What is Digg?Sponsored by Sony Pictures
Watch a scene from 2012, in theaters November 13 view!
whowillsurvive2012.com - Get ready for the biggest event in history – the end of time. How will you survive? 2012- opening 11/13
105 Comments
- humanrobot, on 10/12/2007, -20/+68i bet a fat person wrote this. give me another excuse fatty mcfat fat.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+33I'm fat, and from my personal data results I have concluded that it seems as though I enjoy a product called "pizza".
At this time in my clinical trials I have no intentions of reducing said dosages. - Shad0wSP, on 10/12/2007, -5/+23genetic predisposition can only account for so much.
- aantix, on 10/12/2007, -9/+24It always cracks me up that my skinny friends suggest "just eat less" as they eat a bag of Cheetos playing XBox.
Most people have their body composition by default.
The skinnies look down on the fatties as if they have really done something to obtain their body shape knowing damn well 80% of the populace doesn't exercise regularly.
If you have a normal body, you got genetically lucky, but don't hold yourself above others as if you've worked your ass off for your body type.
Most of you guys are just as lazy as the fat people, Mother Nature just happen to cut you a break.
My point isn't to alleviate the responsibility of the person who is overweight.
We all have compulsions; the guy who can't put the drink down, the guy who eats double cheese burgers, the woman who has to buy a pair of shoes every time she goes to the mall.
My thoughts are an explanation, not a justification.
Nonetheless, my point is that most of the people that say "eat less" don't carry the same advice. And just because nature granted you a skinny license doesn't make you qualified to give hollow, weight management advice.
I'm fat. I know I'm fat. And I don't need some skinny btch telling me what I already know. So in the end, save your unqualified two cents, STFU, and let's all deal with our vices quietly. - wheaty, on 10/12/2007, -17/+31You took the words out of my mouth. Lets think of all the reasons that I'm fat that don't include personal responsibility.
- r81984, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9It has a lot more to do with what we eat. In the US we use High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). One side effect of HFCS is your body looses its ability to signal it is full. HFCS has a lot more to do with overeating then our genes.
- aantix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7@Ryan83
I am not rationalizing my weight; read my original post.
>My point isn't to alleviate the responsibility of the person who is overweight.
I was merely addressing the issue that some skinnier folks insist on giving advice such as "put the food down" when they have no idea about how hard that is for some. Just like it's hard for the alcoholic to put the drink down, or the compulsive shopper to cut a credit card up.
It's just this constant talking-down-to that irritates me (e.g. "put the fork down fattie!"). And the talking-down-to seems to come from the most UNQUALIFIED, lazy individuals.
I work my ass off in the gym (5 times a week+), keep my calorie count under 2000cals with an emphasis on lean meat and good carbs just to MAINTAIN my overweight ass of 270lbs.
I just wish the 3rd party advice would come from a more loving position. - redmaxx, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9It's called ignorance, you idiot. Scientific data that proves that people aren't always in control and you still blame them?
- LanceWindu, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10At least I know what makes me fat...me being lazy.
It's people who don't take responsibility for their own actions which piss me off. - redmaxx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I'm betting your logic is bs. The human brain responds to what your body's genetics dictates. The human brain is not 100% independent.
- CaptRage, on 10/12/2007, -9/+15"It's All in Your Genes"
You mean it all goes to your Jeans - wolvyne, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Or maybe HFCS?
Case Study: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/80064/high_fructose_corn_syrup_is_it_making.html
What it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup - AxeSwinger, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I'm fat 280lbs. I don't mind. I workout three days a week running, I can run 3 miles in 22 minutes, which is a great considering I'm 37. I try to do 3 or 4 5k races a years. My cholesterol is great to the amazement of my marathon running doctor and
I've been trim and I was working out an hour a day six days a week. I don't get full I can eat a whole pizza if I'm not paying attention I can eat a lot. I just read a lot of oversimplification of the issue. The glib don't eat so much you'll lose weight and just take responsibility for your actions. Well it's more complicated than that most people who are fat don't want to be and they know they are not helping themselves.
I've seen a few studies about our self destructive nature like diets don't work, given the choice between changing habits and heart disease; heart disease usually wins. Look at the Vice President and his self inflicted heart condition. My point is this; The way you view the world can be quite different than the way other view the world. Sure it makes you feel good to say just stop eating but your not helping anyone just stroking your own ego. - axel2k1, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Every time there's an article on digg about obesity, tons of people comment on how easy it is to stay/become fit. Eat well and exercise. It really does seem simple, and the utter confusion over why so many people can lack such self-control is usually mystifying.
Are fat people "victims" of society? That's a ridiculous claim, and I certainly wouldn't carry it that far. But I don't "blame" an individual's bodily constitution purely on a lack of self control.
To read such research and the comments of people on digg, it would seem that all thin, healthy people out there are really into self-denial and "controlling" themselves. They realize that, to be healthy, they must ration what they eat and do tons of exercise to stay thin. This often contradicts the fact that many of us know someone who can eat like a pig, sit on their ass, and not gain a pound. From this observation, there does seem to be, at least in a small part, a genetic or environmental factor involved.
The reality of the situation is that it's VERY easy to blame a behavioral problem on an individual's loss of self control. The fact is, no one wants to be fat... no one suddenly decides to be obese. Most fat people are constantly on a diet of some form, wanting to lose weight because of societal pressure, but, while some of the pounds may come off in the short term, they usually creep back with some more tagging along.
Perhaps there is a genetic or environmental factor involved here. It seems that there is also a high prevalence of depression in obese individuals, and this depression leads to binge eating and "giving up" on healthy eating patterns. Is depression a cause of obesity, does obesity cause depression, or is there no causal relationship? Certainly, being obese can lead to poor self-image. But is it possible that one of the factors involved in binge eating and sedentary lifestyles is depression?
I only ask that you consider these points, not necessarily agree with them. In our society, obese people are "unattractive" and easy to dismiss. It's difficult to feel empathy for someone who doesn't seem to care about himself/herself. - Battleloser, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6The question is not whether or not I can stop, but whether or not I WANT to stop.
My eating habits have always been weird, I usually eat one big meal a day. When I'm digging in to some awesome home-made food, be it a nice juicy roast with mashed potatoes, or a 4 egg ommlette with a pound of cheese, or anything that I like, I don't want to stop. I like eating till my belly hurts. And no, don't get the wrong idea, I don't eat because I'm unhappy, and I'm not unhappy because I eat. I just like food.
Every time I turn on the news nowadays I see crap about the obesity epidemic. They talk about what people need to do, and why they need to do it, but whenever they air an opinion on the matter that isn't some health and diet expert it's always some whiny bitch crying that her diet doesn't work. Where are the people like me? The people that proudly admit to being fat, and really don't give a ***** about losing it?
Normally I wouldn't care, but I foresee a new type of Victorianism on the horizon. We all know governments don't respect freedom anymore, so how long do you think it'll be before a politician comes forward with an agenda of enforcing healthy living laws on us? - kirkio, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8nature + nurture = you
- SasquatchBill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5People don't have "body composition by default." They may have a predisposition to a certain level of metabolism but it doesn't mean they default to Fat or Skinny.
I'm 6'1'', 200 lbs. I'm overweight, but not that you'd really notice unless I was at the beach. My friends and I all have pretty much the same exercise and eating habits, but we vary from (I'm estimating here) 10% to 25% body fat. I'm currently at 15.5% - I was at 18% a few months ago. I KNOW I wasn't built to be that skinny little bitch you're talking about - but in the end its ME who got off my ass to change my eating and exercising habits to reduce that body comp you say we default to.
Pointing out that Mother nature gave the skinnies a break is your way of saying "I'm fat, but I'm off the hook!" I am fat, Mother Natures a bitch, but I'm getting more fit because I'm tired of excuses and no one else controls that but me. - Metylerka, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Typing In All Caps Is Annoying, Experts Say
- ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10Yeah, after that it's that garbage bag of cheese burgers and Oreos.
- pexor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6This article makes sense and everything, but considering the difference in life expectancy between now and then I still say we're doing better off these days, fat genes be damned.
- redmaxx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Hear hear!
- SchnellFowVay, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6@brstilson
You're actually quite wrong.
Things like thinking, breathing, talking, and typing all burn a tremendous amount of Calories.
Additionally, just "living" - your heart beating, breathing (as stated), moving, even sleeping, all burn tremendous amounts of calories.
FOr an average adult male with an average metabolism, evening leading a sedentary lifestyle burns between 1,100 and 1,600 calories per day. For a woman, those numbers are closer to 800 to 1,200. You, indeed, CAN lose weight without exercisign and without being anorexic. It's just VERY difficult and takes a VERY long time.
THe goal of exercising 30 - 60 minutes per day is to burn those extra 300 - 800 calories in addition to the calories you burn just by "living." More importantly, however, is that when you exercise regularly (2x per week or more) is that your metabolism speeds up. This means your calories burned by
just "living" increase substantially.
When you combine these marginal increases with the flat calories burned each time your work out, this is how you lose weight.
- ccrook, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Well don't drink soda. That's a huge source of HFCS. I don't anymore.
- rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4It's okay. It's not his fault he's ignorant. Must be in his genes.
- ccrook, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4maddog, maybe you missed the part where HFCS has been shown to inhibit signaling that you're full. While cane soda would have the same amount of calories it wouldn't inhibit that sense of being satisfied.
- ccrook, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I do believe this has something to do with it. Some soda companies are going back to cane sugar because of the rise in demand for corn for ethanol. It could actually help things if they stopped using HFCS because of corn prices rising. Pretty interesting.
- redmaxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2No, the research is there, you just need to go find it. Go on ahead...search the Digg archives, I'm sure you'll find it.
- copaceticZ, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I personally believe the problem with food today is the high carb high fat low protein foods. The reason people are fat and i used to be fat is because of these foods. When people eat high protein foods with they will at least be able to burn the fat and calories off because they will have what is essential for their muscles to grow or at least stay the same and with time will become somewhat lean(jogging, weight lifting will make you truly lean but that said the change in diet itself will make your body become better). When you eat high carb high fat low protein foods your body simply does not have enough protein to fuel your muscles so they become weak and you gradually lose the ability to burn these crappy foods off. So if one thing is learned if you are going to eat high fat foods make sure that they are at least high protein. I personally have begun eating my body weight in protein everyday and truly believe that every person should do this it has changed my life and i truly believe that if you are an overweight person reading this right now you should give up the carbs and eat the hell out of some protein right now you can start eating high fat foods that are high protein and gradually work your way to eating only the high protein low fat foods. Just make sure you get your protein its as important as brushing your teeth, washing your hair, breathing air.
- MaddDog, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I also blame food and drinks. As I consume too many, I get fat. Damn sustenance!
- rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why did food have to be so yummy?!! I am heavier now than I would like and when people ask me if I am okay, I tell them that I know *exactly* how I got here. And that it was delicious. :)
- Tarnum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2And the autonomous systems of the human brain evolved thru harish winters, when there was very little to eat. When the stored body fat was vital to survival.
- rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Do you smoke or drink? 'Cause if you do, I don't wanna hear anything from you.
- rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I sincerely hope you never lose your job and then have one of your children diagnosed with cancer. What truly "good" society would let a child die or even suffer because his/her parents could not afford any treatment and everyone else was too selfish to help out.
- azAZ09, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ Madddog
But notice that the cane-sugar sodas are sold in smaller 16-oz bottles instead of the 2-liter vats. There is a reason for this. Dirinking these sodas are more likely to produce the chemical reaction that signals satisfaction, but this varies based on an individual's physiology as determined by genetics. A person drinking a cane-sugar soda is still getting far too many calories, but there is a greater chance they will feel satisfied at a smaller portion, maybe half of the standard size 20 oz soda. - Randki, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4This is almost complete BS. Most of the really fat people I know try to blame their fatness on genetics. These are scientists who are just trying to get money out of people to keep on working on their horse ***** theories..
Maybe, MAYBE there is a small small percentage of fat people who are fat because of genetics (excluding the disease that causes people to be extremely hungry all the time)... but every fat person I know will claim something like "My Dad was fat". But, if you follow up on it you will find that none of the grandparents were fat, none of their uncles were fat, etc.
We wouldnt have survived very long as a species if this gene was as virulent as people want you to believe. To me, it just sounds like another way for people to blame anyone or anything else but themselves. - mickmcmac, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I love to eat. I go to Bikram's Yoga 3-4 times a week. The yoga has increased my metabolism so much that I have lost quite a bit of weight. I can maintain my new weight and I can still eat whatever I want.
- AxeSwinger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd love to go running with you; IM me next time you're in town Just be sure to prepare for the altitude, a mile up and the air is thin.
- brewster13, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It seems that everyone is missing the point of the article. Did any of you "experts on obesity" RTFA?
Basically society has changed faster than humanity has been able to evolve. Because of the industrial revolution with time and labor saving creations, the car, etc... in just two or three generations we have been given vastly more down time. Many activities have gone from active to sedentary while our bodies have not had time to evolve to the slower paced life styles. We've gone from mainly rural lifestyles to more urban. Instead of walking a mile or two to school, busses pick kids up at their doorstep. In just one generation, computers and game consoles have turned playing outside for hours, to sitting inside for hours. I am sure that everyone can think of many other similar examples of societal changes from inventions over the past century that have greatly changed how many calories our bodies burn on average. How have "chores" changed from your grandparent's day to now? How many Fitness Gyms were there three generations ago? Perhaps they will help in human evolution as those who "do the fitness thing" will evolve differently than those who don't. Through natural selection we'll find out who is better off in several generations... - copaceticZ, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@rfs
i dunno much about thyroid problems and such but i do believe that everyone knows that it is bad to not eat often enough if you only eat one time a day your body tells itself to store whatever you ate because who knows when it will get more i believe that your thyroid could be messed up from your bad eating habits, poor nutrition (its hard enough getting enough nutrients and such with 3 meals a day) i may be crazy but i believe that if you started working out (weight lifting/jogging every other day) and eating 3 high protein meals per day with some fiber(trust me you'll need it) your thyroid would sort itself out and you would start losing weight....... - glmory, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6The reason you are fat has little to do with your genes. I would be willing to bet that at your age every single one of your great grandparents weren't overweight. Obesity rates have been increasing far far faster than human genetics.
- brainache, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I hate articles written as though they are aimed at 13-year-old kids, devoid of all scientific or research-based proof. Yes abcnews I am looking at you.
- azAZ09, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It seems as though the majority of posters here are trying to defend an old paradigm. Rather than trying understand the role that genetics plays in body composition, people are assuming that *everyone* responds the same to diet and exercise, and that just is not true. Of course, exercise, daily activity, calorie burn and calorie intake can play a role in one's physiology, but the assumption that everyone can overcome a pre-disposition through controlling these factors in the same way is deluded. Results will vary. Even with small groups in weight loss clinics, and research studies, there is tremendous variation in how people lose weight comparatively, even if they are on the same diet and exercise regimen.
Judging people based on appearances is not only a mistake--it is bigotry.
- brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -11/+12Eating a lot doesn't make you fat. People are fat because they have sedentary lifestyles. Anyone that gets at least 30 minutes of rigorous physical activity a day will be a healthy weight. Special diets and such don't work because you're still eating food and it will still make you gain weight if you're not burning those calories off.
The ONLY way to lose weight with no exercise is to become anorexic.
The problem is that humans still have the genetic behavior of the primitive, extremely active hunter/gatherer and tend to eat accordingly.
I am a fat person myself and I know that I am this way by my own doing. I also know that when I exercise, I seem to be able to eat more and still lose weight. My metabolism increases and actually BURNS the calories I eat. - azAZ09, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Your eating decisions are controlled by psychological processes and entirely connected to your physiology. So good luck with that.
- kd1s, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ha! My paternal great grandmother on my fathers side was a rotund woman. Even my paternal grandmother who died at 86 was a bit on the heavy side.
- copaceticZ, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1thats crazy dude cause i am a person who has been heavily addicted to soda and still drinks it somewhat and is still somewhat addicted to it but i feel full very quickly i am actually disgusted with the feeling of fullness i agree that soda is an evil evil thing and that my children will never be allowed to touch the ***** i wish i could quit drinking it though.
- kd1s, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yesterday I had a physical with a new doctor. I'm 5'8, 215lbs. The doctor is about the same height and has to outweigh me by at least 40lbs. First he tells me my ideal weight is 145lbs. Yeah, right, I'd look like a corpse. So we modified it slightly so my goal is 190lbs. I can do 25lbs pretty easily, while 70lbs would be a bit more difficult.
There was a Penn & Teller ***** episode that explored the obesity 'epidemic' and concluded that it's all marketing hype. It's true. - SasquatchBill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2That's cool. MOST people could do that, or something akin to it. Unfortunately people don't get that our bodies have to be TAUGHT to use the energy (raising our metabolism) they're given. You sit around all the time, and pack yourself full of calories, without making any requests to process the energy its given - it's NOT GOING TO.
Get off your ass, put yourself through some sweat and pain to teach your body how to USE the energy you give it. You can also give some thought to what you're putting in so that your body can process it more efficiently. Do one of these, and you'll probably feel a bit better. Do both, and you'll find that one supports the other - request energy for use (exercise) and your body will desire better food. Eat better, and you'll find some of that energy to get off your ass. - rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What's the probability of that happening? Pretty damn low.
- Actually, the chances of any one child needing emergency medical attention are pretty high.
There are charities that help those people out now.
- And you know this how? I can tell you first hand of at least 15 families that decided not to give their loved one treatment because there was no help to be had.
When is the last time you heard of a kid dieing in the US because they couldn't afford surgery or treatment? Hospitals take huge hits on people who get procedures and don't pay as it is. They still do the procedures.
- ... Are you serious? Yes, there are people who get procedures and do not pay for them. But the vast majority of people who cannot afford procedures or medication simply do not get them. And yes, technically, a state hospital *should* do their best to treat someone, but the fact of the matter is there is not enough funding to go around, and people do die because they are unable to afford sufficient treatment.
There isn't any point to socialize medicine.
- Again, I sincerely hope what goes around does not come around to you. - SasquatchBill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Assuming you're telling the truth - as I don't see why you'd feel it necessary to lie - I'm amazed that you both can be 270-280 lbs and still exercise as much as you do. How tall are you?
-
Show 51 - 100 of 105 discussions
Browsing Digg on your phone just got easier with our enhancements to the 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is