CDC Says It Miscalculated Obesity Risk (Getting fat ISN'T killing us?)

[Tab]

ATLANTA -- Back in March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said obesity was about to overtake smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.

Now, officials there aren't so sure. They say the study contained statistical errors and may have overstated the problem. They're working on a rare correction.

Co-authored by CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding, the study said poor diet and physical inactivity were responsible for 400,000 deaths in 2000 -- a 33 percent jump from 1990. But the CDC now says it made a mistake in calculating how many people have died from obesity in the last decade.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the agency may have overstated the number by 80,000 -- meaning an increase of less than 10 percent.

A CDC spokesman called it a "statistical miscalculation," saying there's no evidence anyone tried to falsify data.
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/health/3944794/detail.html

[pagerbear]

1. I just can't wait to see which direction this thread takes.

:eyes:

[demnan]

2. This is starting to sound like the election

is nothing we're told lacking in total bullshit?

[salvorhardin]

6. When it comes to health studies

They're often paid for by corporate interests. For instance, with obesity research, many of the so-called researchers are often in the pockets of the weight loss or insurance industry. Even when they perform perfectly reasonable studies, they'll draw conclusions totally at odds with the data knowing full well that all that gets reported is the summary.

[TO Kid]

17. Same is true of tobacco

Most of the early "research" that linked smoking with lung diseases was bought and paid for by the coal mining industry.

[Tab]

9. It's hard to know

Some people are born cynics, others have cynicism thrust upon them.

(I made that up, so you can quote me!)

[soleft]

3. What's really key in the above blurb is this statement

"the study said poor diet and physical inactivity were responsible for 400,000 deaths in 2000"

Regardless of the statistical errors in the report - it's poor diet and physical inactivity that lead to health risks. Poor diet and physicall inactivity is the health risk, which often manifests in obesity.

However, it is possible to live healthier at every size. Instead of focusing on losing weight, because attempts to do so, especially using extreme diets and pills which manipulate hormones and metabolism, can be extremely unhealthy, healthy eating and exercise should be pursued along with body type acceptance.

[ebayfool]

poor diet and physical inactivity have has much to do w/poverty as ...

it does w/overeating - which isn't often considered from what I've seen of these studies. That would imply changes are needed in forms society doesn't want to consider - i.e. health care reform, minimum wage levels, child care, etc. Easier to just say people are on their own, they brought it on theemselves. Try telling someone working 2 low pay jobs to buy those cheap, unhealthy, starchy groceries that are making them fat & unhealthy to get up & exercise more when they get home to all the demands that await them there (kids, dinner, schoolwork, etc.)! They're more liable to get up & exercise their fist.

[soleft]

19. Absolutely

Poverty is a huge factor. The West has unfortunately never taken a holistic approach to health or healtcare.

[candy]

4. Ignore all studies----ignore all polls!! My rule of life, and it has---

kept me sane for many years.

[SnowGoose]

10. not to be snarky...

(you know there's got to be a 'but' in here somewhere, right?) 'studies' benefit us all. If it weren't for such studies, we'd still be burning lead in our gasoline, we'd still be prescribing DES for pregnant women, and on and on (hell, it was 'studies' that proved smoking kills people).

Dedicated researchers work long and hard to identify many threats to our health. While obsessing is seldom a good idea - one could derive a good deal of useful information of real, tangible benefit.

Don't ignore studies. Read and understand them.

[daleo]

5. It would be interesting to see the detailed calculations

One wonders whether the backtracking may not be a sop to Bush's supporters in the Agribusiness and fast food industries.

[SeattleDem]

12. yup, Food Politics by Marion Nestle is an eye-opening book

Who knows what happened in this current case, but Agribusiness interests have successfully lobbied the government for years.

Ever wonder why the food pyramid is so dang confusing? Why "3-6 servings" is never defined? Because they want, NO, need us to over-eat in this country. They influence what the govt tells us about nutrition and diet so that their products aren't viewed negatively and we will happily eat the crap they sell.

[daleo]

14. Fast Food Nation is a fascinating book as well

I will see about obtaining a copy of the Marion Nestle book, too.

[tk2kewl]

7. even if it doesn't kill ya...

YOU'RE STILL FAT!

[LenaLush]

8. The indy documentary "Supersize Me"

about one man eating McDonalds for one month straight, leaves no illusions that fast food is hazardous to our health.

I never want to eat McDonalds again after seeing that movie.

[TO Kid]

18. Yeah, big revelation there...

So you spend a month eating the same thing, three times a day and in excessive quantity and your health is shot? It would be news if that didn't happen. To assume that the occasional Big Mac will make you keel over is a bit of a stretch, though.

[SoCalDem]

11. Follow the MONEY

By sounding the alarm about obesity, and asking that it be designated a disability/disease, they opened themselves up to mandating medical treatments, offering drug therapies, and emloyment lawsuits..

This has NOTHING to do with the actual facts.. It;s about the government not wanting to help people who need help, and by pushing blame onto the people themselves.(where it has been all along)..

I would bet money that the HMOs and insurance people went ballistic and made them change the "findings".

[BiggJawn]

13. So the fast-food industry "buys" a Congress-Critter...

Who has oversight over the CDC, and a few phone calls and "Power-Lunches" later....

It's like what they "discovered" when the Oat Grower's Council quit ponying up for Oat Bran....

[SOS]

15. Lobbyist wars

Fast food v. insurance.
Who will prevail in the quest to purchase the desired results?

[MsAnthropy]

16. Just in time for Thanksgiving!! YAY!!

[Sabriel]

20. Sounds like someone got onto them

"Hey, quit going after fast food corporations! It's hurting their business, you idiots!"

[progressivebydesign]

21. Depends on how much money the fast food/sugar lobbyists have given..n/t

[Candide]

22. Looks like the study

was a meta-analysis of previous works

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15010446

which could be more open to subjective bias than empirical mistakes.

Re-evaluate the causes of death, and statistically you can show less people died of obesity

[DARE to HOPE]

23. :-) Actually, the MSM meme this Thanksgiving has been positive for once

that is, that turkey is good protein, cranberries and sweet potatoes are rich in anti-oxidants etc.

Really, just the habit of "family dinner" at least once in a year is "a good thing."

Obesity IS a political issue, as I said on another thread. The changes in our food supply and in our traditional eating habits have been devastating in the last century. See WestonAPrice.com for an interesting history of how we got to where we are, and the surprising reversal of thinking on fats.


Thanksgiving is a holiday the whole country can celebrate, counting blessings large and small. Have a warm, wonderful celebration, dear friends. We all deserve one!