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I've known a lot of people who were careful about diet and exercise. A lot of them died young. And the ones who are still around have a lot of health problems.

I've known a lot of lazy, fat people who smoked and drank as they pleased. In general, these people have been happy and have lived a long time.

Example: My parents had dear friends who were fat smokers who had to stop going to museums (walking that much tired them out). My parents pitied them and used them as an object lesson for me. But, my parents died 10 and 20 years ago and of their two friends, one died this past August (age 84) and the other is still alive.

I would have to agree with you on this. My mother-in-law just died at age 87. She was extremely obese most of her adult life - she did pay the price for that and got diabetes but she was a happy and joyful soul.

Another point. I grew up eating the basic American diet - you know every night at dinner: meat, a vegetable and a starch (potato or rice).

The basic change I see from my childhood diet to today is that as kids:

1. We did not drink soda pop (koolaid, lemonade or ice tea was a treat but NO pop!)
2. We did not eat processed foods for the most part. All cooking was from scratch - TV dinners were a rare exception.
3. We really didn’t snack that much now that I think about it. I would eat a snack after school but that was about it.
4. We rarely ATE OUT.

I think eating out is a major reason for obesity - portions, sodium and fat are all issues.

I've known a lot of people who were careful about diet and exercise. A lot of them died young. And the ones who are still around have a lot of health problems. I've known a lot of lazy, fat people who smoked and drank as they pleased. In general, these people have been happy and have lived a long time. Example: My parents had dear friends who were fat smokers who had to stop going to museums (walking that much tired them out). My parents pitied them and used them as an object lesson for me. But, my parents died 10 and 20 years ago and of their two friends, one died this past August (age 84) and the other is still alive.

Are you saying it is better to be fat, lazy and a smoker than to be a fit, trim non-smoker?

SETTING: The Framingham Heart Study with follow-up from 1948 to 1990.

PARTICIPANTS: 3457 Framingham Heart Study participants who were 30 to 49 years of age at baseline.

MEASUREMENTS: Mortality rates specific for age and body mass index group (normal weight, overweight, or obese at baseline) were derived within sex and smoking status strata. Life expectancy and the probability of death before 70 years of age were analyzed by using life tables.

RESULTS: Large decreases in life expectancy were associated with overweight and obesity. Forty-year-old female nonsmokers lost 3.3 years and 40-year-old male nonsmokers lost 3.1 years of life expectancy because of overweight. Forty-year-old female nonsmokers lost 7.1 years and 40-year-old male nonsmokers lost 5.8 years because of obesity. Obese female smokers lost 7.2 years and obese male smokers lost 6.7 years of life expectancy compared with normal-weight smokers. Obese female smokers lost 13.3 years and obese male smokers lost 13.7 years compared with normal-weight nonsmokers. Body mass index at ages 30 to 49 years predicted mortality after ages 50 to 69 years, even after adjustment for body mass index at age 50 to 69 years.

CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and overweight in adulthood are associated with large decreases in life expectancy and increases in early mortality. These decreases are similar to those seen with smoking. Obesity in adulthood is a powerful predictor of death at older ages. Because of the increasing prevalence of obesity, more efficient prevention and treatment should become high priorities in public health.

PMID: 12513041 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free Article

I've known a lot of lazy, fat people who smoked and drank as they pleased.

Everything in moderation, sez me.

Stressing over what you eat, and how much you exercise, has got to be as bad for you as NOT eating right, and NOT exercising. Likely worse.

My opinion only. Your mileage may vary.