Don't say "obese" -- or talk about health

All this talk about the health risks of obesity is apparently upsetting.

In a new study released this week by the Endocrine Society, obese people reported that, not only do they feel disheartened by the publicity about their condition, they also think that regarding them as "sick" is counterproductive.

They've tried to lose weight, as recommended endlessly by the media and by their doctors, but most to apparently little avail. The "culture of blame," the study says, doesn't help their efforts.

I'm guessing posts like this, from skinny girls who think they are fat, don't help much: "These blogs say that fat people should have a right to be fat. Have at it, but I have a right to think that you're lazy as a result and have a right to want to deny you health coverage because you are STATISTICALLY more of a risk to me than a healthy-sized person."

For moral support, and a healthy dose of righteous indignation, perhaps the frustrated and heavy should check out those aforementioned blogs, from the so-called fatosphere, written by folks who think those extra pounds are just fine.

From Shapely Prose, in the first of 10 principles explaining the author's take on fat and health: "Weight itself is not a health problem, except in the most extreme cases (i.e., being underweight or so fat you're immobilized."

And from Big Fat Blog, in commenting on coverage of NBC newscaster Tim Russert's recent death: "You know, when Tim Russert passed away this past week there was just a little tiny, tiny bit of me that hoped, 'Crap, I hope they don't pin it on his weight.' "

Similar takes can be found at fat fu, big fat deal and other sites in the fatosphere.

But those us-against-the-world takes don't negate the research in recent stories such as Women's belly fat, early death linked and Gastric bypass surgery cuts cancer risk, researchers say. Nor does it shoot down, though we could all wish it, the data offered by the CDC.

Of course, simply saying "lose weight" doesn't help people do so. But pretending that the weight isn't taking a toll seems deliberately naive. Guess we'll all just have to wait for the drug research to pay off.

-- Tami Dennis

Comments

[Robert]

This is an outrage against my civil rights. Stop demonizing obesity!
We have to sue to stop these Nazi-like research studies that blame fat for everything from heart attacks to obesity. And if fat does contribute 1% to some exotic, rare illness then we'll sue nature. Who gave science and medicine a license to say this stuff? I want my fat and I'm going to sit on it!!

[Dan]

Girl, this is the most annoying article that I've read in ten years. Lose the quotation marks when you're not quoting people (it's pretentious!), and land back on earth soon. Have a non-fat skim-milk 1% latte while your at it. Lame!

[fatty...]

OBESE OBESE OBESE

that's nasty....

[PYC]

Looks like Tim Russet had all the usual routine health care and his health failed.

Tim had basic screening that gave basic information.
Heart disease is genetic and 50 % of people who have heart disease have normal cholesterol levels – but looking at the amount of cholesterol a person has - and not getting the subfraction of the cholesterol (looking at 13 different types of cholesterol - a doctor can miss the real problem.

Over weight – abdominal obesity – especially around his middle.
Cholesterol problem – looking at a screening cholesterol panel
Did he have an advanced cholesterol panel looking at 13 different types of cholesterol?
High blood pressure?
High insulin levels?
High fibrinogen ?
High CRP C-reactive protein?
High LpLac 2?
High homocysteine?
High APO B particle ?
And was he eating correctly for his APO E Genotype?
These are things that should have been managed aggressively.
But the doctor if he is not trained then the patient doesn’t have a chance and the lost is great as in Tim Russet situation.

Bottom line he had significant inflammation in his coronary arteries. This needs to be managed aggressively. This man should have had an aggressive health care plan with a team helping him - he should have had an integrative medicine approach

Tim could have had an exercise physiologist to help Tim reduce his % body fat safely. To accomplish this it takes a trained health care professional who understands metabolic disease and exercise physiology.

For his diet Tim could have had a registered dietitian who is trained in both nutrition and metabolic disease.

For his stress – he could have had someone helping him balance his work and his rest and have balance in his day.

These changes can be done - people need to have the right information and need to have help.

Most doctors do not have the training to manage this type of patient. Most doctors are not trained in nutrition, exercise diet and botanical medicine. This is what he needed. More than just pills and surgery.

An excellent book to read to help prevent what happened to Tim Russet is THE APO E GENE DIET by an integrative medicine fellow Pamela McDonald - trained by DR ANDREW WEIL at the University of Arizona Program in Integrative medicine - this type of care is what it takes to manage what Tim was fighting. www.apoegenediet.com - this book tells you what you can do to prevent a situation such as Tim’s. Look below the tip of the ice-burg and get more information. This book is an important book because it holds the solution - check it out - THE APO E GENE DIET by Pamela McDonald.

[DR]

Tami,

I think you are mistaken about your belief that obese people are statistically more of an insurance risk than a healthy-sized person.

We are all going to die some time; and the closer we get to death the more money we spend on health care.

But if we assume that obese people die sooner than healthy weight people, wouldn't that mean that obese people will have lower overall medical costs due to the years they lost due to obesity.

20 or 30 years of no doctors visits, no prescriptions, no industrial strength scales, no pizzas, no ambulance rides to the emergency room, no senses of humor.

The same goes for smokers and drug users and alcoholics, etc...

Tami - I think you would enjoy this blog - http://whyareyousofat.wordpress.com/

This site is not for the obese with a thin skin - He is Mr. Tough Love

[Paul]

The sites mentioned in the fatosphere might not have tackled the science stories because that's regularly done with aplomb by Sandy Szwarc at Junkfood Science:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/