What is the definition of “overweight”? (If it’s the Body Mass Index, the stat is in trouble. According to the BMI, some very strong, athletic people are in the “overweight” category because muscle is denser than fat.)
Do you really believe that three out of five adults is overweight (and one out of four is obese)? That’s not what I’m seeing. Then again, I live in Southern California.
BMI does have some problems for certain groups, but for the average person, it’s spot-on. Some estimates have placed the BMI as being accurate for 90% of the population.
Guess it depends on where you live. Doesn’t mean that fat people are evenly distributed. I live in Kansas City, Mo and there are alot of overweight people. Over half the population I would guess at. At least what I see. Going to the movies and Casinos I can see this. That and every guy but one at my job is overweight. (137 employees, 4 females, 2 of which are not heavyweights, every single one has that marriage gut going.) And my job is physical. *Factory work, not super heavy like construction, but does involve keeping moving all day and lifting 25 lbs repeatedly.
Yes, I suppose it depends on where you live. I’ve always been of the opinion that there are more people who are over-weight than of a healthy weight. Sure, it’s a medical determination but, rather, one only need to look at someone to make a determination if they’re over-weight. It just takes brutal honesty to admit it.
This really is nothing I really notice visually, as I tend to ignore features like that in people. However, having seen this thread yesterday, it was just buzzing around in my head, I did a visual survey while shopping yesterday at several locations here in Kansas City. I cannot say that it was more than half, but it seemed a lot.
I don’t find it unreasonable. Look around you. In my office of 30 people in the Sales Dept 3 are NOT overweight. And all the men but me are and my boss areFAT. They all have guts. And I and my boss are over 37. The rest are UNDER 30.
Keep in mind, too, that the medical criteria for being obese and overweight are more strict than you’d think. I’m 5’10", 229 lbs., with a 37" waist, and from a medical standpoint, I’m obese. You would never guess that by looking at me. I certainly agree that I could stand to be a bit leaner, but the fact is, it’d probably be unhealthy for me to get down to the recommended weight for someone of my height (about 175 lbs.). Right now, if I had 5% body fat, I’d be there, but that’s pretty low, and if I add much more lean mass (which I intend to do), then I’d have to be dangerously underfat to hit that mark.
Not that it’s entirely relevant, but I’m 5’6 and weigh 130 pounds. I’ve seen standards that say I’m overweight. Not BMI, that puts me well within normal, but I found a chart that told me I needed to lose 10 pounds. So I tend to be a little hesitant to instantly accept statements about the percentage of people who are too heavy, just because some of the definitions of ‘too heavy’ are absurd.
As a side note, I find some of the attitudes expressed in this thread, as well as other places, rather sickening.
“Maybe the reason you don’t see so many real porkers out and about is that they’re all sat at home chowing down pizza.”
Quite honestly, I fail to see how calling people names is an appropriate response to this. Nor are people who are overweight necessarily sitting home packing it away all day long. Not to mention the fact that it isn’t really any of your business if they are. I’m not sure why we feel a collective need to act as though we’re personally injured by someone else’s eating habits. You can’t catch fat by being near someone. It just isn’t your business.
Areas with high poverty will have the highest rates of obesity according to research, so wouldn’t that mean that the poorer states will have more obesity?
Okay, I’m the one that made that post and I agree it wasn’t really called for. But – and I don’t want to take this thread off-topic – it does get my goat the way some obese people seen to be demanding to be treated as a “minority” worthy of special treatment.
If people are overweight and happy about it, then fine – it’s none of my business and I can’t say it offends me. But if you do want to lose weight, the equation is simple:
Eat less, exercise more.
Anyone else find the idea of these fat blocker pills utterly sickening? “Hey wow, now we can continue to eat obscene amounts of food and we won’t even absorb the fat, it’ll just go straight down the toilet.” A symptom of much that is wrong with the Western world, IMHO…
Maybe the BMI is OK for 90% of the world, but not for me. According to that measurement I’m borderline obese.
Not according to the doctors I’ve had over the last 20 years, though.
I mean, I have an actual WAIST. I feel good. My clothes fit. Men like the way I look. Had a few lesbians say the same. I’m not glamour-queen beautiful but I look healthy.
If I dropped the 30 lbs required to be in the “normal” range I’d be a stick! And probably ill, too.
I weigh 10 lbs less than I did in high school and my weight has been stable for over 15 years. If the health gurus don’t like that, that can go [profanity deleted]
I’m in Southern California, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only man in my department who doesn’t have a Dilbertesque, or Drabble-esque belly. It seems to be normal for men over 30.
