We are all getting fatter!

[WayAbvPar]

Rankings: Obesity Rates Grew In Every State But Oregon

The obesity epidemic isn't winding down -- in fact, it's expanding, according to state rankings released Tuesday by Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit health advocacy group.

Obesity rates continued to rise last year in every state but Oregon. Mississippi ranked as the heaviest state, Colorado as the least heavy, according to the report, titled "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2005."

The rankings are based on averages of three years of data from 2002 to 2004 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hawaii was not included in the report.

About 64.5 percent of adult Americans are either overweight or obese. The report found that more than 25 percent of adults in 10 states are obese, including in Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and South Carolina.

Residents of Alabama had the largest increase in obesity in the three-year period. The group says that overall, the percentage of obese adults in the United States grew from 22 percent to 22.7 percent from 2002 to 2004. Alabama's increase was 1.5 percentage points to 27.7 percent.

"Obesity is a gateway to heart disease, diabetes and a host of other diseases," said Parris Glendening, former governor of Maryland and co-author of the report. "Decisions about where we build new houses and highways or schools and sidewalks can mean the difference between giving people more or less opportunity to participate in physical activity."

The group also criticized U.S. government policies about obesity, saying that federal programs are too limited to make much difference.

"We have reached a state of policy paralysis in regards to obesity," said Shelley Hearne, executive director of Trust for America's Health. "We need more and better data so we can make decisions to get out of the debate limbo in which we are stuck. We have a crisis of poor nutrition and physical inactivity in the U.S., and it's time we dealt with it."

Hearne said poor nutrition and physical inactivity add up to a crisis. She wants the government to require healthier school lunches and make sure Medicaid recipients have access to fitness programs.

Policy analyst Radley Balko differs. Balko, from the Cato Institute -- which prefers free-market approaches to problems -- said obesity is a very personal issue and that the government's role is not to define what you eat and how often you exercise.

Health policy analysts say obesity affects taxpayers because it requires Medicare and Medicaid to cover treatment of diseases caused by obesity.

The report said some states are making headway when it comes to obesity policies. They include setting strict nutritional standards for school lunches and improving physical education programs.

Apparently not everyone in Oregon cooks as well as VDL. And how fat IS Mississippi? You have Haemish in there throwing the curve off- everyone else must be fucking enormous!

[Shockeye]

Obivously Oregon has found that meth can help keep the pounds off.

[Paelos]

You don't even want to know how fat people in Mississippi can be, and you never will. Because they can't leave their homes without cutting bigger doors.

Seriously though, the main problem in America isn't just the cultures, it's the work habits and processing. Processed flours and overladen sugary products are killers for weight gain. Add the fact that you have many people working 9-5's in offices where they move only to go to the can. I know this all too well. After I left the job, changed my diet to cut out the sugar, and did an hour workout twice a week. BOOM! 20 pounds gone.

[HaemishM]

Mississippi: We're finally #1 at something!

[Rasix]

Mississippi: We're finally #1 at something!

Did no one keep official stats on inbreeding and cousin-cousin marriages?

[HaemishM]

We would have, but our math scores were so low, everyone lost track after they ran out of digits.

[Merusk]

H just doesn't want to admit that West Virginia beat them on that score.

And yeah, Paelos, I agree.  Plus the fact that most companies see either installing or going-in on a workout area for their employees as too much of a hassle, or promoting doing something other than work.  I'd love to have someplace to  sweat a little at lunch, but it just isn't going to happen.

[HaemishM]

I just want corporate-sponsored midday naps.

[Strazos]

It seems they forgot NJ and PA in their findings.

Fucking fatasses....we should use them as a replacement to fossil fuels.

Fat burns, right?

[Velorath]

It's all them damn children gettin' obese from playing too much GTA and listening to that God damn rap music all day I tell ya.

[Polysorbate80]

We would have, but our math scores were so low, everyone lost track after they ran out of digits.

Don't y'all have extra fingers and toes to count with, though?

[Murgos]

Personally, I'm of the opinion that a lot of these reports of 'overweight & obese' are due to unrealistic guidlines.  For a guy thats 5'8", 155 lbs is considered normal and anything over 162 is overweight.  You can be 5' 8" with 8% body fat (very, very lean) and be 170 - 175 (obese).  Whoops.

[Ironwood]

What about this fucknuts :

http://www.newsnet5.com/irresistible/4882438/detail.html


And after reading the story, was anyone else picturing Hugh Laurie ?

[Trippy]

Personally, I'm of the opinion that a lot of these reports of 'overweight & obese' are due to unrealistic guidlines.  For a guy thats 5'8", 155 lbs is considered normal and anything over 162 is overweight.  You can be 5' 8" with 8% body fat (very, very lean) and be 170 - 175 (obese).  Whoops.

Indeed, though given how sedentary people have become these days it's probably not overcounting by a lot and they may even factor this into their numbers. This issue has been getting a lot of attention around here in the SF Bay Area lately, though, because of the death of Thomas Herrion and a lot of news sources are quoting a study by a Dr. Joyce Harp who did a study recently which determined that almost all NFL players are overweight or obese by BMI standards. Well duh! Like you said above BMI doesn't take into account the difference between body fat and muscle mass so somebody like Ray Lewis at 6' 1" and 245 lbs would classify as obese which of course is absolutely ridiculous. Heck even Terrell Owens at 6' 3" and 226 lbs is considered overweight. Which is not to say that there aren't a lot of NFL players carrying around a dangerous amount of body fat but it just shows you how inaccurate the BMI can be.

[HaemishM]

We would have, but our math scores were so low, everyone lost track after they ran out of digits.

Don't y'all have extra fingers and toes to count with, though?

Just goes to show you how bad the fatass problem really is.

[Dren]

While I agree the types of food that are available and the type of work people do these days adds to the problem, but I also believe the concept of fat=bad health just doesn't sink in to people.  The medical community does put too much stress on the BMI which I do believe is not very accurate.  However, healthy weight levels can be attained as compared to obviously obese.

Far too often I see these people on T.V. jumping up and down saying they are fat and proud.  They believe (as in Ironwood's example) that it is their God given right to be fat.  I would agree except that they also much feel it is their God given right to have all of us pay for their medical bills when their over indulgence starts costing them more than they have or their insurance is willing to pay. 

My doctor friend tells me about all the people that just look at him with a blank face when he suggests they stop smoking and lose weight.  They will come in once a month for issues realted to these habits and continue to just expect him to give them something to counteract their behaviour.  They also get very offended and sometimes threaten to sue just like the article above.  It happens to him monthly.

It would probably never happen, but change won't happen until medical insurance takes personal health into account before rates are determined.  As long as they have a safety net to protect themselves from their own problems, they won't fix themselves.

[Nebu]

Soylent Green.  Supersized.

[Evangolis]

While I agree the types of food that are available and the type of work people do these days adds to the problem, but I also believe the concept of fat=bad health just doesn't sink in to people.

Yeah, it does sink in, but it's hard to change, particularly when virtually every aspect of society is urging you to eat.  Worse, you have to eat something, so going cold turkey doesn't cut it.  A few years back I dropped 100lbs, but to maintain that I was constantly hungry.  I would go to bed at 8pm just so I could wake up and eat breakfast.

We are not a species built for conditions of constant abundance.

[voodoolily]

Obivously Oregon has found that meth can help keep the pounds off.

We also have some of the nation's best weed so FACE!

Fat, like smoking, is a lifestyle choice. Yes, genetic predisposition can play a role, but poor decision-making is largely (no pun intended) to blame. Insurance companies charge higher rates for smokers and the overweight, so maybe Medicaid bennies can be restricted or have strings attached. We should have diversion programs like the we have for people with DUIs. Or, OR, how about this: (I've brought this up before) junk food tax that would pay for Medicaid. Candy, pop, chips, etc. should be taxed just like tobacco and alcohol. And you shouldn't be able to buy that shit with food stamps either.

Evangolis - the trick is to eat high-fiber foods. You prolly already know this. But a can of vegetarian chili has only like 400 calories and 3 grams of fat, while delivering a whopping 22 grams of fiber (that's for the whole can, not just one serving). Plenty of protein too. Nalley's "99% fat free" is my fave, ironically, and goes great on a turkey dog. You feel full much longer without having to deprive, and the fiber isn't absorbed by the body. It's also good for the colon. Also, soups (but not bisque or chowder) are your best friend. Mostly water = feel full with fewer calories.

[Sky]

Fat, like smoking, is a lifestyle choice.

So is drinking booze, but don't tell that to an 'alcoholic'. It's a disease! (Don't tell that to a cancer patient)

it's hard to change, particularly when virtually every aspect of society is urging you to eat.

If every aspect of society urged you to jump off a bridge...

Don't give in to sloth nor gluttony. It's not easy, but little worth doing is.

[WayAbvPar]

it's hard to change, particularly when virtually every aspect of society is urging you to eat.

If every aspect of society urged you to jump off a bridge...

Don't give in to sloth nor gluttony. It's not easy, but little worth doing is.

Better do as he says.

[Sky]

I didn't get that because I can't stand Spacey. He gives me the creeps, I can't watch anything he's in.

[schild]

I didn't get that because I can't stand Spacey. He gives me the creeps, I can't watch anything he's in.

That would be a screencap from Se7en I believe.

Edit: Just looked at the URL and it is. Not watching that movie is a crime, Sky.

[voodoolily]

I love Kevin Spacey. Se7en is a great flick. Ray Liota is way creepier than Spacey.

[Strazos]

Schild, just look at Sky's avatar.



What more would you expect?

[voodoolily]

Speaking of which, what is it this week? Big Trouble in Little China?

[Evangolis]

Obivously Oregon has found that meth can help keep the pounds off.

Evangolis - the trick is to eat high-fiber foods. You prolly already know this. But a can of vegetarian chili has only like 400 calories and 3 grams of fat, while delivering a whopping 22 grams of fiber (that's for the whole can, not just one serving). Plenty of protein too. Nalley's "99% fat free" is my fave, ironically, and goes great on a turkey dog. You feel full much longer without having to deprive, and the fiber isn't absorbed by the body. It's also good for the colon. Also, soups (but not bisque or chowder) are your best friend. Mostly water = feel full with fewer calories.

I've been fighting my wieght for over 3 decades now, so I'm familiar with the various strategies.  It all comes down to the same thing, limit calorie intake.  I can gain wieght eating beans and onions, I've done it.  The only times I have ever been able to maintain a healthly body without feeling hunger have been those times when I was burning extreme calories, occasions like football 2-a-day practices, 10 hour shifts of lifting furniture over my head, that sort of thing.  And when I did it, I was a wasp-waisted broad-shouldered god.  Unfortunately, I can no longer work my body that hard, which means calorie restriction is my only option.

Be wary of soups, non-homemade soups contain considerable salt, which for someone such as myself is very bad, since I already suffer from chronic low-grade hypertension.  Mind, I make some wicked barley soups come winter, but you'll have to bring your own salt.

I loved amphetamines when I was a kid, and am awfully glad I got clean before crystal meth got big. But speed rots your heart even faster than fat.   I've been wondering if the SF lineman who died over the weekend might not have had some of that in his system.  Poor kid, I hope some of his teammates give his mom the house he wanted for her.  I reckon he broke his own heart trying to.

I've heard these discussions for a long time now, and here is my observation about them.  It turns out to be awfully easy for somebody else to lose wieght, particularly when you yourself are young and active.

[Strazos]

I just thought it always came down to what you dow when you're not eating. It really shouldn't matter too much what you eat, as long as you burn it off somehow. Stuff like Cholesterol (sp?) nonwithstanding.

[Nebu]

In medical school, my physiology prof put it succinctly.  Let me paraphrase:

The multi-billion dollar weight loss industry is built upon one very simple principle:  Take in fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight.

This leaves you with 3 choices:

1) Eat less or consume lower calorie foods.

2) Exercise more.  Aside from merely burning additional calories, gaining muscle mass also will increase resting metabolism allowing you a greater daily caloric intake.

3) Do both for maximum benefit.

The only difficulty comes in maintaining proper nutrient intake while decreasing food consumption.  With so many foods being fortified these days, it's much less of an issue.  You can also optimize the situation by having a better understanding the biochemical basis of metabolism.  The industry does its best to use this knowledge against you.

[Murgos]

Speaking of which, what is it this week? Big Trouble in Little China?

Yes, and my Egg Shen is better than Rasix's plus he picked the wrong quote.  Everyone knows the best Egg Shen quote is "Huge Buzz!".

[stray]

The best quote from Egg Shen (at least the guy who played him heh) came from Sidekicks (yes, I've actually seen that movie...).

[El Gallo]

I have been doing my part to fatten up America the last few years.  But what the hell, I am married so I can let myself go.  I figure that any health problems that hit rich, fat white guys will get enough funding to generate cures before the elephant comes to sit on my chest.

[Sky]

I figure that any health problems that hit rich, fat white guys will get enough funding to generate cures before the elephant comes to sit on my chest.

"Ain't no money in the cure. The money is in the come-back." - Chris Rock

[El Gallo]

Too true, too true.

[Hanzii]

What about this fucknuts :

http://www.newsnet5.com/irresistible/4882438/detail.html


And after reading the story, was anyone else picturing Hugh Laurie ?

You gotta be fucking kidding. What kind of legal system would listen to a complaint like that instead of just going "STFU you fat crybaby!".
Your country is broken. Fix it before it spreads too far.