Today Every State in America Has an Obesity Rate Over 20%

[NikolaeVarius]

BMI isn't a "one size fits all" mold. People do have different builds and BMI isn't always accurate. A person with a large build but a BMI of 27 may look to be in far better shape than someone slight of build with a BMI of 24.

If I were to get my 6 foot frame down to 183 lbs to not be "overweight" based on BMI, I'd look like a cancer patient. I was 195 lbs at one point and had very little body fat.

Bullshit. I'm 6 feet and at 190 pounds and squatting 315 and benching 215 (Not claiming these are big numbers, just to say that I was lifting) , I still had tons of body fat.

Your perception is what is fat is WAYY off.

 

[Mai72]

I've been using My Fitness Pal for a while now.

It's amazing just how fast those calories add up. One donut? 350 calories. Currently I'm trying to stick to a 2200 calorie diet. I tend to go over at times, but by using My Fitness Pal I can see how close I am to my daily goals. It lets me know how much protein, fat, sugar and carbs I'm eating as well. It's not exactly 100% accurate, but it's damn close.

 

[QueBert]

Bullshit. I'm 6 feet and at 190 pounds and squatting 315 and benching 215 (Not claiming these are big numbers, just to say that I was lifting) , I still had tons of body fat.

Your perception is what is fat is WAYY off.

BMI charts are crap, according to them I'm about 5lbs away from being obese, yet I can fit into the smallest size jeans they sell in the mens department and 1 size up I need a belt. If I was in the weight for my BMI range by what the chart says, I would look like an AIDS patient who was on his last leg.

 

[MongGrel]

Thread needs more Pizza.

 

[child of wonder]

Your perception is what is fat is WAYY off.

I'm talking about obesity and, yes, my perception of obesity must be way off because I used to be 282 lbs and was definitely obese. Then I lost 65 lbs and BMI told me at 217 I was still only a few pounds shy of obese.

Nebor gave the only real exception to BMI which is someone who has focused on muscle building and weight lifting will have proportionally more muscle than someone who is active but not building muscle and therefore a higher BMI.

That's just it. I ended up with a larger frame than most, particularly in my legs and calves. They're massive and muscular and have always been that way. For me, a BMI below obese would be 221 lbs and the BEGINNING of not being overweight is 183 lbs. I've been 196 lbs and I wasn't overweight.

There really are different body types and BMI doesn't fit them all. Apparently for my height 137 lbs is still a normal weight. That's insane.

I'm 6'2" and 168lbs. Your idea of what fat looks like is clearly skewed. "Cancer patient @ 183lbs." lol. You're a delusional fatty.

A "delusional fatty." lol

At least I'm not an anonymous keyboard warrior who insults strangers on the internet though so I have that going for me.

Anyway, it's clear Americans are getting way too fat and, yes, the large majority of people in the "obese" range on the BMI scale really are obese. However, I don't feel having a BMI of 31 automatically means you're obese unless you're a body builder. It may in fact be that you have a larger than normal body type that, while overweight, doesn't mean you're obese. I'm not sure why that opinion is deserving of insults.

 

[pete6032]

I'm pretty sure junk food for me is just as bad as drugs or alcohol for others. Whatever I buy I eat multiple servings of it, I just can't stop.

Fortunately it has never affected my weight and I have always been thin. My BMI is under 20, partially because of genetics, partially because I run, walk, or bike whenever I can. I have stopped buying junk food altogether and crave it much less now, but it has always been, and will continue to be a a battle of will.

 

[bradley]

I disagree. Fast food isn't necessarily bad. Taco Bell, for example, doesn't add sugar to any of their food. I eat quite a bit of Taco Bell and I'm 74", 168lbs, 12% body fat.

How did you arrive at the 12% body fat figure? I see plenty of people at the gym claiming numbers below 15% who clearly have metabolic syndrome without any truly visible abs. They are usually more likely a few percent below 20%. Most people are wildly inaccurate when guessing their own body fat percentage.

I also agree with those who say to ignore BMI. Again, body fat percentage tells it all. Any male with an over 20% body fat is overweight and 24% body fat is officially obese even with a BMI in the normal range. I wouldn't be surprised if many here were considered overweight or obese while thinking otherwise.

And as someone who admits to being a regular fast food consumer, you have no room to judge others. I have never even been in a Taco Bell or any of the other fast food restaurants. And every single one is within easy walking distance for me. I have been to McDonald's only twice in my entire life, for instance. So I'm not part of that particular problem.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I was a year or two ago .... 200 pounds at 6' tall. I also could bench 225+, deadlift 320+ and squat ??????. ???? because I was afraid to do a 1 RM.

But the thing is, I was a pretty damned thick 200 pounds. I think I qualified easily as Obese.

 

[Nebor]

How did you arrive at the 12% body fat figure? I see plenty of people at the gym claiming numbers below 15% who clearly have metabolic syndrome without any truly visible abs. They are usually more likely a few percent below 20%. Most people are wildly inaccurate when guessing their own body fat percentage.

I also agree with those who say to ignore BMI. Again, body fat percentage tells it all. Any male with an over 20% body fat is overweight and 24% body fat is officially obese even with a BMI in the normal range. I wouldn't be surprised if many here were considered overweight or obese while thinking otherwise.

And as someone who admits to being a regular fast food consumer, you have no room to judge others. I have never even been in a Taco Bell or any of the other fast food restaurants. And every single one is within easy walking distance for me. I have been to McDonald's only twice in my entire life, for instance. So I'm not part of that particular problem.

Most recently a DEXA scan at Tripler Army Hospital. They also offer hydrostatic weighing. I also have an impedence scale that while not quite as accurate, is at least consistent and allows me to track trends in BF %.

I have tons of room to judge others. I'm currently drenched in sweat from running 13 miles, I lifted weights (shoulder day) at lunch and did Insanity Max Interval Plyo this morning at 5am. According to my handy dandy Fitbit app, I still have 1,736 calories left until I'm breaking even for the day. Maybe I'll have some Taco Bell.

 

[bradley]

Most recently a DEXA scan at Tripler Army Hospital. They also offer hydrostatic weighing. I also have an impedence scale that while not quite as accurate, is at least consistent and allows me to track trends in BF %.

I have tons of room to judge others. I'm currently drenched in sweat from running 13 miles, I lifted weights (shoulder day) at lunch and did Insanity Max Interval Plyo this morning at 5am. According to my handy dandy Fitbit app, I still have 1,736 calories left until I'm breaking even for the day. Maybe I'll have some Taco Bell.

DEXA can still can be very wrong if improperly calibrated, but ok, that qualifies. I also have a bodyfat measured in the 8% range using a DEXA, also a bodpod last year.

Although I don't feel the need to judge others. But then the person judging mostly is defining him/herself and centers around self-esteem and acceptance.

 

[stlc8tr]

I was a year or two ago .... 200 pounds at 6' tall. I also could bench 225+, deadlift 320+ and squat ??????. ???? because I was afraid to do a 1 RM.

But the thing is, I was a pretty damned thick 200 pounds. I think I qualified easily as Obese.

Yeah, benching two plates when you're 200 lbs isn't that great. You should aim for at least three plates and if you want to be elite, four plates.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Agree with Bradley - BMI is next to useless because it uses the square of height. We are volumetric, not 2 dimensional. Body fat percentage is a much more useful metric, and I think most people have a lot more body fat than they think they do. If you have even a small gut, I'd say you are most likely over 20% body fat.

I think the problem is that we still don't really understand what causes obesity. That may sound like a silly statement, but come on, everybody puts so much effort into losing weight, and yet they continue to get fatter. Yes some people let go and eat whatever they feel like, but I think the majority of people have some interest in losing weight - they just find it so hard to do.

This is because we still don't know exactly what makes you fat. Without understanding the cause, people just get fatter. And no, it is not nearly as simple as Calories in - calories out = weight loss or gain. Calories out itself can very depending on, among other things, calories in and the timing of calories in.

There have been studies done in which diabetics reduced their daily calorie consumption and still got fatter. According to conventional theory, this should be impossible.

 

[Nebor]

Agree with Bradley - BMI is next to useless because it uses the square of height. We are volumetric, not 2 dimensional. Body fat percentage is a much more useful metric, and I think most people have a lot more body fat than they think they do. If you have even a small gut, I'd say you are most likely over 20% body fat.

I think the problem is that we still don't really understand what causes obesity. That may sound like a silly statement, but come on, everybody puts so much effort into losing weight, and yet they continue to get fatter. Yes some people let go and eat whatever they feel like, but I think the majority of people have some interest in losing weight - they just find it so hard to do.

This is because we still don't know exactly what makes you fat. Without understanding the cause, people just get fatter. And no, it is not nearly as simple as Calories in - calories out = weight loss or gain. Calories out itself can very depending on, among other things, calories in and the timing of calories in.

There have been studies done in which diabetics reduced their daily calorie consumption and still got fatter. According to conventional theory, this should be impossible.

Eating too much food makes people fat. Anyone that puts "so much effort into losing weight" loses weight. People who talk about it but don't change their behavior don't lose weight.

Every controlled experiment has proven CICO. A fat Scotsman lived off his fat, water and some vitamins for a year. There's an entire TV show called Secret Eaters that shows why people gain weight: because they're not honest about what they're eating. Then we have the biggest loser where mysteriously, people under close supervision during diet and exercise never seem to gain weight.

GTFO with your excuses. No one here buys into them. Most tech people have taken Physics 1 at some point in their lives.

 

[sportage]

Donald Trump is going to make us soooooooooo healthy and skinny.
Like THE BEST skinny you can imagine.
So skinny, we'll all have to wear flashing lights around our ankles so we can see each other coming.
The best goodest health we can ever be. Like really a big deal healthy.


Seriously....
In America it is IMPOSSIBLE to be healthy.
A buddy of mine has a lot of medical issues, smoked most of his life, and now paying the price BIG TIME !!!!!

After fluid in the lungs, and several heart attacks, the doc says he must eat healthy and cut out or greatly reduce salt intake and lost weight.
So... try doing THAT in America without hiring a personal nutritionist.
Or try finding healthy food on the run that is actually healthy.
You won't find it at McDonald's, Wendy's, any Taco place, or major restaurant.

Our society is just not tuned to the health of its people.
The only food available out there is junk, crap, and full of salt and fat.
It is more than a challenge and truly a nightmare just trying not to kill yourself with the food we eat in America.
Getting healthy, staying healthy nutrition wise in America is impossible.

Unless you have the time and talent to cook everything from scratch, all day long, every day, day in day out, unless you can tackle that you are surely doomed.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were at least one or two fast food places that actually served healthy low salt no fat foods?
Veggies instead of fries, baked instead of deep fried, grilled instead of breaded?
There needs to be a law.
And fast food needs to be hung by the neck until dead.
It's either them.... or us.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Eating too much food makes people fat. Anyone that puts "so much effort into losing weight" loses weight. People who talk about it but don't change their behavior don't lose weight.

Every controlled experiment has proven CICO. A fat Scotsman lived off his fat, water and some vitamins for a year. There's an entire TV show called Secret Eaters that shows why people gain weight: because they're not honest about what they're eating. Then we have the biggest loser where mysteriously, people under close supervision during diet and exercise never seem to gain weight.

GTFO with your excuses. No one here buys into them. Most tech people have taken Physics 1 at some point in their lives.

The major problem is that people try to reduce a very complex condition - obesity - to a very simple equation, and it just does not work. It just doesn't hold true.

Why do you think there is a correlation between artificially sweetened beverages (ie Coke Zero) and obesity?

Its not as simple as saying that people who don't lose weight are just lazy or lacking willpower. Its much more complicated than that, and a large part of the problem is that people assume they already know the answer, when they actually don't.

I encourage you to read www.intensivedietarymanagement.com. It will be eye opening for you. Before you ask, I have no relationship to that site. I just happened to find it myself, and started reading. No referral fees or anything, I am not affiliated in any way.

Regarding excuses, my BMI is currently below 25 and heading south. I haven't eaten in 40 hours now, despite having a freezer full of delicious food. My problem is not willpower.

 

[lxskllr]

Why do you think there is a correlation between artificially sweetened beverages (ie Coke Zero) and obesity?

Probably because people buy the XL Fartburger meal, a chicken sandwich on the side, and a sundae for dessert cause diet soda has anti-calories. One diet soda negates everything else in the meal, and the effect can be stored. Drink Diet Coke all day? That means you can take an extra donut at work, and eat what you want for dinner.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Probably because people buy the XL Fartburger meal, a chicken sandwich on the side, and a sundae for dessert cause diet soda has anti-calories. One diet soda negates everything else in the meal, and the effect can be stored. Drink Diet Coke all day? That means you can take an extra donut at work, and eat what you want for dinner.

And that goes for every single person who drinks Diet Coke?

 

[lxskllr]

And that goes for every single person who drinks Diet Coke?

Don't know, but that's where I would look. When you've done a "good job" by drinking "diet" soda, it's easy to justify a little snack on occasion. Add some "little snacks" together, and you're talking real calories. Calories in > calories expended = fat. The inverse is also true. Otherwise, you have what amounts to a perpetual motion machine.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Don't know, but that's where I would look. When you've done a "good job" by drinking "diet" soda, it's easy to justify a little snack on occasion. Add some "little snacks" together, and you're talking real calories. Calories in > calories expended = fat. The inverse is also true. Otherwise, you have what amounts to a perpetual motion machine.

No, the problem is you're vastly oversimplifying the mechanisms by which the body uses and stores energy.

It really isn't as simple as calories in vs calories out. Many studies have disproved it.

EDIT:

Here is a link to read.

Also read this.

 

[lxskllr]

No, the problem is you're vastly oversimplifying the mechanisms by which the body uses and stores energy.

It really isn't as simple as calories in vs calories out. Many studies have disproved it.

EDIT:

Here is a link to read.

Also read this.

The study that first link writes about doesn't say anything like that in the abstract. I won't have time to read the study til tonight, but I will certainly be surprised if it finds free energy. It would be like putting 5G of fuel in the car, driving 100 miles, and having 10G in the tank.

 

[Ketchup]

Why do you think there is a correlation between artificially sweetened beverages (ie Coke Zero) and obesity?

Because only obese people start drinking it? I drink it (and have cut down) due to a history of high blood sugar in my family. I am not obese. I know I am one person, but I think you are getting the cause and the effect backwards.

 

[Ancalagon44]

The study that first link writes about doesn't say anything like that in the abstract. I won't have time to read the study til tonight, but I will certainly be surprised if it finds free energy. It would be like putting 5G of fuel in the car, driving 100 miles, and having 10G in the tank.

No, you're still not getting it. You're oversimplifying it again. Read both links, especially the second one. And read a few more of the Calories series on that website.

The salient point is that your body's daily expenditure is not as constant as you think. Obese people burn a lot more energy daily than thin people, for instance. If you reduce your daily calories by eating smaller meals, your body will lower its expenditure to compensate. Your body temperature will drop, brain activity will slow, and heart rate will drop. This is how the body copes with a reduction in energy in - it compensates by reducing energy out.

After reading the calories series, read the stuff about hormonal obesity, for a good explanation of what causes obesity (hint: as stated, its not nearly as simple as most people think).

Because only obese people start drinking it? I drink it (and have cut down) due to a history of high blood sugar in my family. I am not obese. I know I am one person, but I think you are getting the cause and the effect backwards.

Read this.

 

[Ketchup]

Read this.

I have read things like that before, and is one of the reasons I have cut back on soda as I whole. Most of what I drink in a given day is water. I think it's a good way to cut out the whole argument, one way or the other.

 

[Ackmed]

Yep, if we only eliminated fast food/unhealthy restaurants everyone would go to their grocery store and buy fruits and vegetables because there is no way to get unhealthy food from a grocery store. 🙄

-KeithP

Did I say that they couldn't? Stop putting words in my mouth. The FACT is, that fast food is a big factor in America being over weight. If you disagree, then that's fine. You'd be wrong however.

 

[ControlD]

I blame Minecraft for this.