# How Fat is Too Fat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622 "2012-11-30T22:47:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/241 "2012-12-04T23:48:06Z")
You asked a question, and I pointed out that I had already answered it some time ago, that’s why I quoted myself. Yes, I’m saying that walking counts as exercise and can lead to weight loss. I’m saying it because I’ve personally experienced this. I’ve rephrased this exact same statement multiple times. If this isn’t clear to you by now, there’s really no other way for me to rephrase it that would get through to you. I don’t really believe you misunderstand me, however. You move the goalposts, you set up strawmen to argue against, and you’re just digging in your heels, so I’m fairly sure you understand what we’re saying, you’re just refusing to admit you were wrong, so you’re digging your heels in to save face. Just FYI, the “saving face” bit is backfiring on you. ---
**Author:** ![Modern\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@Modern\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modern_Master)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/242 "2012-12-04T23:49:26Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > You asked a question, and I pointed out that I had already answered it some time ago, that’s why I quoted myself. > > Yes, I’m saying that walking counts as exercise and can lead to weight loss. I’m saying it because I’ve personally experienced this. I’ve rephrased this exact same statement multiple times. If this isn’t clear to you by now, there’s really no other way for me to rephrase it that would get through to you. > > I don’t really believe you misunderstand me, however. You move the goalposts, you set up strawmen to argue against, and you’re just digging in your heels, so I’m fairly sure you understand what we’re saying, you’re just refusing to admit you were wrong, so you’re digging your heels in to save face. Just FYI, the “saving face” bit is backfiring on you. What is it that I’m saving face from exactly? I don’t know, man. It’s hard to take you seriously when you’re saying I’m obese. I’m not even going to try to figure out why you think that. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/243 "2012-12-04T23:53:15Z")
I’m not actually the one who said that. Although I do happen to know it was a jest to get your attention, although the math is still correct. ---
**Author:** ![Modern\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@Modern\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modern_Master)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/244 "2012-12-04T23:59:12Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > I’m not actually the one who said that. > > Although I do happen to know it was a jest to get your attention, although the math is still correct. Whatever, dude. I can’t make sense out of your posts anymore. Time to move on. ---
**Author:** ![thenonepercent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@thenonepercent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thenonepercent)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/245 "2012-12-05T00:07:41Z")
Hey, does constantly moving the goalposts count as exercise? ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/246 "2012-12-05T00:09:31Z")
> [@thenonepercent](#): > > Hey, does constantly moving the goalposts count as exercise? Only if you do it fast enough. ---
**Author:** ![thenonepercent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@thenonepercent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thenonepercent)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/247 "2012-12-05T00:11:12Z")
> [@Modern\_Master](#): > > And good grief again. NO, it doesn’t have to be 100% effective for it to count as exercise. Holy Christ. So what does it take to count as exercise? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/248 "2012-12-05T00:11:46Z")
I don’t think you’ll ever change Modern Masters mind. He’s a lost cause. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/249 "2012-12-05T00:13:48Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Only if you do it fast enough. He must be RIPPED, then. 😃 > [@Modern\_Master](#): > > Whatever, dude. I can’t make sense out of your posts anymore. Time to move on. Thank you for conceding. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/250 "2012-12-05T00:16:03Z")
I just came back from my three-mile-long non-exercise physical activity! ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/251 "2012-12-05T00:16:52Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I just came back from my three-mile-long non-exercise physical activity! One of the few times I really wish we had a LIKE button. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/252 "2012-12-05T00:29:58Z")
> [@Modern\_Master](#): > > What is it that I’m saving face from exactly? posting stupid shit. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/253 "2012-12-05T01:01:29Z")
Modern Master might have missed [this article](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-01-21-fidget-activity_N.htm) I previously mentioned on non-exercise activity thermogenesis: > [@](#): > > Many overweight people in the USA have “sitting disease” and would lose weight if they did more walking, standing and moving around during the day, says endocrinologist James Levine of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. > > Levine is talking about increasing your NEAT, or “non-exercise activity thermogenesis,” which accounts for much of your movement and therefore caloric expenditure throughout the day. These are activities such as walking to lunch, pacing while on the phone, cleaning the house, cooking, climbing stairs, standing while you talk to a friend, folding laundry. It doesn’t include the calories you burn during intense exercise: jogging, aerobics or power walking… > > …If you incorporate some of these ideas into your day, you burn an extra 500 to 1,000 calories. How much is 500 to 1,000 calories? Well, the recommended intake is 2,000 calories a day - so that is as much as half of your daily calorie expenditure (and about 1-2 pounds of fat a week, if not burned)! There is also a nice table of the number of calories burned doing different activities, compared to how many people do them; for example, instead of parking as close as you can and taking an elevator, park some distance away and take the stirs, which will burn many times more calories (dependent on how many steps you take, the example uses 15 for the first and 80-120 for the second); the daily total for all of the activities they list is 85 calories for the lazy sedentary person and 510-680 for the more active person, which amounts to up to 595 extra calories a day - 595 calories that will be stored as fat if you eat the same amount, adding up to 62 pounds a year of weight gain (of course, weight gain increases caloric requirements so you don’t actually gain 62 pounds, but you do gain weight). Heck, you could even reward yourself with [one of these](http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-cheeseburger-regular-single-patty-i21091) and still lose weight! ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/254 "2012-12-05T01:18:01Z")
> [@Modern\_Master](#): > > Now that I know that walking is exercise, I will be able to brag to people when I walked to the toilet. > > I will be sure to use the furthest one from me in order to tell people that I’ve burned lots of calories. Oh my god just shut the fuck up already. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/255 "2012-12-05T01:46:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Many overweight people in the USA have “sitting disease” and would lose weight if they did more walking, **standing** and moving around during the day, says endocrinologist James Levine of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Standing?! Oh my - endocrinologist James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, **Modern Master** would like to have a word with you! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/256 "2012-12-05T03:02:30Z")
The division between non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) and exercise rests not on intensity but on whether or not it is structured and planned, done with the purpose to be exercise. **Monstro** ’s planned brisk walks are exercise. Sprinting through an airport for 20 minutes carrying a 35 pound suitcase and a toddler to catch a flight is NEPA because it was unplanned and unstructured. Much of NEPA is lower intensity but it does not need to be. Both have benefits but the greater amount of calories burned are usually through NEPA (the calorie burning referred to as non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT), ranging from 15% to 50% of daily calories depending on the individual. Interestingly enough non-obese individuals automatically increase NEAT when overfed and obese individuals do not. ---
**Author:** ![living\_in\_hell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@living\_in\_hell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/living_in_hell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/257 "2012-12-05T03:08:03Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > So you are saying that in a gym, you were: > > 1. sneered at by other patrons > 2. told you had no right to move slowly in the aerobic pool, and I’ll assume this wasn’t in the middle of someone’s class that you weren’t a part of > 3. told that you should just stay home and stuff cookies into your mouth until you die, because there’s no hope for you > 4. mooed at, and not by stray cows > 5. had your walk made fun of > 6. ridiculed when you asked an employee for instructions on how to use a machine > 7. ridiculed when you asked an employee about gym etiquette > 8. told flat out by an employee that if you had been hitting a gym regularly that you would KNOW how to do whatever simple thing you were inquiring about > > I’m really astonished that your local gyms, businesses that make their money getting people in shape and keeping them in shape, allow this to happen since you and other large people are their target market. It amazes me that myself and other hardcore gym goers have never witnessed such conduct. In 30+ years of working out regularly, I’ve never set foot in a gym that would tolerate such conduct from a patron, never mind an employee. > > Frankly, in my gym, the trainers practically fight over who gets first dibs on the fat chicks because they tend to be the best customers. The women start working with a trainer, have positive support and encouragement and see results. They bond with their trainer, keep losing weight and shaping up, and begin to make all kinds of changes. The ones that don’t get scared and quit, it’s really something to see how they change over a year or two. Not just physically but mentally. Once that switch is flipped and they see what their life could be like, they don’t stop. They don’t have any more excuses, just goals. And they blossom. In 30+ years, I’ve never gotten tired of watching it happen. Plus a gazillion. It is also a huge liability to allow members on the floor who have not been taught how to properly use the equipment. I have belonged to gyms almost as long as you, and whenever I join a new gym I still have to prove to them I am knowledgeable enough to use the equipment without an orientation. I have also been employed by 3 very different gyms, in 3 different states, and have never ever witnessed the type of harassment towards members that I read about here. If anything, people :rolleyes: at the women who wear makeup to the gym or the meatheads who cheer eachother on like baboons or how, like at World Gym it can be like a pickup bar only without booze. 😃 Lynn, with all due respect, this statement: **told that I should just stay home and stuff cookies into my mouth until I die, because there’s no hope for me** is really difficult to believe. I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you are saying that someone–an employee of a gym, who likely has a passion for fitness and most likely a degree or training in fitness and health–said this to your face? Aside from being completely asocial, it is bad business and completely unprofessional. Can you say a little more about the conversation that surrounded this remark? ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/258 "2012-12-05T03:10:22Z")
Aw c’mon guys! I had a rough day and I’d love nothing more than to settle into a good long thread about how it’s so easy/hard to lose weight. You know the ones where someone says it’s simple science and someone else says but you don’t understand that I’m special and science doesn’t work on me? Can we stop feeding it now and get back to the good stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/259 "2012-12-05T03:29:16Z")
> [@Modern\_Master](#): > > I stopped taking the conversation seriously. At this point, it isn’t worth it. And now I’m just here for the LOLs. This is coming and sounding dangerously close to trolling. If you have problems with any other poster, take it to the BBQ Pit. Get back on track with the OP and stop hijacking it. If you want to start a debate, there is a forum called Great Debates on here, feel free to make one in there. **Everyone else:** Stop the hijacks right now. Get back to the OP, please, and drop the debate over what exercise is or isn’t. Great Debates is open if anyone wishes to start a topic there and the Pit is there if you want to say how you really feel to anyone. Beyond this post, there will be warnings given to anyone continuing the hijack or heated discussion/posts. ---
**Author:** ![living\_in\_hell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@living\_in\_hell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/living_in_hell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/260 "2012-12-05T03:30:14Z")
One more thing, and I apologize if it has already been said here. I think that when we think about the “costs” of overweight and obesity, we have to think about more than medical issues. Off the top of my head, I can think of three overweight individuals whose lives were impacted in other ways. One woman’s wait on the Section 8 housing list was much longer than average and ultimately resulted in her having to take a home in an unsafe neighborhood because her mobility challenges necessitated a first floor unit. Another woman was unable to work because she could neither stand nor sit for long periods of time due to swelling and vascular problems in her legs. One man suffered severe depression, as he was unable to attend his grandson’s (of whom he had custody) little league games because he couldn’t navigate safely the uneven terrain to get to the field. These are all people I have met personally. And while they all had numerous health issues correlated with their weight–their weight was correlated with a lot more than bad toenails. Their lifestyles cost a lot of people, in a lot of ways. So when you ask “how fat is too fat” I guess it is worth thinking about, because it is a pretty complex issue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622.md?page=14)