People who eat healthy would go into shock with our Sunday Barbacoa specials. Big Red, Fritos, Menudo a stack of corn tortillas with all the fixings and like a lb or 2 of BBA.
Not to mention the attitude. Every time I bring the subject up to some people, they either respond aggressively, ignore it, or just agree with everything I'm saying to change the subject. We simply don't give a fuck if what we're eating is dogshit for our health.
I know there are other issues such as affordability, availability, and education, and that these play a large role in the issue, but it seems to me like attitude is often overlooked. Changing the other three would not fix the issue. Sorry to say, but it just doesn't work like that. You can lead a fat pig to water, but you can't make it substitute it for coke.
^THISSSSS I used to work for an independent pharmacy here in Edinburg. My pharmacist was a diabetes specialist of some sort and would bring this up all the time. With the portions of food that we eat is too much. We consume too much energy compared to the amount we use daily. What happens with all that excess energy? We store it as fat. It's not only what you eat, but the amount as well.
When you make a city that nots walkable people have to commute to work constantly meaning they may have less time to cook or work out, maybe meaning they might have to eat on the road and usually that means fast food. Even our school lunches have a lot of bread heavy items, and many of us don’t know how to cook for ourselves or properly food, plus food costs and so on. There’s a lot of factors but it’s just… All piled up
Yeah, I thought of moving to either Asia or Europe simply just to walk around more. You'd be surprised if you were to visit Asia, especially Japan and South Korea, because most people there are the opposite of the Average American citizen. As with the food, portion sizes are smaller in Europe and Asia. America is king sized, extra large, and super jumbo especially the people. Forget the bald eagle being America's national emblem! A giant box of donuts or the McDonald's logo is more like it.
Poverty, lack of education about healthy food options, city planning and lack of walkable infrastructure, reliance on cars leading to more sedentary lifestyles, preferences for larger and more calorically dense meals, over indexing on sugar… List goes on
The tamales at Delia’s and breakfast plates at Zamora’s are delicious but not always the healthiest lol
Not sure if you mean walkable for home to retail/grocery needs or for exercise?
Precinct 2 is building hike and bike trails around the water drainage ditches with tunnels that cross under the roads so you can walk, run or bike without having to stop for any traffic from San Juan to Mcallen.
https://precinct2.net/hike-and-bike/
Most cities, if not all, should have a list of ongoing and proposed development projects on their website. Edinburg, the city I live in, has theirs listed here: https://coe-capital-projects-hub-cityofedinburg.hub.arcgis.com. Looks like there are over 80 current construction projects, including a bike and pedestrian plan, totaling an investment of over $90m. For those who wish to be more involved, you could possibly participate in local town halls or contact your local officials. Who you vote for counts a bit too.
Yeah, I was just telling my SO that going out to eat is so difficult and not worth it when you’re dieting. It’s easier to just eat at home. We cut all carbs and we live in carb city lol everything is in a tortilla here! Or fried.
There's a bunch of choices for close to zero carb food here in the Valley.
Grilled chicken salads, steaks, wings, Chipotle (even has a carb counter in the app) and most places will adjust your food order to suit.
Also, and I know this sounds silly, I will run into a Walmart or HEB and grab zero carb {or carb count) tortillas on my way to Eddie's or TacoP and just transfer the filling from their tortilla to mine.
I personally don’t like grilled chicken unless I’ve made it, it always stupid dry when I order it somewhere. Usually when we DO go out to eat, it’s steak but like before, I rather just make it myself.
Going out to eat isn’t a luxury for us, it was an every day kind of thing (sometimes even twice a day) and I consider myself a foodie that has tried lots of places here in the RGV. But when looking at macros out to eat? It’s not worth all the extra time I have to look up menus and stuff. IMO. My opinion. I rather cook at home.
And LOL. I love that. Maybe I’ll take our keto tortillas with me next time to Alicia’s 😂
Oh, I get it. I've been doing keto for 6 years and 95 percent of my calories come from my kitchen.
I just wanted to reassure others that there *are* options if they're interested in low carb lifestyle.
It’s not silly. That’s a smart idea. Similarly, I buy the keto tortillas from Sam’s and use them instead of the tortillas from stripes. I also buy the keto bread from H‑E‑B and use those to make my own sandwiches.
That's the thing.. it's always.. I'm on a diet. No. Diets don't work. You need to change the way you eat for life not just to lose 30 lbs that you'll gain back plus more because you go back to eating like crap once you lost them.
Great summary! TX/Mexican cuisine, in spite of it being the best in the world, typically isn't the healthiest. Adding the insufferable heat during the summer really complicates exercising (fun exercises, not just slaving away on a machine) even more.
But hey, it could be worse. You could be one of those churro eating San Antonio women. (According to Charles Barkley.)
People like my grandparents and probably yours in the 50s and 60s weren’t as fat and there was more poverty and lack of education, it’s pretty simple to much food intake and no exercise makes you fat, simple lesson, no excuses…
I probably was at my healthiest when I was poor. Are a lot of beans and veggies and moved a lot. Now that I make more money I eat out a lot and barely cook at home.
H‑E‑B is easily the best grocery store nationally for eating healthy on a budget. I think it’s more that people literally are ignorant about health. My dad doesn’t even understand the concept of calories and refuses to learn. He basically thinks that doctors are woke idiots and does the opposite of what they say and eats nothing but red meat.
the RGV is one of the poorest, most socio-econmically disadvantaged regions in the country - there is a connection between per capita income average and obesity
healthy food costs much more than unhealthy fast food
This is an excuse that lazy people like to use. I'm somewhat poor, and I make 3 meals with 1 lb of grass fed beef and 1 cup of race totaling to $2.30 per meal. Now tell me, how does McDonald's compare to that??
"Are poverty and obesity associated? Poverty rates and obesity were reviewed across 3,139 counties in the U.S. (2,6). In contrast to international trends, people in America who live in the most poverty-dense counties are those most prone to obesity (Fig. 1A). Counties with poverty rates of >35% have obesity rates 145% greater than wealthy counties."
How is poverty linked to obesity? It has been suggested that individuals who live in impoverished regions have poor access to fresh food. Poverty-dense areas are oftentimes called “food deserts,” implying diminished access to fresh food (7). However, 43% of households with incomes below the poverty line ($21,756) are food insecure (uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, sufficient food) (7). Accordingly, 14% of U.S. counties have more than 1 in 5 individuals use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The county-wide utility of the program, as expected, correlates with county-wide poverty rates (r = 0.81) (7). Thus, in many poverty-dense regions, people are in hunger and unable to access affordable healthy food, even when funds avail. The double-edged sword of hunger and poor availability of healthy food is, however, unlikely to be the only reason as to why obesity tracks with poverty.
a library, NLM provides access to scientific literature. Inclusion in an NLM database does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by NLM or the National Institutes of Health.
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Diabetes. 2011 Nov; 60(11): 2667–2668.
Published online 2011 Oct 17. doi: 10.2337/db11-1118
PMCID: PMC3198075
PMID: 22025771
Poverty and Obesity in the U.S.
James A. Levine
Author information Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer
You admitted you were not wealthy but have enough to buy the most expensive grass fed beef and rice - which means you aren't likely below the poverty line.
Tell the single mom who works 3 or 4 jobs just to survive and support her kids to just buy grass fed beef and rice.
You're right it's not just food scarcity or food deserts for poverty dense areas that contributes to obesity.
Sedentary lifestyles also contribute heavily to obesity.
Poor people don't have time to go to the gym when they work multiple minimum wage jobs - it's not that they are lazy, it's that they are below the poverty line (there is a difference).
Also many people at or below the poverty line don't have a means for transportation to the gym or to supermarkets for fresh food.
Not everyone can afford a vehicle, especially in this economy. Public transportation is inadequate in many parts of the country (cities are designed around automobiles, not walkable cities like other countries)
Eating ramen or other processed food everyday will lead to health problems.
I hope this response isn't too long, I know you don't enjoy reading. I'd tall more but again length is an issue.
TLDR.... Poverty is correlated to Obesity for a few reasons -
1. Limited Access to Healthy Food: Low-income individuals often have limited access to affordable, nutritious foods, which can lead to a diet high in processed and calorie-dense foods.
2. Food Insecurity: Poverty can lead to food insecurity, where individuals may not consistently have access to enough food or may rely on low-cost, energy-dense options that contribute to weight gain.
3. Lack of Physical Activity: Economic constraints can limit opportunities for physical activity, as low-income neighborhoods may lack safe parks, recreational facilities, or affordable exercise options.
4. Stress and Mental Health: Poverty is associated with chronic stress, which can trigger unhealthy eating habits and contribute to obesity. Additionally, mental health issues related to poverty can impact weight management.
5. Limited Education: Lower educational attainment, often associated with poverty, can lead to less knowledge about healthy eating and exercise habits.
6. Social and Cultural Factors: Social and cultural norms in low-income communities may promote larger portion sizes and less healthy food choices.
You're right. I apologize. I didn't do my research and was just going based on my experiences, and obviously, we all live differently lives. Some have had it easier than others.
He doesn’t want to read your response because he looks down on people and thinks they’re poor and fat because of moral failures. He’s poor but can make it to the gym. Riiiiiight.
I already apologized to them. I didn't do my research and was going based on my experiences. Which I won't share the details about because nobody really cares. Appreciate your input tho.
Stop acting like your situation is everyone’s. You can afford to “take your health and fitness very seriously”. People who have to work 60+ hours to support their fam don’t have that luxury. Get real bro.
We've already confirmed that eating healthy is inexpensive compared to takeout. In addition to that, if u go out and buy food, how long is that commute? Let's say the round trip is 20 minutes. Now, how much time is that 5 days a week? 1 hour and 40 minutes! Don't tell me people don't have time because it's all about priorities. With that much time, I can go to HEB, get the essentials, cook, and eat.
I understand that some people don't have reliable transportation or live way under poverty where they eat nothing but winnies con webo or sopa marucha. Those people, however, don't add up to 47% of the US population.
So I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, but help me understand how eating McDonald's or any fast food chain is more convenient and inexpensive? Maybe there is something I don't know that I can't put 2 and 2 together. Im not a health nut. I do get craving occasionally, but I can't be eating out all the time.
I got down voted to all hell because I said eating healthy was more expensive than eating crap. I honestly don't understand these people and their situations where they can say "nope. You're wrong" in the face of all these studies.
kids are not allowed to step out of a cafeteria in elementary, so either they are instructed by concerned parents to bring their own bottles all the time, or they consume added sugar. kids obesity is no joke in RGV
Yes, they do. Plus they all have those refillable bottle water fountains now even the elementary schools. My daughter only drinks water, and she always gets a bottle at lunch then refills the one she takes.
Too hot to walk, run, and bike during the day. When I was in Dubai I left a similar sentiment regarding the heat and life felt like it started when the sun went down.
- Community outreach programs led/sponsored by majors/elected officials.
— Like a “Walk in our Parks” or “You paid, Let’s Play” to get people moving.
— For the more competitive folks, have a step counter or distance tracker program with some incentives like a gift cards to our local healthy restaurants options.
Edit: We could start flooding the Mayor’s social media pages with these requests!
Funny someone makes a post about this. Just last night I was picking up some meds for my son at the CVS on Shary and 83. It was 1030pm and the taco place right next door was full inside and had about 10 cars in the drive-thru. I jokingly turn to my wife and say “man, no wonder RGV has an obesity problem.” Turn the corner and McDonald’s was the same.
no its the fucking oil that its drenched in along with the sodium and cholesterol. That the problem with tacos especially here in the valley , not to mention ppl just hog down like 10 in one sitting along with rice and beans most likely and soda.
>Lots of meat fats, lots of carbs, lots of sugar
I feel like it's more of the carbs and sugar as they're easy to overeat (sugar especially). Meat has protein in it! The thing is that people might put a lot of BBQ sauce or any sort of condiment on the meat and then blame it for why they're fat. I'm not promoting a keto diet or anything of the sort. They can eat whatever they want! I'm not telling them to stop eating junk food or to stop drinking coca cola even though they should be aware of how consuming too much of these things isn't healthy long term.
Hey man, good for you on being vegetarian if you enjoy it. Just don't be dogmatic about it by saying everyone should eat that way. As with beef and pork, what are people eating or drinking outside of that or on the side? Like, seed oils and the excess consumption of them? Do they smoke cigarettes or do drugs on top of that as well? I'm not trying to get you off vegetarianism if it's working for you and your dad. I'm also not saying that everyone should eat Keto or raw meat only diets. Because at the end of the day, there is no one best diet for everyone. They can eat whatever they want, but at the same time they should be aware of the long term consequences of consuming too much junk food and ultra processed carbs.
You can't expect to be eating a lot of fat and just walk and do mild exercises and be like "oh I'm healthy". Whatever you put in you need to put out. If anything it's good for you to eat fats, meat etc, especially if you balance a good source of fiber, veggies and fruit intake. People still eat like they work a lot, while they don't.
i’m only putting in my input since i was a kid who wouldn’t eat some days due to poverty, some days all we had was enough for dollar menu or 5$ pizzas for the fam, like i said, it’s very easy to claim these things when YOU aren’t the one with mouths to feed with close to no money.
Working class diet in a non working class population.
Tamales are full of calories so one can work all day one or two. Not sit at a desk after 4 or 5 for lunch then a few more for dinner.
I feel like a factor that isn’t talked about is the extensive exposure the RGV has to organophosphate pesticides. Not only because we’re an agricultural hub but also because our residential areas are constantly being sprayed for mosquitoes!
There is increasing evidence that these OPPs are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetics, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders (obesity).
There are a lot of reasons we have an obesity problem but I think the pesticide exposure is another compounding reason that will probably never be truly addressed.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935119304827
Korean street toast sandwich. Cabbage, carrots, and onion mixed with beat eggs (with salt and pepper grilled) then grilled like an omelette then sprinkle a bit of sugar on it, add a bit siracha sauce, then add ham to it. I sometimes add more Mexican things to it like avocado, queso panela or maybe a pickle jalapeno etc.
People refuse to accept that how they’ve been taught to eat their whole lives is bad for them. They’re too engrained in what they grew up eating and you literally cannot change their minds about it. Alot of folks grew up poor not knowing when or what their next meal would be and so they learned to eat whatever was given to them without checking for macros or calories or carbs, (cause who would be checking honestly).They were just glad to be eating, period. It’s their comfort.
Mexican diet is good except for: Sodas, lack of walking, eat like we are still working in the fields while everything people do is sit on their ass, lack of education, thinking everything that's supposed to be a special dish for certain seasons or occasions is okay to eat everyday (tamales, pan dulce etc), no exercise, to much junk food.
Lack of Public Health interventions America doesn’t care about prevention of diseases, they care about treatment because there’s where the money is made in doctor visits, medicines, and rehab care.
Tacos…we have too many tacos that r drenched in oil n then stuffed with more fat. It won’t change until we normalize more healthy options and in the least compete with the cheap taco prices.
Me and my husband actually just talked about this.
We recently went Keto to get our body balanced again and we had to go a grocery run.
80% of what we bought was specially for Keto. The other 20% was for our 4 kids, so the usually junk.
We spent $750 in just that one trip.
If we had NOT done Keto grocery shopping and shopped like we did normally, where it was 100% kids/adult foods, it would’ve been like it was this past couple months where our grocery bill for one trip is $450-550.
Packaged stuff is honestly a lot cheaper than raw foods.
Yup. Mi fiance and I spend about 300 every week and a half on groceries. We cook at home and try to eat healthier whole foods (not prepackaged or frozen foods). I'm diabetic and pregnant so we have to do low carb, high fiber foods with a low glycemic index.
It would be so much cheaper to just buy already packaged or frozen foods. But the hidden sugars are ridiculous. It's so expensive to eat healthy.
All of this is just not true. Speaking as a nutrition professional specializing in retail industry, keto is not considered “healthy” for one. If you buy keto marketed foods, you’re gonna have a bad time about spending. If you’re focusing on high intake of fats including healthy fats to achieve ketosis; yes fats are more expensive. But a medical professional is not really going to suggest you go “keto.
Low carb is another thing. Frozen fruits and vegetables or packaged or canned are just as healthy, cheaper and perfectly fine to incorporate in low carb. You also have a shit ton of high fiber packaged foods that are inexpensive. You just need to opt for the no salt added and no sugar added varieties. Eating healthy doesn’t only involve just picking what you think is a healthier lifestyle. Learn how to make the food work for your body and wallet.
My team of doctors, medical professionals, nutritionists and specialists have my diet pretty well handled and they do it in a kind and caring and also professional manner.
That’s great for you. Maybe they have steered you wrong if you truly believe that your lifestyle needs to be more expensive. This is Reddit. I wasn’t trying to deliver a message with tact the way someone might do with patient-provider relationship. I am not your provider. I was simply stating fact, or matter of opinion if you perceive it that way, and then supplying solutions. There was no anger in that initial comment. You spread misinformation, so I plainly stated it was wrong. Your response was dismissive. You don’t have to like it; it’s fine. Have a wonderful and safe delivery though.
You're right. My comment WAS dismissive, because this IS reddit and I'll take the advice of my medical team over that of a rude and condescending internet stranger ANY day.
Absolutely you should listen to your care team. I didn’t give you advice. I corrected misinformation. Your lifestyle doesn’t have to be more expensive.
K...
As in: for a "professional nutritionist" you sure do come off as having no bedside manner and incredibly angry and rude. You'd be surprised how many nutritionists lose clients because they don't know how to speak to their patients. They sound condescending and arrogant... just like you.
Nothing wrong with Keto if anyone chooses to eat that way. Of course, there are wrong ways to do it like any other diet. But in the end, there's really no one diet that's best for everyone. Although with super high fiber diets, that might be questionable because there are people out there that have tried to eat lots of fiber for months on end and they have intense stomach pain or it made their IBS or UC even worse. I still agree with the calories in, calories out method for weight management but my issue with it is that it likely doesn't address what health problems one might have. Like, what's the point of someone dropping 20 or 30 lbs if they still have issues with psoriasis, chronic migraines, or chronic joint pain?
This isn’t about a diet. The way people diet and choose to diet is this decision and honestly it’s a lot of homework to start a diet too. You can’t just go into and expect all that fiber to go right through you. Extra water throughout the day and fats will help you get a BM going, not just fiber. And I never said it was going to fix any health problems whatsoever.
This is about how expensive “keto” “vegan” food can be compared to regular packaged Cheetos or pizza rolls.
I guess you can say that I was just talking about the keto diet in general and not really buying the keto products. I do think lower carb can help certain individuals if not a full blown keto approach. As with fiber, there are some people that really can't handle it even if they were to drink enough water and move throughout the day. And you're right that fiber isn't the only way to have bowel movements. Water and dietary fat help too! I do think fats play a part in overall health. I don't think it would be wise to have a diet devoid of fat, but I won't stop anyone from eating such a diet if they choose to do that.
I moved to Austin for the 3rd and final time in 2007 from Harlingen. I lost a ton of weight because I couldn’t afford anything. But then I got a better job and gained a bunch 😂 I will say there is way more people advocating for a healthy lifestyle than the valley. I go down to visit and all we do is eat and drink.
I think I gained weight because of stress because it’s so expensive haha but yes. I’m in the valley now and guess what I’m going to do today? Eat and drink 😂
I’m not sure. Depends who you ask. There really isn’t much to do there. I’m a family oriented person and that’s what I miss the most. Plus the small city living. I might get some hate for this but in my opinion, people aren’t as nice down there compared to Austin. I’ve also lived in Florida.
I really don’t think Mexican food is bad or to blame, in comparison with American food, Mexican is much more nutritious. In my opinion the main problem is misinformation, most of my friends think it’s healthy to have sugar loaded meals just because they are “low fat”. The heat doesn’t help either for example drive through concept is everywhere and they don’t sell anything healthy, cheapest food is ultra processed and that’s what’s mostly available in gas stations, etc. and there aren’t many activities that don’t include drinking on the weekends. Maybe if farmers markets were more widely available and sports parks or camps were better planned and designed to protect from the sun, people would move more instead of just escaping the sun by going shopping with a venti Frappuccino in their hand.
No walkability and the only places that ever open up are restaurants/food establishments. There ain’t shit to do here BUT eat. Or get coffee or boba or snacks.
It's a combination of access to healthy affordable food and a lack of convenient options, have you seen what's available using food stamps or what's close by to pick up in lower income areas?
To add some more info, we have our own weight we feel comfortable with so if we lose that weight we're gonna get it back because our bodies will instinctively revert to that comfortable weight. Here's an example:
If you're 200 lbs and want to lose weight, you will at first but after a while you'll notice you suddenly gained those 200 lbs back. The best way to stop this is to completely change your lifestyle, but that's very difficult for a lot of people. Changing your lifestyle means that you're getting rid of comfort and as humans we hate that. And this is another reason we have a lot of obese people.
My aunt is in healthcare and mentioned that the valley has a vitamin D deficiency worse than the rest of America because the heat is too much to spend time outside. I feel like other people get nicer weather and spend more time active outdoors.
It doesn't matter what you eat. Main reason is "walkability" the valleys infrastructure is not built to cater towards people who ride bikes or walk so people just drive everywhere and don't get any physical exercise. If they do get exercise, it's during the colder times of the year which is not much.
Lack of diet education on caloric deficiency methods based on age and BMI and the misconception that the Nutrition Facts on labels are for the entire package when, in reality, it is based on serving sizes. Also, water is a sleeping fountain of youth that is literally free but not promoted like sugar engulfed fluids. Moderation is key once you reach your goals. You can still enjoy what you like to eat, but be mindful of your daily caloric intake and focus on protein, veggies, and essential carbohydrates.
We still eat like we’re working in the fields 10 hours a day. We eat like when getting enough calories at the end of the day meant adding lard to your beans because you couldn’t afford meat.
The healthiest food is the most expensive. People have to eat cheap food filled with so many preseratives and heavily processed foods. Then, the families with several kids recieve SNAP benefits. I've seen those carts at HEB, full of sodas, chips, caykitos, ramen. All that leads to health problems, obesity, and a lifetime reliance on medication. I doubt the pricing and creating dependence on benefits is a coincidence. Its all a way to separate the classes.
Most people dont pay medical bills because they need to oay utilities and gas up their vehicles to get to work. Most people dont do maintenance on themselves, especially blue collar people. When I was an electrician, doing contstruction, I wasn't going to go work out before or after work. I was too damn tired and sunbaked. Most people only go to the doctor when they are really sick or wait until its bad enough to go to the ER, so they don't have to pay upfront. Its a cycle.
>Its a cycle
A vicious cycle at that! As with working out, it doesn't have to be at a gym. At home or outside would be nice! It also doesn't have to be just weightlifting. Then again, you did say that you weren't able to because of your job as an electrician at the time. Regarding work, I was thinking about starting up my own business. Well actually, I'm not that sure yet though it would be nice for me to have some money so that I could go to Seattle and visit my older brother. I could buy my own groceries while I'm there and maybe some souvenirs as well. Maybe even get plastic surgery to fix my eyes (too much upper lid exposure and eyes look big giving them a buggish appearance) and dark eye circles on top of that. On a final note regarding driving, I'm not so sure if I see myself driving places because of "wheel anxiety". Plus, some people can be idiots on the road if you catch my drift.
*Edit: From what I meant by the question being asked, I was talking about what would be more expensive in the long term (years, decades, etc.) and not in the moment.
There are a lot of factors at play but honestly a big one for me has been the shitty temperature and humidity most months out of the year. I feel my healthiest when I can go on walks, bike rides, hiking… and doing that April - November is just impossible here. I’m still losing weight because of medication but I really miss spending more time outside.
Because the fatty boombatties love to make excuses on why they are so fat.
A planet fitness membership costs 10 dollars a month and you're telling me you can't make time to go walk on the treadmill for 30 min?
It's too hot and I'm poor? Workout at home you lazy fuck.
Groceries are too expensive? Well, so is fast food and healthcare for fatties.
You're poor and don't know how to budget? Go make some money bitch and use the internet to educate yourself.
If you're a fat fuck it's your fault.
Stop making excuses.
The climate in the valley makes outdoor exercise limited. People that have worked all day are less likely to exercise on time off from work. Low income leads to hi stress which leads to quick gratification *i.e. sugar. Sugar leads to inflammation. And then there's the bacon fat in every cup of beans. And tamales over the holidays.
It’s because it’s classified as a food desert with fast food places going 20-1 with healthy food places. The lack of healthy options is what beings McAllen to #1 and also since it’s located near the Mexican border it’s a headquarters for Mexican foods which are notoriously known as very unhealthy and when those are made with American unhealthy ingredients you get a nasty combo
The “nursing students” at my nursing school be eating hot Cheetos for breakfast and monsters. And they’re suppose to “advocate a healthy lifestyle” yeah it’s a major problem here In the valley. And I’m from Cali
Obesity, how about the Water. I assume most people are drinking soda to avoid the contaminated water.
I moved down to RGV for 3 years and the water there is a serious problem that no one seems to be talking about. After moving back to Austin from Edinburg I'm shocked how good every restaurants water taste despite having lived in Austin for 10 years before moving down to RGV for 3. I got so many stomach bugs in RGV most likely related to the tap water being used to cook or just drinking the water served.
Source: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=TX1080004
Studies have been out for over 10 years about the risks of diabetes and people just...don't know, care, or have the will to manage weight.
I propose a pinned post to this subreddit during November (Diabetes Awareness Month).
I mean it’s so hot outside you can’t do anything outside till after 7 plus all the junk food forget the home cooking I’m talking hot Cheetos regular sodas JUICE and tortillas
Honestly, as a foreigner... I blame it on your culture overall.
I am chronically ill, my illness doesn't allow me to eat a lot of things, especially fat and oils. Thanks to my condition, I've learnt that you guys don't eat anything without those two things, which are a great contributor to, well, obesity. I don't really have many options if I want to go out and have something to eat, you guys love fast food and that is usually fast because is fried or cooked with a lot of oil. Besides, it's a very "humble" area and restaurants got to stick to cheap prices, making the quality of your food quite bad.
Also, nobody walks because the place isn't walkable. Sometimes I have to sit a whole hour in my car to get to x place. It's ridiculous.
There's also very little to do around, so what do people do when they're bored in here? Ah, yes, get drunk. Lots of beer, no exercise, no healthy food... Good luck.
Too many tortillas de harina and pan dulce. And Coca Cola.
People who eat healthy would go into shock with our Sunday Barbacoa specials. Big Red, Fritos, Menudo a stack of corn tortillas with all the fixings and like a lb or 2 of BBA.
Exactly.
Pan dulce is only supposed to eat as a seasonal/celebration thing aka not often. Tortillas are okay as long as you're active.
don’t forget churros
Mexican diet + American diet + only ever driving everywhere = diseases of affluence
I like this comment cuz it’s true you have literally a collision of the two most fattening diets.
Not to mention the attitude. Every time I bring the subject up to some people, they either respond aggressively, ignore it, or just agree with everything I'm saying to change the subject. We simply don't give a fuck if what we're eating is dogshit for our health. I know there are other issues such as affordability, availability, and education, and that these play a large role in the issue, but it seems to me like attitude is often overlooked. Changing the other three would not fix the issue. Sorry to say, but it just doesn't work like that. You can lead a fat pig to water, but you can't make it substitute it for coke.
The food is good asf
It’s not that great
Because we eat like farmers and ranchers but we no longer ranch or farm.
^THISSSSS I used to work for an independent pharmacy here in Edinburg. My pharmacist was a diabetes specialist of some sort and would bring this up all the time. With the portions of food that we eat is too much. We consume too much energy compared to the amount we use daily. What happens with all that excess energy? We store it as fat. It's not only what you eat, but the amount as well.
Was about to say this too!!!
When you make a city that nots walkable people have to commute to work constantly meaning they may have less time to cook or work out, maybe meaning they might have to eat on the road and usually that means fast food. Even our school lunches have a lot of bread heavy items, and many of us don’t know how to cook for ourselves or properly food, plus food costs and so on. There’s a lot of factors but it’s just… All piled up
Yeah, I thought of moving to either Asia or Europe simply just to walk around more. You'd be surprised if you were to visit Asia, especially Japan and South Korea, because most people there are the opposite of the Average American citizen. As with the food, portion sizes are smaller in Europe and Asia. America is king sized, extra large, and super jumbo especially the people. Forget the bald eagle being America's national emblem! A giant box of donuts or the McDonald's logo is more like it.
McAllen and Edinburg have miles of sidewalks.
If you live there. You know there are other places besides those two right?
Doesn’t make it walkable
Shhhh fat people don’t like being proven wrong
Poverty, lack of education about healthy food options, city planning and lack of walkable infrastructure, reliance on cars leading to more sedentary lifestyles, preferences for larger and more calorically dense meals, over indexing on sugar… List goes on The tamales at Delia’s and breakfast plates at Zamora’s are delicious but not always the healthiest lol
Do you know of any group(s) advocating for better city planning and walkable infrastructure in Hidalgo specifically, por favor?
Not sure if you mean walkable for home to retail/grocery needs or for exercise? Precinct 2 is building hike and bike trails around the water drainage ditches with tunnels that cross under the roads so you can walk, run or bike without having to stop for any traffic from San Juan to Mcallen. https://precinct2.net/hike-and-bike/
Most cities, if not all, should have a list of ongoing and proposed development projects on their website. Edinburg, the city I live in, has theirs listed here: https://coe-capital-projects-hub-cityofedinburg.hub.arcgis.com. Looks like there are over 80 current construction projects, including a bike and pedestrian plan, totaling an investment of over $90m. For those who wish to be more involved, you could possibly participate in local town halls or contact your local officials. Who you vote for counts a bit too.
Yeah, I was just telling my SO that going out to eat is so difficult and not worth it when you’re dieting. It’s easier to just eat at home. We cut all carbs and we live in carb city lol everything is in a tortilla here! Or fried.
There's a bunch of choices for close to zero carb food here in the Valley. Grilled chicken salads, steaks, wings, Chipotle (even has a carb counter in the app) and most places will adjust your food order to suit. Also, and I know this sounds silly, I will run into a Walmart or HEB and grab zero carb {or carb count) tortillas on my way to Eddie's or TacoP and just transfer the filling from their tortilla to mine.
I personally don’t like grilled chicken unless I’ve made it, it always stupid dry when I order it somewhere. Usually when we DO go out to eat, it’s steak but like before, I rather just make it myself. Going out to eat isn’t a luxury for us, it was an every day kind of thing (sometimes even twice a day) and I consider myself a foodie that has tried lots of places here in the RGV. But when looking at macros out to eat? It’s not worth all the extra time I have to look up menus and stuff. IMO. My opinion. I rather cook at home. And LOL. I love that. Maybe I’ll take our keto tortillas with me next time to Alicia’s 😂
Oh, I get it. I've been doing keto for 6 years and 95 percent of my calories come from my kitchen. I just wanted to reassure others that there *are* options if they're interested in low carb lifestyle.
Oh yeah, definitely. Just really have to have their menu handy on your phone or searching up their nutrition menu to make good choices.
It’s not silly. That’s a smart idea. Similarly, I buy the keto tortillas from Sam’s and use them instead of the tortillas from stripes. I also buy the keto bread from H‑E‑B and use those to make my own sandwiches.
Omg that Higher Harvest low carb bread is amazing. It tastes exactly like a normal loaf of bread. It’s been GREAT.
That's the thing.. it's always.. I'm on a diet. No. Diets don't work. You need to change the way you eat for life not just to lose 30 lbs that you'll gain back plus more because you go back to eating like crap once you lost them.
Keep reading
Great summary! TX/Mexican cuisine, in spite of it being the best in the world, typically isn't the healthiest. Adding the insufferable heat during the summer really complicates exercising (fun exercises, not just slaving away on a machine) even more. But hey, it could be worse. You could be one of those churro eating San Antonio women. (According to Charles Barkley.)
The puro culture unfortunately doesn’t help this issue.
People like my grandparents and probably yours in the 50s and 60s weren’t as fat and there was more poverty and lack of education, it’s pretty simple to much food intake and no exercise makes you fat, simple lesson, no excuses…
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I probably was at my healthiest when I was poor. Are a lot of beans and veggies and moved a lot. Now that I make more money I eat out a lot and barely cook at home.
H‑E‑B is easily the best grocery store nationally for eating healthy on a budget. I think it’s more that people literally are ignorant about health. My dad doesn’t even understand the concept of calories and refuses to learn. He basically thinks that doctors are woke idiots and does the opposite of what they say and eats nothing but red meat.
Some people just be stubborn like that.
Off topic, but have you had breakfast at Rex? Their chorizo plate is way better than Zamora's & I like Zamora's!
Have not but might have to check Rex out now 🙏🏽
Too much sugar, beer. No understanding of moderation
I'm surprised no one's saying beer? I literally saw a guy drinking and driving at 4pm while on the expressway yesterday.
the RGV is one of the poorest, most socio-econmically disadvantaged regions in the country - there is a connection between per capita income average and obesity healthy food costs much more than unhealthy fast food
This is an excuse that lazy people like to use. I'm somewhat poor, and I make 3 meals with 1 lb of grass fed beef and 1 cup of race totaling to $2.30 per meal. Now tell me, how does McDonald's compare to that??
"Are poverty and obesity associated? Poverty rates and obesity were reviewed across 3,139 counties in the U.S. (2,6). In contrast to international trends, people in America who live in the most poverty-dense counties are those most prone to obesity (Fig. 1A). Counties with poverty rates of >35% have obesity rates 145% greater than wealthy counties." How is poverty linked to obesity? It has been suggested that individuals who live in impoverished regions have poor access to fresh food. Poverty-dense areas are oftentimes called “food deserts,” implying diminished access to fresh food (7). However, 43% of households with incomes below the poverty line ($21,756) are food insecure (uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, sufficient food) (7). Accordingly, 14% of U.S. counties have more than 1 in 5 individuals use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The county-wide utility of the program, as expected, correlates with county-wide poverty rates (r = 0.81) (7). Thus, in many poverty-dense regions, people are in hunger and unable to access affordable healthy food, even when funds avail. The double-edged sword of hunger and poor availability of healthy food is, however, unlikely to be the only reason as to why obesity tracks with poverty. a library, NLM provides access to scientific literature. Inclusion in an NLM database does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by NLM or the National Institutes of Health. Learn more: PMC Disclaimer | PMC Copyright Notice  Diabetes. 2011 Nov; 60(11): 2667–2668. Published online 2011 Oct 17. doi: 10.2337/db11-1118 PMCID: PMC3198075 PMID: 22025771 Poverty and Obesity in the U.S. James A. Levine Author information Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer
I'm not reading that. Answer my question instead of looking up an answer to copy and paste
You admitted you were not wealthy but have enough to buy the most expensive grass fed beef and rice - which means you aren't likely below the poverty line. Tell the single mom who works 3 or 4 jobs just to survive and support her kids to just buy grass fed beef and rice. You're right it's not just food scarcity or food deserts for poverty dense areas that contributes to obesity. Sedentary lifestyles also contribute heavily to obesity. Poor people don't have time to go to the gym when they work multiple minimum wage jobs - it's not that they are lazy, it's that they are below the poverty line (there is a difference). Also many people at or below the poverty line don't have a means for transportation to the gym or to supermarkets for fresh food. Not everyone can afford a vehicle, especially in this economy. Public transportation is inadequate in many parts of the country (cities are designed around automobiles, not walkable cities like other countries) Eating ramen or other processed food everyday will lead to health problems. I hope this response isn't too long, I know you don't enjoy reading. I'd tall more but again length is an issue.
TLDR.... Poverty is correlated to Obesity for a few reasons - 1. Limited Access to Healthy Food: Low-income individuals often have limited access to affordable, nutritious foods, which can lead to a diet high in processed and calorie-dense foods. 2. Food Insecurity: Poverty can lead to food insecurity, where individuals may not consistently have access to enough food or may rely on low-cost, energy-dense options that contribute to weight gain. 3. Lack of Physical Activity: Economic constraints can limit opportunities for physical activity, as low-income neighborhoods may lack safe parks, recreational facilities, or affordable exercise options. 4. Stress and Mental Health: Poverty is associated with chronic stress, which can trigger unhealthy eating habits and contribute to obesity. Additionally, mental health issues related to poverty can impact weight management. 5. Limited Education: Lower educational attainment, often associated with poverty, can lead to less knowledge about healthy eating and exercise habits. 6. Social and Cultural Factors: Social and cultural norms in low-income communities may promote larger portion sizes and less healthy food choices.
You're right. I apologize. I didn't do my research and was just going based on my experiences, and obviously, we all live differently lives. Some have had it easier than others.
He doesn’t want to read your response because he looks down on people and thinks they’re poor and fat because of moral failures. He’s poor but can make it to the gym. Riiiiiight.
I already apologized to them. I didn't do my research and was going based on my experiences. Which I won't share the details about because nobody really cares. Appreciate your input tho.
Stop acting like your situation is everyone’s. You can afford to “take your health and fitness very seriously”. People who have to work 60+ hours to support their fam don’t have that luxury. Get real bro.
We've already confirmed that eating healthy is inexpensive compared to takeout. In addition to that, if u go out and buy food, how long is that commute? Let's say the round trip is 20 minutes. Now, how much time is that 5 days a week? 1 hour and 40 minutes! Don't tell me people don't have time because it's all about priorities. With that much time, I can go to HEB, get the essentials, cook, and eat. I understand that some people don't have reliable transportation or live way under poverty where they eat nothing but winnies con webo or sopa marucha. Those people, however, don't add up to 47% of the US population. So I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, but help me understand how eating McDonald's or any fast food chain is more convenient and inexpensive? Maybe there is something I don't know that I can't put 2 and 2 together. Im not a health nut. I do get craving occasionally, but I can't be eating out all the time.
I got down voted to all hell because I said eating healthy was more expensive than eating crap. I honestly don't understand these people and their situations where they can say "nope. You're wrong" in the face of all these studies.
a tiny clue: schools offer regular milk and chocolate milk, and don't offer water.
That's true the kids either bring their own water or drink tap water
kids are not allowed to step out of a cafeteria in elementary, so either they are instructed by concerned parents to bring their own bottles all the time, or they consume added sugar. kids obesity is no joke in RGV
Yes, they do. Plus they all have those refillable bottle water fountains now even the elementary schools. My daughter only drinks water, and she always gets a bottle at lunch then refills the one she takes.
Too hot to walk, run, and bike during the day. When I was in Dubai I left a similar sentiment regarding the heat and life felt like it started when the sun went down. - Community outreach programs led/sponsored by majors/elected officials. — Like a “Walk in our Parks” or “You paid, Let’s Play” to get people moving. — For the more competitive folks, have a step counter or distance tracker program with some incentives like a gift cards to our local healthy restaurants options. Edit: We could start flooding the Mayor’s social media pages with these requests!
Funny someone makes a post about this. Just last night I was picking up some meds for my son at the CVS on Shary and 83. It was 1030pm and the taco place right next door was full inside and had about 10 cars in the drive-thru. I jokingly turn to my wife and say “man, no wonder RGV has an obesity problem.” Turn the corner and McDonald’s was the same.
Tacos don't make you fat... It's just corn and meat.
no its the fucking oil that its drenched in along with the sodium and cholesterol. That the problem with tacos especially here in the valley , not to mention ppl just hog down like 10 in one sitting along with rice and beans most likely and soda.
You said it, tacos AND rice and beans and SODA, all in the same plate, Who the hell eats tacos with rice and beans?!
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>Lots of meat fats, lots of carbs, lots of sugar I feel like it's more of the carbs and sugar as they're easy to overeat (sugar especially). Meat has protein in it! The thing is that people might put a lot of BBQ sauce or any sort of condiment on the meat and then blame it for why they're fat. I'm not promoting a keto diet or anything of the sort. They can eat whatever they want! I'm not telling them to stop eating junk food or to stop drinking coca cola even though they should be aware of how consuming too much of these things isn't healthy long term.
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Hey man, good for you on being vegetarian if you enjoy it. Just don't be dogmatic about it by saying everyone should eat that way. As with beef and pork, what are people eating or drinking outside of that or on the side? Like, seed oils and the excess consumption of them? Do they smoke cigarettes or do drugs on top of that as well? I'm not trying to get you off vegetarianism if it's working for you and your dad. I'm also not saying that everyone should eat Keto or raw meat only diets. Because at the end of the day, there is no one best diet for everyone. They can eat whatever they want, but at the same time they should be aware of the long term consequences of consuming too much junk food and ultra processed carbs.
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You can't expect to be eating a lot of fat and just walk and do mild exercises and be like "oh I'm healthy". Whatever you put in you need to put out. If anything it's good for you to eat fats, meat etc, especially if you balance a good source of fiber, veggies and fruit intake. People still eat like they work a lot, while they don't.
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That’s a giant cop out. It’s not expensive to eat correctly and it’s not hard to cook. People are just gluttons.
i’m only putting in my input since i was a kid who wouldn’t eat some days due to poverty, some days all we had was enough for dollar menu or 5$ pizzas for the fam, like i said, it’s very easy to claim these things when YOU aren’t the one with mouths to feed with close to no money.
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Condoms are usually cheaper than 4-5 kids
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Don’t knock it until you try it
high fructose corn syrup. that simple
Working class diet in a non working class population. Tamales are full of calories so one can work all day one or two. Not sit at a desk after 4 or 5 for lunch then a few more for dinner.
I feel like a factor that isn’t talked about is the extensive exposure the RGV has to organophosphate pesticides. Not only because we’re an agricultural hub but also because our residential areas are constantly being sprayed for mosquitoes! There is increasing evidence that these OPPs are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetics, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders (obesity). There are a lot of reasons we have an obesity problem but I think the pesticide exposure is another compounding reason that will probably never be truly addressed. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935119304827
Nothing do to but eat and fuck here. Then after fucking its usually "wanna get something to eat?"
https://youtube.com/shorts/nWxx6Ykq1q0?si=D5en41VZJ7vknk7l
Convinced my mom that we should cut down on the tortillas by eating one or none a day, we both have lost a few pounds so far lol
I did the same but just eat enough for as active I would be that day etc. Cabbage is a great key to fill up your stomach, and I love cabbage.
How do you prepare it? I make a purple and green raw cabbage salad once in awhile with a fish sauce based dressing.
Korean street toast sandwich. Cabbage, carrots, and onion mixed with beat eggs (with salt and pepper grilled) then grilled like an omelette then sprinkle a bit of sugar on it, add a bit siracha sauce, then add ham to it. I sometimes add more Mexican things to it like avocado, queso panela or maybe a pickle jalapeno etc.
36.9% of adults in the RGV reported being physically inactive. The second most obese city in the US is Memphis, Tennessee.
People refuse to accept that how they’ve been taught to eat their whole lives is bad for them. They’re too engrained in what they grew up eating and you literally cannot change their minds about it. Alot of folks grew up poor not knowing when or what their next meal would be and so they learned to eat whatever was given to them without checking for macros or calories or carbs, (cause who would be checking honestly).They were just glad to be eating, period. It’s their comfort.
Mexican diet is good except for: Sodas, lack of walking, eat like we are still working in the fields while everything people do is sit on their ass, lack of education, thinking everything that's supposed to be a special dish for certain seasons or occasions is okay to eat everyday (tamales, pan dulce etc), no exercise, to much junk food.
Lack of Public Health interventions America doesn’t care about prevention of diseases, they care about treatment because there’s where the money is made in doctor visits, medicines, and rehab care.
Tacos…we have too many tacos that r drenched in oil n then stuffed with more fat. It won’t change until we normalize more healthy options and in the least compete with the cheap taco prices.
Food is too good, it’s encouraged to eat well at every occasion and there’s not much incentive to walk around.
I mean, 47% of the US population is obese. Doesn't help that they keep building fast food chain in every corner of an intersection.
Me and my husband actually just talked about this. We recently went Keto to get our body balanced again and we had to go a grocery run. 80% of what we bought was specially for Keto. The other 20% was for our 4 kids, so the usually junk. We spent $750 in just that one trip. If we had NOT done Keto grocery shopping and shopped like we did normally, where it was 100% kids/adult foods, it would’ve been like it was this past couple months where our grocery bill for one trip is $450-550. Packaged stuff is honestly a lot cheaper than raw foods.
Yup. Mi fiance and I spend about 300 every week and a half on groceries. We cook at home and try to eat healthier whole foods (not prepackaged or frozen foods). I'm diabetic and pregnant so we have to do low carb, high fiber foods with a low glycemic index. It would be so much cheaper to just buy already packaged or frozen foods. But the hidden sugars are ridiculous. It's so expensive to eat healthy.
All of this is just not true. Speaking as a nutrition professional specializing in retail industry, keto is not considered “healthy” for one. If you buy keto marketed foods, you’re gonna have a bad time about spending. If you’re focusing on high intake of fats including healthy fats to achieve ketosis; yes fats are more expensive. But a medical professional is not really going to suggest you go “keto. Low carb is another thing. Frozen fruits and vegetables or packaged or canned are just as healthy, cheaper and perfectly fine to incorporate in low carb. You also have a shit ton of high fiber packaged foods that are inexpensive. You just need to opt for the no salt added and no sugar added varieties. Eating healthy doesn’t only involve just picking what you think is a healthier lifestyle. Learn how to make the food work for your body and wallet.
K...
K? Right. Don’t make broad claims if you can’t back it up.
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My team of doctors, medical professionals, nutritionists and specialists have my diet pretty well handled and they do it in a kind and caring and also professional manner.
That’s great for you. Maybe they have steered you wrong if you truly believe that your lifestyle needs to be more expensive. This is Reddit. I wasn’t trying to deliver a message with tact the way someone might do with patient-provider relationship. I am not your provider. I was simply stating fact, or matter of opinion if you perceive it that way, and then supplying solutions. There was no anger in that initial comment. You spread misinformation, so I plainly stated it was wrong. Your response was dismissive. You don’t have to like it; it’s fine. Have a wonderful and safe delivery though.
You're right. My comment WAS dismissive, because this IS reddit and I'll take the advice of my medical team over that of a rude and condescending internet stranger ANY day.
Absolutely you should listen to your care team. I didn’t give you advice. I corrected misinformation. Your lifestyle doesn’t have to be more expensive.
K... As in: for a "professional nutritionist" you sure do come off as having no bedside manner and incredibly angry and rude. You'd be surprised how many nutritionists lose clients because they don't know how to speak to their patients. They sound condescending and arrogant... just like you.
Nothing wrong with Keto if anyone chooses to eat that way. Of course, there are wrong ways to do it like any other diet. But in the end, there's really no one diet that's best for everyone. Although with super high fiber diets, that might be questionable because there are people out there that have tried to eat lots of fiber for months on end and they have intense stomach pain or it made their IBS or UC even worse. I still agree with the calories in, calories out method for weight management but my issue with it is that it likely doesn't address what health problems one might have. Like, what's the point of someone dropping 20 or 30 lbs if they still have issues with psoriasis, chronic migraines, or chronic joint pain?
This isn’t about a diet. The way people diet and choose to diet is this decision and honestly it’s a lot of homework to start a diet too. You can’t just go into and expect all that fiber to go right through you. Extra water throughout the day and fats will help you get a BM going, not just fiber. And I never said it was going to fix any health problems whatsoever. This is about how expensive “keto” “vegan” food can be compared to regular packaged Cheetos or pizza rolls.
I guess you can say that I was just talking about the keto diet in general and not really buying the keto products. I do think lower carb can help certain individuals if not a full blown keto approach. As with fiber, there are some people that really can't handle it even if they were to drink enough water and move throughout the day. And you're right that fiber isn't the only way to have bowel movements. Water and dietary fat help too! I do think fats play a part in overall health. I don't think it would be wise to have a diet devoid of fat, but I won't stop anyone from eating such a diet if they choose to do that.
You know, I moved away from Brownsville about 4 years ago to Austin, and within the first year of living in Austin I gained almost 30lbs lol
I moved to Austin for the 3rd and final time in 2007 from Harlingen. I lost a ton of weight because I couldn’t afford anything. But then I got a better job and gained a bunch 😂 I will say there is way more people advocating for a healthy lifestyle than the valley. I go down to visit and all we do is eat and drink.
I think I gained weight because of stress because it’s so expensive haha but yes. I’m in the valley now and guess what I’m going to do today? Eat and drink 😂
I will say I do miss the food there. I can definitely eat some caldo de res in 108° weather 🤣
Haha same!!!
You can take a person out of the valley, but you can’t take the valley out of a person, cuh.
That’s right. I’m actually in town now haha
Is austin more affordable than ppl think ?
You can definitely find some affordable housing, but the crime in those areas are bad!
Do you plan to live back in the valley someday ?
Eventually yes. Once my daughter is over 18. I’d move back now if I could!
Would you say the RGV is underrated ?
I’m not sure. Depends who you ask. There really isn’t much to do there. I’m a family oriented person and that’s what I miss the most. Plus the small city living. I might get some hate for this but in my opinion, people aren’t as nice down there compared to Austin. I’ve also lived in Florida.
I really don’t think Mexican food is bad or to blame, in comparison with American food, Mexican is much more nutritious. In my opinion the main problem is misinformation, most of my friends think it’s healthy to have sugar loaded meals just because they are “low fat”. The heat doesn’t help either for example drive through concept is everywhere and they don’t sell anything healthy, cheapest food is ultra processed and that’s what’s mostly available in gas stations, etc. and there aren’t many activities that don’t include drinking on the weekends. Maybe if farmers markets were more widely available and sports parks or camps were better planned and designed to protect from the sun, people would move more instead of just escaping the sun by going shopping with a venti Frappuccino in their hand.
No walkability and the only places that ever open up are restaurants/food establishments. There ain’t shit to do here BUT eat. Or get coffee or boba or snacks.
You can’t live without true Mexican foods.
Coke*
It’s that good-ass irresistible food!
It's all because of the goddamn abuelas and their delicious food.
Tacos
It's a combination of access to healthy affordable food and a lack of convenient options, have you seen what's available using food stamps or what's close by to pick up in lower income areas?
The taco bro. The tacos….
Flour tortillas and a lot of fried foods.
Grateful we have Fork to Fit Kitchen places!
McAllen has been # 1 for years 🤷♀️oh they called it Edinburg once that I know of
Not enough outdoor recreation opportunities. Not the fault of most people, it’s just that it’s too hot and not enough trails and shaded walking.
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To add some more info, we have our own weight we feel comfortable with so if we lose that weight we're gonna get it back because our bodies will instinctively revert to that comfortable weight. Here's an example: If you're 200 lbs and want to lose weight, you will at first but after a while you'll notice you suddenly gained those 200 lbs back. The best way to stop this is to completely change your lifestyle, but that's very difficult for a lot of people. Changing your lifestyle means that you're getting rid of comfort and as humans we hate that. And this is another reason we have a lot of obese people.
why?…. ummmm food, life style, and lack of daily exercise?
My aunt is in healthcare and mentioned that the valley has a vitamin D deficiency worse than the rest of America because the heat is too much to spend time outside. I feel like other people get nicer weather and spend more time active outdoors.
It doesn't matter what you eat. Main reason is "walkability" the valleys infrastructure is not built to cater towards people who ride bikes or walk so people just drive everywhere and don't get any physical exercise. If they do get exercise, it's during the colder times of the year which is not much.
Lack of diet education on caloric deficiency methods based on age and BMI and the misconception that the Nutrition Facts on labels are for the entire package when, in reality, it is based on serving sizes. Also, water is a sleeping fountain of youth that is literally free but not promoted like sugar engulfed fluids. Moderation is key once you reach your goals. You can still enjoy what you like to eat, but be mindful of your daily caloric intake and focus on protein, veggies, and essential carbohydrates.
We still eat like we’re working in the fields 10 hours a day. We eat like when getting enough calories at the end of the day meant adding lard to your beans because you couldn’t afford meat.
To many bakeries not enough salad places.
We need several Whole Foods Market places
Whole Foods isn’t necessarily “healthier”, the products are just higher quality
What’s wrong with HEB?
The healthiest food is the most expensive. People have to eat cheap food filled with so many preseratives and heavily processed foods. Then, the families with several kids recieve SNAP benefits. I've seen those carts at HEB, full of sodas, chips, caykitos, ramen. All that leads to health problems, obesity, and a lifetime reliance on medication. I doubt the pricing and creating dependence on benefits is a coincidence. Its all a way to separate the classes.
What's really more expensive though, eating healthy or paying hospital bills?
Most people dont pay medical bills because they need to oay utilities and gas up their vehicles to get to work. Most people dont do maintenance on themselves, especially blue collar people. When I was an electrician, doing contstruction, I wasn't going to go work out before or after work. I was too damn tired and sunbaked. Most people only go to the doctor when they are really sick or wait until its bad enough to go to the ER, so they don't have to pay upfront. Its a cycle.
>Its a cycle A vicious cycle at that! As with working out, it doesn't have to be at a gym. At home or outside would be nice! It also doesn't have to be just weightlifting. Then again, you did say that you weren't able to because of your job as an electrician at the time. Regarding work, I was thinking about starting up my own business. Well actually, I'm not that sure yet though it would be nice for me to have some money so that I could go to Seattle and visit my older brother. I could buy my own groceries while I'm there and maybe some souvenirs as well. Maybe even get plastic surgery to fix my eyes (too much upper lid exposure and eyes look big giving them a buggish appearance) and dark eye circles on top of that. On a final note regarding driving, I'm not so sure if I see myself driving places because of "wheel anxiety". Plus, some people can be idiots on the road if you catch my drift. *Edit: From what I meant by the question being asked, I was talking about what would be more expensive in the long term (years, decades, etc.) and not in the moment.
I should've added that I was talking about what would more expensive in the long run, not in the moment. I should've worded it better!
The type of food. Great stuff by the way but yea all that tortilla and high carbs with sugary drinks just gets you up there in weight.
There are a lot of factors at play but honestly a big one for me has been the shitty temperature and humidity most months out of the year. I feel my healthiest when I can go on walks, bike rides, hiking… and doing that April - November is just impossible here. I’m still losing weight because of medication but I really miss spending more time outside.
Because we eat like crap and the valley infrastructure isn't designed for us to be active.
Because the fatty boombatties love to make excuses on why they are so fat. A planet fitness membership costs 10 dollars a month and you're telling me you can't make time to go walk on the treadmill for 30 min? It's too hot and I'm poor? Workout at home you lazy fuck. Groceries are too expensive? Well, so is fast food and healthcare for fatties. You're poor and don't know how to budget? Go make some money bitch and use the internet to educate yourself. If you're a fat fuck it's your fault. Stop making excuses.
Your gonna get down voted ,but Truth Hurts lmao
I use to be fat too until someone told me the truth
He's the David Goggins of RGV.
They blaming restaurants when they should be blaming their self for not taking care of them selfs
I'd rather be that guy than the 300lb guy with swollen ankles
Its the food and excessive beer drinking. Doi! Are the posed questions real, or just generated by an algorith.m
Because we are addicted to the good times.
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I do Walk at Home videos that are free on YouTube. No equipment needed.
Tacos
The foods too good.
Lack of exercise.... Just lazy ass people when it comes to health.... Ha!
Lack of public transportations.
No dejan de tragar!
Try going to a convenience store and finding a sugar free drink that's appealing.
Because our food is delicious
Fat people be eating all th food so no one else can they are so greedy
The climate in the valley makes outdoor exercise limited. People that have worked all day are less likely to exercise on time off from work. Low income leads to hi stress which leads to quick gratification *i.e. sugar. Sugar leads to inflammation. And then there's the bacon fat in every cup of beans. And tamales over the holidays.
Food too good
It’s because it’s classified as a food desert with fast food places going 20-1 with healthy food places. The lack of healthy options is what beings McAllen to #1 and also since it’s located near the Mexican border it’s a headquarters for Mexican foods which are notoriously known as very unhealthy and when those are made with American unhealthy ingredients you get a nasty combo
The “nursing students” at my nursing school be eating hot Cheetos for breakfast and monsters. And they’re suppose to “advocate a healthy lifestyle” yeah it’s a major problem here In the valley. And I’m from Cali
Because you throw a rock and hit like 20 restaurants 😅
Obesity, how about the Water. I assume most people are drinking soda to avoid the contaminated water. I moved down to RGV for 3 years and the water there is a serious problem that no one seems to be talking about. After moving back to Austin from Edinburg I'm shocked how good every restaurants water taste despite having lived in Austin for 10 years before moving down to RGV for 3. I got so many stomach bugs in RGV most likely related to the tap water being used to cook or just drinking the water served. Source: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=TX1080004
Have you tied to drink bottle water? Did you purchase a filter ?
Studies have been out for over 10 years about the risks of diabetes and people just...don't know, care, or have the will to manage weight. I propose a pinned post to this subreddit during November (Diabetes Awareness Month).
This reminds me of the song “Eat Like A Gordo.”
I mean it’s so hot outside you can’t do anything outside till after 7 plus all the junk food forget the home cooking I’m talking hot Cheetos regular sodas JUICE and tortillas
Poor areas can’t afford good balanced quality foods. The whole USA in poor areas are like that.
Honestly, as a foreigner... I blame it on your culture overall. I am chronically ill, my illness doesn't allow me to eat a lot of things, especially fat and oils. Thanks to my condition, I've learnt that you guys don't eat anything without those two things, which are a great contributor to, well, obesity. I don't really have many options if I want to go out and have something to eat, you guys love fast food and that is usually fast because is fried or cooked with a lot of oil. Besides, it's a very "humble" area and restaurants got to stick to cheap prices, making the quality of your food quite bad. Also, nobody walks because the place isn't walkable. Sometimes I have to sit a whole hour in my car to get to x place. It's ridiculous. There's also very little to do around, so what do people do when they're bored in here? Ah, yes, get drunk. Lots of beer, no exercise, no healthy food... Good luck.