Obesity

[vavavroom]

Unfortunately, BMI does not take into consideration muscle mass. To me, and it's just me BMI is a cop-out so to speak as far as a metric goes. I like to monitor fat %, muscle mass, and cardio index as a barometer. We should have a better way than BMI IMO.

BMI ignores many factors, including age, ethnicity, sex, and the ratio of fat, muscle, and skeletal weight. It also disregards fat distribution and type of fat (visceral vs subcutaneous, brown vs yellow). A skinny fat person may have a perfect BMI while having way too much fat and too little muscle mass.

 

[Lubener]

Unfortunately, after reading some responses, fat can also accumulate excessively between the ears.

 

[miden851]

why so many comments on the topic

live and enjoy your life people!

 

[thunderfog]

Exercise is nothing without diet. Diet is nothing without exercise.

Limit meat intake to less than 4oz per day and stick to plant-based protein, get off the dairy completely - most importantly cheese, Don't drink your calories, no aspertame/sucralose (stick to stevia for sweetening), eat your veggies and fruit, carbs get a bad rap.

Follow that, and treat yourself to a cheat meal every couple weeks. See how you feel after 3 months and you won't turn back.

 

[PWMDMD]

Unfortunately, after reading some responses, fat can also accumulate excessively between the ears.

The human brain is in fact the fattiest organ in the human body at 60%.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Unfortunately, after reading some responses, fat can also accumulate excessively between the ears.

Ya. I myself have a problem. I get upset and internalize my anger when I watch family decade after decade repeatedly stuff their face, refuse to take their weight problem seriously simply because it's not convenient. Of course I'm going to be left picking up the pieces.

 

[DriveHard]

Wow, a question right up my ally, and I missed it...

I didn't read everything, but from what I skimmed, there are many great points already made.

Top issues:
cheap and abundant source of high GI (glycemic index) foods (sugar) that lead to weight gain and overeating
cheap and abundant source of high fat foods that overload our caloric needs
low to no exercise - sedentary jobs
people not understanding their real calorie needs vs. wants
people not understanding nutrition
people not willing to actually work out - if you can talk while you are on the treadmill, you are doing almost NOTHING (working out should make you uncomfortable)
POOR definition of obesity - height to weight does not define obesity (I am clinically obese with BMI of over 33).

 

[thunderfog]

Wow, a question right up my ally, and I missed it...

I didn't read everything, but from what I skimmed, there are many great points already made.

Top issues:
cheap and abundant source of high GI (glycemic index) foods (sugar) that lead to weight gain and overeating
cheap and abundant source of high fat foods that overload our caloric needs
low to no exercise - sedentary jobs
people not understanding their real calorie needs vs. wants
people not understanding nutrition
people not willing to actually work out - if you can talk while you are on the treadmill, you are doing almost NOTHING (working out should make you uncomfortable)
POOR definition of obesity - height to weight does not define obesity (I am clinically obese with BMI of over 33).

Re: working out... steady state aerobic exercise is largely worthless other than just getting the heart rate...but at the same time it's better than nothing.

There was a thread a day or two ago about treadmills. If you love running and do races etc, and a treadmill lets you do it when conditions outside don't let you realistically run, go for it. If one is bought for "exercise" purposes...there are so many ways to work out smarter that are way more effective than ellipticals, running, etc (But I'm all for rowing as long as you do some intervals).

 

[PimTac]

What makes this whole thing baffling is that the younger generations today have more access to healthy foods and information about diet and exercise than ever before. The technology is out there to measure your movements and calories burned.

Go back fifty years or more and most of us were eating meat and potatoes with the meat fried in bacon grease or lard. Yes we moved more back then but we exposed ourselves to a lot of things that are now banned.

The opportunity is there. If people don’t want to be healthy then they will suffer the circumstances.

 

[MRC01]

People have a right to make their own decisions how they want to live. It is nobody's job here to second guess, judge and criticize how one wishes to live their life.

That's true until their decisions affect others. When they get diabetes and heart disease do they have a right to force others to pay for those treatments? It's similar to asking whether smokers have a right to expect society to pay for their cancer treatment.

You do know, smokers pay, higher, healthcare insurance costs, don’t you?????
You do know, smokers pay higher life insurance cost as well don’t you??? V
...
if people had to pay for their irresponsibility, maybe they would get healthier live a better life and a better life for the family.

Exactly. Freedom & responsibility go together. Can't have one without the other.

BMI is a TERRIBLE definition of fat. Every single lean muscular person is overweight or obese by BMI standards. ...

... BMI is a decent guide for the average bone structure person who doesn't workout much and going for a walk is exercise to them. ...

True. According to the BMI chart, at 5'10" and 180 lbs. I'm overweight. But I am an ultra-endurance athlete with dense muscle tissue and low body fat. My doctor says the chart doesn't account for this.

 

[ATex7239]

I think the only way society can change this is financially. Health insurance cost should carry an additional premium for each percentage over your maximum weight as determined by the BMI.

Calculate Your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator

Standard Body Mass Index calculator.

www.nhlbi.nih.gov

The BMI is antiquated. The BMI was invented in the 1830s by a Belgian statistician, sociologist, astronomer and mathematician by the name of Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. Not a medical doctor. And even if he was a doctor that was back when bloodletting was a treatment and mercury was medicine.

I’ve had a six pack, twenty inches arms, and a resting heart rate well under 50 bpm (athlete range) but was “overweight” according to the BMI.

 

[gman2304]

Has fate, or pure luck, or ones inherited gene pool been mentioned? My father passed away 4 weeks after his 53rd birthday. My mother passed away 4 weeks before her 98th birthday. My parents diet would be considered horrific today yet my mother lived almost 45 years longer than my father eating the same foods. I had a brother that passed away at 6 months old { before I was born } from Spinal Menengitis. I also had a brother who suddenly passed away at 43 from a massive heart attack and a brother who will be 88 years old this month. I have what most would might call an average diet . I have an occasional hot dog or hamburger and won’t disparage anyone else on an Internet forum for having the same. I will occasionally have oatmeal or cereal or dry toast for breakfast or maybe a bacon and egg sandwich on toast with a little Mayo …thank you very much! I guarantee that if I ever step off the curb into the path of a large bus, my last cognitive thought will not be : Dang….I wish I had had that Ribeye with a loaded baked potato and salad with a big helping of ranch dressing along with Texas toast last night instead of Tofu, a rice cake and a bottle of Evian!

 

[Dave Hess]

I was morbidly obese as a young adult and I knew it. I did not need anyone to tell me and I wasn't lazy. I accomplished more academically and personally as a morbidly obese young adult in my 20's than most people accomplish in their life times. That was a phase were I spent 12-18 hours per day 7 days per week x 11 years working on my education/training to the exclusion of my health. My father passed away suddenly, my mother was destitute, I was homeless during the time between college and dental school and most people are clinically depressed during training. When I was finished with my education that gave me time to work on my health. Now I'm pretty jacked and educated but at no point have I been "lazy".

I don't walk around looking at less educated people calling them out as being lazy and asking why they aren't making as much or contributing as much to society/pulling their own weight but I guess I could based on how people view obesity. For some reason people think they have some right to chime in on other people's lives. Life is messy and complex and people have their reasons and those reasons aren't really anyone else's business.

Why students clinically depressed during training ?

Just wondering…..

 

[RazorsEdge]

Simple

If your not exercising, then you should start. If your not,then accept what your health is currently. The more unhealthy and inactive you are,will cost you later guaranteed!

 

[Soft Cars]

Oh the irony....

I see what you did there.

 

[MParr]

Along with Ansel Keys, there are the Kellogg brothers, C.W. Post, and General Mills.

 

[slo town]

Like I said I still exercised like a madman and at 340lbs ran several 5k and had absolutely no physical limitations.

You must be really tall.

Scott

 

[wander2039]

When people ask why I ride my bike everyday even in the rain, snow, ice, heat you name it... I tell them I like beer and burgers.. and sweets I have bad genes and obesity will be a death warrant, cousin passed away at 39. I am eating better nowdays though but that darn sweet tooth.

 

[Pew]

Not surprising when this country puts junk food and fast food cheaper and more convenient than healthy. Then companies charge more for healthy foods and give themselves a pat on the back for going back for putting normal, pronounceable ingredients in.

 

[PWMDMD]

Why students clinically depressed during training ?

Just wondering…..

Long hours, few opportunities for fun, pressure to do well, sadistic attendings, requirements for graduation that seem out of your control.