How come?

[JB]

I've been watching commercials for chemicals to cure/prevent anything known to man and clips in news shows warning about the dangers of all of the same stuff.

Now I wonder how anyone in my generation and our parents generation ever made it past 40.

Sixty years ago. . .

* Paint had lead in it. If it was paint there was lead in it.
* Ninety percent of adults and most alolescents smoked non-filter cigarettes, about a pack a day average. My grandpa smoked about 10 Cuban cigars a day and lived to 88. My Dad smoked a pack of Philip Morris a day to the day he died at 84. Neither had cancer or heart trouble.
* We ate all the sugar we wanted and put salt on everything. Morbid obesity was pretty rare.
* One of my favorite playthings was a small bottle of mercury, which I handled regularly.
* DDT was the only known sure cure for any kind of bug that you were at war with.
* Diabetes was fairly rare and type 2 diabetes was very rare.
* Only professional athletes "worked out". Nobody went to a gym that wasn't at the YMCA or YWCA, and we went to play volleyball or swim.

There is more, of course, but those are what occur to me now.

Are we being sold a bill of goods or at least gross exaggeration by the drug companies and the AMA? How in the world did any of us make it to 70, 80 or even the big one?

 

[QC]

Re: How come?

I'm with you JB. One of my favorite movie bits is from Woody Allen's "Sleeper". He comes back after being cryogenically frozen for some 100 years or so and Ice Cream Sundaes are health food . . .

I don't subscribe to most of this stuff. Sugar in the Raw is sugar. Honey is sugar. Apple Juice is sugar and water. Fiber is fiber, Fruit is fiber and sugar and some vitamins. Fat is good, yummy and necessary. Protein is yummy and you get it from meat not powder in a can. Butter is fat and salt, fat and salt are yummy. Jogging wrecks your knees, and joints. Sitting and eating butter or fat mixed with sugar (Ice Cream) is yummy.

 

[RetNav]

Re: How come?

I have been wondering about some of those same things JB.

One of the main ones has been the "discipline" that used to be administered to us kids. It seemed like most everyone from teachers to uncles/aunts would be on one end of whatever weapon was being used. Maybe as a result of this there was an absolute minimum of juvenile crime. We were constantly under the watchful eyes of someone who had that right.

 

[treedancer]

Re: How come?

I wonder why my 96-year-old uncle doesn?t have hardening of the arteries, he has this unhealthy salad at least twice a week according to my cousin who takes care of him. Yes I?ve eaten it, but I can?t get around all of the grease. He?s healthy as a horse with the exception of a bit of arthritis and two hearing aids. WW two vet of the south Pacific.

Wilted Lettuce Salad

INGREDIENTS

?5 slices bacon
?2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
?1 tablespoon lemon juice
?1 teaspoon white sugar
?1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
?1 head leaf lettuce - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
?6 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS

1.Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove from skillet, crumble and set aside.
2.To the hot bacon drippings, add the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and pepper. Stir over medium heat until hot.
3.In a large bowl, combine the lettuce and green onions. Add the warm dressing and toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How come?

sounds delicious.

we didn't have tv, computers, etc. had to make our on fun. stayed busy, to hot to stay inside in the summer. most people worked it off, or sweated it off.

grandma & grandpa lived to 99, he smoke like a house on fire. they always had grits, eggs, bacon, for breakfast. homemade biscuits made with lard, and buttermilk. then lots of butter. neither were ever overweight.

 

[treedancer]

Re: How come?

He lives in Walla Walla Washington; ten year ago we had our family reunion at a park there. Uncle Willard has or had some acreages on Blue Mountains south of there, he wanted to show it to me so we drove up,up,up, there. He was in his mid eighties at the time. when we got there he liked to walked me to death. I keep myself in pretty good shape, but that old buzzard had my tongue hanging out. Next day he asked if he could show me some property higher up that he was interested in buying. I politely declined, telling him that the air conditioner was on the bum on the Bronco, didn?t tell him it went out right after we left the house.

 

[Mark42]

Re: How come?

People were a lot more fit then, and fat people were far and few. Thats because there were a lot fewer cars. People went to market by walking or riding a bicycle. People walked everywhere, even when they took a bus, they still had to walk from the bus stop to their house or destination. Kids did not sit and watch TV or play video games. They rode bicycles, played ball outside in open fields or yards and generally ran their butts ragged every day playing.

People today are fat because they eat too much and don't walk enough.

 

[i386]

Re: How come?

People didn't sit on their butts as much back then. If I eat two salted fat back biscuits (mmm btw) every morning and go to work and sit on my duff all day it's going to put some pounds on me. If I had to go do some real work I'd be lucky if that stuck to my ribs long enough to make it to lunch time. I weighed 145 pounds when I worked in the textile mills for 10-12 hours a day. Now I'm pushing over 205.

I'm only speculating here but I think there's a lot of undocumented ingredients going into cigarettes these days.

I've also heard that the processed sugars used in fast/pre-packaged foods these days are a lot worse for you than plain cane sugar.

I never wore a helmet to skate or ride a bike.

Riding in the back of the pickup truck was the best! You had to fight to get a fender well to sit on.

I never had a child safety seat (though I believe in them).

Bleach or kerosene was the cure for every bump and scrape I got as a child. I think I was even treated for a jellyfish sting with diesel fuel and sand once.


It's a wonder I survived childhood.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: How come?

All responses are funny....but oh so true !!!!!

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: How come?

How come it takes me all night long to do what I use to be able to do all night long??

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: How come?

That's life, if ya pass GO, collect what's coming to ya.

 

[MikDee]

Re: How come?

I've been watching commercials for chemicals to cure/prevent anything known to man and clips in news shows warning about the dangers of all of the same stuff.

Now I wonder how anyone in my generation and our parents generation ever made it past 40.

Sixty years ago. . .

* Paint had lead in it. If it was paint there was lead in it.
* Ninety percent of adults and most alolescents smoked non-filter cigarettes, about a pack a day average. My grandpa smoked about 10 Cuban cigars a day and lived to 88. My Dad smoked a pack of Philip Morris a day to the day he died at 84. Neither had cancer or heart trouble.
* We ate all the sugar we wanted and put salt on everything. Morbid obesity was pretty rare.
* One of my favorite playthings was a small bottle of mercury, which I handled regularly.
* DDT was the only known sure cure for any kind of bug that you were at war with.
* Diabetes was fairly rare and type 2 diabetes was very rare.
* Only professional athletes "worked out". Nobody went to a gym that wasn't at the YMCA or YWCA, and we went to play volleyball or swim.

There is more, of course, but those are what occur to me now.

Are we being sold a bill of goods or at least gross exaggeration by the drug companies and the AMA? How in the world did any of us make it to 70, 80 or even the big one?

Jeez, This rings a bell! I lived through all of this that everyone posted here myself, even had a few small model paint bottles of mercury too, that I was fascinated with also JB, But I do have my own pet theory about type 2 diabetes, which I happen to have for about 10yrs now, I think if you're prone to get this, more then a normal amount of strong antibiotics over the yrs will bring it on! I notice how my sugar numbers spike bad with certain antibiotics, I always have to try more then one when ocassionally a get sick enough with what ever is going around, to see what works best for me. (By the way, Grandkids can take you out with whatever germ they pick up in school,,,lol). I wonder what my sugar numbers would have read throughout my life on some antibiotics before I started testing them due to Diabetes?

On a side note here, my youngest, my 38yr old daughter has been allergic to penecillin ever since she was just past 2yrs old, and on medication previously forever due to a continually recurring ear infection.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: How come?

Last week my wife came home after work and said it was a busy day. 9 people had come to the ER for chest pains. 8 of them were obese non-smokers, the 1 was a smoker and at average weight.

When I was young and attempted to chew paint chips, I got my rear busted or my face slapped. Mom n dad always supervised all us siblings and if we did something wrong, we had to pay with consequencies. We was taught that only food goes into your mouth because all other stuff had nasty germs on them that would make you sick.

I don't know what kind of life is ahead of us yet, but it sure doesn't seem to be good for you no matter what. I just want to enjoy my right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. However, things seem to get in my way of being truely happy anymore.

Have a great day, I'm going to try my best to have one........SS

 

[muskyone]

Re: How come?

well I live on Pepsi and cigs. when I eat it's soaked in butter and covered in salt. I?m a walking osha fine I don?t wear a hard hat or any safety equipment in the bucket truck . I?ve been doing it this way for 22 years have never been hurt I have to stop 3 or 4 times a day to let the young guys get there breath. oh I could be dieing I haven?t been to a doctor in 10 years.

 

[57whitehouse]

Re: How come?

PROCESSED FOOD!!!!!!!!!!

It seems the healthier peoople try to make food, the worse it is for us. Back in the day everything was natural, as is. Now everything is added to it or taken out of it or bleeched or something. In Europe, they eat all the wrong thing and are healthier because it's all natural and good quality(the only thing I like about the French).

Plus, as stated above, too much sitn around doin' not'n.

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: How come?

What ever you say Muskyone... Only the ones at the Wisconsin Roundup really know what your like....

 

[PW2]

Re: How come?

This reminds me a few weeks ago on "Wired Science" on PBS they did a segment on kid's chemistry sets available, and the changes to them over the years.

Seems these days they are complete in every detail from the old ones, except, of course, for the chemicals. The new ones don't have any.

I did enjoy my old chemistry set, though. You could come up with some pretty interesting concoctions.

And you could buy everything you needed for a pretty potent black powder right off the shelf at the local drug store in 1# and 5# bags. We used to make powder for a homemade cannon we had. That thing was kool!
It could propel a 1/2" steel ball bearing thru 11 inches of solid wood! You couldn't aim it of course which was an obvious drawback, but you knew that if it managed to hit any wood, chances are the wood wasn't going to stop it!

 

[Scaaty]

Re: How come?

I'm with ya here JB.
Played with Mercury, lived with smoking, drinking parents, (same myself in HS into my 40's) ate greasy fried food, exercise (for them) was calling up kids in for dinner from playing ball out back, the more sugar the better, long story short..they all lived into their 80's...
Doctor ticked off 'cause I started smoking and drinking beer again (57.. 58 in June..him same age)..told him I trying to knock off those Nursing home years..
PS..following the Mosquito truck spewing the clouds of DDT on bicycles in the late 50 in the midwest was FUN!

 

[RCSConstruction]

Re: How come?

PROCESSED FOOD!!!!!!!!!!



Plus, as stated above, too much sitn around doin' not'n.

Big, BIG factor. I am guilty of this pleasure and have on occasion got burnt out on fast food. My wife is all organic (half the year) and when I eat like she does I feel a heck of alot better. Dat's the TRUTH!
Don't forget Big Pharm and all their pills they are shoving down our throats.
Water seems to be unhealthy, even bottled water or reverse osmosis. R/O takes out 99% of the minerals out of water. I have even read that R/O water will strip the minerals out of your body!!! Alot of water companies started adding minerals.
Stress!!! Lack of stress release. Hard work (which is not as common today) is a good stress release. Alot of people sitting behind the wheel,desk,forklift..etcc..
I really think all the "pills" (sleeping,pain,depression,high blood pressure,heart,antibiotics, all the common stuff) are public enemy number one.

 

[MikDee]

Re: How come?

I've been watching commercials for chemicals to cure/prevent anything known to man and clips in news shows warning about the dangers of all of the same stuff.

Now I wonder how anyone in my generation and our parents generation ever made it past 40.

Sixty years ago. . .

* Paint had lead in it. If it was paint there was lead in it.
* Ninety percent of adults and most alolescents smoked non-filter cigarettes, about a pack a day average. My grandpa smoked about 10 Cuban cigars a day and lived to 88. My Dad smoked a pack of Philip Morris a day to the day he died at 84. Neither had cancer or heart trouble.
* We ate all the sugar we wanted and put salt on everything. Morbid obesity was pretty rare.
* One of my favorite playthings was a small bottle of mercury, which I handled regularly.
* DDT was the only known sure cure for any kind of bug that you were at war with.
* Diabetes was fairly rare and type 2 diabetes was very rare.
* Only professional athletes "worked out". Nobody went to a gym that wasn't at the YMCA or YWCA, and we went to play volleyball or swim.

There is more, of course, but those are what occur to me now.

Are we being sold a bill of goods or at least gross exaggeration by the drug companies and the AMA? How in the world did any of us make it to 70, 80 or even the big one?

Hey JB, I agree with you about suspecting the AMA, and big drug companies, profit, & greed, is a big motive. I am on some medication, but if I find a natural, mineral, or herb that can give me the same results I substitute it. I was on liptor for years for high cholesterol (210avg not really that high?) finally decided the side effects were just too much, so I came off it, and substitute it with oatmeal, raisin bran, bran muffins, & a good strong fish oil. It's now between 150-200. Another item that I put some faith in is this, most of the "old world" immigrants, our european ancestors, and most european countries to this day especially France, & Italy, use a glass of red wine as a regular daily suppertime beverage, and water for their other meals. Studies have found grape seed extract is one of the best antioxidants ever, and I believe in it's natural form, wine! it is most effective. My family never did this, but my grandparents, and my ex-wifes (Italian) did, and lived a long healthy life. I think this is one of the Keys to a long healthy life,,, sad to say, I never got into the habit of doing this. I also agree, the junk food, & processed food, is the main contributing factor to Ill health nowadays, in fact we are so used to this stuff that wasn't around as much in the 50's, and 60's, we are in the habit of habitually eating it without even realizing that it is junk, or processed food. In fact the way some of this is packaged as low calorie, low fat, or low sugar, we are led to believe it's good for us! but, if they take out the calories, fat, or sugar, what are they adding to make up for that? You can bet whatever it is, it's no good for us!