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301 Comments
- shadus, on 10/12/2007, -11/+113This is mentally retarded, I'm fat presently, about 250 lbs, that's about 50 over what I should be.
I'm not fat because of cheap food, I'm fat because I don't exercise. I'm fat because I don't want to take time to cook and I grab a burger at a burger joint.
Losing weight is CHEAP compared to eating more unless you're trying to do jenny craig or some other pre-made microwave diet.
The problem is, most people are to lazy to cook.
What, it's expensive to walk a mile a day? It's expensive to do some sit ups and push ups at home? Get real, people are just damn lazy and unwilling to spend TIME doing these things. It's NOTHING to do with the cost. - fartingbob, on 10/12/2007, -28/+84I was unaware jogging was so expensive. Oh wait its not, its free. Anybody can get into better shape without paying a cent if they wanted to. You cant claim money has anything to do with it.
- edzieba, on 10/12/2007, -3/+40Eating the same cheap foods you always do, except less of them with some added exercise (walk for a morning on weekends or something. I walk 20 miles a week between campuses, which isn't much) and you'll save money.
The food itself isn't the problem; switching to 'healthier' organic foods won't make you lose weight, you still have to eat less and exercise more. - OrangeCrush, on 10/12/2007, -5/+41Depending on the climate you live in and if you have the yard space, it might be reasonable to grow your own veggies to supplement. Certain things aren't too difficult to grow--tomatoes, leafy greens, carrots. You won't get a full diet out of a garden unless you're willing to invest some serious time in it, but it *is* possible to live frugal *and* healthy . . . it just takes a lot of thought.
- galore, on 10/12/2007, -3/+36Excuses, excuses...
I bet >99% of the people of the USA have 30minutes a day to exercise. Doesn't have to be in the gym. Running doesn't cost anything. - revwolfwood, on 10/12/2007, -29/+56I agree completely. When you look at the foods that cost less, they are the foods packed with sodium and other junk. If you start looking at the healthier alternatives, the prices go up significantly. I never made the connections, lets take food that isn't full of harmful pesticides and make it more expensive. Yes i know they justify it by saying the loss in crops but still.
- TubaTechno, on 10/12/2007, -2/+24Um....buy less food. Go for a walk. That needs MORE money?
- technomom, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23Stir fried rice, lentils, fresh veggies, and tiny bit of cooking oil can go a long way if you try and it's a lot cheaper than McDonalds. And yeah, it can be cheaper than Ramen Noodles and SPAM. For those, you pay more for the packaging than the food.
Bonus points for exercise if you walk to the grocery and back. Shop in the produce aisle and buy dried foods in bulk. In the summer, plant a garden.
We have made cheap junk food all to accessible in this country but that doesn't mean that you can't make a healthy meal on a budget. Yeah, it takes effort. But what doesn't?
JoAnn - sockpuppets, on 10/12/2007, -4/+25I buy all my veggies at the local open-air market- their prices are very competitive and the quality is great. I am amazed at how it adds up, however. It definitely costs more to eat healthier.
- nfulton, on 10/12/2007, -9/+29Yep. Go to the store and actually look at the percentage of the food that is carbohydrate based, the percentages of salt etc. It's about 90% of all the food there. Because its cheap to manufacture and cheap to warehouse and it has a long shelf life. Much of the fruit is imported from countries that still use "illegal" pesticides that we've abandoned, and our meat isn't always the freshest or cleanest. Rich people shop at better stores with better food and they pay for the privilege.
- LetsGoHawks, on 10/12/2007, -10/+29This article is such pure, unadulterated ***** that it would be laughable if the subject weren't so serious.
All these lard asses that surround us every day can afford to eat way too much of all the wrong kinds of food but they can't afford to eat proper (ie smaller) amounts of healthy food?
*****!!
It is 110% possible to eat healthy on a reasonable amount of money. I know because I have done it for years.
The trick is to eat proper sized portions of healthy food. Don't know what that is? Either use that Internet connection your on right now to do some research or head to your local library and check out a book or two.
Go to a grocery store, start looking in people's carts. The amount of junk they pile in there (chips, cookies, soda, ice cream, pre-processed meals) is stunning. Take all that crap out and head for the produce section. Also, eat less meat, that will save you a ton. Most people eat too much of it anyway.
This is just another example of someone trying to find an excuse for failure. It is *****. - zediker, on 10/12/2007, -5/+20not to mention all those great physical problems when your 50 =D
- rugger, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19While a good financial status can certainly help your chances of being healthy, to place any amount of blame for your unhealthy eating habits on it is just stupid.
You say you can't afford a high priced gym membership? Well get off your lazy ass and go for a run followed by some good ole fashion crunches and sit ups. All that costs is a halfway decent pair of shoes, $40 US at the very tops and they will last you at least half a year. If you can't afford $80 a year to stay in shape, maybe you should look into your spending habits.
You say you can't afford any of that high priced "health" food? Stop eating out and buy a cook book. Pack a pb&j and some fruit for lunch. Sure its boring but its very cheap and its also healthy. You don't have to shop at high priced restaurants and organic health stores to eat healthy.
Barring some debilitating disease, placing the blame for being obese anywhere but yourself is just ignorant. - dvddesign, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Get a better paying job man... I did. I set goals for myself, went to the doctor, swore off cheeseburgers, and I saved a few bucks doing so.
Anyone can make excuses, lord only knows I did for a long time...
I cut out the fatty foods, bought a rice steamer (bulk rice is cheap, 20lbs for $6...), switched to buying chicken instead of beef in all cases (beef is a rare treat for me), starting eating a lot better anyway. ground chicken has half the fat of the leanest ground beef and costs $1 less a pound. Buy your own chili kits, and turn a pound of ground chicken into a passable Wolf brand knock off, make your own nachos from mozzerella (low in fat), jalapeno and a good chipotle salsa.
As for the doctor, insurance paid for that. $20 co-pay and a few visits later, I found out a good diet plan, exercise plan, and given sound medical advice on losing weight. Took some of my year end bonus and got a gym membership. I'll turn my 15 lbs weight loss prior to that to much more with a good workout plan.
Walking also helps out too...
THE BIGGEST part of eating healthy is look for not necessarily "healthy/organic" foods, just look for foods that take longer to cook. That's half the organic ***** right there. The processing used to speed up cooking times makes that food less digestable for us. Instant rice stays in you a lot longer than whole grain, and a good bowl of basmati or jasmine whole grain is indistinguishable from minute rice. - ricree, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15"Depending on the climate you live in and if you have the yard space,"
But again, this comes back to the money issue. Except for rural areas, poor people are a lot less likely to have yard space to use for gardening. - jmontes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Yeah, I say shenanigans. FTA:
"Celebrities aren’t wearing size 00’s because they possess more self discipline or willpower than you. They’re wearing those sizes because they can afford a personal chef, fitness trainers and motivational speakers to come over to their houses to babysit 24-7."
People didn't have these things in the 1950's and still didn't have weight problems; and decent food simply is not so much more expensive versus junk food as to excuse this article. - Tony611, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13taco bell destroyed the already-crippled america with the big bell value menu.
- rugger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10@delaen
Yes, buy some whole grain bread, some chunky peanut butter and its certainly not unhealthy. Its high in fiber and protein and as long as you don't go overboard it'll give you a good amount of calories. Keeps you pretty full too. - AndrewJC, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11@jmontes:
They were certainly NOT size zeroes, though. They were a "healthy" weight and they were able to be that because (in my opinion) there was no such thing as High Fructose Corn Syrup. Highly refined foods like Twinkies and white bread were not nearly as commonplace as they are today. They got their food the same way that everybody else did: they had to buy it fresh.
That makes a HUGE difference. - LittleDanzig, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Nobody I know is fat because they're eating the wrong kind of vegetables. They're fat because they're eating too much. Period.
This guy's justification seems to be that fast food is cheaper than buying a salad at a restaurant, which is true. I'm wondering, however, what set of bizarre circumstances left this poor fellow without access to a kitchen or, at the very least, a hot plate. Anybody who thinks eating out daily is economically feasible is doing some fuzzy math, whether you're talking about McDonald's OR Spago's. I have friends who make far more money than me, eat the "cheap" food mentioned in this article on a daily basis, and still struggle for spending cash. Eating out for every meal will run you dry, period. Fast food making you fat is simply not an economic issue -- it's an issue of convenience and, ultimately, the laziness that plenty of us aren't comfortable admitting is part of our personality.
Judging from the comments in this thread, I'm a little bit frightened by the large portion of people who seem to think that eating food that is cooked and served to them by people in uniforms is the only option available. - SchnellFowVay, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14Did me down if you will for my original comment, but I will say that there is always enough time for exercise.
I'm working on two graduate degrees at once (JD/MBA) and I work full time. I work out 4 - 5 times per week and I eat healthy. If you really have the will power, you'll find the time. - jeffiek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Why not get a part-time job? One that entails physical labor. You not only get exercise, you get paid to boot.
- zediker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Thats why im spending part of my next tax rebate on some exercise equipment. So i dont have to make excuses to myself about going to a gym. It'll be there, staring me in the face each morning, which is actualy from what I hear, the best time to work out, so that your metabolism is raised throughout the day. I'll probably go for an eliptical for the cardio and low impact and some free weights on the side once i get down to a target weight. Any other ideas?
- jhshukla, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9no money? eat a little less. duh!
- galore, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10"A $50 a month gym membership? $40 pair of jogging shoes? Sorry. I have an electric bill and rent to pay."
Go to Goodwill for a pair of sneakers, if you can't afford the $19.99 special at Wal*Mart. You can exercise without a gym. Lift rocks and go running.
And you can also save $1 by NOT buying the cheeseburger. Eat an apple instead. Costs less and is healthier. And you will lose weight. - edial, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Being non-American I can say a few things. I live in Holland and we also have the over-weighted problem, but not on the scales of America... yet. However, the future doesn't look to bright because the problem is getting bigger. But you know what? the economy gets better too. The argument really really lacks some valid points like:
The food reason seems the most important factor why people get fat; I am sorry but WHAT do you think all those personal superstar trainers do? make veggies all day? No they make the person WORK out. That's what differs them from the fat people. And you do NOT need a personal trainer to do a 30 minute run every two days. And you know what? it's free too.
Another thing which comes up is that healthy food more expensive than bad food. Being a cook is my work, and I can tell you that in Holland, this is NOT true at ALL. It's very easy to go to the market and get some healthy, very tasty and cheap fruits, there are hundreds, and hundreds of recipes made for this, thousands. Ye it's a LITTLE more work, but it does not cost less time than going to MacDonald's 2 blocks away, wait for your food eat and walk back. It really doesn't. - Doofy, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15Obesity is related to the number of hours spent in front of the TV.
Less TV = less weight.
Now get off your fat ass and do something productive. - Kibf, on 10/12/2007, -18/+26Along with the money factor, there's also a time issue. Most legitimately broke people don't have the time to spend at the gym working out to make up for the lack of healthy food. They're too busy working.
- VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8KidVicious,
Advocating one meal a day is not exactly healthy. - chocolatespoon, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13@ fartingbob
The issue, my friend, is more about WHY Americans are fat, not HOW. Imagine if all the fast food places only sold healthy food. Imagine if unhealthy food cost a fortune while the good stuff was available in abundance, convenience and available very cheap. Without changing anything else in the American lifestyle, I beleive you would see a drop in obesity.
I was raised on ramen noodles and spam because there were a ton of us to feed and that stuff can feed the masses on a tight buget. While my family on the whole is very active and fit, I can very well see the consequenses of putting food quality so very low on the list of priorities. The author makes a good point, however, he does exaggerate the idea that a fortune must be spent to get and stay fit. - dwhitbeck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7At one time in my life we were on food stamps. We bought bulk foods, cooked such things as rice and beans, ate chicken gizzards, bought real peanut butter (not the peanut flavored oleo sold in super markets) and made our own yogurt. Also we grew bean sprouts. We probably ate healthier at this time then at any other point in our lives and certainly more cheaply.
- KevinLiu, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10What a bad excuse. Raw vegetables and a little bit of raw meat are not that expensive, people. Americans aren't fat because they're broke, they're fat because they're stupid and lazy!
- LittleDanzig, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Agreed. This whole article reads like it was written with the expressed purpose of providing a simple and easy justification for those who are just too lazy to change their lifestyle.
- Peebert, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Exercise is free.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7This is utter ***** to put it nicely. I have heard this excuse so many times.
To explain:
1. Tuna, Salmon, Lean Ground Beef, Packs for frozen chicken = all dirt cheap. Cook in bulk, store for later. You really cant get cheaper than Tuna.
2. Bananas? It's around 50 cents for 3 of them. Wow expensive.
3. Frozen vegis are cheap. Store brand canned vegies are even cheaper.
4. Skillet meals? Cheap. Add some frozen broccoli and carrots and you have around 3 meals.
I could go on forever, but fat people only want excuses. Eating healthy is cheap. - LithiumNitrate, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7LoL. buried, but thanks for the laugh cuz this is the funniest thing i've heard in awhile.
BANANAS............. 50 cents a pound
APPLES....................1.00 per pound
APPLE SAUCE..........1.29 per six pack
BEANS......................1.50 per pound
PEARS......................1.00 per pound
CABBAGE................39 cents per pound
BAKED POTATO'S.....2 per dollar
TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD (canned)....1.90 per pound
EGGS.......................1.25 for 12 eggs.
HEAD OF LETTUCE......80 cents
PASTA SAUCE..........99 cents per jar
ORANGES.................2.00 for 4 pound bag
SPAGHETTI...............2.50 for 5 pound bag
POTATOS.................1.50 for 5 pound bag
GRAPEFRUIT............2.50 for 5 pound bag
this is all from a market flyer in my paper today. all are healthy foods & any combination of 3 could easily feed a person for a day (i've left a lot more items out, too). and exercise is 100% free cuz you can stand in place and jog, if it came to that. so shut up all you fat fux and quit making up excuses and quit blaming anything and everyone else for your own pathetic laziness. - CaptShmo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Another part is just market saturation... people are busy, fast food is everywhere. If we saturated the market with healthy alternatives, obesity would drop.
- DAaaMan64, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5How about we lack the will power to save the money and make the time? It takes effort to do these things too.
- ModestJesse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Are they being charged to go outside and walk around the block too? Diet is great and all but Americans are lazy. They'd rather take a miracle pill then actually put forth some effort and exercise to keep in shape.
- erikpemberton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I'd like to summarize the comments for those who are too busy to read them all:
- It's difficult to lose weight
- It's easy to be an Internet *****
Now you can get back to Digging and save yourself some time. - galore, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5"To be poor in America means that you can't afford a bigscreen tv "
No so true. I just spent new years in San Antonio TX, South Side. Economically weak, lots of poverty. But big screen TVs galore! This is an absolute status symbol there and lots of poor people somehow can buy them. - BigCalhoun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5IMO, just another excuse. How about this perspective...
Twenty years ago, when I wasn't even a teenager, my grandparents made me go outside and play. Television viewing was limited to 1 hour on the weekdays. Extracurricular sports were the norm. And video games were a weekend activity when all the friends came over.
Fast forward to 2007....kids don't know what going outside and playing is! Hell, if you ask a kid to go outside, they'll say "where?" Television has become the new babysitter, laziness is an acceptable afterschool activity, and some kids would have a console sewn into their backsides if it were possible.
This coming from a person that lost 70+ lbs after I decided to cut out the Super Sizing, the extra cheeseburger, and chose to excersise once I went outside rather than just to stand around and look gangsta. - gamechic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Maybe its one reason, but sounds like just another excuse.
Americans are lazy, they would rather buy than cook, and drive than walk. 30 mins a day could change anyones life. Many countries have just as much sodium-high, trans fat food items in stores for cheaper than fresh veggies but they're still not as fat as Americans. - sdwilly, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@Rugger
I agree with everything you said, I would add though that if you are going to get into any serious running I would highly suggest swinging by a running store and having them analyze your running style. I've known quite a few people that started running only to give it up because they were wearing the wrong type of shoes for their style.
Also I think most people would be amazed by the weight they could lose if they just gave up Coke (even the diet stuff). I see people all day long drinking their calories. - elinenbe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Has this person ever been to Africa, China, Brazil or any other third world country? People are fat because of one reason -- they are lazy. America is a service society and people don't want to do labor. Running is free. A head of lettuce and potatoes could be the cheapest foods in a supermarket. Cook yourself and try not to fry anything or use oil, cream, cheese, or butter and you'll lose weight quickly. Cut soda out of your diet and drink water -- yes FREE water! Jog 3-4 times a week. This person is fat because THEY spend all time on line!
- jftitan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Coat rack... Clothes hangers, and some flower pots. Thats what my gym turned into after for weeks of looking at it.
- mutatron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5That's crap. I've been poor and I've been kind of rich - kind of rich is fatter. Vegetables don't cost that much per meal if you don't gorge yourself on them, and you don't really need that many vegetables in a meal. A few peas and carrots in your rice will suffice, and rice is very cheap. Pasta is even cheaper in most cases.
The other day I bought some kind of steak for about $4.50, had three meals off of that because I didn't pig out and eat the whole thing at once, which a lot of people would have done because it was only about 2/3 lb. I cooked it with an onion and mushrooms, then had some boiled fresh green beans on the side and some rice. Probably cost me $2.00 per meal and took me less than 30 minutes to make, including preparation.
I'm making good money now, so I usually eat out for lunch. It's almost always more than I need, but I paid $6 to $8 bucks for it so I'm going to eat it all. If I were poorer, I'd be bringing a smaller meal and eating lunch for probably less than $2.00/day.
I do work out a lot, doing martial arts. I pay for that, but if I couldn't pay I'd just do it at home, continuing with what I've learned. Martial arts is a good thing to learn because there are so many interesting workouts you can do within a small area. If you're poor, you can't pay for stuff like that, but there's always the Y, they'll teach you stuff for cheap. - SchnellFowVay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5This article comes close, but completely misses the mark.
It is VERY true that Income level affects levels of obesity - but the causal effect is what this author misses.
What is left out is that most people CAN eat healthy on a low budget. In the same price range as McDonalds is Subway. Similarly, that same $3.00 can easily buy you an Orange and a bowl of soup. Or a small chef-salad from a grocer.
You don't NEED smoked Salmon to eat healthy. You don't NEED to spend $30/day for food to be healthy.
The causal correlation that involves money here is EDUCATION. Poorer Americans are less educated. Many don't KNOw that eating the $3 Subway meal is that much better for them than eating the $3 McDonald's meal. That, or they don't care. THey don't care because they haven't been educated as to the importance of being healthy.
Moreover, you don;'t need a personal trainer to stay fit. You need some will power and nice, large kick in the ass. - lysdexic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5This guy spends $45 a day on food? I spend less money on food when I eat healthy, because I only buy what I need to fuel my body. I don't buy all the extra crap to keep my sugar rush going 24/7. I spend, at Whole Foods no less, $100 a week when I'm eating healthy. And, I always have extra food that carries over to the next week.
- MrVandemar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Must be nice being able to spend $90 a day on "healthy" food (thats $2700 on the average month). I'm sorry, but the amount you spend on food has nothing to do with weight loss. You can eat Ramen all day, do nothing, and gain weight. Or you can eat Ramen all day, walk two miles a day, and loose weight. I know, I've done both. But I will say this, I've never made a salad that cost me $30, what is this person considering as fixings? Lobster Tail?
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