Obesity Worse for Health Than Drinking or Smoking

[SusanT]

I came accross this on yahoo news and thought it may be of interest to everyone.




Thursday June 7 11:16 AM ET
Obesity Worse for Health Than Drinking or Smoking
Audio/Video
Report: Obesity More Dangerous than Smoking or Heavy Drinking - (KPRC)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When it comes to picking a vice, overeating may be worse for your health than a lifetime smoking habit and chronic drinking, new survey findings suggest.

Among more than 9,500 Americans surveyed, obesity was associated with higher rates of chronic medical problems and a poorer quality of life than was alcohol abuse, smoking and poverty.

What's more, there are more overweight and obese adults in the US today than there are smokers or problem drinkers, according to findings published in the current issue of the British journal Public Health. While 36% of respondents were overweight and 23% were obese, about 14% were poor, 6% heavy drinkers and 19% daily smokers.

These findings highlight the need for public programs that target obesity rates in America, note Drs. Roland Sturm and Kenneth Wells of RAND, a Santa Monica, California-based nonprofit organization.

``Americans haven't given overweight the same attention as other risks, like smoking, but it is clearly a top health problem and one that is on the rise in all segments of the population,'' they said in a statement.

``These findings,'' the investigators report, ``reinforce prior recommendations that weight control become a higher national priority, especially given the dramatic increases in prevalence of overweight.''

Sturm and Wells analyzed data from interviews with adults nationwide regarding their height, weight, income, smoking and drinking habits and chronic medical conditions.

People who smoked throughout their lives and lived in poverty were significantly more likely to have a chronic disease such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis or heart disease. But the effects of smoking and poverty were smaller than those of obesity on both a person's health and quality of life.

``Obesity is highly prevalent and associated with at least as much morbidity in terms of chronic medical conditions and reduction in physical health-related quality-of-life as are poverty, smoking, and problem drinking,'' the authors conclude.

Obesity has been shown to raise the risk of heart disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. But research also shows that while even modest weight loss can improve health, Americans continue to pack on the pounds.

SOURCE: Public Health 2001;115:229-235.

[Grace]

Oh please don't get me started on THIS topic! It just aggravates me to no end the way so many people refuse to take responsibility for themselves, and would prefer to spend their lives in and out of hospitals, taking a million different meds, and suing the cigarette companies rather than choosing a better diet and getting a little bit of excercise....

[funnybone]

What is sadder is the number of obese children has increased.

I have heard (so not sure if it is fact) that only one state (Illinois) has a mandatory Phys-Ed program for kids in school. This is pathetic!!! Not only has recess been eliminated in many places, but the lack of phys-ed as well does not favor our children.

We need to encourage our children to run, bike, and just play (other than computer/video games). This is so important for social as well as health reasons!

[KValley]

There was a segment on NPR a few months ago about insurance companies that are considering paying the gym dues of obese clients. Part of me was so outraged by this- who is paying for my gym fees? Me! And who is paying the cost of the overweight who choose to pursue an unhealthy lifestyle? Me, through hefty health insurance premiums! I am torn- if paying for gym dues gets people to exercise, then it is a great thing. BUt will it really motivate someone to join a gym? I'm dubious...


My brother and SIL have two beautful children 6 and 2 1/2. THe kids do not have a weight problem, but what concerns me is that their parents get absolutely no exercise. My bro has put on at least 50 lbs in the past 10 years and I can just feel the discontent and low self-esteem oozing from him- it's sad considering he was a Marine and used to be in amazing shape. My SIL has fared a bit better, but they both seem so much older than their late 30's.

I hate to see my niece and nephew raised in a house where physical activity is not valued nor encouraged. For her 6th birthday this last week, I bought my niece swim lessons!

Obesity is an absolute health and social crisis in this country. Like funnybone, it breaks my heart to see overweight children, knowing the struggle most will face for the rest of their lives.


[This message has been edited by KValley (edited 06-08-2001).]

[Laura]

KValley, I agree completely! In fact I tried to post something similar earlier and it got lost in computer land. I get so furious with parents who complain about their kids couch potato ways, yet do nothing to role model for them. Kids love spending time with their parents, exercising with your kids is a great way to open up lines of communication. My kids and I bike together, go for walks, play catch, our 3 person version of soccer and for the most part, I stink at it all. I don't consider myself an athlete, but we are out there all the time. My son thinks I am a great runner, not because I go fast, or all that far, but simply because he sees me committed to it. Please, please, please, take the time to be with your kids and incorporate exercise as part of it. It is one of the best things you can do for all of you.

[SusanT]

We certainly live in a country where good health seems to be the exception rather than the rule, but it's not just a matter of exercise. I believe fast food contributes to the obesity problem to a great extent. An enormous amount of calories is available at a very low cost. Countries that had no widespread obesity problems generally develop them when the big fast food chains move in. For example, China is seeing an increase in obesity in children.

If you've heard of the book Fast Food Nation, check it out. The author tells how fast food companies (among other retailers) market directly to children. Did you know that the character most recognized by American children after Santa is Ronald McDonald? I'm sure parents would agree that smoking is bad for children but they don't seem to see a high fat diet of fast food as a threat to their children's health.

[Laura]

Originally posted by SusanT:
I'm sure parents would agree that smoking is bad for children but they don't seem to see a high fat diet of fast food as a threat to their children's health.
Oh my gosh Susan you are right! Now mind you my kids don't go to fast food often, but when they go (especially for my son) it is a treat. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif Of course I would never offer them a cigarette as a treat, so why should a Big Kids meal be one? Definitely something to think about.



[This message has been edited by Laura (edited 06-08-2001).]

[Grace]

BRAVO!! AMEN!!! APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!!! So well said, everyone. I wholeheartedly agree with all of you. I have been saying all of this for years, and most people think I'm way off in left field and get angry with me. So I've learned to shut up a bit, but it doesn't change the least bit what I think and feel about the subject! Nice to know there are a few others out there that "get it"!

[BevP]

I have long been frustrated by what I call the 'fattening of America'. Serving sizes are aweful. I remember the Big Gulp when it first came out was gigantic. Now it's the small size at 7-eleven. Try to get small fries at a fast food joint. Who came up with the 'big kids meal' any way. Now we've supersized our happy meals!!! Just get a regular meal and buy the toy. Don't teach our kids that a bigger meal is just the same. "I only had a burger and fries" could mean a happy meal burger and small fries or a Big Mac and super size fries. But people still only think of it as "a burger and fries".

For anyone to not be overweight in America is amazing to me. When you can drive through a 'restaurant' and consume more calories than you should for the whole day while still driving is aweful.

While I'm on my soapbox I'll rant about the fat genes that science finds. The percentage of the population that are genetically prone to gaining weight is small. But nearly every heavy person uses that as their 'excuse' for being overweight. Forget the fact that they don't exercise and don't eat well, "It's just in my genes". Bodies are complicated machines and deserve at least the minimal maintenance from us to keep them in good working order.

Ok, I'll stop ranting now. Thanks for listening. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[BosunsWife]

I don't know whether to step up here or not. As an overweight individual my whole life I feel like I'm getting bashed here. I have struggled my whole life and have pretty much tried every diet there is. I am finally trying to get a grip on my eating habits by participating in a group at a hospital where we meet with psychologists, nutritionists, etc. I am finally at the age of 38 getting a grip on why I eat and how to better deal with it. One of the reasons I am doing this is because of my child. I had a baby at the ripe old age of 37 and I want to set a better example for her and be able to live long enough to see her live a long and healthy life. Yes, some people really use the "fat gene" as an excuse, but there is something to it. I come from overweight individuals on both sides of my family. I was appalled when I had my BMI done and was actually considered obese. There are actually three levels of obesity. I am one of the "fortunate" ones since I am on the very low end. I struggle every day to try and conquer my problem. I am also lucky (so my medical doctor tells me) in the respect that I do not have any medical problems related to my obesity. I have very low cholesterol, normal blood pressure and no obesity related diseases. Before you slam people, maybe you should walk a mile in their shoes. I guess I should note here I was only 60 pounds overweight when I started this! This is a very low amount considering what some of the people in my class have to lose.

[GayeC]

Originally posted by funnybone:
What is sadder is the number of obese children has increased.

I have heard (so not sure if it is fact) that only one state (Illinois) has a mandatory Phys-Ed program for kids in school. This is pathetic!!! Not only has recess been eliminated in many places, but the lack of phys-ed as well does not favor our children.

We need to encourage our children to run, bike, and just play (other than computer/video games). This is so important for social as well as health reasons!

Amen. I work for a department of exercise science at a university. My boss is an expert on promoting physical activity in children. His recent work has focused on girls, who tend to be even less active than boys and whose physical activity level plummets when they reach high school. He is currently finishing up an exciting study designed to promote physical activity in high school girls through a completely revamped PE curriculum (very girl-friendly) and some other changes in the high school environment. The results have not been published yet but I will mention it hear when they are. Gaye

[mandarin2j]

BosunsWife-

I somehow missed your post 'till now. Thank you for saying what you said. I had composed a similar message and then dumped it-mostly because I didn't want to deal with it. You're right, we all have our reasons for how we are, and being berated for it doesn't inspire us to change. If anything, it makes the shame and self-recrimination worse. My dad was of the Bobby Knight school of coaching. He literally kicked my butt at times to "inspire" me to run during grade school & high school. My first experience of personal freedom was to quit exercise altogether. Pretty self-destructive, I now see, but probably what needed to happen at the time. I'm still struggling with exercise being my choice, and not something imposed externally. It's really hard for me to not rebel whenever I'm told to do what's good for me, even when I agree that it is the right thing to do.

Health in the United States is so wrapped up in psyche, but programs designed to help us become healthier so rarely address the whole person. Most programs usually just address attaining goal weight & appearance. I've said before and continue to believe that until exercise & eating right become fixed in our consciousness as something to do for the sake of health, rather than the sake of appearance, people will continue to pursue unhealthful quick fixes. Not because people are lazy, but because it's extremely painful to be the odd one out, and we want to fit in as soon as possible and end that pain.

-Amanda

[Grace]

BosunsWife: I too would like to apologize if it came across like you were being bashed. I have mentioned more times than I can count how much I love these boards and all the nice, kind, warm, wonderful people who are here and the last thing I want to do is bash anyone. My comments were not directed at anyone in particular, least of all you. It's not the person that's overweight that I take issue with, but the overweight people who just don't care, and make no effort whatsoever to do anything for their health (and I agree wholeheartedly that being thin does not equate to being healthy). But if you go to the hospital and look in the beds, so many of those people have brought their diseases upon themselves by not caring one fig about what they put in their mouths, nor making any effort to excercise, etc. I know people who will go to great lengths to take care of their CARS, but not themselves.

You very obviously care very much about yourself (you're DOING something about your health - your conscious and aware and educating yourself, etc.). And I admire you tremendously for taking responsibility for not only yourself but for your child. I admire all people who make the effort to take care of themselves, regardless of their shape, body type or weight. I love what Amanda said about how the mindset in this country is to lose weight solely for the sake of one's appearance. The way someone looks is not my beef AT ALL. It's the lack of regard for one's health, and the blame that gets placed everywhere else that aggravates me. Why not let's sue McDonald's if we can sue the cigarette companies? Anyway, I will totally get off my soapbox now, but I want to say one more time, please don't be offended by my comments. I would feel very badly if I thought I hurt anyone's feelings here, and I sincerely apologize if I've been thoughtless.

[This message has been edited by Grace (edited 06-08-2001).]

[BevP]

Bosun's Wife

I too apologize. I didn't mean to offend. Weightloss is difficult enough without jerks like me slamming you. Actually, I applaud you in your positive moves and your motivation of healthy living. My frustration is with the people who are not willing to accept any responsibility for their health and with the culture in America that encourages bad eating habits. I have never and would never say anything to or about a particular person. I have one aunt who is obese because of a painful back (and poor eating habits) that makes even walking difficult. I have a niece who was on medication that took her slightly heavy frame to obese. I never make assumptions about any given person.

As for the 'fat gene' I wasn't slamming anyone. In my experience with most people they tend to say it's 'just the way they're made'. But I see them slathering butter on a croissant while they say that.

I only wish to see people taking better care of themselves for health. It has nothing to do with looks. If a person is comfortable in his/her skin than that is fantastic. I have another aunt like that, quite willing to stay 20-30 pounds heavier than her younger days. Another friend finally found a weight loss system that would work for her and I celebrated because her family has a history of adult onset diabetes and losing weight was the best thing she could do to prevent that happening to her.

Again, Bosun's Wife and anyone working to improve their diet and exercise habits, I commend you. It's a very hard thing to do. I know, I have been a mile in your shoes.

Friends? Or at least not enemies?

[BosunsWife]

Thank you all for the apologies. Its been a long hard road that I have travelled getting to this point in my life that I can finally accept myself for who I am, not what I look like. My DH is the most loving man I could have found and he cares about me no matter what my size. His biggest concern is for my health and wants me to be as healthy and as happy as I can be. My moods for the last couple of years haven't been the greatest simply because I wasn't happy with myself and he has put up with a lot. I'm hoping this will be the last time that I throw out the big clothes and will be able to stay in the little clothes. My biggest concern with changing my lifestyle is to set a better example of eating habits for my daughter (who turned 2 today). I don't want her to grow up with the same bizarre perception of food that I have. My psychologist keeps drilling into me that there are no such things as "bad foods", just too much of them. Eating all foods in moderation is the key.

Again, thank you for all the kind words.

[BevP]

Bosun's Wife I'm so glad you stayed with this thread. This is a wonderful group of people as can be seen by the wish not to offend.

For what it's worth to everyone on this thread: IMHO it's easier to quit smoking than fix bad eating habits (I've done both). You can avoid cigarettes thereby avoiding the temptation to have just one drag on someones smoke. You CAN'T avoid food. You have to eat to keep living. So you basically flirt with this addiction (at least in my case) for the rest of your life.

Again, Bosun's Wife, thanks for sticking whith this group. I wish you the best of luck. My Marine DH had to put up with alot too. Aren't those military guys great!!!

[cindyluwho]

I think that there is an interesting paradox going on in American culture these days...there is simultaneously both an utter obsession with "health" (which I recognize may be an unwelcome thing to say on a "healthy living" board), and an irresponsibility when it comes to taking care of ourselves. On the one hand, I think it is of course good to be aware of what you eat and it is good to exercise. However, sometimes people can get to the point where they spend an inordinate amount of time and energy concerned about how many grams of fat a particular food has or how many hours they've exercised. People probably talk more about diet and exercise now in America than ever before, and yet, ironically, it would seem that Americans are more unhealthy than ever before. It would seem that obsessing over these things and being constantly bombarded with the hundreds of diet plans, the newest exercise equipment, and nutritional information all over the place, which I think you'd have to be living under a rock not to be exposed to, does not actually help to solve the problem, it only makes people more obsessive. Those are just some of my late-night thoughts, whatever they're worth!

[mandarin2j]

Originally posted by funnybone:
What is sadder is the number of obese children has increased.

I have heard (so not sure if it is fact) that only one state (Illinois) has a mandatory Phys-Ed program for kids in school. This is pathetic!!! Not only has recess been eliminated in many places, but the lack of phys-ed as well does not favor our children.

We need to encourage our children to run, bike, and just play (other than computer/video games). This is so important for social as well as health reasons!

I think another thing that is problematic is that PE tends to focus on team sports & physical fitness testing, activities that may or may not stick with you your whole life. What PE ought to be doing is focusing on the same types of activities you & your husband promote with your children. I don't know about everyone else, but I was a total failure at anything that involved a ball. PE, apart from distance running, was a humiliating experience for me because I was always the last kid chosen to round out a team. Not exactly the kind of memory you want associated with physical activity if you're looking to promote physical activity through adulthood.

-Amanda

[KValley]

BosunsWife,

I want to apologize if I said anything that hurt you. Ten years ago my life got a little out of control and I gained 30 lbs in about 9 months. I put the brakes on and lost it the next year, but I will never forget the fear, self-loathing, and bewilderment that the weight gain caused. I know that for the rest of my life I will have to be careful about my attitudes and approach to food- understanding that I turn to food for comfort. So I understand as much as I am able your struggle.

I have lived in Europe, Africa, and Asia- in countries where starvation was a daily reality and in places where food is revered and informal exercise(walking everywhere) is a part of daily life - nowhere else have I seen the abuse of food and body as I have seen in the United States.

This is what frustrates me about U.S. Americans- not that people are overweight- but that they show so little regard for their health. Our bodies and genetic makeup vary so much- one's dress size is NOT an indication of their physical health (think Kate Moss vs Oprah- I'd put my money on Oprah any day).

I think you are amazing for the way you are taking care of yourself and your daughter. I hope you know that no one here means to slam anyone who is struggling with their weight, but again I'm sorry that my remarks were thoughtless. I have only become more inspired and determined since reading this board and you are one of those sources of inspiration.

Warm regards- Julie




[This message has been edited by KValley (edited 06-08-2001).]

[LGBurns]

Just read an interesting article in Atlantic Monthly this month that is related. Seems that some developing nations (particularly in the South Pacific) are now suffering from obesity and obesity-related illnesses (adult-onset diabetes, heart disease, etc.). Apparently, in moving from farming and fishing to a more "developed" economy they are moving away from eating traditional foods to imports, such as Spam, McDonalds and Coke. In fact, the article used a term called "Coca-colanization." It also discussed the fat gene, and related it to areas which went through severe famines. The theory is that the people from these areas have higher rates of the "fat gene" which could also be looked at as the "anti-starvation gene." I recommend reading it--very interesting. It's in the June issue.