Obesity

[StSanta]

Was looking at some numbers regarding this issue (I will not call it an epidemic as no bacteria or virii is forcing someone to eat more calories than they burn).

Numbers from Denmark vary, but the latest study puts the number of overweight people at 13% of the overall population - but fast on the rise as American fast food  restaurants are becoming more and more common. . That puts Denmark, along with other Scandinavian countries, near the bottom of the high score list on obesity. It's sure to change though as the number of obese people are increasing - from 1982 to 1992 from 10% of the population to 13%.

It turns out Danes eat more calories than for instance Americans, but exercise is more common and this helps to keep the percentage of obese people down.

The US is said to have many obese people. Let's look at the numbers.

The data is taken from the CDC.

As the obesity epidemic spread, the prevalence of overweight among U.S. adults increased by 61% from 1991 to 2000 alone.

Total number of obese people: 19%. Obese is not merely overweight though; by definition it is anyone with a BMI over 30. The numbers from DK use the same definition. As predicted, the lower social groups have the highest number of obese people - amongst those not finishing high school, a staggering 27% are obese. Nearly 30% of all blacks are obese. That's one in three - and we're not talking overweight here, we're talking fat as in really really FDB lardy. Looks like the data is pre 1999 though.

Some numbers can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/prev_char.htm

Another chart gives a more disturbing picture. If what's in the boxes is per cent, 64% of the US population is overweight. 30% are obese. It can be found here, but I'm not sure I am reading it correctly. it also shows a sharp increase. This is for people aged 20 and over.

Chart can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/obese/obse99.htm

At the risk of sounding insensitive, obesity is not just a personal problem. It costs society enormous amounts of money. Illness etc means manhours lost but also (here in DK) a large bill to be paid by the tax payers for operation and obesity related illnesses. So even if the individuals themselves may not wish ENOUGH to lose weight, IMHO our society needs to protect itself. Or rather, it needs to lay down some demands for obese people. We do it with unemployed ones. It's stupid -we'll pay for an operation of an obese people through taxes, but we do NOT pay for dental health care with the motivation that caries etc is something that can be avoided and thus it is up to the individual to see to his or her teeth. Is it not up to the individual to see to his or her weight, too?

Maybe I'm just insensitive because I'm a skinny guy - 179 cm, 65 kg. Perhaps I do not understand why it is so hard to lose weight. I can understand that losing a pound or two can be difficult if you're near your ideal weight, but it shouldn't be so difficult when you're 100kg above it - simply reduce your food intake with one per cent and some pounds will come off, simply because 1% of your daily intake is quite a lot if you weigh 180kg.

The scariest part IMHO is seeing all the fat kids. Now that computers, video games, the internet, cable tv have become so widespread kids don't play as much. They're small adults and a greater number of them simply don't do sports or run around playing war or whatever.

It's quite easily preventable, and yet not. Individuals must be free to eat what they want and how much as they want. Yet going from obese to overweight requires one thing: eating less or better.

Any comments?

[Swoop]

Yeah, pass me the donuts.

[Kanth]

The fat people are coming....

[Thrawn]

- One in four US adults eat a a fast food restuarant every day.

- In 1970 Americans spent about $6 Billion on fast food.  In 2001 it was more then $110 Billion.

- Americans spend more on fast food then, higher educationi, personal computers, computer software, or new cars.

- They spend more on fast food then movies, books, magazines, newspapers, vidoes and music...combined.

- Average teenage boy drinks 5 cans of pop a day.


My country, as well is the fattest it's been.


Fast food and soda pop are literally killing us.  Luckily it looks like the large fast food chains are starting to fail.


There is one chain I would go to if it was up here.   In-n-out, they seem to run on moral business practices and the actually have fresh beef hamburgers and fresh potato french fries , what a concept.

[funkedup]

Originally posted by Thrawn
[BIn-n-out, they seem to run on moral business practices and the actually have fresh beef hamburgers and fresh potato french fries , what a concept. [/B]

Of course they have moral practices.  They are a Christian owned business.  
They put (very sublte) evangelical messages on their packaging.  

I'd like their food regardless.  They do a good job and they seem to have found a source of borg-like, fresh-faced, well-spoken, polite employees.

PS I ET UH BEHBEY!

[rosco]

BMI is total BS. Ill use myself for an example. A year ago I weighed in at 190lbs and calipered at 7%BF. at 5,8 that gave me a BMI of 28.9. The upper end of overweight bordering on Obesity. Acording to the charts, today at 210 I am a lardass with a BMI of 30.9.  I wear a size 34 jeans.... I would need to get my weight down to less than 170 to have a "normal weight", and I dont think that would be wise if even possible AT 190 I was pale and cold all the time...I didnt feel all that good.  Guess I have to settle for being a lardass.

[SOB]

Originally posted by StSanta
Any comments?

Scrawny Eurotrash...I'm gonna sit on ya the next time I see ya...that is, if I can ever catch ya!  


SOB

[funkedup]

I'll get Sling to come and if we stand close enough we can form a singularity and suck the little Danish donutwood into the vortex.

[AKS\/\/ulfe]

You like to suck things, don't ya Funked?
-SW

[rosco]

FWIW I used to weigh in at over 300lbs, so I know first hand how hard it is to loose the weight. Or rather, keep it off.  Like most people I ate less, to the point of starvation and the end result would be lower metabolism and the minute you go off the starvation diet you put it all back on in short order.  I dont know why or what finally clicked but I just said one day I had enough and did it.  Through books, the internet and the people at the gym I learned about nutrition and exercise and took  the weight off and kept it off for nearly 4 years now. And I find now that I have been this weight for a while its easier to stay here "yea metabolism"

 I have a couple friends overweight, and IMO it boiles down to 2 things. Laziness and lack of knowledge about nutrition.

  Some people its pure laziness, TV dinners, chips, coke...Im too lazy to make something healty. "I dont buy the no time argument, its doesnt take any more time to eat an apple than scarf down a bag of doritos. You can throw a chicken breast and potato in the oven and it cooks just the same as MCain French fries and chicken nuggets".

  Then theres the people who dont really understand how to eat properly. They start eating rice cakes and tofu in minuscule quantities ,join weight watchers and drop the weight too rapidly "read muscle tissue loss" and the minute they cave in because they cant stand it anymore they balloon back up because they lowered thier metabolism. Or they dont understand moderation. "Milk is good for you, what the hell are you talking about?" Milk is good for you, as long as its not 2L of chocolate milk a day. Eggs are good for you too, as long as you dont fry them in the greese from the half pound of bacon you just cooked to go with it.

 Not sure what to do about it though, we let people smoke ,and thats probably just as  big a health risk, and drain on the system as fat people. How do you legislate someones weight?

[ra]

Is it not up to the individual to see to his or her weight, too?

Yes it is, so leave them fat bastadges alone.  Fat people are repellant to me, but live and let live.  Repress your European urge to make the world a perfect place.

ra

[Karnak]

Originally posted by funkedup
They do a good job and they seem to have found a source of borg-like, fresh-faced, well-spoken, polite employees.

They pay $9.00 starting, with benefits and vacation time.

No other fast food company does so, or even remotely close.

[Kieran]

I can run 20 miles any day of the week (I do run 8 miles a day), yet my charts say I am 15lbs overweight. That said, I am probably an exception in my society.

Yes, we grow fatter every day.

[festus]

My thoughts on obesity:

First, most americans grow up hearing "Eat everything on that plate young man there are starving people in Afrika!" and therefore some feel guilt about not eating everthing on their plates even on into adulthood.

Second, most americans feel they gotta get their moneys worth and by george if I paid for it, I'm gonna eat it.

Third, most american restuarants serving size is at least double the calories needed for healthy nutrition. And most americans won't stop eating when no longer hungry, but stop when they gotta let the top button on the jeans undone.

This is why obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and other conditions plauge millions of americans (I'm not singleing out americans because it doesn't happen elsewhere, I just have experience with americans)

So I tell my diabetics and obese patients to not eat everything on a plate at the restaurant.  Take half of it home for a second meal.

And as a side note: I tell my patients to smoke, drink, and sex all they want. Because I got five kids and a wife to support.



Festus

[Curval]

Originally posted by festus
I tell my patients to smoke, drink, and sex all they want. Because I got five kids and a wife to support.



Festus

I get what you are trying to say...except for the sex part.  Are you implying sex is unhealthy, or are you hinting at STDs?