Tag: Obesity

Closing Thought–15Mar23

There is a global majority approaching….and it is not what you think.

The planet is becoming overweight (polite term for FAT) or obese…..

In a little more than a decade, obese people will be the majority around the world. More than half of the world’s population, or more than 4 billion people, will be overweight or obese by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation, which is warning countries to act now to prevent “serious repercussions” at a cost of $4.3 trillion globally—or 3% of the global Gross Domestic Product. That’s “comparable to the economic damage wrought by Covid-19,” per the Guardian. It notes 38% of the world’s population is already overweight (with a body mass index of at least 25) or obese (BMI of 30 and up). About one in seven people are now obese, though that’s expected to rise to one in four by 2035.

A new report from the federation finds the fastest rising rates of obesity in children, with rates among boys and girls expected to double from 2020 figures, per the BBC. The expected rate among girls is slightly higher than boys at 125%, per the Guardian. That’s a “particularly worrying” finding, says Louise Baur, the federation’s president. She adds “governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation” by assessing “the systems and root factors” that contribute to obesity, which is known to raise one’s risk of heart disease, cancer, and other ailments.

Nine of the 10 countries expected to experience the greatest increases in obesity by 2035 are low or lower-middle income nations in Africa and Asia—”often the least able to respond to obesity and its consequences,” according to the report. This is owing to a shift toward sedentary behavior, more highly-processed foods, weaker food control policies, and lacking health care services related to education and weight management. The federation—made up of health, scientific, research and campaign groups that work closely with global agencies—recommends taxes and restrictions on food marketing be used to push people away from high-fat, high-sugar foods. It also calls for healthier foods in schools.

Come on people!

Get some exercise and eat a better diet and all this can be avoided.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–16Sep19

When I was in the military (1967-1971) the best food was at Navy installations in second place was the Air Force….but that was the days when we had cooks not culinary specialists.

The US military is hell bent on the appearance of their members. Are they buff? Are they overweight? Are they in good shape?

So which service branch is the most obese?

The US Navy takes the prize.

Sailors need remedial physical training.

That could be one just one of many conclusions drawn by a recent Department of Defense study that found the Navy earned the dubious honor of surpassing all other branches in its rate of obese personnel.

The overall rate of fat service members is also up from recent years, with the percentage of personnel weighing in at obese standards climbing to over 17 percent, according to a Health of the DoD Force study.

That number spiked to over a quarter of service members over the age of 35.

For the Navy, the overall number of obese personnel was a shocking 22 percent. The other branches reported the following frequency of obesity:

  • Air Force: 18 percent
  • Army: 17 percent
  • Marine Corps: 8.3 percent

https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2019/09/03/this-branch-takes-the-cake-as-the-us-militarys-fattest/

I guess the food is still pretty damn good, huh?

Thoughts?

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

The More Things Change

Thank God above the weekend has arrived and the cleansing of an overstuffed brain can begin……

It is the political season and the word on every politicians lips is….CHANGE.

And that got me to thinking about how I have changed over the decades of political involvement……..and then I thought about the American society and its changes…..and that was the one that I decided was the more interesting for a weekend post…….

Sit down and think about American society and the changes it has gone through in…..say….the last 50 years……..and nowhere has the changes been more pronounced than in our weight……..

– Picture the average American couple in the 1960s. Now picture the average American couple today. Something more than questionable fashion should stand out, according to new data from the CDC, which finds the average weight of a US woman is now 166.2 pounds—about the same weight as the average man in the 1960s—up from about 140 pounds during that time, reports the Washington Post. That’s an increase of 18.5%. Men, who weighed 166.3 pounds in the 1960s, now tip the scales at an average of 195.5 pounds, for a 17.6% gain. Is it as bad as it seems? Essentially, yes, though the typical height of men and women has grown by an inch, which at least accounts for something. But the main reasons for our growing bellies are no surprise: Americans are eating more food, but less health food, and are exercising less.

The data shows 35% of Americans over 20 are considered obese, while 69% of adults are either overweight or obese, reports CBS Atlanta. As for children, one in five between 12 and 19 and 18% between 6 and 11 are obese. A 2012 study found Americans were the third-heaviest people on the planet behind residents of Tonga and Micronesia. The average American was 33 pounds heavier than a Frenchman, 40 pounds heavier than a citizen of Japan, and 70 pounds heavier than a person in Bangladesh, adds the Post. Dying to get back to that 1960s frame? It’s actually more important to watch what you eat rather than exercise constantly, though exercising and eating healthy together is obviously beneficial. The New York Times notes that 30 minutes of jogging achieves the same calorie reduction as cutting back on two 16-ounce sodas. (Click to read why we weigh less on Fridays.)

The biggest changes have been in body image………Americans are now tying their self-worth to their body image…..sorry but to me that is just sad…….

Did I miss anything?

Teenagers With Poor Body Image Are More Likely To Become Obese

It is the weekend and I want to touch on a subject that worries me……that is massive attention to body image that some Americans cling to at all cost.

This self-absorbed egocentric and shallow mode of thought is dangerous……especially for our teens.

Please read attached and let me know your feelings…..

 

Teenagers With Poor Body Image Are More Likely To Become Obese.

Battle Of The Bulge

Yea….the weekend has arrived and I can kick back and let my mental process take a much needed break…….from the incessant drumming of a missing plane with NO credible info or the insanity of the people we call ‘politicians’……

If you are getting older then you are fighting or have fought the battle of the bulge….those extra pounds that come from getting up in age….it is okay…it is something that happens like growing hair in places that you ever had hair in the past……and with those pounds has come the worry of how you look or how it will effect your health and in turn we start looking at all kinds of schemes to lose those pounds…most of which are scams, at best…..but a recent study has found an answer and it is a great way to enjoy yourself……

The plant tequila is derived from could play a role in fighting obesity, and it doesn’t involve getting people so drunk they forget to eat, researchers say. Natural sugars found in agave appear to protect mice against obesity and type 2 diabetes, Fox News reports. The sugars, known as agavins, acted as a dietary fiber and were not absorbed into the bloodstream, leading researchers to believe they could be an ideal artificial sweetener for obese or diabetic people. “In certain circumstances, artificial sweeteners are useful in helping people maintain glucose control,” an expert tells MedPage Today. “If this is all true, it sounds like it could be another additional tool for people with diabetes.” The researchers say “agavins have a great potential as a light sweetener,” though two big obstacles exist: They aren’t that widely available, and they aren’t very sweet. And if you’re an agave syrup fan, take note: That syrup is very different from agavins; the researchers liken it more to high-fructose corn syrup.

Bottoms up and get with the program!

Have a great weekend, my friends.

Obesity, Obesity!

It is that time of year again….when the millionaires write books and explain obesity to the world……

This is another of those issues that I have tried to explain to people….and yet every year some bimbo tries to make it an issue, especially if they write books and have all the answers……the problem is their answers are totals BS…..for one it is the myth that people make the bad choice……..choice presumes that there is an alternative…..maybe if your are a millionaire writer……but regular people have to choose rent, gas, utilities and then food…..and at this point they will buy the biggest bang for their buck…..that would be “unhealthy” food stuffs……but to pretend that poor people have a choice is being an elitist…..and a typical pundit that has all the answers…..

Okay, obesity is a problem……that can lead to diabetes and other health ailments……do you think poverty could be part of the problem?  Well not to the millionaires that know what the problem is because they know how to use Google……..it is all those poor choices that poor people make…..and it can be solved by government intervention……

But first, just how bad is the obesity and poor eating of Americans…….some tourist made an excellent observation….”Americans eat too much butter, lard, salt pork and all around greasy foods”……. sounds pretty accurate, right?  Well that observation was made be French visitors in 1807……I say that again for effect…..1807!

Looks like this is not a modern problem….we Americans have always made bad choices in our dining experiences……not an excuse but rather stating the reality of it all…..to this end….will any amount of ranting and raving by people wanting to sell their newest book on their newest cause ever change Americans and their love of food?

I think not!  Why?

(Newser) – Crack down on industrial, fatty junk food, the deep-fried stuff that leads to obesity, and Ron Rosenbaum is with you. But keep your hands off his roast goose, his clotted cream, and his split-shank bone marrow, thank you very much. The “hysterical crusade against fat has become a veritable witch hunt,” writes Rosenbaum in the Wall Street Journal. Food prudes often lump all types of fat together as evil—apparently ignorant of the fact that eating “basic, earthy, luxuriant fatty foods” makes you feel full and thus stop eating.

Roast goose, in particular, “is a supremely succulent, mind-alteringly flavorful fatty food,” he writes. And “listening to the doctors on cable TV, you might think that it’s better to cook up a batch of meth than to cook with butter.” Ignore them, he advises, ticking off a list of his other fatty delights, from cheesecake made with heavy cream to Peking Duck. Keep the portions moderate and dig in. Click for the full column, in which Rosenbaum picks out the title of his book if his advice catches on: Eat Fat, Stay Slim.

Sorry, but I agree…….

I was a chef and it you wanted to kill a restaurant then offer nothing but fat free choices…..I understand the need for healthy foods and I understand people that want to change their eating habits…..but it is their choice and should not be made to do something that they do not feel is in their best interest……we cannot protect ourselves from ourselves….you can try….but you will surely fail.

If we want people to eat more nutritious food then help them get out of poverty….if they have more disposable income then these types of choices should be easier…..until then….no amount of bitching and complaining will change the obesity rate and the health problems that comes with it……..fairly easy choice…….in my opinion.

To me all the pundits are more concerned with vanity than health……..somehow their body mass is tied to their  self worth……….

Where does all this stop?  Pundits selling their books and making their decisions my decisions…….where does it end?  Maybe in a back room where they have the sodas, chips, ice cream, etc and one must be 21 to enter…….just where will it end?

Only In Mississippi

My home state is a constant source of befuddlement.  I know I have bad mouthed my state on so many occasions……but they have gone and topped themselves….it will be hard to be any more stupid.

First, let us look at the state of Mississippi……most obese state, the poorest state, the state with the most cases of diabetes… the state always has a higher unemployment rate than the nation’s…….poor education, health services, on and on and………

Now the media pundits, especially the millionaires, are all over trying to save us from ourselves by supporting a better nutrition program……and then there are those that push back…..but so far I have not seen a state tackle this subject…..that is until………. now!

From the NY Times…….

The Mississippi Legislature wants to be the sole government body that controls its buffets, barbecue and sweet tea.

To that end, the people who govern the state with the highest rate of obesity in the nation have passed a bill saying that any law that might restrict what Mississippians eat or drink has to go through them — barring federal regulations.

That means that cities or counties cannot enact rules limiting soda size, salt content, shortening in cookies, toys in fast-food meals for children, how a menu is written or just about any other aspect of the daily dining experience in Mississippi.

It is easy to view the new Mississippi law with an ironic eye. As Representative Omeria Scott, a Democrat, pointed out during the debate on the bill, “Mississippi is the fattest and most unhealthy state in the U.S.A.”

But the legislation is the latest and most sweeping expression of a nationwide battle in which some government officials, public health leaders and food supply reformers are pitted against those who would prefer the government quit trying to control what people eat.

Mayor Bloomberg of New York City commented……..

“You know, Saturday Night Live couldn’t write this stuff,” Mr. Bloomberg exclaimed. “How can somebody try and pass a law that deliberately says we can’t improve the lives of our citizens? It’s just farce. Nobody would believe it if you wrote it in the book.”

You may shake your heads and ask….what the Hell are they thinking?  Well, there is the problem…..thinking…….they do not do much of that in the South, especially in Mississippi.  And you thought your state was screwed up…….

It’s The Obesity Thing…… (Again)

I have written 0n this many times and I usually go off after some ridiculous millionaire media type gets on her high horse about obesity and what the government should do to control it….I thought I would illustrate how a think tank would approach the subject…….and it does not matter which spectrum you want….they all approach it similarly……..

Well, this sanctimonious person thinks we have an obesity problem….I will agree with her to this point……but her answer is that we Americans must be made to eat healthy and exercise….I will agree that we all need to eat better and exercise….and there is where this woman and I part ways……her answers are that people make bad choices because they are not educated on proper nutrition…..this is where I think that she slides into the elitist bitch category…..seldom do these toads ever talking about the eating disorders that make people shrink away into skin and bones…I guess if one is skinny then it is not a problem…..

This is where I will illustrate how a decision and political position is formed by those think tanks that everyone so enjoys quoting…..

I think it is a bit delusional to think that everybody has the time to exercise, get the kids ready for school, get self ready for work….unfortunately these are excellent ways to get fit….but not everyone makes a million dollars and has any help with the chores mentioned……and not everyone can afford the high perice for healthy foods…especially if the family is large, by large I mean 4 or more persons……

My theory is poverty has more to do with eating and exercising paths……let us look at the 5 most unhealthy states…….

5–Alabama   4–Arkansas  3–Oklahoma  2–Louisiana  1–Mississippi (my state)

Now let us look at the poorest states…in this case the top 5 poorest…….

5–Texas  4–Alabama  3– New Mexico  2–Louisiana  1–Mississippi (my state)

Do you see a trend yet?  3 of the poorest states are also in the unhealthy list…..could poverty have something to do with this?

A Think Tank will take this information and tilt it to show that the sole cause of an unhealthy lifestyle is poverty……the facts are there, sports fans….

And we could go further…..we could check out how religion could figure into this…….these are the 5 most religious states……

5–Tennessee  4–Louisiana  3–South Carolina  2–Alabama  1–Mississippi (my state)

There you have the facts….3 of the least healthy states are also the most religious states…..also 3 of the most religious states are also the poorest………so could we make a inference that religion could lead to an unhealthy lifestyle?

(For all you dim witted trolls out there…….I am NOT saying that religion causes poverty or unhealthy lifestyle….only some self serving douche bag could use these facts to form an untrue premise….that is all)………

My point is…this is how think tanks work….they take some isolated facts and build a narrative………

I Lost The Weight!

From the VOMITORIUM

It has been awhile since I last posted from the VOMITORIUM….hat is my sub-category for things in the news or in society that make me want to puke……this time it is all those weight loss ads we see endlessly…..most of my readers know that I am pissed off at the media elites especially when they start up on the obesity thing, especially when they talk about government intervention…..

Marie lost 50 lbs and added $50,000 of plastic to her body…..Linda lost 38 lbs and her beautiful brown hair turned blonde….Mike lost 100 lbs and he looks like death warmed over…..I guess my question is….just how affective are these ‘expensive’ programs……and then there is that magic pill that helps you lose weight and gives you 6 pack abs…..and yes…people are dumb enough to buy them…..

A study published on newleftproject.org………..

Unfortunately, weight-loss clubs such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World are part of the problem in that dieting only contributes to weight gain. It doesn’t matter which approach the slimming club takes—be it a point system, a “healthy lifestyle” change or using pre-packaged foods or supplements—clients usually lose weight in the beginning. But this initial weight loss is deceiving because after the diet, often a month or so, most people will regain most of the weight they lost. More seriously, within 4 to 5 years 95% will gain back the lost weight and one-third to two-thirds of their clients ultimately end up being fatter than their pre-diet weight. They don’t help the individual understand their appetite, how to eat with their hunger, how to recognise fullness and not override it. It substitutes compulsive eating for compulsive dieting. Although these clubs may have the best of intentions in helping people manage their health, they in fact are only contributing to the rising rates of obesity.

One of the largest motivators the diet industry relies on is shame. Instead of acknowledging that our bodies naturally resist weight loss and seek their own equilibrium, the onus is placed on the client’s lack of willpower. Research clearly shows that dieting, which relies on restriction and avoiding ‘bad’ foods, leads to overeating and binging and interferes with the proper functioning of our metabolism. Regardless of these facts, the message that slimming clubs consistently send is that we must control ourselves in order to be successful. With heads hung low, “failed” dieters return time and time again to slimming clubs with the hope that “this time” they’ll be able to stick with the program and lose the weight for good. But most of them won’t, keeping them stuck in the inevitable diet/binge cycle.

Dieting plays a significant role as to why obesity is on the rise. Tackling the issue of obesity requires a major shift in thinking. When it comes to nourishing our bodies, we have been taught to focus on external cues: follow this diet, avoid these foods, eat more of these products etc. In order for true health to be achieved, we need to redirect our focus internally. Dieting teaches us to ignore our natural hunger and fullness signals and it does not address the underlying emotional issues that can often lead to overeating.

It’s crucial to point out that although people weigh more than they have in the past, having the label of ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ doesn’t necessarily equate to ill health. Various studies have indicated that yo-yo dieting can be more detrimental to our health than being categorized as ‘overweight’. (Many studies have shown that conditions frequently attributed to obesity such as diabetes, gall bladder problems and hypertension are actually strongly correlated with yo-yo dieting.) Furthermore, we need to critically examine what ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’ really mean. These labels are derived from the flawed BMI (Body Mass Index) chart that excludes important factors such as age, metabolism rate, muscle mass and physical build. As Susie Orbach states in her book Bodies this unsound tool categorizes Brad Pitt as ‘overweight’ and George Clooney as ‘obese’.

These “miracle” diets are about as effective as debt consolidation……dismal success rate!

Let us be real…..eat less and eat colorful and you should be healthy, wealthy and wise……but keep in mind…..Eat well-Stay Fit and Die Anyway!