Quote :

"Obesity rates idle as most of us are already fat Have we simply reached a maximum level of tubbiness? America’s rapid rise in obesity appears to have leveled off, with new government figures showing no significant increase in a decade. But there's little reason to cheer. More than two-thirds of adults and almost a third of children are overweight, and there are no signs of improvement. Experts say they’re not sure whether the lull in the battle of the bulge can be attributed to more awareness and better diets — or whether society has simply reached a maximum level of tubbiness. “Maybe in this environment, this is as overweight as we’ll get,” said Gary Foster, director of the Temple University Center for Obesity Research and Education. Being thin is the exception Not only are the vast majority of adults — 68 percent — overweight, 34 percent are obese; and 17 percent of children are obese. Even the youngest Americans are affected — 10 percent of babies and toddlers are precariously heavy. The most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, from the years 2007 to 2008, were contained in two reports published online Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “The absolute numbers here are staggering,” said Foster. “This isn’t something that should be celebrated.” The new data are based on health surveys involving height and weight measurements of 5,700 adults and 4,000 children, surveys the CDC does every two years. “In the most recent decade, we saw a slowing in the increase,” said Cynthia Ogden, the report's author and a CDC researcher who has tracked obesity for years. “It was better news, but it’s still a serious problem.” In most age groups, black adults had the highest rates of obesity, followed by Mexican-Americans and whites. Heaviest boys getting heavier Among children ages 2 to 19, 32 percent were too heavy — a rate that was mostly unchanged. But disturbingly, most obese kids were extremely obese. And the percentage of extremely obese boys ages 6 to 19 has steadily increased, to 15 percent from about 9 percent in 1999-2000. Ogden said it was disappointing to see no decline, and troubling that the heaviest boys seem to be getting even heavier. The study didn't examine the causes, but Ogden cited the usual reasons — soft drinks, video games and inactivity — as possible explanations. "We shouldn't be complacent. We still have a problem," Ogden said. Dr. William Dietz, an obesity expert with the CDC, cautiously called the results promising. "We're at the corner; we haven't turned the corner," he said. Turning point? One factor in the plateau may be the barrage of information about the obesity epidemic — and what to do about it, said Foster. “There’s an increased availability of healthier options than there was five years ago,” he said. VOTE AND DISCUSS School- and community-based efforts to emphasize fitness and healthy eating may also have had some effect, although Foster acknowledges that there’s no good data to prove the point. “I think there’s lot of things you could point to, but the truth is, it’s a confluence of factors,” he said. One of those factors might be the intersection of genetic predisposition to obesity and an environment that encourages weight gain, Foster said. “This is about what we can expect,” he said. “For it to go down, we’re going to have to greatly change the environment for the better.” The obesity epidemic is considered a top White House priority. President Barack Obama has pushed to make obesity prevention part of health care reform. Overhaul measures pending in Congress include encouraging employer-based wellness programs and requiring large restaurant chains to list calories. And Michelle Obama has made childhood obesity and healthy eating habits a pet project. People like Darrell Pender are paying attention. Obesity "is constantly in the news," said Pender, a 42-year-old New York City computer technician who decided to get serious about fighting fat after being diagnosed with diabetes three years ago. Pender was tempted by a TV ad for obesity surgery, but chose a less drastic option — a nutrition support group that he credits with helping him make healthier food choices. So far, he's lost 50 pounds over several months. At 350 pounds, he's still very obese, but his diabetes is under control and he feels healthier. "

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34832702/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Best subheading ever.

1/17/2010 10:50:05 PM

BMI

LOL

1/17/2010 10:51:28 PM

we have not yet begun to defile ourselves!

1/17/2010 10:52:19 PM

hell, no, i can let these pants out another size or two.

1/18/2010 1:11:39 AM

The numbers are common fractions and have interesting connections... God works in mysterious ways

Adults:
1/3 obese
2/3 overweight (double)

Children:
1/6 obese
1/3 overweight (double)

And the numbers for children are half of the numbers for adults!!!

Perhaps one day they will become:

Adults:
1/2 obese
1/1 overweight (double)

Children:
1/4 obese
1/2 overweight (double)

1/18/2010 7:28:53 AM

PERHAPS!

1/18/2010 11:18:35 AM

Bedsores from prolonged inactivity haven’t become widespread yet. That will happen in the next three years.

1/18/2010 11:21:30 AM

baby dont worry, they just bed sores

1/18/2010 11:22:21 AM

Quote :

"I warsh myself with a rag on a stick"

1/18/2010 11:38:44 AM

when i have kids they're not gonna be allowed to be fat. If they are I'll ground them by putting them on a special diet, sticking them on a fucking treadmill, and forcing them to go play pick-up basketball.

1/18/2010 11:48:56 AM

Yeah, all the NFL players are obese if based on height and weight alone, they need to redo the charts......

1/18/2010 1:17:36 PM

pinnacle of health!

dyin' of heart attacks at 26!

1/18/2010 1:19:38 PM

stupid, he had a enlarged heart


of course stupid people like you will not get the flu shot because one person had a reaction or one person in a sport is unhealthy and that means they are in your eyes....they need a special place for stupids like yourself.

1/18/2010 1:23:18 PM

Quote :

"Yeah, all the NFL players are obese if based on height and weight alone, they need to redo the charts"

Yeah but let's be realistic, we're not a nation of flabby musclemen

1/18/2010 4:28:18 PM

BMI is good for sedentary people...which, let's face it, most American's are

1/18/2010 4:30:51 PM