Are rightwingers fatter than leftwingers?

[ruggerson]

Any research on this?

My purely anecdotal experience says yes. The Rightwingers I know eat constantly, are very overweight, and commit the sin of "gluttony" on a daily basis.

[Arugula Latte]

1. Urban people tend not to be as overweight

They walk more, for one thing.

Also, urban liberals are open to concepts like organic, vegetarian, and vegan, and have access to much better restaurants than the eat-at-the-trough type places you find in suburban mini-malls.

[AndyTiedye]

15. But Country People Have More Outdoors to be Outdoors In

If you want to take weight off, try living in the mountains.
You don't see a lot of fat people up here.

[Arugula Latte]

29. I guess that's true.

I don't know where you live, but I heard a couple years ago that Colorado had the fittest population in the U.S.

[kenny blankenship]

2. Wasn't it John Stuart Mill who said...

Not all conservatives are fat people, but almost all fat people are conservative?

No wait...that was something else. But hey, it's true enough, whoever said it, and I bet old John Stuart would have agreed!

[lady lib]

5. Ah, that's "stupid."

Sorry, I'm changing my post here and I'm not going to criticize overweight people. Sorry again.

[Clark2008]

6. My mother is overweight and she's not a conservative

Of course, she has diabetes, which makes it difficult for her to lose weight at her age - but, let's not paint with such a broad brush.

[Orangepeel]

10. I'll bet a fair percentage of DUers are fat

"almost all fat people are conservative"? Nonsense.

[kenny blankenship]

13. And they say Liberals have no sense of humor

and that they don't get irony! (Sometime--between bites, maybe-- you should look up irony and sarcasm)

Stuff! Nonsense! Harrumph!

[Orangepeel]

19. I have a great sense of humor

When people say things that are actually funny. Fat people are jolly that way.

[lady lib]

3. Haven't a clue.

delete

[BringEmOn]

4. A lot right wingers still live with mommy

[Jamison]

7. I'd like to see a study on this too.

The results could be pretty interesting.

I'd have to say that it could come out to being about 50/50.

On one hand you have a lot of poor urban minorities who tend to vote Dem who are overweight b/c they are not able to make healthy food choices due to lack of $, not able to excercise due to unsafe neighborhoods, etc. On the other hand, all the parking lots of the fast food joints around here are filled with minivans & SUV's sporting Bush/Cheney and W '04 stickers.

[AnnieBW]

9. I'm overweight and liberal

I'm overweight and liberal.

[ruggerson]

8. Shouldn't there be an "anti-gluttony" federal agency

as part of this whole "faith based" initiative stuff?

"Pray your way to fitness" or something.

[Ladyhawk]

21. But praying doesn't eat up enough calories...oh wait. Me and my

damn reality-based thoughts! :)

[BringEmOn]

11. Luke 16:19-31

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Luk/Luk016.html#22

[PhuLoi]

12. Only between the ears. eom

[OnionPatch]

14. I'm a couple pounds over

and so is the old man. Plenty of overweight liberals.

However.....I AM willing to bet that liberals eat more healthfully than conservatives. Liberals are more open to ethnic foods which tend to have less meat, etc. Also, who is eating all the organic foods? Who are the vegetarians? Liberals. Who defends all the fatburgers and the agri-biz meat? Righties.

I'm willing to bet if there were a survey that there would indeed be more overweight righties than libs for these reasons alone.

Edited to add:
Also, when it comes to outdoor activities, my observation is that righties have more mechanical toys such as wave-riders and quads, etc. while liberals tend to like to hike more and ride bikes. Just my observation.

[Boomer]

17. The link is economic

Better-educated people are more likely to be liberal and to have a higher income level. Both of those are factors which increase awareness and access to better diets. Studies show a strong correlation between income-level and obesity.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, etc. all cost more and require greater quantities to make one feel full. So a family on a limited income is going to buy the most food for the cheapest amount to keep from feeling hungry -- which usually means high-fat foods. They are making a rational decision given their limited options.

And since "acceptable" taste tends to get set in early childhood, it's a very hard habit to change. Trying introduce whole wheat bread into inner city stores, for instance, has led to a lot of cultural/class resentment from those who prefer white bread.

[AndyTiedye]

16. There May Very Well Be a Correlation...

between one's relationship with one's own body
and one's desire to legislate what other people do with theirs.

[PowerToThePeople]

18. Yes

[Mabel Dodge]

20. I'm fat as a house...

and I don't like assumptions made that I'm jolly, stupid, lazy, sloppy or worse yet, conservative. Give me a break.

In my book this is the same kind of thinking that leads to assumptions that all African Americans like watermelon and are on welfare.

All "fat" really means is that the person has an eating disorder or doesn't have access to healthy foods.

[Klapaucius]

22. WTF?

I'm sorry that you feel you have to jump on those of us who may resemble Buddha.

It's probably my own fault that I'm this way, maybe not. I deal with my problems and my issues, and I accept my faults. I personally don't care how you feel about me personally, but I dislike being lumped in with fascists.

Maybe I should turn it around.... I have no belief in god, you think I should lump all Christians in with the theocratic fascists trying to run the country? I realize that not all people of faith support Bush. As a matter of fact, I know quite a few who don't. I don't lump them into the conservative fold.

K.

[ruggerson]

26. This is actually tongue in cheek

sorry if you took it more seriously than it was intended. it was really a jab at the right for completely ignoring "gluttony" while harping on other "sins" they think we're all guilty of.

[scarlet_owl]

23. I'm 5'6 and 240 lbs. I'm also as leftwing as they come.

In my experience, I have met overweight people of all stripes. I wouldn't say one side is fatter than the other. I come from a large(literally) family of fat people and we are all Democrats. Let's try to stop pidgeon-holing people all the time.

[QC]

24. Ruggerson, do you just post a new thread about every random thought

you have? I've been wondering about that lately.

[ruggerson]

25. No, not random, there's a theme

:)

[QC]

27. OK, I thought maybe you were trying to qualify for some "Most Threads

Posted in the Shortest Time Award."

[ruggerson]

28. Is there one?

how much money is involved?

I doubt a thread or two a day would even get close to winning. Check out the prolific folks in the lounge. I bow humbly to them.