Most Albertans overweight or obese: report

[rubecube]

I also wonder what the breakdown is among co-habitating couples and singles. I gained about 10 lbs when I moved in with my girlfriend last year. Then I took off to Europe for six months and dropped 15, and have since gained 15 in the past six months that I've moved back in with her. I imagine once you have kids that it gets even harder to lose and keep weight off.

[nik-]

your girlfriend is killing you

[cDnStealth]

The only "benefit" of being diagnosed with celiac disease is that I get a free pass to turn down all those office sweets/treats. I can't really eat out at fast food places either. It still sucks but I suppose being forced to eat healthier is a positive.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Yep, and God help you if you refuse any of the crap that gets passed around. I think it's even worse if you're someone like me, who's in better shape than most people in the office. If you say no to a donut, you instantly get people rolling their eyes at you and making snide comments about how you don't even need to watch your weight. I think it's the same pattern of cognitive dissonance that makes poor people think that wealthy people who don't spend lavishly are cheap, as opposed to recognizing that part of being wealthy includes controlling your spending.

It usually isn't something small either. The other day someone brought in these bakeshop cupcakes that I am sure were 600 calories a piece and brow beat people who didn't take one.
Buying them was really thoughtful and generous but I heard a few complaints from people who took one just to be polite and then felt bad not eating it.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by nik-

your girlfriend is killing you

The baking, it never ends.

[GP_Matt]

So, as this has got me thinking about healthy food I thought I would turn to CP for a lunch recommendation.

I have to spend the next two hours driving around Edmonton so I will stop somewhere for lunch. What is your go to place for grabbing lunch on the go? I try to hit up a sandwich shop like this place http://lovethedove.ca/ but am open to new ideas.

[darklord700]

I definitely don't see this many people being overweight or obsess in Calgary. The one and only time I was in Texas that was an eye opener in this regard.

[Coach]

I believe it. At this point, I consider myself about 20 lbs overweight by my own standards, mostly put on over the last year and with 15 lbs already shaved off over the last couple months. But know that many people wouldn't consider me as overweight, and I am definitely much better off than a lot of the people around me. Maybe that's just because I've been at my optimal weight and lost control of it a bit. A lot of people probably haven't been at an optimal weight since their late-teens/early 20's (or ever) and just think it's age catching up, or that they've always been heavier and so that's just how they are, but then I see 60 year olds that are in incredible shape and realize there's really no excuse. (obviously there are medical issues for some)

I'm like rubecube, baking is my vice for sure. Muffins, loafs, breads, whatever. If it's around I'm eating it in unhealthy doses. I recognize this and try to keep that stuff out of the house as much as possible. It was a lot easier when I was a student with no money for that stuff.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

So, as this has got me thinking about healthy food I thought I would turn to CP for a lunch recommendation.

I have to spend the next two hours driving around Edmonton so I will stop somewhere for lunch. What is your go to place for grabbing lunch on the go? I try to hit up a sandwich shop like this place http://lovethedove.ca/ but am open to new ideas.

Best advice is probably not to stop. Bring a bag of veggies/fruit to munch on or something. Two hours really shouldn't make or break you energy-wise, especially if you're sitting the whole time.

[CroFlames]

Is this a fat shaming thread? Not sure if we're supposed to be offended.

On second thought, better get offended, just to be safe.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Best advice is probably not to stop. Bring a bag of veggies/fruit to munch on or something. Two hours really shouldn't make or break you energy-wise, especially if you're sitting the whole time.

It isn't the two hour drive, just that it is through lunch and I typically eat lunch daily. Normally I eat leftovers for lunch, but some days, like today, I have no leftovers to eat so I have to pick something up.

I am not really concerned about my weight, but I do prefer to eat healthy foods. I run 60-70 km's a week so I burn off most of the excess calories consumed.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by peter12

I wonder how Albertans stack up comparatively in their consumption of so-called luxury foods; red wine, red meat, CAKES?

Steak and red wine both feature in my diet (steak rather prevalently), it all comes down to knowing what you're eating and how much you're eating in terms of macros.

North America's biggest problem with food is our lack of education on the subject.

GMOs are not poisoning us.
Wheat is not a toxin that is making you fat, and gluten isn't evil (unless you suffer from celiac.)
Fatty foods are not harmful in and of themselves.

It's about how you eat. We just don't understand the caloric density of our meals. We don't understand macronutrients. Restaurants, though they are starting to provide nutritional info about their meals, don't help with the fact that a single meal can deliver 1,100 calories. That is INSANE. That is roughly half of what an average male who exercises minimally will require for the day to maintain a healthy weight.

On average, people are eating more calories than they are expending in a day. You can lose weight on goddamned McDonalds if you keep your intake reasonable-- in fact, you could stay at a 2,000 calorie diet with decent protein intake for ~$12 USD a day in the United States (using value menu items and subbing water for pop).

So when I see this report saying the majority of Albertans are overweight or worse, I believe it (hell, there were some horrendously fat people at Stampede). We don't know #### about eating properly, and a lot of people are too lazy to take the time to learn about it. And because the Canadian food guide is a joke, our children don't get to learn about it either.

And don't get me started on the idiot fat acceptance movement who suggest that you can be fat and healthy - that defies EVERYTHING we know about the human body. That's like saying running your motor at redline constantly is fine because it hasn't blown up yet.

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Is this a fat shaming thread? Not sure if we're supposed to be offended.

On second thought, better get offended, just to be safe.

We shame smokers, being fat is no different. Both are (or require) direct, intentional actions that are often sustained through habit that lead to negative health and interpersonal outcomes. Fat shame is necessary. Yes, you should be ashamed if you've treated the only body you get in this life like a dumpster. Fat shame is why I learned about proper diet and nutrition and lost weight properly. I'm fit as hell now, but it wasn't without realizing no one gets a second chance in this world and you have to just do it.

The trick is to hate your body enough to recognize you need to change, and love yourself enough to realize you're worth the effort. Self-actualization is key.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Steak and red wine both feature in my diet (steak rather prevalently), it all comes down to knowing what you're eating and how much you're eating in terms of macros.

North America's biggest problem with food is our lack of education on the subject.

GMOs are not poisoning us.
Wheat is not a toxin that is making you fat, and gluten isn't evil (unless you suffer from celiac.)
Fatty foods are not harmful in and of themselves.

It's about how you eat. We just don't understand the caloric density of our meals. We don't understand macronutrients. Restaurants, though they are starting to provide nutritional info about their meals, don't help with the fact that a single meal can deliver 1,100 calories. That is INSANE. That is roughly half of what an average male who exercises minimally will require for the day to maintain a healthy weight.

On average, people are eating more calories than they are expending in a day. You can lose weight on goddamned McDonalds if you keep your intake reasonable-- in fact, you could stay at a 2,000 calorie diet with decent protein intake for ~$12 USD a day in the United States (using value menu items and subbing water for pop).

So when I see this report saying the majority of Albertans are overweight or worse, I believe it (hell, there were some horrendously fat people at Stampede). We don't know #### about eating properly, and a lot of people are too lazy to take the time to learn about it. And because the Canadian food guide is a joke, our children don't get to learn about it either.

And don't get me started on the idiot fat acceptance movement who suggest that you can be fat and healthy - that defies EVERYTHING we know about the human body. That's like saying running your motor at redline constantly is fine because it hasn't blown up yet.

Great post. An excellent example would be the French. Their traditional food is absolutely wonderful, contains a lot of dairy fat, consumed with a lot of wine. Their obesity rate has only substantially increased in the last few years. This is mainly due to snacking between meals, and eating in front of the computer.

The reason is that traditional French meals minimize sides, typically resorting to one, either a starch or vegetable, and have good portion control.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Society seems to have shifted to revolve around food.

Absolutely. Most people today order a meal or share a bunch of appetizers whenever they go out for drinks. 25 years go, many bars didn't even serve food. You ate dinner or lunch before you went out. People eat out a lot more these days, and they always eat while they're doing an activity or socializing.

The article did point out that the highest rates of obesity were in Northern Alberta among men over 50. If you parse the data of some of these studies, it becomes apparent that obesity and unhealthy living are not evenly distributed demographically. Rural Canadians tend to be more overweight than urbanites, blue-collar and poor people more overweight than office workers and the highly educated. I work in white-collar R&D, and maybe 1 in 6 people at the office are overweight, and only handful out of a couple hundred are obese. When I worked blue-collar in my 20s, we ate terribly at lunch, and none of the guys got exercise outside of work.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I also wonder what the breakdown is among co-habitating couples and singles. I gained about 10 lbs when I moved in with my girlfriend last year. Then I took off to Europe for six months and dropped 15, and have since gained 15 in the past six months that I've moved back in with her. I imagine once you have kids that it gets even harder to lose and keep weight off.

The only difference with kids is the excuses are easier to come by.....at 43 I weigh 195 lbs, at 23 I was 188 lbs.

Kids don't make ya fat.

[TorqueDog]

And just to add, I think enabling your dependent children to become overweight or obese should qualify as child abuse.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Is this a fat shaming thread? Not sure if we're supposed to be offended.

On second thought, better get offended, just to be safe.

Shut UP Fatty!!!

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

And just to add, I think enabling your dependent children to become overweight or obese should qualify as child abuse.

I don't often see fat kids and skinny fit parents.

[Erick Estrada]

Albertans like their beer and steak.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Albertans like their beer and steak.

Who the #### doesn't like beer and steak?



Dirty Pinko Commies, that's who!!