What...No blame on happy meal toys? The progressives in SF know better. It's not what you eat...it's the toy!

the toy issue in SF is about getting the idea of fattening food and fun to lose it's connection.

What?-310 Do you remember Joe Camel? We got rid of him for the same reason and teen smoking has dropped.

Marketing toward kids has been very effective as seen in the last 30 years of obesity growth of your children/ adults.

Sugar Smacks to Frankenberry and so on... Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup have replaced apple pie as the American staple and BOY, does it show!

Noncommunicable diseases will kill how many of you this year alone?

Might as well give your kid a smoke while your sitting in the drive-through;)

Did they ban Ronald McDonald too? The toy issue is about Nanny States and a group of Sanctimonious Progressive Retards thinking they have the right to tell everybody else how to live. Next they will tell you that you can't have a goldfish for a pet...Oh wait! SF and Berkeley are a Worldwide screaming joke.

I think you need to take a look in the mirror and reassess the joke. Most of the western world look at those 2 cities of examples of what has made America great. Besides, no one is making you live or vote there.

Sad that you have to resort to name-calling to try to make a point.

The reason why those toys are banned because they're encouraging kids at an early age to love mcdonalds. Besides do you REALLY care if your child gets to have the cheap plastic toy of what ever movie is out? Basically the law is saying is Mcdonalds can't use certain marketing teniques anymore to get kids hooked!

Parents have the responsibility to train their children and we don't need MORE government intervention. My son eats at McDonalds - big deal. He orders a happy meal with chicken nuggets, apple dippers and white milk. Pretty healthy choices for a 5 year old and no the government did NOT teach him to do that. I feel so sorry for all the helpless hannahs out there who think the only answer is government.

Tell me, how many OTHER parents will get the kids the apple dippers and milk when they go to Mcdonalds? Also it's not that big of a deal, they're not banning happy meals, they're banning a small plastic toy that kis will probably forget about the next day.

The point is my kids aren't fat and just because yours are they can't get a toy with their happy meal. That's BS. Most adults don't need a nanny government telling them how to live. Just because the retards that call themselves "progressives" think they are smarter than everyone else they legislate how others must live. You are truly delusional if you think SF and Bezerkly are looked at as what makes America great. Of course that goes without saying because the words "Delusional" and "Progressive" are interchangeable.

1) I don't have kids I'm 14. :-/

2) Tell me do you REALLY care if your kid gets a cheap little toy they will lose the next day?

3) It's one state. You don't like it don't live there.

4) Let me guess you're a conservative who hates abortion and loves the death penalty?

What?-3106699

If these corporations had their way they'd have your kids completely brainwashed by the idiot tube, billboards, on-line advertisements, toys, etc.

It takes a village to raise a child and these corporations are not making it easier. Start with the corporations that target our youth, if we want to stop the obesity crisis.

Ok Mr 14 year old. The toy is not the point. If you haven't read 1984 yet get back to me on that. JM I'm assuming you are older than 14 and should know better. I realize personal responsibility isn't in a Lib's vocabulary but that isn't an excuse for needing a Nanny. Go hire yourself one if you want it so bad. Villages only raise village idiots. No way in hell will I let them raise my kids.

Actually, idiot, I'm 6 years old. Haven't you read Hansel and Gretel? I can be just as nasty as you, if that turns you on.

Do you send your kids to school? Do you let your kid's play sports? Do you bring your kids to church/temple/mosque? Do you let your relatives watch your kids? Do your kids watch T.V.? Do you have neighbors? Do you let your kids use the internet? Do you go to restaurants? That's a village, stupid! Unless you live in a bubble, there's no avoiding your children's exposure to the influences from the village.

All of these encounters will impact your children, including exposure to the real world with corporate advertising. Go look at the budgets of these corporations for ads and products directed at our children and then we'll talk. If their investments in advertising didn't work, they wouldn't spend the millions marketing to our children.

Started baking those cookies, What?-3106699 ?

Hahahaha Cookies...Really? I think you need to bake some more cookies. You have obviously lost yours! Must have been all that corporate brain washing. I get your point.....LOL

"The media is the message"

Marshall Mcluhan

Have good night!

I think you're right and I think you just identified the real problem - issues of healthy living revolve around issues of time, energy, and money. It's our lifestyles that lead to unhealthy eating habits.

I do my part by refusing to be a slave to my job. My time and attention are not owned by my employer...they're rented for a fee, and I set the limits on what I give. If everyone set limits we would all be better off.

You made the choice, not me... if you are fat it is only by your own hand.

btcoates

I wouldn't be so quick to discredit this 20 year long study. 127,000+ people is a large sampling, which yields significant results.

While their conclusions may have some significance, in my own experience, I held a nice steady and healthy weight for my size right up until just after I turned 41 in 1998, then all heck broke loose, despite the fact that I worked in a very physical occupation. By the time that I turned 42, I had gained 40 lbs, and within just another 4 years, I had gained another 50 lbs, despite cutting way back on eating and trying to eat healthier. I have to wonder what changed in sweeteners or other food additives between say 1996 or 1997 and 2003? I have read that much of today's processed food has far more calories than did the same items 15 or 20 years ago.

Aspartame was legalized during either the Reagan or Bush Sr years, so most likely that isn't the problem. My guess it has something to do with the increased use of high-fructose corn syrup in processed foods instead of pure sugar. I also am fairly confident that America's obesity problem has doubled or worse since the introduction of Aspertame and the increased use of high-fructose corn syrup in many processed foods, though a greatly increased fast food presence all over America has to get some of the blame too, just as McDonald's old french fry oil once did too. Of course, I used to eat a fair amount of fast food before 1997 and never gained weight because of it either.

No, my weight problem is all since 1997. I now weigh more than double of what I did when I was a senior in high school despite eating 1/3rd of what I used to in 1975. I've cut way back on total eating, cut way back on fast food, and virtually eliminated between meal snacks or desserts too. Nothing that I have done since I gained that 90 lbs in just six years has helped either. I even go to the gym and put in a couple of miles on the treadmill up a steep grade every other day. I am really at a loss myself. I guess that I was just meant to weigh 365 lbs by the time that I turned 50.

My guess is you got the typical, 'I don't need to look my best anymore' middle-aged spread and you just let it keep going. If you were gaining that much YOU WERE EATING TOO MUCH.

I worked 2 jobs for 16 years and and Ican relate to not being able to simply eat more of this and watch less tv and excercise more. Ialso slept 3 hours here and there, but never 6-8 in a row. Eating healthy or unhealthy wasnt the choice ... I could eat or not(!), I could sleep 8 hours or live indoors(!), I could excercise or I could sleep,but not both. Health is a relative thing ... afterall being employed with a roof over my head and food (of whatever sort) is certainly healthier than not having any ambition or future.

phil, and you can't work 2 jobs and not get fat??? sounds like someone needs to get off their butt at work. As my friend and I say at our job, "if you aren't sweating, you aren't working."

Old Timer: If you restrict your diet to less than 2000 calories per day, consult with a dietician and keep as active as possible, you will gradually lose weight. You won't die, either, if you skip a meal.

This is an obvious solution, but apparently not to 1/2 of America.

It's suggested to do half of your daily intake for the most extreme. Do that and excercise and you'll lose weight in no time

Thanks for the suggestions, as so far they haven't worked. My calorie intake is below 1500 average on a daily basis, and there are plenty of days when I only eat 1000 calories. The only time that I eat more than 2000 calories is the one night per week when I go out for dinner. The only thing that has worked for me so far has been a rigorous adherence to the Atkins Diet, and just as soon as I stop, the weight just piles right back on.

Two miles up a 6% grade on the treadmill ought to be plenty of exercise, especially at 5000 feet elevation, in combination with 10 or 20 laps in the pool. My heart rate on the treadmill reaches as high as 130 even though I am 54. I also do a fair amount of walking from where I park to my office 4 days per week too, in excess of a couple of city blocks each way. I have been watching what I eat for over 10 years now and so far it hasn't helped. Perhaps no longer working as a multi-stop food distribution driver hasn't helped?

I do have ancestors on both sides of my family who were 6'3" or taller and who weighed over 300 lbs going back to the Civil War era though. I'm 6'5", with a large frame build, a 48-inch waist, and a 58-inch chest. My one food therapist said that I should be happy with the 275 lbs that I weighed in 1998. Frankly, I would be really happy with just 300 lbs now. My dad, who was only 5'11" tall, wore a 46-inch waist, and only weighed 235 lbs. My one great grandfather was 6'3" and weighed 350 lbs, and his father was a Civil War Colonel who stood 6'5" tall and weighed 275 lbs. My 18 year old nephew is 6'5" tall and weighs more than I did at his age, with not an ounce of fat on him either, so it runs in the family.

Any more suggestions? I can't try the lap-band on the advice of my doctor because of my acid-reflux and my Barrett's either.

You are genetically large framed. This is a "uphill" challenge, pardon the pun.

You, your doctor and a dietician may help you with your challenges, by determining a realistic weight goal, first. Got to be careful of your knees and hips, too.

Best of luck.

Another good idea is try to keep moving as long as possible. If possible walk around or stand at times when you could be sitting, the little things really count.

I always park my car the furthest away from an entrance. I always take stairs, in place of an elevator. I do most cooking and avoid prepared foods. No sugary sodas, ever, very little alcohol and less bread, rice and starchy food products.

It really does all add up. I have reduced my weight by 20 pounds, from 208. I never rely upon any diet fads, at all, and crave nothing. The weight loss has been slow...over the course of one year. I am 47, 6'3" and in good health.

Actually you're not eating ENOUGH to lose weight.
Atkins was close but not quite there.
Look into Arthur DeVany, a 73 year old in perfect condition.
Other names on the cutting edge of OLD ways of eating properly for life are Rob Wolf, Mat Lalonde, Loren Cordain and there are more.

All of these are PHDs, scienstists, and in great condition and have varios books relating to nutrition.

Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes explains what went wrong when very bad information began being pumped into the public more than 50 years ago, about the time the US began swelling;)

I'd say good luck but luck has nothing to do with it. The correct information is all you need.

Tea Tarded:

I guess he's not lucky that you dropped by with your special advice?

Curious...do you practice what you preach?

Also, was it bad information that began the "swelling" or was it the explosion of abundant and cheap junk foods including fast food chains, which we love, compounded by reduced physical activities?

Absolutely practice what these people can teach and am in as good a condition as possible after 47 years of neglect and 3 years of trying to fix it.

I misspoke when I said "PHD's" as all have doctorates in one field or another. Wanted to clear that up.

The foods you speak of are processed and whether "junk" or "fast" are not what the human body was meant to be consuming on a daily basis.

Exercise is great when done properly but my opinion on that differs from most others also.
This site, The Vine, doesn't allow for any promoting and rightfully so or I'd point to some videos;)

When I'm training or when I'm asked my opinion, which is EVERY DAY, my response is 80% in the kitchen and 20% how you train.

If you haven't heard of or read Taubes' book then I highly recommend you do so.
I was just in the Bay Area last week and had to hunt a bit to find 2 copies for a niece and a friend. Easy enough to order online too.

Or stay ignorant like some of these conservative a$$holes:o)
After all, noncommunicable diseases are sweeping the nation! Or hadn't you hear?

Thanks for that. I'll look into it! Glad to hear you are living what you preach...gives credibility, imho.

I've been fortunate to shed pounds very easily. In fact, too easily, so I've decided to be careful about not over doing it. I attribute this to cooking and preparing most foods at home, except for occasional salads.

One other thing, I live in Rio and believe the food is much better quality.
4 light meals a day and time to exercise so...around 2400 - 3000 cal per day.
It's actually been fun dropping 30lbs while getting much stronger.
Those people have great info. If only I had the knowledge and Rio 25 years ago!
Enjoy;)

Obese people did it to themselves. Being poor is a lame excuse. There were PLENTY of poor people in the Middle Ages, and they were not all gross, smelly, and obese.

If you choose to eat/drink crap with High Fructose Corn Syrup, you deserve your weight problems. It's well known that this chemical screws with the body and pretty much rots the person from the inside.

As you said, you can't know unless you read the study. I highly doubt they assign causation inappropriately, but read it and let us know...

Hey pat so you're objecting to what...?

Is it the idea that potato chips and TV was associated with weight gain, or that people who exercised tended to keep the pounds off?

Exactly what in this article was propaganda? Is it those darn medical people again who want everyone to be healthy and happy and free from disease? Damn those rascals! Always searching for facts and doing studies and trying to improve people's lives and silly stuff like that.

I can see how this study could have received input from those groups wanting people to be off the street at night (I.E. The Cops in reference to sleeping more (In other words if you are asleep you are off the streets)), and to stop watching Sinful television (The Fundies).

Otherwise.... Nice Food Cop article. Whatever happened to staying out of other peoples business?

Tinfoil Hat material? Yes but I think there may had been a political adjenda behind this article. (Pardon my spelling)

And that's my opinion on this subject.

Next

Well, when there are 15% unemployed, hoards of immigrants, and others on welfare and Medicaid, it is our business to encourage intelligent eating habits. We are paying for this obesity problem.

Next.

Sounds good to me. Way to go and without a fad diet!

I'm hungry now.

Actually, I'm poor. But instead of spending what little money I have on crappy foods, I spend it on the right kind of foods and on Vitamins. In the past 6 months, I have dropped 50 pounds without even exercising. I just take my vitamins, eat the right kinds of food, and avoid the junk at all costs. It was hard at first. I was a fast food junkie, and just like any other addiction it took me a while to get off of it. But now that my system is cleaner, I have more energy and I feel better than I ever have since I was a child.

As for time, all you need to do is do a little research and plan ahead a bit. You don't have to make extravagant meals or count carbs or whatever. Just learn what foods do what and then buy them and eat them. Most of the foods I eat are in their raw states. Lots of nuts, fruits, and vegetables. And its really not as expensive as you might think when you compare what you are spending on junk to what we all should be eating.

The better you eat, the better you feel and the more energy you have. Its not about living forever, its about feeling great for as long as you are hear. And now that I am addicted to the right kinds of foods, I will never go back to the junk food style of living ever again. Its amazing to me that instead of craving a McDonalds Cheeseburger, I actually crave a bowl of soybeans! Instead of a piece of Pizza Hut Pizza, I'd rather eat an orange. It's worth it. Now that I'm actually healthy enough and energetic enough to start a real exercise program, that is my next step.

But even if it does cost a little more money to eat right than it does to eat the crap, our lives are worth it. It just takes a little drive and a lot of self respect. Every time a person puts that potato chip in their mouth or takes a drink of that Dr. Pepper, they are saying to themselves, that they have no self respect. And if you can't love and respect yourself, then how can you expect anyone else to show any of us the love and respect they think they so deserve.

That"s my opinion anyway.

You have conservative written ALL OVER. As much as i LOVE hearing "back in my day" stories, people always exagerate about it. Since when were heros Hitler and Stalin? Also what's wrong with cell phones? Since when was being able to talk in a normal voice to talk to somebody 10 miles away a bad thing? Also NOT questioning things is a bad things. Why do you THINK hitler and stalin existed "back in your day", because the people never QUESTIONED what their leaders were doing!

i'm bored, you got to him first.

I just kept waiting for him to say, "we need to return to being the god-fearing country that we were in the past". lol

Meanwhile he will continue sucking on SS and Medicare for years to come even though his contributions (with interest) will only cover 7 years. Then he will complain about those darn people on welfare.

I'm expecting his response to be something about how "God doesn't approve of them celluar-phones, they're the devil's work! SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!" HA! Can't even type that with a straight face :D

the young look forward, the old look back (how sad for them).

kip makes a valid point, which is that kids spent more time being physically active and food was much less processed in the past than it is now.

These things are true, and given the health of previous generations compared to younger generations, you all might be well served to take it seriously. After all, your generation is the one that is getting sick younger, and are predicted to die sooner, than older generations. Or, you can disregard the information, but I think that's at your peril. No one ever thinks they'll get sick until they do...and everyone does...and what you eat and how fit you are when you're young matters.

we take his health comments seriously and he is correct in some ways. We are teasing because then he goes off the deep end.

"5 miles, in the snow, uphill, both ways" lol

I too remember not having a TV (and still don't but I do use this computer way to much) and sending my children outside to play (mainly to tire them out so they would go to bed earlier). Yes we need to eat better and stay active. It is not healthy to stay inside sitting so much and not interacting with people face to face. Children needs sunlight, fresh air( where you can find it) and activities.

Not all of us who are this age and older are watching fox "news" for our information.

the only thing that works is true willpower, overeating is a psychological addiction not a physical addiction like smoking.

It can be that bad. I spent much of my time in college overeating. The stress of it made it difficult to deal with, and it got to the point where I was bringing home whole bags of chips and cakes to eat for dinner. It was a crutch for some much bigger problems.

It's all about where a person's breaking point is. I finally couldn't take it anymore, feeling sick and unhappy, and 60 lbs bigger. Suddenly the will to get better was stronger than the horrible urge to just eat.

Demon, what you described is an exact example of a psychological addiction, but not a physical addiction. There is a big difference.

From what I am beginning to understand, based upon what my neurologist has been educating me on, is that everything, even psychological is actually physical. Our behaviors are chemical responses produced in the brain. When we eat wrong, we are more prone to being out of balance chemically, which in turn messes up our whole body. Our minds, and our bodies are one in the same. In actuality, we are a product of our chemicals. That is why drug companies are coming out with brain chemistry altering drugs to correct things like Depression. But the proper diet can in most normal cases, take care of our moods, and our habits.

I am a prime example, for not only was I at one time addicted to junk, I also have Tourette Syndrome, which makes my brain chemistry already out of wack in the first place. But since I have altered the foods I eat, I have balanced my brain chemistry to the point that people wouldn't even know that I suffer from Tourette Syndrome unless I told them, and I also no longer take medication for the disorder.

I challenge anyone to take these statements from a scientific stand point. By that I mean, try it yourself and see the difference it makes in your own lives. We can all argue about this philosophically all day long but unless we put our philosophy to the test, what we have to say is really just empty talk. I can speak for myself in this instance because I am living proof of it. So my best self help advice to anyone is, "Eat an Orange"

funny, your neurologist either needs to go back to school or they need to explain the difference between physical and psychological addiction because very little of brain chemistry has to do with a PHYSICAL addiction to a substance such as tobacco or heroin. In a physical addiction, your body goes through physical withdrawal symptoms and that does not happen with food.

Quit trying to give yourself an excuse for your own past bad eating habits.

Physical or psychological, your brain still messes with you like crazy. It's still an addiction.

There are people who simply overeat, and there are people with legitimate addiction problems. They don't try to make excuses, there is an absolutely overwhelming feeling to eat and feel full. It doesn't matter what kind of addiction it is, it still takes willpower to beat it. Only someone who hasn't been there would act like you are.

When 2/3 of all Americans are overweight they obviously need a reminder.

The formula is much simpler than that;

1. Eat less

2. Move more

sts :yes, that's the knowing part of the formula. The doing part is another matter entirely, and is where people seem to get tripped up. Looking from the outside, I often think ( without any way of truly knowing ) that it's a calculation--- that considering what losing weight takes, that some deem it not worth what it'd take. I've also wondered if there's some tipping point that obese people reach when they say ( or think ) "screw it, I'm fat, and that's what I'll see myself as".

I don't see many of you picking up the "sleep better" part of this. Ask anyone who works night shift what lack of sleep does to you no matter what you eat or do.

I know plenty of night workers with healthy weights.

Steve, Perhaps if you were stranded in the Yukon you would have a fighting chance at survival. Preparedness is what it is all about.

Steve,

Then I nor anyone else should ever have to pay for the health consequences of your lifestyle decisions

SO THERE!!!

Dennis-1989658

You do understand that I was being facetious, don't you?

Start acting responsibly and costing society more than your fair share and their won't be a need to tax your bad behavior to cover your detriment to society.

There is no good way to single out those who cost society more than others. The point of society is to spread costs, social welfare and security over all of us to even things out. Once again, raising taxes does not fix an underlying problem and why would you want to give more money to the government anyway?

are you sure you aren't Type 2? If you had that much excess weight to lose then you probably would have made it through your life w/o ever being diagnosed except for your own bad choices.

Your post indicates a sad, jealous individual.

It's not our fault you can't learn not to eat a hamburger for every meal...

I thought you were going to say you replaced your doctor.