How the Brit's lived in WWII and after.

[DaveW]

I remember it well, I think I still have my old ration book somewhere with a few sweet coupons left. I was 8 years old when rationing finally came off and I saw my first banana! No wonder we were supposed to be healthier with no obesity problems in those days.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22706432" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Peterthecactusguy]

that rationing might be why some people started eating whatever they wanted in the 1950s. I admit I have a sweet tooth, but I am not obese so. BTW I might be in trouble, I found Philly local Tasty-cakes here in Arizona. lol

[DaveW]

Strange thing Peter, being a child then they used to give us a bottle of cod liver oil. We used to take a teaspoon at a time. Now we buy so called "High Dose" cod liver oil capsules which are about the size of a pea and you are supposed to just take just one a day, but I doubt the many capsules in the pack contain more than about three teaspoons of cod liver oil for the whole container!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... tions.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I suppose it depends how you calculate obese. Body Mass Index is usually used these days:-

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obe ... micalc.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At 5'-11" and 12 stone (168 pounds) The link calculates my body mass as 23.4, though I put on a stone (14 pounds) when I stopped working, so was lighter previously!

[Peterthecactusguy]

haha I don't follow the BMI because to me it's rubbish. I am 5'7 (almost) and weigh 160 pounds and it's calling me Obese, yet I am not obese, just gained some weight since I started to eat different foods than I used too..

[SnowFella]

Can't say I trust the BMI index either as it used to class me as borderline underweight when I instead was "cut" to a near lightweight bodybuilding state just from continous physical work. Since then I've stopped the physical work, packed on a fair bit of weight (near 18 pounds) and feel out of shape (the old 6-pack abs is but a fond memory) but it's now putting me smack in the normal range.

[DaveW]

Try this one then:-

But don't be in self denial because the answer is not what you want to hear!

http://www.virginactive.co.uk/active-ma ... ight-chart" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/worlds ... fat_2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/2 ... 94212.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We tend to compare ourselves with the people around us and consider the average citizen normal weight, but in overweight nations the average person is usually overweight too.

Based on average weight the USA tops the list, so it's little use comparing yourself to the average person next to you. However the UK is now rapidly catching up in the obesity, or overweight stakes.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/02February/ ... ading.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Basic fact is in the modern world we all eat to much and exercise too little. In the past we would not think anything of walking half a mile to the shops and back carrying the groceries in a couple of bags, now we can't go more than a few hundred yards without using a car and need to back the car almost into the store to save carrying the groceries a few feet.

I used to belong to a photo club in a meetings room complex. You could always tell when the women's Weight Watchers meeting was on since the car park was jammed full. If they had only got out of their cars and walked half a mile or so regularly, as the population used to do, they would have not needed Weight Watchers! I never use the car for a trip of under about quarter of a mile unless it is for something heavy because it's just nice to walk for a change, but then I am of that generation that had to walk before the universal car.

[Peterthecactusguy]

funny, but I walk more than most people do, and I usually park my car as far away from the store as possible. Lately I havent been walking as much, I hurt my leg when we went hiking at the Grand Canyon.. talk about exercise.. it was like 3.5 miles of stairs going down and 3.5 miles of stairs going up.