[joelcolorado]

I find it interesting that a lot of europeans walk to work distances that we have to drive. There is no reason, except being fat and lazy, that a person can not walk 3 miles or more to and from work. But then they cant run to the fast food joint at lunch, to walmart after work to buy some more junk and to the ball games that never seem to end. hah.

We will find that as prices go up, we will change albeit slowly. I think scooters will find their place here and cant wait to see all the fatties with huge fat saddlebags hanging over the seats on both sides. Like the ones at Walmart in the electric scooters.

My wife is a doc and the main complaint of obese ppl is..MY KNEES hurt. Well no shit sherlock.

[JJ]

if God had meant for Americans to walk he wouldn't have made electric scooters. The small town grocery where I work, the electric scooter batteries are always run down because they don't have time to re-charge....the customers ask me to get their groceries for them because they can't get out of the carts, they truly have lost the ability to walk. I told the manager we are part of the problem and she said, no you are ok because you sell produce....

[dsula]

I find it interesting that a lot of europeans walk to work distances that we have to drive. There is no reason, except being fat and lazy, that a person can not walk 3 miles or more to and from work. But then they cant run to the fast food joint at lunch, to walmart after work to buy some more junk and to the ball games that never seem to end. hah.

Could you please back up your remarks by some statistics or such. As I have lived for many years in both Europe and US and I found that Europeens are pretty much as lazy as Americans. Driving and parking in a europeen city is simply so much more painful than in the US that many people don't even bother and simply walk.

[jimmyz]

whatever with this topic over and over. What % of people in the us have sidewalks to be able to walk to work. lol, but yes alot of people wouldn't but i bet you a lot more would if there where sidewalks.

[joelcolorado]

I hurt my knee one time and had to use the carts. BUT, most of the ppl i see using them could sure use the walking. But they park at the door, hobble to the electric scooter and ride the aisles.

I look to see what the obese ppl buy and its pathetic. However, to their credit, since I have been watching what I eat more and more, the cheapest food and comfort foods are the worst for you. Chips and candy are so cheap now. I cant believe the prices for candy bars often 5 for $1. Chips $1 so no wonder they fill up on them.

Just sad. One new case of diabetes ever 4 seconds. And we wonder why. One meal at McDonalds excceeds the daily calories needed. Then you add pepsi all day and breakfast, lunch and snacks and good lord. 100 cals extra a day over the needed amount equals 10 pounds a year of weight onyour body

[heartandseoul]

I am a runner and you know what I wish we had?

Sidewalks.

Yes, the sidewalk would be wonderful. We could do the following without feeling like we're going to be run down by a bunch of screaming, cursing hicks in a pickup (which almost happened to me while running one morning):

What could we do with a sidewalk where I live? We could:

walk or ride a bike to school, our library, church, bank, small grocery store, township park. I could walk my dog. I could ride my horse. I could go running.

These days, to walk anywhere is to take your life in your hands.

Years ago area residents fought at our township and county level for sidewalks and were quickly shot down.

[jimmyz]

where i live we have this"

Welcome to the Tammany Trace, Louisiana's first rails-to-trail conversion. The Tammany Trace is a scenic 31-mile recreational corridor for pedestrians, bicyclists, equestrians, rollerbladers, and joggers.

but no sidewalks good luck getting there. Me and my wife have to take all kinds of back roads just to get to it on bikes.

[hope_full]

Having visited New York, Boston and Chicago (with good mass transit systems), I've observed that their poplace is much leaner. Getting out and walking - just a few blocks every day - is apparently an easy way to NOT GET OBESE.

The Midwest is awash in overweight people, partly because the area is so boring and the weather is so crummy and there's no place to go and nothing to do. Many little towns have no culture and folks just sit around and wait for the latest movie with chain saws and snakes to hit the local video rental store.

I really do believe that depression and lack of satisfaction with life has a lot to do with weight gain. The most popular drugs right now are anti-depressants, followed by remedies for dyspepsia. How happy are we?

[Muckingfess]

I find it interesting that a lot of europeans walk to work distances that we have to drive. There is no reason, except being fat and lazy, that a person can not walk 3 miles or more to and from work. But then they cant run to the fast food joint at lunch, to walmart after work to buy some more junk and to the ball games that never seem to end. hah.

We will find that as prices go up, we will change albeit slowly. I think scooters will find their place here and cant wait to see all the fatties with huge fat saddlebags hanging over the seats on both sides. Like the ones at Walmart in the electric scooters.

My wife is a doc and the main complaint of obese ppl is..MY KNEES hurt. Well no crap sherlock.

I don't disagree with a lot of what you say, but as an obese disabled person I feel I must jump in here.

Your comments about the people at Walmart are insensitive. Some of us cannot stand or walk more than a few steps and need these carts. This morning I walked a quarter mile (with walker) and the pain was unbearable.

I've always been "hefty", played football, rodeoed, roped, and worked hard most of my life. I injured both knees several times during this period. This knee pain caused lack of ability to exercise like I used to.
I then developed spinal stenosis. I kept gaining weight. Now I will be facing a wheelchair. I have elected to have lap band surgery to get this weight off. I'll still end up in a chair, but a lot later on.

Because we are old or disabled does not lessen our value to a post-oil world. I can still hit what I aim at and could stay where I am for 60-90 days without having to go out. After the surgery and weight loss I will be able to continue my preps relating to agriculture.

Have a nice day.

[waegari]

I got this information from Lester R. Brown's <i>Plan B v3.0</i>: there's actually a movement in the US, advocating so called complete streets, streets that are safe for pedestrians and bikers. So that would entail sidewalks and bicycle lanes, just like we have over here in Europe.

According to Brown, as of July 2007 there's already a complete streets policy in place in 14 states and 52 cities in the US.

Anyway, the Complete Streets movement website is here.


The only problem is: how much energy would it take to reshape the US accordingly...

[joelcolorado]

Before you have the lap band surg. see if your doc will try you on Byetta. Its a diabetic drug normally but many are writing it for weight loss or metabolic syndrome which you have to have if you areobese. It keeps you from eating honestly. But you have to be determined somewhat.

I know from experience but at least it helps you to NOT eat as much. Plus portion control and calorie counting. If you do those, you wont need the lap band surg. But you have to make a life long decision. I have been there and done that.

[Pretorian]

if a 400-pounder will start walk too much, his/her knees won't last long at all.

[joelcolorado]

I hear it all the time. I CANT ...well you can START. It is one step at a time. I KNOW. I hate to excercise. BORING and HARD. and WHINING>

I do not know why we are so opposed to excercise. But we are. We have escalators to go up one flight of stairs, elevators for more, drive to the fast food place, drive thru so we dont have to walk in, ride, ride, ride. Sad really.

I am a product of that generation dont get me wrong. One in 4 ppl with diabetes in America now. GOOD LORD> Most due to lifestyle choices. Cant keep our mouths shut.

I sit down in the evenings after supper and want a snack. WHATS with that? Cant be hungry. I live on a shady curvy street and ppl walk here a lot. Good to see and at least they are trying.

Join a gym, get a trainer and get started. TURN off the television, plant a garden or walk in the evenings. MOVE YOUR ASS ppl.

[socrates1fan]

What?
I walk just about everywhere. 0_o
Europeans arent these magical flawless people.
If they had the avialable mass amounts of land they would have probably been living in suburbia with SUVs a long time ago.
They do have auto-suburbs in Europe you know.
I think Americans are changing their thinking. Here, my state capitol's bus system was declining in ridership in 2000 and now its more than tripled. They have to leave people behind and so now their putting in commuter rails.
A lot of people walk, try not to put Europeans on a pedestal because Americans are Europeans except with a lot more land.

[joelcolorado]

Everywhere I have been in Europe, the portion sizes for meals is half of what it is here. HERE, the all you can eat buffet is the norm, supersize it, supersize your ass.

Its unbelievable how much we eat as a nation and how much waste there is. I was hungry at first over there until I got used to eating what was provided, drinking all my water and tea, etc. and waiting 20 min. Suddenly I found out what full felt like. NOT STUFFED>

Go to a buffet and dont eat, just watch and you will see what I mean. UNBELIEVABLE amount of food on ppls plate. The salad alone will exceed the daily calorie amount for the person. Then top that with 4 entrees and then DESSERT..good lord. I counted calories at the table next to me and they averaged over 5,000 for each person. THen got up and groaned and moaned all the way out the door. This is not unusual but the NORM. GO WATCH.

Or sit in the parking lot and watch them come and go. I recently went to an all inclusive resort where you eat all you want anytime you want. I would try everything but just a bite. Funnyhow I was satisified. But the other americans pigged out. You wuld think it was their last meal.

[frankthetank]

Joel-

I was in Colorado back around the summer of 2000. The one thing that stuck out to my wife and i are how in shape the people were. Coming from fat A$$ central (WI), it was a shock. We are both skinny and exercise more then anyone we know. I play a lot of tennis and bike a lot, while my wife walks a lot. I sometimes wish we lived in Colorado. I still remember seeing bicyclists biking up Mt. Evans. Insane. My car had trouble getting up that road.

A lot of it has to do with our horrible weather. If you've never been to hell, come to Wisconsin during a cold snap in the winter. It blows bananas. Its almost come to me leaving a finding a place to stay for a few months in Florida or somewhere along the gulf coast.

I do believe the weather here (natural gas prices) will push people south.

[Olaf]

I hear it all the time. I CANT ...well you can START. It is one step at a time. I KNOW. I hate to excercise. BORING and HARD. and WHINING>

I do not know why we are so opposed to excercise. But we are. We have escalators to go up one flight of stairs, elevators for more, drive to the fast food place, drive thru so we dont have to walk in, ride, ride, ride. Sad really.

I am a product of that generation dont get me wrong. One in 4 ppl with diabetes in America now. GOOD LORD> Most due to lifestyle choices. Cant keep our mouths shut.

I sit down in the evenings after supper and want a snack. WHATS with that? Cant be hungry. I live on a shady curvy street and ppl walk here a lot. Good to see and at least they are trying.

Join a gym, get a trainer and get started. TURN off the television, plant a garden or walk in the evenings. MOVE YOUR ASS ppl.

Just thought I'd point out this study which shows 1 in 12 with diabetes in U.S., not 1 in 4.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/DiabetesNe ... id=5235214

1 in 12 is alarming enough either way.

Olaf

[NeoPeasant]

I walk a lot. I have noticed that if you don't count the people you can only see by looking at them through automobile glass, you get an eerie Twilight Zone episode "last man on earth" feeling walking around an American town.
I have been stopped and questioned numerous times by the police for just walking around. In this country walking is considered a suspicious activity.
We are a nation of voluntary paraplegics. I think peak oil may be our ultimate salvation if it doesn't kill us first.

[Muckingfess]

Before you have the lap band surg. see if your doc will try you on Byetta. Its a diabetic drug normally but many are writing it for weight loss or metabolic syndrome which you have to have if you areobese. It keeps you from eating honestly. But you have to be determined somewhat.

I know from experience but at least it helps you to NOT eat as much. Plus portion control and calorie counting. If you do those, you wont need the lap band surg. But you have to make a life long decision. I have been there and done that.

Thanks, I'll ask about it.
I am determined. You have to be to jump through all the hoops to get approval for bariatric surgery. What I don't understand is that some people, after having the surgery, go back to their old habits and put the weight back on.
I have started trying to walk every day. yesterday I make it our to the street (about 100 yards) and back. Today I made it to the c-store (about 200 yards) and back. I was out of cat food.-Note to self- add cat to PO prep list-
I didn't drive. Long road, but I'll get there.

[waegari]

A lot of people walk, try not to put Europeans on a pedestal because Americans are Europeans except with a lot more land.

Landmass of Europe: 10,180,000 km² (3,930,000 sq mi)

Wikipedia

Landmass of the USA: 9,826,630 km² (3,794,066 sq mi)

Wikipedia

Difference is in population numbers, I grant you that.

Europe: 731,000,000
USA: 304,429,000

Still, this only amounts to a density difference of (Eur) 70/km² (181/sq mi) against (US) 31/km² (80/sq mi). I don't think that's quite dramatic.

And ever been to Sweden?