This show is total bullshit and it only re-enforces America's obsession with "fat".
Here's one example of some of the bullshit visual predictions this woman peddles as "science".



You want to know why America has a "problem" obesity? Because this man is considered obese according to the body mass index.



What
The
Fuck?

6/5/2006 9:15:06 PM

aha

he looks like cartman

[Edited on June 5, 2006 at 9:19 PM. Reason : oh, that show]

6/5/2006 9:19:27 PM

yeah, there aren't really any fat kids in america.

6/5/2006 9:19:34 PM

i checked my BMI...i'm not quite considered obese, but i'm at the very high end of overweight

i'm also 11-13 lbs or so above my maximum allowable weight for my height in the USMC...but nobody gives me any shit about it because I do well on the physical fitness test (and I'm clearly not fat).



but Americans really are disgustingly fat, and it's not all statistical smoke and mirrors from the Body Mass Index.

6/5/2006 9:24:57 PM

duke, you fat fuck

6/5/2006 9:30:10 PM

theDuke66,

http://www.obesitymyths.com/

Da Truff, Dawg

6/5/2006 9:55:53 PM

I saw a standup discussing the misnomer of the "obesity epidemic"

"What was the obesity epidemic like Granpa?"
"It was horrible. There were pork chops and cheesecakes everywhere!"

6/5/2006 9:58:57 PM

6/5/2006 10:01:15 PM

american is fat, how is that a myth.

6/5/2006 10:40:58 PM

and if it was a myth the only people that would try to disprove it would be some fat fucks

6/5/2006 10:42:23 PM

Quote :

"theDuke66, http://www.obesitymyths.com/ Da Truff, Dawg"

i don't agree with everything they claim

but two of the big deals they make are that:

1. BMI doesn't tell the whole story (I obviously concur)

and

2. Being sedentary is as bad or worse than constantly stuffing your face (I agree there, too)



doesn't change the fact that America is overflowing with ginormous fatasses. It has gotten absolutely ridiculous. Go to, say, London--you will hardly see any fat people, and when you do half of them are American tourists. It's a stark contrast.

Go somewhere around where you live (not the brickyard...somewhere like the mall or wal-mart, where tons of different people go). Stop and look around--take notice how many people are overweight (and then how many are obese). People who are in shape are a minority.

[Edited on June 5, 2006 at 10:52 PM. Reason : asdf]

6/5/2006 10:48:14 PM

we're the fattest goddamn country in the world.

6/6/2006 12:12:02 AM

Because BMI is wrong, americans arent fat!!!


MY LOGIC IS UNFALLIBLE

6/6/2006 1:23:09 AM

The obesity problem in the states is disturbing. While I am fat, I actually think a lot of about health and healthy lifestyles, and I often get mentally exhausted thinking about all the things we now know about nutrition and how to apply those things.

I mean, I had a health teacher back in the day who always said, "You wanna eat as many calories as you burn." Her info was obviously outdated even back then, but that's just an example of how far the common man has now come in his understanding of nutrition.

Every organ in your body can benefit from a list of different foods. Some foods you wanna eat processed; most you don't. Some vitamins need to be taken with certain things in order for them to be effective. Some people require diets unique to their medical concerns. Different lifestyles require different diets. Different body types require different diets. It goes on and on. The number of concerns, exceptions, interests, nuances, etc...involved in nutrition exhausts me.

And, on top of all this, the nutritionists disagree. Who should I trust?

And would I feel foolish if I devoted my life to healthy living but still ended up with osteoporosis, arthritis, and diabetes in my senior years? How much of the old age shit actually relies heavily on genetics?

[abusrd fantasy]I guess I am wishing for three things:

1. We could go back to my grandmother's day when consuming nothing but cigarettes and water and laying in the sun, sweating all day was considered a healthy way to lose weight.

2. We could go back to the day when consuming the amount of calories you burned was considered ultrahealthy.

3. We could change into a society where it was okay to destroy your body and then turn down medical treatment and instead just take powerful narcotics to ease the pain of your conditions until you finally overdose and die.[/absurd fantasy]

[absurd fantasy]Otherwise, I'd like someone to start making prepackaged meals that are genuinely healthy with all the fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, fibers, minerals, etc...and I will exercise and eat these meals for the rest of my life, and in exchange for my loyalty, the maker of these meals will pay all the nonstandard health-related bills I incur for the rest of my life. I'm serious: I wouldn't take another shot, smoke another cigarette, or drink another cup of coffee if someone would guarantee my health with a checkbook.[/absurd fantasy]

(None of this is supposed to be an excuse for unhealthy living. I'm sure I'll develop a healthy lifestyle for myself, but regardless of "how healthy" I am, I'm positive I'll always be paranoid that I'm not "healthy enough.")

[Edited on June 6, 2006 at 3:09 AM. Reason : sss]

6/6/2006 2:54:57 AM

In fairness, the kid in that first picture is fat, and probably always will be.

6/6/2006 3:11:10 AM

Quote :

"In fairness, the kid in that first picture is fat, and probably always will be."

He's too young for you to make the "probably always will be" assumption, unless you're suggesting he's genetically predisposed to obesity to the point of "probably always will be," in which case FUCK IT! CHEESE STICKS AND MILKSHAKES FOR EVERYONE!!!

6/6/2006 3:15:59 AM

Quote :

"While I am fat, I actually think a lot of about health and healthy lifestyles ... but I often get exhausted thinking about nutrition "

you *really* need to get more exercise

6/6/2006 3:37:44 AM

LOL, you could have at least striked out the "mentally" part, instead of just omitting it altogether.

6/6/2006 3:44:37 AM

its more fun to mis-quote out of context. its called the Fox News citation style.



[Edited on June 6, 2006 at 3:51 AM. Reason : ]

6/6/2006 3:49:30 AM

Quote :

"and if it was a myth the only people that would try to disprove it would be some fat fucks"

there's plenty of ppl with eating disorders to help out.

the show is retarded though and they act as though everyone has the same reactions to certain foods and will have the maximum negative outcome. HE'LL HAVE NO HAIR AND HIS SKIN WILL BE THE BLOTCHIEST MESS YOU'VE EVER SEEN.

6/6/2006 8:46:39 AM

theDuke866, anecdotal evidence does not convince me.

6/6/2006 9:37:34 AM

skokian,

Quote :

"Because BMI is wrong, americans arent fat!!! MY LOGIC IS UNFALLIBLE"

You are confused. I am only saying that America's obesity "problem" is a bullshit overexageration by the media. The question isn't whether Americans "are fat" (what ever that means), but only whether the "problem" is as big as the nightly news makes it out to be.

And Considering the fact that all of the obesity statistics you get fed on TV are based on the BMI, which clearly over exagerates the number of "obese" people, I think I have a valid argument.

Now, if you want to argue that "America" has a "weight problem" using some other metric, then I would gladly take a look. And while you do that I will be holding my breath.

[Edited on June 6, 2006 at 9:49 AM. Reason : ``]

6/6/2006 9:46:36 AM

So, qualitatively, what are you saying? That when I look around the country, and see that we are a ton fatter than the rest of the world, that it probably isn't that big of a deal?

6/6/2006 4:24:48 PM

Quote :

"He's too young for you to make the "probably always will be" assumption"

Meh. I said "probably." It's possible he'll look normal, but all the fat kids I grew up with are fat college students now. Hell, several of the skinny kids I grew up with are fat college kids now (myself included).

And Socks``, I don't seem to remember you being so fat as to warrant the ire you're showing towards the Obesity Gestapo.

6/6/2006 5:01:26 PM

Quote :

"And Socks``, I don't seem to remember you being so fat as to warrant the ire you're showing towards the Obesity Gestapo."

One of the best UCB skits ever.

Then theres always the possibility that the fat kid will be made fun of and beat up to the point that by the time he's in high school he's obsessed with his body image and devotes all of his time to watching what he eats and working out.

Of course, all of the kids I knew that suddenly got health conscious and lost weight ended up being arrogant douche bags.

6/6/2006 5:18:13 PM

^^^i think he's actually saying that America isn't grotesquely fat

6/6/2006 5:55:40 PM

No fat people in America?

Ride a fucking airplane. I get stuck next to one almost everytime.

6/6/2006 8:33:50 PM

Quote :

"In fairness, the kid in that first picture is fat, and probably always will be."

Eh, I was at least that fat as a kid/young teen. I'm not now.

6/6/2006 8:43:15 PM

^I beat you to it.

Quote :

"BridgetSPK: He's too young for you to make the "probably always will be" assumption, unless you're suggesting he's genetically predisposed to obesity to the point of "probably always will be," in which case FUCK IT! CHEESE STICKS AND MILKSHAKES FOR EVERYONE!!!"

6/6/2006 8:58:32 PM

measure up fatasses. I'm 17.9!

http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

6/6/2006 8:58:44 PM

I dont like television shows with propaganda/intimidation either, but somehow I dont become outraged when the intention is to make people live a healthier lifestyle.

I dont need statistics to tell me that most people I see every day are fat

6/6/2006 8:59:37 PM

Quote :

"theDuke866 ALL KILLER NO FILLER 27552 Posts user info edit post ^^^i think he's actually saying that America isn't grotesquely fat"

That's why I asked for some clarification, because only a moron or someone who hasn't left the country would think that we aren't a shit ton overweight compared to the rest of the world.

6/6/2006 9:30:57 PM

^Let's not get too caught up in the "rest of the world" nonsense. There is an obesity problem in the states, but there are many factors to consider before comparing the US to the rest of the world.

6/6/2006 9:38:24 PM

What factors?

6/6/2006 9:45:43 PM

^As far as comparisons go, other examples of health, I dunno, like teef, for starters...

[Edited on June 6, 2006 at 10:11 PM. Reason : sss]

6/6/2006 10:11:42 PM

Judging by the episodes I've seen, there's nothing wrong with the show.

The kids are genuinely fat, and their parents feed them nothing but junk food.

The point of the show is to correct the parents.

6/6/2006 10:16:15 PM

I had problems with BMI in the army. I was in great shape, very lean and physically fit. But I could seldom weigh within standards or tape out. It was, and still is bullshit to lose excellent, well trained and skilled soldiers to stupid, unattainable standards. If you can pass the stringent physical fitness test, that should be sufficient PERIOD.

6/6/2006 10:19:38 PM

Regarding BMI, I remember reading about it and how it was a new, innovative look at weight...it's not. It's just more of the same. The charts back in the day used to take into account height, weight, and sometimes bone/structure size...I don't see how BMI is any different. To be fair though, I don't think doctors or the show's producers are buying into the BMI as absolute.

For the average person, body fat percentages should be his biggest concern when it comes to weight. I'm not saying health here, just weight. Obviously, our concept of health is a lot more complex than weight.

[Edited on June 6, 2006 at 10:33 PM. Reason : sss]

6/6/2006 10:31:18 PM

For the nth time. I'm saying that there are most likley far fewer truly "obese" people in America than the media lets on. Why do I say that? Because the BMI, the metric most used by the media, is an arbitray and inaccurate.

If you have any better evidence, I would like to see it. And I mean STATISTICAL evidence. Not "I see fat people all the time" bullshit you think passes for fact.

[Edited on June 7, 2006 at 12:15 AM. Reason : ``]

6/7/2006 12:06:05 AM

that BMI chart is bullshit.

its trying to tell me that at 5'9", i need to be 145 pounds.

thats just whack.

6/7/2006 12:07:00 AM

^yeah, i'm 5'8" and in the low 190s. I'm not fat.


^^ok, so the situation is likely not as bad as many statistics indicate. Even by meaningful measure, it's still BAD.

Quote :

" If you can pass the stringent physical fitness test, that should be sufficient PERIOD."

Military physical fitness tests are not what I would call stringent. Even in the Marine Corps, anyone with a pulse should be able to PASS it, and anyone who isn't a total slob should get a first class.

...but yes, the height/weight charts are ridiculous. I've never really been hassled by it, though. Most of the time, they don't even bother to tape me, just because I smoke the PFT and I'm obviously not fat.

6/7/2006 1:02:36 AM

Quote :

"yeah, i'm 5'8" and in the low 190s. I'm not fat"

so, accd. to BMI, youre at 29.5 and tip-toeing on the fine edge of obesity.

i thought the Corps had programs for fatbodies.


not that i can say anything. im clocking about 27,
and my main PT is marching to the freezer for Haagen-Daas.




[Edited on June 7, 2006 at 1:16 AM. Reason : ]

6/7/2006 1:15:36 AM

yep, but i ran a 293 out of 300 on my last PFT (although it was a kinda short course. i really run about a 280-285). i can benchpress somewhere between 300-350 and do at least 25 pull ups, and while I don't have defined abs or anything, my stomach is flat.

[Edited on June 7, 2006 at 2:40 AM. Reason : i'd really like to be 180-185, but don't have time to work out enough right now]

6/7/2006 2:39:25 AM

bmi is retarded

i've done martial arts for 6 years under a very traditional instructor, i work out a LOT through that i'm pretty much all muscle

i am 5'10" and 190 and my bmi is 27.3

sorry, that's not overweight

6/7/2006 2:53:09 AM

I'm coming in at 26.0.

But, in fairness, whatever of that isn't fat is bone. I'm not a muscular fucker. Nowadays, I don't ever intend to be a muscular fucker. If medicine catches up with my chain-smoking, hard-drinking, fat ass, so be it. If not, eh. Fuck it. I ain't sticking around for much other than the collapse of human society, anyway.

6/7/2006 4:01:05 AM

Quote :

"For the nth time. I'm saying that there are most likley far fewer truly "obese" people in America than the media lets on. Why do I say that? Because the BMI, the metric most used by the media, is an arbitray and inaccurate. If you have any better evidence, I would like to see it. And I mean STATISTICAL evidence. Not "I see fat people all the time" bullshit you think passes for fact."

How about you start?

Do you have any STATISTICAL evidence that there are far fewer truly obese people than the charts indicate?

That "far fewer" is a very loaded phrase. Yes, there are "fewer" truly obese people than the charts indicate, but not "far fewer".

And I would wager that the difference between the number of people labeled obese/overweight using BMI, and truly obese/overweight people, is less than 25%.

In other words, if they say 30% of Americans are obese, at least 75% of them, are truly obese. That's still at least 23% of Americans. And if BMI indicates 50% are overweight, at least 75% of them (at least 38% of Americans) are truly obese.

Still troubling.

Really, look around you, and examine the people you see in public (not just on campus) who would be indicated as obese/overweight by using BMI. The majority of them truly are that, and very few are muscular or athletically built.

Imagine when you go to all of middle America (South, North, Midwest, etc), where people are poor, uneducated, and basically not very advanced on the evolution/civilization scale. Nearly 100% of the BMI-obese/overweight people there will be truly that.

So, you are full of shit lard!

Edit: For the record, I don't like BMI either, because it is not useful for everybody, but it is useful for the majority of the population. Bell curve, anybody?

I prefer using percent bodyfat (and medically speaking, that's a better metric). But, because that requires an expert or equipment to measure, it is out of reach for the majority of the population. And that's why BMI is used, because anybody can calculate it.

[Edited on June 7, 2006 at 9:21 AM. Reason : ]

6/7/2006 9:16:23 AM

I roll in at 19.1

That said, I agree that overly muscular ppl are the exception not the rule.

And don't worry grumpy, you are still less fat than joe_schmoe and Duke

6/7/2006 9:33:45 AM

OEPII1,

So we both agree that BMI overestimates "obesity". Awesome. But you claim it doesn't overestimate it by much. Your evidence?

Quote :

"And I would wager that the difference between the number of people labeled obese/overweight using BMI, and truly obese/overweight people, is less than 25%. "

Well I'm convinced.

So, should I take that as a "no, i don't have any better statistics to support what the media reports"? I think I will. Thanks for playing, hun.

[Edited on June 8, 2006 at 1:27 PM. Reason : ``]

6/8/2006 1:18:05 PM

Quote :

"How about you start? Do you have any STATISTICAL evidence that there are far fewer truly obese people than the charts indicate?"

6/9/2006 11:21:04 AM

^ Seriously. I agree that the burden of proof is on the person who makes the assertion that the conventional wisdom is wrong.


Also, fat people disgust me.

6/9/2006 11:45:54 AM