Obesity Is Not Killing Us ...

[Dreamliner]

Some of you may have seen the massive compilation of studies, released last week, showing lower all-cause mortality for overweight people than people of normal weight. Here, Megan McArdle addresses the considerable pushback the revelations have engendered.

Additionally, McArdle demonstrates that it is not the case that Americans are simply "living longer, sicker."

Yes, I am well aware of the various health risks associated with obesity. Certainly I can think of a number of reasons to lose weight other than fear of dying. And for the record: as a trainer, I appeal to vanity first and foremost. The article:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01/10/rethinking-thin.html

[Spurffelbow833]

The best argument against obesity is the mutual attraction force known as gravity. You're carrying around a ball and chain that not even the government is trying to force you to carry.

If you only have one reason for losing weight, feeling better, not looking better, should be that reason.

[Dreamliner]

Again, I agree that there are a host of reasons to lose weight if you're fat. As the writer allows, it's "hell on your joints." I hear this all the time.

But the research does seem to eviscerate the "lose weight or die" argument. Indeed, it appears to be the case that if all you want to do is live longer, get slightly fat.

[Matthanuf06]

Again, I agree that there are a host of reasons to lose weight if you're fat. As the writer allows, it's "hell on your joints." I hear this all the time.

But the research does seem to eviscerate the "lose weight or die" argument. Indeed, it appears to be the case that if all you want to do is live longer, get slightly fat.

Sweet. Ill tell that to the wife

[Juggernautz]

I lost 25 lbs since I had my H A back in December.

I haven't been to that weight since I got out of the USAF.

[Dreamliner]

I lost 25 lbs since I had my H A back in December.

I haven't been to that weight since I got out of the USAF.

Good going! Just don't lose enough to be normal bodyweight unless you want to die! :laugh:

[Dreamliner]

Surprised that this hasn't gotten more pushback. Look, as a fitness trainer, if obesity is killing people, then I certainly want to tell them so. But this doesn't appear to be the case, as we are som commonly told.

Also, if obesity actually has health benefits, as it appears it does, how can it be likened to a disease ?

[corpgator]

This article points out some flaws with the study as well.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2013/01/if_fat_is_unhealthy_why_are_overweight_people_less _likely_to_die.single.html

[Dreamliner]

This article points out some flaws with the study.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2013/01/if_fat_is_unhealthy_why_are_overweight_people_less _likely_to_die.single.html

These include the same counter-arguments that McArdle demolished in her article that I posted. To center on one: "But, but, we know that obesity correlates with any number of diseases!" Of course, but these are the very mechanisms through which (we are told) obesity is supposed to be killing us. Yet, the overweight and obese appear to be living longer than those of normal weight.

[Dreamliner]

Based on the Canadian obesity study, the two categories most at risk were Class III obesity and underweight.

Accordingly, I would have to more than double my bodyweight to find myself in the former category, but only lose 13 pounds to find myself in the latter category. :jeez:

[orangeblueorangeblue]

Sweet. Ill tell that to the wife

Now why would you want your wife to get slightly fat? :laugh:

[G8trGr8t]

slightly is the key word there..and that is based on the body fat indexes that seem to be set up for bird chested european men...

[Dreamliner]

slightly is the key word there..and that is based on the body fat indexes that seem to be set up for bird chested european men...

Researchers have been wringing their hands about rising BMI for decades. Now, they see the actual research on obesity and longevity ... and start attacking the BMI concept!

Yes, slightly longer. But that isn't the question. The question is, are we allowed to lie any longer to fat people ?

[DeanMeadGator]

When I was a child, we run, played baseball, played sandlot football and rode our bikes until dark. There were only a few "fat kids" in our school.

Now, many kids do not run, do not play baseball, do not play sandlot football [never allow football on your property or you will surely get sued!], do not ride bikes and generally get no exercise. Equally distrubing is the fact that phys ed has been eliminated in a lot of schools. There are now a lot of "fat kids" in schools.

Query: Which generation will have higher rates of heart disease and diabetes? Which generation will have a higher average life expectancy?

Assume that the "new" generation has higher rates of heart disease and diabetes. Assume further that they will have a lower average life expectancy.

Assuming that these things are true, will the cause be lack of exercise, poor eating habits, obesity or all of them?

Regardless of what these "studies" show, I think it is intuitive that lack of exercise and obesity will kill you and/or led to heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

[Dreamliner]

Okay, yes, well ... no, it may not be that cut and dried. Obesity does not appear to be killing us. Heart disease is largely hereditary. Even cardiovascular fitness is largely genetically determined.

Regarding activity, remember that we may be the least active generation in history ... and we're living longer than ever.

Am I saying get fat and sit on your ass ? Nope. Fitness trainers need SOME work. :wink:

[GatorJeff]

Strange findings. I've seen study after study that claims that if you eat less and therefore metabolize less you'll live longer.

[T3goalie]

Sitting next to an obese person on an airplane sucks.

[Gat0r]

Obese people will latch on this like it's a dozen donuts.

[GatorJeff]

Obese people will latch on this like it's a dozen donuts.

Breaking news: Hostess to reopen Twinkie plants.

[enviroGator]

Now why would you want your wife to get slightly fat? :laugh:

Oh I can think of an advantage (actually two) to having a slightly overweight wife!

[GatorJeff]

Oh I can think of an advantage (actually two) to having a slightly overweight wife!

Tig ole bitties?

[Dreamliner]

Strange findings. I've seen study after study that claims that if you eat less and therefore metabolize less you'll live longer.

Really ? I can't say that I've found any. There was the rat study that was supposed to have shown that calorie restriction extends life. But that turned out to be a misinterpretation.

Now, if you eat less you'll certainly lose weight.

[Dreamliner]

Again, for the record, I can think of any number of reasons for obese people to lose weight. But other than the morbidly obese who comprise all of 3% of the population, I'm no longer seeing where we're allowed to scare people into losing weight lest they die. And we've known for a number of years that obesity seems to confer immunity against death by heart attack, diabetes, kidney failure and other conditions and episodes.

[Dreamliner]

Even the notion that fat people are a drain on the healthcare system is dubious. The notion that 10% of healthcare cost is due to obesity is predicated on the vogue strategy of 'risk management.' In short, if you're fat, you have the disease of being fat. And so they give you pills for it, even though the pills don't make you thin, and even though the pills don't generally prevent you from having heart attacks.

If anything, this strategy of risk management is a drain on the healthcare system. Take me, for example. I could die tomorrow. But there is no history of heart disease on either side of my family. I had a cardio stress test, eight years ago, which was normal. The EKG's I've had since show no change.

But because it's been eight years - and because my total cholesterol tends to be over 200 - even though upwards of 70% of heart attack victims had normal cholesterol readings at the time, nonetheless, my doctor wants me to get another cardio stress test done. Come on, this tests can't be cheap. I'll bet one test costs thousands.

We just don't have an epidemic of having to rush people to hospitals all the time because they're fat. People on both extremes of the curve, the morbidly obese and the overweight, die early. In the very broad middle, the studies are telling us that the people many of us would consider chubby are the healthiest and are living the longest.

[PITBOSS]

/\You are replying many many times to your own posts. Odd.

[Dreamliner]

/\You are replying many many times to your own posts. Odd.

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