Why non-city Americans soo overweight?

I've definitely slowed down a lot as old injuries, joint replacements, scar tissue etc have severely limited how long & when I can work. I've had lots of young volunteers to apprentice so I may have to take one of them up on it.

 

I can't imagine the elbow wear on your job. I planted trees in clearcuts when I was a kid swinging a hoedag ten hours a day and the thought of it still hurts my elbows.

 

So, do I.

Even though I love living in the country and prefer it to city life I like cities. Despite all its problems, I'm still very fond of my hometown of Chicago and I really like New Orleans and Seattle. In fact, I would love to live in the Big Easy but I'm afraid I'd wind up like this guy if I ever moved there:



That happens to be my favorite cook book, too...

 

pics please

 

once again, I stated that Conservatives in the city are also slimmer.

i do lots of camping and hiking and events and i know some of them are NOT Liberals.

 

It's a Giant trance -1. The last bike I'll ever buy so I splurged.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/bikes-trance-advanced

Edit: The only bad part about this bike is the suspension is so good I go waaaaaay too fast on the downhills!

 

Like most manual labor, once you warm up, develop the right technique, stance etc you distribute the wear on your body more evenly. I've cultivated a number of old injuries starting with High School wrestling, football injuries, boxing, jumping out of planes & choppers in the military, 4 motorcycle accidents, multiple bicycle racing accidents & more. Oddly enough my right elbow is fine but most everything else a little creaky in the AM

 

I think a lot of city folks would be surprised at how many rural communities are Democratic strongholds. The area I live in is so blue no Republican or Libertarian bothered to challenge the Democratic incumbent in last Tuesday's election - everyone knows it would have been a complete waste of time and money.

To compound the misperceptions, the term 'conservative' doesn't necessarily translate to Republican, much less politics, out here.

Well, a lot it gets back to what you said earlier - we love our fried food.

On the other hand, when you're able to grow your own food you're able to eat healthier. As with most things in life it's a matter of choice - I'm sure there would be a lot less obesity in the South if people cut back on the fried food and fatty cuts of meat.

 

a visitor from the south

 

folks will attack you for admitting this

 

It's funny how things that are so good for you - sports and recreation - can be so bad for you. I was in the best shape of my life when I was playing football and soccer but running countless miles on the hard pan fields we played and practiced on did a number on my knees. I'm good most of the time and can still hike in the mountains, but if we're making a long descent down a tall peak I can feel how I beat the crap out of the cartilage in my knees when I was younger.

 

football is NOT good for you.

in no way whatsoever.

 

I know the knee pain. Those stupid looking hiking poles really help on steep trails.

 

I can't quite say when I was in my best shape. While I was racing bicycles, I would train about 500 miles a week; ride 100 miles, stop at my favorite bar for dinner, drink 2-3 liters of wine & ride the 15 miles home & do the same thing the next day.

I believe that it was W.C. Fields that said: "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself."
I think I'd do things pretty much the same if I had it to do over again. At least I've got some good stories & lots to be grateful for.

 

Most likely flame bait, but it is the truth. Obesity rates are much higher in rural populations, especially among the 20-40 age group. Lots of reasons: what used to be physical jobs (ex. farming) are becoming less and less so, less access to healthy food (yeah, I know, farming food etc., but most farms are relatively single or few crops. People are not growing what they eat), less access to exercise options (ex. gyms), etc..

 

i think some folks don't realize how easy it is to exercise.

ride a bike. jump rope. jog on a track.

and its also pretty easy to not eat garbage every day.


just cause lots of folks are behaving badly doesn't mean its hard to act differently.

 

Diet is the primary issue, especially processed foods loaded with grains and sugars. They pack a hell of a lot of calories into a small volume, making it easy and very tempting to take in too many calories. Anyone who is struggling with weight should look up what they should actually be taking in on a given day (1600-3000 max, depending on numerous factors, activity level included) and read those food labels and restaurant menus for calorie info. They will likely be surprised at how much they're overdoing it without being aware of the fact. I know I was.

 

It's perfectly OK to eat that "trash." Really it is. You just have to be aware of the caloric content and plan around it. The issue with such "trash" foods is that they are calorie-dense, so it is very easy to overdo it.

 

I have lived in L.A. and NYC. You are right, walking is not the norm in L.A.. However, the people tend to exercise outside more than the average.

 

And yet, life expectancy is higher urban vs. rural (a lot of which, to be fair, due to the accessibility of emergency services)

 

Availability of food is a huge contributor, much more so than the urban vs. rural debate. Simple fact is, we spend less of our income on food than most countries. You go to another country and look at those living in poverty, and they are underweight. In the U.S., no matter how poor you are, you can afford all of the calories you can shovel in. You can get 2 McDoubles and a large Coke (over 1000 calories) for $5.00.