[Speed Gibson,
Sunday September 3, 2006 at 12:56pm]
Girth and Poverty
Anti-Strib got there first, fisking Saturday's lead editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Read the comments, too.
In "Connecting the dots: obesity & poverty" the Strib lays out the facts quite well, even if it does sound a bit demeaning to the those it wants to help. That there is a correlation between poverty and obesity is undeniable. The explanations they give that support the next level - causation - are plausible. But before considering their recommendations, a clarification is needed.
Just because it's healthy doesn't mean you can't gain weight eating it. Take breakfast cereals like Cheerios, a very healthy choice. Even the sugared versions aren't that bad. But if you eat a box at a time in front of the TV, you're eating the equivalent of several Big Mac's. Conversely, a Snickers bar for an after school snack can be a great choice even if it is high-fat candy.
The word "affordable" stands out, a common adjective found in many liberal complaints. Money is a factor, but without other restraint, the doughnuts and ice cream will always win out over the fresh fish and vegetable soup. There are healthy and unhealthy choices at every price point. All other things being equal, you could send everyone to Whole Foods with unlimited funds and still see similar patterns of buying and eating.
Besides taste, there is also the matter of convenience. Many of the unhealthy items are ready to eat, like cookies, snack chips, and dips. Deli burritos need only a microwave zap, and frozen pizza a few minutes in the oven at home. You have to work a little harder to eat healthy. Vegetables usually need to be cleaned, peeled, chopped, then steamed, boiled, or sauteed, for example.
Several actions are proposed by the Strib:
Let me speak as one who has been overweight from childhood, and gone on many diets as an adult of 57 years. As you may have read in earlier posts, I am dieting once again, this time using Weight Watchers, with unprecented success. I have lost 60 pounds in less than 20 weeks. As Nick Coleman would say, I know stuff in this area, more than the Strib Editorial board I dare say.
And I dare say that such actions are largely borne of sophistry. Being overweight is a general problem, in America and around the world. Yes, it is overrepresented in certain groups, but even if that went away, the overall problem remains. Ice cream is beloved by all.
At its core, however, the questions of being fit or fat (not necessarily the same thing) are personal. Each of us has our own life story, of likes and dislikes, challenges and opportunities. Where weight figures in is a matter of personal choice. You can preach all you want, but if the preachee (maybe yourself) isn't ready to lose weight, isn't ready to make it a higher priority than the other factors working against it, nothing much will happen.
I know. And I also know that the level of government force required to impose such change is unthinkable.
In "Connecting the dots: obesity & poverty" the Strib lays out the facts quite well, even if it does sound a bit demeaning to the those it wants to help. That there is a correlation between poverty and obesity is undeniable. The explanations they give that support the next level - causation - are plausible. But before considering their recommendations, a clarification is needed.
Lower-income areas have fewer stores with healthy, affordable food choices, so families tend to fill up on cheap, high-calorie items.As Anti-Strib commenters noted, big stores like Cub carry pretty much the same assortment of goods regardless of location. And in my travels, convenience stores don't vary by all that much, either. They all carry a considerable number of healthy items.
Just because it's healthy doesn't mean you can't gain weight eating it. Take breakfast cereals like Cheerios, a very healthy choice. Even the sugared versions aren't that bad. But if you eat a box at a time in front of the TV, you're eating the equivalent of several Big Mac's. Conversely, a Snickers bar for an after school snack can be a great choice even if it is high-fat candy.
The word "affordable" stands out, a common adjective found in many liberal complaints. Money is a factor, but without other restraint, the doughnuts and ice cream will always win out over the fresh fish and vegetable soup. There are healthy and unhealthy choices at every price point. All other things being equal, you could send everyone to Whole Foods with unlimited funds and still see similar patterns of buying and eating.
Besides taste, there is also the matter of convenience. Many of the unhealthy items are ready to eat, like cookies, snack chips, and dips. Deli burritos need only a microwave zap, and frozen pizza a few minutes in the oven at home. You have to work a little harder to eat healthy. Vegetables usually need to be cleaned, peeled, chopped, then steamed, boiled, or sauteed, for example.
Several actions are proposed by the Strib:
- Create "culture-based, well-supported education campaigns"
- Make "environmental changes to support healthy living" [I have no idea what this means. --SG]
- Saturate low-income areas with "healthier foods at better prices"
- Require, at least initially, public subsidies and "close government collaboration with the private sector"
Let me speak as one who has been overweight from childhood, and gone on many diets as an adult of 57 years. As you may have read in earlier posts, I am dieting once again, this time using Weight Watchers, with unprecented success. I have lost 60 pounds in less than 20 weeks. As Nick Coleman would say, I know stuff in this area, more than the Strib Editorial board I dare say.
And I dare say that such actions are largely borne of sophistry. Being overweight is a general problem, in America and around the world. Yes, it is overrepresented in certain groups, but even if that went away, the overall problem remains. Ice cream is beloved by all.
At its core, however, the questions of being fit or fat (not necessarily the same thing) are personal. Each of us has our own life story, of likes and dislikes, challenges and opportunities. Where weight figures in is a matter of personal choice. You can preach all you want, but if the preachee (maybe yourself) isn't ready to lose weight, isn't ready to make it a higher priority than the other factors working against it, nothing much will happen.
I know. And I also know that the level of government force required to impose such change is unthinkable.