Everywhere you look, obesity is there. I am not advocating to be a food policeman, but we need to start making a voice in our land. People do not like being overweight. But certain foods are addictive and the public needs to be educated on proper unbiased nutrition. Meat and dairy products and foods that are fried are absolutely in no way beneficial to the human body. The human physiological system is completely adaptable to a total vegetarian diet. But with the refined sugars and fatty foods that poison our body and cloud our minds, addiction sets in deep and becomes 'nearly' impossible to break the bonds.
I am challenging every nurse to take up the baton on this one. If we, health care professionals cannot make the first stand on the nutrition value of America, then the general population have little to no hope.
oy is right lisa, sounds like some ppl are a little too righteous when it comes to being a vegetarian.
When you are vegetarian you are not better than everyone else, you can still have the same health problem as everyone else, you are not imune and you are NOT more intelligent than anyone else here. That statement was way uncalled for!
Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
Guys, I ask you all (veggies and omnivores alike) to PLEASE cease the personal attacks. Comments along the lines of "What do you expect from THAT poster," OR "you are uneducated for believing (whatever)," don't serve to further arguments on either side.
I am someone who works at being a vegetarian for health reasons. I have no opinion on what our bodies were designed to do, only how I feel when practicing certain health habits. I have no aspirations to be a vegan and disagree with the assertion that all meat products are evil and unhealthy. When teaching nutrition to patients, I include all food options as only through offering maximum flexibility can we help our patients to succeed.
I didn't see anything that was a personal attack on others in the original post. Perhaps we could put away our feelings on this hot button issue and be dispassionate in our responses. I'm not sure it's any different than any other post here that encourages us to be activists (in a respectful way that does not harm our patients.)
That goes for all of us. I appreciate those who have debated scientifically on both sides and without personal attacks.
I'm going to lock this for a little while so this friendly reminder doesn't get lost in the many pages of responses. This is clearly a topic of interest or we would be discussing it this long.
I've read all the responses and love the varying viewpoints. Just please be kind to each other.
Sorry, but I had to post the following. And I was a vegetarian for awhile after my anatomy class. But not anymore. Anyway, this made me chuckle.
Peta send tofu and veggie burgers to cannibal
Germany's self-confessed cannibal killer Armin Meiwes has been sent a vegetarian cookbook and a Christmas hamper full of veggie burgers and tofu.
Animals rights group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is behind the stunt and says it would be a major coup if it could convert Meiwes to vegetarianism.
Meiwes is on trial for killing, dismembering and eating the flesh of another man.
He has admitted killing and eating his victim, but denies it was murder. Peta is hoping the mouth-watering recipes in the book and the hamper of vegetarian foods will persuade him to mend his ways.
The vegetarian starter kit was sent to Meiwes' prison cell in the town of Kassel, where the trial is taking place.
Peta spokesman Juergen Faulmann said: "What this man did to a German computer expert is done to other creatures every day.
"The cruel scenario of slaughtering, cutting up, portioning, freezing and eating of body parts is the grim reality for more than 450 million sentient individuals that are killed in this country every year."
"People who eat meat feel disgusted by human flesh. Vegetarians feel disgusted by any sort of meat."
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
I didn't read all the posts, since I really don't care about the meat/don't eat meat issue....we are all free to eat what we want to. I don't like to see veggies say that meat eating is a major factor for disease, though. If that were the case, you would see veggies with far fewer diseases, and in my experience both as a nurse and in my personal life, that's just not the case. (Linda McCartney ring a bell?) The bottom line is that moderation is the key.....and with the serving sizes you get in this country, it's no wonder people aren't at a healthy weight. It's not what you eat, but how much and how often.
Please excuse me, but I have to go sue McDonalds now........
"Meat and dairy products and foods that are fried are absolutely in no way beneficial to the human body. The human physiological system is completely adaptable to a total vegetarian diet."
- tggibson.......
I completely disagree with you on that point. Why do you think we have different shaped teeth?
I do agree with the obesity obesity issue. There are too many overweight people (I should know, I work on a surgical floor, we get all the roux en y's)
On the other hand, there are too many women who are at risk, or already have osteoperosis. I know you can get an adequate amount of calcium from other sources, but who is really going to eat enough green veggies to meet those requirements? Studies have shown that low fat dairy products do aid in weight loss (skim milk, low fat yogurt and cottage cheese, etc.) Also, how about anemia in this country. I have a few friends who don't eat meat because they feel it is fattening and who are tired all the time, very pale, etc. Meat is an important part of a well balanced diet. I'm not saying eat it all the time, but in MODERATION and fixed properly, it is very healthy for you.
The key is EVERYTHING IN MODERATION, and a little exercise wouldn't hurt anybody.
I am very discouraged that you put that quote in there, as a nurse YOU are supposed to be promoting good health with diet and exercise and I don't feel that you are. I feel you are completely wrong in saying something like that.
I triaged 2 kids in the ER last week, a 3 year old that weighed 75 pounds and a 5 year old that weighed 125 pounds. Blew my mind!! How did that happen? I cannot recall when I was a child another child that was that obese. I look at this like I look at my patient's that smoke. Smoker's know that cigarettes are bad for them, me fussing at them isn't gonna change anything, just make them resentful. The parent's of these children know that they shouldn't overfeed them, but they do anyway. I don't know what the answer is. I'll leave it to the doctors and the dieticians.
I triaged 2 kids in the ER last week, a 3 year old that weighed 75 pounds and a 5 year old that weighed 125 pounds. Blew my mind!! How did that happen? I cannot recall when I was a child another child that was that obese. I look at this like I look at my patient's that smoke. Smoker's know that cigarettes are bad for them, me fussing at them isn't gonna change anything, just make them resentful. The parent's of these children know that they shouldn't overfeed them, but they do anyway. I don't know what the answer is. I'll leave it to the doctors and the dieticians.
You make a valid point. Unfortunately some people do not want to hear things that affect them in a most intimate way. It is as though you are attacking them as an individual, a person. This is because a chosen lifestyle has become part of the identity of a given individual and many will defend to their bitter end only to come up without cause.
Our society reflects a disassociative disorder when it comes to TRUE healthy living. We are sold a bill of goods on diet supplemting, adtkins dieting, lose pounds with little to no effort campaigns. With little sacrifice comes much reward.
I understand that my message is against mainstream society and there are many that would like for me to 'leave them alone' as one earlier poster put it. I have to stand alone then and say what most people don't want to hear. America is in a most sickened and diseased state with the root problem of unhealthy eating and health practices. Unsafe sex, alcoholism, illegal use of drugs, co-dependency of legal drugs, violence and sex in media, poor parenting and neglect of children are some of the factors that tear down America.
Here is one article that reflects my above statement in regards to the children of America. As a health care professional, you can make a difference. Educate, rejuvenate, permeate.
You make a valid point. Unfortunately some people do not want to hear things that affect them in a most intimate way. It is as though you are attacking them as an individual, a person. This is because a chosen lifestyle has become part of the identity of a given individual and many will defend to their bitter end only to come up without cause.
Our society reflects a disassociative disorder when it comes to TRUE healthy living. We are sold a bill of goods on diet supplemting, adtkins dieting, lose pounds with little to no effort campaigns. With little sacrifice comes much reward.
I understand that my message is against mainstream society and there are many that would like for me to 'leave them alone' as one earlier poster put it. I have to stand alone then and say what most people don't want to hear. America is in a most sickened and diseased state with the root problem of unhealthy eating and health practices. Unsafe sex, alcoholism, illegal use of drugs, co-dependency of legal drugs, violence and sex in media, poor parenting and neglect of children are some of the factors that tear down America.
Here is one article that reflects my above statement in regards to the children of America. As a health care professional, you can make a difference. Educate, rejuvenate, permeate.
You're post above is excellent. It's so very frustrating that lifestyle changes can do so much good. Yet we don't change and expect a pill or md to fix a lifetime of self-abuse.
Society has to be willing to listen, you can't force things down people's throats, even if it is a crisis situation costing untold billions and billions. Not that you've been forcing it down people's throats.
Good luck. There are others out there with the message your giving. Carry on. I have to be open minded enough to hear and be inspired.
Unfortunately veganism didn't agree with me. Veganism isn't a cureall either.
You're post above is excellent. It's so very frustrating that lifestyle changes can do so much good. Yet we don't change and expect a pill or md to fix a lifetime of self-abuse.
Society has to be willing to listen, you can't force things down people's throats, even if it is a crisis situation costing untold billions and billions. Not that you've been forcing it down people's throats.
Good luck. There are others out there with the message your giving. Carry on. I have to be open minded enough to hear and be inspired.
Unfortunately veganism didn't agree with me. Veganism isn't a cureall either.
No veganism isn't a cureall. But I firmly believ we should detoxify and cleanse our bodies a minimal two times a year. This can be achieved by fasting and eat raw fruits and veggies for 2-4 weeks at a time. With this in mind, the cravings for 'bad' foods normally discontinue after the toxins leave the body.
No veganism isn't a cureall. But I firmly believ we should detoxify and cleanse our bodies a minimal two times a year. This can be achieved by fasting and eat raw fruits and veggies for 2-4 weeks at a time. With this in mind, the cravings for 'bad' foods normally discontinue after the toxins leave the body.
As you know there is a lot of controversy in that. I'm sure you've researched it and come to your conclusions. I wouldn't try to change your firmly held beliefs.
I can't do the fasting, fresh veggie thing because I get too hypoglycemic and freaky. I find though that when I eliminate bad foods, and continue to eat a healthy diet, my cravings discontinue and it has nothing to do with the toxins leaving my body. It has more to do with getting away from the bad foods and feeling well, and "withdrawing" from the bad stuff.
Our bodies have natural defenses for getting rid of toxins and wastes if we quit putting them in. But fasting is necessary.
Many people swear by the well being they get when they fast and detox. That should be their guide. Not me, I feel worse and haven't been able to get beyond that.
I don't know about all the vege non vegie diets etc, I do know that our bodies do thrive on variety. genetics plays a large part of what is healthy for us, considering that european white backrounds lived mostly in areas where fruits and vegies were seasonal, whereas in some tropical regions they had it all year long.
even in african nations fruits and vegies are seasonal the rest of the time they have to subsist on meat milk etc. they don't seem the worst for wear. except their life spans are shorter than ours due to aids, other diseases, and sometimes their diets may contribute such as those tribes that eat milk/blood combos. I can only imagine what drinking blood can do especially using animals that may be infested with diseases or parasites.
but meat in itself doesn't hurt you. maybe the hormones they use on these animals or manner of handling has more to do with it. also as for the obesity thing it is also strongly genetic you can have a hundred people doing the same amount of exercise eating the exact same type and caloires of food and some will get fat and some wont'. some will have heatlh issues others wont', food related or not.
also the increasing of obesity as an epdiemic the numbers so called increasing 3 fold is junk science. all they did was lower the weight charts and people who were considered normal or just slightly overweight became obese overnight without even gaining a pound of weight.
those the got fatter were the ones who were already obese. and as for teaching people what to eat that won't work. diets are very personal things and no one person can say what should be the standard, if one person is a vegie eater only does that mean they should impose that on others through peer pressure, media attention or even laws? wouldn't that be imposing our views of how others should eat drink sleep etc on others?
as for food addictions we are all addicted to food, not one person on this board could just stop eating and not suffer withdrawl affects. we would suffer starvation syptoms after a while. withdrawl symptoms happen when our fuel needs fall below what is needed for survival. same goes for air if our air supply would to fall below needs we would suffer withdrawl symptoms. so we are addicted to air and water too.
as for the true cause of obesity, basically it is a complicated thing, but one could narrow it down to just plain not eating enough and on time and not eating well, ignoring hunger cues, etc, showing the body through non eating and low eating habits that famines happen and when food becomes abundant again it will want to stock up. so famines cause obesity.
first is the famine, trying not to eat, or eat so much when you do due to health considerations or trying to lose weight or at least not gain any more which many can do for a while until saved up hunger catches up with you and the feasting starts. that is why it is called the famine feast cycle. the famine comes first. genetics determines how your body will respond to such a restricted food enviroment.
some bodies put up with it with little fan fare others don't and go into fat storage mode. but in order to have the caloires it needs to do so it needs to get you to overeat so it has extra to store. thus releases of eat hormones, I believe one is called galanine not sure on the spelling, just as an example.
thus the binging (regardless of how hard the person tries not to overeat) that happens to people especially obese people after a period of undereating. sometimes people are so used to the dieting mentality and years of on and off dieting they miss hunger cues and aren't even aware they are undereating until the dreaded days come when they can't seem to stop eating.
so it has little to do with moral character and everything to do with biology.
RR are we allowed to cite websites and books where we got info?
Anyway, this made me chuckle. 
iliel
849 Posts
oy is right lisa, sounds like some ppl are a little too righteous when it comes to being a vegetarian.
When you are vegetarian you are not better than everyone else, you can still have the same health problem as everyone else, you are not imune and you are NOT more intelligent than anyone else here. That statement was way uncalled for!