3 ms·

It doesn't make sense when the major health problem in the US is obesity. Always these childish and clueless economic takes on this board.

EchoChamberMan 3y ago
What does obesity have to do with anything? People are eating unhealthy? > Always these childish and clueless economic takes on this board. "Avoid swipes" and "Please don't create new accounts regularly."
- frasermarlow 3y ago
  Obesity is certainly a factor holding back certain communities here in the USA. But I agree it's a tangential issue. On the issue of whether or not "the middle class is collapsing," I hear lots of arguments (as usual very polarized) on both sides of that debate. Does anybody have strong empirical studies to share (ideally non-partisan!) on how this statement holds up? I have googled and probably found the obvious stuff but I would love to read up more on this.
  - EchoChamberMan 3y ago
    Here are a few sources[1][2] (oops, [1] is from 2020) but I don't have anything special. I think there was an article on HN that showed this well, but I can't find it. Basically, kids today have extremely limited chance to do better than their parents. Homelessness is at an all time high.[6] The following are loosely related to the economy, in that the cost of dealing with the problem is growing, and they prevent well adjusted growth. There's also a mental health epidemic[3] from the Surgeon General[4]. Also consider the possible extinction level climate change issues[5]. [1] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/ https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-... [2] https://www.brookings.edu/articles/fewer-americans-are-making-more-than-their-parents-did-especially-if-they-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/ https://www.brookings.edu/articles/fewer-americans-are-makin... [3] https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-05-02/loneliness-isolation-epidemic-u-s-surgeon-general-declares https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-05-02/loneli... [4] https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-soci... [5] https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/skyrocketing-ocean-temperatures-have-scientists-scratching-their-heads/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/skyrocketing-ocean-t... [6] https://www.npr.org/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-rent-assistance https://www.npr.org/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-r...

EchoChamberMan 3y ago

What does obesity have to do with anything? People are eating unhealthy? > Always these childish and clueless economic takes on this board. "Avoid swipes" and "Please don't create new accounts regularly."

frasermarlow 3y ago
Obesity is certainly a factor holding back certain communities here in the USA. But I agree it's a tangential issue. On the issue of whether or not "the middle class is collapsing," I hear lots of arguments (as usual very polarized) on both sides of that debate. Does anybody have strong empirical studies to share (ideally non-partisan!) on how this statement holds up? I have googled and probably found the obvious stuff but I would love to read up more on this.
- EchoChamberMan 3y ago
  Here are a few sources[1][2] (oops, [1] is from 2020) but I don't have anything special. I think there was an article on HN that showed this well, but I can't find it. Basically, kids today have extremely limited chance to do better than their parents. Homelessness is at an all time high.[6] The following are loosely related to the economy, in that the cost of dealing with the problem is growing, and they prevent well adjusted growth. There's also a mental health epidemic[3] from the Surgeon General[4]. Also consider the possible extinction level climate change issues[5]. [1] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/ https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-... [2] https://www.brookings.edu/articles/fewer-americans-are-making-more-than-their-parents-did-especially-if-they-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/ https://www.brookings.edu/articles/fewer-americans-are-makin... [3] https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-05-02/loneliness-isolation-epidemic-u-s-surgeon-general-declares https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-05-02/loneli... [4] https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-soci... [5] https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/skyrocketing-ocean-temperatures-have-scientists-scratching-their-heads/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/skyrocketing-ocean-t... [6] https://www.npr.org/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-rent-assistance https://www.npr.org/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-r...