Fighting America's Obesity Epidemic - Thomas Frieden

[swankrecords]

grease is the word

[BonScottAC]

McDonald's nutritionist is like a Vatican astronomer.

[duck24x]

Politicians always need to hyperbolize every issue as a "crisis" or "epidemic" or "emergency". They are brainless fanatic shitheads, as are the subhuman garbage that votes for them.

The obesity "epidemic" is just more bullshit. Meanwhile, the politicians refuse to do anything about real crises, such as anthropogenic global warming (AGW).

[duck24x]

Obesity is a side issue. Yes, problems exist with being fat, both health and caused by prejudices from others.

The main issue = veganism for animal rights. I have been vegan since 1984 to prevent innocent cows, pigs, chickens (all of whom are vegetarian themselves) from needlessly being bred and murdered.

I am fat. Lack of exercise due to arthritis.

Help solve the Peta X-Meat Prize to genetically engineer synthetic meat without breeding an entire consious animal!

[JackBlair2]

Is there really an "obesity epidemic"?

I agree that out of shape people need to be shamed into health - especially if congress passes this monstrosity of a health care bill. If I have to pay into a system, then people are going to stop being pigs and couch potatoes.

[tiredamerican]

harsh as it may sound, obesely fat people should be villified and marginalized in the manner that smokers were and are so treated and there would be a real change...there is no secret...less calories in less weight on. other than will power there's no difference between smoking and eating like a pig. i'm prepared for the harsh comments and treatment...i used to smoke.

[anonymous915]

There is a difference between smoking and eating - one you never have to do again - but one can never stop eating. It's much easier to quit something you never have to touch again. BTW we've had presidents that were 300#s.

[GloryRoad123]

I agree with anonymous915. It's always difficult to draw the line when you have to have SOME of it, but can't have ALL you want.

Furthermore, the thing wtih smoking is that it's being advertised less and less and less. Junk food ads are constantly in your face. This makes weight loss for children particularly difficult as they are easily impressionable.

[RainyDayMadness]

solution: eat real, whole foods.

ex: fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, olive oil...

don't eat: Silicon Dioxide

no time to cook is not an excuse. get some yogurt, strawberries and granola. throw it in a bowl and viola.

count nutrients as much as calories.

[cdrizzel]

we have nothing to worry about with the Obesity epidemic - we have enough incompetnecy within the medical community to kill us all quicker than any FAT may do.

[jacob7207]

Make your own bread with whole wheat (non bleached flour) If you don't know how to do it, look it up on here. It's easy and fun as well.

[ach2lieber]

Refined sugar acts like a drug. MSG and aspartame are excitotoxins that alter brain chemistry and cause us to eat more. We are not exercising "choices" when we ingest addictive products any more than a smokers are exercising a choice when they reach for a cigarette. Willpower's not the answer -- there's a clear reason why our nation is becoming exponentially fatter. The obesity epidemic has a lot more to do with our toxic food supply than it does with misguided choices. Wake up, people.

[TentativeNihilist]

In my childhood and early teens, I was presumably exposed to the same "toxic" and "addictive" foods that everyone else was, but that didn't prevent me from switching to an extremely healthy diet as soon as I could pay for my own food. Assuming I have the same brain and physiology as the "food addicts," there's no reason they shouldn't be able to make the same choice.

[sanserverino]

If it were so simple, why can't they just follow the same healthy diet? Apparently, because it isn't that simple. Being fat is - statistically - irreversible in the majority of cases. Battle lost... Instead, you need to educate children so that they won't become fat in the first place. That' seems to be the only chance....

[TentativeNihilist]

The anti-obesity movement infuriates me for the same reason that every other it's-for-your-own-good movement infuriates me: it implies a condescending disrespect for the right of the individual to choose EXACTLY his own style of being, right down to the last quirk, the last vice, the last oddity. Protecting children from commercials? I watched a lot of TV as a kid, presumably saw the same junk food commercials as everyone else, and proceeded to become an exercise fanatic. Personal choice.

[TentativeNihilist]

(last post cont.)

So what prevents anyone else who was exposed to exactly the same commercials I was from making the same choices I did?

[GhostOfPaley]

That's great, but you are the exception..... not the rule.

[TentativeNihilist]

What prevents anyone else from choosing to be an exception?

[GhostOfPaley]

Apparently lots. This is why obesity is spreading so quickly. People like you and I are becoming increasingly rare. Some people have no self-control, which means that flashy advertising and sweet foods are as addictive as crack cocaine.

Humans evolved to eat everything they could and store fat. This made sense in our hunter-gatherer days when food was scarce. Agriculture (especially the agricultural revolution) changed this. We are dealing with the consequences of our past.

[DullardGuy]

Intriguing approach. Or maybe again...the human evolution process is circular and the cycle repeats itself taking into account what you alluded to on this subject. Once determined, what are the causes? Climatic, cyclamatic? what?

[whatisthisshiiit]

Oh yeah, and another thing.

Eat a freaking apple once in your life.

You know, crap that grows on a tree.

Not a piece of lard in a plastic bag.

[whatisthisshiiit]

Stop drinking so much goddamn soda.

I drink tea and put in REAL sugar only as much as I want and I'm thin as a rail.

[Redtady]

I belief the obesity statistics of 2/3rds are true. Maybe you don't see all the obese people because they stay indoors.

[superfisto]

"Sunlight is a great disinfectant"

Great quote. It's funny. That's the third time I've heard it today on youtube!

[Whoo69]

One thing these people forget is body types. Not all of us are SUPPOSED to be skinny or slender. Some can be much larger and still be healthy. That's just how they're built. It's genetic. Genetics plays a role here, and forgetting that really distorts things. So there can't be a set standard for what "obese" is for each single person. One person may be healthy but be 200 pounds b/c of how they're built. They may also lift weights and have added muscle.

[KiplingCI]

they measure body fat, there's no gene that makes you naturally fat. You can't eat non-fat food and excersize and increase your body fat. Case closed.

[Whoo69]

DOES statistics always mean that a statistic for one random sample of a population automatically applies to the whole pop.? I think in many situations that's not the case, but no one raises a red flag about those cases, so they assume the stats can always be applied to the larger picture.

[Whoo69]

People who come up with this medical data on obesity don't have the best indicators, now do they? They usually look at medical records of how many people were admitted into the hospital or had to get treated for obesity-related illnesses, but of course, more fat people than skinny people are gonna go to the hospital. That distorts the data for the entire population significantly.

Don't tell me that researchers actually count up the number of fat people in an area or do lab tests on fatsos

[Whoo69]

I say, just live your life and quit worrying so much about obesity. It might also help if people weren't so damn religious or spiritual, so they think that their life REALLY matters a whole lot, so they have to be 'saved' in time or do a lot of good things and live long enough to do it. Me, it's no big deal. If I die tomorrow, so what. So be it. I'm an agnostic, so I could care less.

[Whoo69]

Come on, doctors. Don't play with our emotions by using the word "epidemic" like some ideological douchebag who uses medical terms out of context on issues like abortion (calling it "partial-birth abortion"). You're smarter than that. Use the right terms to describe the situation.

And I find it very hard to believe that 60% of adults are obese now. Sure, there are more obese than in the past, but 60 or 70%?? You expect me to believe that? I hardly see that many obese people on campus!!

[Whoo69]

The American culture should be dealing with this problem, not the gov't. Gov't does enough already. If people are concerned, they can try to persuade others as PRIVATE CITIZENS, but no gov't official has the right to force it down our throats. The state already tells us we can't do drugs, can't drink til we're 21, can't gamble til we're 21, but we can serve in the military at 18. Things are already topsy-turvy enough as it is.

[Whoo69]

Do you REALLY have reason to believe 2/3rds of all Americans are fat or obese? That sounds like a very ludicrous claim. I'm outside all the time going to class and doing other things, and I hardly see THAT many heavy-set folks. Sure, there is a fair amount, but if it was 2/3rds, I'd notice. 2 out of 3 Americans fat or overweight? Please. I think the doctors have gotten too used to statistics and data that they don't think that maybe this is the kind of statistic that doesn't work for all.

[Whoo69]

Is it just me, or does the fucking comment system here keep NOT posting at least one of my comments on almost every video I comment on despite pressing the fucking "post comment" button???

Anyway, I'm so sick of doctors butting into our lives. Just back off and stick to your ADVISORY role as experts. If we want your help, we'll ask. But otherwise, don't try to tell me what to eat, how to eat, when to eat, and try to force gov't nutrition programs or any of that other crap on my kids.

[Whoo69]

In a free society, we should have the freedom to not only be healthy but also be UNHEALTHY if we so choose. Government's proper role should be mainly limited to a few key roles, not going around trying to run our lives and make everything 'safer' for us and worrying so damn much about individual health, rather than actual communicable diseases that can't be always prevented from spreading.

I mean, no one automatically gets fat just b/c they're around fat people. It's a responsibility thing.

[Whoo69]

How many Americans really give a crap what all the medical experts and gov't medical agencies are saying here, trying to scare us into accepting more gov't control over our personal lives?? I don't! If I'm fat, I'm fat. Big deal. I've managed to live 21 years, and I'll probably live 21 more years, with or without complications. But I'll be the judge of whether things get outta hand, not the gov't. I think I know my own health better than the feds, so back off, MAN. Fuck the establishment.

[scotplaya]

Obesity came the same time with automobiles and the suburbs. Obesity comes from not walking everyday or not exercising. Not the evil genetically engineered food we eat everyday.

[Sabricent]

look at how processed the french toast and syrup and that the steak and eggs are pretty raw material. interesting.

[truthadvocate]

Maybe if the government would stop taxing the hell out of individuals and businesses, we wouldn't have to spend as much time working our asses off to pay the damn taxes, SO WE COULD HAVE MORE TIME TO EXERCISE AND TO SPEND WITH OUR CHILDREN! But no, your answer is more regulation, bigger government, which leads to more taxes, more nanny state mentality, less individual responsibility. Screw that! Get out of our lives, and let parents be parents!

[McArrowni]

Maybe is the key word here.

[Plutonwolf]

Try looking at when High Fructose Corn Syrup began to flood into all aspects of the food system of America. It really started to become ubiquitous in the early 80's (funny thing, who was pres then?) and thats when the obesity curve started soaring. I remember in my youth white sugar was called white death, so would H F corn syrup the Yellow Menace?

Folks, want to see something that'll wise you up? Watch a train with tank cars go by and note how many are labled H F corn syrup.

[mrzack888]

it's the garbage processed foods