I just don't care about the 'obesity epidemic'

I won't die of any genetically inherited disease. I could get run over by a car or something but diabetes is not in my future.

I may be missing the context here, but you can still contract genetic, inhereted and acquired diseases if you are not obese. Obesity increases the risk of developing some health problems but being of a normal weight doesn't guarantee you will only die if you forget to look both ways while crossing the street.

Well said and why it's dangerous for weight to be equated with health. Many thin people get ill because they have a false sense that their size protects them from the ravages of disease.

What's your point? Many diseases have nothing to do with weight, you dont have to be a rocket scientist to know that. There are those that do and it's always either from weighing too much or too little. Are you now saying that being obese doesn't increase your risk for any disease?

Someone above seemed to be claiming they weren't going to develop any life threatening diseases because they weren't overweight. You're right, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that this is silly.

I don't think she is saying that being obese doesn't increase your risk of certain diseases, but simply that being overweight should not be "equated" with being in poor health.

I won't die of any genetically inherited disease. I could get run over by a car or something but diabetes is not in my future.

I'm jealous. I think I wouldn't mind knowing if I was going to get cancer, kidney disease, etc.
'course no matter how healthy we are, we ALL die of one genetically inherited trait: being human.

This thread's been reported as offensive!

I'm curious, what's offensive about it?

In United Kingdom this topic is discriminating to the highest degree. End off.

I'm sorry you're offended. To me the debate over whether or not obesity should be considered a public health issue is an interesting one and not meant as offensive to anyone. I think people on both sides have made good arguments, although there may have been a minute in the middle there where it went off the rails a bit...

This thread's been reported as offensive!

I'm curious, what's offensive about it?

In United Kingdom this topic is discriminating to the highest degree. End off.

Huh? Offensive? Discriminating? Perhaps these terms have a different meaning in Oxford's as compared to Webster's. Oh, sure, there may be some posts in these many pages that are "offensive", but the discussion itself? I struggle to see that.

But I also find myself frequently reminded that I should never underestimate other people's ability to find offense where I struggle to find it.

How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?

This is a discriminating comment made by utter ignorance and thoughtlessness. Something the American public see as quite normal, from what I gather, but very damaging. Also a certain political viewpoint is characteristic of such a statement, which I will stay well clear off. Good bye.
Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.

I thought we were on this site... because we were fighting being overweight or obese! Let's have a little kindness here! I did not try to be overweight... it just crept up on me while I was working full time, caring for older parents, raising kids, not taking care of myself! Its an epidemic due to portion sizes being too large everywhere, including our own kitchen tables, and we are not out " hunting and gathering" anymore. Being overweight is unhealthy and also inconvenient!

How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?

Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.

In the case of the specialized equipment in a hospital: who's forcing you to look? If you don't need it, you don't need to look at it. That should end the affront to your eyes, no?

The equipment must be paid for, and the cost is not entirely borne by the obese patients themselves. I think the point was the affront to the pocketbook, not the eyes.

I'm astounded that some people equate adults discussing the issue in an online forum with some kind of discrimination or disdain for the obese individuals themselves. Have we truly gotten to the point as a society where openly discussing an issue...from all sides...is no different than engaging in the actual behavior?

And let's say for the sake of argument that there truly is some level of discrimination involved here. Am I alone in the belief that the first step to reconciling and resolving any discrimination is an open dialog? Don't we first have to understand a problem before we can effectively address it?

There are a lot of issues that others worry about that I think are overblown...but this...this inability to engage in a simple discourse...and even beyond that, to actively trying to silence others who would be so brazen as to try to discuss it...I truly believe will be a significant factor in the undoing of civilization.

I blame the increasingly popular attitude of "Don't say anything I don't want to hear or it's rude/bullying.", "Don't say anything unless you're in agreement with me.", paticipation trophies for everyone, & general over sensitivity.

I won't die of any genetically inherited disease. I could get run over by a car or something but diabetes is not in my future.

I may be missing the context here, but you can still contract genetic, inhereted and acquired diseases if you are not obese. Obesity increases the risk of developing some health problems but being of a normal weight doesn't guarantee you will only die if you forget to look both ways while crossing the street.

Well said and why it's dangerous for weight to be equated with health. Many thin people get ill because they have a false sense that their size protects them from the ravages of disease.

What's your point? Many diseases have nothing to do with weight, you dont have to be a rocket scientist to know that. There are those that do and it's always either from weighing too much or too little. Are you now saying that being obese doesn't increase your risk for any disease?

Someone above seemed to be claiming they weren't going to develop any life threatening diseases because they weren't overweight. You're right, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that this is silly.

I don't think she is saying that being obese doesn't increase your risk of certain diseases, but simply that being overweight should not be "equated" with being in poor health.

Thank you! Exactly my point.

I am sorry if some people are offended are upset by this discussion, but I think it's very important. People aren't used to hearing that health is more important than size. That is my one first point. My second point is that hating fat people, including yourselves contributes NOTHING to society or to your own journey to health.

The equipment must be paid for, and the cost is not entirely borne by the obese patients themselves. I think the point was the affront to the pocketbook, not the eyes.

That's a short sighted view of hospital care. If that reasoning stands, then I should not have to pay for a hospital to be prepared to treat a diabetic - for luckily, I am not one. Nor, should I have to chip in to pay for respiratory equipment - for my lungs, at present, are healthy. It's the cost of treating all patients.

Yes, but it's given as an example of how obesity in a significant portion of the population can drive up health care costs. That's in addition to the effect on insurance premiums of a population more prone to the development of diseases that require expensive treatment.

That said, I do NOT think individual people who are overweight or have weight-related medical expenses should be made to feel bad, any more than someone with cancer should feel bad. I do think it's important to recognize that if measures were taken to lessen or prevent weight-related health problems (like losing weight), that would probably be a step in a positive direction for that person, and, if a lot of people were to do this, for society as a whole. But I certainly don't think obese people should be made to feel bad about themselves as a means to that end. I think this may be a really subtle point that I understand could leave people feeling unfairly attacked or victimized.

I also think there are a lot of people out there who do discrimintate against obese people, and not even necessarily for any reason related to public health.

The question is, how can obese people (speaking generally -- I think the people on this site are an exception) be encouraged to lose weight without applying that stigma?

How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?

Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.

In the case of the specialized equipment in a hospital: who's forcing you to look? If you don't need it, you don't need to look at it. That should end the affront to your eyes, no?

The equipment must be paid for, and the cost is not entirely borne by the obese patients themselves. I think the point was the affront to the pocketbook, not the eyes.

This obsession that Americans seem to have with OMG MAH TAX DOLLARS is really intriguing to me. I often wonder if it extends to other conditions as well.

I don't know. I just....okay, I look at it like this. My father smoked for thirty-five years. He's now 66 years old and suffers from COPD, sleep apnea and congestive heart failure. I guess he would most likely attract the disgust and derision of many commenting in this thread, because he also happens to be overweight. Has he always been overweight? No. But his conditions have left his mobility severely impaired, and he can barely get around the house, let alone do any sort of meaningful exercise. In addition, the medications he takes each day to keep his lungs functioning even at the low level they are cause him to retain fluid and gain weight (yay for massive amounts of steroids!)

Are his conditions his "fault"? Yeah, probably. And he's well aware of that, no one needs to remind him. But I still....I can't imagine looking at him and actually pointing my finger at him and saying, "Well, don't expect any sympathy from me!" And yes, he has had to make use of special bariatric equipment at our local hospital. Yes, he is on a seniors' drug plan in our province (which supplements the private insurance that, thankfully, my parents do have.) And I am extremely grateful to know that, even if they did not have private insurance, he would still be able to access the treatment he needs.

I have a feeling that most of the people in this thread who are so concerned about where their tax dollars are being spent have not had to deal with a family member or other loved one who, yes, is overweight, but is that way because of circumstances largely outside of their control. All this talk about "fatties" on airplanes and how dare they infringe on my space and all that....did you ever stop to think that maybe that "fatty" is fighting a battle you don't know anything about?

I know this comment is going to do nothing but draw out those who will insist that I am being too sensitive, that the situation I'm speaking of is rare. But it's probably not as rare as you think, and I don't think it hurts anyone to be a little human sometimes. I've heard way too many snickers and seen too many pointing fingers on the rare occasion that I take my father to the grocery store and we park in the handicapped space (yes, he has a placard). I know what they're thinking: "Being fat and lazy is not a disability". But they don't know the full story, and they don't care to know, because it's easier to just be an ignorant *kitten*.

How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?

Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.

In the case of the specialized equipment in a hospital: who's forcing you to look? If you don't need it, you don't need to look at it. That should end the affront to your eyes, no?

The equipment must be paid for, and the cost is not entirely borne by the obese patients themselves. I think the point was the affront to the pocketbook, not the eyes.

This obsession that Americans seem to have with OMG MAH TAX DOLLARS is really intriguing to me. I often wonder if it extends to other conditions as well.

My father smoked for thirty-five years. He's now 66 years old and suffers from COPD, sleep apnea and congestive heart failure. I guess he would most likely attract the disgust and derision of many commenting in this thread, because he also happens to be overweight...

All this talk about "fatties" on airplanes and how dare they infringe on my space and all that....did you ever stop to think that maybe that "fatty" is fighting a battle you don't know anything about?

I sympathize with having an ill parent (I am dealing with a terminally ill parent myself). I am sorry you have had to deal with rude people when parking the car - I have had similar situations with my parent (who then lifted up his shirt to show the bags and wires attached).

The main reason I care about the obesity epidemic is because poor dietary habits are overtaking/have overtaken smoking as the main cause of preventable death.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/07/poor-dietary-habits-are-killing-people/#.UoGG2u_iG7s

But as for "fatty" on a plane/bus/train;

I don't accept people invading my personal space/touching me in other situations (i.e just because they are drunk or stupid or socially unaware) - why should I accept it because someone eats too much? Especially for a long haul flight or bus trip.

Sure, I consider the fact that they might have issues, but mostly I am highly irritated that they make it MY issue by getting into my personal space uninvited.

The OP asked how my neighbour's obesity affects me - that's how.

Are his conditions his "fault"? Yeah, probably. And he's well aware of that, no one needs to remind him. But I still....I can't imagine looking at him and actually pointing my finger at him and saying, "Well, don't expect any sympathy from me!"

Exactly, and this is where I think we need to draw the line between being concerned about an issue and blaming individual people. I believe we can have the first without the second.

well in the UK here we all pay a fortune to the NHS - and the overweight people are the ones with health issues clogging up the system. So yes - it affects us.
it also affects us if we are parents and we want our children to grow healthy and strong and don't want them to think its ok to be obese and inactive - we want good examples and education around our kids.
we live in a society. Its ridiculous to say what we all do doesn't have flow on effects to each other.

No wo/man is an island, as they say!

No skinny people with health issues? The UK must be a magical place. Just the fatties "clogging" the healthcare system with their fat. So I can't be fat because your kid might think it's ok to be fat? Seriously? In other words fat people are bad because their ruining your idea of what society should be?

people that smoke and drink to much come in all sizes and cause health issues to,I think that if people have medical issues due to their lifestyle choice then maybe they should pay for a portion of they're medical bills out of their own pocket to alleviate some of the cost for people who do not have life styles that affect their health in a negative way.

Obese people cost 40% more a year in health care related expenses than a "normal" weight person. As a rule they do not pay more for health insurance than a "normal" size person, i.e., there is a cost that is spread to people who can push away from the table. Statistically obese people call in "sick" to work more often and file more workers comp claims (not to mention health care workers who are injured taking care of obese patients-happens all the time), so again, money.

It isn't about aesthetics, it's about money.

This. Be educated before starting rants like this in MFP forums. It'll only lead to attacks

Lol. Ditto to you. It's funny what people will do with math and statistics when they don't know how to use them.


Question for you (since you claim to be educated). What % cost increase across the board does that 40% increase per fatty translate to?

Surely you don't think that it translates to a straight 40% increase in health care costs accross the board right? I mean you are educated so you must know that.

If so.. what is the cost increase to us all that is attributed directly to obesity? That would be a number I am interested in. Could you please use your education to calculate that?

40% more for each fatty. How many fatties are we talking about? Do they all dip into that cost increase every year? How many of them have high deductible health plans? How many have an MCO or PPO plan? What about privately insured patients? How about the uninsured or undocumented free care pool? Also, give us the Medicaid number...


Please... educate us.


(Pro tip: Ignore every statistic you heard about and do some math. I can guarantee that 100% of the time, 50% of every statistic is a lie. Even this one)

cause what this person wrote is just pure awesomeness I have to bump it down again before I kick a puppy (hypothetically) over the "my taxes" debate (imagine me saying "my taxes" in the most hillbilly way possible) emerging again.

PS-morbidly obese person here who pays her premiums and deductibles. How much have I cost all you "my taxes" people?