Obesity now Recognized as a Disease in the US

[macker]

The portion sizes are excessively large these days but for the wrong foods and this doesn't apply to high-quality foods such as vegetables and whole grains.

Also there needs to be variety in a diet and the more variety the healthier the diet. Studies show that those who ate the greatest variety of healthy foods over a 10 year period had the lowest mortality rate and those who eat the greatest variety of unhealthy foods had the highest mortality rate.

Some of the most inspirational people around have "cured their disease" through education/self-control/diet modification. There are many diseases out there that can't be cured but this is one "disease" that is easily cured when people are ready to take the medicine.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I don't believe that guy in the video... mostly because anyone who did lose that kind of weight would never be so condescending.

Never got Denis Leary. When I try to explain the INCREDIBLE draw that I have to food, I often ask if people have ever seen "Rescue Me" and think of his character's draw to alcohol. Even though he knows that it will destroy his life and cause even more disfunction in his family, he still is drawn to the drink. On one hand he tries to portray how hard addictions are to break and on the other he pokes fun of those with addictions.

People that are addicted to something can easily block out the part of their thought process that tells them x is bad for them.

Food, drugs, money issues....doesn't matter if it will destroy your life.

Its hard to understand for people that have never had the problem, but someone with a severe eating disorder is to me pretty much like someone with a bad drug habit.

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by Azure

People that are addicted to something can easily block out the part of their thought process that tells them x is bad for them.

For people that have an over-eating disorder, is it only unhealthy foods that they are addicted to? I know people like to criticize fast food chains for the crap that they serve, but they virtually all have healthy menu items that the majority of people choose not to eat.

[Rathji]

Sure they are more healthy, but the reality is a salad at Wendy's has more calories than more than half of the burgers on the menu.

Even the monstrous Baconator is 960 calories compared to a Ceasar Salad, which is 780.

[macker]

A large contributor to obesity and excess calories in the American/Canadian diet is sugar. Seventeen percent of the average American's calories comes from sugars. Sweets promote body-fat accumulation more than any other type of food because they are extremely calorie-dense and provide relatively little satiety.

[Devils'Advocate]

I can only speak for myself, but I have sat down and eaten 2 family size bags of steamed vegetables. I can gourge on salad.

First, I think a differentiation has to be made. My eating disorder doctor believes that my food addiction is more physical than mental. Those that are binge eaters, bulimic or anorexic because of mental trauma such as sexual assault or physical abuse as a child would have completely different behaviour patterns than I.

That said, the very first thing my new doctor did was cut out the sugar (except fruits) because that is the MOST addictive food. If I am buying ANYTHING, including bread, I have to look at the ingredients and if sugar, fructose, glucose, or another other varients are on there, it goes back on the shelf. Which really was eye opening. I never would have thought there would have been sugar in my bread. Yet there it was. It was the second ingredient in my pizza sauce. Even the "healthy" cereals like Special K were loaded with sugar.

So I have now gone 10 weeks without having sugar. Not a cookie, not a cake crumb, not even ketchup on a burger.

The way that the doctor explained it to me is that:
1) After losing so much weight, the body puts itself into a "starvation mode" where metabolism slows down, hunger goes up, the ability to feel full disappears completely. These are all reflexes that kick in within the body to attempt to hold onto whatever fat is left. This is designed to help the caveman going through famine hold onto his fat stores.
2) However, if that caveman was to find a source of sweetness, such as fruits, it would tell the caveman to EAT MORE OF THIS so as to help recover the fat stores that have been lost through the famine.

[WilderPegasus]

Originally Posted by pylon

This is kinda the issue I have. Look at films and newsreels from the 30-40's heck even the 80's and it was pretty rare to see overweight people. Everyone was pretty much at a healthy weight, and thin. I grew up in the 80 and 90's, and even then most of the girls were fit and thin. I walk through a mall or anywhere in public now, women and men are easily 20-30% larger than they were 20 years ago. Young women are tanks now. What changed? Our genetics, or how we eat?

Three things.

The demonization of fat. People believe if they eat fat free it is healthy so eating a huge plate of fat free pasta or lots of fat free bread is healthy. Too many carbs and too few good fats are a good way to get fat.

The cardio craze. I bet 80 years ago people didn't jog or use ellipticals. And they sure as hell didn't think that those activities would get them in shape. Now people are deluded into thinking this is how you get in shape.

The car focused lifestyle. Nobody has to walk anywhere any more. Even shopping malls that you would walk around have been replaced by power centers that you drive from one store to another.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by WilderPegasus

Three things.

The demonization of fat. People believe if they eat fat free it is healthy so eating a huge plate of fat free pasta or lots of fat free bread is healthy. Too many carbs and too few good fats are a good way to get fat.

The cardio craze. I bet 80 years ago people didn't jog or use ellipticals. And they sure as hell didn't think that those activities would get them in shape. Now people are deluded into thinking this is how you get in shape.

The car focused lifestyle. Nobody has to walk anywhere any more. Even shopping malls that you would walk around have been replaced by power centers that you drive from one store to another.

How many people had sedentary jobs 80 yrs ago? The workplace has changed and this is also a factor.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I can only speak for myself, but I have sat down and eaten 2 family size bags of steamed vegetables. I can gourge on salad.

You must poop like a champ.

First, I think a differentiation has to be made. My eating disorder doctor believes that my food addiction is more physical than mental. Those that are binge eaters, bulimic or anorexic because of mental trauma such as sexual assault or physical abuse as a child would have completely different behaviour patterns than I.

I think that is the crux of the argument, frankly, you have different behaviour patterns than other people (obviously). I have met obese people who are just plain lazy slobs who don't care enough to get healthy because they don't have the will power to do anything for themselves, and frankly it is pretty disheartening to see someone who eats themselves into being little more than a torso. At the same time there are people who really do have food addictions who do make active attempts to better themselves and to lead a healthier lifestyle. No one is saying that it is easy, in fact it is difficult as you stated before... however there are frankly lazy people who couldn't be willing to put in that effort - because the other option is easier.

That said, the very first thing my new doctor did was cut out the sugar (except fruits) because that is the MOST addictive food. If I am buying ANYTHING, including bread, I have to look at the ingredients and if sugar, fructose, glucose, or another other varients are on there, it goes back on the shelf. Which really was eye opening. I never would have thought there would have been sugar in my bread. Yet there it was. It was the second ingredient in my pizza sauce. Even the "healthy" cereals like Special K were loaded with sugar.

So I have now gone 10 weeks without having sugar. Not a cookie, not a cake crumb, not even ketchup on a burger.

Honest question - what do you eat?

The way that the doctor explained it to me is that:
1) After losing so much weight, the body puts itself into a "starvation mode" where metabolism slows down, hunger goes up, the ability to feel full disappears completely. These are all reflexes that kick in within the body to attempt to hold onto whatever fat is left. This is designed to help the caveman going through famine hold onto his fat stores.
2) However, if that caveman was to find a source of sweetness, such as fruits, it would tell the caveman to EAT MORE OF THIS so as to help recover the fat stores that have been lost through the famine.

Are you on a paleo diet?

[Devils'Advocate]

As for what I eat, I just started logging again yesterday.

Yesterday:

Breakfast: Fried eggs and vegetarian sausages
Two slices of raisin toast, dry (no spreads)
Banana and hot chocolate (sucralose sweetener)

Lunch: Mixed vegetables + dip
Teriyaki Tofu squares
Blueberries

Dinner: Steamed vegetables
Peanut butter sandwich (100% peanuts peanut butter, Ezekiel bread)
Plain greek yogurt

Snacks: baby carrots, blackberries

Today:

Breakfast
Toast with 100% fruit jam (no sugar)
Plain greek yogurt with strawberry bits mixed in
Banana

Lunch: Yves Cuisine veggie-skewer
Steamed broccoli, snap peas, carrots
Blackberries

Dinner: Tortilla wraps (romaine lettuce mix, banana peppers, green olives in Ezekiel wrap, mustard dressing)
Almonds

Snack: English muffin

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

I have met obese people who are just plain lazy slobs who don't care enough to get healthy because they don't have the will power to do anything for themselves, and frankly it is pretty disheartening to see someone who eats themselves into being little more than a torso. No one is saying that it is easy, in fact it is difficult as you stated before... however there are frankly lazy people who couldn't be willing to put in that effort - because the other option is easier.

Now this is interesting. I was at a conference in Belleville on the weekend where were talking about "motivations to start losing weight" and the workshop that I was giving was on why MEN start losing weight. And typically guys won't start losing weight until they have hit a crisis. Last month I was at a conference in another province where the biggest male loser said "After my 3rd heart attack I figured I had to do something about my weight". No sh*t Sherlock! Oi. So what gets people to START losing the weight is of particular interest to me. The only reason people are going to be willing to make a huge lifestyle change is because they figure that life is not good enough right now and they want to make the effort to make it better. The hardest people I find to motivate are the people that have good jobs, a good house, a loving spouse, 2 good kids and a dog. If you have the American Dream, you are probably pretty darn happy no matter what size you are. In 2011 and 2012 when I would go out on speaking tours I would get up on stage and tell people "How I lost the weight". Everyone loved the speech. Standing ovations. Hugs afterward. Wonderful. Except I came back to see the same group the next year and nobody did anything different. So I ripped up the old speech and now when I get up on stage I tell people "Why I lost the weight". I think people are going to put in the effort, they need to hear how their life will be even better than it is today. If I'm starting with someone that has hit rock bottom and are miserable, I've got a good shot at getting them to make a commitment to changing their life. If I have someone that is pretty darn happy with their life, it's near impossible to get them motivated to do something different.

I still say that it is a disease. The only "choice" people have is whether they want to go through the detox/chemo/whatever to cure the disease. Like I said above, it's not easy, but it's worth it. And I can understand people that are pretty darn happy with where their life is not wanting to go through the detox. Functional alcoholics with a strong family life are the hardest ones to motivate to get of the bottle.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

I agree that it is a disease in a way, that being said it is very difficult to state that obesity is a disease when it is often the byproduct of literally hundreds of other diseases and ailments, both physical and mental. The one concern that I think exists with labeling it a disease in itself is that it can offer a convenient excuse for those who are morbidly obese (I do think that a differentiation is required) and that may in turn make it more acceptable and common to be morbidly obese... in a way I fear that by giving it the label of a disease could push a portion of the population to say - "there is nothing I can do about it, it is a disease," especially when losing the weight is difficult and not as immediately gratifying as having an unhealthy meal.

I wonder if people don't change their behaviours because they don't view themselves as having a problem or that they underestimate their own problems.

Also that isn't a lot of food you are eating - I think most everyone would be craving food at that point in time,.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

in a way I fear that by giving it the label of a disease could push a portion of the population to say - "there is nothing I can do about it, it is a disease," especially when losing the weight is difficult and not as immediately gratifying as having an unhealthy meal.

The same criticism has been levelled against those who say the same about alcoholism. Although there is no hard proof to substantiate the claim. From wikipedia:

Some critics of the disease model argue alcoholism is a choice, not a disease, and stripping alcohol abusers of their choice, by applying the disease concept, is a threat to the health of the individual; the disease concept gives the substance abuser an excuse. A disease cannot be cured by force of will; therefore, adding the medical label transfers the responsibility from the abuser to caregivers. Inevitably the abusers become unwilling victims, and just as inevitably they take on that role. They argue that the disease theory of alcoholism exists only to benefit the professionals' and governmental agencies responsible for providing recovery services, and the disease model has not offered a solution for those attempting to stop abusive alcohol and drug use.These critics hold that by removing some of the stigma and personal responsibility the disease concept actually increases alcoholism and drug abuse and thus the need for treatment.[41] This is somewhat supported by a study which found that a greater belief in the disease theory of alcoholism and higher commitment to total abstinence to be factors correlated with increased likelihood that an alcoholic would have a full-blown relapse (substantial continued use) following an initial lapse (single use).[42] However, the authors noted that "the direction of causality cannot be determined from these data. It is possible that belief in alcoholism as a loss-of-control disease predisposes clients to relapse, or that repeated relapses reinforce clients' beliefs in the disease model."

I wonder if people don't change their behaviours because they don't view themselves as having a problem or that they underestimate their own problems.

There is no wonder there at all. That is DEFINITELY the case, particularly with men. They deny they have a problem until it is too late and have a heart attack. Men aren't told they have to be pretty the way women are. An obese man can climb a corporate ladder with much greater ease than an obese woman. So they can deny their weight issues until much later in life when they are suddenly in crisis mode.

Also that isn't a lot of food you are eating - I think most everyone would be craving food at that point in time,.

That was 2550 calories yesterday. I'll probably be in that vicinity today.

[drPepper1]

^^Steroids and BigMacs ftw

[Fire]

^^^ Yikes! I hope that is not real.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

And that right there is the bull#### that makes me want to throw my monitor against a wall. It's the opinion of someone that has never been obese. You walk a mile in my shoes someday and you might feel differently.

Y'know, *I* think you posted this article specifically because you knew someone would come across all "insensitive" so you could tee off. You have an obesity problem? Before you deal with that, maybe deal with the "every problem I have is ever so much more terrible because *I* have it" problem.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by jammies

Y'know, *I* think you posted this article specifically because you knew someone would come across all "insensitive" so you could tee off. You have an obesity problem? Before you deal with that, maybe deal with the "every problem I have is ever so much more terrible because *I* have it" problem.

....damn, maybe this was an innapropriate smilie for this thread.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Sure they are more healthy, but the reality is a salad at Wendy's has more calories than more than half of the burgers on the menu.

Even the monstrous Baconator is 960 calories compared to a Ceasar Salad, which is 780.

Sure but the full size almond berry chicken salad is a reasonable 460 calories. You can drop the Ceasar calories by not drenching the salad in dressing and removing a good amount of the cheese.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by jammies

Y'know, *I* think you posted this article specifically because you knew someone would come across all "insensitive" so you could tee off. You have an obesity problem? Before you deal with that, maybe deal with the "every problem I have is ever so much more terrible because *I* have it" problem.

Perhaps you should deal with your "I'm an insensitive, know-it-all, opinionated dickhead" disorder.

Walk a mile in his shoes.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

As for what I eat, I just started logging again yesterday.

Yesterday:
Breakfast: Fried eggs and vegetarian sausages

Today:

I don't think it is appropriate to put vegetarian and sausage in the same sentence let alone combine them into a single food item.