TIME MAG: Why Are Southerners So Fat?

TIME:

People from Mississippi are fat. With an adult obesity rate of 33%, Mississippi gobbled its way to the "chubbiest state" crown for the fifth year in a row, according to a new joint report by Trust For America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Alabama, West Virginia, and Tennessee aren't far behind, with obesity rates over 30%. In fact, eight out of the 10 fattest states are in the South. The region famous for its biscuits, barbecue and pecan pies has been struggling with its weight for years -- but then again, so has the rest of the country. Wisconsin loves cheese, New Yorkers scarf pizza, and New Englanders have been known to enjoy a crab cake or two. So why is the South so portly?

Read the whole story: TIME

Comments

[motoGpifupleez]

They aren't smart enough to order a diet coke with their "SuperSized" double big mac combo.

[vjoseph]

That is not quite the right reason. No one walks around here (in Atlanta), so I am not surprised reading this report

[jesuswazasocialist]

At this rate, "THE SOUTH WILL NEVER RISE AGAIN."

[ThinkCreeps]

You're right, It ain't rising (in any sense), but is it ever spreading

[CrazedSurfer]

That's why I surf. Keeps my waist at 32". After surfing 4 hours I can eat whatever. But I agree most I see sitting under the umbrella are a little hefty.

[ThinkCreeps]

Sadly, ain't no surfing on the slave coast (unless there's a hurricane)

[Bigunsmom]

Hey for supper tonight we had fried chicken, mashed taters, with sour cream gravey, fresh green beans with bacon drippings, fresh tomatoes with mayo, fresh cucumbers with ranch dressing, real butter biscuits, homemade fresh blackberry pie and sweet tea. Ummmmmmmmmmmm
All out of our garden.

[mudkitten]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, answers the question why southerners are so fat.

[treetracker]

That and all you can eat fried food restaurants. I've been there, done that. After 3 mos in MS, I waa so glad to get home and away from all that food. Granted it was good, but you really had to watch it. And it's very true about all the cheap food being high in calories. Mac & cheese, and all the pastas, potatoes, anything mainly flour based. If that's all you can afford, that's what you have to eat.

But the poor are always the losers...first ones to lose any help they get. Teachers are next, then health care. Man, we really do a bang up job in this country getting our priorities straight,

[SaquaroSue]

Is that supposed to sound appetizing? I'm nauseated just reading that list of stomach wrenching grease and fat.

[jwill9981]

I'm from the south and I'm also progressive but what can I say? We like to eat good food. We like fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, barbeque, fried catfish, corn bread, fried ice cream, etc. If anyone reading this ever ate true southern cooking they would be hooked for life. Just like us.

[NyPrincess]

Um, not so much. I've had "true southern cooking" and it was nothing but a heart attack on a plate. It was too damn greasy, too damn heavy, and too damn sweet. Completely turned my stomach. And how exactly does one fry ice cream? You know what? Never mind…

[SaquaroSue]

No kidding, it would take days to get over the nausea, heartburn, and rumbles. Ick!

[kutkreata]

I know what you're talking about. I live in TN. The food is so delicious! And it is everywhere you go. I have to really control how much I eat of it so that I don't get big & fat.

Oh yeah.. You forgot BBQ and peach cobbler... :-)

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

I live in the south. I agree with all of this author's reasons.

When I venture to a mainstream grocery store, I am always taken aback by what I see in people's carts. full of processed frozen foods (read: devoid of any nutritional value). it's really amazing to think that people LIVE on this stuff.

[raymurt]

Went to Paula Dean's last month.
My wife had the buffet, I took a look at all that fatty food and went with a salad (and a beer, natch).

[regroupthink]

Southerners are the fattest for the same reason they're the only ones who still vote Republican.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

not all of us do!

[ThinkCreeps]

Yeah, but what do the fattest dudes vote?

[Janet Barnes]

Really? Because they vote Republican?

Because according to the Center for Disease control:

Sixty-six percent of African-American women are overweight and 37 percent are technically obese, meaning that they are 30 percent above ideal body weight.

The figures for Mexican-American women are similar: 66 percent overweight and 33 percent obese.

For Caucasian women, the figures are slightly lower with 49 percent considered overweight and 24 percent, obese.

These figures would indicate that the fattest people are African American and Mexican American and correct me if I am wrong, but most of them voted for Obama.

Sorry, but this is an economic problem, not a Repub/Democrat problem.

Wake up.

[BigBagel]

Southerners are on the HuffPo make fun of list.

[dartagnan]

"Sorry, but this is an economic problem, not a Repub/Democrat problem."

It's also an ignorance problem, and ignorance and Republicanism go together like eggs and grits.

[Bigunsmom]

Hey, I take fat offense to that remark. LOL

[ThinkCreeps]

It's a stoooooopid thing!

[DaynaMichelle]

I'm from the south & became a vegetarian 3 years ago..here when you go out to eat ordering only "veggies" is complicated for most places here include ham, fatback, or cook in chicken broth. I don't know that this is done all over the US the way it is in the South. Growing up my mom always told me to eat my vegetables they were healthy, but she didn't count all the unhealthy crap added to the veggies.

I know poverty has something to do with people eating fast food all over the place, but here in the South we seem to take something that is suppose to be healthy and turn it into something very unhealthy for what most here call flavor.

[mad1nola]

I'm not overweight but it's hard. The food is so darned good. Here in New Orleans we have the best of the best tastewise, but the worst of the worst healthwise. And everywhere you go someone is trying to feed you. It's just crazy.

[kiwi777]

they wipe their asses with butter too

[wingnutgator]

that would probably make your sex life more enjoyable.

[Carsy]

We just came back from a great holiday in Flordia and were surprised how many people in the Orlando area were a bit overweight. You would think with such nice weather people would have no excuse not to be active.

[blimie]

Fried chicken, fried catfish, biscuits with gravy, grits with margarine. I'd like to know some of their other local favorites.

[MamaBird62]

what region?

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

fried "cubesteak." fried chicken wings. mac & cheese. hot dogs.

and don't forget, here in the south, velveeta is "cheese." jeezus I don't see how people can eat that shiitt.

[dartagnan]

"and don't forget, here in the south, velveeta is "cheese."

Makes good fish bait, that's about all.

[kutkreata]

BBQ ribs, peach cobbler, turnip greens w/ hamhocks, sweet potatoes, maccaroni & cheese, hot water cornbread, mashed potatoes w/ white gravy, green beans, buttered rolls, ...This convo is making me hungry!

[punkingale]

"deep fried macaroni and cheese bites".

[GroovyGirl]

I grew up in rural south AL and after high school I took up jogging. When I was out for a run, I had people stop and ask me if I needed help, had car trouble, etc. My parents finally told me it was too dangerous to run with traffic zooming around me and I had to drive in to town (15 minutes away) to a local community college where they had a track. Needless to say, I didn't pick that up again until I moved away to college where there were sidewalks everywhere.

[sunnybunny]

It's the same way here in AR. I have explained to my neighbors that I walk to the store 1 mile from my house because I want to burn calories instead of burning gas and they think I'm a nut.

[SpencersMom]

Pimento cheese sandwiches. One pound of grated cheddar cheese, a couple of cups of Miracle Whip and a jar of pimentos spread on slices of Wonder Bread.

And that's a between meals snack, along with a tall glass of sweet tea.

PEACE