[hockeypuck]

If we set up vast liposuction facilities perhaps we can render fat into fuel, creating a new home grown alternative energy industry.

The energy required just to perform liposuction in the first place isn't worth it. Skip the fat middleman and all that time and muscle power required can instead be spent hand-cranking a battery and it'll be more efficient and extract more energy.

BMI is absolutely worthless. How are you supposed to know if you're someone whose BMI is a good indicator of their fitness or not? You do NOT need a lot of muscle mass for the BMI to not apply to you. There was a discussion about this a little over a couple years ago and I posted a picture of myself proving I was in shape but certainly anything but a musclehead- in fact I was doing mostly cardio with some light dumbbell lifting at the time. My BMI was slightly above the overweight line. It's a bullshit, unscientific measurement.

Posts like this and others make me chuckle due to the incredible lack of foresight. There is no other single measurement standard for obesity that is even remotely as easily achievable as BMI. Height, weight. Pretty difficult measurements to fuck up in a big way and easily measurable in any health clinic. Compare that with waist circumference or any other similar measuring system. Most RNs don't even fucking know where the waist is, especially in fatter people who do not have the hourglass figure. If 10 RNs can't measure a waist consistently to agree with each other, I doubt 1000 nurse's aides will either. They can look it up on Wikipedia and they'll still fuck it up. It's called interobserver variability and BMI is the least likely (in addition to being CHEAP) to have high variance amongst different testers.

Or maybe you're suggesting that the government raise taxes to pay for all the new calipers, x-ray machines, and water tanks that each clinic will need to measure body fat percentage. I'm sure any new insight brought out from those investments will truly change the course of research in obesity.

[Crunched]

I think it's a pretty normal, likely very healthy weight. It's definitely nowhere near "scrawny," though. A few people comment and say I'm scrawny when I have my shirt on and stuff, but I've got a bit of a belly growing. That's why I think if I gained another 10 pounds I'd feel overweight. I suppose though everything else on my body is pretty decent and 10 pounds evenly spread out probably wouldn't do much. But my belly? Yeah, not great.

I guess each person carries the weight differently.

[industrian]

The Japanese have the longest average lifespan in the world eating rice every day. Carbs, simple or not, do not make you fat nor unhealthy. It is how much you eat, plain and simple.

Nothing about diet, weight loss/maintenance, and fitness is plain and simple. It's all actually very complex and pointing your finger at one issue in a vacuum and declaring it a problem (or not a problem) is pointless.

The East Asian diet/lifestyle definitely works for maintaining a healthy weight. Barely any sugary or sweet foods, slower eating, and 6-8 small meals instead of 3 huge ones. That and there's very little "recreational eating." Eating is a more of a social experience than a race to see how much shit you can cram down your throat.

[-COOLIO-]

Good, more fatties means less competition

it also means less desirable women :\

[AdventureRacing]

Posts like this and others make me chuckle due to the incredible lack of foresight. There is no other single measurement standard for obesity that is even remotely as easily achievable as BMI. Height, weight. Pretty difficult measurements to fuck up in a big way and easily measurable in any health clinic. Compare that with waist circumference or any other measuring similar measuring system. Most RNs don't even fucking know where the waist is, especially in fatter people who do not have the hourglass figure. If 10 RNs can't measure a waist consistently to agree with each other, I doubt 1000 nurse's aides will either. They can look it up on Wikipedia and they'll still fuck it up. It's called interobserver variability and BMI is the least likely (in addition to being CHEAP) to have high variance amongst different testers.

Hey man, measuring those waists can be very difficult. Sometimes it's genuinly hard to tell where the waist is lol.

You really are spot on here though. We sometimes get patients with distended abdomens (due to bowel problems) where we have to measure to see if their abdomen is growing. Honestly if there isn't a line drawn showing where to measure (and often this doesn't help) than you get all sorts of weird measurements.

[Bealost]

Do we really need some mundane measurement of BMI to tell us we are fat? Look it the damned mirror. BMI is fine for your average doesn't really workout type of person. Those of us that DO work out hard know the scale doesn't apply to us so we can just ignore it.

[SeanR1221]

I think people also have this notion that obese= morbidly obese. Like waddling, fupa, sweating while eating morbidly obese. They think since they don't look like that, they're not obese.

[industrian]

Do we really need some mundane measurement of BMI to tell us we are fat? Look it the damned mirror. BMI is fine for your average doesn't really workout type of person. Those of us that DO work out hard know the scale doesn't apply to us so we can just ignore it.

BMI is not intended for use if you work out, are athletic or have a fairly active lifestyle.

It's intended solely for couch potatoes and people with sedentary lifestyles.

[Cow Mengde]

America! Fat yeah!

[hockeypuck]

Hey man, measuring those waists can be very difficult. Sometimes it's genuinly hard to tell where the waist is lol. You really are spot on here though. We sometimes get patients with distended abdomens (due to bowel problems) where we have to measure to see if their abdomen is growing. Honestly if there isn't a line drawn showing where to measure (and often this doesn't help) than you get all sorts of weird measurements.

If I were you I would tell whichever doctor that placed that stupid order to stop being a lazy ass and perform serial abdominal exams or at least put in a Foley catheter to measure bladder pressures.

[GraveRobberX]

i don't really like fat people

Never mind, not worth it

[Jangocube]

Ugh, that's a gross statistic. I know a lot of people that are fighting to lose weight. The main thing I see in my peers that are overweight is the lack of portion control. I go out to restaurants or eat with them at work and they, more often then not, eat their entire meal.

People don't seem to understand just how much restaurants pile on the plates in an attempt to make the consumer feel like their purchase is justified.

[Alucrid]

in other words 42% will die quicker, US lifespan will get lower.

healthcare costs skyrocket

[teh_pwn]

The average weight of an American woman is 165lbs? Jesus christ.

Yeah, it's amazing. I'm 155 and I'm a 5'9" male. No wonder everyone thinks I'm "too thin".

[Ra\/en]

Yeah, it's amazing. I'm 155 and I'm a 5'9" male. No wonder everyone things I'm "too thin".

You are perfectly healthy. I'm 5'11" and 162. My BMI is perfect, yet I know i'm on the thin side when compared to much of my age group.

As several people have said, the perception of what is "normal" and "correct" has changed in the last 20-30 years. People may be overweight and feel that they are normal. Especially when compared to some of the morbidly obese folk out there. Morbidly obese does not = "obese". Obese may look "normal"

Many of these obese individuals have metabolic syndrome. Also, it's not just diabetes you need to worry about. CVD, fatty liver, joint problems and cancer are all associated with obesity.

Ugh i get so depressed thinking about it sometimes. people have the right to be fat and eat whatever they want. But the obese people of today are going to really be suffering down the line.

[Alucrid]

Yeah, it's amazing. I'm 155 and I'm a 5'9" male. No wonder everyone thinks I'm "too thin".

I'm 5'8" and 135..don't really think I'm 'thin' at all.

[Rebel Leader]

Yeah, it's amazing. I'm 155 and I'm a 5'9" male. No wonder everyone thinks I'm "too thin".

I'm 5'7" (or 8")

I weigh 175-178

[shrimpjive]

ugh this is why we need a ron paul prez....im not skinny but im not fat (5 foot 7 inch 270 lbs) but ron paul would help get the country in shape..

[ezrarh]

ugh this is why we need a ron paul prez....im not skinny but im not fat (5 foot 7 inch 270 lbs) but ron paul would help get the country in shape..

a lot of people will sure be skinny when he cuts their foodstamps

[Piecake]

ugh this is why we need a ron paul prez....im not skinny but im not fat (5 foot 7 inch 270 lbs) but ron paul would help get the country in shape..

Uhh, how?

[Twilight Princess]

How come the rate has slowed down? I'm very disappointed that America isn't becoming fatter faster.

[w00pdiw00p]

ugh this is why we need a ron paul prez....im not skinny but im not fat (5 foot 7 inch 270 lbs) but ron paul would help get the country in shape..

lol wat?
Even if the 2 was supposed to be a 1 you'd be fat.

Also, you guys are all so short!

[Crunched]

I think people also have this notion that obese= morbidly obese. Like waddling, fupa, sweating while eating morbidly obese. They think since they don't look like that, they're not obese.

I know maybe five middle aged women who walk. All the rest waddle. Like penguins. They have hip and knee problems because of their weight, yet take no steps to fix themselves.

I understand the difficulty with losing weight, but I think there's an innate human repulsion toward fat people. I used to get weirded out and uncomfortable around cripples, the elderly, amputees, and sick people as well. Probably grasping at straws but I would toss out the possibility that this kind if repulsion is an evolutionary method of avoiding the weak. It might not be fair in the world today, but it's tough to get past.

I am not as bothered by fat people as I used to be, and I don't assume that they are a certain way because of their own failure. But I understand how others see them as self defeating.

[shrimpjive]

lol wat? Even if the 2 was supposed to be a 1 you'd be fat. Also, you guys are all so short!

wow you dont have to be a jerk lol...i get told all the time i look great btw...actually i get girls numbers all the time....PIMP LOL

[w00pdiw00p]

wow you dont have to be a jerk lol...i get told all the time i look great btw...actually i get girls numbers all the time....PIMP LOL

In the land of the blind, one eye is king.

[shrimpjive]

In the land of the blind, one eye is king.

why is penis king

[Mekere]

I have always been told that a girl weight should be (height in cm -110) while a boy should be (height in cm -100). My weight here is considered as normal:

160cm for 50kg (actually oscillating between 49-51) 5''2 for 110lbs if I don't make mistakes with my conversion.

Is it the same in the US?

[Alucrid]

ugh this is why we need a ron paul prez....im not skinny but im not fat (5 foot 7 inch 270 lbs) but ron paul would help get the country in shape..

You're an inch shorter than I yet weigh double.

I have always been told that a girl weight should be (height in cm -110) while a boy should be (height in cm -100). My weight here is considered as normal: 160cm for 50kg (actually oscillating between 49-51) 5''2 for 110lbs if I don't make mistakes with my conversion. Is it the same in the US?

There's no magical formula to determine what a healthy weight is.

[LuffyZoro]

Yeah, it's amazing. I'm 155 and I'm a 5'9" male. No wonder everyone thinks I'm "too thin".

Same thing at 5'11" and 135.

ugh this is why we need a ron paul prez....im not skinny but im not fat (5 foot 7 inch 270 lbs) but ron paul would help get the country in shape..

[Zefah]

I'm 5'7" (or 8") I weigh 175-178

That's kind of fat... I thought you didn't eat for days on end?

[Mekere]

There's no magical formula to determine what a healthy weight is.

You misunderstood me, I'm not saying this is a magic formula, I'm just saying that's what people (have learned to) expect to see, average expected weight for average people if you wish. I was just curious if there were similar expectations in others country, that's all.

[SeanR1221]

That's kind of fat... I thought you didn't eat for days on end?

Yup. I'm 5'8 and weighed in at 179 this morning. I definitely have fat to lose, mostly belly fat.

My fiancé is 5'5-5'6 and 105 pounds. I hate when people say she's too thin.

[evilromero]

The East Asian diet/lifestyle definitely works for maintaining a healthy weight. Barely any sugary or sweet foods, slower eating, and 6-8 small meals instead of 3 huge ones. That and there's very little "recreational eating." Eating is a more of a social experience than a race to see how much shit you can cram down your throat.

Have you seen an average Japanese businessman eat during lunch time? Nothing is slow about that.

[eastmen]

What we should honestly do is have gym fees paid by insurance companys and then have insurance companys pay a bonus to fat members who become healtheir .

I think esp in low income familys there might be a push to get healthier if their rates come down and they get a bonus for getting healthy.

I'm 6'4 - 6 months ago I was 325lbs . I'm not 300lbs . I'm hoping to get down to 290lbs by the end of june and 275lbs by my birthday in sept .

[h_a_t]

42% by 2030.

I'd say we're at those levels right now...at least down here in Houston.

[andycapps]

42% by 2030. I'd say we're at those levels right now...at least down here in Houston.

Everything's bigger in Texas.

Had to be done