Obesity "epidemic" may have been overstated

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'm just fine with the obesity epidemic. Makes me look and feel better about myself.

[EricMM 0]

I dunno figures mike, but medical science can add decades to a life, even wracked by emphesema, which I CANNOT spell

 

I'm saying you probably save more money on someone who lives well for an additional fifteen years than spends the last four years of their life in and out of a hospital.

[Guest MikeSC]

I dunno figures mike, but medical science can add decades to a life, even wracked by emphesema, which I CANNOT spell

 

I'm saying you probably save more money on someone who lives well for an additional fifteen years than spends the last four years of their life in and out of a hospital.

Emphysema, if memory serves.

 

But, if we encourage unhealthy living amongst the young, there will be fewer expenses because they will die at younger ages.

-=Mike

[EricMM 0]

And I maintain that they will NOT die, they will just live badly, and be weaker, get sick more, and cost America money.

 

Think about how much more health insurance will cost if more people get sick. This isn't really a smoking issue as much as it is a seditary lifestlye/fatty issue.

 

Smoking leads to bad lungs which leads to a terrible midlife and endlife. Diabetes can hit a kid when they're still a kid. And that kid won't die, he'll just periodically get awfully sick and have to take off work, or get a leg amputated. He'll always be needing medicines.

 

Where's the advantage in that compared to a fit, healthy kid?

[Guest MikeSC]

And I maintain that they will NOT die, they will just live badly, and be weaker, get sick more, and cost America money.

 

Think about how much more health insurance will cost if more people get sick. This isn't really a smoking issue as much as it is a seditary lifestlye/fatty issue.

 

Smoking leads to bad lungs which leads to a terrible midlife and endlife. Diabetes can hit a kid when they're still a kid. And that kid won't die, he'll just periodically get awfully sick and have to take off work, or get a leg amputated. He'll always be needing medicines.

 

Where's the advantage in that compared to a fit, healthy kid?

Because, at a certain point, medicine won't be able to save them. If they die before, say, age 62 --- the government would have all of their Social Security taxes paid and wouldn't have to pay out one red dime.

 

The longer one lives, the more expensive one's survival becomes.

 

That is, if one supports a purely financial view on this sort of thing.

-=Mike

[EricMM 0]

Stop just thinking about the government.

 

Think about how little someone can contribute to anything when they're sick all the time.

[Guest MikeSC]

Stop just thinking about the government.

 

Think about how little someone can contribute to anything when they're sick all the time.

I could mention a certain John Pierpont Morgan who was constantly sick and built the biggest bank in the world at the turn of the century.

-=Mike

[Ripper 0]

How would we measure that sort of thing?

 

Money spent against the problem or something else?

 

Swine Flu sounded like a worthy addition to any "overhype" list

 

I'm at a normal weight, according to BMI.. i'm 6'0" and 165lbs

That is why the BMI is bullshit. I am 5'6 and about 165 and noone in there right mind would call me slightly overweight. But according to the BMI, I need to lose about 20lbs.

 

 

Bullshit.

[MrRant 0]

It would depend on your frame. If you had a skinny little frame then yes you would be.

[CanadianChris 0]

And I maintain that they will NOT die, they will just live badly, and be weaker, get sick more, and cost America money.

 

Think about how much more health insurance will cost if more people get sick.  This isn't really a smoking issue as much as it is a seditary lifestlye/fatty issue.

 

Smoking leads to bad lungs which leads to a terrible midlife and endlife.  Diabetes can hit a kid when they're still a kid.  And that kid won't die, he'll just periodically get awfully sick and have to take off work, or get a leg amputated.  He'll always be needing medicines.

 

Where's the advantage in that compared to a fit, healthy kid?

Because, at a certain point, medicine won't be able to save them. If they die before, say, age 62 --- the government would have all of their Social Security taxes paid and wouldn't have to pay out one red dime.

 

The longer one lives, the more expensive one's survival becomes.

 

That is, if one supports a purely financial view on this sort of thing.

-=Mike

Exactly right. It's why the government will never outlaw smoking -- the double whammy of lost tax revenue and people living longer and overloading the health care and social security systems. Smoking keeps things manageable.

[CanadianChris 0]

How would we measure that sort of thing?

 

Money spent against the problem or something else?

 

Swine Flu sounded like a worthy addition to any "overhype" list

 

I'm at a normal weight, according to BMI.. i'm 6'0" and 165lbs

That is why the BMI is bullshit. I am 5'6 and about 165 and noone in there right mind would call me slightly overweight. But according to the BMI, I need to lose about 20lbs.

 

 

Bullshit.

BMI isn't complete bullshit, but it's fairly useless without measuring things like % body fat, body composition, VO2 max, and so on.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

How would we measure that sort of thing?

 

Money spent against the problem or something else?

 

Swine Flu sounded like a worthy addition to any "overhype" list

 

I'm at a normal weight, according to BMI.. i'm 6'0" and 165lbs

That is why the BMI is bullshit. I am 5'6 and about 165 and noone in there right mind would call me slightly overweight. But according to the BMI, I need to lose about 20lbs.

 

 

Bullshit.

By way of comparison I'm 5'9 220lbs. Damn Ripper I know I'm overweight but you make me seem HUGE.

[Guest BDC]

According to the BMI, I'm .6 under the obesity line. If I'm 6'3 and 235 lbs, there ain't no way I'm that close to being obese.

[Damaramu 0]

Yeah I'm only like 20 pounds overweight but I'm probably considered obese. I have really broad shoulders so I'll always be buying XXL t-shirts and looking big. Just because my frame is gigantic. Hell I'll probably always weigh a lot even if I have 6-pack.

[Ripper 0]

How would we measure that sort of thing?

 

Money spent against the problem or something else?

 

Swine Flu sounded like a worthy addition to any "overhype" list

 

I'm at a normal weight, according to BMI.. i'm 6'0" and 165lbs

That is why the BMI is bullshit. I am 5'6 and about 165 and noone in there right mind would call me slightly overweight. But according to the BMI, I need to lose about 20lbs.

 

 

Bullshit.

By way of comparison I'm 5'9 220lbs. Damn Ripper I know I'm overweight but you make me seem HUGE.

ME? Dude, he's 6 feet tall and my weight!

 

 

Yeah I'm only like 20 pounds overweight but I'm probably considered obese. I have really broad shoulders so I'll always be buying XXL t-shirts and looking big. Just because my frame is gigantic. Hell I'll probably always weigh a lot even if I have 6-pack.

 

Its almost as if you are saying you are a big guy. I never would have guessed.

[Special K 0]

With people seemingly getting bigger and bigger, the BMI is complete crap. It seems like the average guy's height is like 6'1" nowadays. When I played football at one time I had 250 lbs. lean body weight, 275 lbs. total. I was 6'4" and according to the BMI, probably morbidly obese.

[Damaramu 0]

With people seemingly getting bigger and bigger, the BMI is complete crap. It seems like the average guy's height is like 6'1" nowadays. When I played football at one time I had 250 lbs. lean body weight, 275 lbs. total. I was 6'4" and according to the BMI, probably morbidly obese.

Yeah remember how many NFL players were considered obese?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Or that fatty Shaq?...

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

6' 157 lbs. here. I'm lean.

[Vyce 0]

6' 157 lbs. here. I'm lean.

6' and 160 here. We're both well into the normal body weight.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I'm 5'10'' 220 lbs.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Average guy's height is nowhere near 6'1".. Probably more like 5'9"-5'10" is more accurate.

[Damaramu 0]

You know I'm 6'4" and I've always wished I were taller. Sometimes I feel short. I think it's because a lot of my friends are athletes. Tall bastards.

[Guest SideFXs]

For your edification. I would be inclined to say that the corrupt FDA killed or harmed more obese people, approving phenteramine-fenfluramine and all the other amphetamines, for the treatment of obesity.

 

On the other hand, they were very wise to ban an herbal supplement that has been used for over a thousand years called ephedrine, because a few stupid high school jocks abused it.

 

You see, the drug companies hire former FDA employees, who know the system.

 

I will place a bet that the Statin drugs, for cholesterol, are next to be poison, after 1000 or so liver transplants. Lord knows the FDA did a bang up job on the COX-2 inhibitors.

 

Just exercise, don’t smoke, and stop drinking soft drinks and eating ice cream. Avoid high voltage power lines, cell phones, fast food, too much coffee, too much alcohol, the sun, and sex, without a condom.

 

Then get a gun and kill yourself.

[CanadianChris 0]

With people seemingly getting bigger and bigger, the BMI is complete crap. It seems like the average guy's height is like 6'1" nowadays. When I played football at one time I had 250 lbs. lean body weight, 275 lbs. total. I was 6'4" and according to the BMI, probably morbidly obese.

Yeah remember how many NFL players were considered obese?

A lot of NFL players ARE obese. Just look at Gilbert Brown.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

6'  157 lbs. here.  I'm lean.

6' and 160 here. We're both well into the normal body weight.

Hey we finally have something in common!

[SuperJerk 0]

I'm 5'11" and weigh 183.

[Guest Vitamin X]

OK, this isn't the official TSM Weigh-In thread guys, cut it out.

[Vyce 0]

That sounds suspiciously like fatty talk to me.