The F$$d P$lice are C$ming

[Canadiens1131]

And the biggest problem with North American restaurant food is not even just the calorie count.

The issue is unrealistic portion size. Advertising creates the expectation (for anyone exposed to visual marketing) of what a "normal" service serving size is.

The whole "French diet" isn't much of a mystery if you think about it. They traditionally eat slower and have much smaller portions.

[MrPryck2U]

Originally Posted by PhilsFan

30% of all young people are too fat to join the military?

I keep hearing about all these fat people but I have no clue where they are.

Haven't you heard? Instead of kids saying they're gay to get recruiters to stop bothering them, they just eat fattening foods and tell them they're fat.

[yolland]

^ "You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant" ?

[zuropa_fit]

Originally Posted by the iron horse

The Center for Science in the Public Interest are the same idiots who ruined the taste of movie popcorn
back in the early 1990s.

'Food porn' - Is your favorite restaurant on this list? - wtop.com


I don't know what else to say about this food scare propaganda.

Can I try...It's not the food stupid! It's lack of physical activity!

Moderation in all things?

Originally Posted by Diemen

If they actually were the food police and prohibited people from eating certain food, I could maybe see your point. But I don't think pointing out which foods have obscenely high calorie and fat content is evil food scare propaganda. Seems to be pretty helpful information, to me.

If you're pretty physically active, then a 700 calorie hamburger might not be a big deal. However, if you're not physically active, maybe it would benefit you to know that the pasta carbonara dish you're looking at has 2500 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat.

I'm pretty physically active (work out almost daily and compete in triathlons) and I only eat about 1500 calories per day. Most of those meals are beyond what I consume in an entire day and YES people SHOULD know what they're eating.

Originally Posted by PhilsFan

30% of all young people are too fat to join the military?

I keep hearing about all these fat people but I have no clue where they are.

They're in my neighborhood and at my workplace and in my grocery store.

[yolland]

Recently I worked as an internist-intensivist at the Canadian Combat Surgical Hospital in Kandahar. Most of our casualties were Afghans: National Army soldiers, National Police and civilians caught in crossfire. They were diminutive men, almost always less than 140 pounds. I cannot comment on the body masses of the Taliban—they were never brought to us. But they are not likely larger than those of the soldiers and the police. And because, in war, soldiers are fed first—prospering right up to the moment they are pierced—the civilians were even thinner.

For someone used to the life and the pathologies of the rich and settled, much about practicing medicine in Afghanistan felt unfamiliar. One of the striking differences was the way gunshot victims’ abdomens looked in CT scans. Back home, I was used to seeing organs stand out with some prominence from the abdominal fat. In fact, in Canadians, the state of the kidneys can be partly assessed by the degree of inflammation in the perinephric fat that envelops them. It’s the same with the pancreas, and the liver often looks like it belonged to a French goose fattened for foie gras...Not the Afghans. The surgeons, in fact, often commented on how the abdominal contents spilled out once the abdominal wall was opened; every loop of bowel immediately visible, unobscured by mesenteric fat, which, in Canadians, would cling to every organ like yellow oily cake. Excessive fattiness is precisely why, when caring for the critically ill in North America, glucose levels are tightly controlled with insulin—a procedure necessary even for those not thought to be diabetic. Stressed by the infection, or the operation that has brought us to the intensive care unit, our sugar levels rise, paralyzing our white blood cells and nourishing the bacteria chewing upon them. But it was never necessary to give the Afghans insulin, no matter how shattered they were.

Among North American adults, 40% of us maintain normal glucose levels only by secreting larger than normal quantities of insulin from our pancreas. So we wander in and out of our family doctors’ offices and, if some blood work is done, we are reassured that our glucose levels are normal, that we don’t have diabetes. Mostly, they are and mostly, we don’t. But our bodies are not normal. The Afghans’ bodies are normal. We are so commonly ill we take it to be normal. Here is our normal: 40% of North American adults have metabolic syndrome. The syndrome is caused by being fat, even at levels North Americans would not recognize as abnormal. Obesity prompts the receptors that insulin acts upon to become numb to its effects. As we grow fatter, and insulin resistance proceeds, higher and higher levels of insulin are necessary to get the sugar out of the blood. Eventually, overt diabetes may supervene, as it has for 8% of North American adults, a tenfold increase since the turn of the last century. But even prior to the development of diabetes, metabolic syndrome insidiously eats away at the bodies of those it affects.

Metabolic syndrome’s elevated insulin level is why we order a second Whopper; getting fatter, cruelly, stimulates our appetite. It is also why high blood pressure is more common among Westerners, too, and why our cholesterol panels are more alarming. Ultimately and especially, it is why heart attacks are almost unknown among traditional peoples like the Pashtun, while half of us will spend our last minutes with the impression that a large kitchen appliance is sitting on our chests. Afghans die through causes that are widely considered avoidable—war being chief among those, but also tuberculosis, complications of childbirth, measles, meningococcus and polio. This fact is revealed conclusively by the life expectancy in Afghanistan, the lowest in the world: 39. Westerners are made ill by diseases the Afghans avoid—even among the very elderly, traditional peoples do not suffer cardiovascular disease—while the Afghans perish from diseases we are too rich to tolerate.

It might satisfy certain notions about comeuppance, but there is as yet no scientific reason behind wealth’s relationship with obesity and cardiovascular disease. To start with, it is the poorest Westerners—indigenous peoples, African-Americans, Hispanics—who are the most overweight and most likely to be diabetic. Within any population, the poor always bear the brunt of that population’s most characteristic and lethal pathologies. Much in epidemiology is mysterious, but this is constant.

Around the world, as traditional peoples and societies have been absorbed into the global monoculture, the prevalence of diabetes has exploded. Since 2001, premature death from obesity has exceeded death from malnutrition. The milestone was reached at almost the same time as another: for the first time in history, the number of urbanites exceeds the number of rural dwellers. Canada is an example. For all its magnificent and extensive wilderness, 87% of the population lives in a community with at least ten thousand neighbours. Afghans are at the other end: less than 12% live in cities. No lattes, no internet, no phone, no pool. And no XXXL elastic stretch pants. After wealth and death rates, the biggest difference between Afghanistan and Canada—and the hallmark of the world’s creeping homogeneity—is urbanization.
......................................................
The same process is underway across the Pacific, where the most acculturated islands have the highest rates of obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. In 2001 I worked in Saipan, which is American soil in the Northern Marianas. The indigenous Chamorro, numbering just over 62,000, were in an awful state. The dialysis population, all of whose kidneys had failed due to diabetes, was growing at 18% per year—doubling every three and half years. The miracle of compound interest would have half the population on dialysis within a generation or two. (The other half, presumably, would find thriving careers as nephrologists.)
.......................................................
One of the common pitfalls for clinicians who treat Type 2 diabetes occurs when they prescribe metformin to young women. Metformin decreases insulin resistance, which helps reduce blood sugar. Insulin resistance is also what causes infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as type two diabetes. Often, women thought to be infertile become pregnant after taking metformin. Sometimes, of course, this delights them, but sometimes it does not. Contraception does not normally seem like one of the things diabetes doctors need to emphasize. But obesity commonly underlies infertility in women, just as it also causes the growth of facial hair. And, in men, the growth of breast tissue. Adipose tissue secretes estrogens and insulin resistance increases levels of androgens. Diabetes is overwhelmingly the most common cause of male impotence in the developed world. Men and women are designed to move, and when we do not, our immobility reduces us in every respect. ...

As one of the commenters points out, the editor's subtitle for this article seems to miscontrue why its author references urbanization: because it's associated with and therefore a marker for the emergence of industrialized food systems, not because it's a contributor to obesity in itself. (Or rather, in the modern era, it carries that association--Europe and Asia, at least, include many areas which have been heavily urban for centuries, with their inhabitants having gotten much less exercise than the peasantry for just as long, yet they didn't undergo the dramatic upward spirals in obesity and metabolic syndrome typical of modern urbanization until recently, either.) I'm not arguing that present-day urbanites don't get even less exercise than their forbears; obviously they do, and no doubt that contributes to the problem. But changes in the types of foods available, and the nature of access to them, have also occurred which make it harder for us to maintain intakes appropriate for our activity levels.

[A stor]

Originally Posted by Diemen

If they actually were the food police and prohibited people from eating certain food, I could maybe see your point. But I don't think pointing out which foods have obscenely high calorie and fat content is evil food scare propaganda. Seems to be pretty helpful information, to me.

If you're pretty physically active, then a 700 calorie hamburger might not be a big deal. However, if you're not physically active, maybe it would benefit you to know that the pasta carbonara dish you're looking at has 2500 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat.

I agree and with having blood sugar issues. The food information labels are very helpful for me. I am active, always have been. I've never been obese. But, I need to know about the sugars, simple carbs, unhealthy fats, etc.

That pasta meal listed above would send my blood sugar soaring into a dangerously high range.

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think the "food police" issue is valid as far as the reality that adults can all just ultimately police themselves. Whatever the govt or anyone else does, that is the case and will always be the case.

By the way Mayor Newsom vetoed the Happy Meal toy ban in SF. So things are still happy there, especially since they won the World Series.

[BVS]

Originally Posted by MrsSpringsteen

I think the "food police" issue is valid as far as the reality that adults can all just ultimately police themselves. Whatever the govt or anyone else does, that is the case and will always be the case.

But don't you think having the information helps you "police" yourself?

The general population is fairly clueless when it comes to food, there are people out there that order salads thinking they are "watching their diet" and some of those salads are close to 2000 calories.

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think if people genuinely care about the issue they will educate themselves and no amount of force feeding (no pun intended) will matter unless they do make the conscious decision to genuinely care. There are so many other self-related issues involved. It's emotional and psychological, not just intellectual. Any professional would say the same, I think.

You can lead a horse to water and all those other cliches

And I now know that BMI is a joke after seeing a local news story-according to his BMI Tom Brady is considered to be overweight. He is the thinnest he has ever been, his cheeks are sunken in. And obviously he is a highly conditioned and disciplined athlete, given his career performance so far. Paul Pierce's BMI also makes him overweight.

[A stor]

True, Mrs. Springsteen. BMI charts do not take into consideration of those who are athletic. My Dr. doesn't use one, he relies on the patient's overall health, lifestyle and blood test instead.

I do like to know the caloric intake of foods and other info. It is important for me. Many folks do have blood sugar issues and are doing their best to control it with diet and exercise. I have to closely monitor my carbs and fruitose sugars. I have had glucose problems since my teenage years and certain foods or too many simple carbs are not good. The very reason, I don't eat fast foods and when I do go to a resturant. I always order from the low carbs menu. High blood sugar spikes are not pleasant and are dangerous. In some cases, it can be life threatening.

[A stor]

Originally Posted by BVS

But don't you think having the information helps you "police" yourself?

The general population is fairly clueless when it comes to food, there are people out there that order salads thinking they are "watching their diet" and some of those salads are close to 2000 calories.

I certainly am, when it comes to fast food. There should be information as to calorie intake, carbs, trans fats, sugars and etc. A diabetic make think that a salad would be okay for them to eat. But, 2000 calories in one meal is too much caloric intake. 2000 calories is what should be spread out for us during the entire day. Diabetics can not skip meals and we do have to watch our weight. Lean and mean as my Dr. calls it. I have a weight range limit to stay within that keeps my blood sugars close to normal without meds. For example my best weight is between 135 and 150 pounds. If I go over this, my fasting blood sugar goes up. It may not be a big deal for others, but it is something I have to live with everyday.

Perhaps, fast food resturants should offer info. for diabetics and others who have health issues. Salt is another big one for those with high blood pressure.

[the iron horse]

Doing what I can to fight the food Police


The Truth About Salt

[Jive Turkey]

Has anyone ever recommended getting zero salt in your diet???

[Jive Turkey]

Here's another

Dietary Fat - The Benefits of Dietary Fat

[Jive Turkey]

Here's another. It's a conspiracy!

Sugar - What Are The Nutritional Benefits? by Jason Paris Bespoke Spices

[Jive Turkey]

Holy shit, you guys!

Benefits of Food

[Jive Turkey]

But I thought calories were bad?

Basics of Calories | Health Benefits of Calorie

[Jive Turkey]

[BVS]

No one is calling for a no salt diet.

No one is saying trees don't grow.

Who are you fighting against? Do you even remember?

[BVS]

Originally Posted by the iron horse

I promise. I will not post anymore Food Police links until after the
holidays.

Here's my final one for the year.
Enjoy and remember, moderation in all things

Why does iron horse lie?