About Fat-Related Posts and the "War on Fat"

[Jennie]

Seems like the point being made is that by focusing so much on Fat, we create yet another category of "them" to distance from "us". This may be a natural sociological tendency; if every social group were wide open to influence by every other social group, we'd lose the distinctiveness that makes us feel we belong somewhere.

But pushing someone else out is, to my view, the wrong way establish my own sense of belonging. By focusing on someone's traits that are different from my own, I'm electing to dissociate myself from him or her. When I characterize someone as Fat, or Male, or Redneck, or Punk, or whatever, I'm already shutting the door on some of the ways we could connect.

And here I'll admit something I'm not proud of. Even though I try not to give it any air time, I have an internal labeling system that automatically lumps people into these categories. If I had two seconds to describe a person, the first word in my head is often one of these: heavy (I've trained myself not to think "fat"), old, black, balding, skinny, freckled, short--all kinds of physical characteristics which are indeed part of a description but which don't begin to define the person.

What is it that makes me uncomfortable enough around these differences that I focus on not focusing on them? If I could just delay my perception of people until we'd become friends!

I admit that around people who have distinct physical differences from me, I can be distracted by their "packaging." This includes folks who are morbidly obese, or smokers, or users of heavy makeup, or amputees, or those who are scantily clad. Although only in the case of the smoker would I bring up the obvious, it doesn't mean it's not present in my interaction with that person. I'd like to turn this off, but I'm not terribly successful.

Jennie

[Miwokhill]

It's not just food people are overdoing it with. This past christmas I saw a friend spend alot of money on her grandhildren, not just at christmas itself but every time she or they went out shopping. Sometimes when they got home with a new spiderman action figure the kid would throw the toy on the floor and be looking at the back of the box at other spidey-figures he would want next time they went out. Then at christmas there was so much stuff there was no enjoyment or appreciation of any of it because it wasn't special.

I don't think anyone can deny there isn't a problem with people being overweight in america. I think it's a little funny that the reaction is 'quit picking on me'. It's probably human nature that people are going to be somewhat repulsed by obesity. It may not be fair but I don't think you're going to be able to change that. What are you saying, don't look at me like that, don't think what you're thinking. Some people can't help being fat and it's sad that people will make fun of them but most people are overweight because of gluttony, weather it's from super sizing it at o'donalds or from drinking sodas like they were glasses of water. No matter what you say 3500 calories equals one pound. The best diet people could get on is to take their dinner, cut it in half and save that half for tomorrow.

[Cynth]

Well, Shannon and I do try to eat right, and these days we cook at home far more often then we eat out.

However, this is not an option unless you're at least middle of the middle-class: eating at home is orders of magnitude more expensive than getting fast food.

--James

James, as I mentioned before, I do agree with some of the points you have made. But what you have said here is true only for people who are unable to make economical decisions about how to use food. A bowl of oatmeal, skim milk, a banana and coffee do not cost as much as breakfast at McDonalds. If you can only live with raspberries, yes, they are expensive. Bananas are cheap. Instant oatmeal in little packages might be expensive, a big box of it is cheap and it's healthy. Special flavored coffee from a fancy store is expensive, regular coffee is cheaper. Steak is expensive, ground beef mixed with beans, canned tomatoes, onions, spices, to make chili makes the meat go farther and is a cheap meal per person. Iceberg lettuce can be really expensive. So you don't buy it then. You make salad from cabbage and apples and carrots which are generally always pretty cheap and available. All these things can be made in ways that cut down on the fat in them.

I do understand that food preparation at home takes time, although there are ways to get more meals for the time you spend at it.

But for you to say that people are better off financially (I won't even include the "orders of magnitude" part) to eat at fast food restaurants is, in my opinion, very irresponsible. It is not true. It encourages those with the least funds to spend them to their disadvantage. It encourages those with the least funds to eat the worst foods.

[susnfx]

Cooking at home is MUCH cheaper than fast food. An example: I buy one of those bags of pre-prepared salads (the veggie kind with radishes, carrots, snow peas, cabbage, etc.), add a tomato and cucumber, and, if I want, a can of tuna. Time to make: less than 10 minutes. It feeds me for two meals for a total of about $2 a meal. Healthier by far than any fast food and much cheaper.

Susan

[peeplj]

Well, folks, I guess all I can say is ya'll must have lower prices in your stores than we do.

Or, perhaps, this is just another part of the war on fat? We're all supposed to make our meals out of 1/3 cup skim milk, a balonga sandwich with a single thin slice of beef balogna, eaten with relish after you seductively whisper "tater chips" over it a couple of times, and then fond memories for desert?

--James

[jim stone]

In our experience (my wife's and mine) cooking at home
is cheaper than eating out, including fast food.
Also there are these days healthy alternative fast
food places, like Subways, where you can get
reasonably low-cal vegie/tuna stuff cheap.

Here's a story, inspired by Azalin's account of his
girlfriend:

Inspector Duchamp stood over the body of the deceased
man. 'It seems that your husband died of natural causes,'
he said, 'but somehow I suspect foul play.'

'Yes,' the wife replied. 'I murdered him.'

'How did you go about doing that?'

'I'm an extraordinarily good cook, and I made him
sumptuous meals. Afterwards we made frenzied
love. As you see, I'm very beautiful, and I'm
skilled at seduction.'

'I see.'

'Are you going to arrest me, Inspector?'

'Not at all, madame. I propose that you murder me
in the same way.'

'The assault need not always be fatal,' she murmered,
drawing near.

[hoofbeats]

nevermind

[peeplj]

Tonight we had tacos. Here's the shopping list:

package of taco shells $1.77
yellow onion .60
1 lb cheap ground beef 3.00
tomato .75
lettuce .98
cheese 2.00
taco seasoning 1.00
----------
10.10

not inluding the little bit of sour cream and taco sauce

10-pack of tacos from the local Taco Hell: about $8.00

--James

[Jack]

Tonight we had tacos. Here's the shopping list:

package of taco shells $1.77
yellow onion .60
1 lb cheap ground beef 3.00
tomato .75
lettuce .98
cheese 2.00
taco seasoning 1.00
----------
10.10

not inluding the little bit of sour cream and taco sauce

10-pack of tacos from the local Taco Hell: about $8.00

--James

Um...just the two of you eat 10 tacos for dinner? Or did I not read that right? I haven't been to Taco Bell in a very long time (a few years) so I don't know if mabey it's just cheaper to buy in lots of 10 or something...

[peeplj]

No, dear little Cran, we do NOT eat 10 tacos for dinner.

Go back and re-read, and you'll see that is the point.

How long do you think tacos keep in the fridge?

--James

[Jack]

No, dear little Cran, we do NOT eat 10 tacos for dinner.

Go back and re-read, and you'll see that is the point.

How long do you think tacos keep in the fridge?

--James

No, I didn't see that point--it was ambiguous as to whether or not you were saying you ate 10 tacos or not. I wasn't sure how Taco Bell worked so I thought I'd ask. I don't know how long tacos stay in the fridge because I haven't eaten one in years.

[Walden]

Can't we all just get along? Fat folks, skinny folks, in-between folks.

[peeplj]

Can't we all just get along? Fat folks, skinny folks, in-between folks.

Walden, you are the voice of wisdom! (as you usually are)

I apologize to all and sundry for getting snappish.

--James

[Azalin]

James, it's not that grocery is expensive in your part of the world... it's that fast food is extremely cheap. 10 tacos for 8$??!? In here, for 8$, you get a McDonald's meal or 6 inches subway.

You still had good food for 10$, which includes better meat and I'm sure better "everything". I mean, 5$ each for tacos "cooked" at home is cheap, no?

[jim stone]

A lot of people (by which I mean myself ) do not have their own vegetable gardens, and know next to nothing about buying organic foods. Also, what is it about processed food that is bad for you? They don't exactly teach us that kind of stuff in school. They think showing us the food pyramid is enough!

I'm trying to learn more about eating healthy, so does anyone know any good cookbooks or websites or *something* that can help me?

Reading over my post for spelling errors has also made me realize that there may be another contributing factor to the way we eat in America-- ignorance.

I'm not into organic foods, nor is my wife, who is the food expert.
But we don't eat meat at home. We eat mostly veggies,
rice, sometimes pasta (not so much, cause it's fattening),
tofu; lots of broccoli, peppers, squash. We also eat soy
products, like Grillers, which look like hamburgers and
microwave in a minute and a half; quite tasty; also
soy sausages, some of which are also quite tasty.
We eat beans too.

We eat wheat bread, anti-cholestorol low fat spread (Smart Choice);
also apples, carrots.

For breakfast I eat Oat Squares, a cereal, very good tasting,
and soy milk, sometimes a bit of honey added. We use
only soy milk.

Produce is generally cheaper and often very good at some regular
supermarkets. This works pretty well. Sometimes we
go to organic food stores to get the sort of tofu
my wife wants. This is a healthy diet, I think, low in
cholesterol and fat, and
once you get used to it you don't miss meat.
I sometimes eat a six-inch tuna sand at Subways,
sometimes turkey or chicken there too.