Dot in the Sky (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dotinthesky) wrote2003-09-16 01:42 pm
dotinthesky) wrote2003-09-16 01:42 pm
just something I've noticed
I had to go to Camden Town this morning, to drop more handouts at the printer. It's beautiful outside but I had to go underground and take the Tube.
The seats were full so I had to stand. I stood near a woman holding a little girl. The woman said to another woman, in an american accent, "mom, we get off the next stop." The train stopped, they stood up and left. They were huge.
Now, there's something I've been noticing lately which I find quite strange: everytime I see a morbidly obese person, they always turn out to be American. There are hundreds of thousands of Americans visiting London, and they come in all shapes and sizes. But, but, but... I've never seen a morbidly obese person who was not American.
You might be wondering why I find it strange. If someone is fat, who cares except that person? It's nobody's business. I know that, and I agree with that. But, just out of curiosity, I'm interested in this phenomenon (and it is a phenomenon - there are even books about it) because it does represent, maybe symbolically, the dark side of America's culture: on one hand, excess, indulgence, lack of control; on the other hand, hopelessness, the individual as a freak show, sadness. In one way or another, those are feelings and notions which I attach to America nowadays. Could it be that unhealthy lifestyles and a drift away from a more integrated life with nature is the result of this - the ultimate result of industrialization? Is it an example of what can happen to capitalist cultures that have strayed too far away from a point where care for the individual is a priority? Or is it just an example of a society where creature comforts are more valued than simple things like exercise and healthy eating?
I've been to a few cities in America (Athens Georgia, New York City, various parts of Florida, Buffalo New York, Hampstead Massachussets) and I know they are all very distinct from each other... still, some cultural similarities can be drawn which hold the American people together and make them stand out from the rest of the world. Morbid obesity just might be one of the most glaring ones , something that is becoming more noticeable to the rest of the world.
The seats were full so I had to stand. I stood near a woman holding a little girl. The woman said to another woman, in an american accent, "mom, we get off the next stop." The train stopped, they stood up and left. They were huge.
Now, there's something I've been noticing lately which I find quite strange: everytime I see a morbidly obese person, they always turn out to be American. There are hundreds of thousands of Americans visiting London, and they come in all shapes and sizes. But, but, but... I've never seen a morbidly obese person who was not American.
You might be wondering why I find it strange. If someone is fat, who cares except that person? It's nobody's business. I know that, and I agree with that. But, just out of curiosity, I'm interested in this phenomenon (and it is a phenomenon - there are even books about it) because it does represent, maybe symbolically, the dark side of America's culture: on one hand, excess, indulgence, lack of control; on the other hand, hopelessness, the individual as a freak show, sadness. In one way or another, those are feelings and notions which I attach to America nowadays. Could it be that unhealthy lifestyles and a drift away from a more integrated life with nature is the result of this - the ultimate result of industrialization? Is it an example of what can happen to capitalist cultures that have strayed too far away from a point where care for the individual is a priority? Or is it just an example of a society where creature comforts are more valued than simple things like exercise and healthy eating?
I've been to a few cities in America (Athens Georgia, New York City, various parts of Florida, Buffalo New York, Hampstead Massachussets) and I know they are all very distinct from each other... still, some cultural similarities can be drawn which hold the American people together and make them stand out from the rest of the world. Morbid obesity just might be one of the most glaring ones , something that is becoming more noticeable to the rest of the world.
no subject
And it goes hand in hand with the suburban life. Suburbia is living just outside the city. You must drive to and from work, and drive to a grocery store, drive to anywhere. The reason being, is that you are completely surrounded by houses. Nothing but houses as far as the eye can see in "planned communities" that often leave out things you would find in an old fashioned neighborhood: parks, schools, markets, and doctors offices. They are all far enough away to where you have to drive. And this is where most families live because it is "safer", and the homes are bigger and cheaper. What I have found though, is that they actually isolate the individual. The kids in Columbine came from such an affluent suburb. In fact, every school shooting case I can think of happened in suburbia.
On the flip side, many people who live in rural America and DO NOT work on the farm because most of the work has been mechanized now. And there are actually very few farms now. They are mostly owned by giant corporations. And when they do employ people, it is ususally in the form of migrant workers/illegal aliens, who are this day and ages answer to what slaves were in the 1800s. Seriously. So what do people do in the country? Well, they eat. Lots. BBQ, pies, cornbread, grits, pancakes, eggs, MEAT galore. I know. I went to high school in the country. They had yearly festivals devoted to food, food, food. It's all about having babies, a few cows, and a big truck.
And people all over America are in debt over there ears with this expired American dream. And they are depressed because they know it. Almost like they are stocking up for a bad winter with that extra fat.
no subject
I know that in some progressive areas of America (parts of California, Portland, etc) there's been a shift to the "Slow Food" movement - which includes a return to eating properly at the table, eating traditional food which is nutritionally rich, becoming more aware of a life that's different from the "fast food - fast everything" life. I was wondering if you felt that, if you have seen a shift in some people away from what you just described.
no subject
Also, I know for a fact that obesity tends to be higher in low-class families, exactly because fatty-food is cheaper. If you go to an organic food store, everything seems so expensive compared to that 99 cents burger across the road...
no subject
The burden of proof, by the way, is on those advocating free, rational will - philosophers and theory-minded psychologists have run themselves ragged trying to defend this notion in the light of overwhelming proof to the contrary.
(Even your critical ability has been determined to some degree: I'm sure you have innate intellectual capacities; beyond that, my guess is that you have in some way had a personal history involving some kind of disenfranchisement or marginality - further strengthening your identification with the role of critic, and of survivor; the second stab I'm making is that you're university-educated, also a question of class culture (if not economics). If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there's a kernel of truth here... and lest you accuse me of an ad hominem argument, my response is that the man is the argument - that your psychology - and your history, and your class- informs your argument, and really, anyone's argument.)
What about your sense of empathy for those victimized by these forces? Nobody is lazy - people naturally seek an optimal level of stimulation, occupation. But after being beaten down by various cultures - family, school, work, suburbs, and more ideological cultures/structures - people do in fact become helpless.
(Do a search on this phenomenon, "learned helplessness". You know the story of the dog that got zapped when he went near an electric fence? [And it wasn't every time, either; it was enough times, statistically, for him to expect being zapped...] The fence got moved, but he learned never to go past the line....
People forget how to see, they lose a sense of the horizon of possibilities; they get bogged down in obligations they signed up for before they knew any different. They get tired.
People desire health, vitality, freedom, joy. They just don't *know* how to enact these principles.
If you have some plan (of pedagogy, policy, activism) in mind for the demystification of the fat, tired, overworked, zombified masses, I would genuinely love to hear it.
If I sound angry, I am - nothing gets my goat more than the self-righteous judgment of a "survivor".
Wow wow wow
no subject
Re: on gmos
no subject
I agree with your statement: "The primary health concern of society should be obesity because of the predominance of heart disease in modern society"... and also that people need to get exercise. But, as for food being cheap, it's not true for the 3rd world! I come from Brasil, and my family lives in a fairly small countryside city (500,000). The majority of the population is working class - they work long hours, long shifts, they don't have the time to eat healthyly everyday. When it comes to fatty rich food, they are a quick and cheap alternative that people in Brasil find for their meals. I take walks through my city and I see so many unhealthy looking people, with awful skin, and in many ways they are becoming like the U.S. There's also the question of people having lost the tradition of cooking together, of passing down to younger generations the recipes for good dishes. If you ask any teenager what they like eating (irrespective of their class) they'll tell you that it's junk food.
no subject
My mom's family comes from this small village (not the city I mentioned earlied), very agrarian. They eat everything fried in pig's fat, which is very bad! But before, they used to climb a mountain in the morning, taking the cows, etc, and climb it down in the evening... they were like stick figures. Now, because the culture of the area is changing, they don't execise anymore but still eat everything in pig's fat. Result: everyone dropping dead from heart attacks in their early 50s.
no subject
do you exercise or practice any sport?
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
pull your trousers down and bend over.
no subject
I sure will
WACK
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
~~~
tell K that I finally got a chance to look at his work - I LOVE SUSIE THE SPACEGIRL!!!! He's such a genius...
no subject
The general consensus in my department is that Morbid Obesity is growing everywhere, but seems to be particularly critical in North America. I haven't spoken to any of the professors about it in any lengthy way, but we have some newspapers clippings up which are about this phenomenon.
no subject
I work for a health insurance company, and I am shocked daily (perhaps not as shocked as I once was, after a few years of working here) at the amount of obese women that work for our company here in Portland. It's even a known and discussed fact by the people who work in my department and other parts of IT (who for some reason seem to be lacking in Obesity) that this is so.
The problem here is pretty obvious and my company can be used as a metaphor for our country, or at the very least a slice-of-life:
We employ more females than males, and in general (I don't have exact statistics, please don't jump on me) from my observation the chances of Obesity seem to run higher in females due to the way they process food post-pregnancy or on birth control. At my workplace, we employ a high number of claims processors and customer service reps and Females seem to be hired more often in these positions.
These jobs are almost completely computer and phone dependant, and literally require that the ladies sit on the phones and at their keyboards for hours at a time. It's a fairly boring job, so many of them will bring in little snacks and candies to keep themselves entertained, because we all know that boredom often leads to eating...
There's a second component to this problem. Because many of the Claims people are given short breaks and lunches (more claims processed = more efficiency & better customer service = more money saved by company & more customer referrels = better bottom line) - These women literally have to go off the clock when they call our helpdesk for help. It's insane - Our company has created a lunch room grill inside the building which offers many many fatty foods for very cheap prices. There are healthier options, and a gym also in the building, but I'll give you three choices where most of the ladies spend their time and money when given the choice.
It's one of the many reasons why my company sometimes disgusts me.
no subject
It's true, boredom is a big component in making people put on weight. The way our societies are, the workplace is this daily journey in which we fight against boredom and mind-numbing work just so we can escape at 5.30. I've made a prerogative to go to the gym during my lunch hour, but only because my friend Megan convinced me to it... and it helps cut my day in half - it puts a dent into my boredom. But the rest of the day is filled with chocolate treats, coffee, snacks, etc. I could see how this would be a minefield for someone in a more boring job than mine, and with little disposition to exercise in their lunch hour.
And one could say as well that fast food is packaged in a way that makes it seem less "boring" - vibrant colours on the package, advertisement that suggests a funny or exciting lifestyle attached to the food. The food industry grabs our attention by making us believe that we are not boring/bored if we eat what they produce. Even Blockbuster movies attach themselves to fast food! And pop stars drink Pepsi. Some kind of subliminal signal is sent that if we want their glamorous lifestyle, if we want to escape our boring lives, we can reach it by drinking that pepsi.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject