Comments on: Suburbs not to blame for obesity

By: Robert Littel

Robert Littel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:37:30 +0000

Obesity has always been the disease of the wealthy, for the most part, until recently. By recently, I mean the last couple of centuries, after the ability to produce and store food against the lean times of the year. We have evolved over the last four, or so, million years, in-order to maximise our ability to survive the inevitable lack of food that always occurred during the year. We evolved the ability to store fat, much the way bears do, so that they can feed off of it during the hibernation and the way deer do to survive the winter.

Today, we have carried forward the ability to store fat and now that we have conquered agriculture and made long term food storage a reality and that has ended the lean times we needed to maintain our evolved proclivities to store and burn fat. Today, we can eat and put on weight without having any lean times to thin us down and with the food industry conspiring to extract as much as they can for as little as they can, we now have the miracle of chemically enhanced and created foods that our bodies never evolved the ability to consume. Hydrogenated fat, which now makes up a large percentage of our diet, is in everything from butter substitutes to almost any processed baked product on the Bakery isle. Cheaply produced “food” items like Palm oil, is hydrogenated and becomes the shortening that is used because it tastes good and extends shelf life to the point where baked products can sit on the shelf for months, if not years, and still be consumable (Twinkies for one). We might as well take a spackle knife and smear these “food” products to our bellies and to the lining of our arteries, and as long as we let advertisers tell us what we want, we are going to continue this unhealthy trend.

Of course, we have people like some of the above, who instead of looking into the problem from a rational perspective, finds that it is far easier to blame those in our society that are kept around (by institutionalized poverty) just for that purpose. Don’t blame those raking in billions while feeding us crap, blame those who are forced to buy the crap, because it is cheap and fills the belly. Blaming the victim is so much easier than facing the truth and we do it all the time. It is the bed-rock of all Right-wing propaganda, where the simple but incorrect answer always holds sway and business can never do wrong.

By: ohmy

ohmy — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:57:22 +0000

“obesity epidemic cancels out anti-smoking gains.” so if we can stop stuffing our faces and take a 20 minute walk every other day or so, within 5 years health care costs will plummet. Is this so hard to do? Responsibility should apply to ALL facets of one’s life.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Jim when are you going to write about Richardson, or the failing Republican leadership in this state.

DO we have any NEW reservoirs being built ?

By: Atlanta - Fat City

Atlanta - Fat City — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:24:53 +0000

JD,
Nice use of creative Capitals and keen use of grammar. You poor grammar and marginal writing skill show that you are an unedumactaed chubby conservative living in the sidewalk-less Fat City suburbs.
The Skinny President of Fat City

By: dewstarpath

dewstarpath — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:52:35 +0000

- I agree with BULLSEYE and DeeSee. Some of these
blog posters need to check their attitude at the door
before they post.

By: DeeSee

DeeSee — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:26:45 +0000

Yeah, I think the ajc comments should have an “audition” period for commentors. Gawker sites do it, and it really makes the comments section more enjoyable for everyone. Racist and misogynistic comments should not be tolerated.

By: BULLSEYE

BULLSEYE — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:41:12 +0000

JD says: Suburbia=WHITE FOLKS! Good thing Sugarloaf don’t have any dog fighting felons or hookers.

By: DeeSee

DeeSee — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:17:05 +0000

Yeah, the ajc should take a note from Gawker sites and make people “audition” to get the right to post. It really elevates the level of conversation.

By: tjest

tjest — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:19:54 +0000

DeeSee,
It’s pretty tragic. We have a whole generation growing up on this style of interaction. This cult of dogfighting puts kids in jeopardy of not being able to think critically and have a civil dialogue.
People in positions to influence the tone of debate, like Jim, have a higher responsibility that comes with the calling. Too many of those people just live for the rush that comes from watching the melee that ensues when they toss their soundbite bait into the ring.

By: DeeSee

DeeSee — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:58:12 +0000

Tjest,

I’m kind of over the ajc, but like to keep up with Atlanta news. The paper’s getting worse and worse, and written at a level catered to people with a 5th-grade education. I try to have reasonable conversations on here, but it’s pretty difficult. Oy vey.