I had medical procedure this morning. My girlfriend drove me there, waited and then drove me home as it would be better for me not to drive post procedure. Ella es una grande joya.
On the way back she offered to treat me to breakfast as I had not eaten for the 24 hours prior. I mentioned something about Waffle House. The pecan waffles there are just killer and you just gotta love that ambiance. If it was good enough for Roy ‘Tin Cup’ McAvoy, it ought to be good enough for me.
But that is not what we did. She saw an IHOP on the way there so in we went. I’ve only eaten at IHOP 2 or 3 times before, and the last time was at least 10 years ago, maybe more. They are nice restaurants. They appear to be clean. The food is good. It is just not a place I normally go.
This particular IHOP was in Memphis, by gawd, Tennessee. Tennessee ties with Alabama as number 2 on the hit parade of percent adult obesity. Their rate is 31.6%. The border of Mississippi is just a few short miles south. They top the chart at a rate of 33.8%. Going west, number 8 at 30% Arkansas, is just across the river. Memphis is in Shelby County, TN. An article in the local newspaper stated, “The health officials who are investigating Shelby County’s chronically high fetal and infant-mortality rates say they’ve identified a startling common denominator in most of the babies’ deaths: obese mothers.” Read the rest of the article I’m beginning to think the buckle on the Bible Belt has the monogram FAT .
The above is a preamble to how I felt when I walked in IHOP. Remember the old TV show, Twilight Zone? I thought I had stepped into an episode except everything was not in black and white. The last time I saw that many grossly overweight folks in one spot was when I accidentally stumbled on to a Trekkie convention that was at a hotel where I was staying. That was scary. This was more so. There was a threesome across from us, two guys and gal. All of them spilled over both sides of their chairs.
The men look to be a minimal of 50 kilos over ideal. The young lady was not far behind, but probably only because she was shorter. Seeing them, I started looking around. At practically every table were folks well into the obese range. I told Robin I wanted to leave. I was afraid of what would happen to me if Rod Serling did not show up.
Part of the problem and I am sure it is the draw to these places is the portion size. Robin and I have gotten when we go out to eat where we split an entrée. We usually get an appetizer or salad in addition. Ninety-five percent of the time that is more than enough food. Sometimes it is too much. I did not notice anyone splitting portions here.
At 187 centimeters and 100 kilos I am a little bigger than I would like to be. If I could lose 7 to 9 kilos I would be happy. I know that when I get much above where I am now I just do not feel good. I do not feel nimble. My energy levels go down. It is not a place I want to be. I just cannot imagine being 50 kilos overweight.
I don’t why, but it depresses me to see how fat folks are these days. I’m not sure of all the reasons why for the high obesity rate, but I do know there has been a lot of research in that area. My first blush response is that it is a combination of factors.
For one, folks spend too much time in front of the TV and other tech gadgets. According Nielson Media Research the average American household spends 8.25 hours in front of the TV in a 24 hour period. On an individual basis, for folks over 2, it is 4.5 hours per day. Nielsen Media Stat Sheet
They are not outside doing things anymore. If they are, they are doing something like using golf carts while golfing. I cannot enumerate the number of times people have told me I was weird because I was walking and carrying my bag. Excuse me that is how the game is meant to be played. It was not designed as a rolling drunk in a self-propelled cart.
The next obvious culprits are the corporations that push unhealthy food and drink on us. If you are sitting in front of the TV you are bombarded with ads for soft drinks and fast foods. These ads work. Just look at the obesity rates. No one needs sugared water. The most common restaurant foods are dietary disasters. The large mega-corporation food companies push products that are only loosely in the food pyramid. They are high in sugars, starches and unpronounceable chemicals.
I should not be amazed by this by now. I will be behind someone in the grocery store or convenience store, watching as they spend mega-bucks. Then I will start trying to find real food in the pile on the conveyor belt. Frequently it is a hopeless cause. This informal survey would indicate that American food dollars go towards soft drinks, bottle water (now there is a winner – for the corporations), and various ready-to-eat-pop-in-the-microwave products. Oh, let’s not forget the chips and candy.
What this distills down to is corporate profit over the general good, and a government unwilling to do anything about it.
What really tears me up is seeing terribly overweight children. This is not a child’s natural state. They did not get this way without enabling parents. A long time ago as a Health Inspector I used to inspect school cafeterias. The food was not four star (except for the home-made rolls), but they did pledge alliance the food pyramid. From what I understand this is long gone.
Perhaps the final culprit is the introspection that so many folks seem to lack. I have no idea if this is a new or continuing phenomenon. But a little would have folks thinking about what they put in their bodies and how they spend their time.
I’m certainly far from the first to say these things, but it is a message that appears to be falling on deaf ears. I suspect I will continue to be depressed by the number of obese folks in our society for a long time.
Oh Robin had an omelet made with egg substitute and cheese with some fruit on the side. She ate half of it. I had two crepes stuffed with egg, spinach, mushrooms and some cheese. I’m sure it was still way too many calories.
If you thought that was bad, go to a buffet. Last time we went to Golden Corral it was amazing at the times and the loads that folks went to get.