Obese Americans: unhealthy, or just special?

[Tamas]

Opened to move discussion from the Covid thread

[11B4V]

Unhealthy.

[Zoupa]

Being obese is unhealthy in the short, medium and long term.

There is 70 years of medical data to prove it.

You can close the thread now. 

[mongers]

Though if food shortages continue, someone overweight or obese might well have a key advantage over some of us.

[fromtia]

Are you saying I'm fat?

[The Brain]

Being obese is unhealthy in the short, medium and long term.

There is 70 years of medical data to prove it.

You can close the thread now. 

katmai is older than I thought.

[fromtia]

Does my bum look big in this?

[Barrister]

Being obese is unhealthy on average in the short, medium and long term.

Fixed your post.

[DGuller]

I think the distinction is whether obesity is unhealthy in itself, or whether it's a risk factor for developing things that are unhealthy.  I think it's a risk factor. 

That doesn't mean that I'm belittling the importance of not being obese.  As a risk factor, it's a pretty damn big risk factor, and people who don't think they should eliminate it are delusional, but it is just a risk factor.  Someone who's in the middle of playing a game of Russian Roulette is on average just as (physically) healthy as someone who doesn't play a Russian Roulette.  It's just that their choice of gambling entertainment is a risk factor for developing a condition that has a very high fatality rate.

[Barrister]

So, the reason I push back hard on the "obesity = unhealthy" line isn't because I'm fat.  I've met a bunch of you now and I think you can vouch that I'm at a 'healthy' BMI.

But I've gone to a new doctor who said "Oh you're skinny, you're fine".  It's not that fucking simple.

Yes - obesity can be caused by a number of things that are unhealthy.  Mostly poor diet choices and poor exercise.  But someone who is obese doesn't necessarily make poor diet choices and not exercise.  Someone who is skinny doesn't necessarily mean they make good diet choices and do exercise.

What doctors, and society, should focus on is not weight itself. We should instead focus on healthy choices - proper diet and exercise.  When people eat a proper diet and get plenty of exercise they will tend to not be obese - but it is not guaranteed.

There's also a lot of research that says once someone is obese diets just don't work for the huge majority of people.  People almost invariably regain any weight lost.

What we need to do is not focus on weight itself, but on the underlying factors of being healthy.  Which are correlated, but not inherently caused, by being overweight.

[merithyn]

So, the reason I push back hard on the "obesity = unhealthy" line isn't because I'm fat.  I've met a bunch of you now and I think you can vouch that I'm at a 'healthy' BMI.

But I've gone to a new doctor who said "Oh you're skinny, you're fine".  It's not that fucking simple.

Yes - obesity can be caused by a number of things that are unhealthy.  Mostly poor diet choices and poor exercise.  But someone who is obese doesn't necessarily make poor diet choices and not exercise.  Someone who is skinny doesn't necessarily mean they make good diet choices and do exercise.

What doctors, and society, should focus on is not weight itself. We should instead focus on healthy choices - proper diet and exercise.  When people eat a proper diet and get plenty of exercise they will tend to not be obese - but it is not guaranteed.

There's also a lot of research that says once someone is obese diets just don't work for the huge majority of people.  People almost invariably regain any weight lost.

What we need to do is not focus on weight itself, but on the underlying factors of being healthy.  Which are correlated, but not inherently caused, by being overweight.

[DGuller]

I think the fat on the person itself causes issues, not to mention the extra strain put on the body due to additional bulk.

[Zanza]

What doctors, and society, should focus on is not weight itself. We should instead focus on healthy choices - proper diet and exercise.  When people eat a proper diet and get plenty of exercise they will tend to not be obese - but it is not guaranteed.

The idea that someone obese has both proper diet and sufficient exercise for that diet is strange. Where does the excessive body fat come from then?

[merithyn]

What doctors, and society, should focus on is not weight itself. We should instead focus on healthy choices - proper diet and exercise.  When people eat a proper diet and get plenty of exercise they will tend to not be obese - but it is not guaranteed.

The idea that someone obese has both proper diet and sufficient exercise for that diet is strange. Where does the excessive body fat come from then?

It would help if you guys would read a few articles on the topic before spouting off like you know shit.

Most often in those circumstances, it's swelling in the tissues makes weight loss difficult. For people like me, it's insulin resistance making weight loss particularly difficult. 

I ate 1000 calories a day while walking/running/hiking 7-10 miles every day in order to drop 40 pounds over the course of six months. I've stopped exercising so much and upped my calories to 1200 and I've gained back 15 pounds since Europe. Regardless of all of that, I was still considered on the cusp of "obese". Feel free to ask the half dozen or so Languishites I've met in these last year if I appeared "unhealthy". Hint: most of then couldn't keep up with me, but I'm ther obese one.

[Zanza]

Maybe I am missing something, but your experience seems to support my view as you state yourself that with reduced calory intake and higher exercise level you lost weight.