Factors in society that control obesity

[QUEZE]

need help with any availible examples on how cultural bias or any other factors cause obseity. need any availible talking points, or any availible help.

Edited March 3, 2009 by QUEZE

[Vvi]

I don't really understand the phrase "cultural bias". Bias towards what? "Cultural/societal pressure would be a better way to phrase your question.

In Africa, having meat on your bones is a good thing. Being fat is a sign of wealth, and shows that you have enough money to feed yourself and it's a luxury. Our housemaid and gardener were forever telling my mother that she had to eat more. Our housemaid was actually proud that she weighed 110 kg (about 240 pounds) and would boast about it. An example of societal pressure to be "fat".

It's not the only factor that causes obesity there though. Certain tribes have a greater propensity to gain weight as a result of genetics.

[__inthemaking]

I think genetics more than anything determine obesity. From personal experience, I'm Asian and I've been the same 98 lbs that I've been since I was 15 (turning 19 in 2 months now). My doctor tells me I'm underweight (though I'm also only 5'2, so it's not that much underweight), I try to gain weight and nothing. No matter how much I eat, I just don't gain any weight.

My mom is 47 years old and a size 2 and 103 lbs; I'm small boned and petite just like her. Some people gain weight very easily while others don't. Asians also tend to be smaller than other races.

[QUEZE]

[quote name='Vvi' post='38715' date='Mar 2 2009, 01:12 PM']I don't really understand the phrase "cultural bias". Bias towards what? "Cultural/societal pressure would be a better way to phrase your question.

In Africa, having meat on your bones is a good thing. Being fat is a sign of wealth, and shows that you have enough money to feed yourself and it's a luxury. Our housemaid and gardener were forever telling my mother that she had to eat more. Our housemaid was actually proud that she weighed 110 kg (about 240 pounds) and would boast about it. An example of societal pressure to be "fat".

It's not the only factor that causes obesity there though. Certain tribes have a greater propensity to gain weight as a result of genetics.[/quote]

if its not too much burden do u mind adding more about te tribes.

[quote name='__inthemaking' post='38716' date='Mar 2 2009, 01:22 PM']I think genetics more than anything determine obesity. From personal experience, I'm Asian and I've been the same 98 lbs that I've been since I was 15 (turning 19 in 2 months now). My doctor tells me I'm underweight (though I'm also only 5'2, so it's not that much underweight), I try to gain weight and nothing. No matter how much I eat, I just don't gain any weight.

My mom is 47 years old and a size 2 and 103 lbs; I'm small boned and petite just like her. Some people gain weight very easily while others don't. Asians also tend to be smaller than other races.[/quote]

would u mind telling me wat type of things you eat everyday, or the types of fast food resteraunts you go to and the factors that propell you to those resteraunts

[Vvi]

If you do some research on Kenyan tribes, you will find what you're looking for. The Maasai people are tall and skinny, whereas Luo people are rounder. You should also research Nigerian tribes. There is a condition called steatopygia that may interest you which is prevalent in Southern Africa, e.g. Botswana in the Bushmen and Hottentot tribes.

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steatopygia"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steatopygia[/url]
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[url="http://coe.unt.edu/martin/Personal/Publications/Body_Shape_Perceptions_Hawaii_2007.pdf"]http://coe.unt.edu/martin/Personal/Publica...Hawaii_2007.pdf[/url]
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[__inthemaking]

I'm in first year university right now so I kind of have 2 different eating "lifestyles". I'll try to describe them as best as I can to answer your questions.

At home:
My mom is very healthy because high cholesterol and high blood pressure both run in our family (my dad and 14 year old sister both have high cholesterol..I used to too when I was 10 but my cholesterol went back to within normal levels after 2 years of cutting out fast food and eating oatmeal for breakfast everyday). When I'm at home, I rarely eat out at restaurants..max once a week on weekends. My mom prepares very balanced meals, there is ALWAYS veggies (usually bok choy, spinach or other leafy greens), brown rice, and either fish or meat. All the milk we have at home is skim, we also have unsweetened soy milk, omega-3 eggs, peanut butter is 100% natural, organic honey, all meats are lean, etc. My mom also prepares herbal soups with ginseng, honey and Chinese herbs. We don't have any fried snacks, if we want a snack, we eat fruit or whole wheat crackers or nuts.

At university:
Obviously I can't eat as healthily as I do at home..I eat a lot more fried/fast food when I'm away at school. I still have at least one glass of soy milk everyday and at least one portion of veggies each day, and I try to eat a fruit at night for snack. I have a lot of pasta when I'm at university probably because I love pasta and my mom always makes rice at home (maybe pasta few times a month) and I've taken to sometimes just eating a plate of fries as a meal..which is very unhealthy . I also have lots of unhealthy snacks like cookies, chips and high sugar drinks (french vanilla, mocha, hot chocolate, cappuccinos etc) that I normally don't have at home.

My favourite fast food restaurant is Wendy's because I like their bacon cheeseburger, baked potatoes and chili. Their food is fairly cheap and not too small/greasy, so that's what draws me to it. Plus potatoes are my favourite vegetable and most other fast food restaurants don't have baked potatoes. I also like Harvey's because they have fantastic burgers but it's pricey.