Actually, obesity rates are highest among the poor here in the US. And as we know, those who make under $30K were the only income demographic that John Kerry won in 2004. The linking of McBurgers to red staters doesn't stick.

Except in rare cases, obesity is caused by lifestyle choices. Eating a healthy diet that is low-fat and plant-based, and getting daily exercise would not only help people with obesity, but would help this nation with the health care issues and costs caused by obesity (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, et al).

Instead of creating a national health plan to deal with the symptoms of an overweight society, how about we deal with the overweight society first?

Change your life.

Actually, obesity rates are highest among the poor here in the US. . .

Except in rare cases, obesity is caused by lifestyle choices.

The people who chose to be poor also chose to be fat?

No, the reason poor people tend to be fat is that fattening food is what's cheap to produce--starches, mostly.

No. People choose to eat bad foods and to not exercise.

If nobody liked Big Macs, McDonalds would make something else. It'd be cheaper to make portabella mushroom burgers, but NOBODY WANTS THEM.

Supply-demand. People demand bad food.

And poor folks are most likely uneducated about nutrition.

The best diet is a diet centered on whole grains and veggies, and very little protein or fat.

Well, as usual, you Mucked-up again. People don't always choose to eat bad foods, sometimes that is all they can afford. I suspect you don't have a child, Muckie, much less children, or you would understand the situation alot of families are in these days. For example, a lady w/4 kids goes shopping. Now, for 1 dollar she can buy 1,one,1 apple, OR, she can buy 4 apple pies for that same dollar. She has no choice. Sure she would like to feed her kids apples rather than the apple pies, but she can't afford it. Sure, she would like to feed her kids steaks, but for the price of one steak can buy several pounds of hamburger meat, and her kids can eat for days. It's not about ignorance, it's about necessity.

Well, scotty, sounds like there are lots of choices in that paragraph of yours. Leave out the steaks, hamburger and apple pies. She should pick up a sack of brown rice and some fresh veggies instead. Make a veggie stir fry.

Pessimist, better be careful. Oprah was sued for talking negatively about the beef industry. :)

Most people of lower socio-economic backgrounds are overweight for a couple of reasons. First, their knowledge of good nutrition is very limited. Second, foods that are loaded with fat and starch are cheaper for them to purchase. However, those who can well afford the best in the food chain have no reason to be overweight, as far as I am concerned.

Pessimist, better be careful. Oprah was sued for talking negatively about the beef industry. :)

And proceeded to devastate them both in the public eye and the courts.

So Muckpup, poor Americans are to live on brown rice and veggies 3 times a day? You truly have lost contact w/reality.

I wonder what fat roly poly Karl Rove has to say on the subject?

It just confirms they are trying to turn this country into a Third World Nation.

There's also a cultural factor that muck has ignored. Low income people just don't eat the same things that middle and higher income folks eat. And they probably aren't going to change regardless. What seems "commonsense" to muck, is considered weird food to lots in the lower income bracket. I worked in a shelter and trust me, the residents wouldn't touch brown rice or stir-fried vegetables. Not to mention that's there's no protein or calcium in brown rice and veggies.

Scotty, if *everybody* ate veggies and brown rice everyday, there wouldn't be a health care crisis. Everybody would be thin and fit.

Ann, did you see the study the last week or so that said osterperosis in vegans (vegetarians who don't eat any animal products, ie no dairy) is extremely rare?

You don't need much protein, either.

Click the first link I gave to read more from a Dr. on the subject.

I did, and of course, he wants near 100 dollars from me for his "information". You gotta pay, you gotta pay...Muckdog, what is your relationship to this man and what are you being paid to promote his website?

muck, I am more than aware of the benefits of healthy eating and a vegetarian diet. however, culturally, the poorer groups don't go that way. in many cultures, eating meat is a status symbol.

but if everyone ate brown rice and vegetables every day....lots of those rich cattlemen in Texas wouldn't have enough money to make campaign contributions to DeLay.

but I digress.....the post was about Mad Cow and how Bush policies are making it more likely because he won't do anything about it. shocker. I imagine that's what got Reagan, all those rich, red meat based dinners at the White House.

the reality is, we need real reform for slaughterhouses and meat processing plants. it won't happen while Bush is in office, he owes the cattlemen too much.

muck,

Great posts, I agree with you...people have to be held more accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to THEIR OWN HEALTH

Ann,

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe I read somewhere that the only way Mad Cow can affect a human is through eating the brains.

If this is true, then what percentage of the population can really be affected?

bigdog, no one knows for sure how Mad Cow is transmitted 100% of the time. and the cattlemen's groups don't want anyone to find out. just remember, the FDA screws up all the time. but if you want to trust them, go ahead and eat all the burgers you want.