I noticed this thread had been resurrected. I find it quite interesting really, in parallel with the "Perpetual forum weight control thread" in Community. I think Archie Gemmill Goal is the only person posting in both threads.
Arguing the toss about exactly which measure of overweight/obesity is most valid, and nit-picking exceptions to the generalisations, doesn't seem very constructive to me. The fact is that a huge proportion of the population is overweight/obese whichever way you want to measure it, and the interesting part of the thread is how you manage this
on a population basis.
It's beyond question that individuals can take control of their body weight and remedy the situation personally. In that other thread people are simply sharing their experiences as they do it their own way, and everyone is doing something different. Some people have lost a lot of weight, others are trimming down gradually, but everyone is managing to do something.
The star of the show is Orphia Nay, who had a BMI of about 32 in the spring of last year and who now has a BMI of just under 20, having lost a jaw-dropping 83 lb. She became hooked on running and is turning in half-marathon personal bests on a regular basis. She has some sort of app on her phone that tells her how many calories she's burned and how many to eat. She looks fantastic. She posted a picture the other day.
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=11502462
Another great example is Swordfishtrombone, who has lost 62 lb through a combination of diet and going to the gym.
I myself have lost almost 60 lb, and in my case I haven't been exercising to lose the weight. Rather, losing the weight has allowed me to exercise more, and in particular to take up riding again. I posted before-and-after equestrian shots the other day. (Warning, the "before" picture is truly horrendous.) Actually it's not "after" as the second picture was taken last June and I've lost a bit more since then.
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=11503709
I've just been calorie-counting, and very much aided in that by doing three very low calorie (fast) days per week. Which is kind of what people were saying in this thread - exercise is good for you but not essential for successful weight loss.
MikeG was pointing out however that as a member of a cycling club he knows a number of people who have lost a lot of weight without reducing their caloric input, simply by taking up cycling seriously. I had been sceptical that anyone would actually do that, but apparently some do and it works.
It seems likely there isn't any "one size fits all" strategy that's going to work as the basis for a whole-population campaign. Some people will find exercise enjoyable, while others (like me) would rather just exercise enough to stay healthy but as far as weight loss goes would prefer simply not to eat that extra biscuit. Some people (like me) find that existing for a day on 250 calories isn't too much of a chore when it's only for a day, others say they can't do that and have to get to their weekly calorie goal by trimming a bit off every day.
The one thing the people in that thread have in common is the
desire to lose weight. That comes first and without that nobody is going anywhere. On a population basis, how you you give people that desire, and then help them to find the individual weight loss strategy that they can cope with and that's going to work for them? I don't think there are any easy answers out there.
