# 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:** 14
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/261 "2012-12-05T03:35:09Z")
> [@mage-girl](#): > > I don’t eat out much at all, and I think my main culprit is lack of exercise. But I can’t afford a gym membership (I’m on disability) and I don’t live in the safest neighborhood so walking is not the best idea. Literally, I live right next door to a rooming house. Plus, I have a bad back that I’m in PT for. So, how am I supposed to exercise? Anyone got an answer for that? Your physical therapist can (and should) give you ideas for safe and effective workouts. Strengthening your back can only help, and losing weight just might as well. Many (most?) PT places will allow you use of their facilities while you are a client. Pool work would likely be ideal for you. > [@Modern\_Master](#): > > What happened to being happy with your body? > > Shame on people who are satisfied with their body and don’t feel like running on the hamster wheel. Is it inconceivable to you that there are people whose happiness and satisfaction with their bodies is _because_ they “run on the hamster wheel?” That it is a joy and not a punishment? I was the least athletic person I know for over 30 years—picked last on teams, failing gym—but practically nothing makes me happier than running. (Yes, I have even said on occasion that it’s better than sex…) ETA: I hadn’t seen the mod note before putting that last section in, but I do think it’s valid and not part of the “Is this exercise? What about this? THIS?” hijacking. ---
**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, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/262 "2012-12-05T03:55:45Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > 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. the question is, who gives a shit. exertion is exertion. it doesn’t matter if it’s planned. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/263 "2012-12-05T05:25:15Z")
**Modern Master** – is every pro-athlete an exercise addict, then? :dubious: Being “happy with your body” when you’re seriously overweight, when it has an impact on your _health_ IS a problem. If you’re happy, that’s all well and good. But the point is – am I in good health? Am I at risk of a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc? Is it worth it? I mean, there’s fat acceptance in that you shouldn’t go around screaming “FATTIE!!!” at people at the top of your lungs. But people also shouldn’t kid themselves about the genuine risks of being overweight. > [@Modern\_Master](#): > > Are you saying that it would? > > Is it 100% effective? It does for my father. He can’t jog or ride a bike because of arthritis. But up until recently\*, he’d walk about two or three miles at a local park a day. (In addition to watching his diet, of course). And he’s in DAMNED good shape. A few years ago, I worked at the Carnegie Science Center. I’d take a bus downtown, and then I’d transfer on a bus to get to the Science Center. Except on nice days, I’d skip the second bus, and walk to work from downtown across the bridge over to the North Shore. I lost a good fifteen pounds that way. (Not to mention the view is gorgeous!) Unfortunately you could only do that when the weather was nice (and I was also laid off). But seriously, it’s GOOD for you. No one is talking about just “walking to the goddamned toilet”. A few miles, at least. There’s a big difference. Hell, you could run to the kitchen – doesn’t make it the same as “running” itself. \*He’s been sick in the past few months – shingles, then kidney stones, then a hernia operation, etc. He lost a good thirty pounds, so now he’s trying to _gain_ weight. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/264 "2012-12-05T05:58:21Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > {b}Modern Master\*\*, you seem to have this bizarre idea that exercise is some special category of physical activity, somehow set apart from all other physical activity. It isn’t. ALL physical activity is exercise… **MM** got stuck in a bit of a misunderstanding, of a rather idiosyncratic use of the term. > [@Modern\_Master](#): > > > [@ultrafilter](#): > > > > The phrase that y’all are looking for is [non-exercise physical activity](http://www.awakenedwellness.com/nepa-non-exercise-physical-activity). > > I think people are ignoring your post, but I read it. This is what they mean except in their minds, it’s exercise. But the whole point of that page is that non-structured, ‘routine’ activities _are_ calorie-burning and healthy–which is what most here are simply calling “exercise.” That guy is contrasting “non-exercise physical activity” with “structured exercise,” as in going to a gym for regular workouts. ---
**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, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/265 "2012-12-05T06:15:47Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > the question is, who gives a shit. exertion is exertion. it doesn’t matter if it’s planned. The scientists and healthcare professionals give a shit … or two. The exertion, the activity, that is unplanned, is highly significant. Are there ways to encourage it? Why do those who are not prone to obesity automatically increase it without thinking about it during overfeeding conditions but those prone to obesity do not? How can it be encouraged and increased? Of course the fact is that activity is activity and the only reason we need to have planned activity (“exercise”) is because unplanned activity, which used to be a large part of _everyone’s_ daily lives, does not happen to anywhere near the same degree. That’s the "lackamotion"part. Fitness accrues from activity. Plan it with bouts of planned exercise (such as an hour of brisk walking) or by creating a lifestyle that affords unstructured unplanned activity all day or better yet both and fitness will ensue. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/266 "2012-12-05T06:17:03Z")
Back to the question posed by the OP: How fat is too fat? I’d say that when a person’s weight is significantly interfering with their health, or their ability to perform everyday tasks, or is causing them severe difficulties in other areas of their life (such as the examples posed by **living\_in\_hell** ’s post upthread), that is too fat. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/267 "2012-12-05T07:29:14Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I had to learn that people are expected to wipe down the equipment with sprays and towels on the SDMB, for crying out loud. That’s… really gross. So you just left the equipment all sweaty and expected the next person to cheerfully use it? Maybe that’s part of the reason you encountered unusual levels of hostility. I’m not tying to be mean, everyone is ignorant of something and I’m sure most of us have failed to realize something that should have been blindingly obvious at some point in our lives. But not cleaning up after yourself (as you now know) is considered super rude in the world of public gymnasiums, and maybe that’s why some people at that gym took an initial disliking to you. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/268 "2012-12-05T09:49:27Z")
> [@SecretaryofEvil](#): > > That’s… really gross. So you just left the equipment all sweaty and expected the next person to cheerfully use it? Maybe that’s part of the reason you encountered unusual levels of hostility. I’m not tying to be mean, everyone is ignorant of something and I’m sure most of us have failed to realize something that should have been blindingly obvious at some point in our lives. But not cleaning up after yourself (as you now know) is considered super rude in the world of public gymnasiums, and maybe that’s why some people at that gym took an initial disliking to you. I thought it was like restaurant tables, that the workers went around cleaning up after the users. I don’t expect to wipe down a table and chair after I eat out. And yes, it’s gross to leave a mess, but I honestly thought that it was someone’s JOB to go around and do that. I didn’t see other users doing it. Once I knew better, of course, I did better…but how the hell was I expected to know better, if I saw a few workers doing it, but never saw any members? Incidentally, the gym area was not in the same room as the check in area, and the check in area was where I asked for help. > [@](#): > > 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? I found it difficult to believe, too. I rather doubt that this particular woman had a degree in anything, other than being related to the owner. She had a passion for talking on her cell phone, I can tell you that. ---
**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, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/269 "2012-12-05T12:38:18Z")
Oh, [the Science article](http://www.sciencemag.org/content/283/5399/212.full) about that automatic increase in NEAT and the lack thereof: > [@](#): > > Changes in NEAT accounted for the 10-fold differences in fat storage that occurred and directly predicted resistance to fat gain with overfeeding (correlation coefficient = 0.77, probability \< 0.001). These results suggest that as humans overeat, activation of NEAT dissipates excess energy to preserve leanness and that failure to activate NEAT may result in ready fat gain. … > > … NEAT proved to be the principal mediator of resistance to fat gain with overfeeding. The average increase in NEAT (336 kcal/day) accounted for two-thirds of the increase in daily energy expenditure (Table 2), and the range of change in NEAT in our volunteers was large (−98 to +692 kcal/day). However, most importantly, changes in NEAT directly predicted resistance to fat gain with overfeeding (Fig. 1C), and this predictive value was not influenced by starting weight (24). > > Thus, activation of NEAT can explain the variability in fat gain with overeating. As humans overeat, those with effective activation of NEAT can dissipate the excess energy so that it is not available for storage as fat, whereas those with lesser degrees of NEAT activation will likely have greater fat gain and be predisposed to develop obesity. The maximum increase in NEAT that we detected (692 kcal/day, volunteer 5) could be accounted for by an increase in strolling-equivalent activity (25) by about 15 min/hour during waking hours. > > … our results suggest that efforts to enhance NEAT activation, perhaps through behavioral cues, may be a fruitful approach to the prevention of obesity. So walking as exercise is very good. And walking as part of NEAT. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/270 "2012-12-05T12:43:10Z")
> [@SecretaryofEvil](#): > > That’s… really gross. So you just left the equipment all sweaty and expected the next person to cheerfully use it? Maybe that’s part of the reason you encountered unusual levels of hostility. I’m not tying to be mean, everyone is ignorant of something and I’m sure most of us have failed to realize something that should have been blindingly obvious at some point in our lives. But not cleaning up after yourself (as you now know) is considered super rude in the world of public gymnasiums, and maybe that’s why some people at that gym took an initial disliking to you. Thinking back on it…I had never even actually used the gym equipment at that time. I’d only used the pool. And yes, I DID shower before going in. And I didn’t put a ton of conditioner in my hair, as many of the women in that gym did. I also didn’t go in the pool wearing a jogging suit (really!) or relax in the whirlpool wearing makeup and jewelry. At any rate, I had been using the pool, and I thought that I might try using some of the exercise bikes or treadmills, and I asked at the front desk about getting some help and instructions on using the equipment. No help available. No personal trainers available. Try again next week. I guess that the women wearing jogging suits in the pool and whirlpool were Muslim, as they covered their hair with scarves. This particular gym was a women-only gym, men weren’t even supposed to be in it, though some men did come into the reception area and sit on the couches. Most of the gym staff were kind of weird…and this is ME saying this. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/271 "2012-12-05T15:02:55Z")
That does sound like a weird gym. Usually the problem with trainers at the gym is that they are too desperate for work and offer annoying unsolicited advice. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/272 "2012-12-05T15:06:54Z")
I never heard of NEAT until this thread. Good to learn something new. I’m concerned because even though I’m thin (which I attribute to a combination of planned exercise, moderate diet, and my intrinsic makeup), if someone were to analyze me, I think my NEAT would be lower than average. As long as there is something in my face holding my attention (like the SDMB or a spreadsheet of interesting data), my butt can stay frozen in a chair all day. It’s good to know that simply getting out of my chair and walking around the cube farm, along with my current regimine, will help offset the affects aging likely will have on my metabolism. Meaning, maybe it won’t be necessary for me to crank up the treadmill speed and/or lower my caloric intake as I get older, just to keep my weight as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/273 "2012-12-05T23:57:20Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > Back to the question posed by the OP: How fat is too fat? I’d say that when a person’s weight is significantly interfering with their health, or their ability to perform everyday tasks, or is causing them severe difficulties in other areas of their life (such as the examples posed by **living\_in\_hell** ’s post upthread), that is too fat. Another angle to consider is the amount and [type of cholesterols](http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/finding-the-ideal-cholesterol-ratio) in your body which usually (but not necessarily) dependent on your body weight and your activity level. A few years ago, I had a [lipid test](http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/guide/understanding-numbers) where my LDL was borderline high, but fortunately my triglycerides was excellent (74), but my HDL was at 34 (borderline low). I was at 290 lbs. at the time, so he (my doctor) said “Aerobic exercise”…less lifting, more running (elliptical) and you will be in great shape for a 42 year old. He knows about my bad knees, so he did cut me _some_ slack. A few years later, my LDL was near optimal and my HDL was near 50…which moved my ratio closer to ideal. So, even below 300 lbs…you still may be too fat as my good doctor has indicated to me…I did get down to 236, but I have put 30 back on, but jumped on elliptical again when I hit 284 (not exercising from a pulled hamstring…and then was too lazy to start up again a year later)…but now back to 267 and eating modestly (i.e.-no diet, but no gorging either). Aerobic exercise works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/274 "2012-12-06T00:20:43Z")
> [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > …I was at 290 lbs. at the time, so he (my doctor) said “Aerobic exercise”… **less lifting** , more running (elliptical) and you will be in great shape for a 42 year old… (emphasis mine) I’m curious why he said that; weightlifting is actually highly beneficial to your body, I’ve never heard of it causing high cholesterol (nor does it cause high blood pressure or bad joints, quite the opposite in fact, unless you do it improperly; and yes, that includes knees; [see this article of top weightlifting myths](http://stronglifts.com/weight-lifting-myths-debunked/), myth #2 in particular). ---
**Author:** ![yams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/848f3c/32.png) [@yams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yams)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/275 "2012-12-06T01:58:22Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I just came back from my three-mile-long non-exercise physical activity! This is a random question, but **monstro** , do you listen to music when you do your non-exercise physical activity? I like to go on (exceedingly slow) runs, and sometimes will listen to lectures while running, but if I just want a nice, head-clearing couple of miles, I put on some up-tempo music and run along to the beat. If I am walking (to class, for example) I might listen to lectures or books on tape, but would never listen to the same music I do when I am running (I might listen to music, but I wouldn’t call up my running mix). So do you listen to music, or lecture-type stuff, or do you just like to be alone with your thoughts, or what? Just curious! love yams!! ---
**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 6, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/276 "2012-12-06T03:04:32Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > (emphasis mine) > > I’m curious why he said that; weightlifting is actually highly beneficial to your body, I’ve never heard of it causing high cholesterol (nor does it cause high blood pressure or bad joints, quite the opposite in fact, unless you do it improperly; and yes, that includes knees; [see this article of top weightlifting myths](http://stronglifts.com/weight-lifting-myths-debunked/), myth #2 in particular). While I am personally unimpressed there is a body of work that shows HDL raising effects of aerobic exercise and [not with](http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/228/4/434.short) resistance training. > [@](#): > > Twenty-six volunteers who exhibited android obesity and at least one other risk factor for coronary artery disease were randomized to aerobic or resistance training groups. Body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, glucose, insulin, body composition, 24-hr urinary albumin, fibrinogen, blood pressure, and lipid profile were measured at baseline and after 10 weeks of exercise training. Both groups showed a significant reduction in waist-to-hip ratio and the resistance training group also showed a reduction in total body fat. There was no significant change in mean arterial blood pressure in either group. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides were unchanged in both groups. **High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased (13%) with aerobic training only.** Plasma fibrinogen was increased (28% and 34%, P \< 0.02) in both groups and both groups showed a significant decrease (34% and 28%, P \< 0.03) in microalbuminuria after their respective training regimen. In conclusion, resistance training was effective in improving body composition of middle-aged obese sedentary males. Only aerobic training was effective in raising HDL cholesterol. (Bolding mine.) On balance I completely agree with you and see the health benefits of weight training, especially at 40 and beyond, to be very substantial. But the doc may have been keying in on wanting to get the HDL up some and aerobic is generally considered better for that one thing. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/277 "2012-12-06T03:19:05Z")
**yams!!** , I usually listen to music. I don’t do the ear-bud thing because they never stay in my ears and I need to be able to hear what’s going on around me, so fortunately my mp3 player has a powerful speaker. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/278 "2012-12-06T03:35:31Z")
I’m not sure how many of you saw this story earlier this year: [Fitness trainer gains and loses 70 pounds in 1 year – on purpose](http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/05/health/drew-manning-fit2fat2fit-lessons/index.html). To better understand his overweight clients, Drew Manning purposefully put on 70 pounds and stopped exercising. He found it difficult to get back into shape: > [@](#): > > Manning says he didn’t realize the effects of his weight gain would be more than physical. It altered his relationships and his self-confidence. Returning to the gym after the Fit2Fat portion of his journey made him nervous. The fact that he had to do push-ups on his knees was almost humiliating. > > “The biggest thing [I learned] is that it’s not just about the physical. It’s not just about the meal plan and the workouts and those things. The key is the mental and the emotional issues. I realized those issues are real.” Here’s a guy who knew exactly what to do, yet he was having to deal with weight-related mental issues when trying to get back in shape. No doubt it’s even harder for normal overweight people who didn’t used to be physical trainers to get over their mental issues. I’m surprised there isn’t more known about how to get sedentary people into exercise. It’s not enough to say move more. There are mental barriers which need to be broken down. It’s almost like the body is fighting to stay sedentary. That’s unfortunate. Once you really get into exercise, it can feel good and your body will want to stay fit. It’s just a matter of getting over that mental block. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/279 "2012-12-06T04:35:10Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > **yams!!** , I usually listen to music. I don’t do the ear-bud thing because they never stay in my ears and I need to be able to hear what’s going on around me, so fortunately my mp3 player has a powerful speaker. I don’t do earbuds either, but I get el cheapo over-the-ear old-school headphones ($10 or less at Target) and those do the job nicely. Edit: I’m an idiot and missed the part about how you need to hear what’s going on around you. I sometimes solve this by just leaving one headphone tucked behind my ear instead of over my ear, but perhaps this is not a good option for you. As for gyms, I’ve been a member of fancy-schmancy expensive gyms, and also a member of local community center gyms, and I’ve never been made fun of or made to feel unwelcome in the slightest. My weight while going to the gym has been anywhere from 175 to 215 pounds, as a 5’7" person, which I think definitely qualifies me as a fattie at the upper end of that scale. (Hell, some people would probably call me a fattie at the lower end. If they could keep up with me long enough to get within hearing range. Ha.) ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/280 "2012-12-06T14:19:02Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Here’s a guy who knew exactly what to do, yet he was having to deal with weight-related mental issues when trying to get back in shape. No doubt it’s even harder for normal overweight people who didn’t used to be physical trainers to get over their mental issues. I’m glad you mentioned this story. Not only did he know what to do, he knew he COULD do it, as he was in great physical shape prior to the start of his experiment. That has to make a difference. Many overweight people have never been in good shape, so they don’t have any confidence that they can get better with exercise. > [@filmore](#): > > I’m surprised there isn’t more known about how to get sedentary people into exercise. It’s not enough to say move more. There are mental barriers which need to be broken down. It’s almost like the body is fighting to stay sedentary. That’s unfortunate. Once you really get into exercise, it can feel good and your body will want to stay fit. It’s just a matter of getting over that mental block. I think a lot of heavy people are like me, and never experience any good feelings with exercise. I’ve never had a “runner’s high,” or enjoyed the physical process of moving. I do enjoy being strong and fit, but the actual exercise process itself is unpleasant, and always has been. And who wants to do something unpleasant (even if it is ultimately good for you)? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622.md?page=15)