Being Fat Is NOT OKAY...Deal With It.

[Quetzal]

I apologize for the click bait, it is the title of this video:

According to the Journal of American Medicine:

More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese.

According to Health Affairs.org:

The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.

It is no secret that obese people are the subject of political and social ridicule. Do you think this is in anyway justified? Is it a fair comparison when an obese person compares their "condition" to race, sexual orientation, etc. What do you think?

Note: This has the potential to be controversial, let's remember to keep in impersonal and critical.

 

[Tumah]

According to the Journal of American Medicine:
More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese.

So moving to Canada or Mexico curbs obesity?

 

[Quetzal]

So moving to Canada or Mexico curbs obesity?

That is outside of the scope of the survey and no one is making that argument.

 

[Tumah]

That is outside of the scope of the survey and no one is making that argument.

It was a joke...

 

[Quetzal]

It was a joke...

Gotta add the smilies! They are the instant indicator of jokes! I get jokes... sometimes.

 

[Tumah]

Gotta add the smilies! They are the instant indicator of jokes! I get jokes... sometimes.

I know, I know. But I generally go for deadpan, and I feel similes take away from that.

 

[Jainarayan]

Fat and fit are not mutually exclusive. The problem with being fat is usually being unfit, which is probably and unfortunately the majority of that one third of US adults.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It's never ok to ridicule people, and such ridicule is known for making it harder for obese people to loose weight. And though people do need to take responsibility, we also have to realize there are many factors at work, with things such as stress eating that someone may not realize they are doing, or the enormous portion sizes we Americans are accustomed to eating, as well as taking a stand against the ever increasing expectation that we will be sedentary all day for work, school, etc.

 

[Quintessence]

I find it interesting that "obesity" is blamed while the real culprits behind it - the lifestyle shifts in the United States that lead to this - are not discussed. If we want to seriously discuss the so-called "obesity epidemic" (pfft), we need to seriously discuss things like the industrial food epidemic, the marketing epidemic, the personal automobile epidemic, the suburb epidemic, the health care epidemic, and so forth. Obesity is a scapegoat that covers from addressing more serious and systemic cultural problems.

 

[columbus]

According to Health Affairs.org:
The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
You have a serious logical problem here. You are equating medical costs with weight issues without solid statistical analysis.
If condition X results in heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, then obesity is not the problem it is a symptom. It is associated with expensive medical problems, but not the cause of them. So losing the weight will not help with "condition X". Only identifying the root cause and working on that will help with the expensive problems like diabetes and heart issues.
Tom

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Okay, I'll go kill myself now.

 

[Quetzal]

Fat and fit are not mutually exclusive.

Really? Interesting. So you think someone can be fat and be in good physical health?

 

[Quetzal]

Obesity is a scapegoat that covers from addressing more serious and systemic cultural problems.

I disagree. While there are other factors at work, I believe the choice to lose weight and be healthier is just that, a choice. I see it, primarily, as an act of self control and discipline.

 

[Quintessence]

Really? Interesting. So you think someone can be fat and be in good physical health?

Keep in mind they did not say "good physical health" they said "fit." These don't usually mean the same thing. Regardless, it's true in both cases. I know "fat" people who are both "fit" and in "good physical health" for their respective age/sex bracket.

 

[Quetzal]

You have a serious logical problem here. You are equating medical costs with weight issues without solid statistical analysis.

The article goes into details about the manner in which they collected their data and the outcomes. Of course, this is a single study but the evidence is there none the less.

 

[Quetzal]

Keep in mind they did not say "good physical health" they said "fit." These don't usually mean the same thing.

Hmm, good point. How would you separate the two? I typically equate them to being similar.

 

[Quintessence]

I disagree. While there are other factors at work, I believe the choice to lose weight and be healthier is just that, a choice. I see it, primarily, as an act of self control and discipline.

This "choice" is made rather difficult due to environmental factors in American culture. Good general rule of thumb - if you want to change an organism, change it's environment. All the "self control" and "discipline" in the world doesn't work that well if the environment is working against you. That's the problem that many Americans have.

 

[Revoltingest]

Really? Interesting. So you think someone can be fat and be in good physical health?

For a rare few, it isn't a choice.
But for many, it's a very difficult one to make & keep.

And yes, some fatties can be very fit.
They're rare too.
(I prefer'm well done.)

 

[Quetzal]

This "choice" is made rather difficult due to environmental factors in American culture. Good general rule of thumb - if you want to change an organism, change it's environment. All the "self control" and "discipline" in the world doesn't work that well if the environment is working against you. That's the problem that many Americans have.

Sure, I will agree with that. It does make it more difficult. I don't watch a lot of TV anymore, but I do remember reading something about commercials being psychologically designed to create cravings. With that said, I believe if someone sees their weight as a genuine problem, they will work to fix it. Another interesting factor that I believe you touched on, is cost. I know one of the articles goes into it as well. That eating healthier is more expensive and less accessible to folks who make less. Dang it! There I am agreeing with your environmental theory. I really gotta stop agreeing with people...

 

[Jainarayan]

Really? Interesting. So you think someone can be fat and be in good physical health?

Absolutely. Check out most of the World's Strongest Man competitors, or most power lifters. If you saw most of them in street clothes, you'd have to think "what a fat lazy slob!" There is an aerobics instructor at my gym, who, I kid you not, is one that if you saw her in Wal-Mart you'd lobby for spandex being outlawed yesterday. But this woman kicks butt in the room.

And this guy (watching this puts a smile on my face) does not seem to be unfit. He may not have the physique of a Magic Mike dancer, but he done gots da moves (no, it is not me! ):

Spoiler: Big bear guy wearing a speedo, dancing