every time?
America has turned in to a lazy, greedy society.
Any government involvement or intervention won't change that fact.

[Ija]

Originally Posted by Me Too

America has turned in to a lazy, greedy society.

Sadly, the cause of the obesity epidemic is not that simple. It involves a number of factors that interact with each other to produce a perfect storm, a highly obesogenic environment that works against making healthy choices, rather than facilitating them.

[MoragMunch]

I worked for a company that tracked the same smokers over a five year period who said they were committed to quitting smoking. We interviewed them, asking what their motivations for quitting would be and how they foresaw this change affecting their lives in the end.

Most started out saying it was their children, grandchildren, or other loved ones that made them want to quit. Others stated their health. And a few had miscellaneous reasons such as the cost of purchase.

After the five years was up, guess who the largest majority of maintainers were? The ones who cited cost as their reason for wanting to quit.

So I think we really need to raise the prices on unhealthy foods and decrease the prices on the healthy ones as much as we can. The governments also need to start providing tax breaks for fitness memberships and other activities that get people (especially children) moving.

[MoragMunch]

Also, just to add .... when I was a kid, gym class was held every other day. It may not have been extraordinarily athletic, but it was movement. And sports teams were a big deal, as was track and field. I mean I hated gym, but the truth is I never had a weight problem until I was an adult. My siblings are all fit and healthy, I am the only overweight one in my family.

Yet, when I go to the mall or resteraunts, I cannot help but notice how fat our children have gotten. And it isn't the odd child, it's the whole family. I think it's a shame that the school systems have torn down the activities in schools, because kids should be active. I mean, that was the best part of being a kid, right???

[JulieJ08]

I think lack of PE class is less of a factor than the trend that kids don't run all over tarnation until dark after school any more. My sister's kids are pretty active because they have a large yard with a hill and a ravine. But I don't know too many parents these days who will let their kids run all over the neighborhood or town alone for hours and hours.

[TheRose76]

I agree with all the technology(videos games are even in cell phones and itouches), kiddos don't ride their bikes, play catch or even do the hide and go seek thing. They sit at the dinner table texting with friends and are oblivious to the world around them.

[Babette]

"Can we stop obesity as an epidemic with today's society?"

To be honest, I'm not sure that we can. There are many contributing factors, but I think one of the biggest problems is that most families have both parents working full time jobs, often with long commutes, and they just don't have the time to dedicate to everything. As an example: Mommy puts in a full day, get's home at 6 and has to try to get meal on the table (and of course if short on time - fast foods to the rescue), do laundry, make sure kids do homework, clean the house, get kids bathed and in bed, etc. I'm not sure if there's any time left for anything other than just the basics of getting to the next day! Weekends are usually a mad rush to try to get everything done that couldn't be done during the week.

I think our society is overwhelmed and people just don't know how to make things happen even if they know what should be done.