Hi Levi,

Add me to the list of lowcarbers who aren't offended by your question. Actually, I have read the same question before, on another low carb newsgroup, from a lady who was from England(?) or was it France(?)

(Actually, she was quite a bit more tactful, but I'm assuming you've been taking notes from the "Tact 101" professors who have been replying to your question, and you'll do a lot better next time. Right?)

Anyway, the other lady also mentioned that it seemed to her she saw quite a few more severely overweight people when she visited the States, than she ever did in her native country.

I believe the medical community and U.S.Federally funded nutritionists have done a vast disservice to the people of the United States.

About 20 years ago they began insisting that the only correct diet for almost any disorder was low-fat. They worked in earnest to overhaul the "4 Food Group" plan, in favor of the "Food Pyramid" which almost eliminated fat and protein from an entire nation's diet.

As a result, heart-disease, diabetes, and obesity are now epidemic in the U.S... while in France, the population is still continuing to eat as much fatty meats, and butter, and rich creams, and sauces, and creme-filled pastries as they wish-- and not jogging or doing aerobics like their American counterparts-- but heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are relatively rare.

The U.S. medical community is mystified by what they call "The French Paradox," and can't figure out how the French can continue to be so healthy while eating such "unhealthy" foods. Some have speculated that it has something to do with the "healthy effects" of drinking the French wine.

Very few in the American medical community dare to speculate that a *healthy* *balanced* diet which also consists of a sufficient amount of *fat* and *protein* could actually be the answer!

Little by little, the medical community seems to be coming around now, and admitting that low-fat is not the answer.

Unfortunately, it's too late for many, many people who trusted their doctor's advice, and became fat and unhealthy while eating whole pans of brownies because they were "fat-free" and "allowed" on their low-fat diet!

I'm sure this is not the entire answer to your question, but I believe it's a big part of the problem.

By the way, congratulations on your own success with low carbing!

Mae West
"Why don't you come up and visit me sometime when I've got nothing on but the radio?" The other Mae West

Hey Levi,

Wow, wow, wow!! U look awesome

A few months ago, my friend (he lives in LA) & I had an interesting chat about this subject.

In my humble opinion, I think that Americans are getting bigger because of all those brilliant TV shows!!

I mean ER, The Sopranoes, Friends, Ally McBeal......... (I could go on & on.)

With shows that good, everyone just spends hours & hours in front of the TV, and the weight can pile on very easily. Don't forget that a lot of people tend to snack when watching TV. I have to have nuts when I'm watching soccer, darn habit

On a more serious note.......
I think it's wrong that they advertise stuff like Kelloggs' pop-tarts, Frosties...... as healthy foods.
I also think that the "typical" food-pyramid are making people bigger & bigger, and less healthy as well.

HK people are getting bigger, too.

Take care.

Bebe

whoever mentioned genes...

the research in the Human Genome project is ongoing. So far, I read this year, over thirty seperate genes have been implicated in obesity (in fact, how fat we are may just be a matter of how many of these we got!)

An older (and so shorter) list of those genes is available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/info/pe.../obesdisord.htm

As a first generation German who spent time living in Germany as a child I think I can put some of this in perspective.

1. There is intense pressure in Germany to conform and follow the rules. Being fat is a major sin and will bring about all sorts of abuse and very overt condemnation, much worse than what is found in the states. Usually in the U.S. the merciless teasing abates after High School, in Germany it never ever ends. The only acceptable obese person in Germany is an elderly man, kinda like Schultz from Hogan's Hero's. I think Levi, that many of the very obese "Do the right thing" and stay out of the public eye, or commit suicide.

2. Europe has free medical care. In the U.S. many of the very obese are low-income and therefore have no health insurance therefore they get no care, none, nada, zilch.

3. Most German schools are much more physical education minded. Many American schools have completly removed these programs from the curriculem. (To save money). Yes it's true, it's all about the dollar in America.

4. If I remember correctly the Germans have one big meal a day at lunchtime, this was the hot cooked meal of the day were all the carbs are. Plenty of time to burn em off. Dinner is usually cold cuts and high grain breads. There's no Wonderbread in Germany!

5. Childrens TV in europe is much more responsible. No commercials till the end of the show and the pushing of carb-filled suger treats much less intense. (All about the money)

6. I was hard pressed to find Potato or Corn Chips until the 80's in Germany. God I hated that, though the peanut butter cheese puffs were pretty damm good.

7. Much less processed foods in Europe. I think Europe is catching up though.

Here's me in 1972 in my lederhosen. My parents thought I had a weight problem! I do now.

~mrfrumble: yes, some very good points that you mention, think you are mostly right.

~the lady who asked why i once went up to 251 lbs:

this was during a bulking-up bodybuilding-cycle, which means "built as much muscle as you can and dont care about fat for , say 3-6 months".
even at 250 i was not over 20 % bf (yes I would call 20 % for a male, especially for my own person, much too fat, but thats not the way you look upon 20 % i think).

~all that feel discriminated by this posting:

once and for all, i didnt intend to flame you, if i did so unintentionally i apologize for it.

~the lady who thinks she would be slim at 200 lbs:
well, unless you are a very serious strengh athlete with lots of muscles i and i think every physician disagrees with you on that point. even at 5`10`` 200 lbs is not normal weight, not even to mention lean. (just in case you like to know my definition of normal and lean for women and men: women: normal:20-25% bf, lean: below 20%; men: normal:15-20%, lean: below 15%, preferably below 10%).

Being a newbie to this board myself, I understand that sometimes it takes a little lurking to get the feel for the board. I've visited several message boards and some have a harsher tone than others. Perhaps that why Levi posed the original question as he did.
Everyone here has their personal stories as to why they become obese. I'm sure my reason for gaining weight is much different than someone elses. I don't think he's going to find a general answer as to why we gain weight as a whole. The point is, we're all trying to do something about it and that's why we're here. Since we're all here for the same reason to get fit, lose weight and learn more, maybe we should be asking Levi how he became so fit. Perhaps he could help US out. Which one of us wouldn't want be that fit? I know I have a couple questions for him.
He's here to educate himself just as the rest of us are. I'd like to give him a warm welcome. Just as you all did when I joined.
I really think Levi will be able to teach us a lot and give us some great advice that perhaps we've never come across before. Let's give him a chance. He would like to learn more about low-carbing and I think there are some really knowledgable people here that can teach him a lot.
Welcome Levi, I hope you enjoy this message board.

I have to admit, when I first read the topic header, it did hurt my feelings a little bit. However, I think a huge key to the difference in attitudes lies in the cultural differences. As it has been pointed out, in Germany, obese people are even more stigmatized than they are here. There's more of a focus on physical health...according to some of my German classes, nearly everyone belongs to a sports club of sorts. So, if Levi is coming out of a culture that puts much higher pressure on obese people to conform, its much harder for him to realise how much it could have offended people to ask so personal a question.
Not only that, I think we have an overwhelming attitude here in the States that it is unacceptable to step on people's toes and risk hurting feelings. This is polical correctness gone haywire, and I think we've seen now what happens in a culture where its a major sin to accidentally offend.

I think we all need to relax, and while I agree there could have been better, more tactful ways to obtain the same information, I certainly think we shouldn't stone him over it. Besides...look at how tight everything is in that picture... with my luck, everything would bounce off that hard body and pelt us instead.

~misty:

thanks for your nice posting; as i said before you can ask me everything (connected with dieting and sports) and i`ll try to give you good advice.

being low-carb for nearly 2 years straight and weightlifting for 10 years i think i know my stuff to a good degree, so just fel free to ask.

I am pleased to see the postive responses here... I too have been on boards where the poster has been driven off because of harsh responses and I don't think anyone wants to see that happen here...I suspect we can all learn something beneficial from most posts presented on this forum...

Bonnie

I must say I wonder about the motives of Levi and maybe it is a cultural thing, but if he knows so much about nutrition, bodybuilding, etc., he should already know how people get obese/fat. Even if I had a buff body, I wouldn't feel the need to pose in my speedo bathing suit and use it in an area where people are OBVIOUSLY having a hard time losing weight for whatever reason. I don't think being considerate of others, etc., can be lumped into "overt PCness". It's something I consider common courtesy that was taught to me as a child.

Just my opinion for what it's worth and sorry, but I'm not drooling over the hardbody, however, the NY Firefighters Bare-Chested calendar is now available. That, I can enjoy the aesthetic pleasures of.....

I dont mind answering this question.. I was pretty much small most of my life and then out of the blue i gained some weight when i got a job sitting in a sewing factory... went from being active to non active.. did manage to loose the weight back down by just watching what i was eating and exercising.. kept it off pretty much.. till i become pregnant with my first.. and developed gestational diabeties.. and boom the weight kept coming on when i was pregnant.. after my first son was born i stabilized at 174... big jump from the 112 i use to be... then with son number 2 i gained only 40 lbs to loose back down to 174 again after he was born... then decided to quit smoking a few years later to hit a whopping 210 lbs... shewww.. lost a few lbs down to 196 where i kinda stabilized for a while.. until one day i had had enough of not being able to walk, run or do what i wanted with out being give out and having a hard time breathing... then i decided to start atkins and found a new way of eating.. and now im happpy to say im down 38 lbs and over 22 inches smaller.. feeling great... im still plump but feel so much healthier....

THere are many different reasons why we have gained weight.. But we all here have one thing in common we are doing something about it... and support each other while we are doing it.. Which i think is great...

Your friend
Tammy

Bonnie, hjackson and Misty I think you've all hit the nail on the head. Levi's question, while not the most tactful, was an honest one. He has appologized for the offence he has given. We should be polite enough to accept that at face value.

Every one of us brings something to this forum; how we feel about a certain issue, what we have experienced, what we expect to gain by being here - this is evident in how we reply to, and in the questions, we ask.

We certainly all know a lot more about each other now.
Nat

Well said, Nat

Bonnie

That's a great post Lisa. Thanks!

For Levi-

This is a repeat of one of my posts from earlier to save me having to type it over. Incidentally, my hands still shake talking about this as I guess I haven't really before. *weak smile*
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http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...40&pagenumber=2

(links save so much space)
_______

So, what's different now? Well, for one, I'm 'safe'. I'm married to a wonderful man who loves me no matter what size I am. I don't have to face the dating world anymore. Frankly, I don't know what I would do if I did. Kind of makes the life of the eccentric spinster with 28 cats look attractive!