WEEK TWENTY-SIX :: Why Do Americans Have Such A Hard Time Keeping The Fat Off?

TOPIC: Why Do Americans Have Such A Hard Time Keeping The Fat Off?

For the week of: May 12th - May 18th.

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Why is it that after all of the studies on how to lose fat, all the articles in magazines and newspapers on how to lose fat, all the diets and supplements for losing fat, and all the constant media attention on how to lose fat... Americans still can't lose their fat and keep it off?

Why do most Americans have a weight problem? What would you tell all overweight Americans if you had five minutes on national television on the subject of getting in shape and staying in shape? What are they doing wrong?

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Im not gonna type out a full article, but I think a HUGE reason is that everywhere you go, there is fast food resturaunts on every corner. That is all I see, they are fast and convenient. If there was some healthy fast food shops, it would help. Also people are just ****in lazy, no dedication to go on a diet, go to the gym and workout etc.. some are just to busy but if theres a will, theres a way. peace brohampsters

editing this and moving it

thats simple they just dont want to do it

Most people in America are in a lifestyle which causes them continual stress, seemingly endless hours of work and no time for rest. By this schedule people don't want to take time to sit down and have a homemade healthy meal. They want the fast food or a quick instant meal as the solution. Of course this food is pack with fat (mostly saturated), sodium, and high G.I. carbs(that spike blood sugar) which will cause them to be drowsy, hungry again in a short period of time, and seem to have no energy to do what they need and exercise.

What people need are a balanced diet based on the food pyramid that includes mostly low G.I. carbs. This is what your body needs as fuel to run and without them you will out of energy fast.No more than 30% of the diet be made of fats and of course lower calories. This can all be done easily by adjusting the diet to follow the food pyramid.

Lets face the cold hard facts. America has a weight problem. It isn't due to the lack of gyms or lack of information because we as a society are bombarded with an image of what beautiful and attractive is. Attactive people grace the cover of most magazines, star in movies, and play music and sports in an arena near you but it seems that the average American can't get in shape. Do these celebrities and athletes have a secret? Or are they just doing the obvious?

People in this country are extremely lazy. They depend on a pill to do the trick when all they really need is hard work and a diet. The pill is just there to help if you need to lose those last few pounds at the end.

Americans are very gullable when it comes to a new fad diet. They see the big advertisement say "Lose 10 lbs this Week!!" and "Trim inches in just 1 month!" They are looking for a quick fix and are not thinking of the long term.

Every mile it seems as if there is a fast food restaraunt. We as a country have so many options to choose from and we take advantage of that.

If Americans just listened to the information and was patient when results aren't appearing instantly we would be a much healthier and thinner country.

...it all comes down to the majority of people being lazy.

-fast foods and prepared ffods are easier to acquire, take less time, than actually cooking balanced meals.
-why go to a gym or run, when the television (cable / satelite) offers 2000 channels.
-if there is nothing on tv, why not go on the interent.
-while watching tv, using the computer, people will often 'snack' on garbage foods.
-additives in foods today are unhealthy.....look at all the foods containing fructose / glucose.....way too much sugar out there today, that people are consuming.

...with the lack of time management in todays population, people are working long hours, and once off the 'clock', do not want to put in any free time. This means no daily excercise, no preparation of healthy meals etc.... These traits are also being passed down through the 'lazy parents' too their children. And when they finally do realize that they may be overweight....its already too late...and takes too much hard work to lose the excess fat. These people aren't willing to take the time and excercise properly over a long period of time. Ecerybody is looking for a quick fix and when they don't get it, they throw in the towel and continue with their poor habits. Alls I know is that in 100 years obesity will probably be the norm.

[size=+2][color=blue][b][u]Why Do Americans Have Such A Hard Time Keeping The Fat Off?[/size][/color][/b][/u]

We all know that obesity in America is a growing crisis. We've all been plagued with persistent media attention on the epidemic our nation is facing. Those fad diets, those supplements, those articles on how to lose fat and keep it off that you read in misleading magazines. It's all getting old. It's time to examine this problem that this country is facing, as it seems as if those struggling to overcome obesity or simply lose a few pounds for vanity purposes are simply misinformed when it comes down to [b]losing and keeping[/b] the fat off. Put down that magazine article, and listen up!

[u][size=+2][color=blue][b]1.Fad Diets[/color][/b][/size][/u]

Most of America has taken part in some sort of fad diet in hopes of shedding those unwanted pounds of fat in the quickest amount of time. A fad diet is basically a weight loss program that promises breathtaking results. Despite what you may hear about these fad diets, the truth of the matter is that these diets are not very healthy for your body, and don't provide the dieter with long-term success. One of the main reasons these fad diets are so popular are because there is a plethora of them that actaully do work, but for a [b]short time[/b]. How can these crazy fad diets work for the short-term, but fail in providing the dieter with long-term success? Easy. When most dieters begin implementing these "rules" that many fad diets have such as food separation techniques, eliminating an important macro-nutrient (such as carbohydrates), or sticking solely to a liquid-based diet regimen, these dieters are ultimately eating fewer calories than they normally would. Also, with most of these diets, the dieter gives up his or her favorite foods and begins to become more aware of the foods they eat. This is the main reason why these fad diets work in the short-term, and conclusively, the dieter ultimately cannot remain on a program that restricts their food choices and calls for the dieter to monotonously eat the same foods again and again. Obviously, these dieters return to their old ways of eating eventually, and end up putting on the pounds they lost in the short-term with these fad diets. In some cases, the dieter ends up putting on EVEN MORE weight.

[u][size=+2][color=blue][b]2.Living the Sedentary Lifestyle[/color][/b][/size][/u]

What do most Americans do after a long day at work, chauffeuring Susie to soccer practice, and taking little Tommy to his guitar lessons do? That's right. They often sit in front of the television and pound down some junk food. Let's face it, most Americans live sedentary lifestyles, and take part in little or no physical activity.It only takes 30-45 minutes to exercise. Whether that form of exercise is a light stroll in the neighborhood, a jog in the local park, a run on the treadmill, or a weight-training session at the gym, it simply does not matter as long as you get moving! Exercise and a sound nutrition program are vital to achieving your dream physique. Now put down that TV remote, and get moving!

[u][size=+2][color=blue][b]3.Fast Food and The Truth About Trans Fat[/color][/b][/size][/u]

You are what you eat. We've all heard this phrase millions of times, but somehow, Americans faced with weight issues don't acknowledge this little phrase. If Americans only knew just how fast food was prepared, and just how many calories and fat it contains, they'd be surprised. A burger and fries from your favorite fast food joint will cost you anywhere in the neighborhood of 600-950 calories! What about those awful trans fats? First, let's define what a trans fat is. It is an unsaturated fatty acid molecule that contains a trans double bond between carb atoms. Fast food is loaded with trans fat! Diets that contain high amounts of trans fat have been linked to coronary heart disease and even athersclerosis. Trans fat is not only found in those favorite fried foods at the local fast food joint, but also in baked goods, fried goods, snack foods, and other foods which have been processed. So why do many Americans eat fast food and food items with trans fat? Simple. Americans live busy lives, and will chow down on fast food and conveniently packaged goods just because of the fact that these food choices are quick and easy. A much better option instead of gorging on these unhealthy food choices would be to simply prepare your own meals. Therefore, you know just what you're eating!

[u][size=+2][color=blue][b]4.Poor Eating Habits[/color][/b][/size][/u]

One of the most obvious examples of these poor eating habits is the collapse of structured mealtimes and snacks. Why is this so? Americans live busy lives. In many homes, families don't even share dinner together at the table, and snacking is prevalent with no limits. Then you have those Americans who skip breakfast for whatever reason. They pile down the calories at lunch to compensate for not eating breakfast. Guess what? The more food the body has to digest at one time, the more food it stores as fat.There is only so much the body can digest and process in one sitting. Eating much smaller meals more periodically throughout the course of the day increases the body's thermal effect, which ultimately results in an increase in metabolism! Another poor eating habit among Americans is eating too fast. Those who eat fast tend to consume more food because they don't give their brain an oppurtunity to signal to the body that it is satiated. Chewing often and more slowly can easily avoid this poor habit. Another big problem is some Americans looking to get rid of that spare tire try to hard to constantly eat a healthy diet. They simply try [i]too hard[/i]. Eating healthy is great, so don't get me wrong, but eating [i]too healthy[/i] can be a bad habit for those looking to shed a few pounds. Don't try too hard, and follow a nutrition regimen that you're comfortable with.


[u][size=+2][color=blue][b]Why do most Americans have a weight problem? What would you tell all overweight Americans if you had five minutes on national television on the subject of getting in shape and staying in shape? What are they doing wrong?[/color][/b][/size][/u]

Most Americans have a weight problem due to a number of contributing factors. The sedentary lifestyle most live,the frequency of eating fast foods and trans fat, the lack of exercise,the poor eating habits,the lack of motivation,it all correlates to the weight problems many Americans face. If I had just five minutes on national television to address the issue of getting in shape and staying in shape, I would advise overweight Americans to take a step back and really analyze just what they're doing about their problem. I would tell them to examine their nutrition programs along with the amount of physical activity they perform daily. Secondly, I would advise them to simply follow the basics and neglect the thought about following a fad diet. A simple nutrition plan that is based around having an energy deficit by restricting calories and performing cardiovascular activity will overrule any fad diet. Getting fit and in shape is one thing, but what about maintaining that figure that has resulted in hard work in the long-term? Simple. Continute following a healthy eating plan, but do not restrict calories so severely. Instead, perform more cardiovascular activity and eat at matience caloric levels to encourage an atmosphere that will not cause you to lose any weight or gain weight. I would also tell overweight Americans the old phrase, "Rome wasn't built in a day." There are no shortcuts. Breathtaking results require hard work, dedication, and constant devotion. I would suggest that all overweight Americans apply this principle to their plans to accomplish what they are working for! With a little bit of hard work, determination, and persistence, [b]anything is possible![/b]

Mike

[color=red][size=+3] WEEK TWENTY SIX: Why do americans have such a hard time keeping the fat off?[/size][/color]



I would first like to get a few things off of my chest as I ask myself this question everyday when I train my clients or lack thereof. No one can be helped with any of the best possible diet,supplements, or training if they do not want to apply themselves everyday or do the work. I deal with clients calling me up telling me a friend is in the hospital or they have "personal" problems and they can't make it in or even worse they don't call me at all for months and sometimes never do because they don't have the nerve to tell me why they failed. It's a hard thing to do to care about someones fitness when they dismiss you as a priority in their life day after day. I try to yell at clients to get them into working out and incourage them but sometimes they don't show for sessions because it was too much for them, this sometimes makes me want to go easy on them so they will come back but at the same time that is not the way to results as nothing good comes easy. We have become too impatient in America today, wether it be waiting in line at Starbucks or sitting at a light and cussing at it until it changes. Everyone wants change in their lives but with no work, hense they never change because sorry kiddies any change is not easy.I don't want this to become a rant but I just wanted readers to know how strongly I feel about this subject and why.



[b][size=+1][u]1.Lazyness[/u][/size][/b]


Let's face it, it's much easier to eat pork grinds while watching comedy central than to get on a treadmill and sweat. I have friends that sometimes don't even want to get up to get water despite the fact they are thirsting like they ran a mile in the sahara. Just think of pizza, pizza is one of everyones favorite foods and not only is it loaded with sugars and trans fats but it's delivered so that makes it even easier to be lazy. Most people would rather pay an extra five dollars for a tip than put their shoes on and make that long drive 1/2 a mile around the corner. One of the most popular things to do now is for people to pretend how busy their lives are in attempts to make themselves seem exciting to others "cough, cough, cell phones" but in reality it creates a false sense of reality and people begin to beleive their own lies and really think they ARE too busy for things such as working out. If most people would just open the door and get to the gym and just begin to do cardio they would easily be able to complete 30 minutes because after 5 minutes on the cardio machine it becomes alot easier as endorphins begin to rise and the muscles become warm. I can't tell you how much I hate cardio but I do it simply because I use this tactic myself. I felt really tired today and had no drive whatsoever but as soon as I did 5 minutes and put on the headphones I was good to go. If people would shut off that little voice in their heads that says "Cardio sucks, run for the door" they would all be in much better shape then if they didn't. Take action, think less and don't make things out to be a bigger deal then they are, it's only cardio for the love of god it's not a midevial tortue device invented to make you sweat blood.


[b][size=+1][u]2.Excuses[/u][/size][/b]


Excuses,excuses,excuses. Annoying as hell isn't it? Don't you hate when you tell someone that you can't do something and they tell you that? Most people do but that guilty feeling leaves quickly and actually too quickly. No one in America really feels guilty for the things they lie about nearly as much as they did 50 years ago, I'm only 25 but just think "leave it to beaver" and watch how he would cry about lying to his mom for not making his bed. Most people go out on the weekends to clubs or bars and hang out with friends and basically get blasted, this is one of the lamest excuses for eating crap and falling of the diet especially when you have things like low carb beer even (It was all pretty much low carb before the commercials anyway). That's putting the emphasis and blame on your friends and surroundings instead of yourself. Hey, I just survived my grandmas house for god sakes and her fat brownies too. Of course their is the ole "not enough time" excuse, most workouts only take 30 minutes so come on now. How about "How on earth do I take food to work?" Bars,shakes,tupperware,lol. Oh,oh "I can't cook." Can ya read a label? Most things can be cooked in a pan pretty easily just try turning on that scary hot stove top and put something on it. You don't have to be Emeril Lagasi to eat well. Learn how to cook chicken,turkey,hamburger meat (low fat of course) and you are pretty much set, just add some spices or vegetables. This doesn't just pertain to fitness but if you continue to make excuses people will soon figure you out to be a liar and that is not one of the best traits to have as a person so stop lying to yourself and others and make no excuses, ever if possible,lol.


[b][size=+1][u]3.Acceptance[/u][/size][/b]


Accepting who or what you are should never be a good thing. What the hell, did he just say that? Yes but not in the way most people think. Sure you should never change who you are "as a person" to suit others but you should never except what you currently have in your life no matter how much or how little that may be. If you have an aweful job that you dread everyday but stay because of they money don't accept that. Find one you like with the same or better pay don't let anyone tell you what you are worth or aren't. By accepting your overweight and telling yourself your just like the rest of the people in the U.S.A and that is ok you are setting yourself up for accepeting the things I aforementioned and more. Being unhealthy and obese is not cool,sexy or admirable and even if you can never look exactly like a fitness model that is no excuse to not try. People always revert to the saying "It's what's inside that counts' well guess what, the things that are going on inside most Americans like high cholesterol and high blood pressure are not good. Some people may have pair shapes and think it isn't worth working out because you can't change the bone structure you were given which you may hate so why bother. There are certain bodyparts you can workout to excentuate the good parts about your body and narrow the parts you may not like. If you have a pair shape then work harder on your shoulders it's certainly better then accepting the things you don't like about your body.Listen to yourself when it comes to what your life should be like. No one is holding a gun to your head telling you where to live and where to work. The boundaries that are the highest are the ones you make for yourself.


[b][size=+1][u]4.Realization[/u][/size][/b]


I think the general population doesn't realize how many calories they consume or how the fat and sugar intake effects them. They are so used to eating fast food that it has become abnormal to eat at home anymore, I can't think of any moms that cook out there. Simple sugars and trans fats are the biggest reason for obesity and people have even been told they are bad for you but not EXACTLY how. Food is looked at as entertainment now instead of simply eating to stop feeling hungry. People don't realize how they are emotionally tied to the food they eat and blindly eat more by their feelings than by facts of nutrition labels. I'm shocked when people tell me they don't know how to read the labels on the back of foods and they say they don't know how to count calories. I think there are many people out there that beleive the people in fitness ads were blessed with what they have and probably don't even work out, this has alot to do with misleading marketing by some supplement companies although I do beleive it has gotten better. I like simple things with caffeine and yohimbine HCL like Lipo 6. Yohimbine has been shown to decrease fat synthesis in the body by increasing fatty acid mobolization. For yohimbine information go to [url]http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/yo.html[/url] Realize that it takes hard work dedication and self discipline to acheive your fitness goals and read about others experiences on how they reached their goals you don't have to go through chinese water torture to get into shape. For a list of the best fat burners [url]http://bodybuilding.com/store/ephfree.htm[/url]


[color=red][size=+2]What would I tell overweight americans if I had five minutes on national television on the subject of getting in shape and staying in shape? What are they doing wrong?[/size][/color]



I would tell Americans they should think less and act more. Do your thinking in the gym working out with weights or while you are doing cardio. Stop worrying about what diet is best and simply try to diet. Watch your portion sizes and eliminate fast food almost completely. Simple sugars are the devil and so are trans fats. If you hate working out then get a friend to go with you and it won't be so bad. Try and push yourself in the gym and in everything you do in life everyday and good things will follow. It doesn't matter how much you have to lose because if you lose anything then that is further than where you were as if you did nothing. Stay positive and surround yourself with positive people because life isn't as hard as most people make it out to be. Look at the things they had to do 100 years ago and think how lucky we are to have what we have and how easy we really have it. There weren't nearly as many out of shape people back then because they were far more active. Don't hate the things you can't change and do what you can to exentuate the positive.

I would close with my favorite quote from Bruce Lee "Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation." Which basically means there is no one way to do things and the limitation "you" set is the limits you shall receive in everything you do.

[b]CAUSES OF AMERICAN OBESITY[/b]

[b]-TV.[/b] The growth of television, and especially the growth of cable and satellite television. Now more than ever there are programs on television which cater to every niche possible, so people are watching much, much more TV than they used to. TIVO, recording systems, VCRs, everything about TV these days is geared toward maximizing the vicariousness of our culture, at the expense of activity. Increasingly, the pop media culture is becoming so self-referential (reality TV) and socialization is becoming so dependent upon understanding of pop culture memes, that divorcing onesself from TV and such idling activities is becoming more and more of a risk to reputation, popularity, happiness, and successful integration with others. This slovenly pasttime is eating our culture.

[b]-The internet.[/b] The same case with the internet and its growth, as above. More specialist entertainment catering to people's specific needs, the end result is that they spend more time sitting on their butts. The internet tends to attack the weaknesses of those of higher intellect, because it is based mostly around reading. So those missed by dumbed down TV, are swept up by the inertnet.

[b]-Sprawl.[/b] Most European towns and structures are within relatively close proximity of one another. The towns are closer, and within the towns, the buildings are closer. This tends to create a more pedestrian and biking oriented culture. Here in the USA, we have so much land available, that we tend to try and stretch out and develop as much of it as we can. As a result, very little actually ends up being walkable, and we get less incidental exercise. Everytime we need something we hop in our cars, and steering, no matter how hairpin the turn, is not an aerobic activity.

[b]-Longer work hours.[/b] An American worker gets far less vacation time (2 weeks) than his European counterpart (typically 6 weeks.) While at work, he/she eats more poorly, in order to deal with the stress of being worked like a dog.

[b]-Education.[/b] Education in the USA can legally end at age 16, and college is increasingly less and less realistic as an option for the working poor and lower middle class, as tuition rates skyrocket. In many other socialist and semi-socialist countries, college education is built into the tax structure, and everyone has the right to tack 4 more years of learning onto their high school years. Statistics almost always seem to indicate that the more educated people tend to be the thinner people, so here we have a direct link.

This doesn't even cover another scourge, which is POOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. Your physicality is at least half of your life, and has a profound and direct impact on the rest of it--aka your mentality, attitude, mood, etc. Why then, do we consider grade school to be a full, rounded "education," when the physical aspect of education is typically a laughable joke? When I was in school, we did things like bean bag tossing, hula hoops, maybe some racing around cones, basic mindless idiocy with very little groundwork. The academic, critical, and causal aspects of physical education--nutrition, lifestyle management, basic physiology, etc.--were never even touched. Almost no emphasis was placed on the routinization of exercise, phys. ed. was treated more as a second recess or playtime. Often times the actual RULES to games played, like basketball, weren't even taught. I don't know if it is like this everywhere, but judging from the fact that very few kids are picking up healthy physical habits, I'd wager that phys. ed. is NOT sticking, and that it sucks almost everywhere. (And while we're at it, why don't we overhaul health, and home economics classes, and ADD personal finance management, because these critical aspects of REAL life were missing from UNREAL school as well...)

[b]-Health Care.[/b] Again, health care is not socially mandated in the USA as it is in places like Canada, and as a result, the average person gets less inexpensive and incidental exposure to doctors and medical practitioners, and less exposure to their knowledge and aid.

[b]-Convenience oriented culture.[/b] Capitalism is necessarily a service oriented venture. Service tends naturally toward convenience. A capitalist state within which invention and consumerism are running at hyperactive levels, such as America, is going to place tremendous importance on convenience. The problem arises when people and marketers both lose the ability to discern between good conveniences and bad conveniences (for instance, a can opener is a good one, but using a Segway transporter to go to the store within walking distance is a bad one.) Our convenience oriented culture has misled people to believe that athletic bodies can be had without athletic levels of perseverance and courage. This simply isn't true. Even if surgery could make you look athletic, it can't accomplish the 100 other benefits exercise provides. So convenience is marring people's perception of cause and effect, and eroding our work ethic.

[b]-Peer pressure and suggestion.[/b] If everyone else around you is fat, then there must be nothing wrong it, right? This factor becomes more and more influential as time passes. People are far more likely to go with the flow than to question the masses.

[b]-Junk Science.[/b] Everything from "pro-Genetics" or hereditary arguments for slow metabolism, to even the FDA's most recent relaxation of their standards of obesity points toward a tangible FAT INDUSTRY in the USA, one which is increasingly interested in manufacturing fake or questionable science, skewing statistics, and re-enforcing lazy myths in order to keep people eating and spending. Because let's face it--a carrot nibbling anorexic just isn't good for the food industry, and thus is not good for the people in government, whom they constantly lobby. Great examples--muscle turns to fat, men become muscle bound, women don't want to lift because they will automatically look like men...

[b]-Trans fats.[/b] Trans fats are present in aisles and aisles of american foods. These hydrogenated oils are used as a shortcut to congeal these fake foods, but the problem is, the body stores them almost immediately as fat. Unlike saturated fats and cholesterol, which are often demonized and still needed, trans fats serve absolutely no purpose other than to lower the lower the financial bottom line on certain products, and they ought to be banned ASAP.

[b]-Fast food.[/b] Not only does fast food have trans fats, but fast foods in general contain an alarmingly high percentage of saturated [bad] fat, well in excess of the RDA. Additionally, portions are typically way too large (encourages eating too few meals per day, results in more fat storage,) and they add sugar to things that don't even need sugar, thus spiking insuling and increasing the body's receptivity to fat storage. Then again, people have the freedom to choose. It's the consumer's fault, right? Why blame places like McDonalds? They've only been flooding us with cutesy advertising and deviously linking their terrible food to the concept of playtime and recess (aka, their evil playgrounds) in the minds of all of us since we were vulnerable little children going on vacations with our parents, we must certainly have the free will to decide. Fast food is a menace.

In summary, [b]form follows function.[/b] The United States hasn't been seriously sieged in land warfare since the Civil War. Geographical isolation and a general feeling of superiority (whether deserved or not is another discussion) among the average prideful citizen, in tandem with banal, information oriented job functions that consist mostly of using some small portion of the brain, as well as private/personal life functions which consist of mainly consumer and buyer behavior, have very directly influenced the average American to become a physically dilapidated, indefensible slob.

You can choose to blame the individual, or you could choose to blame the culture, but in truth it is really a delicate combination of both elements, a feedback cycle between media and culture, which contributes to the making of an obese American.

So long as Americans continue to have it easy while thinking they have it hard, they're going to stay fat, lazy, and decrepid. When you're coddled, gratitude is something you must cultivate internally, there is very little true adversity to make you feel grateful for the PRIVILEGE of life, the OPPORTUNITY to keep the BASICS like fitness in tact. This is what movies like "Fight Club" were all about. Ultimately, it takes a strong parental unit with strong values for athletics and self-maintenance. And as they say, it takes a village.

When FUNCTION de-emphasizes physicality, when insular sprawl, suburbanization, and lack of foreign invasion protect people from violent conflict, when convenient, technological weaponry replaces hardy fists and hard knocks as the primary form of street self-defense--then all but the most self-aware and individualistic of people will also allow their FORM to follow their function, and for the human body, this neglect spells nothing but atrophy and decay. It's like in the movie "The Matrix," America has become a vast wasteland of untruth, of simulacra and simulation, nothing but a virtual reality, and of course the body is left behind--only unlike in the movie, there is no farm conveniently maintaining the body--the maintainer is YOU.

[b]FINAL QUESTION.[/b]

[b]What would you tell all overweight Americans if you had five minutes on national television on the subject of getting in shape and staying in shape? What are they doing wrong?[/b]

I would tell them that the fact that they have one life to live, and the absolute worst nightmare they could possibly live would be to reach the end of it, or even the end of their prime, and realize that they had not only squandered their most valuable assets, health and vitality, (two things which ultimately take not much more effort than leaning over a vanity every day to apply all manner of creams, makeups, and haircare products) and not only that they had essentially arrived nowhere, but that they had made their journey to the end of life a bumpy, unsightly, and boring one, due to a fundamental lack of discipline, and of course a lack of energy.

I would ask them what they are truly pursuing in life, some final goal, or a good journey? I would interview a terminally ill, oversexed millionaire with lung cancer, or one with diet induced diabetes, or one who was a recovering heart attack victim, or a stroke victim, or a wheelchair bound person whose limbs had deteriorated from carrying around excess weight. I would ask this millionaire, who presumably had all of the things our media feecback cycle and our people are constantly telling themselves they need--what he felt was truly important.

[b]And he would say "health." And of course it would fall on deaf ears.[/b]

US has been the first nation worldwide to embrace a healthier lifestyle with the wide introduction of gyms and promotion of sport in general. The shift was so dramatic, it had major spillover effects in Europe and later, worldwide. So, it is quite sad to learn that the US is the fattest nation in the world as one reads this post. Why are Americans getting fatter? How can this be possible with so much information about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle?

It is obvious that this is a multi-dimensional problem with many extensions because of the diversity of the factors that cause it. If one wishes to blame, then surely some responsibility lies with the media (tv, magazines), the food industry and of course, the state;
- the media are responsible for informing us. However, the sheer number of junk-food advertising combined with bad and limited healthy-food advertising are pushing people towards consuming damaging food. Why? Well, the private media have no ethic against bad-product advertising as long as they get paid for it.
- if anyone watched the film "supersize me" knows what i ma talking about when i blame the food industry. Giants like Mac D. abuse the trust of the Americans and try intentionally their best in making people addicted to their food with their wide range of highly caloric and fatty menus. This is it my friend, the ugly side of capitalism; putting profits above the public good!!! If one thinks about it, they should be called Mac Dealers because of their poisoned food and the ability to keep the costumer coming back for more. Many are the sins of the food industry and it hould be held accountable for its crimes against American people.
- and when we talk accountability, the state kicks in. Its powers are very weak with this industry as it used to be with the tobacco industry not very long ago. A lot of money are at stake here and the food industry is a powerful political pressure group. It will do its best (bribe, threaten, coarse) to protect itself. Until now, the government has not yet been seen as willing to take the nessesary measures to protect its citizens. Again, a case of private interest valued above the public good.

There is also the argument about the faster way of life we live in and the opinion or fact that fast food is perfectly suited to this. Of course, this is true. On the other hand, instead of Mac's, one can buy something in one of the many healthier fast food shops. For example, one can order a tost with chicken and salad instead of a Big Mac. But this does not happen! You see, fast-food has been left alone for so long to do its dirty work through advertising, selling, promoting and generally, infiltrating American culture. As a result, many people have been addicted in high-caloric diets.

[size=+3]This topic is Offensive by ALL MEANS[/size]

I believe this topic implies and addresses the usual belief that Americans are fat, lazy and stupid. Americans are actually not lazy or stupid; however, we are fatter.

[b]There are Several Examples of How Americans Are Not Lazy:[/b]

Americans in actuality work longer work weeks than any other country. Americans actually devote 50% more time than France to work (and they wonder why our economy is better). Not to mention beyond working longer, Americans also win more olympic medals than any other country on a regular basis.

[b]There are Several Examples of How Americans Are Not Stupid:[/b]

Americans are also not stupid. The United States, even though being a country based on immigration has a literacy rate of 99.5% . In addition to a high literacy rate, that United States has the most successful economy and social infrastructure in the world.

I, honestly, shouldn't answer this question because my answer will not be formidable to its implications; however, I believe it would be a diservice if I didn't answer.

The truth is that Americans are fatter because we work harder, because we deal with more stresses, and because have a heavily competitive infrastructure. With all of these factors combined together, 3 major health issues for Americans arise: 1) Lack of Sleep, 2) Added Stress, and 3) Convenience Eating.

[size=+2]Three Major Health Issues:[/size]

[b]1) Lack of Sleep:[/b]

75% of all Adult Americans show signs of Sleep Deprivation. People who are sleep deprieved on average have 15% more ghrelin, or the hormone that makes you feel hungry, and 15% less leptin, the homrone that makes you feel full.

Accompanied with incontrollable appetite, sleep also has many other effects on the body's composition. Through many studies, sleep depreiviation can be linked to obesity and weight gain.

Effects of Lack of Sleep:

- Increased Appetite (Ghrelin, Leptin)
- Slows your Metabolism (Slowed Heartbeat, Degistive Processes, etc)
- Decreases Muscles Mass
- Decreases Replishment of Chemicals within the Body
- Increased Fatigue (This Fatigue can Accumulate)
- Decreased Energy
- Decreased Stregth
- Increased Fat Deposits

[b]2) Added Stress:[/b]

With Americans working longer work weeks than other country it is to easy to see why Americans are stressed. Over 80% of Adult Americans show signs of being overstressed.

Stress is easily related to Cortisol. Elevated Stressed causes elevated levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone which causes increased fat depsoits within the abodemon and hip regions. Stress with Sleep Deprivaitaion is majorily linked the increased weight gain of Americans.

Effects of Stress:

- Increased Appetite (Cortisol)
- Increased Fat Deposits (Cortisol)
- Can Negatively Affect Sleep

[b]3) Convenience Eating:[/b]

With Americans being in such a high paced environment, eating habits often have to be high paced themselves. This high paced eating has led to convenience eating.

Convenience eating leds to several things which can easily impact weight. Convenience eating leds to less meals in the day, increased calories, increased fast foods, increased fried foods (trans fat), decreased health foods, lowered biological value in diet, and much more negatively impacting aspects of diet.

[size=+2]Why are American's Fatter?[/size]

With Americans being hard-working, smart people we have becomed fatter. Americans are not fatter because we are lazy, but because we are sleep deprieved, overstressed, and victims of convenience.

[b]So are Supplements the Answer?[/b]

No, Supplements are not the answer. The supplements industry constantly tries to push their own money-making adgenda through taking advantage of unsuspecting individuals. Of all the weight loss supplements avaliable, barely any of them is viabile to aid weight loss without exercise and a balanced diet. None of these supplement companies, however, mention the need for exercise or diet in their ADs. Many of these supplement companies make their supplement seem like miracle pills that can make the most obesity and sedentary people look like Brad Pitt or Jennifer Gardner.

[b]If I was Given 5 Minutes[/b]

If I was given 5 minutes on national tv to explain to people how to lose weight and become fit, I would explain to people that losing weight and staying fit doesn't come from taking a pill or using a fad diet, but through consistency. The consistency of good choices- choices like eating a balanced diet, the choice of exercising, and the choice of not living a sedentary lifestyle. And within those 5 minutes I would explain the key to staying with this consistency is through educating yourself everyday on ways to improve your life and staying positive.

[b]In Conclusion[/b]

If Americans wish to lose weight and aestithically match their hard-work and intelligence, Americans must realize that the key to weight loss cannot come from a fad diet or a supplement but through hard-work, education and good old fashion consistency.

References:

([url]http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/magazine/31/work.htm)[/url]
([url]http://www.nclnet.org/stresspr.htm)[/url]
([url]http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041206204702.htm)[/url]
([url]http://thestressoflife.com/lack_of_sleep_affecting_american.htm)[/url].
([url]http://www.arthurhu.com/index/literacy.htm)[/url]

[size=+3]Why do Americans have problem with their weight?[/size]

Citizens of the United States have a weight problem. There is good news and bad news associated with this. The bad news is that 62% of Americans are overweight, the good news is that this number is holding constant. This doesn't sound like the best news but between the years 1995-2002 the % of overweight americans increased steadily. This means that Americans are starting to watch what they eat, but what will it take for Americans to start taking this extra weight off.


[b]Reasons for why Americans are obese [/b]

There are very many reasons to why American's are fat, and I will give you a few reasons that are nontraditional.

1. [b]Women in the workforce/lack of time for cooking. [/b]In much of the past, there was the husband that was the single bread winner in a house. Throughout the last few decades, the percentage of dual household incomes have increased dramatically. With both the husband and the wife at work, there is little time for home cooking. This causes fast food restaurants to be an ever popular trend, causing unhealthy meals.

2. [b]Marketing. [/b]Face it, companies are becoming smarter, and they know what Americans want. Whether it is a 2/3 pound burger from Hardee's or a Banch Ranch BLT from McDonalds. They make comericals that show it being cool to eat such a sandwich. This exposure increases sales, in which aids in the obesity problem in the United States.

3. [b]Lack of nutritional guidence in schools. [/b]Face it, who had the opportunity to eat pizza everyday in school? I did. The most greasiest discusting pizza you could ever eat, and did your health teacher stop you? NO. We need guidence from the beginning. Teachers should teach the role of nutrients and vitamins.

4. [b]The bar scene/Stress from work.[/b] Many people still find it very easy to go to the bar and drink beer after work or over the weekends. Beer and other alcoholic beverages add more empty calories to American's already bad diets. Many Americans would find it easier to lose weight, if they put down their Budweiser. Americans need to find healthier ways of relieving stress.

Some of these are:
-Weight training
-Athletic clubs such as softball, baseball, basketball, flag football, etc
-Swimming
-Poetry

5. [b]Parental Guidence. [/b]When I was between the ages of 0-5, I was not allowed to eat candy. To me, candy was carrot sticks and sliced apples. If parents would teach their kids to eat candy sparingly, then they would grow up eating better. Parents should also set good examples for their children.

6. [b]Lack of time.[/b] Americans feel they are always busy. Either from work, school, or social events, they find that they need to get a bite to eat quick. If americans would learn to drink meal replacement drinks on the go, instead of a hamburger from McDonalds, then they would be in better shape.

7. [b]More empy calories.[/b] The Medical college of wisconsin said that over the last 20 years, americans have increased their calorie intake by over 148 calories per day, in yearly terms this ends up being over 15 pounds of food. These empty calories are from fat and greasy foods, alcohol, and snacks.


[b]What can help?[/b]

In my opinion, overweight individuals should first keep a [u]calorie diary.[/u] This means that everytime they eat something, they must check the nutritional information and log the information into a notebook. At the end of everyday they need to count how many calories they consume on an average day. At the end of one week they need to study what they have found, and try to cut out 500 of those calories. This should make them lose about a healthy pound of fat a week. They should also try to convert unhealthy meals to more healthy meals.

I think it is also beneficial for all americans to find a good source of [u]protein.[/u] I am not saying that nutritional supplements are the answer, but it has been proven time and time again that diets rich in protein are better for weight loss than diets high in fat and carbs.

[b] If I had 5 minutes on television what would I say?[/b]

I would first tell everyone how dangerous it can be to be overweight. Obesity is a disease in our society. I would then give people many references online and in book stores on where to get help losing weight. Bodybuilding.com would be on top of my list with all the articles they host. I would give people incite about weight loss and some techniques to weight loss. Weight loss can be cured. Obesity is a preventable disease that currently is a plague on our nation.



[b]Conclusion[/b]
With 25% of Americans obese, and 62% overweight, if we are going to cure this disease, we need to do it now. Americans are overworked, overstressed, and ignorant sometimes when it comes to nutrition but with a little research and guidence, America can be fit again.

There is a simple reason why American's, as well as anyone else, have such a hard time with this:

The food industry has capitalized on the use of flavor as a form of addiction.

If the food didn't taste good, people wouldn't eat it. I had no trouble giving up candy bars once the energy bars started tasting more like them.

The largest food producer in the world is Nestlé. Name 5 of their products and you'll see what I mean. They didn't get that big by having crappy tasting food.
I'm not picking on Nestlé, in fact, I work for a subsidiary. They are not the only one, just the biggest one.

They have harnessed the power of sugar!

I'll name off a few more:
Pepsi Cola, Coca-Cola, Hershey's, Ben & Jerry's, Mars Corp, KFC, Taco Bell, MacDonalds ..............

1.yes it's correct there are fast food restaraunts on every corner and that is alot easier than making a healthy meal

2.But what I think is even more of a problem than that, is that it is just plain out EASIER to be fat than skinny! It is so much easier not to excercise or even simply just eat ALOT of food. And now being fat is just almost a norm in society so who the hell would care? People just LOVE TO EAT!

[size=+3][b]Why do Americans have such a hard time keeping the fat off?[/size][/b]

America has the highest population of overweight people. Americans have been known to consume an alarming amount of fat daily in comparison with other countries. One of the main delights would be a good old American hot dog. It is consumed in such quantities that the harmful aspect has been long disregarded and chucked aside. In this article you will just why Americans are so “huge” in size.

[b]Factors that contributed to this weight problem.[/b]

[b]Childhood[/b]
Since childhood days, Americans have been exposed to lots of high fat food without being properly taught about the “good” and “bad” of eating. They grow up slightly obese and no one ever do anything about it because they are breed to think that that is the normal. And that is the way people look in general. So with that mindset they grow up; and when they realized that it is wrong it has already become an rigid part of their habits that would be almost impossible to break.

[b]Solution:[/b]
Teach children from a young age the “good” and “bad” of nutrition and the importance of moderation. Then in this way, by solving the problems from the root of the matter, weight problems can drastically be reduced.

[b]Lack of time[/b]
I would much like to condemned those people that are overweight and give the excuse that they have no time to work out as a non valid excuse but the fact of the matter is that many working adults really DO NOT have time. It is not surprising for a normal adult to be working up to 20 hours a day working 2 jobs at the same time. Bearing even sleeping more than 3 hours daily. So for these people, meals will most definitely be irregular and even if you get a chance to eat, having a good 30 mins break time would be considered lucky. So such people that are the lower part of the social pyramid, I would like to tell you that you can still lose weight if you want to.

[b]Solution:[/b]
Since you do not have a good portion of time to eat proper and regular meals eat small meals throughout the course of the day. For example instead of eating a full meal, cut the meal into many tiny slices and eat it as a snack as you work. This not only gives your body the much needed proper nutrition that is needs, it also gives it a chance to fill fully then normal since the stomach is constantly digesting something. With this slight filling of fullness, you will not be tempted to take that bite of that attractive looking cheese cake sitting on the table.
BUT THE BEST SOLUTION; QUIT! A lifestyle like such is extremely unhealthy and you body just cannot take such a pressure. Upgrade yourself and move up the food chain. It is the best way out.

[b]Lack of Motivation[/b]
Many people are well aware of the fact that they are overweight, they complained all day long about why does this happen to them. Thus they are unwilling to do anything about it. And some even try to avoid the problem by not using the mirror completely. That is because as long as they don’t see the problem, they would feel happy. So they turn to the path of acceptance and loss all will to make a change in their body.
This lack of motivation is also the main reason why people who are already on a fat loss diet give up. They get impatient because they expect to lose more weight than they have, due to the fact that they sacrificed so much and results are not shown as quickly as desired, which could be due to improper training techniques or something of that nature.

[b]Solution[/b]
Every problem that a human body has always starts from the inside; physiologically. By making someone feel the true need to get into shape, is the best way to do it. They must truly feel the “loss weight, or be dead” attitude. I shall cover this form of motivation later in this article but for now lets move on shall we.

[b]Confusion[/b]
Some people really do have the burning desire to shed those unwanted pounds but because of the varied types of contradicting information that they see from the media, they become confused. For e.g. if you are an certified personal trainer and you are fully aware of the do and don’ts of losing weight, it is common for you to read fitness magazines that state utter bull**** just to sell more magazines. Magazines, newspapers and the internet are swarmed with untrue and ridiculous theories on losing weight just so that the can sell more with an attractive headline. Because of this a beginner that is in real need to true information on losing weight is loss and confused at what to do. So they take a chance at luck and pick and choose books with attractive titles or magazines that promises that next best thing to steroids. And they will soon find out that they are not getting results that they were expecting , so once again they give up while in reality if people like this was given the proper instructions to the “right” path things would have turned out more differently.

[b]Solution[/b]
Hire an expensive personal trainer. The things about hiring a personal trainer is that the more expensive, usually is a better one. Because personal trainers generally earn just enough to get by, so they would charge so high unless they really have something to show for. If you are thinking that it is waste of money, let me assure you that the regret that you would have for not hiring one would be greater. Having a proper person to show you the “ropes” is crucial for both motivation and safety. Remember ,do not save on the small things only to lose out on the bigger, more important things in life.

[b]Event training[/b]
Most people want to lose weight for an event. E.g. a wedding, a party or spring break. These short term goals that can be achieved with ease. But the real problem is actually keeping the weight off after these events. There would be no more motivation and thus the attitude towards having a change in your body size is no longer the same that it used to be 2 months ago.

[b]Solution:[/b]
If this is the case that you are facing, forget about it. Quit now. There is no point doing something for a particular event and then quit after wards. My personal advice is that unless you truly have a desire to change the way you feel and the way people look at you, don’t even think about starting.

[b]Embarrassed to be the fat person in the gym.[/b]
If that is your reason for not getting your butt into that gym, let me tell you that is the lamest reason I have ever heard. Do you think that everyone would be looking at you in the gym because you are overweight? Sure you will be a few unwanted stares and glances but if you stick with your dedication to losing weight, sooner or later you will make many friends in the gym and they will soon admire your perseverance for losing weight. And one more thing, YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY OVER WEIGHT PERSON IN THE GYM!

[b]Solution:[/b]
Every time you get one of those stares you just need to tell yourself one thing: “I am going to show you , you just wait and see” That were the exact words that got me through the initial stage of my training. You just need to understand that if you put in the hard work, they will shut their mouths sooner or later. It is in your hands to control.

[b]If I had 5 mins of TV.[/b]

We all have one life. IF we screw it up will, we will still die. If we succeed in life, we will still die. So when the final ending to this story is death, how would you prefer to live this one live of yours? Would you rather walk around in a 300lbs body walking extreme pain in your knees and back or a healthy body where everything is looking good for you without having to suffer with pain all over your body?
Would you want to die at 45 from heart complications or a at 90 warm in your bed? Would you want to lose out on the finer things in life because of the way you look or enjoy life to its fullest? The answer are always the latter one. So make use of that power granted to you. It is in your hands to shape the way you look. You are the one controlling what YOU do. Not that guy in the magazine.
Believe it or not a change in your image is a lot more that these. When people look at your body, they have an automatic perception on how you live your live and what kind of character you would most probably. You must be thinking that it is not fair to judge people in such a way but I am truly sad to tell you that it that was things work. People just do that by nature.

So starting today, make a commitment, start a new life have a fresh start and you will feel so much better.

[b]Some common mistakes:[/b]
1. expecting results tomorrow
2. expect to look like jay cutler after 3 months
3. unwillingness to experiment with what works for you.

These would have to be that top few mistakes on the list. So stay safe and stay motivated.

[color=blue][size=5][b]Why Do Americans Have Such A Hard Time Keeping The Fat Off?[/color][/size][/b]





Open a magazine or turn on the TV and all you see is weight loss products. Is America that fat? Last time i checked the magazines, it was full of gorgeous skinny women and in-shape men. The truth, that's a part of the American Dream, and dream being the main word. Over 60 percent of adults in the United States are overweight, and many are obese. This is like an epidemic. Not so serious to the average person, but the truth is that it's a slow killing disease. Being overweight is accepted everywhere in the US, also being obese is starting to gain acceptance too, and that should spell out a red signal to our nation. Everywhere you look there is cheap, fattening food, and people eating it. There is a need for something to get done, so our whole nation gets healthier. America is already known as the fattest nation in the world. We need to do something drastic before the life expectancy starts to shorten.


There are allot of topics on why Americans are fat. Confusion is one of them. Although America seems to know the general diet rules, and how to look up calories, the confusion is everywhere. In magazines, on the Internet, and in the gym. People simply don't know what they are talking about, and those that do are a minority and they get mixed up with all the other wrong advices. Magazines offer bogus routines and diets, while TV commercials promise results from magic pills. Infomercials bombard our society with the newest machine that will get you 'ripped' and 'toned'.


Even though Americans might be confused, or not sure how to loose fat, there is a bigger problem. Americans are lazy. Laziness and sedentary lifestyles are the norm. Everywhere you see, people are driving cars, and not walking. There is an elevator in the gyms and that should be a concern. Living a sedentary life is easy, cheap and many Americans choose that. Americans are lazy and don't feel like committing to a life long journey of fitness, and at the end you reap what you sew. There are tons of excuses on genetics, health problems and family tragedies. All of those can be put behind. I was in the gym and saw a man in a wheel chair working out. It was his arm day, he was doing dips and then cable curls. It was aspiring to see a man that can't walk, go up on the dip station, independently get out of his wheel chair, do his set and go back to the cable station to superset with cable bicep curls. It was amazing. This guy is one of the few handicapped people compared to the many overweight Americans, but he had something in him. Courage. The courage and discipline to change his body and not rely on excuses to be lazy.


It's a scary fact that being overweight and having a spare tire is okay. Accepting fatness is becoming more and more common in the US. By doing that, our kids see that being fat and lazy is okay, and that there are no consequences but fun and tasty food. Soon they become adults and follow the unhealthy footsteps of their parents and end up like them and so on. This process needs to be changes in order to prevent a future disaster. People will start dying younger and younger and that will cause a economical disaster. Our country has made an effort to prevent obesity, but it's not working. Sure you can't force anyone to run, but providing more information and giving a slight 'push' to our society might help.


How long before our nation does something? There is a organization called NAAFA (National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance) that says fat is ok. If you go to their website ([url]www.naafa.org[/url]) you can find their views and beliefs. Organizations like that promote fat acceptance and show how common being overweight is. This should be a wake up call for our nation. Our government needs to do something drastic to help prevent the loss of more lifes due to obesity and realted diseases.


- Over 60% of adults are overweight.
- Obesity is slowly creeping up to be the #1 cause of death in the US.
- More and more kids are going fat and will grow up to be fat.
- Food companies are increasing serving sizes, due to popular demand.
- By being fat, people will be more open to diseases and their longetivity will go down.




[color=blue][size=4][b]THINGS THAT CONFUSE THE AMERICAN POPULATION[/size][/b][/color]



[b]FAD DIETS[/b]

Fad Diets are the worst confusing aspect of getting in shape. They can be worthless, but also damage your health and well-being. Diets such as the latest low-carb craze are worthless and bad for your health. By eating no carbs, your body goes into Ketosis, and you are trying to save up your fat and people burn up their muscle, which results in decrease of metabolism and a vicious cycle. People get depressed and soon quit and gain all the weight back, and that's not worth it.


There are other fad diets that say you cannot eat fat. Well, fat is essential for fat loss, so the whole diet is wrong. By eating carbs and protein only, you body is left out of the EFA ( Essential Fatty Acids) that are needed for fat loss. Again the dieter gets frustrated because there is no fat loss and soon returns to the old, unhealthy lifestyle of consuming tons of unhealthy and artery clogging fats.


Diets that tell the dieter to consume no meat are bogus too. Protein is the building block of tissue in your body. Without it, you cannot build or maintain muscle, which will cause a metabolism drop, and futile results. By not eating protein, you are starving yourself from amino acids that are needed and your body will be unhealthy. You will loose muscle and look flabby, and that will frustrate you.


Again, try and avoid all Fad Diets. Foods are made for us to eat and we need a balanced diet to survive, and complete our fitness goals. By trusting the next fad diet you are giving yourself a false hope and soon you will crash down. Failure is the most common thing i see when i talk to people on the diet. As soon as they start they loose allot of weight which is mostly water and muscle. After a few weeks the body is fighting back and they feel and look unhealthy. Fad diets are a part of the confusion that is on our nation. And with confusion, we will stay fat.



[b]THE MEDIA[/b]

No matter if it's the radio, magazines or TV, the media plays a big role in America's fat loss failure. Our society is bombarded with wrong information. Infomercials that show pills and machines that require no exercise are full of confusion. Our society is centered towards comfort and sedentary lifestyle. By advertising products that require nothing out of you, the confusion gets bigger. People blame their fat on genetics and busy lifestyles. They are buying magic pills and get ripped while you watch TV machines. It is a billion dollar industry that promises a better lifestyle, but at the end, just gets your money and leaves you in frustration. Ignoring the media is one of the best favors you can do to yourself. You will focus on healthy lifestyle, and a long term goal and not the 6 weeks, get the body of your life machine.



[b]LACK OF EDUCATION[/b]

Not knowing what you are eating and getting fat is a part of an uneducated society. By the time a person finishes high school, they have learned very little, if not, nothing about nutrition. Nutrition needs to be taught at the levels of middle school in order to prevent obesity. Even in elementary, basic education should be taught. Nutrition and a healthy lifestyle should be considered as the norm and should be enforced on our children. Otherwise they will grow up to be fat and unhealthy. Being fat is not only about how you look. If that were the case, i wouldn't be writing this. Being fat is bad for your health. There are tons of deadly diseases caused by excess weight and that can be not only harmful but deadly. Educating children that being fat is not only about self image, but about your health can have a positive benefit on how they look at it and enforce it in their own life's. By educating children and adults alike, our society will become more careful about their health. As one man once said, "Being fat is not a sin, but staying fat is". By educating ourselves we will eliminate our nation's problem.








[b][size=5]CONTINUE...[/size][/b]

[size=5][b]CONTINUED[/size][/b]











[size=4][b][color=blue]WHY DO MOST AMERICANS HAVE A WEIGHT PROBLEM?[/b][/color][/size]


Most Americans are lazy and don't go out much. They enjoy life via the Internet, TV or newspapers. They have no desire for life and are stuck in a routine of staying at home and going to work. What kind of fun is that? You end up being unhealthy, unhappy and have a negative view on life. You have no goals, and your body feels bad. You feel low on energy and stuff yourself up with the daily fast food meal. The media is portraying skinny people that always have fun and never extercise. The average American thinks that extercising is weird and it's a thing that the government advices you to do 3 times a week for 30 minutes. They think that people that extercise daily are self-centered and obsessed about how they look. That is wrong. That is another great excuse to not do anything and hide your spare tire(s) under your XXL sweatshirt.


The conviniences of daily life destract the average American. TV, video games are too addictive and more fun than pushing yourself in the gym. Most people prefer to relax after school or work rather than work out physically all over again. Mix that with a diet high in bad fat, and unhealthy food and you have the average American. Everyone has a routine in their life. And when you leave out extercise, it gets very hard to get it back in. Same thing with extercising daily, and on weekends you feel like you wasted your day not doing anything physical. Americans are overworked and have no time for wroking out and that plays a huge impact on how they look, feel and act.



[size=4][b][color=blue]What would you tell all overweight Americans if you had five minutes on national television on the subject of getting in shape and staying in shape?[/b][/color][/size]

If i can have 5 minutes on national TV to talk to people about being in shape i would talk about the health spect of it. There's no other way to feel healthy, alert and have a good energized day. Working out gives you so much in return of a few minutes of extercise. I would tell the people about the tons of energy and and positive feeling you get from being fit. Having good days everyday is very nice. Stress is reduced dramatically, and longetivity is increased by 5-15 years. After hearing this, i would explain how important nutrition is. Calories, protein and carbohydrates might sound foreign, but i would explain it to them and help them find a good nutritional program. I would also give them the link to bodybuilding.com, so they can have more time to investigate. Since most people are so confused about routines i would give them a simple, yet effective routione that they can use. Something that will get them in shape, keep them energized and healthy.



[b]BEGGINING ROUTINE

MON- Weight Training
TUE- Running (30 min.)
WED- Weight Training
THUR- Running (30 min.)
FRI- Weight Training
SAT- OFF
SUN- Running (30 min.)[/b]




What Americans do wrong is follow someone else's advice. They expect miracle results and are not persistent enough. Consistency is the key to being fit and healthy. Never try to do something fast. Cutting more than 1-3lbs. per week is bad and damaging to your health. Be careful, and do not over exuast yourself and let yourself float into the routine, and not push yourself. Give your body rest, to recover and rebuild itself. Always but health as priority over image. With this being said, i want to inspire you, give you hope and most importantly set you on the road of success.


[color=blue]Being fit means being healthy and being healthy is what everyone should strive for.[/color]

Nice work this week guys, let the best man win! :D

Well to simply say its lazyness on the part of the individual or that there are too many fast food stores etc makes it too simple.

There are several factors and they all add up to a large problem:

1. To many fad diets no matter what you eat you will lose pounds
It is simply total intake - expenditure = surplus or deficit

2. Yes our food is too rich in fats and high in the wrong types of carbs etc
however these fast food places simply make what sells. Americans want
bigger portions and they like the taste of the high fat etc

3. No we as americans dont exercise enough but at least part of the issue is
the lifestyle we lead. If you have two kids and want to keep a great body
and still spend time with them good luck!! Many divorces have started
out because my husband/wife wont spend time with the family they are
always in the gym

4. All of the TV and video as well as jobs which keep us on our but make it
the norm to be inactive not the rule.

So all of these and probably more are why its difficult for america to keep the fat off..

[center][size=+3][b][u][color=blue]America:[/color] [color=white]The Home Of[/color] [color=red]The Fat[/color][/center][/size][/b][/u]

“Lose fat now!” it’s a worldwide slogan, which everyone has heard. Everywhere you turn, everywhere you look, all you see ads on how to lose weight. Every week there’s a new fad diet on how to lose weight. “Low-Carb” this, “Fat-Free” that. And Americans still find a way to be the fattest people in the world. It’s truly a crying shame.

Despite the millions of dollars spent on obesity research and on quick weight loss diets, Americans are heavier than ever. A mind-boggling statistic is that [b]65 percent of Americans are overweight[/b]. That’s up 45 percent from 20 years ago! And that’s also around 2/3’s of every American.

With all the stress put on the public to look their best I still wonder why people are overweight. Sure no one wants to be overweight, but how many of those overweight Americans do something about it? Mostly every American has had a gym membership at one point of their life. But with little dedication, almost all of them quit after a month.

[b][u][color=blue]Spoiled[/color] [color=white]With[/color] [color=red]Technology[/color][/b][/u]

We are a spoiled society that wants everything “Now,now,now!” with the patience of a five year old. We live in a society were everything is done fast and efficient. We have been spoiled because our lives have become easier as technology processes. We have been gradually spoiled with technology.

We don’t work on the fields like we use too. Farms have now been replaced with corporate buildings. 30 years ago people were getting exercise in their daily routines. Today, technology has made our lives easier, but it also made us lazier. Everything can now be done with the touch of a button from the comfort of your chair. Mostly everyone owns a car so you don’t have to walk or ride a bike to get places.

[b][u][color=blue]Artificial[/color] [color=white]Intelligence[/color] [color=red]Factor[/color][/b][/u]

Everything around us is turning artificial. Every flavor of food has been cloned into artificial flavors. It’s a rarity to see a fruit juice that is 100 percent now a day. Chemicals are now turned into flavors and the things you eat aren’t really what you think they are. Next time you eat that blueberry muffin, make sure to read the ingredients, the last thing you’re eating is blueberry.

Kids now a day rather stay inside playing video games than playing a game outside. Video games are really disturbing our youth, not only with weight problems but also with school grades. You definitely don’t see kids playing sports on the streets like they use too. All you here them talking about is the “new cool videogame” that’s coming out.

[b][u][color=blue]Overeating[/color] [color=white]And[/color] [color=red]Underexercising[/color][/b][/u]

The main reasons Americans are overweight is due to the fact that we eat too much and exercise too little. It is certainly a lot easier to stay at home watching television while surfing the web, then going to the gym and busting your ass off. It is also easier said then done. There’s no doubt that being fat and sluggish is a lot easier than being fit and active. It’s a lifestyle many Americans choose, but I am not one of them.

The foods that we eat are highly processed, loaded with sugars, and fatty foods. These foods are also being marketed by giant corporations that mostly are out to brainwash children, setting them up for high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Over $34 billion yearly is spent on these types of advertisements. American’s extra pounds have also cost the nation as much as $93 billion on annual medical bills. That’s even more than smoking bills, which were estimated at $76 billion a few years ago.

The reason we eat these foods is because they are convenient to us. They are already prepared and don’t take any work to do. As I mentioned earlier we are spoiled and want every to be fast. Families now a day rather eat at a fast food restaurant than making a good old dinner at home. These foods are filled with trans fat and our contributing to the growing epidemic of obesity in America.

[b][u][size=+2][center][color=blue]5 Minutes[/color] [color=white]On[/color] [color=red]Nation Television[/color][/b][/u][/size][/center]

If I were given the opportunity to address the American people on national television about their health I would deliver the following speech…

My fellow Americans, I am here to warn you about a growing threat to our great country. Don’t worry; no troops will be needed to deal with this threat, so put the baseball bat down. It’s a more serious threat that you might not be aware off. It’s the 2nd leader of death in the United States.

It’s obesity, which leads to multiple illnesses that will lead to an early death. As a country, I want you to look into the mirror, and tell me what you see. 2/3’s of you will see an overweight person. Please don’t worry, there’s still hope for you guys.

To begin with, I want everyone to examine their diet, is there any way you could eat healthier? If so, please do so. You could eat healthier by choosing unprocessed foods, lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and whole grain products. You can also speed up your metabolism by not having the traditional 3 meals a day, and splitting your meals in smaller portions for 6 meals a day.

Also you should educate yourself about food labels. If you see a label saying "Fat-Free" it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Furthermore you should implement some sort of exercise to your every day routine. Make time for exercise. For example, you could walk to the grocery store, instead of going in your car. Not only will you get a workout, but also you’ll save some money on gas. Another way is by walking up the stair rather than taking the elevator.

Getting in shape isn’t an easy task. It will take some dedication and hard work. Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself either. Drastic changes won’t happen overnight. As many times as you’ve read "lose 25 pounds in a week" it is not possible without damaging your body for the worse. Think realistic like dropping 10 pounds every month.

You need to remain consistent and not give up, the changes in your body will occur. You’ll thank yourself later. Without any goals, this great country wouldn’t be were it’s at now. I know none of you guys want to be apart of this growing threat so this is the time to do something about it.

You could do something about it by making little changes to your daily lifestyle, which I mentioned earlier. You need to make these changes for yourself, your children, their children, and so on, if not this great country will be in great danger. So get off that coach and run some laps around the house. Remember you don't have to be an athelete to lose weight! Goodnight and God bless America.

Excellent written articles as always, guys. Good luck to all!

Yep. Nice work and good luck to all! :)

Why do Americans have such a hard time keeping fat off?

1. A diet needs to have a catch to sell, common sense isn't exciting. Instead of "eat less and exercise", you get various extreme diets with various extreme promises... extreme diets are hard to maintain, especially since I propose that most fat Americans are overweight because of extreme environments (will address this below). It's a fact, you can't fill an entire book with "eat less and exercise" no matter how verbose your descriptions are. Hence, popular diets are, by necessity, unusual propositions. People call these fad diets and I think "fad" is misleading. Even if there was a market for common sense, their is no way to brand it. So what you get is the next best thing for people who might be fairly healthy human beings mentally, but simply can't be sold on sensibility because no one is advocating common sense. There are no testimonials for common sense and there are certainly no advertising campaigns for it.

2. It is cheaper to have a person eat crap than to have a person eat quality foods. That's why you can buy burgers for $0.99 and why it's cheaper to buy soda pop than it is to buy milk. (Not that milk is that great of product anyways. You make more money buy constructing a product with a long shelf live -- at the expense of living, vital nutrients with their own mortality -- than to sell products that will spoil on people within a week. Do you think it's natural for cheese to be good for a month? Hell no.) The people who are making incredible amounts of money feeding us fat and cardboard have no desire to cut into their profits by putting out healthy, beneficial foods. They may have some sort of specialty menu -- think McDonald's "lighter choices" -- but the bulk of their advertising keeps people coming back for the sludge and the mystery meats. The fact that this unhealthy food is not only readily available, but the dominant type of food everywhere you look (advertising, restaurants, convenience stores, sporting events, music events, the movies, school cafeteria, television snacks) creates one aspect of the extreme environment I alluded to earlier.

3. We live in very troubled times and, whether by insidious manipulation or an inevitable result of the lush technological world we live in, people have learned to self-soothe with food. I don't know what more there is to say for this point. Food is just one of the many vices available to people who need to feel something (or not feel something -- depends on the person). Another aspect of the extreme environment.

4. We learn that food and activities go hand-in-hand. Movies and popcorn. Pizza and a party. Television and snacks. You can think of more, I'm sure.

5. People are freaking out. I'm not going to go into the details of this, but here's the jist of it: popular media elevates good-looking people to the status of minor deities, spectacular people who somehow possess the keys to happiness (as evident by their wealth and fame). The average American is not wealthy or good looking and this shouldn't be a problem, except no influential medium AT ALL is devoted to promoting the idea that happy, healthy people are attractive and fun to be around. The truth is that happy, well-adjusted people who are even moderately physically attractive have an appeal and a sexiness that is real and undeniable, but nobody is being reminded of this. And in a frantic world with nameless faces, people forget this easily. So people receive constant messages that rich and hot equal the happiness that they seek and it is only natural that you feel badly for not meeting these pervasive criteria. But humans are built for survival and do not want to feel miserable, so they react to this in different ways. Take a hundred different people and you will probably find one hundred different ways their internal workings have restructured to deal with the belief that they are not as hot or wealthy as they should be, but the bottom line is that these people are forming defensive measures in response to a society-wide inferiority complex. An entire country of people subsisting on coping mechanisms. How can unhealthiness not flourish?

Thank you.This has been my soapbox. No autographs.

[color=blue]Why Americans are Generally Obese[/color]

[b]Americans are obese because they choose to be.[/b] Now while this statement may not be true for all, it is the main reason Americans have weight issues. America they great.....land of fast food, endless hours of T.V. and time spent on the computer. It all comes down to choices.

[b]Time:Planning:[/b]

One major factor in obesity is time and planning. Many Americans do not want to take the time to cook a nutritional meal. They tend to just order in a pizza and dozen of wings, or drive two blocks down the road to the Burger King. I think if Americans would follow this tips they would have a much better chance of losing that fat:

1) [color=blue]Plan your meals[/color]-It's as easy as that. Take the time to write down your meals, and leave yourself a reasonable amount of time to cook and eat them. You will be far less likely to cheat this way.

2)[color=blue]Plan your gym time[/color]-For the same reason as planning your meals. You will not have to worry about will I have 45 minutes to hit the gym today or not, you will already have it planned out. You are far less likely to miss if you plan ahead.

3)[color=blue]Track your progress[/color]-Write down your workouts in a notebook or log. You will be able to keep up with your progress and better stay motavited. Being able to visually see your bench press going up 5 pounds each week will keep you into it. I suggest this log from bb.com or a simple notebook will be sufficent. [url]http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/worklog.html[/url]

4)[color=blue]Take the time to visit the grocery store[/color]-This is very important due to the fact that if you go grocery shopping weekly you will ensure there is always health foods at your home. Be sure to make a list and get items rich in vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, and low in saturated fat. It is also key to avoid high sugar snacks, reach for some fruit or some mixed nuts instead.

5)[color=blue]Have a planned out routine[/color]-Planning out a routine will take a lot of the guess work out of going to the gym. You will know what you are doing on which days.

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[b]Fad Diets, Miracle drugs & Lack of Knowledge[/b]

To many Americans fall victim to the “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days” or the “6 inches off your waste in weeks.” This is just the people being lead on to believe these results are obtainable. It fits Americas style, like high speed internet, wireless instant calling, Americans think diets can be instant to.

[color=blue]False Advertisement and Lack of Knowledge[/color]-With all the ads you see on T.V. it is nearly impossible to take it all in on your own. Most ads tend to target middle aged men and women, who do not necessarily have the time to go to the gym. They show these people with amazing results to confuse people. Now stop for a second and think. Does the company really care if I lose weight? The answer is no, they are making their money either way.

[color=blue]Fad Diets[/color]-With all the fad diets out it is nearly impossible to choose the one right for you. Should I do the South Beach Diet?, what about Atkins? Or maybe No Carb? The answer is none of the above. Your diet should contain a proper ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fat based on your goals.

[b]Fast Food[/b]
Possible Americans biggest problem is fast food restaurants. They seem to be on every corner these days, tempting in Americans with their time efficient , unhealthy food. Fast food is the perfect downfall for hard working American people. They are running late to their meeting, more than likely because they didn’t plan everything out, and are hungry, the see a fast food restaurant and say “oh what the heck a few extra calories won’t hurt me.” However, it turns out their idea of a few extra calories could turn into a lot. I have included a chart of calories in fast food for your convenience . (see attachment.)

[b]Motivation & Goal Setting[/b]

Americans like results and they like them quickly. Many tend to get frustrated quickly as well. Motivation seems to be a big problem. Many people give up after a week if they don’t see results.

[color=blue]Motivation[/color]-Hang posters up, look at pictures of men and women that you think look ideal. These things will help you in the long run. Keep notes on cabinets and refrigerators doors, reminding yourself not to cheat, or to eat healthy. This will help you produce results in the long run.

[color=blue]Goal Setting[/color]-Nothing will kill your motivation like not losing that fat. Many people expect to lose 5 pounds in a week. Our bodies are not designed like this, our bodies are made to hold on to that fat in order to fuel the body if you are every without food. Set reasonable goals for yourself. Aim to lose 1-1.5 lbs a week. This will be best in the long run because it will leave less stretch marks as well as minimize muscle loss. As with goals come rewards, if you meet your goal, have that slice of pizza you’ve been craving just remember keep it to a minimum and only once every week or two. Also make sure you only weight in weekly or every two weeks, as weighing in everyday can kill your motivation. [b]Remember fat loss doesn’t happen overnight.[/b]

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[b]If I could talk on national television for 5 minutes what would I say[/b]

I would tell Americans [b]FAT LOSS IS NOT AN OVERNIGHT THING.[/B] Like a wise man once said “Everything has a price, you must pay the price to get to a point where success is possible, and most importantly you must pay the price to stay there”-Vince Lambarty. Meaning that while having that rock hard body is your goal, you must pay for it. It is not going to come easily otherwise we would all be supermodels. Also, most importantly, once you get those abs of steel, you will have to continue to work to maintain them.

I would advise Americans to stay away from “Fad diets” and “Miracle drugs.” I would recommend they put the money they would have spent on miracle pills into food. Anything that sounds to good to be true is more than likely that, to good to be true.

I would recommend them beginning a beginners split. A three day routine, with cardio, building up to a four day split with HIIT. I would also stress the importance of not missing workouts and meals.

The final thing I would stress on would be the importance of eating your meals at the table. Too many people eat in front of the TV or computer, or even worse while lying down. Eating while lying down tricks your body into thinking you are not full when really you are. It takes your body longer to fill your stomach when you are lying down. Plus when you eat at the table, you are less likely to grab that extra snack afterwards.

The attachment is the calorie chat, the source is listed on it. Thanks

good luck to everyone.

I think that people are too worried about losing weight and overdieting rather than simply becoming fit through exercise.