Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Oceanbliss on 16/12/2014 08:14:53

Title: How do people in prison get so huge when they have poor diets?
Post by: Oceanbliss on 16/12/2014 08:14:53
Honestly i think its the plecebo effect taking action... Because there isnt any other way unless they are stealing food from the weaker guys... but even then.. food is such an important factor to body building.
Title: Re: How do people in prison get so huge when they have poor diets?
Post by: RD on 16/12/2014 10:02:36
Quote from: Oceanbliss on 16/12/2014 08:14:53
Honestly i think its the plecebo effect taking action... Because there isnt any other way unless they are stealing food from the weaker guys...

The placebo-effect can only occur with subjective self-assessment.
With objectively measurable matters (unsurprisingly) there is no placebo-effect ...

Quote from: nejm.org
Is the Placebo Powerless? ...
Conclusions ...
We found little evidence in general that placebos had powerful clinical effects ...
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200105243442106
Title: Re: How do people in prison get so huge when they have poor diets?
Post by: alancalverd on 16/12/2014 10:36:07
Prison diet is far from "poor" - at least in the UK. It is (at least used to be) unexciting but fresh and nutritious, based on wartime standards: unlimited vegetables, an optimal balance of fat, sugar and protein, and fresh bread baked on site. There being little else to do, kitchen duty was a privilege where many prisoners learned (or taught) a trade, and there being little else to look forward to, good food prevents riots. Add a professional gymnasium, and you end up with some very fit guys.
Title: Re: How do people in prison get so huge when they have poor diets?
Post by: RD on 16/12/2014 20:21:53
Quote from: alancalverd on 16/12/2014 10:36:07
Prison diet is far from "poor" - at least in the UK.

At £500 p.w. (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/251272/prison-costs-summary-12-13.pdf) it should be Haute cuisine.

Quote from: alancalverd on 16/12/2014 10:36:07
... There being little else to do ...

Pity they can't be found something to do to help pay for their keep, which would also prime them for a legitimate lifestyle when they are released.
Title: Re: How do people in prison get so huge when they have poor diets?
Post by: CliffordK on 16/12/2014 20:51:22
Some states have prison work programs in which the inmates are paid far below minimum wage, so in theory they work off some of their burden.  But, it sometimes costs more than the benefits due to requiring extra guards (who don't do the manual labor).

As far as growth...
As others have mentioned, at least in the USA, and other 1st world nations, the prisoners may eat better than many people on the outside who are paying the taxes to keep them locked up.

They also have lots of time for personal exercise programs.  And, no doubt some of them enter prison larger than average.

Do you have primary data?  Hollywood representations of prison may not be very representative of the actual status of average prisoners.