We're number 5, we're number 5!!

Rough Sleeper · 19-08-2014 11:40AM

rubadub wrote: »

I'd be interested in how they got the figures. wiki have us at 13

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_food_energy_intake

and they also mention

We probably have a lot higher alcohol intake than other countries and it is said not to cause weight gain like food does in heavy drinkers. I certainly find this myself, if 3500kcal of excess calories did cause 1lb weight gain I wouldn't be able to walk.

Good to see them mention restaurant portions being huge, and how gym machines overestimate calorie usage.

It's from the WHO.

http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/3_foodconsumption/en/

It's the same source as used in the Wiki article - the FAO - and the methodology is the same, ie. food available for consumption rather than food consumed.

the terms “food consumption” or “food intake” should be read as “food available for consumption”.

So yeah, given the amount of food that ends up as waste rather than adipose tissue, with fats and cooking oils being the ones that spring immediately to mind, the figures are a bit high. Given the fact that 50% of the population is female and a considerable amount fit into the over 65 bracket, I'd say if we were actually consuming an average of 3500+ kcal per person, we'd have somewhere near majority obesity in the country. We have a weight problem for sure, but this is a typical example of the media either misrepresenting or misunderstanding the data.

EDIT: to give a bit of perspective, think of how much food goes into the brown/organic waste bin over the course of a month.

Mellor · 19-08-2014 11:49AM

Rough Sleeper wrote: »

It's the same source as used in the Wiki article - the FAO - and the methodology is the same, ie. food available for consumption rather than food consumed.

EDIT: to give a bit of perspective, think of how much food goes into the brown/organic waste bin over the course of a month.

I'd assume that the same less than perfect methodology applies to all countries listed.
So the fact we're 5th this holds up. If people think of America as a nation if iver eaters. The chart gives us a relative measure as eating almost as much compared to the states.

cloudatlas · 19-08-2014 12:50PM

I'm surprised about Israel where the chick pea is king. Well of course Ireland wouldn't be too far away from Britain as we have the same supermarkets. Can I blame the Brits a wee bit?

nice_guy80 · 19-08-2014 12:53PM

proper food nutrition is still not taught in most schools.
primary school curriculum follows the flawed food pyramid model

I think food nutrition and cooking should be mandatory in secondary schools, if only for one term.

19-08-2014 12:54PM

cletus van damme wrote: »

blaming spuds and butter is horse****.
Ireland has only a recent obseity problem - mountains of spuds and butter have been a stable for a lot longer.
I know from older family living in good health and fitness into their 90s that mountains of spuds/bread/butter (often demonised) have no ill effects.
The overall calorie intake is a problem - but foods like spuds are not.

If people followed recommended servings of food they "prepare" then they almost certainly wouldn't be obese, maybe a bit pudgy. When someone has 125g of rice with their dinner or a massive plateful of pasta or spuds making up all of the carbs they should have in a day even according to the food pyramid then that's a problem.
There's also a perception among older people that they seem to have gotten from certain weight-loss companies about spuds that "it's what you put on them that makes you put on weight". Yup, that knob of butter is grand, the 5 huge spuds are grand.

19-08-2014 12:55PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

proper food nutrition is still not taught in most schools.
primary school curriculum follows the flawed food pyramid model

I think food nutrition and cooking should be mandatory in secondary schools, if only for one term.

The food pyramid is fine in one way, but only if people actually followed the serving sizes. 25g of uncooked rice is a portion? Yeah, ok!

Dexters16 · 19-08-2014 01:01PM

Go into any supermarket and the first things you will find on offer are soft drinks, chocolate and processed crap.

The temptation is already there. Something on offer just seals the deal.

MD1990 · 19-08-2014 01:12PM

Don't understand why so many ppl seem to always have a high carboydrate for dinner either Potatoes,Pasta or Rice.
I usually just have some Salmon with Brocculli & some peppers afterwards.

Mellor · 19-08-2014 01:36PM

Dexters16 wrote: »

Go into any supermarket and the first things you will find on offer are soft drinks, chocolate and processed crap.

The temptation is already there. Something on offer just seals the deal.

Not really.
Meat, fruit and veg have weekly specials too.
Items on the shekels are driven my customers purchases, not the other way around.

Ralphdejones · 19-08-2014 01:45PM

MD1990 wrote: »

.
I usually just have some Salmon with Brocculli & some peppers afterwards.

Because to most people, although that would be a superior choice from a health point of view, it would also be dull tasteless bland and unfilling

LuckyLloyd · 19-08-2014 05:33PM

MD1990 wrote: »

Don't understand why so many ppl seem to always have a high carboydrate for dinner either Potatoes,Pasta or Rice.
I usually just have some Salmon with Brocculli & some peppers afterwards.

'Don't understand'? While we don't all agree on this forum about the optimal approach to exercise and nutrition, the fact is we're all here talking about it and interested in it to some degree or another. A lack of empathy or interest in understanding why people act the way they do will help no-one.

As it is, people can't cook. The break of the 'traditional' role of the woman in society (a hugely positive thing obv) means there isn't a stay at home female from her early / mid twenties focussing on the procurement and preparation of three square a day. We are a hard working and productive work force relative to the EU average. When all that is supplanted by the official state position on nutrition being the food pyramid it shouldn't be at all difficult to understand why people act as they do.

What I'd love to see is the secondary school curriculum adding in a basic health and nutrition element. Teach kids in school:

- a little about food types;
- the science of how the body used food and how we gain weight;
- practical food procurement;
- practical food preparation;
- the benefits of exercise;
- a little about different types of exercise and their effects;

Do that, and within two generations we'd be one of the healthier nations on the planet. But it will never happen. Religious / farming / parent / pharmaceutical / food production / etc lobby groups would never allow it.

Bruno26 · 19-08-2014 06:58PM

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

'Don't understand'? While we don't all agree on this forum about the optimal approach to exercise and nutrition, the fact is we're all here talking about it and interested in it to some degree or another. A lack of empathy or interest in understanding why people act the way they do will help no-one.

As it is, people can't cook. The break of the 'traditional' role of the woman in society (a hugely positive thing obv) means there isn't a stay at home female from her early / mid twenties focussing on the procurement and preparation of three square a day. We are a hard working and productive work force relative to the EU average. When all that is supplanted by the official state position on nutrition being the food pyramid it shouldn't be at all difficult to understand why people act as they do.

What I'd love to see is the secondary school curriculum adding in a basic health and nutrition element. Teach kids in school:

- a little about food types;
- the science of how the body used food and how we gain weight;
- practical food procurement;
- practical food preparation;
- the benefits of exercise;
- a little about different types of exercise and their effects;

Do that, and within two generations we'd be one of the healthier nations on the planet. But it will never happen. Religious / farming / parent / pharmaceutical / food production / etc lobby groups would never allow it.

I agree. However you can teach it all you want but if it's not being implemented at home then it will make little difference. All schools should have proper catering facilities also.

Ralphdejones · 19-08-2014 07:20PM

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Do that, and within two generations we'd be one of the healthier nations on the planet. But it will never happen. Religious / farming / parent / pharmaceutical / food production / etc lobby groups would never allow it.

Other than the pharmaceutical one, can you explain your prejudice as to why each of these other groups in Ireland would not allow it, as you claim ?

radia · 19-08-2014 10:59PM

No mixed messages there...

MD1990 · 19-08-2014 11:05PM

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

'Don't understand'? While we don't all agree on this forum about the optimal approach to exercise and nutrition, the fact is we're all here talking about it and interested in it to some degree or another. A lack of empathy or interest in understanding why people act the way they do will help no-one.

As it is, people can't cook. The break of the 'traditional' role of the woman in society (a hugely positive thing obv) means there isn't a stay at home female from her early / mid twenties focussing on the procurement and preparation of three square a day. We are a hard working and productive work force relative to the EU average. When all that is supplanted by the official state position on nutrition being the food pyramid it shouldn't be at all difficult to understand why people act as they do.

What I'd love to see is the secondary school curriculum adding in a basic health and nutrition element. Teach kids in school:

- a little about food types;
- the science of how the body used food and how we gain weight;
- practical food procurement;
- practical food preparation;
- the benefits of exercise;
- a little about different types of exercise and their effects;

Do that, and within two generations we'd be one of the healthier nations on the planet. But it will never happen. Religious / farming / parent / pharmaceutical / food production / etc lobby groups would never allow it.

Hard to have too much empathy if some people who are unhappy with there weight won't change there diet for the better. Some ppl need less empathy & just need to be told how to improve there diet. I know that may seem harsh but it isn't that hard to do if u really want to ne healthier.

doctorwhogirl · 19-08-2014 11:39PM

I have no doubt that those figures are accurate but I still think there are signs of change. A lot more people are becoming more and more aware of good nutrition. I think it's going side by side with the increase in people running etc... They start engaging in fitness and then the queries about nutrition follow.

Obviously, it's a slow road but I feel there's a greater awareness than there was 4/5 years ago. I even know from friends who wouldnt have cared/didn't know/ didn't bother speaking about processed food and salt content etc...!

Alf Veedersane · 19-08-2014 11:41PM

MD1990 wrote: »

Hard to have too much empathy if some people who are unhappy with there weight won't change there diet for the better. Some ppl need less empathy & just need to be told how to improve there diet. I know that may seem harsh but it isn't that hard to do if u really want to ne healthier.

I'm all for educating people on what they should eat but saying "eat salmon and broccoli instead of pasta/rice/potatoes" isn't the answer. Aside from anything else, there isn't anything unhealthy about potatoes, rice or pasta per se.

Bit of knowledge of portion sizes as well as food quality would go a long way.

Zamboni · 20-08-2014 09:18AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I'm all for educating people on what they should eat but saying "eat salmon and broccoli instead of pasta/rice/potatoes" isn't the answer. Aside from anything else, there isn't anything unhealthy about potatoes, rice or pasta per se.

Bit of knowledge of portion sizes as well as food quality would go a long way.

I had the same attitude as you and LuckyLlyod ten years ago because normal human empathy (hopefully) is the default start point.
And that is indeed the way people are dealt with by the media, doctors, state agencies.
Result: Over that decade obesity has further rocketed (almost exponentially if I remember the data)
Humans are frail creatures with little self discipline to control their primitive biological urges. They need to be directed.
At the moment we are on a clear trajectory towards monumental state health costs, ballooning dependent individuals, children with advanced adult levels of diseases of civilisation.
I, for one, am not dancing around this issue anymore.

Alf Veedersane · 20-08-2014 09:23AM

Zamboni wrote: »

I had the same attitude as you and LuckyLlyod ten years ago because normal human empathy (hopefully) is the default start point.
And that is indeed the way people are dealt with by the media, doctors, state agencies.
Result: Over that decade obesity has further rocketed (almost exponentially if I remember the data)
Humans are frail creatures with little self discipline to control their primitive biological urges. They need to be directed.
At the moment we are on a clear trajectory towards monumental state health costs, ballooning dependent individuals, children with advanced adult levels of diseases of civilisation.
I, for one, am not dancing around this issue anymore.

I think you misunderstood what I was saying.

Saying "Eat salmon and brocccoli instead of potatoes/rice/pasta" isn't a trategy that is going to work.

Teaching people why the likes of salmon and broccoli would be better choices or what a portion size is if they want to have potatoes/rice/pasta is much more likely to work.

Bruno26 · 20-08-2014 09:31AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I'm all for educating people on what they should eat but saying "eat salmon and broccoli instead of pasta/rice/potatoes" isn't the answer. Aside from anything else, there isn't anything unhealthy about potatoes, rice or pasta per se.

Bit of knowledge of portion sizes as well as food quality would go a long way.

Portion sizes are great but what happens when you are still hungry after carefully measuring your portions sizes? Do you really think it works? Do you think people are going to stick with it if they are always hungry?

Zamboni · 20-08-2014 09:34AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I think you misunderstood what I was saying.

Saying "Eat salmon and brocccoli instead of potatoes/rice/pasta" isn't a trategy that is going to work.

Teaching people why the likes of salmon and broccoli would be better choices or what a portion size is if they want to have potatoes/rice/pasta is much more likely to work.

Apologies AV - I suppose I am more responding to this quote

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

A lack of empathy or interest in understanding why people act the way they do will help no-one.

Alf Veedersane · 20-08-2014 09:39AM

Bruno26 wrote: »

Portion sizes are great but what happens when you are still hungry after carefully measuring your portions sizes? Do you really think it works? Do you think people are going to stick with it if they are always hungry?

AND WHAT ABOUT THE HYPERBOLE?

WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?!ELEVEEEENNNNN

If someone is eating proper food, then there won't be a problem with feeling hungry.

Bruno26 · 20-08-2014 09:42AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

AND WHAT ABOUT THE HYPERBOLE?

WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?!ELEVEEEENNNNN

If someone is eating proper food, then there won't be a problem with feeling hungry.

What?

Gobs***e comes to mind.

Essien · 20-08-2014 09:49AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

If someone is eating proper food, then there won't be a problem with feeling hungry.

This.

I had 250g of spuds yesterday and I was stuffed for the evening. Real food FTW.

Ralphdejones · 20-08-2014 10:22AM

Don't eat crap and mind the calories in verus the calories out ?

Is this not the way or what ?

Essien · 20-08-2014 10:29AM

Ralphdejones wrote: »

Don't eat crap and mind the calories in verus the calories out ?

Is this not the way or what ?

This is the way.

Bruno26 · 20-08-2014 10:32AM

Ralphdejones wrote: »

Don't eat crap and mind the calories in verus the calories out ?

Is this not the way or what ?

Yes to first part but no to second part.

http://time.com/2988142/you-asked-are-all-calories-created-equal/

Alf Veedersane · 20-08-2014 10:44AM

And so it begins.

Again.

Ralphdejones · 20-08-2014 10:46AM

Essien wrote: »

This is the way.

Bruno26 wrote: »

Yes to first part but no to second part.

Fckin Typical. Let us know whenever you make your minds up.

MD1990 · 20-08-2014 10:48AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I think you misunderstood what I was saying.

Saying "Eat salmon and brocccoli instead of potatoes/rice/pasta" isn't a trategy that is going to work.

Teaching people why the likes of salmon and broccoli would be better choices or what a portion size is if they want to have potatoes/rice/pasta is much more likely to work.

I never said that it was a strategy al all though

. Was just pointing out that many people have too much carbohydrates & then an example of what I eat. Way too much jumping to conclusions in that post.

We're number 5, we're number 5!!

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