[CongressJon]

These days, obesity is a major problem throughout the world. According to recent studies, approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million obese, and 9 million severely obese. A big thing is obesity in youths today: Approximately 30.3 percent of children (ages 6 to 11) are overweight and 15.3 percent are obese. For adolescents (ages 12 to 19), 30.4 percent are overweight and 15.5 percent are obese. That means that 1.5 out of 10 kids are obese. That is not good!!!

Obesity is a great cause of health problems, and in some cases, death. Did you know that obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths? Obesity increases one's risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes (type 2), heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon.

What do you think about this ever-growing epidemic?

[Ninten]

If such things as sugar in candy were replaced with artificial sugar with fewer carbs and we found a way to reduce the starch in flour, wheat, and other such things while simultaneously delivering these products to large manufacturers to replace them, then maybe it could be helped.

Thankfully, this is happening right before our eyes. Reduced starch bread is commonly on the market and sugar-free soda, candy, and other things have been available for a very long time now.

The problem is that people will not eat them because (In my opinion) they don't know what's good for 'em, or maybe it's because sugar free things are not widely available and many products still contain real sugar.

Probably they also don't believe in the Atkins diet and assume fat-free is the way to go, though this is not true. When carbohydrates are ingested into the body, it turns into stored fat, while eaten fat simply passes through the body. Fat-free advertisments are still palpable through our society, but are thankfully being replaced by carbohydrate-free foods are on the rise.

Sorry about the long winded post, but to sum it up, it's basically all about carbohydrates and how much of it you ingest, and if this was reduced, obesity would retroactively be reduced.

[Killerconvic]

Why should people who don't eat healthily (instead of preparing healthy food, they decide to go for McDonalds 3 times a day) punish me? I am not fat, and even if I was, I shouldn't be forced to eat reduced-fat this, sugar-free that. If people would just exercise, eat smart (and smaller portions), then this wouldn't be a problem in the first place.

[Ferret Overlord]

Leave it to Hype to come up with something like this...

Anyway, Most obecity is caused by people choosing to overeat or eat unhealthy foods. It is their fault for it, and they need to get into some weight loss program.
But people with the disease that makes you eat constantly, that is a major growing problem. They are obviously researching it so there really is nothing to do except restrain yourself and excercise well.

[CongressJon]

Most obesity is caused by over-eating, or not following the basic rules of the food pyramid. It's found that many people who are depressed or bored just eat for no reason whatsoever, just snack all the time, thus their obesity. (Not many of these snacks are exactly carrot sticks and celery.) Also, studies show that if your parents were/are obese, you are more likely to become obese yourself.

[Ferret Overlord]

So the media doesn't lie all the time... wait, no. It was a scintist research lab.

[Roadtoad6]

there is an answer to the sugar problem: Splenda. it is a product from J&J (or the company is owned by J&J) that is made from sugar and isn't sugar. It's a lot healthier and you can bake with it, plus it actually tastes like sugar. Simply, if baked goods manufacturers like Little Debby and Tasty Kake used it, obesity would probably be greatly reduced.

[CongressJon]

The thing that you have to understand, though, is that if people see something like this, they would consume it in even greater quantities than they did the original product, eventually resulting in the same result it did with the original product. It's kind of like saying this:
Normally, I get a Krispy Kreme every day.
Now, I get two Krispy Kremes with half the fat, sugar, everything, every day.

It still amounts to the same thing, in the end.

[ticktockclok]

I say metabolism. Really. This kid in elementary school used to eat from McDonalds every single day. His mom dropped off the hamburger, fries, and drink every day. Sickening, really.

It could just be genes. I know a kid right now, 80 lbs and 5 ft tall. Little shrimp. Maybe even 70. Even so, when his mom packs his lunch, he'll give away his grapes and sandwich every day. Then he'll sit down and eat a large fry and oatmeal cookie with a Twinkie. Even worse, he has a sedentary lifestyle of sitting at home all day watching tv and playing videogames.

My tv is broken, and I don't have videogames. I eat moderates amount of fatty food, and oranges. I play soccer regularly, play basketball with my friends, and run a mile every other day. And I took GM8's advice and began to drink a lot more water.

Yet I'm 8 lbs overweight.

But then, there are those idiots who eat at McDonald's each day and sue the company for not telling them of the harmful consequences....

Morons...

[CongressJon]

Yeah, advanced or slow metabolisms CAN contribute to it, but often metabolisms adjust to your daily eating habits. For example, that kid likely has more of an advanced metabolism, seeing as it can react to having low nutritional value.

[Goku]

I got something to say about the atkins diet. Even though I loove meat I once got a pizza with peperoni, italian sasage, normal sausage, ham, chicken, bacon, and turkey on it My heart hurt a little after that on but back onto the thing i was talking about...

After you get off the Atkins diet, and you loose all your weight, once you eat carbs again your body will store it all since it hasn't had it in a while and is scared that it won't get again so it stores in amounts. You will gain just about all of it back. So you would have to either always eat meat your whole life or just not eat to much carbs after the diet. I think

But metabolism has a lot to do with it. Just the hype said. If you eat good and exersise some you will stay in shape. You can't get in shape only by dieting, you have to exersise regularly.

[Killerconvic]

[Muler]

[Ferret Overlord]

People are morons when realizing that somethings has actually been said to them, and they weren't listening. Then they get angry when something goes wrong, and attempt to sue the company, just losing money in court costs and fines.

Anyway, back on topic. Hype's right. Giving people something healthier just gives them a reason to eat more of it. Take the survey that was taken on chocolate.
When I heard it was healthy for me, I ate two times more than usual.
Of course, once I heard the news, I disregarded the part about small amounts.
Just like a television add. Only it was a research facility.

[CongressJon]

A big thing that people don't understand with these diets is that they want you to stay healthy and EXERCISE while you do them. No one seems to think it important, but lack of exercise is a big reason people get obese.