Obese blamed for the world's ills

Obese people are contributing to the world food crisis and climate change, experts say.

[just had lunch]

the experts, huh?
the same experts that told us in 1970 the oceans would be lifeless by 1995?
the same experts that told us in 1975 a new ice age was begining?
the same experts that told us in 1976 gold would NEVER reach $250 an ounce?(it was $800 within 8 weeks)
the same experts that told us we would have 15 hurricanes in 2006 & 2007?(we had 0)...

those experts?

[PatRosa]

That's the stupidest thing I ever heard

[LOL]

Sure, it has nothing to do with droughts, or corrupt governments getting in the way of food distribution, or natural disasters, or the amount of food that gets wasted every day - it's just all us fatties refusing to take a walk and eating all day.

[Dr Sausage]

Makes sense. Fat people eat more. And their eating all our food. Case closed.

[Adrian in Tacoma]

It's large orbs that make the world go round, and some orbs are the largest stars around - just think those with a low specific gravity have to learn to eat good to feel good, little people syndrome...(hee)

[Porkjar]

Gives new meaning to "mass transit".

[Doug in Texas]

It is because their Momas told them to clean there plate and be graitfull because there were starving children in China. People cannot break the cycle

[Doug in Texas]

I just read the story, what a crock!

[formally abducted]

matbe we should forward this article to the drug dealers in the fast food industry,strange that many chinese who walk and ride bikes everywhere are gaining weight at an incredible rate after many fast food companies opened up there.

[Old enough to know better]

Get a life. Large people don't have enough problems. How sad somone came up with this!

[Old enough to know better]

Large people don't have enough to deal with? How sad somone came up with this. Get a life!

[Gabby Jim]

I am SO sick of wackos blaming EVERYTHING on climate change! As one bloger wrote - "OW! I stubbed my toe! It must be Global Warming that made me do it!"

Hey, I though obesity was blamed on McDonalds - therefore, that being true, then the food crisis is also McDonald's fault and by extension, so is Global Warming -- HOG WASH!

"just had lunch" is right on the money - same "experts" - as much as I hate to cite US Government officers about ANYTHNG (and ESPECIALLY an OKIE!), once in a while an intelligent person DOES manage to get into office. Recommended reading:
http://inhofe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm...
Be sure to follow the links the Senator has taken the trouble to provide -

But then, the story DID originate in the UK - where they just love to jump on any diversion - real OR hoax.

[The Rock]

I move to Florida a couple of years ago I notice that every thing these people do hear any gathering they eat.If as they say eating is cause by stress floriadians have prove that to be true.

[Sandston Homeowner]

"So smart they're stupid"

just had lunch wrote:

the experts, huh?
the same experts that told us in 1970 the oceans would be lifeless by 1995?
the same experts that told us in 1975 a new ice age was begining?
the same experts that told us in 1976 gold would NEVER reach $250 an ounce?(it was $800 within 8 weeks)
the same experts that told us we would have 15 hurricanes in 2006 & 2007?(we had 0)...
those experts?

[Carpathian]

You tellin' me Bush didn't make fat??? I thought we blamed everything on him .

[Gabby Jim]

Carpathian wrote:

You tellin' me Bush didn't make fat??? I thought we blamed everything on him .

Surely there must be SOME way we can blame him?

I'll have to think about that one.

[TrilbyKat]

So when kids refused to clean their plates because their moms told them to "think of the starving kids in China," they were really being smart - not disobedient.

The days of moms as food pushers are long over (I hope), but have we really evolved beyond that mentality? Not if we consider it a waste of money to not eat all we can at an All-You-Can-Eat restaurant.

The huge sizes of portions served in restaurants, the ability to get through modern life with little physical exertion and our definition of what "food" really is all contribute to weight gain. I mean, is it really correct to lump apples, oranges, Cheetos and Mountain Dew into the same category? The last two are low or non-nutritive substances. Maybe they could even be called negative nutrient substances.

It is a difficult thing for most of us to turn down the excess calories, request a doggy bag, avoid processed snack products, take that parking spot that's farther away or walk or ride bikes to get to our destinations.

In my opinion, finger pointing does not help anything. In fact, it may make things worse. Finding solutions and preventatives is what is important.

Here in the states, airlines are starting to charge extra for that second piece of luggage. They make a wide person pay for an extra seat already, so how long will it be before they whip out the size and weight charts and charge a surcharge if someone doesn't fit within the norm for their height. That doesn't mean they'll give a price break to someone who's underweight, though.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/business/22...
http://www.mlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2008/05...
http://www.livescience.com/health/obesity_air...

Personally, I did think that there were unproven assumptions made by the researchers (such as "obese people will choose to walk less and drive more in response to their increased body mass") but their conclusion of "promoting healthy urban transport policies" is a good one for everybody.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/1076...
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.asp...

Putting a sin tax on crappy "food" would be a good thing, too. Hitting us in the wallet will go a long way towards promoting healthier choices.

FYI - You can download a pdf file by Prof Ian Roberts called "The impact of choice of transportation modes on climate change and the obesity epidemic" in Seminar two's section here:

http://www.londonshealth.gov.uk/dhealth3.htm

The Lancet (free registration to see abstracts) currently has "Transport policy is food policy" fourth down on their main page:

http://www.thelancet.com/

[You re All Fat]

I know you're all fat or else you wouldn't be so defensive.

I know some bellies that emit so much greenhouse gases they should be forced to buy 'carbon credits'.

[TrilbyKat]

Rudd Center Releases Media Advisory:

In the discussion of obesity and climate change, framing is everything. A letter in the medical journal the Lancet suggests that obese people are contributing significantly to global warming. In response, the Rudd Center has released a media advisory expressing the need to emphasize the social conditions that create obesity, rather than to blame obese people for environmental decline and thereby perpetuate weight stigma.

http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/press/media_adv...

Check out Rudd's group blog and find interesting articles like "Junk Food City" which links to Forbes' list of the 20 cities with the highest per capita junk food sales (and correspondingly higher obesity rates) and "Food Costs and Fuel Costs" which asks "could higher food prices be the magic pill that will solve the world’s obesity problem and conditions related to overnutrition?"

http://ruddsoundbites.typepad.com/rudd_sound_...

[You re All Fat]

TrilbyKat wrote:

I mean, is it really correct to lump apples, oranges, Cheetos and Mountain Dew into the same category?

It depends. What color are the apples?