Post: #1

According to this map, there is a HUGE contrast between women's phisical activity in Russia and Brasil. Curiously, the US does not fare worst.

In the article physical activity is defined as "30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three days a week, or some combination of the two".

http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicde...fulnations

Post: #2

Japan's a real outlier. Extremely inactive for both sexes yet not overweight at all. Seafood is good for you eh?

Post: #3

Damn... Britain is one of the worst countries on the graph

Post: #4

U.S. might not be the worst for physical inactivity, but it has to be top three for overeating (a quick google search just said it was #1 for eating disorders in general and didn't specify). You could walk 10 miles a day and still negate it with the four milkshakes, two burritos, burger, and pancakes that you went home and ate.

Post: #5

I call bullshit. Women lie about working out all the time. The 5 minute walk from their desk in HR to the Taco truck doesn't count.

Post: #6

Hmm, I think this confirms that diet is what matters. American diet is simply atrocious.

150 lbs woman, walking at 3 mph for 2,5 hours (this would be defined as 'enough' weekly exercise): 742 calories burned
1 Big Mac Meal (large) : 1350 calories consumed

Post: #7

East Asians in general do seem to be blessed with some kind of gene that prevents obesity in all but a few cases. Europeans and Africans on the other hand have to work for it in our carb high, corn-drenched society.

Post: #8

(07-19-2012 01:42 AM)kolovrat Wrote:  East Asians in general do seem to be blessed with some kind of gene that prevents obesity in all but a few cases. Europeans and Africans on the other hand have to work for it in our carb high, corn-drenched society.

I don't know dude, I see a hell of a lot of chubby Asian girls down under. If they are actually thinner, it could be because their better off socio-economically.

Post: #9

East Asians eat better in their country. I've seen too many come to LA or London and then get fat.

Post: #10

East Asian people eat less wheat, carbs coming mainly in the form of rice. Check out the book Wheat Belly which explains the problems with wheat. I've virtually cut wheat products from my diet and have much better metabolic, digestive and hormonal health.

Post: #11

^ In my area (California, Bay Area) I have literally met maybe one or two fat East Asians*. Both dudes. Then again as I said before I live in a heavily yuppie neighborhood so overall obesity isn't high.

Still, it's definitely higher among whites, and especially for blacks and Hispanics, even though in this area everybody is of about the same socio-economic profile.

Obesity stats for Utah, though I can't imagine the pattern looking much different for the country as a whole - this totally jives with my own observations:



Note furthermore that "Asians" is a wide grouping, including not only East Asians (Chinese, Koreans, Japanese) but also Filipinos, Indians, Thais, Vietnamese.

The reason I said "East Asians" in particular is that obesity seems to me to be almost singularly absent among them, or at least among their richer - though by no means 1%sh - representatives.

On the other hand, I also noticed that this doesn't apply so much to South Asians or South-East Asians. I have met plenty of corpulent Indians and Filipinos. Their obesity rates appear to be only modestly lower than those of whites.

Vietnamese however are all thin just like the Chinese and Japanese despite being in SE Asia.

I am sorry to hear that it is different in Australia.

* I'm talking of obesity. There are quite a few chubby East Asian chicks, but as I said, I really have to strain to recall an obese one, and the memory register comes up empty regardless.

Post: #12

http://www.economist.com/node/21559291 Wrote:(...) Women tend to get less exercise—34% are inactive, compared with 28% of men (...)

"We women work hard, we have to do everything"
"Men are lazy. They just drink beer and watch TV"

Post: #13

(07-19-2012 01:42 AM)kolovrat Wrote:  East Asians in general do seem to be blessed with some kind of gene that prevents obesity in all but a few cases. Europeans and Africans on the other hand have to work for it in our carb high, corn-drenched society.

Not genes. East Asian diets are usually balanced and include great portions of vegetables. And women carefully cook the meals at home for all family.

Post: #14

The actual exercise the study promotes isn't enough to make a significant difference.

5 times 'moderate cardio' a week? (Remember, moderate is really mild, because people exagerrate. I see people jogging on treadmills in the gym at slower speeds than I walk when I need to get somewhere.)

Plus it doesn't take into account anything like metabolic profiles, or even diet. Most people in their teens-early twenties can eat and drink loads and not exercise, and the metabolic effects are such that it makes no difference until they hit say, 28 and then all the 'moderate exercise' in the world isn't going to change the fact they've knackered up their system.

Also, diet is terrible amongst most people in the first world.

And what the study doesn't mention is there are huge gaps between people of each country. For instance, in most countries in the first world you have gold medal athletes and also fat fucks who do absolutely no exercise. 'At least moderate exercise five times a week' means a guy who has to walk to work a couple of miles every day is in the same category as Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. Same for women, except 'moderate exercise' for a woman is a lot lower than moderate exercise for a man.

Post: #15

Quote:Japan's a real outlier. Extremely inactive for both sexes yet not overweight at all. Seafood is good for you eh?

Walking around Tokyo is enough to play out the most seasoned athlete. Those people walk A LOT.

I didnt see any obese people there on my last trip, but I did notice more "pudgy" people. Just soft, doughy and no body shape.

Post: #16

I thought this was going to be about how slutty a lizard from a particular country would be.

Post: #17

(07-18-2012 01:23 PM)Samseau Wrote:  Japan's a real outlier. Extremely inactive for both sexes yet not overweight at all. Seafood is good for you eh?

The real difference is the portion sizes. A happy meal here would cost you 2x and be 2x smaller there. Diet is the biggest issue when it comes to health IMHO. Some people don't even drink 4 cups of water a day here, it's nasty.

Post: #18

(07-19-2012 12:15 PM)WestCoast Wrote:  

(07-18-2012 01:23 PM)Samseau Wrote:  Japan's a real outlier. Extremely inactive for both sexes yet not overweight at all. Seafood is good for you eh?

The real difference is the portion sizes. A happy meal here would cost you 2x and be 2x smaller there. Diet is the biggest issue when it comes to health IMHO. Some people don't even drink 4 cups of water a day here, it's nasty.

What the hell is the deal with Latin America? They're inactive on this chart but the ones I've met down there are active. They don't have cars so they have to walk everywhere they go.

Post: #19

The author of this study made it more complicated than it had to be.

A percentage showing how many people don't meet 30 mins a day 5x a week?

How about showing a percentage of people who do meet that threshold? More to the point.

Anyways, god bless Russian women with less than 20% inactivity. (More than 80% are active)

Post: #20

(07-18-2012 03:43 PM)EisenBarde Wrote:  I call bullshit. Women lie about working out all the time. The 5 minute walk from their desk in HR to the Taco truck doesn't count.

I agree whole-heartedly. When I'm at the gym, I can't tell you how many people I see, lounging on some machine, sifting through their Ipods for 5 minutes, doing a set of 8 reps at the lowest setting/weight, and then repeating the process. I'm sure they finish up and tell their friends, "gosh, I was at the gym for 2 hours today!"

Post: #21

(07-20-2012 10:53 AM)JohnKreese Wrote:  

(07-18-2012 03:43 PM)EisenBarde Wrote:  I call bullshit. Women lie about working out all the time. The 5 minute walk from their desk in HR to the Taco truck doesn't count.

I agree whole-heartedly. When I'm at the gym, I can't tell you how many fat chicks I see, lounging on some machine, sifting through their Ipod for 5 minutes, doing a set of 8 reps at the lowest setting/weight, and then repeating the process. I'm sure they finish up and tell their friends, "gosh, I was at the gym for 2 hours today!" Luckily, they don't have friends like me who would immediately respond, "you tell me this all the time, why are you still obese?"

How can you be so insensitive - they're clearly *trying* and THAT'S what counts. When a girl tries like that, you must look past her beer gut and muffin top. Tell her she's beautiful on the inside.

One time I was in my old gym, and I was doing some sled pulls in this empty room where they'd hold classes. There were two chubby chicks doing some bullshit exercises, and we start talking. I got them both to try out a round or two of sled pulling - fun to see their fat ass sweating it out. Suddenly, I don't know how, they start talking about ice cream, specifically brownie sundaes. I'm like, "huh, what's that? Never had one" Their immediate response: "OHMYGOD! YOU'VE NEVER HAD A BROWNIE SUNDAE?!?"

Post: #22

The research was carried out by some obscure Brasilian university ("Pelotas" which also means balls?) but since they are from Brasil I guess they can check the Brasilian (lack of) physical activity first hand.

However, it confirms to me that Brasilian women have a natural anatomy which is enviable to other women around the globe...