UK Obesity Crisis

screamifyouwanttogofaster · Post by **screamifyouwanttogofaster** » 09 Jan 2009, 15:15

goslow wrote:yep, I read that too, good summary of the book

Thanks

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 09 Jan 2009, 19:46

Focusing on weight in my opinion actually encourages people to eat poorly and exercise less. We go on a diet, which as anyone with any intelligence now knows results in a weight *gain* in 80-95% of cases (studies have supported this time and time again).

Eh?

If I burn off more calories than I consume, how can you gain weight?

Thats against the laws of physics aint it?

Free energy! (or in this case a free lunch!

)

I have always lost weight with the gym and just cutting out the snacks and alcohol (eg crisps, chocolate, beer - eat normal for lunch and dinner)

I guess I must be in that 5%!

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 09 Jan 2009, 19:50

Thats against the laws of physics aint it?

Nah, just Reserve Growth.

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 09 Jan 2009, 19:51

Vortex wrote:
Thats against the laws of physics aint it?
Nah, just Reserve Growth.

screamifyouwanttogofaster · Post by **screamifyouwanttogofaster** » 09 Jan 2009, 20:12

Totally_Baffled wrote:
Focusing on weight in my opinion actually encourages people to eat poorly and exercise less. We go on a diet, which as anyone with any intelligence now knows results in a weight *gain* in 80-95% of cases (studies have supported this time and time again).
Eh?

If I burn off more calories than I consume, how can you gain weight?

Thats against the laws of physics aint it?

Free energy! (or in this case a free lunch! )

I have always lost weight with the gym and just cutting out the snacks and alcohol (eg crisps, chocolate, beer - eat normal for lunch and dinner)

I guess I must be in that 5%!

Nah, I'm talking about the ultimate consequence. The human body is extremely well designed to make sure it gets enough food. Dieters fall off their diets and regain all the weight lost and usually a bit more. Dieting itself creates obession with food, and overeating. One study took healthy, young, male college students and put them on a very low calorie diet. The students became obsessed with food and many of them began bingeing (having never done so or desired to do so before). Research has repeatedly shown that only a few % of people who diet will end up at a lower weight in the long term.

Dieting is trying to work counter to the most basic physiological programming of the human body. It's the same reason why attempts to find an appetite reduction pill have so far failed. The body has multiple pathways to stimulate appetite, because eating is so important to survival. You can knock one out but pretty fast the body finds a way around it. We are programmed to eat when food is available. Problem is, for us, it is plentiful. Not only that but foods exist which are easily available and much more calorie rich than in nature. Refined sugar, high fat, and white starchy foods do not support the functioning of our natural appetite regulation.

Then I could start on the addictive qualities of refined sugar (search for Bart Hoebel's work if you want to learn about that). Here's a basic article on his most recent published research http://health.msn.com/health-topics/art ... &gt1=31036.

The only question dieting is the answer to is "What makes you fat, unhealthy and miserable?". You could also add poorer- have you seen the price of Weightwatchers membership! They are raking it in.

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 09 Jan 2009, 22:51

Nah, I'm talking about the ultimate consequence. The human body is extremely well designed to make sure it gets enough food. Dieters fall off their diets and regain all the weight lost and usually a bit more. Dieting itself creates obession with food, and overeating.

Really?

So what are people to do then? If they do not take any interest in what they are eating and just eat what they like, the result is what we have now which that we are on course for the majority of adults becoming obese!

Obesity leads to a higher chance of diabetes, heart attacks, cancer and god knows what else? Is this all nonesense too?

I for one would be over 20 stone hippo

if I did not take a step back and regulate what I eat (not obsessively just be aware of how much I am drinking and eating) and take regular excercise at the gym/play footy etc.

One study took healthy, young, male college students and put them on a very low calorie diet. The students became obsessed with food and many of them began bingeing (having never done so or desired to do so before).

Seems a poor test to me, why a 'very low diet' and not just the regular 2500 calories with a bit of excercise?

There is a big difference, perhaps the latter scenario didnt show the results the researchers were looking for?

The only question dieting is the answer to is "What makes you fat, unhealthy and miserable?". You could also add poorer- have you seen the price of Weightwatchers membership! They are raking it in.

Like most things, its a balance. Dieting is miserable on its own, and so is getting obsessive about food, so the trick is put in the excercise so that you can eat more and still lose weight, get more healthy and get fitter. I guess that is why the advice is NOT to crash diet and to lose weight slowly.

And as someone who has ballooned to 17 stone in the recent past, I feel infinitly better in myself now that I am fit, I am within my BMI and don't have so many stomach problems from the eating of too much crap.

I think you would be doing people a huge diservice by telling them about 'The obesity myth' and give the excuse to carry on as they are.

screamifyouwanttogofaster · Post by **screamifyouwanttogofaster** » 10 Jan 2009, 07:46

Totally_Baffled wrote:

So what are people to do then? If they do not take any interest in what they are eating and just eat what they like, the result is what we have now which that we are on course for the majority of adults becoming obese!

I think you would be doing people a huge diservice by telling them about 'The obesity myth' and give the excuse to carry on as they are.

I would certainly not suggest that people take no interest in what they're eating and just eat what they like. However, I don't believe that is the cause of the increase in obesity. However, explaining my views on that would require an essay!

"The obesity myth" does not advocate eating unhealthily and being a couch potato. It merely points out that obesity and poor health are both consequences of poor eating habits and the focus should be on eating healthily and being active rather than losing weight. And that someone who is obese but eats well and exercises is not at higher risk of poor health.

There is a difference between dieting- going hungry, depriving yourself of food for the sole purpose of weightloss, and healthy eating (example- my idea as a teenager that I could eat 3 bars of chocolate a day and lose weight since it would only be 800 calories- health concerns seemed meaningless then, I just wanted to find the easiest way to be socially acceptable ie thin). Focusing on weight loss does not necessarily encourage healthy eating. Better to throw out the scales and just eat well and keep active.

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 10 Jan 2009, 09:37

"The obesity myth" does not advocate eating unhealthily and being a couch potato. It merely points out that obesity and poor health are both consequences of poor eating habits and the focus should be on eating healthily and being active rather than losing weight. And that someone who is obese but eats well and exercises is not at higher risk of poor health.

Ahhh - I understand your point now (sorry I haven't read the book).

In which case an obese person (if active and eating healthy but as much as he likes) would probably drop weight over time anyway - but if he doesnt he is still better off than his/her weight going up and down/yo yo dieting/starving themselves etc

Ok I get it now

Many thanks

screamifyouwanttogofaster · Post by **screamifyouwanttogofaster** » 10 Jan 2009, 11:18

Totally_Baffled wrote: Ahhh - I understand your point now (sorry I haven't read the book).

In which case an obese person (if active and eating healthy but as much as he likes) would probably drop weight over time anyway - but if he doesnt he is still better off than his/her weight going up and down/yo yo dieting/starving themselves etc

Ok I get it now Many thanks

Yep, they would generally end up at a weight healthy for them, although it might not be a weight considered ideal by our skinny-obsessed society (especially if they're a woman), or a weight considered ideal according to the ridiculous BMI charts.