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Of course it plays a role. We live in a land and time of plenty, of supersizes and economy-sized portions. We live in a society that trains us to:Optimus Prime said:My parents just got back from a three week vacation to various parts of Europe, and one of the things they said they noticed is that there aren't nearly as many obese people in Europe as in North America. Another thing the mentioned is how expensive everything is, food included. Example, two bottles of water and three gourmet cookies would cost about $3.00 Canadian roughly, my Dad was telling me how over there it cost him $16.00 Canadian (after conversion) to buy the exact same thing.
In restaurants, meals that would cost $20 here cost upwards of $45 over there (And apparently, at least in England, the food isn't that good either). Not only that, cost of living is higher there, (A lawyer here lives better than a lawyer making the same income over there). So basically, disposable income is far less available than it is here. So does that mean people don't have as much money to spend on food as we do?
Makes you think, does economy play that large of a role in obesity?
1) 'Finish our plate' (remnants from the depression/world war age)
2) Always strive for the biggest, most expensive, "best" option
We live in a capitalist society that uses psychology and statistics. Both show that the more food you set down in front of someone, the more they'll eat. Also, people think they're getting a good deal by getting a much larger portion for "only twenty cents more" when in reality that larger size is normally priced and the smaller portions are the rip off, as opposed to a deal on the larger.
Solution? Don't eat fast food unless absolutely necessary, and when you do, make healthy choices. Obesity, while not in all cases, can be controlled through exercise and diet--not drugs or just giving up.
I think it's especially funny when I see fat people order three cheeseburgers and a diet soda--you're eating 1000+ calories--does the "diet" soda really make a difference?