Weight. Hmmm. You SHOULD do this...you SHOULD do that.....wakey wakey. Most people aren't quite as intellectually privileged as some of 'us' on here. I'm not one for long-winded lecturing, so I'll not bother. A great number of people don't have the time, energy or wherewithal to fanny around checking food labels or reading up on additives, palm oil, ultra-processed foods etc. Or traipsing around 'very good' butchers or 'very good' fishmongers, or 'very good' local markets. They just need to put quick grub on the table that fills their families bellies. Preferably cheaply. I'm having fish, chips, peas and pickled onions for tea tonight. I don't want to live forever. I might go mad and have a few slices of white bread and butter too.
I was cornered by the chuggers on my way out of Morrisons last week, it was for alzheimer's and I was told it had overtaken cancer as the one problem most people die with. I just said well things always will overtake others, as people live longer and they find cures others take over. Not saying you want to die early but you cant cheat the reaper.
You don't have to read labels if you cook from scratch @Tinkerton and foods like wholemeal pasta, wholegrain rice and pulses will make cheap, nutritious, tasty foods with the addition of basic veg like onions, carrots, tomatoes and some spices. Like I said earlier, it's all about knowing what is nutritious and how to cook to make it tasty and keep it healthy. Doesn't have to cost a fortune or take loads of time when it comes from a base of knowledge which everyone should and can learn in school, tho I'e learned form books, TV and the net because I wanted to know about nutrition and avoiding disease and decrepitude. BBC Food and Good food regularly run articles and collections of recipes to promote health and they include budget options so easily accessible info is out there. @redstar I also said early on that most obesity is self-inflicted, not all. Of course there are cases where genes or other conditions affect digestion and absorption of nutrients but they are a teeny minority. For the vast majority it's about over indulgence combined with ignorance and, I suspect in the USA, about all those sodas, excess portion sizes and nutritionally valueless processed foods full of chemicals that are not allowed in the EU where governments actually care about public health. I don't want to live forever but I do want to live well and I want my husband to be around to share my life as long as possible so we eat healthily, don't drink to excess, are in a safe BMI range and have no problems with heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes, cancers (so far) and all the other 1st world killers that shorten lives. Our diet includes a wide range of food, some steamed, some fried, some baked, some raosted, some grilled and tasty but balanced and we get moderate exercise from dancing and gardening and he plays golf without a buggy.
Also not many have access or the money for these. I go into Totnes for meat, cheese and often veg as well as Paignton has one "good butcher" no cheese shop and no good greengrocers, if you want vapes it's the other way round. Neither have a good fishmonger, there were three when I moved here in 97; there is a van at Totnes market, but you have to be in the queue before it arrives to get the best.
A few years ago I had a workmate who was the healthiest looking person I know, his lunch box always contained healthy stuff, lots of fruit and veg. He was never overweight and was active. He died a few years ago of pancreatic cancer. We were all shocked.
repeating the paragraph, you sited with my name on it, I addressed that paragraph. and at the end you can see you said NOT GENES. And I again disagree with that. Moving on.
As ever @redstar, you read and quote what suits your agenda and ignore the rest. I initially said, "Obesity is, with very few exceptions, a disease of malnutrition" and that statement allows for a few genetic problems such as you mentioned.
Unfortunately some people are better at some things than others, there are things i've always been able to do, but some cant or dont. We are not all the same and have different interests. Cooking has never been something I've ever been good at, I cook to live I don't live to cook, it's as simple as that.
The problem is that we are probably now entering the 2nd generation who haven't a clue how to cook anything. They live on takeaways of one kind or another, but they aren't necessarily cheaper than decent home cooked food. Fish and chips for 2 people from our local chippy is well over £15. That is enough to make at least 2 decent meals if you cook for yourself. Many aren't even getting their own takeaways. They are having them delivered so getting even less exercise. Is it any surprise obesity is on the rapid increase. I know one kid of about 13 who will barely eat anything other than chicken nuggets, because that's virtually all his mother 'cooked' for him when he was growing up.
I count myself lucky that both my sons can cook and several of my grandchildren like to dabble with various dishes. None of us are "foodies" but there's rarely take out food on the menu. Besides, take out is expensive! I eat a lot of sweets. And I have no intentions of giving them up. I'll cut down a little to drop a few pounds when needed. I think gardening is one of the best things you can do to keep healthy.
I'm working on cutting out the bad things, like my evening choc ice and occasional piece of chocolate and now eat a few nuts when feeling like I want a treat. I really like cooking so cook almost everything from scratch so avoid takeaways (fish and chips once a month) but we eat out about once a week (nothing too naughty). I confess that I was naughty on Sunday as we had a charity afternoon tea in our garden and I ate three pieces of very light cake - baked by a friend who makes wonderful cakes. In the last two weeks I have lost 6lb and dropped my BMI from 27.3 to 26.4 and are feeling a bit smug about it
I haven't weighed myself for over 40 yrs, but according to M&S sizing, I am a whole lot slimmer than I used to be.
