Comments on: Obesity and Your Commute http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/ Self-Experimentation, Scientific Method, the Shangri-La Diet, etc. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:33:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Tyler http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-395902 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:24:00 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-395902 Bob you hit the nail on the head, times have changed, portions have changed and simple solutions are failing to address complex problems. Simply walking a mile or two to and from work isn't enough anymore, especially given the calorie rich foods we're all eating and the increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Technology is making it too easy to do so much that requires so little physical effort. Until people realize they have to push themselves the extra proverbial miles, it's not going to change. Bob you hit the nail on the head, times have changed, portions have changed and simple solutions are failing to address complex problems. Simply walking a mile or two to and from work isn’t enough anymore, especially given the calorie rich foods we’re all eating and the increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Technology is making it too easy to do so much that requires so little physical effort. Until people realize they have to push themselves the extra proverbial miles, it’s not going to change.

]]> by: Bob Sherman http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-375611 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:41:43 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-375611 In the 1950s you could not find fast food in India. Hardly even in the U.S. And, the vegetarian diet of most in India had to be a factor in keeping most people slim. Walking a mile works off about 100 calories. Not hard to keep slim eating rice and veggies. But, today... There are 540 calories in a Bic Mac. And, don''t forget the 790 calories in an Angus Bacon & Cheese.. You'll want a large fries with that, right? Of course, for another 500 calories. And, let's ease up on the drink with only a medium Coca-Cola® Classic for another 220 calories. (see http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutrition_facts.html) OK. That's one Big Mac, large fries, medium Coke for 1260 calories. Gotta walk more than 12 miles to work that baby off. Our lifestyles have brought most Americans to the point of over indulging in high caloric foods and reducing our need to exert ourselves. No wonder we're fat. In the 1950s you could not find fast food in India. Hardly even in the U.S.

And, the vegetarian diet of most in India had to be a factor in keeping most people slim.

Walking a mile works off about 100 calories. Not hard to keep slim eating rice and veggies.

But, today…

There are 540 calories in a Bic Mac. And, don'’t forget the 790 calories in an Angus Bacon & Cheese.. You’ll want a large fries with that, right? Of course, for another 500 calories. And, let’s ease up on the drink with only a medium Coca-Cola® Classic for another 220 calories. (see http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutrition_facts.html)

OK. That’s one Big Mac, large fries, medium Coke for 1260 calories.

Gotta walk more than 12 miles to work that baby off.

Our lifestyles have brought most Americans to the point of over indulging in high caloric foods and reducing our need to exert ourselves.

No wonder we’re fat.

]]> by: jasonfiorini http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-364505 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:50:23 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-364505 well said well said

]]> by: bennetta http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-363208 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:18:13 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-363208 Getting a desk job has been my downfall. All my previous jobs (natural foods store database manager/teacher) have been relatively aerobic in comparison. Since I started sitting in this cubicle more than three years ago, I’ve put on about 25 lbs. I blame my job. For me, weight loss is a lifestyle thing. It’s extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to make up the burnt calories you’d get from eight hours of constant movement vs. eight hours of sitting in a chair. I’m also not really the gym type, as it seems really unnatural to me, like I’m cramming what I should be doing into a small time period, but can’t, because I’m forced to sit here at my desk like veal. Moreover, the type of exercise is not the same (long endurance vs. short burst), but most importantly, intense workouts cause my appetite to rage. I suppose that’s the crux of it for weight loss purposes, and why gym plans tend to fail. Intense workouts cause intense hunger. Remaining active throughout the day doesn’t. My solution, which I took up about two months ago, has been to walk to work. While walking 5 miles twice a day (often in the rain) isn’t for everyone, I’ve found it to be the best alternative to having an active job that I can find. So far, I’ve lost about 8 lbs. That was a mouthful! Getting a desk job has been my downfall. All my previous jobs (natural foods store database manager/teacher) have been relatively aerobic in comparison. Since I started sitting in this cubicle more than three years ago, I’ve put on about 25 lbs. I blame my job.

For me, weight loss is a lifestyle thing. It’s extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to make up the burnt calories you’d get from eight hours of constant movement vs. eight hours of sitting in a chair. I’m also not really the gym type, as it seems really unnatural to me, like I’m cramming what I should be doing into a small time period, but can’t, because I’m forced to sit here at my desk like veal. Moreover, the type of exercise is not the same (long endurance vs. short burst), but most importantly, intense workouts cause my appetite to rage.

I suppose that’s the crux of it for weight loss purposes, and why gym plans tend to fail. Intense workouts cause intense hunger. Remaining active throughout the day doesn’t.

My solution, which I took up about two months ago, has been to walk to work. While walking 5 miles twice a day (often in the rain) isn’t for everyone, I’ve found it to be the best alternative to having an active job that I can find. So far, I’ve lost about 8 lbs.

That was a mouthful!

]]> by: seth http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362966 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:37:24 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362966 "Are they obese because they are less active or less active because they are obese." An important feature of the Indian study was that the amount of activity you got depended on your job. Not on what you did in your free time. So exercise (actually, activity level) was a more potent and less-confounded force than most correlational studies of exercise these days. And people were unlikely to sort themselves into different occupations based on how much they weighed. “Are they obese because they are less active or less active because they are obese.” An important feature of the Indian study was that the amount of activity you got depended on your job. Not on what you did in your free time. So exercise (actually, activity level) was a more potent and less-confounded force than most correlational studies of exercise these days. And people were unlikely to sort themselves into different occupations based on how much they weighed.

]]> by: Jennifer http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362916 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:18:19 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362916 I am 43 and used to run, run, run until my poor knees threw up their hands and said, "Enough!" Then I saw that Dean Ornish was asked whether running was better than walking and he said that walking was better because you can do it longer, it's easier on the ol' bag of bones, and the calories spent are equivalent in the long run. So I make sure that I walk for at least 60 minutes each day whether on a treadmill on a good incline or around my neighborhood. I'm not built like a marathoner but I never gained any weight and my knees have forgiven me and we are back on friendly terms. I can see how walking to work or school every day would make a big difference in the amount of obesity an area has. It's impossible to commute on a bike or on foot in most of LA, for example, and people are larger there (or so it seems to me) that New Yorkers, who can do more walking. I am 43 and used to run, run, run until my poor knees threw up their hands and said, “Enough!” Then I saw that Dean Ornish was asked whether running was better than walking and he said that walking was better because you can do it longer, it’s easier on the ol’ bag of bones, and the calories spent are equivalent in the long run. So I make sure that I walk for at least 60 minutes each day whether on a treadmill on a good incline or around my neighborhood. I’m not built like a marathoner but I never gained any weight and my knees have forgiven me and we are back on friendly terms. I can see how walking to work or school every day would make a big difference in the amount of obesity an area has. It’s impossible to commute on a bike or on foot in most of LA, for example, and people are larger there (or so it seems to me) that New Yorkers, who can do more walking.

]]> by: Darrin Thompson http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362904 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:26 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362904 Two things: This moderate amount of exercise probably works best when it's daily and consistent for really long time. TIME recently had a cover story featuring new research indicating that exercising is an ineffective way to lose weight. Although I bet these articles don't really contradict. The kind of exercise that TIME featured is the intense focused fitness club kind, the kind that makes you hungry. Two things:

This moderate amount of exercise probably works best when it’s daily and consistent for really long time.

TIME recently had a cover story featuring new research indicating that exercising is an ineffective way to lose weight. Although I bet these articles don’t really contradict. The kind of exercise that TIME featured is the intense focused fitness club kind, the kind that makes you hungry.

]]> by: david http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362901 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:53:51 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362901 I saw this a while back and almost sent it to you: http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/11/09/0556210/Why-Doesnt-Exercise-Lead-To-Weight-Loss It links to this (the real story): http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/phys-ed-why-doesnt-exercise-lead-to-weight-loss/ For me, exercise stimulates appetite and causes weight gain. I use a combination of SLD (nose clipped breakfasts and lunches) and exercise (biking to work) and consider the SLD to be for weight control and the exercise for general fitness (independent of weight). I saw this a while back and almost sent it to you:

http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/11/09/0556210/Why-Doesnt-Exercise-Lead-To-Weight-Loss

It links to this (the real story):

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/phys-ed-why-doesnt-exercise-lead-to-weight-loss/

For me, exercise stimulates appetite and causes weight gain. I use a combination of SLD (nose clipped breakfasts and lunches) and exercise (biking to work) and consider the SLD to be for weight control and the exercise for general fitness (independent of weight).

]]> by: Sam http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362900 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:53:02 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362900 Uuh, this got nothing to do with this post, actually (just delete my comment after reading it, I found no other way to contact you). Look at the video embedded at this site: http://www.renegadehealth.com/gerson-hbs/ The old lady is talking about her fathers experiments, using foods to cure deseases, and funny thing, the one fat she explicitely mentions at the end of the (interesting part of the) video is flaxseed oil. I thoung this video about food and health might be of interest to you. Kind regards, Sam Uuh, this got nothing to do with this post, actually (just delete my comment after reading it, I found no other way to contact you).

Look at the video embedded at this site:
http://www.renegadehealth.com/gerson-hbs/

The old lady is talking about her fathers experiments, using foods to cure deseases, and funny thing, the one fat she explicitely mentions at the end of the (interesting part of the) video is flaxseed oil.

I thoung this video about food and health might be of interest to you.

Kind regards,
Sam

]]> by: Charles http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362890 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:26:47 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2009/11/19/obesity-and-your-commute/#comment-362890 Correlation is not causation, of course. Are they obese because they're less active, or are they less active because they are obese? (Just as Gary Taubes makes the case that you're not fat because you eat too much; you eat too much because you're fat.) I know that when my diet is good, I'm more active and more interested in being active. When in the past my diet has been bad, I've been much more likely to sit around and watch TV, or get in the car when I could walk or bike. Now if you live in L.A., and work 30 miles from where you live, walking isn't an option of course... Correlation is not causation, of course.

Are they obese because they’re less active, or are they less active because they are obese? (Just as Gary Taubes makes the case that you’re not fat because you eat too much; you eat too much because you’re fat.)

I know that when my diet is good, I’m more active and more interested in being active. When in the past my diet has been bad, I’ve been much more likely to sit around and watch TV, or get in the car when I could walk or bike.

Now if you live in L.A., and work 30 miles from where you live, walking isn’t an option of course…

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