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Are Americans Too Big To Drive Small?

Karen Steelman, a stay-at-home mom from Athens, Ga., has tried to like small cars. She read plenty of reviews, kicked their tires, and has even taken a few test drives.

But none of them make her feel safe. And none of them make her feel comfortable.

Steelman has a body mass index of about 37 – seven points above the obesity mark. She's among a growing number of Americans who feel they are too big to comfortably drive a small car.

"I want to be environmentally friendly, but unless I am in an SUV these days ... I find no pleasure or comfort in driving," she says.

Automakers have long tried to figure out how to get Americans to buy smaller cars. But with obesity rates climbing, at least one analyst says there's little point in trying.

Growing waistlines simply prevent a lot of U.S. drivers from feeling comfortable or secure in smaller cars. So, unless the entire country goes on a diet, says Dan Cheng, vice president and partner at business consulting firm AT Kearney, we may be destined to keep driving big cars no matter how much a gallon of gas costs in the future.

Cheng says the number of light trucks – a segment of the car market that includes SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks – has increased steadily since the 1970s. And so has the percentage of adults in the U.S. who are classified as obese.

The number of obese people in the U.S. is expected to increase from 40% this year to about 43% in 2018, Cheng says. Cheng predicts that will keep almost half the population from even considering a small car except for purely economic reasons as small cars tend also to be cheaper than big cars or SUVs.

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People look at this the wrong way.

America was developed (outside of the NE ) to be driven. Let's start there. There aren't 1000 year old cities like there is in Europe and Asia.

America is a strip mall, designed to be driven on. That is the problem. Oddly enough, you don't find as many obese people in inner cities. Why? Cause they CAN walk to places. Outside of the city you have to go 4 miles to get anywhere.

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Yes, it's that you are big. If you are too TALL to fit, that's one thing. If you are too FAT, then you need to eat less and exercise more (or just come to terms with the fact that your carbon footprint is as big as your ass).

That won't happen though, so automakers will just put one fat-ass seat in the exact middle of the car and move the steering wheel to the center of the dash.

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Wow.

I'm glad we all have precisely the same metabolism, the same upbringing, and the same nutritional education. Otherwise, some of the condescending *deleted*s in this thread would look really bad.

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Wow.

I'm glad we all have precisely the same metabolism, the same upbringing, and the same nutritional education. Otherwise, some of the condescending *deleted*s in this thread would look really bad.

Less beer and cheeseburgers mister.

But seriously what do you mean by upbringing ?

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Wow.

I'm glad we all have precisely the same metabolism, the same upbringing, and the same nutritional education. Otherwise, some of the condescending *deleted*s in this thread would look really bad.

The metabolism argument has been basically put to rest by study after study. Yes, some people need to put in SOME extra effort. No, homo sapiens was not designed to be obese, and few were until very recently in history. And nutritional education? IF YOU CAN"T FIT YOUR ASS IN A CAR, YOU ARE OVEREATING. It's not rocket surgery. I'm not sure what you mean by upbringing. :whoknows:

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Less beer and cheeseburgers mister.

But seriously what do you mean by upbringing ?

Do you think poor kids, or even suburban kids with busy schedules and two parents working their asses off to make ends meet, and get the kids to three different practices in the evening eat the same thing as, say a one-earner household, where either mom or dad is home to cook?

It's so easy to say "fat people are lazy." It's also utterly damned ignorant and insulting. I have a cousin who can eat whatever she wants, and not gain an ounce. I, other hand, look at food and gain weight. It's taken me two years to lose almost 60 pounds, eating right, and wearing out pair after pair of running shoes.

The idiots in this threat would look at me, with 30 pounds or so left to lose, and "geez, what a lazy fat ass." They look at her, and say "damn, she must be really disciplined to stay in such great shape." And they'd be wrong.

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The idiots in this threat would look at me, with 30 pounds or so left to lose, and "geez, what a lazy fat ass." They look at her, and say "damn, she must be really disciplined to stay in such great shape." And they'd be wrong.

I can testify to the Hogs battle, he's lookin awesome but damn has he had to work his ass off to get there.

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This country is not the fattest country in the world, because of a few poor kids and slow metabolisms. Two factors: no activity and overeating. Both a huge problem in this country and we have to quit making excuses.

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My parents both worked. They stuck me in after-school wrestling for most of the year.

Yeah just play middle school and high school sports. I think a lot of these problems do start at a young age.

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This country is not the fattest country in the world, because of a few poor kids and slow metabolisms. Two factors: no activity and overeating. Both a huge problem in this country and we have to quit making excuses.

How many miles a week do you run? What's your daily net-calorie intake?

If answer "A" is more than 18, and answer "B" is less than 1800, continue talking to me. :)

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Aw. Poor woman.

You know how hard it is to balance a big mac and not spill your fries while you're trying to drive a small car and your gut is pressed up into the wheel?

~Bang

Actually, easier.

If your gut is pressed against the wheel, it and the wheel can support the meal by itself, so you don't have to use any hands to hold it up.

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This country is not the fattest country in the world, because of a few poor kids and slow metabolisms. Two factors: no activity and overeating. Both a huge problem in this country and we have to quit making excuses.

Yep. I took a friend of mine from the UK to a Texas Rangers game last year. He was in awe of the folks in the crowd -- it was like he was looking at animals in the zoo. He thought there were more fat people in the stadium than in all of London. Of course, everything is bigger in Texas.

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How many miles a week do you run? What's your daily net-calorie intake?

If answer "A" is more than 18, and answer "B" is less than 1800, continue talking to me. :)

I don't count calories, I just eat the right foods. About 80% of the food I eat is not processed. I spend 2 hours in the gym 5 days a week lifting weights and doing light cardio. On Satudays I play about 2 to 3 hours of soccer.

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How many miles a week do you run? What's your daily net-calorie intake?

If answer "A" is more than 18, and answer "B" is less than 1800, continue talking to me. :)

I pass your test. :D

For the record, I don't look at someone who is 30 lbs overweight as a "lazy fat-ass." But i do think that about someone who has a BMI of 37 (which, if she is 5'7", puts her around 240) and complains about not fitting into a car like it's the cars fault.

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How many miles a week do you run? What's your daily net-calorie intake?

If answer "A" is more than 18, and answer "B" is less than 1800, continue talking to me. :)

But you didn't get to where you are by running 18 miles a week and eating less than 1800 calories.

You are essentially paying a penalty for previous bad behavior.

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