The answer in tackling obesity...

[blewis13]

I don't think there can be a single answer to obesity - there are many reasons people become overweight, and why they have trouble losing weight. But I think some pretty simple changes could really impact obesity rates.

- Making nutritional information clearly visible on the menus of chain restaurants. It won't stop anyone from ordering Wendys, but it might make a difference in WHAT and HOW MUCH is ordered if a person is confronted with the calorie count BEFORE food is eaten.

- Make access to gyms and fitness centers available to everyone. A lot of rural areas don't even have gyms - not even YMCAs (I know my parents' town doesn't). Moreover, even where they are available, they're often expensive. My gym membership is currently $25/month, and that's SUPER cheap, but at my heaviest I could have never even afforded that little. Statistics consistently link obesity and poverty, and I think the three key elements in that are cost of food, cost of fitness, and culture.

- Make healthy foods more affordable. This is slowly happening as more and more people demand organic/natural foods. However, it's still hard for people on tight budgets to eat healthy. The cheapest products are also heavily processed. My parents really struggle to keep my dad's diabetes at bay while keeping in budget.

There are certainly a lot of other things that could be done to help. But I don't think that taxing junk food is going to do much good at all - having a negative with no positive alternative isn't going to encourage people to get healthier. We need to make a healthy lifestyle the norm of our culture, and make it available for everyone.

I absolutely agree. The problem, as some have said, is that charging more for junk won't stop people from buying it - it will stop them from buying any of the healthier food to afford the junk. While I agree that healthy foods (i.e. organic) should be more affordable, there are changes that can be made that are inexpensive. Substitute bananas for a pack of cookies, for example. There are small changes that can be made to lead people to a healthier lifestyle gradually and in a way that's affordable. I understand that this is a personal decision, however.

As far as negative consequences or positive rewards for gaining/losing weight or eating well/poorly, I don't think they will do much. Positive reinforcement may work for awhile - but what happens when it's gone? If people stop paying you for every pound you lose, do you just go back to eating crap and not exercising? Personal motivation and desire is key - and the government, aside from publishing books and information - can do little to motivate on this front.

 

[nutriangel]

I'm not too keen on imposing a tax. I'd still keep buying chocolate, and I'd probably eat less vegetables just so I could afford the junk. (Yes, I know it's my biggest downfall. Trying to change, but it is slow going.)

I think I'd consider giving up chocolate (well, at least some of it) if there was a monetary incentive for losing weight. Like, $1 for each pound lost that has been kept off for a year. Or something like that. Maybe even having to donate money or time to charity for each pound I volunteered to lose by a certain date but didn't would be an incentive. I wonder if there are any weight loss groups that do this sort of thing ... I'd join!

Weightlosschamp. Why do you need an incentive to lose weight. Isn't being full of energy and being healthy sufficient enough?