J
Jetfire
Guest
I agree about water...I can get a 24 pack of bottled water cheaper than a 12 pack of soda...that isn't generic.
Well, you can give as many excuses as you want, the bottom line is, I wouldn't worry unless your standard of living is effected by poor diet and no excerise/Or you live in that part of AZ (or the whole of AZ) where'd you'd fall into that bracket of; fine or diet.
I have no sympathy for those who drink soda and hate water, even if tap water is rank, bottled water 'here' is cheaper than soda.
Actually, a fair number of the ones I know are below the poverty line. I'm not sure that matters, however. To blame a poor person's obesity on their lack or transportation or some other factor but blame another's on their poor choices is inconsistent at best. My point is there are plenty of obese people who can get to the store just fine. Why can't a Medicaid recipient's obesity have the same cause as someone else who isn't a Medicaid recipient? So many of you are eager to remove all responsibility for a Medicaid recipient's obesity from the person and assign all blame to society and you make a lot of assumptions and generalize their conditions based on the conditions of what is likely on only a small fraction to do so. If you want to cure the obesity problem, you need to figure out what the actual cause is, even if that cause is the fault of their own poor decisions. Good luck figuring it out, by the way. There are a lot of people much more knowledgeable about it than anyone here who have studied it for years and they can't nail it down either.If you don't mind my asking, how many of those obese people that you know are existing at or below the poverty line? Because that's who we're talking about when we are considering fining Medicaid beneficiaries for unhealthy eating. If you have the means to get to a supermarket, can pay the extra money for healthy ingredients, have access to a computer or a class to learn how to cook, then that's on you that you're not doing it. And your insurance company (which is collecting monthly premiums from you and/or your employer) doesn't give a rat's behind about it until you end up in (very expensive) ICU with a triple bypass -- until then, they're not fining you.A lot of you are throwing around reasons that take responsibility away from the person--"the grocery store is too far away", "they don't have a car and can't get any decent food", "they don't know how to eat anything but crap", etc. That may be true for some people, but I've never known anyone like that and I've known plenty of obese people. So there may be people with those challenges, but they are certainly the minority. If those are the real reason, or even major contributing factors, there should be a much higher rate of obesity among people who fit those descriptions. Where are those data?
I just don't believe the reasons you all are giving are a factor in any but a small minority of cases. I also don't believe food is the major issue. 50 years ago people ate worse than we do now and there were a lot fewer obese people. We eat a lot more sugar now, but less fat. The main thing, however, is that we're not nearly as active as we used to be. Parents are scared to let their children play unsupervised, so now kids don't roam around doing all the active stuff they used to. They only play with friends when their parents get together and arrange a play date. They only play outside when their parents take them to the park. That doesn't happen often because both parents are working and don't have the time. Their yards are too small to play any real games, so they sit inside and play video games and watch TV. Adults work all day in an office then go home and sit in front of the TV or computer all evening. They might go to the gym a couple hours a week, but that pales in comparison to doing actual physical work. Food is a factor, but I believe changes in activity levels are a much larger factor.
Laying down a rule without examining the obstacles to compliance, or as T'Bonz points out, actually helping people learn how to lose weight is pointless.
I think for some people, there are additional barriers. It's not that it makes it impossible, it just makes it that much harder. I can't eat most fruits and some vegetables, so I really have to try hard to meet certain nutritional requirements. I'm allergic to everything outside (and some things inside), plus I have a really bad back, so my exercise is limited to cardio machines in the gym when I'm not in immense pain.
farmkid, perhaps you shouldn't make assumptions about the people who post on this board and what they know or have studied. Just saying.So many of you are eager to remove all responsibility for a Medicaid recipient's obesity from the person and assign all blame to society and you make a lot of assumptions and generalize their conditions based on the conditions of what is likely on only a small fraction to do so. If you want to cure the obesity problem, you need to figure out what the actual cause is, even if that cause is the fault of their own poor decisions. Good luck figuring it out, by the way. There are a lot of people much more knowledgeable about it than anyone here who have studied it for years and they can't nail it down either.
I have actually, and strangely that was one of the most painful for me! I find that the elliptical is the best for me. Something about the low impact and slight rotation with my torso seems to generally be okay.I think for some people, there are additional barriers. It's not that it makes it impossible, it just makes it that much harder. I can't eat most fruits and some vegetables, so I really have to try hard to meet certain nutritional requirements. I'm allergic to everything outside (and some things inside), plus I have a really bad back, so my exercise is limited to cardio machines in the gym when I'm not in immense pain.
I understand about not being able to eat all fruits and vegetables, though I try.
About the exercise machines...have you had any luck with a recumbent exercise bike? I have a bad back too but that kind of bike seems to work for me.
I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were a scientist studying the issue. It seemed to me everyone here was giving their opinions based on life experience, not their own scientific research. I guess I was wrong in your case.farmkid, perhaps you shouldn't make assumptions about the people who post on this board and what they know or have studied. Just saying.So many of you are eager to remove all responsibility for a Medicaid recipient's obesity from the person and assign all blame to society and you make a lot of assumptions and generalize their conditions based on the conditions of what is likely on only a small fraction to do so. If you want to cure the obesity problem, you need to figure out what the actual cause is, even if that cause is the fault of their own poor decisions. Good luck figuring it out, by the way. There are a lot of people much more knowledgeable about it than anyone here who have studied it for years and they can't nail it down either.
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