Doctors Say Fat People Can Live As Long As Thin Ones

[freebird5825]

Wooooo hooooo...break out the pizza and Buffalo chicken wings and beer.

I am considered "overweight" at 5'6" and weighing in at 183 lbs, but my fitness level has always been good except between 1994-97 when I had to give up my favorite sports (volleyball, raquetball, softball, tennis) due to carpal tunnel and upper body RSI issues. I lost muscle mass and gained way too much flab weight during those years.
My bone density tests 3 years and 1 year ago showed very good results, a result of a lifetime of physical activity of all kinds.
I am 53 now and staring menopause right in the face. I am looking at any kind of activity (strength building and aerobic) I can manage without further injury to my hands and wrists. I am rebuilding my muscular system bit by bit and feeling great.

 

[bld999]

"It is one of the last safe prejudices"

+1

And the viewpoint is usu. justified with some phalanx of health claims. Maintaining health is good, right? So nobody can assail my prejudice... because fat people compromise their own health.

 

[TromboneAl]

Something to ask may be: Why are these people who exercise regularly and eat 5+ servings of fruits vegetables each day still obese?

The study is interesting, but a little messy since it groups not-smoking together with eating a lot of veggies.

 

[haha]

Something to ask may be: Why are these people who exercise regularly and eat 5+ servings of fruits vegetables each day still obese?

The study is interesting, but a little messy since it groups not-smoking together with eating a lot of veggies.

Why is that messy? the study is not trying to find the cause of overweight and obesity, or poor health. It simply asks, given certain simple health habits, will overweight and obese people as a group have normal longevity? And this study finds, yes, they will.

Ha

 

[TromboneAl]

Why is that messy? the study is not trying to find the cause of overweight and obesity, or poor health. It simply asks, given certain simple health habits, will overweight and obese people as a group have normal longevity? And this study finds, yes, they will.

Ha

Maybe. For example, eating veggies is equivalent to not smoking in this study. The 5+ servings thing is a number pulled out of the air by the produce industry. It isn't a scientific finding. The health benefits of not smoking are clearcut and there's lots of evidence involved.

I guess I just prefer a study with one simple independent variable. Mortality versus smoking: simple. Mortality versus smoking, eating, exercise, drinking, and BMI: messy.

 

[haha]

Maybe. For example, eating veggies is equivalent to not smoking in this study. The 5+ servings thing is a number pulled out of the air by the produce industry. It isn't a scientific finding. The health benefits of not smoking are clearcut and there's lots of evidence involved.

I guess I just prefer a study with one simple independent variable. Mortality versus smoking: simple. Mortality versus smoking, eating, exercise, drinking, and BMI: messy.

More complicated perhaps, but so is life. Anyway, this addresses a completely different question from "is smoking bad for your health, or is exercise good for longevity?"-the answers to which which everyone already knows. If I were overweight or obese, it would be a question that I would be interested in, as these habits are all possible, if not, as in the case of not smoking, necessarily easy.

On the other hand, simple observation proves that for the great majority of people, losing weight and keeping it off is far from easy, and may not even be possible.

Ha

 

[Nords]

... ridiculously large quantities of chocolate.

That's absolutely, completely, and irrevocably wrong.

The correct statement is "large quantities of chocolate". I take my chocolate seriously. There's nothing ridiculous about it!

 

[W2R]

That's absolutely, completely, and irrevocably wrong.

The correct statement is "large quantities of chocolate". I take my chocolate seriously. There's nothing ridiculous about it!

 

[Amethyst]

That's absolutely, completely, and irrevocably wrong.

The correct statement is "[-]large[/-]satisfying quantities of chocolate". I take my chocolate seriously. There's nothing ridiculous about it!

Now we can all be as subjective about the amount as we want
Chocolate: The Fifth Food Group!

 

[braumeister]

Chocolate: The Fifth Food Group!

You mean alongside the classic four: fat, sugar, caffeine and alcohol?

 

[Amethyst]

Who are the "We" who don't like fat people? According to everything I've read lately, most of the U.S. population is overweight and/or obese. (And, for what it's worth, my daily observations seem to bear this out). So, either a minority is hating on the majority, or the majority are hating on themselves.

I suppose I sound disingenuous, but this really does strike me as an interesting paradox.

Amethyst

Iwe don't like fat people, therefore they must be unhealthy. Otherwise, the balance of our universe is threatened. At many places in society, there is almost a visceral loathing of overweight people. It is one of the last safe prejudices, and people need prejudices to maintain their tenuous self respect.

 

[eytonxav]

I think there should be a new book written, "How to Live a Fat and Healthy Lifestyle While Feeling Good About Yourself"

There could be separate chapters on chocolate, bacon, alcohol, couch sitting, etc..........

That said, I would rather live a happy, fat, short life than a healthy, thin, and miserable long life

 

[Nemo2]

That said, I would rather live a happy, fat, short life than a healthy, thin, and miserable long life

How about comparing a happy, fat, short life with a happy, slim and healthy long life?

 

[Bestwifeever]

I have enough trouble worrying about/taking care of my own health and weight! Kudos to you guys who are worrying about it for other people.

 

[haha]

Who are the "We" who don't like fat people? According to everything I've read lately, most of the U.S. population is overweight and/or obese. (And, for what it's worth, my daily observations seem to bear this out). So, either a minority is hating on the majority, or the majority are hating on themselves.

I suppose I sound disingenuous, but this really does strike me as an interesting paradox.

Amethyst

Why don't you go back and read my post that you keep mis-quoting. There is no "I" in my original post, only a we, and the antecedent (ie. who are the "we") is very clearly the investigators that are referred to in my post.

Yes, you are being disingenuous, and I wish you would do it on someone elses's post. It is not my prejudice,and if you think there is no prejudice against overweight people out there, write about that, not about your misunderstanding of my post.

I'll try to stick to cats, travels, and SWR.

 

[Amethyst]

Sorry, Ha, the "I" was a typo and should not have gotten in there. I didn't see it. My vision isn't quite what it used to be. I would not deliberately mis-quote your posts. I tried to go back and edit my post, but the option to edit is gone now.

I meant my comments to be taken literally - prejudice against fat people, although it exists and is a bad thing, is a societal paradox, since most people nowadays are overweight, including most of the people whom I care about, and most people in influential positions, and many people in the medical professions.

Did you ever actually post about cats?

A.

Why don't you go back and read my post that you keep mis-quoting. There is no "I" in my original post, only a we, and the antecedent (ie. who are the "we") is very clearly the investigators that are referred to in my post.

Yes, you are being disingenuous, and I wish you would do it on someone elses's post. It is not my prejudice,and if you think there is no prejudice against overweight people out there, write about that, not about your misunderstanding of my post.

I'll try to stick to cats, travels, and SWR.

 

[TromboneAl]

Did you ever actually post about cats?

 

[TromboneAl]