Everything you know about obesity is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As with many complex phenomena, it's obviously a combination of systemic failures and individual choices. We can't really control things like subsidies to the junk food industrial complex, but we do have some control over our individual choices. That is the point. When you go to a Super Walmart and spend your money on soda, that's a choice.

Yes, exactly. It's many things, but the only one we can control is what we eat.

What we eat, by carefully weighing and measuring it all, to make sure we are inside of the narrow band of allowable calories that will maintain a healthy weight, despite the signals from your body that that's not enough, because that's what your hunger hormones are telling you. The level of control required of weight loss maintainers is significant.

You cannot claim that all obese people have hormones telling them they are hungry all the time. It is well known that many overweight people eat for emotional reasons - not because they are hungry. Stress, anxiety, relationships, kids, work, depression, etc. Go to any weight loss forum and you will hear people that eat because it makes them psychologically feel better, food is their best friend. They eat well past the point of being satisfied from a physiological perspective. They are feeding emotional needs.

That is why we also need more available mental health treatments in this country.

It’s not all drama. Food is entertainment. And even good food is cheap compared to many hobbies. So when rich people are bored they can pick up a game of golf or go shopping but when poor people are bored they can eat chips.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db50.htm


Among men, obesity prevalence is generally similar at all income levels, however, among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American men those with higher income are more likely to be obese than those with low income.
Higher income women are less likely to be obese than low income women, but most obese women are not low income.
There is no significant trend between obesity and education among men. Among women, however, there is a trend, those with college degrees are less likely to be obese compared with less educated women.
Between 1988–1994 and 2007–2008 the prevalence of obesity increased in adults at all income and education levels.
In 2007–2008 more than one-third of United States adults were obese (1). Obese individuals are at increased risk of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and certain cancers, among other conditions (2). Some studies have shown a relationship between obesity prevalence and socioeconomic status measured as educational level or income (3,4). This data brief presents the most recent national data on obesity in United States adults and its association with poverty income ratio (PIR) and education level. Results are presented by sex and race and ethnicity.

Keywords: adults, obesity, income, education

Among men, obesity prevalence is generally similar at all income levels, with a tendency to be slightly higher at higher income levels.

Most obese adults are not low income (below 130% of the poverty level).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

You think the government should force you to exercise a minimum amount and restrict your screen time? I just don't see that ever happening in America, and I don't think it's even desirable to have that level of control.

Agree people don't make good choices, but honestly can't think of any way to legally force those things on people. All we can do is provide incentives, and money seems to be the most effective. Maybe give a tax credit to under 25 BMI? Free gym memberships for all? Food subsidies - yes, due to lobbies will be very hard to overcome Big Ag. But maybe other subsidies to encourage fresh and organic food, like some places that give double/triple SNAP credits when you buy at a farmers market.

No I don’t think the govt should restrict screen time. I was making an analogy that most of us can relate to- we all do things we know we shouldn’t.

I don’t believe people will suddenly start making good choices around food given the obesity trends. I think we need a higher-level solution related to the food supply. The subsidies that you mention are within the kinds of actions I’m suggesting.

I agree with you. I don’t get the people who are just shrugging their shoulders and saying the government should be hands off. The government now is pushing obesity (via subsidies)! We haven’t even tried in the slightest to take a regulatory approach to obesity — instead we are okay with the government promoting obesity. There are so many things we could do that aren’t complex. I do not get this nonsense about how we can’t do it and it’s too hard. Here are some simple public policy approaches:

Tax sales of chips extremely highly
Ban soda and chips sales to minors, require use of ID
Remove corn and sugar subsidies
Bar fried food in school cafeterias

This is just a short list; there are many policy options, some harder than others. And the fact is, if we don’t do something like this, yes, we will all end up obese. That is where we as as a society are headed. It’s not going to stop. The numbers don’t lie. Sure there may be a few individuals who hold out for a few years, but the trend is shockingly clear. Like you said, we NEED to do this.

Eh, obesity is bad and increasing, but no, not everyone will become obese. There are people who stay normal weight, and in this area in particular, I see lots of them every day. But look at the huge disparities in obesity between different geographic regions within the U.S. There are some places where it is much more acceptable and normalized to become fat, even when the same food is available. So there are population level differences in the choices people are making. We have to figure out why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

You think the government should force you to exercise a minimum amount and restrict your screen time? I just don't see that ever happening in America, and I don't think it's even desirable to have that level of control.

Agree people don't make good choices, but honestly can't think of any way to legally force those things on people. All we can do is provide incentives, and money seems to be the most effective. Maybe give a tax credit to under 25 BMI? Free gym memberships for all? Food subsidies - yes, due to lobbies will be very hard to overcome Big Ag. But maybe other subsidies to encourage fresh and organic food, like some places that give double/triple SNAP credits when you buy at a farmers market.

No I don’t think the govt should restrict screen time. I was making an analogy that most of us can relate to- we all do things we know we shouldn’t.

I don’t believe people will suddenly start making good choices around food given the obesity trends. I think we need a higher-level solution related to the food supply. The subsidies that you mention are within the kinds of actions I’m suggesting.

I agree with you. I don’t get the people who are just shrugging their shoulders and saying the government should be hands off. The government now is pushing obesity (via subsidies)! We haven’t even tried in the slightest to take a regulatory approach to obesity — instead we are okay with the government promoting obesity. There are so many things we could do that aren’t complex. I do not get this nonsense about how we can’t do it and it’s too hard. Here are some simple public policy approaches:

Tax sales of chips extremely highly
Ban soda and chips sales to minors, require use of ID
Remove corn and sugar subsidies
Bar fried food in school cafeterias

This is just a short list; there are many policy options, some harder than others. And the fact is, if we don’t do something like this, yes, we will all end up obese. That is where we as as a society are headed. It’s not going to stop. The numbers don’t lie. Sure there may be a few individuals who hold out for a few years, but the trend is shockingly clear. Like you said, we NEED to do this.

Eh, obesity is bad and increasing, but no, not everyone will become obese. There are people who stay normal weight, and in this area in particular, I see lots of them every day. But look at the huge disparities in obesity between different geographic regions within the U.S. There are some places where it is much more acceptable and normalized to become fat, even when the same food is available. So there are population level differences in the choices people are making. We have to figure out why.

The disparities are really not that huge. For example more than half of New Yorkers are overweight or obese. It’s not like urban areas are islands of good health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

I agree there needs to be regulations.

Most people don’t know this, but food companies employ food scientists to create junk foods that are as addicting as possible. It’s not about creating a food that tastes good - most junk tastes awful - it’s about creating a food that people are hooked on and cannot say no to.

Not to mention all the marketing, especially marketing targeted at kids.

Imagine if the alcohol industry operated the same way: formulated to be even more addicting with no regulations, 75% of the grocery store was booze, there were tiny bottles displayed at every cash register, every other building you passed was a drive-thru liquor store, they used cartoon characters to appeal to children, they had specially formulated alcohol for kids, etc. No way would that ever fly, and food needs to be treated the same way.

I think food right now is where cigarettes were decades ago. Cigarettes weren’t THAT bad for you, it was individual choice, nothing wrong with candy cigarettes or cartoon characters on the boxes. Then we all realized, no, it’s actually a HUGE deal and put regulations into place, which keep getting stricter.

I’m hopeful that in the future there will be regulations on how companies can formulate foods, that can’t use food scientists, marketing is heavily regulated with nothing targeted at kids, no junk food at checkout lines, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable how Americans like to blame individuals and think that everything is an individual fault but never hold corporations and government for creating a system that supports profits over human health and well-being responsible. Obesity will continue to grow in this country til food supply is fixed which will never happen in my lifetime for certain.

Look around you in the grocery store. Majority of carts filled to the brim with complete garbage. While fresh produce, milk, meats, whole grains are all around. People DONT WANT to eat heathy

And let’s assume that’s true. We should still address the food supply. Even if you don’t care about the health of your fellow human beings, the social and economic costs affect us all. And if all these smug people on here are eating as healthy as they say, they won’t miss the garbage at the store.

No one has to buy it. But good luck getting all food with carbs and sugar banned.

It’s not about banning everything and carbs aren’t even the enemy (that’s a marketing scheme you have fallen prey to, friend). It’s about getting some common-sense regulations to move the needle.

This is not going to work because no one can agree even on what to ban, or what is healthy vs. unhealthy.

Sugar? Obviously bad, but wait, what about corn syrup? Also bad. What about artificial sweeteners? Also bad. Stevia, or other natural sweeteners? Still sweet and produce an insulin response?

Okay how about fat. Trans fat was already taken out. What about saturated fat? Jury's still out on whether that's healthy or unhealthy. Vegetable oil? Same, mixed reviews, but it's definitely cheaper than olive oil and other specialty oils, so the financial impact to consumers also has to be considered.

What about non-GMO? Personally I see nothing wrong with GMOs, but even if you do, you would be hard-pressed to regulate against all GMO content in food. It's just too much.

What about hormones? What about soy's natural effect on estrogen? What about food coloring that causes behavior issues in kids?

There are simply too many things and they will be debating for years before agreeing to come up with even one simple regulation. It simply will not ever happen that all bad foods are wiped off the supermarket shelves.

That brings it back to individual CHOICE. There is no escaping this fact. People have to care and take responsibility for what they consume. It's really the only thing we can control (I would say exercise is possibly another but there are far more excuses about why that's not possible).

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m saying it’s what NEEDS to happen, and even if it’s unlikely, I’m surprised by people insisting that it’s a bad idea. “Individual choice” just isn’t working and I don’t think it’s going to be a solution if it hasn’t been to date. People do all kinds of things they shouldn’t do- I doubt most people follow screen time recommendations or get 150 minutes of exercise per week, for example. This is life.

Most of weight loss is down to diet. What’s different about our diet and is it linked to the food supply? To me, this is the question. I’m a slim person but I won’t people to be healthy and I want my kids and future generations to have a lower chance of developing obesity. My heart breaks when I see entire families - including the kids- who are obese. We can’t continue to tolerate obesity any more than we can continue to tolerate gun violence. But because of lobbying/money in politics, we will probably have to. And it’s profoundly wrong.

You think the government should force you to exercise a minimum amount and restrict your screen time? I just don't see that ever happening in America, and I don't think it's even desirable to have that level of control.

Agree people don't make good choices, but honestly can't think of any way to legally force those things on people. All we can do is provide incentives, and money seems to be the most effective. Maybe give a tax credit to under 25 BMI? Free gym memberships for all? Food subsidies - yes, due to lobbies will be very hard to overcome Big Ag. But maybe other subsidies to encourage fresh and organic food, like some places that give double/triple SNAP credits when you buy at a farmers market.

No I don’t think the govt should restrict screen time. I was making an analogy that most of us can relate to- we all do things we know we shouldn’t.

I don’t believe people will suddenly start making good choices around food given the obesity trends. I think we need a higher-level solution related to the food supply. The subsidies that you mention are within the kinds of actions I’m suggesting.

I agree with you. I don’t get the people who are just shrugging their shoulders and saying the government should be hands off. The government now is pushing obesity (via subsidies)! We haven’t even tried in the slightest to take a regulatory approach to obesity — instead we are okay with the government promoting obesity. There are so many things we could do that aren’t complex. I do not get this nonsense about how we can’t do it and it’s too hard. Here are some simple public policy approaches:

Tax sales of chips extremely highly
Ban soda and chips sales to minors, require use of ID
Remove corn and sugar subsidies
Bar fried food in school cafeterias

This is just a short list; there are many policy options, some harder than others. And the fact is, if we don’t do something like this, yes, we will all end up obese. That is where we as as a society are headed. It’s not going to stop. The numbers don’t lie. Sure there may be a few individuals who hold out for a few years, but the trend is shockingly clear. Like you said, we NEED to do this.

Eh, obesity is bad and increasing, but no, not everyone will become obese. There are people who stay normal weight, and in this area in particular, I see lots of them every day. But look at the huge disparities in obesity between different geographic regions within the U.S. There are some places where it is much more acceptable and normalized to become fat, even when the same food is available. So there are population level differences in the choices people are making. We have to figure out why.

Within two generations at current rates, yes, everyone will be obese.

[Anonymous]

I don't think there's a single obese person that lives in my neighborhood. Unless they're not coming out of their house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there's a single obese person that lives in my neighborhood. Unless they're not coming out of their house.

You probably just don’t know what obesity according to BMI looks like. I am obese (5’7” 210) and no one would look at me and describe me as obese. Chubby, chunky, maybe fat, but not obese.

For example-the 6’1” guy after on the right is still (barely) obese with a BMI of 30. In the before on the left it is 37, well into class 2 obesity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there's a single obese person that lives in my neighborhood. Unless they're not coming out of their house.

You probably just don’t know what obesity according to BMI looks like. I am obese (5’7” 210) and no one would look at me and describe me as obese. Chubby, chunky, maybe fat, but not obese.

For example-the 6’1” guy after on the right is still (barely) obese with a BMI of 30. In the before on the left it is 37, well into class 2 obesity.

Ah. We DO have an obese man in the neighborhood, maybe a few men - I've seen bellies like that under teeshirts (thankfully not in the nude - yikes!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there's a single obese person that lives in my neighborhood. Unless they're not coming out of their house.

You probably aren't working from a medical definition of obese then. It can look smaller than you might be thinking.

[Anonymous]

So many excuses in this thread. Such a contrast to the 53 year old weight loss thread just posted (lost weight through diet and exercise)!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there's a single obese person that lives in my neighborhood. Unless they're not coming out of their house.

You probably just don’t know what obesity according to BMI looks like. I am obese (5’7” 210) and no one would look at me and describe me as obese. Chubby, chunky, maybe fat, but not obese.

For example-the 6’1” guy after on the right is still (barely) obese with a BMI of 30. In the before on the left it is 37, well into class 2 obesity.

That’s crazy. On the right that looks like a pretty normal dude to me. I feel like most guys I know look like that. And they’re technically obese?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there's a single obese person that lives in my neighborhood. Unless they're not coming out of their house.

You probably just don’t know what obesity according to BMI looks like. I am obese (5’7” 210) and no one would look at me and describe me as obese. Chubby, chunky, maybe fat, but not obese.

For example-the 6’1” guy after on the right is still (barely) obese with a BMI of 30. In the before on the left it is 37, well into class 2 obesity.

That’s crazy. On the right that looks like a pretty normal dude to me. I feel like most guys I know look like that. And they’re technically obese?

BMI is a tool, but it is a perfect science to classify obesity. The guy on the right isn’t obese. BMI scale is same for men and women- which automatically tells you it won’t be very accurate for men. I do find it pretty spot on to what I would visually consider obese in women. Men no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there's a single obese person that lives in my neighborhood. Unless they're not coming out of their house.

You probably just don’t know what obesity according to BMI looks like. I am obese (5’7” 210) and no one would look at me and describe me as obese. Chubby, chunky, maybe fat, but not obese.

For example-the 6’1” guy after on the right is still (barely) obese with a BMI of 30. In the before on the left it is 37, well into class 2 obesity.

That’s crazy. On the right that looks like a pretty normal dude to me. I feel like most guys I know look like that. And they’re technically obese?

BMI is a tool, but it is a perfect science to classify obesity. The guy on the right isn’t obese. BMI scale is same for men and women- which automatically tells you it won’t be very accurate for men. I do find it pretty spot on to what I would visually consider obese in women. Men no.

All of those people who don’t look obese are still counted in statistics though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many excuses in this thread. Such a contrast to the 53 year old weight loss thread just posted (lost weight through diet and exercise)!

Nobody disputes short term weight loss is fairly easy to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, I’m 48 and weigh myself weekly. I work to make good choices just about every day. I focus on fruits and vegetables and low fat meats. I force myself to walk 10k steps a day and lift weights three times a week. I don’t unnecessarily limit myself but it’s constantly on my mind. My bmi is 21 or so. It’s not easy. It’s not fun. It’s a choice.

I was you prepandemic. I walked up the escalators during my commute. Worked out hard at the gym three times a week. Then the pandemic happened. I cooked everything my family ate. Ate more. And after many more sweets. Stopped going to the gym. Six months in I had a BMI that is obese. It is hard to loose weight from here. And I have a lifetime habit of eating well, exercising and being thin. So feel good about being you. But maybe you are one life crisis away from experiencing the pull of refined sugar and carbs. I never thought it would be me and here I am.