I grew up in the South. That means that I’ve seen my fair share of rotund individuals. People in the southern parts of the United States LOVE to eat. As a kid I shoveled a wide range of delightful treats down my throat. It wasn’t uncommon to eat fried chicken, pork neck bones, homemade macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fried pork chops, and sweet tea with enough sugar to bring a dead man to life all in one week.
Did I mention there was no public gym where I grew up? If you gathered the nerve to run a half mile the locals would call you a “fitness nut”. The same attitude still permeates the atmosphere in the south today.
Time Magazine addressed this topic in a July 2009 article. Among the list of reasons for the south’s scale tipping tendencies were:
- Poverty
- Lack of grocery stores
- Lack of physical activity
- Hot weather
These are more like excuses to be fat than reasons for being overweight. If you have any interaction with the South at all then you know I’m telling the truth. Waistlines in the South are expanding rapidly. It will only get worse with time.
What do you think is the cause?
Come down to the comments section and add your $.02.
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I never have trouble finding a grocery store and I would rather be in the gym on a hot summer day than leave my house on a cold day. I don’t know where the fuck Time Magazine got their info, but then again…I’m far from fat.
I believe that the South is built on generations of eat what you want. There is no motivation to work out because everyone is satisfied knowing that the next person is as big as or bigger than them.
In South Florida, obesity is almost like a four leaf clover. But I think this stems from various islanders with a different mindset about eating.
It does look like the farther south you go, the people do get fatter…
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4171160.ece
I’m from the south and I see it as pure laziness. The huge people I know love to eat and hate to exercise.
A fit southerner? I must investigate.
That is quite shocking.
I don’t know much about Australia, but I didn’t think they had an obesity problem. Looks like the US model of life is taking its toll worldwide.
We are living a very sedentary lifestyle these days. Sit all day at work, sit in traffic on the way home in the car and then grab your Hungry Man in your Laz-E-Boy while watching mindless reality TV and call it a night.
Unlike the north where people walk more and use public transportation (subways and such) which could lead to the burning of more calories.
I can see why our nation is overweight, but this doesn’t excuse it.
It’s all in what we are known for cooking and eating. 90% of the “Soul Food” is cooked with different forms of fat. When it’s eaten, it’s not in small portions. There is nothing wrong with eating these things, but when you go beyond moderation, you are bound to gain weight.
Eat.Sit.Eat.Sit.