I kid you not, but the picture below was actually in the Reuters story. People are always bad mouthing Mississippi as the land of dumb Bubbas, racists and NASCAR fans. Well, no one can take this record away from them. They are the most obese state for the 7th consecutive year. That ain’t easy in the land of the fat and home of chocolate covered bacon.
It looks like Michele Obama’s War on Obesity is working out about as well as our War on Drugs, War on Terrorism and War on Delusion. I bet if we just spent an additional $2 trillion we could force people to not be fat. We could call it a de-stimulus plan. Why is the country becoming morbidly obese? Here are my guesses. Maybe you have a few:
- Our addiction to our technological gadgets has created two generations of Americans who sit in their houses playing electronic games, watching 52 inch TVs, texting, blogging, cruising the internet, emailing, and blathering on the internet about why we’re obese.
- Parents are so fearful of boogey men that they don’t let their kids leave the house. No bike riding, no walking around town, no pickup basketball games down the block, no hide and seek, no kick the can, no touch football games in the street, and no unscheduled activity where kids just play outside.
- The corporate food industry is killing us with their processed foods. Corporations have used all of Edward Bernays’ propaganda techniques to brainwash Americans into desiring junk food. They use advertising and the media to convince kids they must have certain cereals, junk food, sports drinks, etc. They call things diet, and studies show people who drink the diet drinks are even more obese.
The government can’t legislate that people can’t be fat. But any rational healthcare idea should punish those who choose to become obese by making them pay more for their healthcare. Today, the do gooders think they can take your money and create government programs to make people healthy. Total bullshit. The healthy thin people have to pay their taxes so the fat ass section 8 lady next door can sit on her ass all day watching TV and declaring herself disabled.
Mississippi most obese state, Colorado least
A competitor stands before judges at a casting call for the second season of the reality television programme ”Dance Your Ass Off”, during which overweight or obese contestants hope to lose weight by dancing, in New York, December 18, 2009.
Credit: Reuters/Finbarr O’Reilly
LOS ANGELES | Thu Jul 7, 2011 11:42am EDT
(Reuters) – The number of obese U.S. adults rose in 16 states in the last year, helping to push obesity rates in a dozen states above 30 percent, according to a report released on Thursday.
By that measure, Mississippi is the fattest state in the union with an adult obesity rate of 34.4 percent. Colorado is the least obese — with a rate of 19.8 percent — and the only state with an adult obesity rate below 20 percent, according to “F as in Fat,” an annual report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
While the number of states showing significant year-over-year increases in obesity has been slowing, no state chalked up an actual decline. Even Colorado does not win high marks — its score means one in five state residents is at higher risk for conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
“Today, the state with the lowest adult obesity rate would have had the highest rate in 1995,” said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health.
Four years ago, only one U.S. state had an adult obesity rate above 30 percent, according to the report, which defines adult obesity as a having a body mass index — a weight-to-height ratio — of 30 or more.
Over the last two decades, people in the United States have been eating less nutritious food and more of it. At the same time, activity levels have fallen, Levi said.
“If we’re going to reverse the obesity trends, willpower alone won’t do it. We’re going to have to make healthier choices easier for Americans,” Levi said.
Public health experts around the world have raised the alarm about exploding rates of obesity — particularly among children — and many are promoting efforts to encourage exercise and easier access to affordable, healthy food.
In the United States — where two-thirds of adults and nearly one-third of children are obese or overweight — the obesity epidemic is sending healthcare costs higher and threatening everything from worker productivity to military recruitment.
Some groups say such behavioral initiatives are not enough, arguing that food manufacturers and restaurant chains need limits on how they market to children.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a U.S. consumer group, last year sued McDonald’s Corp to stop the world’s largest hamburger chain from using Happy Meal toys to lure children into its restaurants. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics — a group of U.S. pediatricians — called for a ban on junk food ads aimed at children.
The food industry — which has significantly increased portion sizes in restaurants and packaged foods like sugar-sweetened beverages over the last 20 years — is fighting regulation efforts and has adopted the mantra of “personal responsibility.”
To that end, food and beverage companies say consumers have the right to choose what they eat and should balance their caloric intake with activity.
The report released on Thursday showed that over the past 15 years, seven states have doubled their rate of obesity and 10 states have doubled their rate of diabetes.
Since 1995, obesity rates have risen fastest in Oklahoma, Alabama and Tennessee, while Colorado, Connecticut and Washington, D.C., had the slowest increases.
Adults from racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as those with less education and lower incomes, continue to have the highest overall obesity rates.
Colma Rising says:
SNAP cards accepted at fast food joints.
Gimme some Lakeisha.
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8th July 2011 at 10:21 pm
Kill Bill says:
Because back boobs are the new fad.
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8th July 2011 at 10:36 pm
Punk in Drublic says:
“no kick the can”
This is actually something that we do all the time. We are very good at kick the can.
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8th July 2011 at 10:48 pm
Punk in Drublic says:
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8th July 2011 at 10:54 pm
Anonymous says:
The BMI index is bullshit. BMI has nothing to do with a persons health other then as a general indicator. More hype and hysteria by the msm probably to pass through more rules to push people down. As long as everyone is infighting the show can go on!!
Long live Canada!
P.S. I don’t live in Canada. Most times I agree with stuck but the anti canada thing kinda “stuck” in my craw. Think I’ll change my name to the GoldenTool soon.
Ooo ya was that black boobs or back boobs I get confused.
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8th July 2011 at 12:23 am
Buckhed says:
I love the over weight,outta’ shape folks. They make me feel good when I go to the beach….52 years old yesterday….9% body fat…and a 6 pack. I work my ass off for it by going to the gym 4 days a week.
This is the part of socialized medicine that kills me. Fat Asses will get health care and bleed the system dry while men and women like me will be forced to subsidize their health care. If this goes through then the bigger your risk is the more you should pay.
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8th July 2011 at 12:48 am
Colma Rising says:
Anon: Canadians are bloodthirsty warmongers.
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8th July 2011 at 12:55 am
Administrator says:
The google ads on my screen are:
Bariatric Surgery
Obesity Prevention Org.
Gastric Sleeve
Nutrisystem
No ads for taking a long walk and eating an apple.
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8th July 2011 at 7:38 am
Dave says:
Notice that most of the top ten obese states are in the south(we’re #7). It’s hot here and we can’t go out and exercise and we don’t have fancy restaurants like y’all have up north. We are limited to Popeyes, Chick-filet and Zaxby’s.
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8th July 2011 at 10:11 am
StuckInNJ says:
Mississippi is also the most religious state according to Gallup.
This proves that prayer does not work. For I am sure these people are saying stuff like, “Dear Lawd, bless dis food to our bodies in Jeezuss name, amen.” Unless one considers a fat ass a blessing.
Or, Jeezus is blessing them with an early heart-attack so these fatfuks can be with Him in heaven … where I’m sure their new glorrry-fried body will be all slim and trim. Right?
.
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8th July 2011 at 11:12 am
AwholeDr says:
I grew up in Colorado, hence my disdain and disgust for fatties.
Stuck:
Sloth and gluttony are 2 of the 7 deadly sins, i.e. ending in death. Stuffing your face with biscuits and gravy and fried chicken results in death. I have a guy in the hospital now, he weighs 350 pounds and is barely 5 feet tall. He’s so fat he can’t breath anymore. He will be dead before Christmas and he’s only 52 years old. He likes McShits burgers, and he brags about being able to eat 5 double cheeseburgers at once. He’s a real American.
Buckhead:
Good job dude. I go to the gym 3 times a week, epic 2 hour work outs (at age 47). About 10% body fat, and intense mountain bike rides all summer. It’s never too late to start (Jimbo are you listening?) I am forced to treat the obese AND subsidize them. Health insurance premiums should be based on weight.
I wish I could rant on this topic more, but I’m taking my girls to the swimming pool. I love summer, and can’t wait to see all the people of Wal Mart at the pool, boys with titties, back boobs, bowling ball paniculi,
At least the lifeguards are hot:
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8th July 2011 at 12:19 pm
Muck About says:
I think we should allow anyone who wants to die young to do so. Add fast food and processed food to Darwins’ solution and reduce the population by leaps and bounds. Anyone not smart enough to connect fat food with a fat body deserves exactly what they get.
@SSS – should we have a “War on Overeating”? Maybe a “War on Fat” with a new Federal Agency called BBPA – “Back Boobs Prevention Agency”? That’d make as much sense as our current war on drugs.
I say let’s have a far die-off and good riddance to ‘em – most are members of the FSA anyhow I suspect.
(PS: I weigh in at exactly what I weighed in High School – but I’m in better shape and still work out (more gently) every day. You “medical professionals” aught to do it by default – but I see a lot of chubby medical types waddling around our local deathpital.)
MA
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8th July 2011 at 2:12 pm
Colma Rising says:
Dave: Do some jumping-jacks and burpies inside.
Awhole: Admin is on the right track. He bicycles, walks and is eating alright… relatively. He ran the 30 blocks like a champ.
What’s funny is that just a little sweat elevates the mood dramatically… it’s not that hard. You don’t have to run a marathon. If you’re fat, do little “push-ups” off a wall. Lift a little weight. When you’re out of shape, a little bit that makes you break a sweat IS good. Little walks… it has to start somewhere. Increasing the metabolism works wonders.
The hopelessness that accompanies my fat friends is saddening. I was a chunky kid. People are evil in their insults… it is a viscious cycle that CAN be transmuted.
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8th July 2011 at 2:16 pm
bluestem says:
Life guards have plastic boobs so they will float as they swim out to save ya!!!!!!!!!!! John
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8th July 2011 at 4:50 pm
Dave says:
Stuck….Ever been in the deep south? There’s a fucking church on every corner of every little burg. Do you know how much tax free income that is? Everybody and his family is a pastor or reverend here. That’s why most of them don’t work but still get welfare and SNAP cards.
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8th July 2011 at 5:24 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
That religious poll is fascinating. It’s like there are two different countries. I wonder if income level correlates to importance of religion.
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8th July 2011 at 5:34 pm
ragman says:
Buckhead: nobody really gives a shit what you look like. Just keep working to pay my Social, Medicare, and PBGC.
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8th July 2011 at 6:06 pm
Buckhed says:
Ragman….give me your address and I’ll pay for your membership to the Hemlock Society .
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8th July 2011 at 6:22 pm
StuckInNJ says:
Dave
I have lived in Fort Wayne, IN and Holland, MI.
If you go to wiki and search for “City of Churches” you will find both cities listed.
So, I do have an idea what it’s like to live in a place where there’s a church on every corner.
And, I didn’t like it.
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8th July 2011 at 9:14 pm
StuckInNJ says:
Jim — here’s a chart of income vs religion
Data is from this site; http://pewforum.org/
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8th July 2011 at 9:16 pm
StuckInNJ says:
Also …
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8th July 2011 at 9:18 pm
Administrator says:
Stuck
I’m going to become a Hindu.
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8th July 2011 at 9:56 pm
Opinionated Bloviator says:
When medicare collapses into insolvency along with the rest of the Free Shit America state there will be a radical overhaul of the health system…
If you need medical treatment because your obese and shovel McCrap into your gob, the treatment will be garden salad and exercise or death… fat, slovenly broke people will get NOTHING as health care will be reserved only for those with money…
Ten years from now being fat will carry the same social stigma as being a pedophile…
If your not a millionaire by now stay thin and strong, it will be the only way you will survive what’s coming…
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8th July 2011 at 10:06 pm
howard in nyc says:
add this to the mix. most doctors advise patients who need to drop weight or lower cholesterol to eat less meat. more pasta and bread.
patient comes back fatter or with higher cholesterol, and they get a prescription for lipitor.
pasta and bread and especifuckinly high fructose corn syrup raises cholesterol. and kids, next time you are at the store, just for fun look at how many brands of bread and spagetti sauce have HFCS as an ingredient.
most doctors tell their patients the exact opposite thing to do.
most doctors in the usa have no clue the basic biochemistry of HFCS in the human liver.
and it is not an accident my profession is so ignorant of these basic facts.
but don’t get me started. you’ll be sorry. you’ll also be thinner and healthier, but you’ll have to change most of your thinking about so-called food.
http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2010/03/3222/ucsf-lecture-sugar-and-obesity-goes-viral-experts-confront-health-cri
http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2007/07/7275/ucsfs-lustig-discusses-role-fructose-pediatric-obesity
(for hope–yeah, those arrogant fucks up on parnassus heights in the city sure are fucking annoying, and most of them aren’t half the doctor those of us educated on the farm turned out to be. but sometimes, they get it right. lustig will be hailed as a hero someday, if there is any justice and if our country can manage to figure out most of what we eat is literal poison.)
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8th July 2011 at 6:16 pm
Colma Rising says:
Yeah, Howie… some resident at Parnassus wanted to remove a friend’s appendix when she had IBD..
They also got busted putting dollar donors in front of the wait lists… IRS said that made it a service, not a donation.
Plus Davis has the Whole Earth Festival… is Murder Burger still there?
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8th July 2011 at 6:28 pm
howard in nyc says:
murder burger. well, kinda still there.
the person who owned the small chain (3 or 4 restaurants, sac, auburn, something like that) sold it. whoever operated the davis one either bought it, or was a minority partner who kept the restaurant. but the ‘Murder Burger’ name was sold. and the new owner would not let the dude in davis use it, even for a fee.
they had to change the name. wanted something similar, as they had built quite a brand, but also wanted to avoid a lawsuit and not use something too similar.
they had a contest. i’m not sure the contest was even completed, because one entry was clearly superior, and was the instant winner.
“REDRUM BURGER”
just as fucking good. even with in n out across the street. fresh peach milkshake in the davis summer–yum.
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8th July 2011 at 7:13 pm
Colma Rising says:
Awesome. I remember some tales of trouble… just haven’t made my way out there for a while. Redrum burger it is! Perfect. Do you remember the band “Lawsuit”? Ska-ish late 80′s early 90′s out of Davis…
Anyhow, back on point…
Iran’s neighbors don’t care for the Persians. The Baath party… Saddam’s socialism which is still strong in Syria, of the Sunni persuasion, seems to have it in for the Persians. The region is a mess, with the hatred for Western Powers being the only common thread of unity.
That’s the danger of an abrupt pull-out. We make friends with the enemy of our enemy and cut out, historically (refer to Marky Mark and Ice Cube in 3 Kings). When this happens, we end up with a unified hatred and distrust. If we just HAVE to divide and conquer, I think the overlooking of this fact has shot the PTB’s in the short-sighted foot…
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8th July 2011 at 7:32 pm
Colma Rising says:
Dam I miss a cold beer at 3 am on a hot valley night…
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8th July 2011 at 7:33 pm