Weight loss - big business - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Highlandlass · 10-27-2009, 05:18 PM

I've been thinking about this for a long time and have tried to formulate what I want to say and hope I can get it down here in a readable manner.
I was out with my friend shopping for yarn and having a great time. We figured we would grab lunch and drove down the main street in the small town where we were shopping. For every 3 fast food restaurants there was a weight loss centre. It just hit me in an odd way and I pointed it out to my friend - who also has weight issues, hardening of the arteries in her legs and is diabetic. We really began to pay attention and sure enough the whole way down the road we would see Burger King, McDonalds, K-fried then a Jenny Craig, followed by Quiznos, A & W, Pizza Pizza then a Herbal Magic......on and on.
Then to add to the clinics, there are other ways to lose weight including patches, acupuncture, hypnotism, Slim Fast, different diet pills, herbal concoctions etc. The commercials on TV are full of ways to lose the weight forever...try this pill, try this program, try this exercise video.
I know I tried several weight loss clinics before getting recommended for the surgery and it cost me hundreds of dollars and believe me I also spent hundreds getting to the weight I ended up at. I tried the patches, the diet pills, the Slim Fast, Special K breakfast anything I thought might help me lose, but then there was always a quick lunch of burger and fries along with a milk shake. What a viscious cycle we can get ourselves into.
Now I've been hearing about people here being dissatisfied with some of their psych therapists who are unprofessional, nurses who are nasty and say things that are mean and hurtful.
Weight loss has turned into a multi-million dollar business. Did you ever wonder if the fast food companies and the weight loss clinics etc are in cahoots? I'm sure somewhere there's a report where someone has tried to prove this point. It just took me a long time to get to this conclusion on my own.
Just me rambling like I did with my friend the other day.......

Josephine · 10-28-2009, 01:04 AM

Totally reminds me of how Philip Morris invested in snack food companies after they had to start warning people about the negative effects of smoking. They knew when people stopped smoking, they'd start eating. And when they'd stop eating, they'd start smoking. They pay people a lot of money to come up with new ways to work the market.

Highlandlass · 10-28-2009, 06:35 AM

I hadn't read about that, but should do a google search on this stuff. I'm know there are people employed just to "hook" us. All the advertising is aimed at selling products, whether they are good for us or not. Its huge business. I just love some of the slogans that are used and that stick in our heads and sell products. Its all very interesting and I guess it all falls into a conspiracy theory.

Shetaz0028 · 10-28-2009, 06:42 AM

Really good point.

The other part of the situation that I have always looked at is the cost. It's so much cheaper to make a box of hamburger helper than a salad. When your low on funds and have to feed kids sometimes bad choices have to be made. I have never understood why fruits and veggies are so expensive. They don't need to be fed like meat, slaughtered, vacanated, etc.

Since surgery my grocery bill has not gone down at all. Because I am buying the best of what I can get in. The only "quick" foods I bought last time were "Healthy Choice" meals because I had coupons for em.

Highlandlass · 10-28-2009, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shetaz0028

Really good point.

The other part of the situation that I have always looked at is the cost. It's so much cheaper to make a box of hamburger helper than a salad. When your low on funds and have to feed kids sometimes bad choices have to be made. I have never understood why fruits and veggies are so expensive. They don't need to be fed like meat, slaughtered, vacanated, etc.

Since surgery my grocery bill has not gone down at all. Because I am buying the best of what I can get in. The only "quick" foods I bought last time were "Healthy Choice" meals because I had coupons for em.

And you have made another good point with your observations. I remember way back after having my first child (and I was still relatively skinny) my cousin pointed out to me that most people on limited budgets (which we were then) are overweight. It didn't make sense to me (I was pretty young and ignorant then) until she explained that the cheaper dinners like mac and cheese, pastas, rice etc are the carbs that put weight on. As you said vegs, fruits and meat are, and always have been, the more expensive foods. So, when someone is trying to make ends meet they load the plate up with the poorer (literally) choices. No wonder more people plant gardens filled with vegies than flowers now with the economy the way it is. Then if you look at the foods people are given from the Food Banks, well you won't see chicken breasts, turkey or lean meats included - they don't hold well so its canned (high sodium) or boxed pastas, etc. Then add to that the fact that kids are getting less exercise and outdoor play these days, people don't work as physically these days, we drive everywhere and don't get enough fresh air - no wonder health care costs rise, and obesity is running rampant, especially among children.

Shetaz0028 · 10-29-2009, 08:05 AM

Exactly. I was watching the news last night while on the eleptical and MA is trying to institute a tax on juice, milk, and non alcholic drinks. That is on top of the already crazy taxes in this state. Not to mention they don't allow recycling of non soda containers here.

This also got me to thinking about my water. My water bill has gone WAY up since surgery since it's really the only thing I drink. But, according to the water analysis I have to have filtered/bottled water because the water straight from the tap is toxic. This caused me to put in reverse osmosis on my sink and I still have to put it through another Britta filter before it loses the smell and bleachy taste.

Yep, much cheaper on the short term wallet to be fat.

Highlandlass · 10-29-2009, 11:43 AM

[QUOTE=Shetaz0028;511526]Exactly. I was watching the news last night while on the eleptical and MA is trying to institute a tax on juice, milk, and non alcholic drinks. That is on top of the already crazy taxes in this state. Not to mention they don't allow recycling of non soda containers here.

This also got me to thinking about my water. My water bill has gone WAY up since surgery since it's really the only thing I drink. But, according to the water analysis I have to have filtered/bottled water because the water straight from the tap is toxic. This caused me to put in reverse osmosis on my sink and I still have to put it through another Britta filter before it loses the smell and bleachy taste.

Yep, much cheaper on the short term wallet to be fat.

[/QUOTEI

Why on earth would the gov't institute a tax on juice & milk? - other non alcholic drinks I can see. That doesn't make any sense at all, and neither does the recycling thing. Then you have to go ahead and have the filter installed to give you drinkable water....nuts!!! Absolutely nuts! This conversation is very enlightening and gives me more reason to think there is a conspiracy theory here. Health care is certainly big business - just look at the $$$ involved in research for all diseases. We just had a huge scandal here in regards to Ehealth and the money which was misused - in the millions!!! Bariatric surgery is becoming huge as well, then we have to face the commercials for fast foods, unhealthy foods and even for water that is not always purified even after bottling. It is "food" for thought isn't it?