The Foods That Made America Fat

That is intriguing because it certainly contradicts what has become the dogma repeated in the media and medical profression (eat less red meat, don't use butter, etc.).

But the increase in weight probably has more factors involved than what we eat. Americans engage in less exercise and movement than even twenty years ago, as more people live in suburbs or gated communities without sidewalks, have longer commute and work times and therefore less free time for exercise and sports. Also, people are smoking less and thanks to video games, DVDs, and home entertainment, we spend more time at computers and watching television. I think exercise is key in losing/managing weight.

Well, no one was told to eat more sugar - and yet it makes up 665 calories?? And some oils are healthy - but certainly not as much as we are using. Also, a good portion could be trans fats. With that and the added sugars (HFCS, probably), with plenty of carbs to go with, and it's no wonder we as Americans have gained so much weight.

My feeling is that the traditional dogma is leading us further into disease. If I really disliked someone, I would feed them a heavy grain, low-meat diet with vegetable oil. I would consider that mean.

Part of the problem is that the food industry doesn't do much to help us. So much of the sugar, salt , and fat found in foods wasn't there years ago. It's economic and addiction driven. I've found that foods I like to buy continually disappear from the store's shelves. When I ask about it, I'm usually told the products I like do not sell enough so they are not stocked. One needs to be pretty vigilant when they make their food choices.

Charging more for heath foods really doesn't help the problem. My weekly food bill would be about 40% less if I bought the "regular" products. I have friends who say they try to eat health (both at home and when out) and that often the opt for the less healthy choice because of price.

Portion size certainly plays a part in this, doesn't it? Thomas has come out with a "mini" bagel that looks just like a regular-sized bagel did 10 years ago. We just don't seem to be satisfied with a serving-sized amount. I think our collective drug of choice must be "MORE."

Other than the increase in vegetable oils, the increase in other stuff is small. The first chart, with the macronutrient distribution, shows that is still pretty similar to what it was - it is just *more food*. I think portion sizes are to blame more than anything else here. This is coming from the same person who is always saying "it is not how much you eat, it is what you eat" here on this site, believe it or not. If you eat as much as the average American is eating, then it finally becomes also about how much you eat. I don't believe in 1,200 calorie a day diets for weight loss, but almost 4,000 calories a day for someone that is sedentary is simply way too much food, way too many calories.

Knitter, it is exactly what you said - I didn't read your comment before posting. Portion sizes in the US are insane. Everytime I travel there, I'm shocked to see they grew even more, when I was already horrified people could fit as much as the previous size. I'm not Asian and I don't eat tiny portions, right the opposite - I have a reputation of "eating like a guy", but in the US, I've never managed to eat more than 1/3 of an entree, it is usually 1/4 of it.

I think it's a combination of portion sizes, sedentary lifestyles, and a smaller consumption of natural foods. The food industry can't really be blamed for this one...an Oreo in 1960 is the same as an Oreo in 2000. The difference is, in 1960 you maybe ate 1-2 Oreos as a small snack. In 2000, you can buy "snack packs" containing 6 Oreos. What are you going to do with a half-eaten package of Oreos? So you eat the whole pack and consume 3 servings right there. See the trend? Food companies are actually trying to target the serving size thing by doing the 100 calorie packs and trying to reformulate things to have more whole grains and fiber. Still, being physically active and eating mostly unprocessed foods will do a lot to help keep the pounds off.

Spectra, you mentioned something important too. These foods are also cheaper, comparatively, than they were in 1961, aren't they? "Processed food" in the 60s, as we see on tv and people who lived the times remember, was mostly stuff like cake mix and canned foods, not so much the already-baked cake, since they were more expensive. So an Oreo (or cookies baked from frozen dough) were a treat, and less likely to be eaten than ones baked from scratch/from a boxed mix. If things are expensive treats, people thing twice about eating the entire package in one sitting. If it costs $1.19, there isn't a second thought.

Jan, you have a good point. I wasn't around in 1961, but I used to eat a lot of processed food - it's tempting if you're a college student and don't have much money. Things like canned ravioli, packaged cookies and crackers are extremely cheap and plentiful. However now that I'm eating more natural foods, I have a really hard time keeping the bills down...
If it is much harder (i.e. expensive) for us to buy "healthy" foods, we will just do what's convenient and cheap.

Its more about moderation than what you eat! Eggs, toast, two pieces of bacon and a cup of old fashion coffee probably have less calories than that massive sugary coffee with whipped-cream and giant bagel with cream cheese and 2 toaster strudels. Plus the prior will fill you up with protein and keep you from eating ALL DAY LONG! There wont be the urge to grab the Snickers Bar at 10:30AM. Plus people feel more satiated when they eat "meals" instead of on the run, grab'n'go breakfasts.

I have to agree with DietingPoint. If corporate America (or World, for that matter) really wanted to help people stay healthy and fit, they would stop charging MORE for healthier food items. It's sad that a bag of frozen, breaded, pressed chicken chunks is cheaper than clean, white breast meat. However, that said, one can shop wiser and still not spend an arm and a leg. There are plenty of store brand items that cost significantly less than name brands (like whole oats and rice for instance). One chooses to buy the junk food over the healthier options - no one is forcing them to!

I live in the US for a year and these are my opinions formed during this time:

1)It seems like water doesn't exist. You have to really dig in the supermarket and I have heard several persons asking a store employee where to find the water aisle. But sodas are right on the middle. As long as some companies will pay big money to stay central, there will be hige sugar quantities absorbed with sodas. Don't tell me about light versions, they are even worse from a health point of view.

2) You really have to search for healthy/organic products and they are expensive(if it is not a specialized store, like Whole Foods). It hurts to pay $4 on a pound of tomatoes when you can probably buy a frozen pizza at the same price.

3) There is always food in tv. Weight-loss program, pizza, weight-loss pill, oreos, weight-loss exercises, fast-food chain. Well, who can resist? Maybe they should be banned. everybody knows that fast-food exists so they can make that choise if they want to without having a big cheesburger in front of their eyes.

4) Very, very difficult to get around walking/by bus. Walking is not a part of the normal life, you have to make time for it. Well if it doesn't have a purpose it is not so hard to give it up.

5)Eating out = fat. There is always extra cheese, there is always a dip on the side. Everything is just full with fat. I bought a turkey sanwich once without asking what it contains. It looked pretty normal. I had to throw most of it because it was loaded with fried bacon. So much of mt healthy choise...

6) Shopping carts. Overweight persons have the worst shopping carts. I have seen a trio grandmother, mother, child, all obese and with the cart full of milk and hot-dogs. I don't know how somebody could eat only hot-dogs. There was no trace of fruits or vegetables in their cart. It is clear that these persons don't have balanced meals and they would need a serious wake-up call to do something different. One example is the cereal mith. I am talking about the regular, sugary type.

I would probably have more to say, but that is all I am thinking of right now.

Erica said:
Its more about moderation than what you eat! Eggs, toast, two pieces of bacon and a cup of old fashion coffee probably have less calories than that massive sugary coffee with whipped-cream and giant bagel with cream cheese and 2 toaster strudels. Plus the prior will fill you up with protein and keep you from eating ALL DAY LONG! There wont be the u[...]

That is a good point too. People snack more instead of eating meals - this was discussed on the McDonald's post, recently, as well.