Obesity - It's what's for dinner...

Well, the big research dollars for global warming are probably on the wain so it time to switch horses and "obesity" is probably going to be the winner (from the WSJ): "An international research consortium says it has identified 18 new gene sites linked to obesity and 13 others associated with how fat is distributed in the body, advances that shed new light on the complex biology underlying one of the world's most pressing public-health problems."

and

"About a third of U.S. adults are obese, as measured by a ratio of height and weight known as body mass index, or BMI. Around the world, developed nations and emerging economies alike have seen alarming rises in the prevalence of obesity, which is associated with higher risks of heart disease, cancer and other serious ailments as well as soaring health-care costs."

Before you read further dig out some old photos of your family and friends from 50 years ago and look at them.  Notice anything (like they are all, on average, much thinner)?  Hint: the people in those photos have the same "obesity" genes as you and they weren't over weight.

So let's think about this study and what its telling us. 

First, there's the incredibly stupid BMI.  This one size fits all indicator will probably determine your fate under ObamaCare - but that's another story.

BMI is a total failure because it doesn't account for the composition of your body, i.e., it can't tell if your all muscle or all fat or anything in between.  Muscle is denser than fat.  Comparing one pound of each you will find the fat takes up more space (about 18% I think - Google this for your self if you are interested).

Now I'm 6 feet tall and I weigh around 200 pounds (and no, I never get on a scale - last time was probably several years ago - but not much has changed since then - I've had the same waist size on my pants for a decade - in fact I shrank some.  When I was 18 I wore a size 32" waist.  Today I wear size 36".).

I am also 53 years old.  My BMI of 27 says I am obese - which is absolute nonsense because I am reasonably muscular.  BMI cannot tell the difference.  So, someone with the same BMI as me might have a larger waste and correspondingly more fat, or a smaller waste and correspondingly less fat, than I.

So look at some quotes from the "research" - they use BMI to test for "higher risks of heart disease, cancer and other serious ailments as well as soaring health-care costs".

Let's think about heart disease.  Well - instead of a useless measure of height vs weight how about measuring heart "function".

My personal heart function test (don't try this - it might be dangerous): take 1/4 your body weight and carry it up and down a full flight of stairs three times within two minutes.  Can you do it?  Are you winded?  Breathing hard? Sweating?   Answer yes to any of these and you should be concerned about your heart health.

To go along with the bogus BMI test there is now the "high blood pressure test": Blood pressure greater than 119/79?  You're prehypertensive so you must need a drug to lower your blood pressure.

Bullshit.

My blood pressure has been the old standard of "normal" at 120/80 for my entire adult life (35 years or so).  Suddenly, due to a change in measurement, I am suffering from "prehypertension".

This new measurement system is not designed to help me.  It's designed to sell drugs like Lipitor to lower blood pressure - nothing more.

Then there is the cholesterol myth that cholesterol causes heart attacks which is nothing more than an additional scheme to sell drugs.  If you bother to look at the side effects of these drugs you would see how bad and dangerous they are.

So after all this what's the real reason for all this obesity?

Consuming too much high-calorie food.  Just like muscle and fat food has a caloric density and choosing foods with the right caloric density (lower) is good and reduces obesity.

Think about this:  Drink 3 cans of soda each day = 3 x 180 calories = 540 calories x 7 days a week = 3,780 calories a week = one full day of normal eating.  So just three cans of soda a day = 8 days a week of eating.  More than enough to go "obese" <-- see for your self.

Now add desert, lots of goodies, and see where it goes.

My simple rule for obesity prevention:  Eat one week's worth of calories in one week.

People don't know this - and don't expect the FDA or the drug companies to waste time telling you what to do - if they did they wouldn't have jobs.

Why are things like this?

Because of MONEY.

Big government and big drug companies don't want obesity to go away - they want more of it - why?  So you or the government can buy more drugs.

Why do we need the BMI and blood pressure values to make you obese and unhealthy - so you or the government can buy more drugs.

I don't need to go on...

You are getting ripped off by the government/health care/media complex - both financially and health wise.

If you value your health do the research - that's what Google is for - and find things out for you self.

Look at what your prescriptions are or can do to you.