re: The number of extremely obese people in the south is horrifying

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People are brainwashed into feeling stupid about having a big garden in their yard.

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I know a lot of people in suburban areas in Louisville that have gardens in their backyards.

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People are brainwashed against things like canning and food preservation.

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My grandmother has been canning foods from her backyard garden for around 50 years.

I think the issue is more so that you don't have anywhere to have a garden in urban areas. We've seen more farmers markets pop up but when they tried to build a "FoodPort" downtown in the West End (the poorest area of town) but they didn't like that it wasn't exclusively black run and wanted a sports complex instead.

That's great. I know a lot of gardeners too.

We're talking about how the average person feels. Obviously time is a constraint and they're willing to trade money for produce -- but we are inundated with images of green lawns, landscaping ect -- that's the expectation of a home owner. It's becoming less weird, but it's still a weird thing to turn your yard into a large garden.

This is only part of the debate against those who think we can't grow an abundance of food for the population we have.

Your grandma isn't the average mainstream person. Canning ect is in the 'prepping' realm and that's 'weird' to the mainstream.

I think you're seeing a larger push towards those things in mainstream areas though. My Grandmother definitely isn't exclusive and a lot of urban cities are making the push to convert vacant properties to community gardens. I don't think it's as "weird" as you're claiming but people are lazy.

Now when you start talking about neighborhoods with strict HOAs that won't even allow you decide the color of your own blinds, there's an issue there. But those typically are people who readily have access to healthier foods, they just choose not to partake. I live in an apartment where I can't grow more than a container garden on my balcony but I can afford to drive across town to the farmers market. I know people, especially some of the families I've worked with, who cannot.

The public has been sold on the quick fix for being overweight without being properly educated on sustaining it for a lifetime. Also the reason our generation (and my parent's generation) has seen the average weight rise is because of the avaliability of processed foods and fast food. We work longer hours and most families have two working parents. I get the constraints. But I also look at the cost when I don't buy local and the ridiculous prices they charge for fruits and vegetables and grass-fed meats at the larger chain stores most frequent.

It's a much larger issue than just processed food avaliability.

ETA: I'd also argue in the South it's as much cultural as it is avaliability.

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I think you're seeing a larger push towards those things in mainstream areas though. My Grandmother definitely isn't exclusive and a lot of urban cities are making the push to convert vacant properties to community gardens. I don't think it's as "weird" as you're claiming but people are lazy.

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People are lazy. It's the bottom line here. They eat fake foods, or in restaurants which sell the same crap you can get in Walmart and sit on their asses all day. If you want healthy stuff, grow your own. Even farmers markets have been bastardized.

Yeah. Why would you think that sentence meant you were debating?

That's the best way you can let me know I'm owning your mind.

I love watching you trip over yourself.

And which comments are those? The ones that aren't related to the discussion.

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Why did you feel you had to mention it?

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Because you said -- People are lazy. That's the bottom line here.

We weren't talking about laziness. I mean, yeah, of course what you said is true but it sort of made little sense to add in that setting.

As usual? I haven't posted here in a year.

You seem sorta bitter over past verbal assaults I've had on you. I've moved on. You're welcome to stay upset.

Look it down minority lines

Black and latinos both have very high obesity rates. I wonder why that is?


Almost every Mexican I know is huge. What's weird is all my Mexican friends only eat Mexican food. Nothing but carbs and sweet breads and sugary soda. My coworker drinks about 500 calories of soda a day