Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?
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@Catogrande said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
I see the problem as being on several levels really. Firstly it should be considered that, in such a short timescale - ie 1-2 generations - our lifestyle habits have changed enormously. In the 50s/60s and even 70s there was a lot more day to day manual labour and exercise. Even the city workers used to do a hell of a lot of walking, plus of course everyone had to take the stairs. These days much less so. Secondly the availability and cost of food has altered dramatically. It is much more plentiful and also much cheaper in real terms. I remember as a kid always being just a little bit hungry - my kids were never in that position. Thirdly and probably the most important factor IMO is the proliferation of processed food. This requires a long shelf life and consequently will be packed with preservatives such as sugar, which in turn get countered by additional salt etc.
This is a great point - I started putting on weight almost immediately after we went to lockdown because with remote work, about 3-4 kms of walking went out of my day. I hadn't realized how much i depended on that for helping me keep my weight down.
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@gt12 said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@Catogrande said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
I see the problem as being on several levels really. Firstly it should be considered that, in such a short timescale - ie 1-2 generations - our lifestyle habits have changed enormously. In the 50s/60s and even 70s there was a lot more day to day manual labour and exercise. Even the city workers used to do a hell of a lot of walking, plus of course everyone had to take the stairs. These days much less so. Secondly the availability and cost of food has altered dramatically. It is much more plentiful and also much cheaper in real terms. I remember as a kid always being just a little bit hungry - my kids were never in that position. Thirdly and probably the most important factor IMO is the proliferation of processed food. This requires a long shelf life and consequently will be packed with preservatives such as sugar, which in turn get countered by additional salt etc.
This is a great point - I started putting on weight almost immediately after we went to lockdown because with remote work, about 3-4 kms of walking went out of my day. I hadn't realized how much i depended on that for helping me keep my weight down.
yeah, spot on. This is where the step counters are actually quite good. I used to get home from work and about 5-7000 steps under my belt plus two small bikes rides. Now, I get to 4pm, and I'll be something like 1500-2000 steps. That's quite a lot to make up. I generally take the dog for a walk in the evening now which helps to offset some, but there's still a large gap.
And I'm not great at cutting down my intake ....
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I should have read the thread!
I call my diet weekday daytime vegetarianism: I don't eat brekkie, have a salad with no meat for lunch, and then feel good about myself when I have a nice steak for dinner
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keeping the eating cycle to x hours a day and not late at night, more in the morning/lunch as said above, and plenty of sleep seems to help. Or so I hear.
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Work is the biggest part of my weight struggles.
In office by 6:45 No breakfast. Couple of rolls for lunch (from sandwich bar)
Get home about 7:00 Grab something out of fridge typically a bit of left over meat. Go for hours walk. (Walking about 90km/week)
Stop in for couple of beers on way home coz FML
Eat about 8:45 Used to be too many take aways (kebab/curry) but now try and have something cooked and reheated
Fall asleep about 9:15 on sofaRinse / Repeat - except fpor 1-2 times / week when I have a teleconf that starts at 11:30 pm
My issue is carbs. Too many potatoes - too much bread - too much beer. Not enough vegetables No fruit
Last 5 years I will lose 12 kgs Jan - May and then gradually put it all back on again over the rest of the year
Been this cycle for about 35 years now
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@dogmeat said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
Work is the biggest part of my weight struggles.
In office by 6:45 No breakfast. Couple of rolls for lunch (from sandwich bar)
Get home about 7:00 Grab something out of fridge typically a bit of left over meat. Go for hours walk. (Walking about 90km/week)
Stop in for couple of beers on way home coz FML
Eat about 8:45 Used to be too many take aways (kebab/curry) but now try and have something cooked and reheated
Fall asleep about 9:15 on sofaRinse / Repeat - except fpor 1-2 times / week when I have a teleconf that starts at 11:30 pm
My issue is carbs. Too many potatoes - too much bread - too much beer. Not enough vegetables No fruit
Last 5 years I will lose 12 kgs Jan - May and then gradually put it all back on again over the rest of the year
Been this cycle for about 35 years now
That amount of walking would help.
Walking and sprinting are my cardio go to’s. Nothing in between like cycling or jogging.
I’m also getting really good at minimising bread and potatoes. Usually Red a Wine instead of beer if possible although I have a massive weakness for craft breweries but even the other half has remarked I’ve been quite restrained on this trip. We’ve bought a whole bunch but will have them over the coming weeks.
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@Godder said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
Excise tax on sugar and fat, spend the money susidising decent food and meals.
Related, families work and commute a lot more than 60 years ago, so have less time to prepare veges etc. That's a macroeconomic issue, but would be something I would personally work on (says the resident leftie).
Have Labour ever seen a problem they couldn't solve by tax?
A tax on sugar is just going to make people poorer, it won't change behaviour. IMO, the better approach is to remove GST on the foods you want to promote (eg Fruit and Vegetables) and educate kids in school (which has been happening in my kid's school)
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I notice the majority of us think exercise plays a large part in losing weight and no doubt it helps. But recently I read some info put out by Dr Jason Fung and his quote "“If I had to guess, diet is 95% of the battle, and exercise is 5% of the battle. The problem is we over-emphasize exercise."
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@Kirwan Surely price sensitivity has some impact on buying decisions? I am all for increasing taxes on fast food etc and using that money to educate people, subsidise fruit & veg and help pay for medical expenses.
I know I refuse to pay $4.80 for a drink at the servo but I am much more likely to buy it when it is $1 at the supermarket. Surely $1 a litre is too cheap for fizzy drinks?
Is education and personal responsibility enough to arrest obesity rates?
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@chimoaus said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@Kirwan Surely price sensitivity has some impact on buying decisions? I am all for increasing taxes on fast food etc and using that money to educate people, subsidise fruit & veg and help pay for medical expenses.
I know I refuse to pay $4.80 for a drink at the servo but I am much more likely to buy it when it is $1 at the supermarket. Surely $1 a litre is too cheap for fizzy drinks?
Is education and personal responsibility enough to arrest obesity rates?
But it will still be a $1 a litre at the supermarket despite the increase
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@Kirwan said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
A tax on sugar is just going to make people poorer, it won't change behaviour. IMO, the better approach is to remove GST on the foods you want to promote (eg Fruit and Vegetables) and educate kids in school (which has been happening in my kid's school)
This is a really hard topic, as it brings out the balance between personal responsibility and the difficulty of that in an obesogenic environment. The balance of where that line of responsibility lies, and what you can do to oppose it varies massively.
In that context, I'm supportive of public health encouragement to reduce population obesity. It's just really really hard to do it in a way that doesn't trample over existing freedoms.
I'm opposed in principle to removing GST from fruit/veg. It complicates what is currently a simple and very effective tax. The issue is how you move a population towards healthier living, and eating better. It's damn hard, particularly when people exercise personal choice to eat what tastes good (fried!) rather than what's good for them.
I am cautious about how you restrict business operations too, both selling fatty foods and/or alcohol. Who gets the advantage of being established and getting to keep operating?
Taxing sugar is also unlikely to change the price of the drinks. Coke is 10g/100ml, so a massive sugar tax won't do much. And where do you stop -- what about butter? Tastes great, but full of saturated fats.
I'm grappling with this as I really don't know what the answer is. Encouragement only gets so far, and we know live in a wealthy society with unlimited calorie access. I know if I drank less beer I'd lose weight ... but there's a question there about whether the tradeoff is worth it
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@chimoaus said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
I notice the majority of us think exercise plays a large part in losing weight and no doubt it helps. But recently I read some info put out by Dr Jason Fung and his quote "“If I had to guess, diet is 95% of the battle, and exercise is 5% of the battle. The problem is we over-emphasize exercise."
I think he has a point. A lot of people think a long walk or workout allows them to then indulge at the bakery. You have to exercise a ton to offset a shitty diet. Thing is that you can also eat alot if it's clean food. This isn't exactly starving myself:
Breakfast: Cup of oats mixed with shake (2 eggs, 2 egg whites, protein powder) + berries.
Morning tea: 2 rice cakes with peanut butter.
Lunch: 1.5 chicken breasts, rice, mustard and almonds.
Afternoon: spinach/kale shake with protein powder
Dinner: Repeat lunch but with salmon, turkey or steak.
Before bed: Protein shake.On Saturdays I eat whatever I want.
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@chimoaus said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
I notice the majority of us think exercise plays a large part in losing weight and no doubt it helps. But recently I read some info put out by Dr Jason Fung and his quote "“If I had to guess, diet is 95% of the battle, and exercise is 5% of the battle. The problem is we over-emphasize exercise."
That's definitely true. One just needs to contrast their energy expended during exercise with the kJ in the diet.
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@MajorRage said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
do you walk 365 days?
Pretty much. I did get obsessive at one stage and went four years without less than 10KM/day even if I was sick but I deliberately broke the cycle. Still only had two weeks in last 2.5 years when I've done less than 65.
However as @Rancid-Schnitzel says it doesn't seem to have much impact - except I am noticeably a shit load fitter.
I have noticed age starting to creep up on me though. A few years ago only runners overtook me. Now I'm often overtaken by other walkers. I used to put in a spurt to retake the lead but now I think fuck it they're 40 years younger than me.
I think my subconscious "rewards" me with the beers. Still its a lot better than getting home and just sitting on the couch. I'm the opposite to you. Winter is a struggle - wet, cold, dark. Have to force myself out. I listen to podcasts and try and unwind.
I do read the TV series thread though and think when do these fluffybunnies find the time
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@Hooroo said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@chimoaus said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@Kirwan Surely price sensitivity has some impact on buying decisions? I am all for increasing taxes on fast food etc and using that money to educate people, subsidise fruit & veg and help pay for medical expenses.
I know I refuse to pay $4.80 for a drink at the servo but I am much more likely to buy it when it is $1 at the supermarket. Surely $1 a litre is too cheap for fizzy drinks?
Is education and personal responsibility enough to arrest obesity rates?
But it will still be a $1 a litre at the supermarket despite the increase
Yep, loss leaders are a thing.
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@dogmeat said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@MajorRage said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
do you walk 365 days?
Pretty much. I did get obsessive at one stage and went four years without less than 10KM/day even if I was sick but I deliberately broke the cycle. Still only had two weeks in last 2.5 years when I've done less than 65.
However as @Rancid-Schnitzel says it doesn't seem to have much impact - except I am noticeably a shit load fitter.
I have noticed age starting to creep up on me though. A few years ago only runners overtook me. Now I'm often overtaken by other walkers. I used to put in a spurt to retake the lead but now I think fuck it they're 40 years younger than me.
I think my subconscious "rewards" me with the beers. Still its a lot better than getting home and just sitting on the couch. I'm the opposite to you. Winter is a struggle - wet, cold, dark. Have to force myself out. I listen to podcasts and try and unwind.
I do read the TV series thread though and think when do these fluffybunnies find the time
I'm less concerned with your walking, I walk every day (usually about 8km a day during week, an minimum of 10 a day on my 3 day weekend) ... but more with how long you work for. You start work before I get up, and I've done my afternoon walk, showered, played PS4, cooked and began eating dinner by the time you get home from work!
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@Kirwan said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@Hooroo said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@chimoaus said in Fighting Obesity - Thoughts?:
@Kirwan Surely price sensitivity has some impact on buying decisions? I am all for increasing taxes on fast food etc and using that money to educate people, subsidise fruit & veg and help pay for medical expenses.
I know I refuse to pay $4.80 for a drink at the servo but I am much more likely to buy it when it is $1 at the supermarket. Surely $1 a litre is too cheap for fizzy drinks?
Is education and personal responsibility enough to arrest obesity rates?
But it will still be a $1 a litre at the supermarket despite the increase
Yep, loss leaders are a thing.
100g sugar + 1 L water + flavouring = a few cents for a litre. Tax ain't going to change it, and there ain't a loss leader.
That, and they brand the hell out of it and sell that shit for $2-$10/litre depending on location and volume. It's a great business to be in; output value >>>> input costs
