"Obesity? what a bunch off baloney."
Posted on 10/03/2005 11:33:03 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
THE US obesity problem might be more serious than previously believed and most adults in the United States were at risk of becoming overweight or obese, US researchers said today.
In a government study that followed 4000 participants over 30 years, researchers found that 90 per cent of men and 70 per cent of women were overweight or later became overweight.
"National surveys and other studies have told us that the United States has a major weight problem, but this study suggests that we could have an even more serious degree of overweight and obesity (cases) over the next few decades," Elizabeth Nabel, director of the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, said.
Excess weight and obesity increase the risk of poor health and can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, breathing problems and some cancers, Ms Nabel said.
"We hope these results will serve as a wake-up call to Americans of all ages."
The study's results, which were published in this week's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, were based on assessments of body mass index, a standard measure of weight relative to height.
The volunteers for the study were white, from the town of Framingham in the northeastern state of Massachusetts.
Researchers said their study might underestimate the problem among Hispanic and African-American communities, which tend to have higher rates of excess weight.
According to the government's National Centre for Health Statistics, an estimated 65 per cent of US adults over the age of 20 are either overweight or obese, with 30 per cent of adults considered obese.
The study found that making it to middle age at a healthy weight was no guarantee for staying at that weight.
About one in five women and one in four men in the study deteriorated during four years, gaining excess weight or becoming obese.
"Taking simple steps to make sure that the overall number of calories you consume do not exceed the amount you burn can play a major role in lowering your risk for many chronic conditions," Ms Nabel said.
Guess we can put global warming on the back burner. Whew, that one was scaaaarrrrryyyyy.
As a friend of mine uses to say, while patting himself on the belly: "It is paid for!"
Lets mandate a 30 hour work week. That way we would all have a little extra time for softball; and we would all starve from the economic impact.
I think this had a previous thread but I am too fat to find it.
Tax every over weight person an extra $2000.00 per year and give everyone NOT over weight $1000.00. Anyone on the government tit has one year to trim down or we cut them off. It's time for some tough love. Besides, I can use a extra thousand.
The surtaxes and credits should be per pound, not per person.
I better get off my 'puter and go do some butt crunches!
But according to the federal government's BMI index, I am "overweight." I am male, 5'6", and I weigh 160 pounds.
The government greatly exaggerates the number of people who are "overweight."
So we're going to give the folks who have gone to drastic measures to "get" thin (stomach stapling or anorexia), tax credits because they are "more" healthy than those with extra lbs.
Truth is, weight is just one measurement of health, and in and of itself, without considering other factors, IMHO, is not a very good measurement.
The Department of Health must obtain these weight standards from Ethiopia. They are completely unrealistic from what I've seen. Someone had posted a list of allegedly "overweight" movie stars. You could see through half the people on the list. According to the list, President Bush was overweight. I think they need to send the people who created these standards BACK to the team that invented "Global warming".
"researchers found that 90 per cent of men and 70 per cent of women were overweight or later became overweight."
Thats 100% crap or will become so.
That is how you skew a result to come up with a foregone conclusion.
Transfer of wealth from the fat to the skinny...women and children, hardest hit.
Well evidently you need a diet to go along with all that walking.
In 2000, my cycling coach was 6 foot and 210 pounds. According to the BMI, that makes him overweight, and at risk of obesity. If he was so unhealthy (according to the "numbers") at the time, then what the hell was he doing competing in the Olympic Trials?
Ooops, silly me, things like % body fat don't count. The definition of "healthy" is really determined by gay fashion designers.
Deserves repeating.
"But according to the federal government's BMI index, I am "overweight." I am male, 5'6", and I weigh 160 pounds. "
I am male 5'10" weigh 220 pounds. Run two miles a day, play ice hockey and do not eat between meals. My BFI is 20 and according to the weight nazis, I am 50 pounds over weight.
FWIW, I don't know any lean people with Type II diabetes.
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