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We were not only the fattest country in the world, and we were quickly becoming the stupidest. 

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We were not only the fattest country in the world, and we were quickly becoming the stupidest. 

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I found this quote important because it conveys other realities in our nation. Things come so easy to the people of America, whether it be food, jobs, education. We have them all at the tips of our fingers, and therefore we continuously take them for granted. Part of the issue is our flawed education system, politically controlled and given a pittance to educate the our countries future. However, we as american citizens do also have a hard time appreciating the opportunities we are afforded. That being said, we don't put forth the best effort we could in school, and that leads to our nation falling behind in education, and ahead in obesity.

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We don't have to go there, we don't have to shop with them. We could easily go to McDonald's and order a salad, but we choose not to. 

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We don't have to go there, we don't have to shop with them. We could easily go to McDonald's and order a salad, but we choose not to. 

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I think was an important quote because it sheds light on the issue of what you put in your body, being your own choice. We are taught in school health class what is good for you to eat and what is not. We learn that what you eat, paired with physical activity is the key to remaining healthy. Yet, we don't apply those things to our lives. We watch how our parents eat, and what they drink, and most times mimic those habits. I think part of the issue is practicing good habits, but I also think it has to do with who is teaching us what is right. A child is more apt to take a lesson to heart if it comes from and is reinforced by their parents, and that cycle, is not necessarily put in place within every family.

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Is it unhealthy to live entirely off McDonald's food? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Jonathan Brill, startup specialist, on Quora: Eating nothing McDonald's variety of grilled chicken items is among the healthier lunches you can have. but McDonald's food every day is fine, and although it may not be the healthiest diet, it could still be in the top 5% of healthiest diets. Here are some things to consider:

You can buy grilled chicken, salads without dressing, fruit, dairy (without added sugar), and a variety of meat-based, low sugar breakfast dishes.[1]

If you go easy on the buns, it would be possible for you to get your protein, vitamins, minerals, and water every day, with close to zero sugar, or at the very least, well under the new recommendation by the World Health Organization of 25g a day[2] (of course the recommendation for Americans is twice that) [3].

There was a popular documentary called Super Size Me [4] where Michael Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald's for thirty days and then (according to him) suffered from irreparable long-term medical issues. If you watch the documentary closely, as I have, you notice a couple things:

1. He specifically went for the super-sized sodas with most of his meals, and those have a mountain of sugar. Soda is now considered poison by many smart folks, and consuming a gallon of it per day would seem inconsistent with any kind of scientific look at the effects of eating at McDonald's [5].

2. He also opted in for sugar-based desserts and snack foods, which just piled on. Anybody now would know not to do this.

Despite the corporate tie-in to McDonald's, one of the world's most popular food brands, it's not clear how much of his issues were due to the menu or ingredients at McDonald's and how much were just due to what appears to be an overdose of sugar.

From the Wikipedia page for the movie:

About 1/3 of Spurlock's calories came from sugar. His nutritionist, Bridget Bennett, warned him about his excess intake of sugar from "milkshakes and Cokes". It is revealed toward the end of the movie that over the course of the diet, he consumed "over 30 pounds (14 kg) of sugar, and over 12 pounds (5.4 kg) of fat from their food".

After eating exclusively at McDonald's for one month, Soso Whaley said, "The first time I did the diet in April 2004, I lost 10 pounds (going from 175 to 165) and lowered my cholesterol from 237 to 197, a drop of 40 points." Of particular note was that she exercised regularly and did not insist on consuming more food than she otherwise would. Despite eating at only McDonald's every day, she maintained her caloric intake at around 2,000 per day.

After John Cisna, a high school science teacher, lost 60 pounds while eating exclusively at McDonald's for 180 days, he said, "I'm not pushing McDonald's. I'm not pushing fast food. I'm pushing taking accountability and making the right choice for you individually... As a science teacher, I would never show Super Size Me because when I watched that, I never saw the educational value in that... I mean, a guy eats uncontrollable amounts of food, stops exercising, and the whole world is surprised he puts on weight? What I'm not proud about is probably 70 to 80 percent of my colleagues across the United States still show Super Size Me in their health class or their biology class. I don't get it."

If you're trying to make yourself sick at McDonald's (or anywhere for that matter) you could easily do what Spurlock did and consume ten to twenty times the daily recommended sugar intake. If you wanted to prove the opposite, that McDonald's food is inherently fine, and that a person with a basic understanding of health and the dangers of sugar could eat there and only there forever and be perfectly healthy - you could do this.

In his defense, at the time (2004) he made Super Size Me it wasn't accepted that sugar, not fat, was our mortal enemy. This is now accepted wisdom by most people who follow health-related studies. Documentaries like Fed Up [6] and others have brought this to the masses, and we're now seeing changes in school lunches and snacks, and in attitudes to sugar-traps like juices, sodas, and candy.
This question originally appeared on Quora. the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:
McDonald's could do a lot more to educate their customer base on the benefit of selecting some of their healthier menu items, but I know that they've tried that and it's typically cost them revenue, and one has to assume, jobs for people who work at McDonald's. They've been pushing stuff like the McLean and salad options for decades but it doesn't matter, people want what they want. But that doesn't mean someone with some knowledge and a commitment to eating healthy couldn't do it.

Footnotes

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Is It Unhealthy To Live Entirely Off McDonald's Food? The Answer May Surprise You

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Is it unhealthy to live entirely off McDonald's food? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Jonathan Brill, startup specialist, on Quora: Eating nothing McDonald's variety of grilled chicken items is among the healthier lunches you can have.

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There are more mickey D's in Manhattan than any other place in the world. 

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There are more mickey D's in Manhattan than any other place in the world. 

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I felt that this was an important quote because it puts the prevalence, and convenience of fast food into perspective. Manhattan is a small land area, and the fact that that small chunk of land has more McDonald's locations than any other place on this earth, should shake anyone into the fact of this matter. That fact being, when something is being so easily placed in front of you, there seems to be no other option. While we all do make conscious choices about what we put in our bodies, it seems that the fast food corporations market their franchises as the better option, making that decision that much easier.

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Each Day 1 in 4 americans visits a fast food restuarant. 

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Each Day 1 in 4 americans visits a fast food restuarant. 

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I felt that this quote was important to include because it puts the severity of this issue into perspective. The reality of fast food is that its accessibility makes it the easy option for most people. That being said fast food is not the kind of easy option that can be chosen regularly without major health consequences. This quote makes you reflect on your own habits, and realize what the possible outcomes of those habits could become. That reflection can lead to the possibility for change, and self betterment, or it can lead to the same kind of life issues, as previously mentioned.

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A client recently asked me, "How often can I get away with eating junk food?" She knows that my nutrition philosophy is the "80:20 rule": Eat healthy foods as often as possible (at least 80 percent of the time), but also enjoy the occasional less healthy food (less than 20 percent of the time), if that's what you really want.

I've seen this approach work well with my clients who were previously chronic dieters yet hadn't been able to lose weight. Once I give them permission to have "forbidden foods," those foods lose their power and they're able to make healthier choices the bulk of the time.

There is some evidence that "cheat meals" (although I hate that term) can help boost fat loss and mental health among dieters. Yet I wanted to give my client a more quantifiable answer. Could a few days of junk food or even a single fast food meal make a difference in your overall health?

Junk food and fast food defined

What is "junk food"? Essentially any food that is highly processed, high in calories and low in nutrients. Junk food is also usually high in added sugars, salt and saturated or trans fats. Some evidence points to junk foods as being as addictive as alcohol and drugs.

"Fast food" is food that is prepared quickly and is eaten quickly or taken out. Although there are a growing number of healthier fast food options, most fast food can still be classified as junk food.

Long-term effects of eating junk food

Eating a poor quality diet high in junk food is linked to a higher risk of obesity, depression, digestive issues, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death. And as you might expect, frequency matters when it comes to the impact of junk food on your health.
[If you think grocery stores are playing tricks on you, they really are]
A review of studies on fast food and heart health found having fast food more than once a week was linked to a higher risk of obesity, while eating fast food more than twice a week was associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and death from coronary heart disease.

This is disturbing considering nearly half of American adults eat fast food at least once a week.

Short-term effects of junk food

It's human nature to think about benefits and risks over the short term rather than considering the impact our choices have over the long term. So how does consumption of junk food affect your body over the short term?

A few days of junk food

Just a few days of junk food could change your metabolism. A small study of 12 healthy young men found eating junk food for just five days led to a reduced ability of their muscles to turn glucose into energy, even though they didn't eat more calories as part of the study. Over the long term, this change could lead to insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes.

Another effect of just a couple of days of junk food is poor digestion. Because junk food lacks fiber, eating too much of it could lead to constipation.

One junk food meal

That single fast food meal can narrow your arteries, leading to an increase in blood pressure.

And the quick spike in your blood sugar from eating junk foods high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars can cause a surge in insulin, leading to a quick drop in blood sugar. That leaves you feeling tired, cranky and hungry for more.

Just one serving of junk food can increase inflammation throughout your body. Further, an Australian study suggests that in people with asthma, a fast food meal high in saturated fat can increase inflammation in the airway, potentially making an asthma attack more likely. . So it seems the quick hit of junk food, while fleetingly rewarding, does carry short-term risks.

The good news: Every healthy meal helps

The amount of inflammation and oxidative stress your body will experience after eating occasional junk food seems to be a function of the "big picture" of your choices over time.

If you want to enjoy junk food once in a while but are concerned about the impact on your health, take a look at your overall health habits. Do you smoke or overdo it on alcohol? Are you exercising regularly and eating plenty of nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, fish, nuts and seeds, and whole grains? When it comes to your health, it seems you can "get away with" the occasional junk food more easily when you follow a healthy lifestyle most of the time. So think about your ratio of healthy to less healthy foods. Are you achieving 80:20 or is there room for some improvement?

When you're making the choice between a healthier option and junk food, consider that just one healthy meal a day worked into the typical American diet could reduce overall stress and inflammation in your body. Every meal is an opportunity to positively impact your health.

Based on the current research, my advice to my client essentially remains the same: Once you're aware of all of the short-term and long-term impacts of junk food and you still really want some, have it less than once a week and really savor it. Then get right back to enjoying nourishing, nutritious foods.

Christy Brissette is a dietitian, foodie and president of 80TwentyNutrition.com. Follow her on Twitter @80twentyrule.

More from Lifestyle:

9 ways millennials are changing the way we eat

Inside food cravings: How to deal when you're just dying to have that cookie

Olive oil options can be dizzying. Which is best for you?

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Perspective | This is your body on fast food

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A client recently asked me, "How often can I get away with eating junk food?" She knows that my nutrition philosophy is the "80:20 rule": Eat healthy foods as often as possible (at least 80 percent of the time), but also enjoy the occasional less healthy food (less than 20 percent of the time), if that's what you really want.

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Everything's bigger in America. We've got the biggest cars, the biggest houses, the biggest companies, the biggest food, and finally: the biggest people.

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Everything's bigger in America. We've got the biggest cars, the biggest houses, the biggest companies, the biggest food, and finally: the biggest people.

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I chose this quote because I feel like it not only is a pretty accurate description of this country, but it also fits the stereotype that the world has for this country. I think this quote is an important introduction to the movie as well, because it shows the purpose of the film almost instantly. The prevalence of obesity in America is on the rise and has been for decades, and one of the biggest contributing factors to that is the fast food industry, and the portion sizes being served. Super Size Me, was created to debunk fast food myths, and open the eyes of the public to the truth of the matter.

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Being overweight or obese carries a range of negative health consequences. In America and further afield, over recent decades, obesity rates have increased significantly. Here we look at the numbers behind the surge.

The health risks associated with obesity are many; they include an overall increased risk of death from all causes, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, and mental illness.

Because obesity is associated with such a wide range of health issues, understanding the numbers behind this trend is more important than ever.
Currently, about 36 percent of American adults are obese - more than 1 in 3. And, globally, more than 1 in 10 humans are obese.
In this article, we look at the facts and figures behind obesity in America and the world at large, including breakdowns by states, countries, age, and sex.

Defining "obese"

Obesity is often split into three classes.

Firstly, it is important to understand how obesity is defined. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define obesity as a BMI of 30 or higher (find our BMI calculator here).

Obesity is further split into:

class 1 obesity: BMI 30-34

class 2 obesity: BMI 35-39

class 3 ("extreme" or "severe") obesity: BMI 40 or higher

In children, overweight and obesity is defined according to the CDC's growth charts. For children and adolescents aged 2-19:

85th percentile or above: Overweight

95th percentile or above: Obese

at or above 120 percent of the 95th percentile: Extreme obesity

Obesity statistics: United States

These figures come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) carried out by the National Center for Health Statistics ( NCHS):

Men

Women

Obesity by ethnicity

Obesity does not impact all races equally in the U.S. The following give the percentage of obese adults in each group:

non-Hispanic blacks - 48.1 percent

Hispanics - 42.5 percent

non-Hispanic whites - 34.5 percent

non-Hispanic Asians - 11.7 percent

Obesity by age

Obesity is not split evenly across all age groups:

Obesity in children

A paper, published in in 2016, took measurements from 40,780 children and adolescents, aged 2-19 between 2013 and 2014. Over all, 17 percent were obese and 5.8 percent had extreme obesity.

Breaking the age groups down further:

Obesity rates by state

Colorado state has the lowest obesity rates in the U.S.

Using data from the CDC, State of Obesity have compiled obesity rates for individual states for 2016. The highest rates were found in:

1. West Virginia - 37.7 percent

2. Mississippi - 37.3 percent

3. Alabama - 35.7 percent

4. Arkansas - 35.7 percent

5. Louisiana - 35.5 percent

States with the lowest obesity rates were:

47. California - 25.0 percent

48. Hawaii - 23.8 percent

49. Massachusetts - 23.6 percent

50. District of Columbia - 22.6 percent

51. Colorado - 22.3 percent

Obesity and socioeconomic status

In men, no link has been found between education level and obesity. However, in women, those with college degrees are less likely to be obese than those without.

Similarly, women with a higher income are less likely to be obese than women with lower incomes.

Conversely, in non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American men, individuals with a higher income are more likely to be obese than those earning a low income.

The cost of obesity

Aside from the obvious dangers to health, obesity is incredibly costly in a financial sense. In 2008, the annual medical cost was estimated to be $147 billion.

People who were obese had average medical costs $1,429 more than those of a normal weight.

Obesity statistics: Global

Historically, obesity has been considered a problem in high-income countries. However, obesity in low- and middle-income countries is on the rise, especially in urban areas.

Some of these countries are facing what the World Health Organization (WHO) describes as a double burden of disease:

"It is not uncommon to find undernutrition and obesity co-existing within the same country, the same community, and the same household."

According to the WHO, on a global basis, obesity has almost tripled since 1975. Over the same period of time, in the 5-19 age bracket, obesity has risen from less than 1 percent to 7 percent. They write, "Most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight."

In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults (39 percent) were overweight and, of these, more than 650 million (13 percent) were obese.

Global figures by sex:

Overweight - 39 percent of men, 40 percent of women.

Obese - 11 percent of men, 15 percent of women.

Children and obesity

Obesity is a growing concern, globally.

In Africa, the number of children under 5 who are overweight has increased almost 50 percent since 2000.

Nearly half of all overweight or obese children under 5 live in Asia.

Globally, 41 million children under 5 are overweight.

340 million aged 5-19 are overweight or obese.

Obesity rates by country

According to the WHO, Vietnam has the lowest rates of obesity.

According to WHO data collected in 2016, the following countries have the highest prevalence of obesity:

1. Nauru - 61 percent

2. Cook Islands - 55.9 percent

3. Palau - 55.3 percent

4. Marshall Islands - 52.9 percent

5. Tuvalu - 51.6 percent

6. Niue - 50 percent

7. Tonga - 48.2 percent

8. Samoa - 47.3 percent

9. Kiribati - 46 percent

10. Micronesia - 45.8 percent

11. Kuwait - 37.9 percent

12. United States - 36.2 percent

The high rates of obesity found in the Pacific Islands are predominantly due to a shift away from traditional diets toward imported foods from countries such as China, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

"Promotion of traditional foods has fallen by the wayside. They are unable to compete with the glamour and flashiness of imported foods."

Dr. Temo K. Waqanivalu, WHO technical officer, Fiji

The lowest obesity rates were measured in:

1. Vietnam - 2.1 percent

2. Bangladesh - 3.6 percent

3. Timor-Leste - 3.8 percent

4. India - 3.9 percent

5. Cambodia - 3.9 percent

6. Nepal - 4.1 percent

7. Japan - 4.3 percent

8. Ethiopia - 4.5 percent

9. Republic of Korea - 4.7 percent

10. Eritrea - 5 percent

11. Sri Lanka - 5.2 percent

12. Uganda - 5.3 percent

13. Madagascar - 5.3 percent

Conclusions

Obesity and overweight are significant issues that are worsening across much of the planet. It is important to note that obesity-related conditions are among some of the leading causes of death, yet obesity is almost always preventable.

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Daniel Bubnis, MS, NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS

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Being overweight or obese carries a range of negative health consequences. In America and further afield, over recent decades, obesity rates have increased significantly. Here we look at the numbers behind the surge. The health risks associated with obesity are many; they include an overall increased risk of death from all causes, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, and mental illness.