The Global Obesity Epidemic

Ah, that old chestnut again.

Methinks she confuses biology with psychology.

The physics is a piece of cake:

Calories consumed - calories burned + weight loss or gain.

Everything else is a cop-out.

Low metabolism? Don't eat so much.
Hungry? Have a glass of cold water.
 
Might as well slip this one in here:

NEW MAJOR STUDY: A CALORIE IS NOT A CALORIE ( ... yes I know, a calorie really is always a calorie )

A new study from Harvard shows that individuals following a low-carbohydrate (20% of total calories) diet burn between 209 and 278 more calories per day than those on a high-carbohydrate (60% of total calories) diet. So the type of calories we eat really does matter.
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The Atheist said:
Ah, that old chestnut again.
Methinks she confuses biology with psychology.
The physics is a piece of cake:
Calories consumed - calories burned + weight loss or gain.
Everything else is a cop-out.
Low metabolism? Don't eat so much.
Hungry? Have a glass of cold water.
Click to expand...


You obviously "don't understand how biologically complex the condition of being overweight is - the interaction between genes, the bacteria in your gut, your metabolism, appetite and diet, and a number of other factors."
You don't even notice that psychology isn't mentioned at all.
 
dann said:
You don't even notice that psychology isn't mentioned at all.
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More reading comprehension fail - I know psychology wasn't mentioned,which is why I was pointing out that it should be.

The biology is irrelevant, because it can be adjusted for with the simplest mathematics.

The bottom line is always whether someone chooses to eat or not.

Fat ***** choose to eat.
 
The Atheist said:
More reading comprehension fail - I know psychology wasn't mentioned,which is why I was pointing out that it should be.



The biology is irrelevant, because it can be adjusted for with the simplest mathematics.



The bottom line is always whether someone chooses to eat or not.



Fat ***** choose to eat.
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If only it were that simple. Don’t get me wrong. I know I’m overweight because I eat more than I should. Your comments apply to me quite well. That said, I’ve known a variety of people who watched their calories with psychotic obsession. A few examples:

I dated an anorexic with a BMI in the “obese” range. She was hospitalized a few times for malnutrition. She’d been at it for years yet was still overweight.

Back when I was rock climbing three times a week I occasionally climbed with a woman who was there every damn day. She went up 30 foot rock walls a dozen times a day, had a personal trainer, and was still what the BMI scale considered overweight.

I know a woman whose BMI keeps her in the “morbidly obese” range because of her breasts. She’s athletic, thin, has a tiny ass, and breasts that enter the room two minutes before she does unless she’s sprinting.

I could go on. Yes, many people are overweight because they eat and drink too much. Dismissing ALL overweight people as simply overeating is just plain dumb.
 
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halleyscomet said:
Dismissing ALL overweight people as simply overeating is just plain dumb.
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I repeat: calories consumed - calories burned = weight gain or loss.

If you wish to challenge that, please go ahead, because the laws of physics haven't been changed for a few centuries, so maybe it's time to change them.

Also, BMI is irrelevant.
 
The Atheist said:
I repeat: calories consumed - calories burned = weight gain or loss.



If you wish to challenge that, please go ahead, because the laws of physics haven't been changed for a few centuries, so maybe it's time to change them.



Also, BMI is irrelevant.
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Nobody is claiming that the laws of physics have changed. If you’re not going to engage in this discussion with integrity I might as well get into a Twitter argument about politics.
 
halleyscomet said:
Nobody is claiming that the laws of physics have changed.
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Then the facts are clear - the only way to be fat is to eat more than one needs. That's not what you were saying earlier:

"Dismissing ALL overweight people as simply overeating is just plain dumb."


halleyscomet said:
If you’re not going to engage in this discussion with integrity ...
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In the context of this thread, that's very ironically funny.

Yes, there are all sorts of reasons why people overeat, and all of them are psychological. Whether someone's metabolism or gut microbioeme makes them more likely to become obese is utterly irrelevant. Lots of people face challenges, and most of them overcome them.

Fat people want a free pass.

Boo Hoo.
 
The Atheist said:
Then the facts are clear - the only way to be fat is to eat more than one needs. That's not what you were saying earlier:



"Dismissing ALL overweight people as simply overeating is just plain dumb."









In the context of this thread, that's very ironically funny.



Yes, there are all sorts of reasons why people overeat, and all of them are psychological. Whether someone's metabolism or gut microbioeme makes them more likely to become obese is utterly irrelevant. Lots of people face challenges, and most of them overcome them.



Fat people want a free pass.



Boo Hoo.
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So according to you hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sleep apnea are all just willpower issues.

Fascinating.
 
Skeptical Greg said:
However, can we continue to ignore the source of the calories, as these diseases continue to rise in spite of the diet and exercise guidelines being recommended by the mainstream medical community for the last 50 or so years?
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Absolutely - unless those guidelines are being followed. What makes you think they are?
 
halleyscomet said:
So according to you hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sleep apnea are all just willpower issues.

Fascinating.
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Nope - but good way to display exactly what I've been saying.

All of those issues (and sleep apnoea is more likely a symptom of fatness than cause) do not change the basic facts that more calories must be consumed than used. Those people face more challenges than others, but so do paraplegics, and there are plenty of them who aren't obese.

I do enjoy the attempts to justify obesity by focusing on obscure examples. Hypothyroidism occurs in less than 0.5% of people.

40% of Americans are obese.
 
The Atheist said:
Nope - but good way to display exactly what I've been saying.

All of those issues (and sleep apnoea is more likely a symptom of fatness than cause) do not change the basic facts that more calories must be consumed than used. Those people face more challenges than others, but so do paraplegics, and there are plenty of them who aren't obese.

I do enjoy the attempts to justify obesity by focusing on obscure examples. Hypothyroidism occurs in less than 0.5% of people.

40% of Americans are obese.
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As are 34% of New Zealanders. Your point?
 
Venom said:
I've heard that many Pacific island natives are obese, or at least are susceptible to obesity.
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No big mystery..

How paradise became the fattest place in the world

The epidemic began through the tropical region turning its back on traditional diets of fresh fish and vegetables and replacing them with highly processed and energy-dense food such as white rice, flour, canned foods, processed meats and soft drinks imported from other countries. One of the root causes of the change is the price tag.
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Skeptical Greg said:
My understanding was that hypothyroidism was being offered as a cause of obesity and The Atheist was pointing out that it was present in a very small subset of the people who are obese in the USA.

Your point?
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This:

I understood his point about hyperthyroidism. It is a valid point. The add on last sentence re % in the USA seems to have nothing to do with that. You may recall that the thread title states global obesity epidemic.

ETA I am embarrassed. This seems to be one of those days when I should not be posting. Apologies to The Atheist for completely misunderstanding his post. It was completely consistent. I retract my comments.
 
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Steve said:
As are 34% of New Zealanders. Your point?
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Certainly are, however:

Venom said:
I've heard that many Pacific island natives are obese, or at least are susceptible to obesity.
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Not just in the Islands, either. Far more Pasiifika people live in NZ than the islands, and their obesity rate is astronomical.

At 65% NZ Pasifika obesity, plus 45% Maori obesity, the rate for other NZ residents isn't that bad.

https://www.health.govt.nz/nz-health-statistics/health-statistics-and-data-sets/obesity-statistics

Skeptical Greg said:
No big mystery..

How paradise became the fattest place in the world
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Ninja'd.

I was about to explain exactly that point - that it's all been caused by NZ & Aussie seeing a great market for cheap cuts that would otherwise be turned into fertiliser.

There's probably some poetic justice that we pick up the finance tab for the health issues it causes.

The money-go-round.
 
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