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Hmmm, has this become some sort of weekly rant delivery service?

I highly doubt this will end well, have fun...

Tyras wrote:I don't really care how people live their lives. If they want to be in good shape, more power to them, if not, who am I to judge. What gets me though are those who lack in the hygeine department. I can't stand going to the store to play a game or paint or whatever and have somebody who smells like a damp gym sock roll over to where I'm at. It's rude to subject people to your various odors. If you want to sit at home in your own filth that's fine, it's not hurting me a bit. If you decide to go out into public places... bathe first. Put on clean clothes, brush your teeth. If not for some degree of self respect at least do it so I don't have to regrow my nose hairs after an encounter with your aura of pestilence. Being a fan of Nurgle doesn't mean ya have to live the life.

I went to a Gamesday once, and despite all of the cool stuff there I will never go to another because of the unwashed masses.

That's the damned truth. Get your head outta fantasy land long enough to realize you live in the real world, with real people, and they don't want to smell your funk.

And they don't call the great unwashed masses that for no reason.

I don't have a problem with fat people, a lot of fat people are cool and I'm no stick insect myself. The problem I do have is when people complain about it, do nothing about it, and expect people to have sympathy.

Nothing makes me angrier than seeing a TV show about some super obese person 'struggling to get by' because they weigh too much and have become completely dependant on their family. ESPECIALLY when their lunch consists of 5 grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in ranch dressing (not making this up, I watched it the other day. The irony was incredible...). I mean I like ranch dressing as much as the next guy but I would think that if you were that big you'd be MORE motivated to have self control, not less?

Maybe it's that they're giving up, maybe it's glandular, maybe it's psychological, maybe it's just repeat behaviours that have created a vicious circle of bad eating habits. Whatever the cause, I want to see a person start working towards fixing something they see as a problem before they start complaining about it.

On a related note, a few days ago I was reading movie reviews and stumbled upon one about Wall-E that had deviated into a discussion about "anti-fat" sentiments. I had never heard the term "anti-fat" but apparently it's well documented and growing in popularity as the newest, in-vogue finger-pointing activity. So now because I believe people should be hired on merit, regardless of the colour of their skin, I'm racist. Because I believe men and women should be tested physically and mentally equally for whatever job they are looking for, I'm sexist. And now, because I believe that I should not have to have a massive, overweight person in the seat next to me in aeroplane/bus/movie theatre sitting half on top of me, I'm "anti-fat." Fantastic.

Before I go, I would like to point out that there is a LOT of hate in the world and a lot of it is directed towards particular races, colours, creeds and peoples. That's not cool. I think you have EVERY right to dislike something about someone, but to have blanket hatred and stereotyping for a whole group of people is unacceptable. My above statements could possibly be construed as inflammatory, but it's only to get my point across. Let me re-iterate, I don't hate any 'type' of person. I just hate it when someone complains about something they (and moreover ONLY they) have every power in the world to change.

Done and done. Apologies for any hurt feelings. I'm a nice guy, really.

DoW

Am I the only wargamer/gamer/student who is getting decisively THINNER the nerdier he gets?

Shamfrit wrote:Am I the only wargamer/gamer/student who is getting decisively THINNER the nerdier he gets?

No... in fact I'm nearly 40 lbs lighter than when I started wargaming. True story.

Of course the change in eating habits, diet and excercise probably had more to do with it than wargaming. But it's still true.

Hehe, now that I think about it, my last post conjured up the image of a man eating his models that don't work out, gorging himself on the gluttony of failures, victories, and modelling projects gone wrong.

I think the routine and order and financial control needed to keep wargaming going whilst studying for a degree, working and keeping your home stuff going is a good breeding ground for keeping healthy and a stable weight, the problem comes when you do nothing but, and believe me, I've been there, A year ago I was 17 stone, two years, 19, 4 years, a whopping 22.5!

Settled at 14.8 for now, and that's through dieting alone - and developing a sudden hatred of chips...(The British sort).

The stereotypical view that gamers and nerds are unclean and overweight is sadly one that doesn't seem like it's going to go away, But prove somebody wrong once in a while ladies and fellas, have a shave

(Hides beard.)

I think this is a great thread and look forward to more rants.

BTW I'm an overweight gamer AND a creepy girl-starer-atter.

To remedy both I'm trying to get more exercise, and I walk up to girls to strike up conversation so as to personify them.

The Green Git wrote:

Tyras wrote:I don't really care how people live their lives. If they want to be in good shape, more power to them, if not, who am I to judge. What gets me though are those who lack in the hygeine department. I can't stand going to the store to play a game or paint or whatever and have somebody who smells like a damp gym sock roll over to where I'm at. It's rude to subject people to your various odors. If you want to sit at home in your own filth that's fine, it's not hurting me a bit. If you decide to go out into public places... bathe first. Put on clean clothes, brush your teeth. If not for some degree of self respect at least do it so I don't have to regrow my nose hairs after an encounter with your aura of pestilence. Being a fan of Nurgle doesn't mean ya have to live the life.

I went to a Gamesday once, and despite all of the cool stuff there I will never go to another because of the unwashed masses.

That's the damned truth. Get your head outta fantasy land long enough to realize you live in the real world, with real people, and they don't want to smell your funk.

And they don't call the great unwashed masses that for no reason.

QFT. One of the gamers at my FLGS would giggle loudly and announce that he had just 'made a nurgling' when he passed gas. Aieeeee. Also, he was one of the guys who was attached to my fiancee by an invisible three foot leash while she was working on her Thousand Sons...it appeared to be elastic, he would go somewhere else, and then snap back. I think I discovered the reason why my second army is chaos marines...the tanks have spikey bits for threatening of face pokey!

A sign that threatens to begin to muster the forces to rekindle the long dead and cooled ember of the spark of the flame that is my faith in humanity: Gamer in question did desist with the 'hurr made a nurgling' thing when he realized it was not, in fact, funny. For that he has my gratitude.

djphranq wrote:I think this is a great thread and look forward to more rants.

BTW I'm an overweight gamer AND a creepy girl-starer-atter.

To remedy both I'm trying to get more exercise, and I walk up to girls to strike up conversation so as to personify them.

Dammit, djphranq. Dakkites aren't supposed to actively try to improve themselves! That's ridiculous!

One of the many local, village idiots has ripped a fart during our last 2 games. If he would have said, "excuse me I have passed gas, please pardon the rotten, carcass-like smell you will soon be tasting". I would have probably laughed and said no problem, but NOOO he rips a SBD in front of a fan, A FRICKING FAN, BOTH TIMES. So instead of something that could have possibly been hidden from me I get an assbomb right in my face (since I am sitting down and the fan is pointed right at me).

I immediately cover my face and tell him to cut it out. The second time I asked him not to do it again since this is becoming a trend. He mumbles a half-hearted apology and puts on a sad face.

Poor hygiene and manners pisses me off, I'm sorry. This guy works at McDonalds too, I won't eat there if he is working.

Dude, the second time, I'd have punched him. That's just gross.

Pipboy101 wrote:I am writing these quickly so to refocus my eyes after reviewing endless government documents all day long. For this post, I notice it is not the younger gamers that are gawking but the older one like 35 to 50 year old gamers that are gawking. It gives you the "strangers have the best candy" feeling when you see it.

These rants are me just sharing my thoughts for people to discuss and if people disagree with me that is fine and if they agree that is good to. But a healthly discussion on the issue from the community is always good on these gamer specific social topics and taboos. I do not get into arguements on the forums, just putting my thoughts out there. And if you want know I will make these same comments in the LGS so this is not just a forum rant.

Thing is, these aren't taboo subjects. They've been talked about to the point of cliche. Not that a topic has to be original to be worth talking about, but then you should hang around to contribute to that conversation.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Shamfrit wrote:Am I the only wargamer/gamer/student who is getting decisively THINNER the nerdier he gets?

The hardcore of our hobby basically consists of fat guys who always wear shorts and skinny guys who always wear trousers. There are all other kinds of people who game, but they're rarely as committed as the fat guys in shorts and the skinny guys in trousers.

Humans fart on average 15 times a day.

If you are not making your numbers you can't blame someone else for doing the extra work needed.

Really?

Anyway, I don't know anyone who willingly fesses up to a fart. In fact even if there are only two people in the room, the perpertrator will often blame the victim.

Light a match? OH SHI-

Pieces of ham and bloated intestine everywhere.

lol

Pipboy101, any chance of turning these rants into a highly successful series of YouTube movies?

Your rants would make a great basis for a sitcom.

Cheese Elemental wrote:Your rants would make a great basis for a sitcom.

Oooh, the "mediocre" part would be used for other things other than gaming. Especially when the GF/wife/whatever walks on set and makes a certain remark about his prowess followed by a catch phrase and a laughing track.

No one would want to see me on video. Average height, build and weight but not best on camera. Damn, what it this, a match.com commercial? My next rant should be tomorrow or the next day since I am going to stop by my LGS today after work. It is always good for new material, trust me.

Emperors Faithful wrote:Really?

Anyway, I don't know anyone who willingly fesses up to a fart. In fact even if there are only two people in the room, the perpertrator will often blame the victim.

He who smelt it, dealt it.

JohnHwangDD wrote:Dude, the second time, I'd have punched him. That's just gross.

I would have, but it would have been like punching Corky, rewarding for about 5 seconds until you realized you punched a slowed kid.

As far as the staring thing goes, my wife who is pretty good looking will not go near GW in the mall with me, she avoids it like the plague and it is not because she knows I am a nerd gamer it is because she hates the looks she gets in there.


I have partial bias against fatties because in america everyone is overweight and it is embarrassing to me as an American. It is never genetics and is always diet and lack of exercise. I have recently started a new diet and now I see that if you eat right it is amazing what it does to your body not only weight wise but mood/performance. The thing that really bugs me is all the "big" people or normal people I see that claim they are on a diet but they are drinking soda/eating burgers etc. The ones in the office are the worst, I eat a lot but I eat only meat/fresh veggies/fruit/nuts and they tell me that I can eat as much as I want cause I am young( in reality I coudl when I was young but now that I am 28 this does not work anymore ), I try to explain it is because my diet is what we are meant to eat not microwave dinners or anything else. But these people will not listen due to their own ignorance/not wanting to admit they have a poor diet.

I know more about obesity than I really want to. My wife is studying to be a dietitian, and watches her class videos in the room where I'm painting.

Obesity in the US is largely related to government decisions. In the 80s, this wasn't the case. They had farm subsidies that paid farmers to destroy crops (or not grow them). This kept supply artificially low, which kept prices high enough for farmers to live on.

Reagan did away with the farm subsidies. This flooded more food onto the market, and drove prices down. As a result, in order for the farmers to make it, they had to sell more food (albeit, at lower prices per unit). It is not coincidence that the growing obesity trend in the US started when the farm subsidies were cut.

People who buy food at home aren't going to buy more, so a lot of the excess food gets bundled in two places, that makes people fat.

The first is that our corn is turned into high fructose corn syrup. This stuff is in everything. And, while it is not actually any worse for you than any other sugar, the fact that it is present in so many places means you're consuming a lot more sugars than you need, or that are good for you. Excess sugars get turned to fat very easily. High fructose corn syrup is used in everything because people generally like their food a little sweeter, and companies realize this, and so they use it as an additive everywhere to get people to buy their products. And, they can do this because it is dirt cheap. Remember, this stuff is being made with all the excess corn that's produced and sold at extremely low prices.

The second easy dump-off point for excess food is into the food service and restaurant industries. If you go out to eat, chances are that whatever you order is more than twice the amount of food that you need. The suggested serving size for beef is 4 ounces. When I go out to eat, the smallest burgers on the menu are generally 1/2 pound, and the smallest steaks are frequently 12 pounds. And they get even bigger - I've seen 64 ounce steaks on menus. That's sixteen times more food than a person needs.

Two simple steps that people can take to reduce their caloric intake are related to these two major causes of obesity:

First, a simple step to reducing your caloric intake is to cut out all non-diet sodas. This is an easy step, as it doesn't require a lifestyle change, you can still get your 64 ounce big gulp when you want it, but you do so without the intake of all those sugars. Obviously, this is part of a plan towards becoming healthier. Ordering a diet coke alongside a triple bypass burger doesn't mean you're healthy.

Second, a healthy rule of thumb, when eating out, is to cut your entire meal in half before you eat anything, and put one half aside to take home for leftovers.

It's really hard to avoid gaining weight when the country's system of producing and distributing food is stacked against you, but it can be done, you just have to pay attention to what you're eating. No one food is bad for you, it's the quantities that are.

That is only half the story

Diabetes and Obesity also stems from our food pyramid.

No one should be eating the amount of carbohydrates they suggest nor should anyone be eating more then one slice of bread a day to begin with. All it does is stores the carbs as fat and it is not easily accessible to process for the body.

drakedeming wrote:
Diabetes and Obesity also stems from our food pyramid.

No one should be eating the amount of carbohydrates they suggest nor should anyone be eating more then one slice of bread a day to begin with. All it does is stores the carbs as fat and it is not easily accessible to process for the body.

This is untrue. Do you have sources? Humans have eaten bread and grains (carbs) for thousands of years. The widespread obesity and diabetes problems in the US only started in the last thirty or so.

US only-your mileage may vary:
Portions are too large. Fast food and restaurant portions are immense at this point. In my lifetime I've seen them grown huge. I remember when quarter pounders where a big deal. Wendys went to a triple meat burger for a while (still might). Sweet Jesu.

Calories are turbocharged. Not only are portions large, tut they are turbocharged with fats/carbs. Its one thing to eat a lot of bread, its another thing to eat a lot of bread in a 1500 calorie McD meal of some sort.

Sedentary lifestyle. This literally is a back in my day moment. We're eating the same calarie intake as an 18th century farmer while many of our kids are having an invalid's lifestyle of inactivity.

Gotta agree with the portion size and the good old fashioned family lesson of always eating everything on your plate. I've had friends from America over who at first stated that they got little to eat, but in retrospect saw that they were always getting too much back home.

Redbeard wrote:

drakedeming wrote:
Diabetes and Obesity also stems from our food pyramid.

No one should be eating the amount of carbohydrates they suggest nor should anyone be eating more then one slice of bread a day to begin with. All it does is stores the carbs as fat and it is not easily accessible to process for the body.

This is untrue. Do you have sources? Humans have eaten bread and grains (carbs) for thousands of years. The widespread obesity and diabetes problems in the US only started in the last thirty or so.

Homo sapiens ("sapiens" is Latin for wise or intelligent) has lived from about 250,000 years ago to the present.

Bread and cooking grains that are inedible or poisenous raw has only been around for 10-12k years, our bodies have not had enough time to evolve to this. I am not saying eating bread and grains is bad, but in the amounts that we eat it is.





According to Harvard scientist Dr. Walter Willett, the original USDA Food Pyramid is terribly misleading and flawed. He states that the Pyramid has not kept up with scientific nutritional research. The original food pyramid made a number of blanket claims supporting its food list, such as, all fats are bad; all complex carbohydrates are good; protein is protein; dairy products are essential; potatoes are good for you; and there was no recommendation for exercise. Here is a brief rundown of Dr. Willett's areas of scientific contention:

All fats are bad: Not true, says Dr. Willett. Saturated and trans-fats are bad, but monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats, as well as fats from fish, nuts, olive oil, and grains, are good.

All complex carbohydrates are good: Not true, again. First of all, “six to eleven servings of carbohydrates” is way too much. The Pyramid does not differentiate between refined carbohydrates, such as pasta, and truly complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain cereal and bread.

Protein is protein: Again the doctor disagrees. Some sources of protein are better for you than others. For example, red meat is high quality protein, but it is also high in cholesterol and saturated fat; whereas fish, chicken, turkey, and even pork are lower in saturated fat. Beans and nuts are also excellent sources of protein.

Dairy products are essential: According to Dr. Willett this is also not true. He insists that there is not a calcium crisis in the U.S. “In reality,” he says, “there are studies that suggest that too much calcium can increase a man's chances of getting prostate cancer or a woman getting ovarian cancer.”

Potatoes are good for you: This claim really sets Dr. Willett off, since studies have shown a baked potato to increase blood sugar levels and insulin faster and higher than an equal amount of calories from pure table sugar. One wonders which lucky souls got to be the center of that study!

Guidance on weight, exercise, alcohol, and vitamins are missing: According to Dr. Willett, a healthy diet without exercise is counter-productive, and he believes strongly that one daily alcoholic drink is a healthy choice. And vitamins, he states, are very important.



As far as it contributing to diabetes there are some direct correlations out there but I can not find the articles or research papers right now, they basically state that since the food pyramid was changed in the early 90's to say we need a million servings of carbs, that is when the diabetes epidemic has really took off.

drakedeming wrote:Diabetes and Obesity also stems from our food pyramid.

No one should be eating the amount of carbohydrates they suggest nor should anyone be eating more then one slice of bread a day to begin with. All it does is stores the carbs as fat and it is not easily accessible to process for the body.

No one should be eating the amount of starch they suggest, although a few slices of bread per day won't hurt you. The filler sugar is the real problem. But carbs aren't evil, as long as they're fiber carbs. You can eat all the green vegetables that you see and you will be fine. Broccoli is great. Raw celery is *negative* calories.

But yeah, the food pyramid is pseudo-science to protect our farmers.
____

Redbeard wrote:Humans have eaten bread and grains (carbs) for thousands of years. The widespread obesity and diabetes problems in the US only started in the last thirty or so.

This is untrue. Humans are built as hunter-gatherer meat & veggies types. Bread is relatively new, going back to the early agrarian societies <10,000 years ago. Plentiful grains led to obesity, and this is documented for Egypt at least. In the US, things took off because we stopped working with our hands like farmers and moving with our feet.
____

drakedeming wrote:Homo sapiens ("sapiens" is Latin for wise or intelligent) has lived from about 250,000 years ago to the present.

Bread and cooking grains that are inedible or poisenous raw has only been around for 10-12k years, our bodies have not had enough time to evolve to this. I am not saying eating bread and grains is bad, but in the amounts that we eat it is.

Yup.