America is Getting Fatter

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/08/29....ap/index.html

How exciting

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The gravy train -- make that the sausage, biscuits and gravy train -- just kept on rolling in most of America last year, with 31 states showing an increase in obesity.

Mississippi continued to lead the way. An estimated 29.5 percent of adults there are considered obese. That is an increase of 1.1 percentage points when compared with last year's report, which is compiled by Trust for America's Health, an advocacy group that promotes increased funding for public health programs.

Meanwhile, Colorado remains the leanest state. About 16.9 percent of its adults are considered obese. That mark was also up slightly from last year's report, but not enough to be considered statistically significant.

The only state that experienced a decrease in the percentage of obese adults last year was Nevada.

"Quick fixes and limited government programs have failed to stem the tide," said Dr. Jeff Levi, executive director of the trust, in explaining the rise.

Health officials warn that the incidence of obesity in a particular state doesn't mean it treats the issue less seriously than others. States have different challenges to contend with when it comes to obesity, said Dr. Janet Collins of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Populations are not equal in terms of experiencing these health problems," Collins said. "Low-income populations tend to experience all the health problems we worry about at greater rates."

Indeed, the five states with the highest obesity rates -- Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana and Kentucky -- exhibit much higher rates of poverty than the national norm.

Meanwhile, the five states with the lowest obesity have less poverty. They are Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The leanest states shouldn't take a whole lot of comfort in their ranking, though, said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, a former CDC director.

"This epidemic is a nationwide epidemic. Some some states are higher, some populations have it higher, but the trend has been up in every state, the trend has been up for every ethnic group, the trend has been up for rich and poor," Koplan said.

The group's estimate of obesity rates is based on a three-year average, 2003-2005. The data comes from an annual random sampling of adults via the telephone. The information is designed to help the government measure behavioral risks among adults.

The government equates obesity with a body mass index, or BMI, of at least 30. Someone who is 5 feet 4 would have to weigh 175 pounds to reach that threshold.

The index is calculated by dividing a person's weight in pounds by his height in inches, squared, and multiplying that total by 703. For some people, particularly athletes who exercise a great deal, the BMI index could show them as being obese when in fact they are in excellent physical condition.

The Trust for America's Health made scores of recommendations for reducing obesity. For example:

• Employers should offer their workers benefits that help them stay healthy, such as nutrition counseling and subsidized health club memberships.

• The government should mandate routine screenings that measure the fitness of Medicaid beneficiaries, plus subsidize or reimburse them for participating in exercise and fitness programs.

• At the local level, governments should approve zoning and land use laws that give people more chances to walk or bike to the store or to work. Local governments also should set aside more funding for sidewalks.

The group also makes recommendations for individuals. But the recommendations that people eat well and exercise are known to Americans. And clearly, many just don't care to follow.

Collins said tobacco use is another area that could be labeled a personal choice, but government agencies have taken many steps to provide people with the environment and information they need to help them make their choices. The same should be done with obesity.

"I don't want to discount the personal choice aspect of this, but there are health issues and there are health costs involved," Collins said.

The report says those health costs are in the billions of dollars annually. Citing a 2004 report, the advocacy group said $5.6 billion could be saved when it comes to treating heart disease if just one-tenth of Americans began a regular walking program.

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When the thinnest state of the world's most powerful nation has nearly 17% of people being obese, it is obvious that western society has "problems".

*prepares to be shot down*

You don't understand the plight of those poor fat people w/ no control.

what?
you never knew some people in America is overweight?
should've at least noticed in 2004...

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Originally Posted by Kanamori

You don't understand the plight of those poor fat people w/ no control.

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Meh, I still maintain that eating should be banned or at least restricted, in order to stop these people from hurting themselves.

You bigots. It's "gravitationally disadvantaged people".

Sheesh.

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Originally Posted by Kralizec

You bigots. It's "gravitationally disadvantaged people".

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Disadvantaged? And you call yourself a fair person?

Not disadvantaged. What an ugly word, fostering a severe inferiority complex. Difference. Gravitationally different people.

:balloon2:

Not really that much of a problem. I mean Im not over weight, so other Americans being overweight just makes me look better.

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

The "Obesity Epidemic" is not that bad of a thing, really. Indeed, it's quite possible one of the biggest windfalls our economy has ever seen. Services and Products related to losing weight are booming.

I would like to see the total percentage effect that it has on our economy--I'm sure it's even more impressive than I could estimate.

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Well, 9/11 helped the flag industry right? :dizzy2:

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Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

Well, 9/11 helped the flag industry right? :dizzy2:

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*slaps Sasaki*

You haven't been paying attention! Otherwise you'd known that the majority of US flags are made in China. :oops:

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Originally Posted by Kralizec

*slaps Sasaki*

You haven't been paying attention! Otherwise you'd known that the majority of US flags are made in China. :oops:

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But someone's retailing them in the US, picking up a profit on it.

Yeah. The USA has weight problems... we're a bunch of fatties, I see at least one very overweight person every day. Not much I can do about it *shrugs*

Plus the USA isn't the only country with Fat Problems. China is also experiencing a fast increase in overweight people. I guess there problems differs from ours, in that they have few women in China versus the male population (what else is there to do ya know?)

In the US the women spend to much time eating chocolate and the men don't want to feel left out ~;)

You have to plan to be wealthy and healthy.

So those that go to much for one without the other, or worse don't go for both will end up being poor and unhealthy or even both.

At the end of the day it will come down to personal choice for health. Wealth is a lot more dependent on other people. Health is down to how you play your own cards (genes) and has hardly any input from others.

So is Britain:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5282446.stm#bmi

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So those that go to much for one without the other, or worse don't go for both will end up being poor and unhealthy or even both.

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Of course there will be any number of causal links between poverty and poor health.

It's not the obesity of the people that I had problems with while in America ... it's the American's habit of hugging people ... now that is a problem with obese people.:help:

In the Morgan Spurlock movie Supersize Me, they note that 5 of the top 10 most obese cities in the US were in Texas. ~D

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In the Morgan Spurlock movie Supersize Me, they note that 5 of the top 10 most obese cities in the US were in Texas.

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Possibly, but considering that film is load of horse shit anyway, that statistic may infact be false. Who knows.

As far as I can recall the fattest city in the UK is Hull. Doesn't surprise me either.

We have the same problem in Europe too.

It always shock me to see this whole "burn the fat!" -industry compared to the images of starving children in e.g. Ehtiopia.

Well, it's the unfair world we live in :no:

Reminds me of my grandfather who always used to say: "All this ridiculous commercials on TV! Ha! During WWII, nobody was complaining about being fat!"

That's what this country needs to sort out a lot of the problems... another bloody war.

By another war, I mean another proper war where there is actually some real danger to the populace - not some ridiculous satelitte war against a tin-pot dictatorship 3,000 miles away.

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Originally Posted by Al Khalifah

Possibly, but considering that film is load of horse shit anyway, that statistic may infact be false. Who knows.

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I kind of liked the movie, but I took it for what it was worth. I think it shed light on some issues that had been hidden for too long. Plus, I am much more conscious of what I eat after seeing it. processed chicken = bad.

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Originally Posted by yesdachi

In the Morgan Spurlock movie Supersize Me, they note that 5 of the top 10 most obese cities in the US were in Texas. ~D

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"Everything's bigger in Texas."

It's not like Canada doesn't have obesity, but for the most part, it's considered part of US culture to be overweight.

I bet you all of thoses cities had large amounts of mexicans and therefore large amount of mexican food and mexican food=baddddd

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

I bet you all of thoses cities had large amounts of mexicans and therefore large amount of mexican food and mexican food=baddddd

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eh? Mexican food causes obesity? How come Mexico doesn't have a problem with obesity?

Speaking of America getting fatter, this one made me laugh. Tom Cruise photoshopped as a fat man. Hail Xenu!

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...s_tom_crue.jpg

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Originally Posted by orangat

eh? Mexican food causes obesity? How come Mexico doesn't have a problem with obesity?

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It causes obesity when eaten in the quantities we eat and coupled with our mostly sedentiary lifestyle. But sooooo good. :2thumbsup:

If I'm not mistaken, Houston is the fattest city in the country. This is probably a combination of the love of steak and the inability to exercise outdoors due to the heat.

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Originally Posted by orangat

eh? Mexican food causes obesity? How come Mexico doesn't have a problem with obesity?

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Well its what Drone said. Mexican food (espacilly its bastard cousin Tex-Mex) is horrid for you.

You can eat just about anything provided your lifestyle and activity are sufficient to support it.
When I was fully into my rowing - I was eating around 6000 calories a day. That's 3 times the recommended daily intake for someone leading an average lifestyle and my body fat was a consistent sub-10%.

I just picked up on how Imperialist have to calculate BMI:

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The index is calculated by dividing a person's weight in pounds by his height in inches, squared, and multiplying that total by 703.

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While the enlightened who use the Metric system.

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The index is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by his height in meters, squared.

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My BMI last Christmas was 29.3 (215 pounds and 6 foot tall in imperial units vs 98kgs and 1.83m tall in metric), Body fat was 20-22% but I still could do 150+ pushups in a ten minute session if required. My BMI now is 26.6, my aim is to have it down to 25 by the end of the year. Body fat is still way to high at 19%, aim to have that down to below 15% by the end of year (this Xmas).

BMI = Bull**** Magazine-science Index

Go by body fat and your own quantifiable fitness levels.