About 40% of US adults are obese, government survey finds

riotous · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
Body mass index (BMI): Is the formula flawed?

BMI has been used for over 100 years to assess weight, but how accurate is it? Is there a better way to measure health risk in relation to body weight?

www.medicalnewstoday.com

I very strongly disagree, in order to have a healthy BMI you need to be scrawny with very little muscle mass.

At 5' 10" you need to be between 130-170 pounds, so let's go with the middle of that range, 150lbs. That's what I weighed in high school and was scrawny with little muscle mass, there is just no way that is the ideal weight for a grown adult at that height.

BMI is outdated and flawed.

That poster was pointing out BMI is fine for "normal distributions."

For every muscle-bound person showing up as overweight there will be an unhealthy person with no muscle mass showing up a healthy weight.

It's fine as a measure of populations; it doesn't work for certain individuals. You aren't going to find that BMI over-reports obesity because of body builders, there just aren't enough of them.

riotous · Feb 28, 2020

Dominic Decoco said:
No you don't need to be a shredded bodybuilder to be misrepresented. BMI is not completely useless, it's just not gospel by itself.

Some 54 Million 'Overweight' or 'Obese' Americans Are Actually Healthy, Say Scientists

Millions of Americans who have been labelled overweight or obese based on their body mass index (BMI) are in actual fact perfectly healthy, according to a new study.

www.sciencealert.com

A Flawed Measure

BMI is not an accurate measure of health, according to research by psychologist Jeffrey Hunger and colleagues

www.news.ucsb.edu

https://www.dishlab.org/pubs/Misclassification_Cardiometabolic.pdf

Don’t use body mass index to determine whether people are healthy, UCLA-led study says

The study found that close to half of Americans who are considered overweight by virtue of their BMIs — 34.4 million people — are healthy, as are 19.8 million who are considered obese.

newsroom.ucla.edu

The Healthiest Weight Could Actually Be 'Overweight', Huge Study Finds

<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Wait, what?</span></p>

www.sciencealert.com

It's about 30% in each group.. which normalizes the data...

For measuring a population it's a good guess; just need more data for an individual.

Juna · Feb 28, 2020

Yeah, there are actually studies saying the exact opposite.
What's wrong is treating BMI as a sole factor of health. Which is obviously ridiculous. There can not be any single factor.
But it's a really good measure for weight. Which is a known risk factor. Complaining about BMI is also a red herring in response to the study. We already know that people in the US have been gaining weight for decades now.

Maple · Feb 28, 2020

Doober said:
I feel like it's a LOT more than that here in the south.

Like, I'm in my 30s and damned near everyone I know is either on the high end of overweight or just obese.

It is. Obesity rates from the CDC -

Dr. Mario · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
I'm sorry but benching 110lbs while weighing 165lbs is very, very low. That is less than the average untrained person.

Average Bench Press for Men and Women: By Weight and Fitness Level

The average weight most adult men and women can bench press depends on age, fitness level, and other factors. Younger men are typically able to bench press more than older men, and men, in general, can bench press more weight than women.

www.healthline.com

Right, excluding barbell obviously, so 55lbs slabs on each side. Also for multiple reps, not total weight. I wasn't saying I was anything above novice or intermediate, but I'm a good deal more muscular than, well, anyone else my age around me. (And I'm still a bit incredulous about that table, if I see what the average person benches in the gym, this reeks of average penis size)

Fistfulofmetal · Feb 28, 2020

Znazzy said:
It’s so easy to blame obesity as solely a systemic problem, so then no one has to take accountability for it. I could hear it now.. “it’s not MY fault I’m obese! It’s all the additives in food!”

Don’t get me wrong, there certainly is a systemic element to it, but if that was the only case, every single person in this country would be obese. Americans don’t want to exercise, they don’t want to eat healthy, and they don’t want to control their portions. It takes effort to lose and maintain a healthy weight (as people have mentioned in this thread), but it absolutely can be done.

Blaming anything is easy. Blaming it on the individual is easy. Putting blame isn't the problem. Understanding the why is the challenge.

You say "Americans don't want to exercise" but the question is why don't Americans want to exercise? What about America is causing millions of people to not want to exercise? Take that next step and think about that instead of stopping at the easy answer of "Americans are just bad".

woodypop · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
I'm sorry but benching 110lbs while weighing 165lbs is very, very low. That is less than the average untrained person.

Average Bench Press for Men and Women: By Weight and Fitness Level

The average weight most adult men and women can bench press depends on age, fitness level, and other factors. Younger men are typically able to bench press more than older men, and men, in general, can bench press more weight than women.

www.healthline.com

This is a little off-topic, but I've always wondered: when stating how much you can bench, are you supposed to include the weight of the bar? And if so, what is the weight of the bar?

riotous · Feb 28, 2020

Dr. Mario said:
Right, excluding barbell obviously, so 55lbs slabs on each side. Also for multiple reps, not total weight. I wasn't saying I was anything above novice or intermediate, but I'm a good deal more muscular than, well, anyone else my age around me. (And I'm still a bit incredulous about that table, if I see what the average person benches in the gym, this reeks of average penis size)

So you bench more than 110; you are supposed to include the bar.. which honestly should be obvious lol

You bench 155 not 110.

Zorg1000 · Feb 28, 2020

riotous said:
That poster was pointing out BMI is fine for "normal distributions."

For every muscle-bound person showing up as overweight there will be an unhealthy person with no muscle mass showing up a healthy weight.

It's fine as a measure of populations; it doesn't work for certain individuals. You aren't going to find that BMI over-reports obesity because of body builders, there just aren't enough of them.

I never mentioned bodybuilders, I mentioned how I was scrawny, weak and had very little muscle mass and was right in the middle of the healthy range. Anybody with a decent level of muscle mass is going to be on the high side of the healthy range or in the overweight category.

There is no way that a 6'4" person could ever be considered healthy at 155lbs.

NESpowerhouse · Feb 28, 2020

Nepenthe said:
I am eventually going to be that person once my metabolism tanks. I just know it.

Yup same. I'm slim Jack Skelington right now, but I'm definitely not as active and healthy as I should be. I feel like once I'm 25, it's gonna happen.

Zorg1000 · Feb 28, 2020

woodypop said:
This is a little off-topic, but I've always wondered: when stating how much you can bench, are you supposed to include the weight of the bar? And if so, what is the weight of the bar?

Yes you include it and a traditional olympic style bar you see at most gyms would be 45lbs, it can vary though if you buy them from retailers.

riotous · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
I never mentioned bodybuilders, I mentioned how I was scrawny, weak and had very little muscle mass and was right in the middle of the healthy range. Anybody with a decent level of muscle mass is going to be on the high side of the healthy range or in the overweight category.

There is no way that a 6'4" person could ever be considered healthy at 155lbs.

The variance for tall people is different for sure just by the nature of the equation. It works best for people of average height and average body type.. that's the point of why it works OK for populations.

But I'm 6'4" and lift 4 times a week and am fairly strong... my BMI is right in the middle of normal as well. I have well above average muscle mass. I have a 6'4" friend who works out nearly as much as me who weighs 15 pounds less than me. People's bodies are wildly different, particularly for taller people due to how much wider some people can be.

The Albatross · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
I never mentioned bodybuilders, I mentioned how I was scrawny, weak and had very little muscle mass and was right in the middle of the healthy range. Anybody with a decent level of muscle mass is going to be on the high side of the healthy range or in the overweight category.

There is no way that a 6'4" person could ever be considered healthy at 155lbs.

right there's some things about BMI that are so silly to me. I'm 6'3" and I'm obese at ~230lbs, and I don't take issue with that designation. I am obese and need to/want to lose weight for my health and effectiveness at some sports (I play competitive basketball but I'm just so fucking slow these days), but the idea that I should be 155 lbs would ... literally make me gaunt, frail, and freakish. My "ideal skinny weight" is probably in the 190s, my "ideal normal" weight for me would be in the 200s-210s. Id' like to get there but I'm struggling these days in middle age.

It's all lifestyle choices and lack of will power for me. I've got a toddler and so on Saturday mornings we get up and I get my coffee with her,a nd inevitably we split a blueberry muffin. It's one of the best parts of my week, we sit at the bakery and split a big muffin, bite for her, bite for me. On Friday and Saturday nights I always cozy up to 4ish heavy beers. I only really have time to workout 2-3x a week on a good week. I'll be tired coming home from work and know I have ~3 hours of baby time before I can eat so I cheat and eat something terrible for me, snacks and candy that I used to never eat ~3ish years ago. I know what I need to do to lose weight, but I struggle with it these days.

Zoe · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
There is no way that a 6'4" person could ever be considered healthy at 155lbs.

Extreme heights are always going to throw off formulas created for the average person. Being an extreme height carries its own risk factors too.

Zorg1000 · Feb 28, 2020

Dr. Mario said:
Right, excluding barbell obviously, so 55lbs slabs on each side. Also for multiple reps, not total weight. I wasn't saying I was anything above novice or intermediate, but I'm a good deal more muscular than, well, anyone else my age around me. (And I'm still a bit incredulous about that table, if I see what the average person benches in the gym, this reeks of average penis size)

Bar is typically included when talking about weight (because you are lifting the bar as well lol) and I thought you meant that was your max, not reps, so that makes more sense now.

I still feel BMI is outdated, I'm not muscular by any means but to be in the healthy range I would need to have under 5% bodyfat.

Zorg1000 · Feb 28, 2020

Zoe said:
Extreme heights are always going to throw off formulas created for the average person. Being an extreme height carries its own risk factors too.

True but even looking at a normal height of 5' 10" it says 130 pounds is healthy. Just do a quick google search of 5'10" 130lbs male. Come back and tell me that looks healthy.

woodypop · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
Yes you include it and a traditional olympic style bar you see at most gyms would be 45lbs, it can vary though if you buy them from retailers.

Ah, good to know. Thanks!

Zorg1000 said:
Bar is typically included when talking about weight (because you are lifting the bar as well lol) and I thought you meant that was your max, not reps, so that makes more sense now.

So I assume when people say they bench "X" weight, they mean they max that (and not reps)?

yurr · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 · Feb 28, 2020

riotous said:
The variance for tall people is different for sure just by the nature of the equation. It works best for people of average height and average body type.. that's the point of why it works OK for populations.

But I'm 6'4" and lift 4 times a week and am fairly strong... my BMI is right in the middle of normal as well. I have well above average muscle mass. I have a 6'4" friend who works out nearly as much as me who weighs 15 pounds less than me. People's bodies are wildly different, particularly for taller people due to how much wider some people can be.

Sure extreme heights can skew wider but even for average height I have issues. A 5'10" guy in the 130s/140s is going to be extremely scrawny with little body fat and muscle mass.

woodypop said:
Ah, good to know. Thanks!

So I assume when people say they bench "X" weight, they mean they max that (and not reps)?

Yep they usually refer to their max and their are ways to calculate your max based off of reps.

One-Rep Max Calculator: Target Max Strength Goals

Calculate your max for any lift with this 1RM calculator. Get strategic about getting bigger, stronger, and faster!

www.bodybuilding.com

Maxximo · Feb 28, 2020

Dominic Decoco said:
No you don't need to be a shredded bodybuilder to be misrepresented. BMI is not completely useless, it's just not gospel by itself.

Look we're talking about obesity here. I'm 190cm tall for around 90-93 kg wich means, going by BMI, I should be overweight. Now i bench around 120kg, can do 15 clean pull-ups and every weekend I'm out rock climbing. I know I'm far from the norm and to be mildly obese i should be 130kg let's just say putting on around 35kg of muscle mass is no easy task. xD

BMI index is fine for the majority of the population.

PoppaBK · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
Body mass index (BMI): Is the formula flawed?

BMI has been used for over 100 years to assess weight, but how accurate is it? Is there a better way to measure health risk in relation to body weight?

www.medicalnewstoday.com

I very strongly disagree, in order to have a healthy BMI you need to be scrawny with very little muscle mass.

At 5' 10" you need to be between 130-170 pounds, so let's go with the middle of that range, 150lbs. That's what I weighed in high school and was scrawny with little muscle mass, there is just no way that is the ideal weight for a grown adult at that height.

BMI is outdated and flawed.

You are failing to understand the concept. It is not defining an ideal body type -

Zorg1000 said:
I never mentioned bodybuilders, I mentioned how I was scrawny, weak and had very little muscle mass and was right in the middle of the healthy range. Anybody with a decent level of muscle mass is going to be on the high side of the healthy range or in the overweight category.

There is no way that a 6'4" person could ever be considered healthy at 155lbs.

Except you are mainly wrong.
Being borderline underweight is a potential issue but I guarantee there are lots of athletes out there in peak physical condition that are underweight by BMI just as there are bodybuilders out there who are obese by BMI.

You seem hung-up on muscle mass as if 5'10" 160lbs is not a lot of muscle for an average person at a lowish body fat.
I'm at 180lbs and 5'10" with roughly 15% body fat so I am technically overweight by BMI, but my muscle mass is by no means the norm in the general population.
And that is what BMI is designed for - the general population - if people start bulking up in huge numbers then BMI may not be as applicable - but I guarantee that if you decided to assess obesity by waist measurement rather than BMI the obesity rate in the US would barely change.
And here is why population obesity rates are important:

Zorg1000 · Feb 28, 2020

The Albatross said:
right there's some things about BMI that are so silly to me. I'm 6'3" and I'm obese at ~230lbs, and I don't take issue with that designation. I am obese and need to/want to lose weight for my health and effectiveness at some sports (I play competitive basketball but I'm just so fucking slow these days), but the idea that I should be 155 lbs would ... literally make me gaunt, frail, and freakish. My "ideal skinny weight" is probably in the 190s, my "ideal normal" weight for me would be in the 200s-210s. Id' like to get there but I'm struggling these days in middle age.

It's all lifestyle choices and lack of will power for me. I've got a toddler and so on Saturday mornings we get up and I get my coffee with her,a nd inevitably we split a blueberry muffin. It's one of the best parts of my week, we sit at the bakery and split a big muffin, bite for her, bite for me. On Friday and Saturday nights I always cozy up to 4ish heavy beers. I only really have time to workout 2-3x a week on a good week. I'll be tired coming home from work and know I have ~3 hours of baby time before I can eat so I cheat and eat something terrible for me, snacks and candy that I used to never eat ~3ish years ago. I know what I need to do to lose weight, but I struggle with it these days.

I know too well how starting a family can affect your weight. I'm 5'10" and was about 165 pounds in 2012 (year before I had a kid) and by 2015 I was pushing 240. I'm back down to about 200 now and feel pretty good but would like to get around 185.

Maxim726x · Feb 28, 2020

woodypop said:
This is a little off-topic, but I've always wondered: when stating how much you can bench, are you supposed to include the weight of the bar? And if so, what is the weight of the bar?

Standard olympic bar is 45 lbs. And yes, that is included.

AZ Greg · Feb 28, 2020

Fistfulofmetal said:
the question is why don't Americans want to exercise? What about America is causing millions of people to not want to exercise? Take that next step and think about that instead of stopping at the easy answer of "Americans are just bad".

The answer is simple, because it’s challenging. And we’re lazy, don’t like to be challenged, and want instant gratification.

Question: Let’s say the average ResetEra poster finds 30 minutes free in there day to do whatever they want uninterrupted by the normal stresses in life. Do you think they take that time to hit their daily physical activity recommendation and go run for ~3 miles? Or, do you think they use that time to sit and play videogames or browse the forum while simultaneously snacking? I’d bet my 401k that it’s more of the latter.

And if that’s the case, while it is true there are societal concerns too, you need to look in the mirror first and stop pointing fingers. Otherwise, you’re gonna live a lifetime of being overweight/obese.

konka · Feb 28, 2020

AZ Greg said:
The answer is simple, because it’s challenging. And we’re lazy, don’t like to be challenged, and want instant gratification.

Question: Let’s say the average ResetEra poster finds 30 minutes free in there day to do whatever they want uninterrupted by the normal stresses in life. Do you think they take that time to hit their daily physical activity recommendation and go run for ~3 miles? Or, do you think they use that time to sit and play videogames or browse the forum while simultaneously snacking? I’d bet my 401k that it’s more of the latter.

And if that’s the case, while it is true there are societal concerns too, you need to look in the mirror first and stop pointing fingers. Otherwise, you’re gonna live a lifetime of being overweight/obese.

I’d wager the average poster has more than 30 free minutes a day.

woodypop · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
True but even looking at a normal height of 5' 10" it says 130 pounds is healthy. Just do a quick google search of 5'10" 130lbs male. Come back and tell me that looks healthy.

Anecdotally, I concur with this from my own experience. I'm 5'8" and currently 155lbs. About four years ago I dropped down to 135. At a doctor visit, he was mildly shocked and sternly told me NOT to lose any more weight. Looking back at some photos, they weren't hideous, but there was a gaunt aspect to them. I'm certainly not going to hit that low of weight again.

Zorg1000 said:
Yep they usually refer to their max and their are ways to calculate your max based off of reps.

One-Rep Max Calculator: Target Max Strength Goals

Calculate your max for any lift with this 1RM calculator. Get strategic about getting bigger, stronger, and faster!

www.bodybuilding.com

Cool. I've never tried a max before. I'm curious to give this a shot some time, and when there's a spotter available at the gym.

RDreamer · Feb 28, 2020

The Albatross said:
right there's some things about BMI that are so silly to me. I'm 6'3" and I'm obese at ~230lbs, and I don't take issue with that designation. I am obese and need to/want to lose weight for my health and effectiveness at some sports (I play competitive basketball but I'm just so fucking slow these days), but the idea that I should be 155 lbs would ... literally make me gaunt, frail, and freakish. My "ideal skinny weight" is probably in the 190s, my "ideal normal" weight for me would be in the 200s-210s. Id' like to get there but I'm struggling these days in middle age.

It's all lifestyle choices and lack of will power for me. I've got a toddler and so on Saturday mornings we get up and I get my coffee with her,a nd inevitably we split a blueberry muffin. It's one of the best parts of my week, we sit at the bakery and split a big muffin, bite for her, bite for me. On Friday and Saturday nights I always cozy up to 4ish heavy beers. I only really have time to workout 2-3x a week on a good week. I'll be tired coming home from work and know I have ~3 hours of baby time before I can eat so I cheat and eat something terrible for me, snacks and candy that I used to never eat ~3ish years ago. I know what I need to do to lose weight, but I struggle with it these days.

6'3" 155 would make you the very low end of "normal"

190 is still in the normal range. A bit higher but it depends on how you put on weight as far as looks.

I'm 6"3 and about 153-157 depending on when in the day I get my weight. I don't think I look anywhere near frail or freakish, but who knows, lol. I've also got a toddler and it's pretty rough staying in your diet especially when they're snacking all the fucking time. Plus just getting time to exercise is hard as hell, but I managed to keep on. I used to be 255 a few years back and dropped that shit like a stone.

You must get home pretty early if you still have 3 hours of baby time before eating. Or eat really fucking late compared to me, lol. We eat at around 6 with our 18 month old toddler.

Fistfulofmetal · Feb 28, 2020

AZ Greg said:
The answer is simple, because it’s challenging. And we’re lazy, don’t like to be challenged, and want instant gratification.

Question: Let’s say the average ResetEra poster finds 30 minutes free in there day to do whatever they want uninterrupted by the normal stresses in life. Do you think they take that time to hit their daily physical activity recommendation and go run for ~3 miles? Or, do you think they use that time to sit and play videogames or browse the forum while simultaneously snacking? I’d bet my 401k that it’s more of the latter.

And if that’s the case, while it is true there are societal concerns too, you need to look in the mirror first and stop pointing fingers. Otherwise, you’re gonna live a lifetime of being overweight/obese.

But you're still just making broad claims about "Americans" without thinking about why that's the case. Again - you say the answer is simple - we're lazy and don't like a challenge. I'm not even going to try and refute you there because that's not the point.

The question needs to then be: why are we lazy and don't like a challenge? What's the reason for more Americans to be this way now as opposed to before? Do you posit that it all just comes down to everyone individually deciding to become more lazy?

Zoe · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
True but even looking at a normal height of 5' 10" it says 130 pounds is healthy. Just do a quick google search of 5'10" 130lbs male. Come back and tell me that looks healthy.

Maybe your problem is equating lack of muscles with unhealthy.

kiaaa · Feb 28, 2020

Zoe said:
Maybe your problem is equating lack of muscles with unhealthy.

You could probably make that argument. A complete lack of muscle is usually a result of an extremely sedentary life which comes with an entire book of issues.

riotous · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
Sure extreme heights can skew wider but even for average height I have issues. A 5'10" guy in the 130s/140s is going to be extremely scrawny with little body fat and muscle mass.

People have a huge variance in shoulder width / size of their rib cages / pelvis / etc. It's why it's pretty damn flawed for an individual. If someone is near the low end of normal they need to definitely consult a physician or take into account their body type to see if they need to put on some weight. But someone like a runner can have great cardio health but not maintain a lot of muscle mass (but also not be experiencing muscle / organ waste) and be really low on the scale.

Zorg1000 · Feb 28, 2020

Zoe said:
Maybe your problem is equating lack of muscles with unhealthy.

Having a certain level of muscle mass is absolutely necessary for people who arent sedentary all day, at the lower end of the healthy BMI range you would need go have both a very low body fat percentage and a very low level of muscle mass.

RDreamer · Feb 28, 2020

Zorg1000 said:
True but even looking at a normal height of 5' 10" it says 130 pounds is healthy. Just do a quick google search of 5'10" 130lbs male. Come back and tell me that looks healthy.

I didn't see anything concerning, so maybe you can post something, but your examples are not he absolute low end of the spectrum here. Normal weight for 5'10" is between 129 and 174 pounds. So sure maybe there are some at 130 that look a bit underweight, but that's because it's literally a pound from the boundary and there will be some variance.

tabris · Feb 28, 2020

There's 4 factors that drive a person's weight in this order of importance:

1) Genetics
2) Hormones (Insulin, Estrogen, Testosterone, etc)
3) Calories In (Food you consume)
4) Calories Out (Exercise, ATP>ADP cycle, etc)

Why is it important we understand these? Because first it lets you know that it is very hard to out-exercise a bad diet. Second it brings an understanding of some people having it harder than others due to their genetic profile so you can sympathize and not trivialize their struggles. Third it makes you understand that it's not just the calories in/out, but it's the type of food that is changing your hormone dynamic in your body that changes how that food is processed and energy stored.

So with this, for someone losing weight, put them into consideration and it should help a full picture instead of awful advice like "just eat less and work out more". What helped me in my weight loss and muscle gain goals was an understanding of all of those dynamics, accommodating for my genetic profile, eating the right kind of food to influence my hormones, keeping my calories in with my weight loss or muscle gain goals, and not just throwing in random "exercise more" but targeting muscle gain to increase my ATP>ADP cycle to go along with my endurance cardio.

EDIT - And the major reason for this shift is not that we are just eating more calories as a society but it's the type of food. Subsidizes around farm products leading to bad canola oil, soybean oil, etc in the western diet has been awful for us and changing our hormone dynamic, how omega-6 and omega-3 fats are managed, etc. One of the big deals about the Mediterranean diet is that it's mainly olive oil based. We really need to get better understanding of the foods we're eating, not just the label on the back around calories. And that's tough to do. It's a lot of research among a lot of disinformation due to monetary interests.

Then there's even the study of "gut biome" dynamics between people and how they develop based on the type of food you eat, and the fermentation of that food within your intenstines, that may fit somewhere in between 2 and 3 above there.

There's a lot in play here, and it's important that people spend time researching and trying to improve the quality of food they eat (which is expensive for a lot of people making minimum wage) and combination of that food.

cheesekao · Feb 28, 2020

I'd like to know what Americans eat on a daily basis. If my trip to the UK is of any indication, you guys are probably lacking in cheap/healthy food. I honestly couldn't believe how difficult it was to get a good vegetable dish that isn't a lazy ass salad. I had to go to a chinese restaurant to get my fix of greens which kinda defeated the purpose of travelling.

tabris · Feb 28, 2020

cheesekao said:
I'd like to know what Americans eat on a daily basis. If my trip to the UK is of any indication, you guys are probably lacking in cheap/healthy food. I honestly couldn't believe how difficult it was to get a good vegetable dish that isn't a lazy ass salad.

So I lived in the UK for 4 months. Nowhere else have I seen 2 isles dedicated to crisps (potato chips) as I saw at some Tescos. The UK diet is widely unhealthy but they also had cheap produce in comparison to the US so it's easier to be healthy. Tesco food, while being crap, was extremely cheap the few isles that weren't junk food.

I find health food is a lot more easily accessible in North America but a lot more expensive.

DarthWoo · Feb 28, 2020

Off topic, but since people are discussing it...

I feel bad now because I can only do a press of two 50lb. dumbbells (3x10 reps). I've never actually tried using an actual bench with a barbell, since I never have a spotter. Is it safe to just try a few reps with a barbell without a spotter? The gym is usually relatively crowded, so I suppose the worst case scenario is that I look like an idiot and get a talking to by the management after nearly dropping something on my throat.

Edit: I was going to skip the gym today because I'm donating blood this afternoon, but maybe I'll stop by to test how much I can actually bench.

maximumzero · Feb 28, 2020

My wife is obese and I'm probably somewhere in between that and overweight.

We've made strides to improve our health tremendously recently though. I cut out soda years back and while I never really much of a fast food guy to begin with, I almost never eat it these days.

Bought an Apple Watch two years ago and while there was a six-month period were I was walking for like an hour daily I've slacked off of that tremendously in recent months.

New Donker · Feb 28, 2020

DarthWoo said:
Off topic, but since people are discussing it...

I feel bad now because I can only do a press of two 50lb. dumbbells (3x10 reps). I've never actually tried using an actual bench with a barbell, since I never have a spotter. Is it safe to just try a few reps with a barbell without a spotter? The gym is usually relatively crowded, so I suppose the worst case scenario is that I look like an idiot and get a talking to by the management after nearly dropping something on my throat.

Edit: I was going to skip the gym today because I'm donating blood this afternoon, but maybe I'll stop by to test how much I can actually bench.

Benching without a spotter is absolutely safe. I wouldn't jump right into maxing out though. Work on your form first

PoppaBK · Feb 28, 2020

RDreamer said:
I didn't see anything concerning, so maybe you can post something, but your examples are not he absolute low end of the spectrum here. Normal weight for 5'10" is between 129 and 174 pounds. So sure maybe there are some at 130 that look a bit underweight, but that's because it's literally a pound from the boundary and there will be some variance.

Yeah most of the images looked fine. The US does have some warped ideas about healthy body size, at 5'10" 180lbs I still get people making comments about needing to eat more, or that I am wasting away.

PoppaBK · Feb 28, 2020

SeanR1221 said:
Benching without a spotter is absolutely safe. I wouldn't jump right into maxing out though. Work on your form first

Squat rack is best if you can, then you can at least set the guards to prevent dropping the weight on your chest.

meowdi gras · Feb 28, 2020

cheesekao said:
I'd like to know what Americans eat on a daily basis. If my trip to the UK is of any indication, you guys are probably lacking in cheap/healthy food. I honestly couldn't believe how difficult it was to get a good vegetable dish that isn't a lazy ass salad. I had to go to a chinese restaurant to get my fix of greens which kinda defeated the purpose of travelling.

Typical daily menu for American me (I don't snack much):

Breakfast - Homemade turkey sausage, egg, cheddar wrap + tangerine on the side

Lunch - Homemade veggie soup

Dinner - Baked fish with quinoa, roasted carrots, and sautéed spinach

Admittedly, this is probably not typical for most Americans these days.

RDreamer · Feb 28, 2020

PoppaBK said:
Yeah most of the images looked fine. The US does have some warped ideas about healthy body size, at 5'10" 180lbs I still get people making comments about needing to eat more, or that I am wasting away.

Yeah I got that a lot too throughout my life. Except when I actually was obese. Then everyone thought I looked normal. When I started losing I got a few comments even when I was a good deal higher than now. And when I told everyone what I weighed at the top end they were like "What the fuck? No way."

PowerThroughLov · Feb 28, 2020

Use to weigh 240 and could not Deadlift 135.
Now weigh 178 and can deadlift 315.

it’s amazing how much BETTER your life gets when you excercise and lose weight. Everything gets better. You feel better. You have more energy. You are more popular. You have better sex. Literally everything.

cheesekao · Feb 28, 2020

srsly? said:
Typical daily menu for American me (I don't snack much):

Breakfast - Homemade turkey sausage, egg, cheddar wrap + tangerine on the side

Lunch - Homemade veggie soup

Dinner - Baked fish with quinoa, roasted carrots, and sautéed spinach

Admittedly, this is probably not typical for most Americans these days.

That seems pretty reasonable. I've watched some tv shows centered around American food and more times than not, they're deep fried / grilled / have lots of condiments and extra ingredients / have pretty large portions / etc. If that is what typical Americans eat on a daily basis then no wonder America has a weight issue.

Maple · Feb 28, 2020

cheesekao said:
I'd like to know what Americans eat on a daily basis. If my trip to the UK is of any indication, you guys are probably lacking in cheap/healthy food. I honestly couldn't believe how difficult it was to get a good vegetable dish that isn't a lazy ass salad. I had to go to a chinese restaurant to get my fix of greens which kinda defeated the purpose of travelling.

I don't really eat three distinct meals. I eat smaller portions and just eat when I'm hungry.

A typical day for me looks like this -

- Coffee, plain Greek yogurt with granola.
- A few handfuls of mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts).
- Apple with some almond butter.
- Avocado, a few slices of cheese.
- Chicken breast, mixed veggies, cup of brown rice, and some leafy greens topped with nothing but olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Lots of water, no alcohol, no other beverages with calories other than the coffee in the morning.

Cats · Feb 28, 2020

bionic77 said:
That is the issue though.

This is obviously a major problem that impacts a lot of people in this country. What are they thinking as they continue to gain weight?

I mean I have gained weight too. Usually its from overeating when I am stressed from work and not making healthy decisions. But then when my pants start to get too tight I know I have to change something up and not keep going on.

For me, worrying about personal appearance and long term health are basically negligible when you have other issues to deal with that are immediate, like work, personal problems, lack of time, responsibilities, ect.

When my life is going easy on me with that stuff, I find it wayyy easier to lose weight and put the effort in, but when it kinda sucks I just say "I'll do it tomorrow." I've got other things to deal with.

Also, I can't do drugs after work or I'll get fired (I don't want to anyways thankfully), I can't drink to what I like or Ill get fired (and it's silly too anyways), there's limited time for fun activities because work and responsibilities eat all the free time, so what's the only vice that's left, eases the pain because it's so addictive and plentiful in America due to the numerous reasons others here have mentioned? It's eating junk.

People giving in and not fixing the issue as soon as they notice makes sense in my opinion. Then it gets out if control, and eventually for many, too impossible feeling to fix.

Deleted member 7462 · Feb 28, 2020

Well, you look at the a) amount of food deserts in this country, especially in rural and low-income urban areas, b) the lax food standards compared to a place like the EU, and c) the low wages that people have leading them to high-preservative, high-fat, high-calorie foods that are cheaper to produce and purchase besides being available, and it's no surprise.

Food deserts alone are a MASSIVE fucking problem in this country. People have almost no fresh food, low-calorie choices and are often too poor to take advantage of those choices besides. Like, what do you fucking expect?

cheesekao · Feb 28, 2020

Maple said:
I don't really eat three distinct meals. I eat smaller portions and just eat when I'm hungry.

A typical day for me looks like this -

- Coffee, plain Greek yogurt with granola.
- A few handfuls of mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts).
- Apple with some almond butter.
- Avocado, a few slices of cheese.
- Chicken breast, mixed veggies, cup of brown rice, and some leafy greens topped with nothing but olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Lots of water, no alcohol, no other beverages with calories other than the coffee in the morning.

Am I right in assuming most of this is prepared by yourself? What're your readily available options when it comes to eating out?

RDreamer · Feb 28, 2020

cheesekao said:
That seems pretty reasonable. I've watched some tv shows centered around American food and more times than not, they're deep fried / grilled / have lots of condiments and extra ingredients / have pretty large portions / etc. If that is what typical Americans eat on a daily basis then no wonder America has a weight issue.

Deep fried food probably isn't a typical every day thing, but we do have a lot of condiments and extra ingredients.

I think Americans typically fuck up with portion control and added calories they don't really think about, especially from drinks. "Eat everything on your plate" was instilled for a long time instead of "eat until you're full" and on top of that there's a bit of a macho food culture thing with eating everything/leaving some. Restaurants compete with each other and end up bloating the portions because people leaving full means they leave satisfied. It's an easy way of making sure things are good. Then people think those are normal.

Add to that a couple sodas or juice and maybe a tempting snack here and there and you're already pushing things. People really don't realize that stuff like orange juice can be as bad as a candy bar. Then there's the sugary coffee drinks that while I'm sure most don't think are healthy by any means I'm not sure people realistically realize they may as well be eating a fucking bowl of ice cream.

That and mindless sedentary jobs don't help. Personally I munch more when I'm just sitting around versus if I had some actual labor to do and get my mind off it, you know? So people sit around an office and snack too much. Things just add up.

There's also the hardship with actually making a dinner for a lot of families. With both parents working until basically dinner time when do you make food? It's far easier to pick something up and even if you don't do it every day then you're adding a lot. People are spoiled into wanting variety and different stuff every day, and that's hard to do when you don't have time unless you grab stuff. Add to that picky kids, which can be a fucking headache.

About 40% of US adults are obese, government survey finds

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