Comments on: The United States of Fat http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/ Firedoglake weblog Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:34:37 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: valletta http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529288 valletta Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:50:02 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529288 <p>If you can find it, watch the documentary “King Corn”. I saw the producer on CSPAN with Brian Lamb and it was pretty fascinating. Two young guys lease an acre of land to plant corn and follow the process. Get’s into this subject with some humor a la “Supersize Me”</p> If you can find it, watch the documentary “King Corn”. I saw the producer on CSPAN with Brian Lamb and it was pretty fascinating. Two young guys lease an acre of land to plant corn and follow the process. Get’s into this subject with some humor a la “Supersize Me”

]]> By: TomR http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529198 TomR Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:16:55 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529198 <p>When it comes to obesity, they’re not playing around in Japan:</p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06.....13fat.html</a></p> <p>- Tom</p> When it comes to obesity, they’re not playing around in Japan:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06…..13fat.html

- Tom

]]> By: brat http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529158 brat Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:56:02 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529158 <p>Another reason for weight gain: People are smoking less. Niccotine is a great appetite supressent. (Nasty carcinogen, yes, but it does take care of appetite).</p> <p>And if Americans are working more, getting paid less, pray tell how are they going to find time to exercise?</p> Another reason for weight gain: People are smoking less. Niccotine is a great appetite supressent. (Nasty carcinogen, yes, but it does take care of appetite).

And if Americans are working more, getting paid less, pray tell how are they going to find time to exercise?

]]> By: Ian Welsh http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529077 Ian Welsh Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:11:48 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1529077 <p>Most high school P.E. programs are pretty awful, not at all what a trainer would recommend for someone trying to control weight. Putting on muscle increases metabolic rate for as long as you keep the muscle, and cardio has a window after exercise where it increases your burn rate. That said, I don’t think exercise alone is enough unless you’re really pushing it (when I was running over 50 miles a week, I guarantee I did not have to worry about my weight), but I do know that there’s some reason to think it’s help, and on a person anecdotal level I know that I never struggled with my weight when I was getting even moderate exercise (though, to be fair, that’s more a maintainence than a loss thing).</p> <p>Cardio also increases your ability to learn, substantially, for some hours after you exercise. I believe they’ve even measured specific brain changes as a result (I’ll have to look it up again and do an article, it’s fascinating). Evidence for weight and motor skills is less, mostly because there are a lot less studies, but there’s some evidence that learning skilled motor activities also improves intelligence and in older types staves off age based physical declines. Cardio combined with light weights and yoga/tai-chi is probably pretty close to ideal for anyone who can fit it in, and is very good for older folks. Add some challenging mental activities, decent diet and keep social ties up and barring bad luck or illness, you stand a good chance of being healthy, able and fit either until you die or the last couple years of your life.</p> <p>For youngsters though, exercise is correlated with a ton of good outcomes including better grades, more self-esteem, better ability to concentrate, higher graduation rates and on and on.</p> Most high school P.E. programs are pretty awful, not at all what a trainer would recommend for someone trying to control weight. Putting on muscle increases metabolic rate for as long as you keep the muscle, and cardio has a window after exercise where it increases your burn rate. That said, I don’t think exercise alone is enough unless you’re really pushing it (when I was running over 50 miles a week, I guarantee I did not have to worry about my weight), but I do know that there’s some reason to think it’s help, and on a person anecdotal level I know that I never struggled with my weight when I was getting even moderate exercise (though, to be fair, that’s more a maintainence than a loss thing).

Cardio also increases your ability to learn, substantially, for some hours after you exercise. I believe they’ve even measured specific brain changes as a result (I’ll have to look it up again and do an article, it’s fascinating). Evidence for weight and motor skills is less, mostly because there are a lot less studies, but there’s some evidence that learning skilled motor activities also improves intelligence and in older types staves off age based physical declines. Cardio combined with light weights and yoga/tai-chi is probably pretty close to ideal for anyone who can fit it in, and is very good for older folks. Add some challenging mental activities, decent diet and keep social ties up and barring bad luck or illness, you stand a good chance of being healthy, able and fit either until you die or the last couple years of your life.

For youngsters though, exercise is correlated with a ton of good outcomes including better grades, more self-esteem, better ability to concentrate, higher graduation rates and on and on.

]]> By: me2i81 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528999 me2i81 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:23:39 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528999 <p>A recent <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSARM15527920080701" rel="nofollow">study</a> seems to indicate that PE at school doesn’t reduce BMI in children. Gary Taubes’ recent book, <i>Good Calories, Bad Calories</i> is an interesting read, though it’s not a diet book and doesn’t give any advice. Exercise, while a good thing to do for general health, doesn’t work very well as a weight loss method when one looks at the population at large. Some people are able to exercise and lose weight, but most people automatically adjust the amount they eat to compensate for the exercise. Also, the calories per hour listed on exercise machines is often misleading–it includes basal metabolism. As others have mentioned, lifting weights seems to be more effective than just aerobic exercise, though you have to be careful to lift enough weight–some people just go through the motions.</p> <p>I’ve found reducing carbs has been the only diet that’s worked for me.</p> A recent study seems to indicate that PE at school doesn’t reduce BMI in children. Gary Taubes’ recent book, Good Calories, Bad Calories is an interesting read, though it’s not a diet book and doesn’t give any advice. Exercise, while a good thing to do for general health, doesn’t work very well as a weight loss method when one looks at the population at large. Some people are able to exercise and lose weight, but most people automatically adjust the amount they eat to compensate for the exercise. Also, the calories per hour listed on exercise machines is often misleading–it includes basal metabolism. As others have mentioned, lifting weights seems to be more effective than just aerobic exercise, though you have to be careful to lift enough weight–some people just go through the motions.

I’ve found reducing carbs has been the only diet that’s worked for me.

]]> By: diablesseblu http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528709 diablesseblu Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:22:24 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528709 <p>Thanks greenwarrior,</p> <p>Yes, I am very proud of her. We’re twins and when I’m visiting her town, I am stopped wherever I go. People just approach me to comment on how wonderful she is and they “hope she won’t retire until my child graduates”.</p> <p>She’s really had a passion for her calling and is truly doing God’s work.</p> Thanks greenwarrior,

Yes, I am very proud of her. We’re twins and when I’m visiting her town, I am stopped wherever I go. People just approach me to comment on how wonderful she is and they “hope she won’t retire until my child graduates”.

She’s really had a passion for her calling and is truly doing God’s work.

]]> By: greenwarrior http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528693 greenwarrior Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:18:29 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528693 <p>I would follow my football-playing brother around and try to eat as much as he did, especially as summers and bathing suit season were coming up. I was really skinny in high school. That was then.</p> I would follow my football-playing brother around and try to eat as much as he did, especially as summers and bathing suit season were coming up. I was really skinny in high school. That was then.

]]> By: Fern http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528676 Fern Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:14:07 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528676 <p>Ding. </p> <p>probably the lower nutritional value of what we eat keeps people craving food even though they have theoretically had enough to eat. their stomachs are full but their bodies are hungry.</p> Ding.

probably the lower nutritional value of what we eat keeps people craving food even though they have theoretically had enough to eat. their stomachs are full but their bodies are hungry.

]]> By: greenwarrior http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528673 greenwarrior Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:13:41 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528673 <p>Sounds like she’s doing wonderful things in a difficult situation. You must be really proud of her.</p> Sounds like she’s doing wonderful things in a difficult situation. You must be really proud of her.

]]> By: Fern http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528664 Fern Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:12:09 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/07/05/the-united-states-of-fat/#comment-1528664 <p>It wasn’t much different 30-odd years ago when I had mine. Not a lot of the young women I knew were breastfeeding in those days.</p> It wasn’t much different 30-odd years ago when I had mine. Not a lot of the young women I knew were breastfeeding in those days.

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