Study: Obese men have just a '1 in 210' chance of attaining a healthy body weight

Options
135

Replies

  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
    Options
    tdijv228m0z9.jpg
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    Options
    An article by a "science writer" that doesn't even link to the paper in question?

    Uh huh.
  • Bacchants
    Bacchants Posts: 92 Member
    Options
    JohnBarth wrote: »
    tdijv228m0z9.jpg

    Haha gotta love dilbert
  • anxioushero
    anxioushero Posts: 61 Member
    edited July 2015
    Options
    Kalikel wrote: »
    That's odd, since it's easier for men to lose, technically. Maybe they care less?

    I don't care if it it's 1 in 1 billion women who lose their weight. I don't care about the rest of them; I'm losing mine.

    I love that positivity!
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Options
    Merkavar wrote: »
    Attain or maintain a healthy weight?

    I think Merkavar has a good point here. Plenty of people lose weight but yo-yo it back on.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Options
    I guess I will be that one in 210.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Options
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    Reading the article, it looks like the study is only looking at the data from British health records. There's no indication that many of the people included in the study dataset even had been on a deliberate weight loss plan. The statistic is possibly skewed more heavily towards failure if they aren't evaluating for individual plans or commitment levels (self initiated vs. doctor recommended).

    Unfortunately a lot of people will take that one piece of information to justify their own defeatist mindset and give themselves permission to fail

    Yeah, the article seems a bit sensationalizing (shocking, I know). Nowhere does it mention that anyone was trying to lose weight?
    Each year obese men have a one in 12 chance of achieving five per cent weight loss, rising to one in 10 among women. But 53 per cent of people who had achieved this regained the weight within a year, and after five years, only 22 per cent had maintained their weight loss.

    This part is more telling. Of those that DID lose weight, 22% maintained it for 5+ years. That's a lot better than the <.5% chance they are quoting.

    Furthermore, they talk about losing 5% of weight? For a 200lb person that's only 10lbs. My weight can fluctuate more than that inside of a week. Again, no mention of whether these people were even trying to lose that weight. It could have just been slight shifts year to year. I'd like to see the stats for people who consciously were trying to lose weight and lost a more reasonable amount (say 10-20% or higher). I'm guessing it's a whole lot higher than 1 in 210.
    But what are the odds for people who spend all of their time and energy searching for excuses to fail?
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Options
    LiftAllThePizzas wrote: »
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    Reading the article, it looks like the study is only looking at the data from British health records. There's no indication that many of the people included in the study dataset even had been on a deliberate weight loss plan. The statistic is possibly skewed more heavily towards failure if they aren't evaluating for individual plans or commitment levels (self initiated vs. doctor recommended).

    Unfortunately a lot of people will take that one piece of information to justify their own defeatist mindset and give themselves permission to fail

    Yeah, the article seems a bit sensationalizing (shocking, I know). Nowhere does it mention that anyone was trying to lose weight?
    Each year obese men have a one in 12 chance of achieving five per cent weight loss, rising to one in 10 among women. But 53 per cent of people who had achieved this regained the weight within a year, and after five years, only 22 per cent had maintained their weight loss.

    This part is more telling. Of those that DID lose weight, 22% maintained it for 5+ years. That's a lot better than the <.5% chance they are quoting.

    Furthermore, they talk about losing 5% of weight? For a 200lb person that's only 10lbs. My weight can fluctuate more than that inside of a week. Again, no mention of whether these people were even trying to lose that weight. It could have just been slight shifts year to year. I'd like to see the stats for people who consciously were trying to lose weight and lost a more reasonable amount (say 10-20% or higher). I'm guessing it's a whole lot higher than 1 in 210.
    But what are the odds for people who spend all of their time and energy searching for excuses to fail?

    Or throwing dollars at gimmicks? Taking unhealthy means to lose weight?
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    Options
    rabbitjb wrote:
    9d6d74fe031877118447580950ed0257.jpg
    LOL!!!! Love this!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Options
    6502programmer wrote: »
    Meh. I quit smoking my first attempt. This is cake compared to nicotine.

    I actually disagree with this. Quitting smoking is difficult, yes. No doubt about that. But, once you quit, you never have to touch it again. You have to find a way to live with food forever.

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Options
    omma_to_3 wrote: »
    6502programmer wrote: »
    Meh. I quit smoking my first attempt. This is cake compared to nicotine.

    I actually disagree with this. Quitting smoking is difficult, yes. No doubt about that. But, once you quit, you never have to touch it again. You have to find a way to live with food forever.

    Here we go again.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Options
    omma_to_3 wrote: »
    6502programmer wrote: »
    Meh. I quit smoking my first attempt. This is cake compared to nicotine.

    I actually disagree with this. Quitting smoking is difficult, yes. No doubt about that. But, once you quit, you never have to touch it again. You have to find a way to live with food forever.
    False dichotomy is false.

  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Options
    Merkavar wrote: »
    Attain or maintain a healthy weight?

    Both it seems, but specifically attain in the first place.

    It suggests that obese people can lose and maintain a significant amount of weight loss but they never get to a "healthy" weight. through these efforts.
  • RBracken34
    RBracken34 Posts: 90 Member
    Options
    I've always been an overachiever in other areas of my life. Knowing the odds are stacked against me only makes me fight harder to overcome them!

    I have overcome a hell of a lot in my life... in three years I went from being a broke, pregnant college student on welfare to a thriving single mom making enough to send my kid to private preschool and pay off my student loans, despite the fact that my caseworker basically flat out told me that the chances of me making it out of poverty were slim to none. Screw the odds! I make my own future. Knowing I'm beating the odds just pushes me more. I can do this. I will do this.

    Thanks for the motivation!
  • RBracken34
    RBracken34 Posts: 90 Member
    Options
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    9d6d74fe031877118447580950ed0257.jpg

    This is fantastic!

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Options
    ihad wrote: »
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/never-tell-me-the-odds-632567

    Says it all really.

  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Options
    The odds of winning the lottery is 1 in 13 billion, yet people still do it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    OP - just quit now while you are ahead....
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Options
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    I don't think of it I terms of "odds" or "chances." It's not the lottery where you buy a ticket and hope it's the winning one. When you make the right choices, the weight comes off, every time. When you keep making the right choices, it stays off.

    Word. You make your own odds.

  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    Options
    There are a couple of people on here who have done it. Men and women. It can be done.

Categories