Health, not weight page 2

[Red Wire]

I also think that preventing disease takes federal regulation to help shift consumer focus from junk food to fresh food and give rewards/incentives to companies that produce fresh food. Americans are too egotistic and would say "Hands off my food choices!", unfortunately.

That might work, if the government had any interest in promoting healthy food and wasn't inexorably tied to $$$ and wealthy industry. Were talking about the same organization that sends armed police after raw milk producers and publishes crap like My Plate and the Food Pyramid.

IMO, preventing disease takes citizens empowered with correct information, not a government that makes their choices for them. Joel Salatin's books are good for perspective on this matter

As for the OP,

I kind of agree, weight loss/gain isn't always indicative of great health. But being overweight is usually indicative of poor physical fitness and it won't do you any favors when the zombie apocalypse hits. See below

[Knifegill]

Can you climb trees?

[Griff]

No, and I don't need to. What's your point?

[rayout]

Can you climb trees?

No need to get snippy at the OP. I'm sure Griff is still trying to lose weight but he's just pointing out people are obsessed with the #'s on a scale instead of health.

Scales lie in the sense that people can "plateau" and still be losing fat. Some folks get obsess with carb counting and ignore the health aspect. I have a friend losing 2 lbs a week doing low carb but he doesn't pay attention to the oil content. Chinese food is ok, except for the fact that take out is soaked in superheated vegetable oil. Slim Jims are no problem for him

[Owly]

Can you climb trees?

A lot of skinny people can't climb trees either.

We tend to assume a fat person is unhealthy because of body size, but we think a thin person is healthy and fit just by looking at them. I have friends who are obese who climb trees, run marathons, do multi-day backcountry hikes, swim, bike, and so on. I know thin people who get winded walking up a flight of stairs. You cannot assume a person's ability by body weight alone.

[Lily Marie]

A lot of skinny people can't climb trees either.

We tend to assume a fat person is unhealthy because of body size, but we think a thin person is healthy and fit just by looking at them. I have friends who are obese who climb trees, run marathons, do multi-day backcountry hikes, swim, bike, and so on. I know thin people who get winded walking up a flight of stairs. You cannot assume a person's ability by body weight alone.

If you can't do basic things like climb a tree - you are out of shape, which is unhealthy. Fat or skinny. If you can't do the basic survival things, you are trapped by your own body.

[zoebird]

I've known this for a long time. I chalk it up to body types. Some bodies naturally have denser bones, more muscle, and more fat.

and that doesn't mean that the person is "obese" per se either, because that terms includes that there are markers of ill health. having body fat does not immediately equate to ill health.

[marcadav]

If you can't do basic things like climb a tree - you are out of shape, which is unhealthy. Fat or skinny. If you can't do the basic survival things, you are trapped by your own body.

Blanket statements such as this one show a total lack of intelligence,consideration, awareness, understanding....

There are a myriad of things I am unable to do, thanks to CP. According to this statement I am trapped in my own body. Good thing I'm not trapped by stupidity.

[Griff]

If you can't do basic things like climb a tree - you are out of shape, which is unhealthy. Fat or skinny. If you can't do the basic survival things, you are trapped by your own body.

I don't see any point in climbing trees. I have other things to do with my time, like studying and working. Those take precedence.

Frankly, I dislike the emphasis on "be an athlete" rather than "be healthy." Plenty of athletes are unhealthy, but because they can climb trees, we assume that they're stellar examples of health. Bulging muscles are ugly, not attractive.

[Griff]

No need to get snippy at the OP. I'm sure Griff is still trying to lose weight but he's just pointing out people are obsessed with the #'s on a scale instead of health.

Actually, the weight loss has always been a side effect of getting healthy. Right now, my body seems to be happy at 290. OK, I'm fine with that. If I lose more weight, fine. If I don't, fine. I really couldn't care less about the number on the scale. I can climb stairs (not trees), I can fit behind the wheel of my car with plenty of slack in the seatbelt, I can fit into a regular student desk at college, I can walk across campus without getting out of breath. That's good enough for me. The number on the scale is meaningless.