The number of people that do this is vanishingly small compared to the number of people that scold them for lacking discipline.
2 Likes
And here we are again with the internal locus of control. Yes at an individual level it is VERY important that we all believe that we are in control. At the same time itās important to think systemically when facing systemic problemsā¦ and thinking systemically about your own life is a great way to retake control.
In my case for instance I very tightly control how much advertising gets through to me and I intentionally avoid areas with lots of fast food density. I get groceries delivered or get curbside service to avoid going into the store and getting retailed. I invest actual thought into reducing the number of times my willpower is going to be tested. It fucking works. If I had always done this I wouldnāt be fat today.
Remember that when youāre talking to people about what they should do and how they should see things you should be emphasizing personal responsibility and control, but when talking about society as a whole itās probably wise to act as if free will doesnāt exist. Because it doesnāt. Itās a useful fiction that bolsters our emotional control. Your brain is just a bunch of chemical reactions housed inside a case of bone. Change your hormone balance and your very perception of the world will shift with it.
3 Likes
Settle down, Mr Kavanaugh.
3 Likes
Exactly. Oscar Wilde was hip to this ages ago. I can resist anything but temptation is a useful heuristic for improving eating and drinking habits.
Amazingly despite me love of IPAs and saisons I have never sexually assaulted anyone. I guess Iām just not Supreme Court material.
1 Like
Many countries have implemented some of the regulations heās been talking about re: advertising and marketing of junk foods. Iām sure thereās a bunch of other factors and well but thatās one.
I think the biggest downside to believing in free will is that you convince yourself that you cannot be fooled by salespeople or marketers. This is absolutely not the case and believing otherwise is crazy dangerous. If thereās one thing Iāve really started to find the edges of in my 30ās itās the limits of my own cognition and the different ways that bad stuff finds a way to slip in. Iām also much more skeptical of my own ability to determine what is real and what isnāt.
As an example there are basically 0 things Iām as skeptical of as āexpertsā in areas I do not really understand. Because I donāt know what I donāt know and I donāt trust my own ability to know bullshit from reality. Actually the other thing I have zero trust in is business ideas being pitched to me by other people. The chances thatās a scam are astronomical.
Guys I worked in the car business for 3.5 years in my late teens early 20ās. I know not to buy anything in finance. Do you know what I got the last time I went to a dealership to buy a car? Gap insurance and an extended warranty. I got put together for 2k because they had time, pressure, and did a good job of putting me in awkward spots in front of my wife where being rude was the optimal line. That last part was clutch for them, and wouldnāt work now that sheās worked with me for 2.5 years (so I donāt care what she thinks of my awkwardness now lol)ā¦ but still. I had every advantage you can have and still got got. They do that shit because it works. On everyone. Including you. At least sometimes.
2 Likes
Oh they are taking root. Look at obesity levels in any country where our food companies are growing rapidly. They rise in lock step. Coca Cola consumed per capita in particular is a crazy accurate predictor of obesity rates.
1 Like
Instead of constantly JAQing off, why donāt you state your thesis already?
In other words, you believe that America has cornered the world market on obesity. Assuming this is true, what do you think makes Americans particularly susceptible to obesity?
1 Like
So you were just JAQing off?
1 Like
Theres a lot of information about this stuff that is publicly available if youāre interested.
1 Like
To fully understand why weāre especially bad in North America requires a history lesson about food subsidies, corruption pre and post ww2, the lie of āfood groupsā, the explosion of quick ācerealsā after factories became a thing, mono cropping and homogenization of seeds and strains and breedsā¦ With globalization this sickness has permeated most of the world and The Fattening is inevitable.
1 Like
Interestingly by that definition I live in a food desert. There is no supermarkets or grocery stores within one mile of me, but there are probably about 30 (at least) within a 5 mile radius.
Well when I was a kid there were times when we had more food and times when we had less. I routinely stuffed my face every time I got a shot at free food (to the point of it being awkward a few times) in the outside world away from home. I think this normal for people who grow up poor. As I got older it got easier and easier to find food, and life kind of sucked a lot so food became the thing I lived for.
I was probably merely obese when I turned 18-19 but after that point I got better at making money and food costs lost any sense of meaning. I was also working super stressful jobs that required a lot of dopamine support lol.
And it continued like that until I turned 29 and my knees started to hurt. Then I did some acid, ate some pizza almost immediately, and had the digestion of that pizza turn into what that whole trip was about. Iām lactose intolerant btw.
Anyway the last 6 years the focus of my existence hasnāt been food. I still like to eat and sometimes when Iām feeling really shitty Iāll prop myself up with food, but itās a lot less. Now I feel shitty about it as I do it which really ruins the vibe for me lol.
Cliffs: Be careful with acid kidsā¦ it might ruin the only thing that gives your life meaning.
1 Like
So that was significantly joking about the last six years or so of getting healthier. Iām actually quite a bit happier and a lot of it has been about figuring out how to actually live inside my own head. Like a lot of you Iām not a poster child for perfect mental health.
1 Like
Iām fat because I donāt perceive value to being thin, but I do perceive value to eating tasty food and ~all tasty food is unhealthy. The main reasons one might want to lose weight is health and dating. I donāt care about my health and Iāve lost hope of finding someone, so there is no reason to lose the weight.
Throw in that my weight has been stable for 15 years which makes me think I would fail if I tried.
3 Likes
I played a sport in college so I was lifting and working out 5-6 times per week. I was eating a lot of garbage food and drinking a lot of alcohol but I was pretty pretty lean and in good physical condition. When I left college I continued those eating and drinking habits but I stopped working out (didnāt touch a weight or elevated my heartrate at all), I gained 25ish pounds that 1st year and probably lost a decent amount of muscle, I considered myself fat at that point so i changed my eating habits and dropped back down to what I considered a good weight.
2 Likes
Congrats on the worst take in the history of the forum. Iām sorry you donāt know how to cook.
3 Likes
Yes ironās food takes are something
2 Likes
This isnāt news. @iron81 is all about American high calorie foods.