Comments on: Feminism Makes You Fat

By: Lisa Johnson

Lisa Johnson — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:05:02 +0000

I agree that women working is not the overwhelming reason why. But I think it may be a small (pretty small) contributing factor. You’re right to point the finger elsewhere first. But, it’s a very complicated issue … you can’t just pull one thread free from the problem. There are dozens of reasons that Americans have gotten to this point, it’s a layering of health care, entitlement, business, society, food lobbyists, food manufacturer’s, politicians looking the other way, USDA being a toothless organization and on and on.

A lot of people rolled their eyes when Michelle Obama rolled out her 70 point plan a couple weeks ago as overkill. But you really are looking at that many different things!

Thanks for your comments Susan, I really appreciate you participating in the conversation,

Lisa

By: Lisa Johnson

Lisa Johnson — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:42:31 +0000

Agreed Lori, kids schedules can be really difficult to work around. My son isn’t old enough yet for it to effect us a lot, but I know that’s coming … L–

By: Susan Sommers

Susan Sommers — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:31:14 +0000

The working woman and or single parent argument is one that I’ve heard, but cannot agree with. The USA is the most obese country in the world. I don’t believe there is any arguement about that. However, we are not the only country that has women in the work place or single parent homes. My question then is simple. Why doesn’t any other country with the same scenarios have the obesity problems that we do?

One answer that I suggest is we are a Fast Food Nation. No other country that I know of has Fast Food on every corner. Their food mentality is different from ours. I believe this is where the heart of the problem is. Not because woman work.

By: Lori Widelitz-Cavallucci

Lori Widelitz-Cavallucci — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:25:41 +0000

Great post, Lisa. You know, even working, I would be able to make a good healthy dinner if it wasn’t all the activities the kids are involved in. Summertime is when things slow down and we get to cook great, healthy, non-frozen meals. e

By: Lisa Johnson

Lisa Johnson — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:18:17 +0000

Trece, great comments and I agree. When I married my husband I realized quickly all he could prepare was mac & cheese from a box and frozen pizza. I was appalled that his parents never thought this life skill was necessary for him. As it turns out, he’s pretty much gotten away with it too …

But my parents taught my sister and I to cook right away. We’d pluck veggies from the garden to make a salad, fresh & delicious. And … my Dad was the cook of the family. My Mom really only covers the basics, it was my Dad that was passionate about food and got me into it. I wasn’t much of a cook until I had my son and family meals became important, but I even asked for a got an apron with cherries on it for Valentine’s Day this year.

Food is Love. When I was a kid that meant my parents would take us a few times a year to McDonalds. But now it means what I prepare for my family, from scratch, to keep them healthy and sated. :-)

Lisa

By: Trece

Trece — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:46:16 +0000

My daughters are 20, almost-23 and almost-28. I worked for an insurance company for almost a year when they were 13, 16 and 21. The oldest was already working, but her sibs were home. That year, if the 16 yr. old hadn’t cooked, there wouldn’t have been dinner, since my husband chose to spend that year on the computer (not working). It was the year the 13 yr. old began to cook.

I never cease to be amazed by my daughters’ talk about their agemates who not only don’t know how to cook, but don’t have any real appreciable knowledge of a “home-cooked, made-from-scratch, even including dessert” meal. I even encountered people who thought that Roast Beef was pot roast.

I do use prepared spagetti sauce and pizza sauce, but I make the dough myself. One of my girls is a superior cake maker, another one specializes in pies. We make waffles, pancakes, coffee cake and muffins on Sunday mornings (not all at once, LOL).

I think the basic premise is sound: as people spend more time away from home, they find substitutes. Families could “not starve” by using prepared foods, or convenience foods.

Sic transit gloria mundi. . .

By: Lisa Johnson

Lisa Johnson — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:33:51 +0000

LOL Beth, I bet you’re less particular once you start having kids … Lisa

By: PilatesGirl_BB

PilatesGirl_BB — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:19:59 +0000

One of my “required” traits in a mate was the ability to cook, because I sure can’t. My husband cooks 90% of the meals, and I am slowly picking up on his secrets. We don’t have kids yet, but what works for us now is that we cook “together,” meaning I make the salad, he makes the main dish; I de-vein shrimp and he cooks them up. I guess in our kitchen, I’m the sous and he’s the main! I do the majority of the housework, but only because I’m really particular, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t clean the entire house if I asked him!

By: Lisa Johnson

Lisa Johnson — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:31:40 +0000

Thanks Leora, I agree macrobiotic can be very time consuming. I’ve given it a go a couple of times and it’s just too much work for me. Plus half that stuff you’re not supposed to eat on a macro diet I really like!

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I’ll check out your blog soon.

Lisa

By: Leora Wenger

Leora Wenger — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:23:05 +0000

When I first got married, I tried to teach my husband to cook. It took him 5 hours to make one recipe; meanwhile, I would be finished with 5 recipes.

Instead, I have taught my boys to cook. Their wives at least will have good desserts.

I actually work part-time at home – one of the reasons is to have time to prepare healthy foods for my family. I’ve also studied macrobiotics; unfortunately, cooking macrobiotic meals takes even longer than normal home cooked meals. But providing healthy meals, whether from a man or a woman, does take time.

I agree that this is a family issue.