DrLee wrote:Fat people are not a "drain on the medical system". That is a myth. Nor do they necessarily consume more food than does a person of "normal" weight so they are not a "drain on the environment".
The drain on the environment thing is debatable, since there are other sources of food waste (but obese people certainly contribute to it, especially by overinflating demand and eating too much meat), but they are definitely a drain on the medical system.
Health Consequences
People who are obese, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:5,6,7
All-causes of death (mortality)
High blood pressure (Hypertension)
High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia)
Type 2 diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)
Sleep apnea and breathing problems
Some cancers (endometrial, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder, and liver)
Low quality of life
Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders8,9
Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning10
For more information about these and other health problems associated with obesity, visit Health Effects of Obesity.
For more information about these and other health problems associated with overweight and obesity, visit Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults[PDF 56KB].
Economic and Societal Consequences
Obesity and its associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system.11 Medical costs associated with overweight and obesity may involve direct and indirect costs.12,13 Direct medical costs may include preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to obesity. Indirect costs relate to morbidity and mortality costs including productivity. Productivity measures include ‘absenteeism’ (costs due to employees being absent from work for obesity-related health reasons) and ‘presenteeism’ (decreased productivity of employees while at work) as well as premature mortality and disability. 14
National Estimated Costs of Obesity
The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are high. In 2008 dollars, these costs were estimated to be $147 billion.15
The annual nationwide productive costs of obesity obesity-related absenteeism range between $3.38 billion ($79 per obese individual) and $6.38 billion ($132 per obese individual)16.
In addition to these costs, data shows implications of obesity on recruitment by the armed forces. An assessment was performed of the percentage of the US military-age population that exceeds the US Army's current active duty enlistment standards for weight-for-height and percent body fat, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. In 2007-2008, 5.7 million men and 16.5 million women who were eligible for military service exceeded the Army's enlistment standards for weight and body fat.17
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.htmlBut please tell me how the scientific community is just persecuting fat people, I love it when fat acceptance people do that.
We can't play this game. Your argument and that of most of the "fat bashers" is at its heart one of physical attractiveness. There is no need denying it. I am not buying the "I want my mom to be healthy" argument. Your assertion that making obese people feel bad will make them lose weight is not only clinically untrue, it is rude and boorish.
Nonsense. For one, I never said that I want them to feel bad, I said that I won't stop encouraging them to lose weight just because it makes some people feel bad. I won't say anything to people that I don't know, but I will not stop arguing that society should strive for a healthy weight.
Here is the thing that people do not consider. In order to be clinically obese, mister 160 pound 25 year old, all you have to do is gain one pound per year and by the time you are 50 you will likely be clinically obese. Not much sloth involved in gaining one pound per year. Or if you are the 4 year old who tends to put on weight easier than his/her peers, unless your parents are relentless in managing your diet you will likely be way overweight long before you are old enough to have a say. Then in your most impressionable years you can't get the date you want, other children taunt you and your self esteem takes a rolling broadside.
Except that's not what happens, people tend to gain all the weight at once because of binge eating, which is extremely unhealthy, and then lose it all again through fad dieting, which is even more unhealthy than the original binging. Sure this could happen, but nobody is considering 185 pounds clinically obese anyway unless you are bellow 5'7".
And yeah, being an overweight kid is going to give you low self-esteem. That can always be ameliorated by putting them in sports and regulating what they eat. Wow, what a crazy idea, making sure your kids eat healthy and don't overeat. So much damn work.
Then there is this. Sexiness. There are studies that show that women like bigger men rather than smaller ones. Even if they are overweight. But even that doesn't really matter. What matters is that you find the partner who finds you sexy whether you are 160 and cut or 350 and just fit. And by fit I mean not debilitated by your weight. I have a good friend who is the quintessential Hollywood doctor. He is 45 and cut like a 30 year old. He is a runner and lifter. He could give any Hollywood actor a run for his money. And he is rich and single. He literally has his choice of women and they make that known to him every day. He loves heavy women. Always dates them. It is just his personal preference. He does not find the fashion model types sexy at all. I know women who are just beautiful who prefer bigger men.
350 is fit now? We're really stretching the meaning of fit.
Convenient stories, by the way. I have some convenient stories about people not wanting to date unhealthy partners too, but I won't bore you with anecdotal evidence that has nothing to do with the issue at hand. You're the one that brought up sexiness. I'm talking about health and having healthy standards for society.
It makes so much sense, I guess I just want my mom to be sexy!
Then there is this issue. Selling out to the "snack industry" our mostly conservative politicians have stuffed our schools with unhealthy food. And they have cut breakfast programs for children. They have cut day-care programs where healthier food can be stipulated. And in the efforts to teach children STEM, left just about all of the school health programs aside while ignoring unhealthy food advertising aimed right at children.
We're in agreement, but no amount of regulating food of kids in the world is going to fix a toxic household that eats too much and doesn't control portion size. And I agree with Albert, another problem is the food deserts that we have created in the urban communities.
So the read deal is that what we should do about fat people is to leave them to their doctors and their loved ones. IF and only IF their doctors believe there is a problem then steps can be taken to help the overweight people lose enough to solve the problem.
If you're overweight, you don't have to wait for a doctor to tell you to lose weight. And anyway like a doctor telling someone to lose weight has ever been effective. Self-motivation is what will help you lose weight.
Meanwhile I wish every fat person in the world, confronted by a judgmental busybody would fire back at them. "Your fat. Yea? Well you are ugly and I can lose weight."
I'm not going to insult people that can't be defended by turning this around and making fun of fat people. All I know is that for a geezer you are acting very immature about this issue.