Obesity. It's Going Places…

[MrScorpio]

Look How Quickly the U.S. Got Fat (1985-2010 Animated Map)
25 brief, delicious years

This shows the percentages of the U.S. population medically defined as obese, which means a body mass index of 30 or greater. BMI isn't an ideal metric to evaluate obesity, but it's still what the U.S. standardly uses.

By now everyone knows obesity is a serious issue, but it always helps me to see things moving and in color, and makes the "epidemic" terminology make sense. Meanwhile, through 2012, no state has met the CDC's nationwide goal to reduce obesity to 15 percent. According to a Gallup poll out this morning, here are the least and most obese metropolitan areas:




http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/look-how-quickly-the-us-got-fat-1985-2010-animated-map/274878/

[southernyankeebelle]

1. Here is an idea round up all of us fatties and force us to march to one of those

FEMA camps that the right keeps talking about and force all of us to lose the weight. Then it would make everyone happy. Then after that lets make sure we round up all the skinny people into the FEMA camps and force food down them. After that we'll have to go after the tall people or short people or or or ....oh my....

[Buzz Clik]

3. Obesity is a health issue. A major health issue.

[Warpy]

4. Not as major as you think

A study of older women demonstrated that the fatties lived longer. That's probably not true for men, but it's true for women. Skinny women over 50 die sooner, on average.

Besides, the pattern the map in the OP shows a classic pattern of an infectious disease, not a moral failing as the temporarily thin would have us believe.

The anti fat moralists have slowed research into all the root causes of obesity. Their way--starvation down to an ideal weight--doesn't work. Over 90% of people gain the weight back within 5 years, often with more on top of it.

I hope science tunes out the moralists and knuckles down to find out what's really going on out there. Blaming it on a sedentary lifestyle doesn't explain it, nor does blaming fast food or sugary soft drinks. Something else is at work out there.

[pink-o]

9. Warpy, I think you're awesome, but I hope you're wrong in my case!

I'm an old (58) woman whose BMI is 19. I'm the dreaded healthy eater, the one everyone loves to hate and I work out. My father is 90 and still going strong, so I'm hoping to make it to 100 and barring any disasters, stay healthy

I know a lot of folks of varying sizes who are also in varying stages of decline. I think 2 things determine how long and how well you live: less stress and good genes. A few extra or not enough lb's probably won't modify those factors. But morbid obesity and anorexia will surely take a toll.

[Warpy]

10. Don't bother arguing with me.

Argue with this: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/02/health/overweight-mortality

[pink-o]

13. I read it. And no, I won't argue with you...

But I'm not broken, so I don't intend to fix myself. Physically I feel amazing, so I think that's gotta be our best indicator. If we're hurting, something needs to change, otherwise it's just a matter of maintaining, getting regular checkups and keeping that stress level down.

[timdog44]

39. Typical CNN

"balanced" reporting. Doesn't say a thing, one way or the other. In fact it says both.

[southernyankeebelle]

5. you don't have to tell me. I am living it. I'm trying to make humor of it.

Sometimes using humor is another way from not crying. I know very well.

[Buzz Clik]

8. Sorry. It's hard to read sometimes.

[southernyankeebelle]

14. Hey, it's ok. Like I said sometimes you get through things with humor.

[hlthe2b]

2. I have to admit, living in CO with the outdoor opportunities (and peer pressure) has done wonders

for me. I think I may have the lazy gene, but, at least in recent years, I've gotten far more active and maintained it.

But I'm still not at my optimal weight--but working on it. It is hard the older you get, even with daily exercise.

Sad to see that even in CO, the trend is signficantly increasing towards more obese (about 29% now).

[southernyankeebelle]

6. That's really nice if you like the outdoor living and love the things like walking in the

woods, fishing and hunting. I'm not into that. But I will tell you when I lived in europe I liked the life style of the city. In Italy we use to go do our daily shopping for the meal for the day. We'd buy fresh foods and veggies. The thing is you are doing alot of walking without realizing it. We didn't usually eat breakfast we'd have a little something around 10 in the morning. Then the main course (in the summer) would be around 12:30 until 2:00. Then my relatives that worked went back to work and then come home around 6 or 7 pm. Supper would be a light meal, fruit and a glass of wine. It's a more layed back time. Then we go outside in the court yard where all the families come down (all related) and we seat around play and sing music and sometimes we'd all play hide and seek. All ages would play. Fun was had by all. Food wasn't the center of attention and everyone just had a great time.

[hlthe2b]

7. Yes... I definitely have regrets that I can't live a more European lifestyle...

But, the movement in this country towards developing more liveable/walkable neighhborhoods--with sidewalks, shops, restaurants and gathering places nearby--is making inroads in this country (though our work timetable and societal norms have a long way to go). I chose my current neighborhood to allow me to do all this to some extent--including having an offleash dog park within walking distance, which honestly is where I do most socializing lately!

[southernyankeebelle]

16. Well I live in the country now (long away from the life style I use to love) where I am

older and quieter and I enjoy 12 acres surrounded by nurseries. I also love my 3 little dogs and I can't get around like I use to because of health issues.

[pink-o]

12. I spent 5 years in England from when I was 18

And LOVED the freedom of not needing a car. 40 years later, I still drive as little as possible, and I'm convinced that Car Culture has not only contributed towards our declining physical health, but it also keeps us isolated and fearful of each other. In your car, you're either alone or with someone you know--and hopefully like--so it's very easy to keep up a barrier between yourself and anyone out of your comfort zone. The subway or the bus is a great equalizer.

Most of the US towns set up to discourage walking and public transport. I grew up in a boring Callie burb, and in order to get anywhere you had to walk past boatloads of tract homes for freakin miles! No wonder everyone wants to drive at 16! And also, there's a stigma on not using your car, like you must be too poor to have one. Well, I'm a peasant from way back in the ancestry so I say let em mock me!

[southernyankeebelle]

15. Your right about the car. But here in america we don't have good transportation systems.

Not even a good train system where we could go from the east coast to the west coast. It would be nice to be able to take a train from any city and to any city in each state. Like it is in europe. America is a car culture.

Speaking of cars europeans I think see cars different then we do. Or at least my uncle did. He had a lovely car but he only drove it on the weekends to take a drive to the country. He would take the bus in the city or ride his bike. He had that for a very long time. They take care of their car very well.

[Apophis]

22. That lifestyle in Italy sounds like heaven for me.

It's similar to that of France. La dolce vita.

[southernyankeebelle]

37. It was wonderful. Great family life, food and lots and lots of history to see.

Your never ever bored. But now am 65 live with my wonderful memories and I have to say love my quiet life.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. GMO foods are killing us.

I have never been overweight before, but the last 10 years, packed on 30 pounds. It all fell off in 3 months in 2013, startling my doctor, when I cut GMO grains from my diet. Continued eating sugar and starches, just cut the grains and I am back to my fighting weight of a decade ago. Sugar and starch is next just for the health factor.

Grain-free isn't working for a friend (we are all different), but the more we chemically alter our food supply in general, the more illness and obesity we are going to deal with in segments of the population that may not tolerate these modifications as well.

[Marr]

19. Out of curiosity, did you cut out breads completey?

I've lost about the same amount of weight myself over the last year. In my own case, it was because I just never paid particular attention to what I was eating. I've since added up snacks and meals I used to eat regularly, and it shocks me how many empty calories I used to take in.

I used to get something like 33% more calories each day, and it was almost all garbage food.

[graham4anything]

27. I myself have cut out bread and almost all pasta and any non-baked potato

I cut out all toppings from a potato except now add mustard

Heavy use condiments including garlic, onions, mustard, pickles, olives

No dressing on salad
No gravy
No bread, breadsticks, crackers

and for me, cut out almost all cheese. That is my vice.
and switched to diet soda from regular soda.

Come April 30, it will have been one year since I was admitted to hospital, for what essentially was a five day time out (as no surgery was done).
125 pounds and 17 inches (without surgery later)
(diet, medication, and since middle of July, exercise every single day at the health club, when the club was closed due to the storm Sandy, walked around the lake a few times, now I can movearound, and also playing tennis for the first time in decades.

[Ruby the Liberal]

31. I started by cutting wheat

Which isn't just bread, it is in everything. Second ingredient in Twizzlers, staple in soups, filler in some bullions, etc..

Once I got wheat under control, it was all grains. I still eat gluten-free pastas on occasion, but they are made of corn and rice starch - so basically sugars. Trying now to cut the sugar and starch elements because I know how bad those are, but doing it slowly so that I can adjust and make the cuts permanent while not feeling like I am deprived.

Cutting grains had incredible results. The list of medical issues that went away (muscle and joint aches, etc...) were unbelievable. Losing the last decade's worth of weight gain was just a side bonus. I am not celiac, but apparently in that class of people for whom wheat is an inflammatory agent. Who knew.

[Silent3]

32. And I've lost 78 pounds in a year, 50 in the first six months, doing no such thing

Simply being careful about what you eat, with the particular rule about what you do eat and what you don't being nearly arbitrary, can lead to weight loss. People probably could lose weight by eating only foods that start with a vowel, but that wouldn't prove that initial consonants make us fat.

Of course it's possible you've discovered something that's generally true, or that's at least important to your own particular biology and metabolism, but it's absurd to speak with great certainty that one has discovered a magic bullet based solely on one's own personal experience with something like this, or based on a bunch of anecdotes from a bunch of other people who you can inevitably find online, heartily agreeing that they did the same thing and got the same results -- which, without the discipline of a controlled study, leads to cherry picking data and confirmation bias.

[Ruby the Liberal]

33. There were 2 paragraphs in that post

Had you read the second one, you could have spared yourself from typing out the lecture.

[Silent3]

34. You can't even say with much certainty that you've discovered a real sensitivity of a portion...

...of the population, of which you are a member.

[Ruby the Liberal]

36. My doctor thinks so

His only surprise was in how fast things reversed course for me. Given it was his idea - I think I'll run with it.

[Silent3]

38. I'm pretty sure if I told my doctor that I'd lost 30 lbs...

...by only eating foods that start with vowels, he'd smile nicely and encourage me to keep that up too.

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. cool map

[Quantess]

18. I've never been to Mississippi. What could explain

MS tipping the scales compared to the other states?

[AngryOldDem]

29. I would guess it's Mississippi's poverty rate. n/t

[HiPointDem]

20. There's a certain amount of hype in the 'obesity epidemic' thing for the following reasons:

1. The population is getting older; that means as a matter of course it will get heavier, even if people weighed what they did in the 50s.


2. Official obesity standards have been changed as recently as 1998 to define more people as overweight and obese:

http://books.google.com/books?id=lSZEQEJ-k9kC&pg=PA470&dq=changing+obesity+standards&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bk5qUZ3uEMq5igKrmICoCg&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=changing%20obesity%20standards&f=false


3. The average person's image of 'obesity' looks something like this:




But obesity as measured by official standards can look like this:











I myself am dead center in the middle of the 'normal' range and people often say I am 'too thin'. If I added 50 pounds I'd be officially 'obese'.

[Quantess]

24. And...?

Thank you for taking the effort to post all the additional visuals, but to be honest, I am still not seeing anything to indicate "hype". (Edit to add: except the very last graphic.)

The signs are all over, that overweight and obesity is skyrocketing. Of course you'll get called slim if everyone around you is a lot plumper.

[HiPointDem]

25. Even by the official numbers, it's not 'skyrocketing'. Did you read the points, or just look at the

pictures?

[Quantess]

30. No, I just looked at the photos. I'll have a look at the links.

"Skyrocketing" was my choice of words. Probably too dramatic.

You are right that most people are in denial about the definition of "obese", though.

Edit to add: I checked out the link. I can see how the BMI is a flawed indicator and I agree people shouldn't let a BMI number define them. However, it's tough to argue that people aren't getting fatter every decade, at every age level. Have you looked at teenagers lately?

[HiPointDem]

43. people are getting fatter; the issue is *how much*. The stats that are the basis for

the claim that obesity is 'skyrocketing' are derived from:

1. a population that is *older* & hence fatter than the comparison population, and
2. a definition of 'obesity' that was adjusted *downward* in 1998 so as to define a larger percent of the population as 'obese'.

You don't address these points. Why?

[Egalitarian Thug]

21. We told you so.

Smokers.

[bluedigger]

23. Were these statistics observed before or after I moved to Colorado?

bluedigger - leveling fields wherever he goes.

[graham4anything]

26. And people will mock and drink their 1560 calorie sodas & 7000 calorie triple whoppers

and 3000 calorie popcorn with butter

I call them Rebels with a straw.

Fools.

Then the same people will go on and on about how expensive medical costs are.

Stephen Sondheim has a great song.

As one who went to the extreme weight wise, and about 11 months and 2 weeks ago was sitting in a hospital for 5 days, and now practice wellness every single day
and gave up real soda, gave up real cheese, and gained a life back

pity the fools who think they are having some sort of noble cause.

Pity the children with childhood diabetis.
Pity those when they get older who cannot get up off a chair and walk without effort

because they thought it was a cause they were fighting to consume so much.

All studies show-that people will eat what is in front of them.
Put less in front of them, and they will eat the plate
Put more and they will eat it.

Therefore out of sight, out of mind.
If it is not in front of them, they will not consume.

[jeff47]

41. Your post is emblematic of a problem

Not of obesity, but of the vast overstatements of those "fighting" against it.

For example, that triple whopper? 1000 calories. Not 7000.

Mt. Dew is one of the highest calorie national sodas. It's 110 calories per serving, which is 8 fl oz. To reach 1560 calories, you have to drink two two-liter bottles. A Super Big Gulp of Mt. Dew is about 600 calories.

So you get folks like Bloomberg lining up to "fight" obesity based on these wildly-inflated calorie counts. And so we get dumb ideas like the large soda ban and massive emphasis on losing weight via diet. Because that's the logical conclusion from 7000 calorie sandwiches. The problem is those sandwiches don't exist.

The problem is diet isn't the problem to be fixed. It's inactivity. There's tons of "skinny-fat" people. Meaning they're normal weight, but they got there entirely through diet. And they're experiencing the same health issues fat people do.

To fight obesity we first need to fight inactivity, because it's the inactivity causing illness. Then balance diet around that level of activity, be it 2000 calories per day or 5000. That actually fixes the health issues, and is far more sustainable than a starvation diet.

[graham4anything]

42. A 48 ounce soda at a movie is 780 calories. Refill(free) 780=1560 total

8 ounces=130 calories of coke/pepsi
48 is 6 8 ounce cups that is 780
free refill
1560 calories.

[jeff47]

45. And you're still exaggerating calorie counts.

Coke is 97 calories per 8 oz. 582 calories for your 48 oz soda.
Pepsi is 100 calories per 8 oz. 600 calories for your 48 oz soda.

And you know why movie theaters offer free refills? Because nobody leaves the movie to get them.

[graham4anything]

46. That is not true. People get it and go to the bathroom

Soda is 130 ounce a serving.

That is why most theatres in the evening has two refreshment stands open.
So there is a counter near every theatre in the multiplex (and a third one upstairs if there are two levels).

Then they attempt another double refill on the way out, meaning the same thing

Though where people put the cups while driving I don't know.

[jeff47]

47. Why, exactly, does lying help your cause?

I provided the links to the calorie information. It's 97 for Coke, and 100 for Pepsi.

"New Coke" happened because sweeter drinks do better in blind taste tests - The "Pepsi Challenge" worked because Pepsi is sweeter. So Coke made New Coke sweeter. Which should tell you they have different calorie counts even if you can't read the numbers.

And if you're gonna blame refills, it makes little sense to stop at one. Heck, you just upgraded to 3+ sodas in this latest post. Why, I'm sure the giant lardballs are just standing next to the refreshment stand guzzling down 8 million servings!!!!!

[graham4anything]

48. also like beer fans at a football game, they run to the bathroom

and the bathroom is, voila, next to the refreshment stand
especially in the blockbuster movies
(as opposed to the foreign or arty films, where by habit, most people seeing those little films don't eat or drink in the theatre, because in the arty theatres, most discourage it.
Like the Paris Theatre in Manhattan until they redid it.

[NWHarkness]

28. Looks to me....

like the biggest changes came when the government changed the definition of obesity.

[HiPointDem]

44. +1

[Earth_First]

35. The economics of obesity is not without notice...

Often, meals in lower income households are high-calorie, poor-nutritional value. Couple that with a job where one typically stands in one spot for 8-10 hours a day, followed by a second job; and it's no wonder these folks do not have the energy to "get out" or "join a gym" when they put on weight.

This is a symptom that in my opinion should not be overlooked....

[timdog44]

40. I think you to be correct.

Poverty is a big factor in obesity. From all I have read, low cost food, is refined food, which is generally loaded with calories. And it is a time factor also. When shopping in a grocery store, I have been told to shop from the periphery. That is where unprocessed foods are located. The problem is that eating that way is time consuming. And if working two part time jobs to make ends meet, the time is not there to do food that way. Plus it is a big learning curve to eat that way, being unprocessed food.