Why can't they both be awful? I would worry less about which is worse. Just don't put either into your body.

I'm a person with a legitimate physical propensity to gain weight (hypothyroidism), and although I empathize with you, I don't agree entirely. Once I committed myself to it, I lost over 100 lbs and have more or less kept it off. See my pictures in the "Faces and names" thread in the Media Center: I am in very good shape, and all it took was a closer look at my diet and increased physical activity, two things everyone ought to do anyway.

There are SO many people who claim to have "tried everything", but never made a true effort to change themselves for the better. The negative perception of people who are obese is driven mostly (at least in my case) by a judgement of their personality. If you're fat and happy, then good for you, but I don't want to hear you whine about it if you're not making a concerted effort to do something about it.

You summed it up nicely.

Agree with you 100%. And don't get me wrong; I know there are a high number of folks out there that simply don't want to put out the effort to get healthy. Both my wife and I made a choice to get healthier 4 years ago. Been slow going at times and there have been set backs but we soldiered on together. Slow progress is still progress.

Likewise, I am 100% opposed to the soda ban. Too much of a slippery slope for my tastes, no pun intended.

Keep up the good work. You will be amazed at how much your energy level will improve the closer you get to your ideal weight.

I agree. I hate the idea of government banning pretty much any consumer goods. If everyone would just stop buying that shit, they'd stop making it. That's how it should work. :thumb:

Congrats on your slow & steady progress getting back in shape. I understand what you are dealing with. I sit at a desk all damn day and I gain weight like nobody's business when I get lazy with exercise & diet.

Not saying soda is a health elixir, but ANY food or drink in excess is not good. My God, could these elected pricks find something more beneficial to work on? What a waste of time and resources to enforce this crap. Health savings? Bullshit. Any cost savings are offset by the government waste to enforce the regulations. I want to make my own decisions, not let reeruned politicians make them for me. Politicians are at the same intellectual level as actors. One of the best feelings you have is when you can resist the temptation of a food you know is bad for you because YOU decided it was healthier not to eat/drink it. I want to have the freedom to make that choice and feel good about myself, not live in some Gulag/1984 society where some asshat limits my choices. How can you be happy when choices are made for you? Do you sheep love being controlled so much? People used to abhor "the man" interfering in their lives. Now they welcome it.

You do realize that diabetes is quickly becoming an epidemic, right? And that obesity now costs America about 190 billion in health care costs. And that healthy people are picking up the tab for unhealthy people in the form of higher premiums and reduced access to quick medical care?

Yes I do. Does that mean the government needs to limit soft drink size? I'm all for spending money to educate, although these are the same people who pushed margarine over butter. Again, not saying soda is good for you, but this is slippery slope. Why is everyone so keen on giving your decision making over to the government? Be a man, be an individual. Make your own decisions. You self righteous people cannot save everyone, and what gave you the right to make decisions for everyone else?

I agree. I don't want the government making decisions for people.

Why are there so many ridiculously fat people walking around eating shit, drinking soda, smoking cigarettes, etc? What is going on that makes so many people completely neglect themselves?

Short term pleasure overrides rational thought about long term helath benefits. Until the pain of being obese becomes severe enough, it is not enough to get them to stop the bad behavior. Point is, this should be an individual choice, not the government. And all of the BS about health costs, don't be so easily swayed by government statistics. They have an agenda too. These are the same people that told us the world would end by cutting 2.5% from the budget.

What BS about health costs? You don't think health costs are actually rising and have been drastically doing so for some time?

It's not government statistics. The government isn't the sole source of statistics and information about rising health costs. That can be found from any independent source. And it's an overwhelmingly agreed fact that healthcare costs are drastically rising and will continue to do so until serious changes are made.

:(

Mental health, and self worth.

Are you suggesting that the majority of the people I see around my office have mental heath/self worth issues?