The financial cost of obesity
Weight and finances have been discussed at length on personal finance blogs, but mostly the report [PDF] that put a figure to the staggering individual costs of being obese in America. Dr. Avi Dor, report author and professor and director of the health economics program at The George Washington University, and his colleagues quantified indirect costs, direct costs, and lost productivity to arrive at an estimated total cost of being an obese individual.
The High Price of a High BMI
After tabulating various costs associated with being overweight or obese, the researchers found that being an obese individual in the U.S. costs $4,879 for women and $2,646 for men each year. The overall annual costs of being overweight are $524 for women and $432 for men. The researchers defined “obesity” as a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30, and “overweight” as a BMI between 25—29.
Adding the value of lost life to these yearly costs makes the price tag even higher: $8,365 and $6,518 for women and men, respectively.
The analysis showed that obese women pay nine times more and obese men pay six times more in associated costs than do individuals at a healthy BMI. The results also showed that women are affected much more than men when it comes to obesity and job-related costs, including lost wages, absenteeism, and disability.
Non-Medical Costs of Obesity
Direct medical costs are an obvious cost driver—for overweight individuals, it accounts for 66% of weight-related costs for women and 80% for men. It’s also the cost driver for obese men, but for obese women it accounts for just 30% of the overall costs. An obese female loses more income through lost wages (38%) than from medical costs.
“The data demonstrate that an individual affected by obesity faces not only high medical-related costs, but also higher non-medical costs…,” said Joe Nadglowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Obesity Action Coalition, in a press release. Non-medical, obesity-related costs accounted for in the research included the following measures:
- Wages. The annual wage loss for obese males is $75, but statistically that figure is insignificant, according to the report. Obese women earning a median annual wage of $32,450 make 6%, or $1,855, less per year. The researchers note that there isn’t enough data to determine why the relationship between weight and wages is clear for women, but not for men.
- Short-term disability. Annual costs of short-term disability are $55 higher for the average overweight employee and $349 higher for the average obese employee than for employees at a healthy weight.
- Disability pension insurance. The annual incremental costs of disability pension insurance is $69 more for obese employees. There wasn’t a significant difference in cost for overweight individuals.
- Sick leave (absenteeism). Five studies on absenteeism (missed work days due to illness or injury) found that obese employees are more likely to use sick days due to illness or injury. One of the studies (Finkelstein et al. 2005) found that severely to morbidly obese men miss two more days of work than men at a healthy weight, while overweight to morbidly obese women miss up between one and five more days than women at a healthy BMI.
- Productivity (presenteeism). Obese individuals have more self-reported limitations at work or limitations in the amount of work that an employee can be performed, which lowers productivity. One study cited (Ricci and Chee, 2005) used nationally representative data to estimate that reduced productivity will cost an obese individual $358 per year.
- Gasoline use. Jacobson and McLay (2006) studied the relationship between weight and fuel use, finding that almost 1 billion more gallons of gas are used each year due to average-passenger weight increases since 1960. The cost differences weren’t significant for overweight and obese people, but the morbidly obese spend $30 and $36 more for females and males, respectively. (That figure was calculated using $2.35 per gallon of gas, the average price in the U.S. in 2009.)
- Life insurance premiums. Compared to healthy-weight individuals, an overweight and obese person will pay an additional $14 and $111, respectively, in life insurance costs each year.
- Value of lost life due to premature mortality. The researchers calculated the value of years of life lost (for specifics on how they made the calculation, see the retirement.The report notes that when it comes to retirement, severely and morbidly obese employees retire earlier than normal-weight employees, which translates to less income in wages and benefits. This is particularly alarming for obese women, whose wages are significantly affected by their weight and who, as females, already lag behind men in retirement savings, when research shows women need to save more than men. Because early retirement benefits vary widely, the researchers didn’t include that data in their report.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the costs not included are significant, says Dor.
A Bigger Problem
More than 60% of Americans are at an unhealthy weight, with 33.4% classified as obese. If we continue at this rate, by 2030 half of the population will be obese. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and some types of cancer, among the leading causes of death, according to The Center of Disease Control and Prevention.
Those are some scary facts and figures, and the George Washington University only underscores an already-critical situation. After all, paying $6,518—$8,365 more per year for obesity-related expenses hardly seems significant in light of words like cancer, stroke, and premature death. Your health is your most important asset.
I wish I had answers, but I don’t. Education seems like the go-to solution, but I’m not convinced it’s enough. Like personal finance, getting healthy means making difficult changes in habits and lifestyle, not simply being taught that French fries are bad and spin class is good. So readers, I’ll turn it over to you. Has your weight noticeably affected your expenses or income? If so, share specific examples and costs.
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There are 233 comments to "The financial cost of obesity".
My wife and I were just talking about this the other day!
Obesity is a huge problem for the United States, and it’s costing everyone money in medical dollars. It has been really tough estimating exactly how many dollars are wasted by being obese, but I’m loving your numbers.
As my wife and I get older, we are focusing on increasing our income and decreasing our waistlines! We are by no means obese, but with the hussle and bussle of the daily grind, it can be easy to lose control of your diet.
If you would earn extra income while spending less in medical bills, it sounds like wealth is just around the corner! 🙂
Going gluten-free has been the solution for me. Yes, some GF foods cost more and it is worth the price – better energy levels, better digestion and weight loss…
I have actually found that gluten free food has caused much weight gain. Gluten free does not mean fat free. lol.
You’re very right! Many GF baked goods use refined flours, which is bad for blood sugar spikes and weight gain. Many contain a lot more sweetener and salt than I care to consume.
However, many people find that not eating wheat is better for digestion. Gluten isn’t always the culprit — you can still enjoy whole grains like spelt and kamut which, while part of the wheat family, more people can tolerate.
And fat free isn’t calorie free. I do agree on cutting back on simple sugar/carb though, not only gluten-containing, but rice etc, as well as too many fruits. If you ever travel to Europe, you’d notice they eat plenty of fat, yet on average not obese as a population. “Hard” food takes longer to digest, so the signal gets to the brain (which by science takes 20 full minutes) that the stomach is full. Fat and protein makes you feel satiated, so you last longer between snacks/meals. No processed foods means just that – and no unnecessary carb overload. And they walk!
As for cost, I heard one senator (?) mentioned all “those” exercise people drive the cost of medical bills up due to injury rate. May be I go to see a doc once a year for a strain, but I don’t ever go for anything else beyond once in 2 years blood work (just for kicks, not to find anything out). In fact, I still can’t remember the name of my primary physician for the life of me.
That, and I don’t need to buy new clothes for my extending waistline. And I can walk/run to and from work, saving on gas and car maintenance. And my food bill does not include any kind of fast food/fast drink/junk anything.
And thinking that “fat-free” food will keep you lean is an absurd notion.
Fat-free? No way – healthy fats are essential.
Why would it be fat free? Fat does not make you fat. Excess calories do.
In my opinion, more regulation on what food is allowed on the shelves and in restaurants would help. People just don’t have the time to educate themselves on every item they buy. On the other hand, drugs are illegal and people are reasonably well educated about them, yet there are still many users. (though, there are drugs that are not as bad for you as some foods).
So maybe the solution is adding an extra tax on foods that have been proven to have little to no nutritional value, and/or are unhealthy.
Regulating what can be sold is really NOT the answer. Taking the stance that people just can’t regulate their diet on their own and thus someone must do it for them is the first step down a slippery slope.
Your argument on drugs doesn’t work either. People are horribly educated on the proper use and consequences of drugs (both prescription and otherwise). And it’s not a reasonable parallel as a handful of pills can kill you, but a handful of pork rinds can’t.
I have a reasonably healthy diet, eat a lot of veggies, keep my red meat intake low, and get at least a small amount of exercise. Why should I not be able to go out and get a pizza without being penalized? I make decent choices in my life and want to be able to indulge from time to time. I should be able to do so without restriction. Just because some people can’t control themselves, the consequences shouldn’t be pushed onto me.
I think we are already in a position of thinking that the FDA is doing a lot more to protect consumers than they actually are. I don’t think limiting what is on the shelf is as helpful as implementing stricter control on what goes into our food and increasing what needs to be provided on the label. If I was faced with all the drugs most chicken and cattle are on every time I went to make a purchase, I’d be eating a lot more organic foods.
I think it depends on the type of “regulation”. Personally, I would love to see more regulation in how food is labelled so that things like sugars, sodium, allergens and additives were easier to spot and understand. I would like to know if my produce is genetically modified (as in has animal DNA spliced into yet — yes, that happens) and see recommendations for sugar intake.
But keep cookies and pizza off the shelf? That’s like saying most people can afford a luxury car therefore no one should sell them.
This is not a personal attack on the person who commented here – but i find it very hypocritical when people want to walk around ‘preaching’ less government and less regulation when it comes to issues they have vested interest on; and then more government and more regulation on other issues that they do not care about. If we agree that there should be policies that guarantee our kids can eat healthy in public and hopefully at home then we should also be in the forefront championing for funding for such programs in schools and public institutions.
I am a firm believer in self control and discipline. But when a drive through meal for three costs less than a plate of healthy food…. what do you expect from the low income group in our society? skip their bills to buy healthy foods? There is a society problem and this problem will exist as long as this disparity remains.
Finally we all can change the way we ‘do life’ by for example parking a little further in the mall instead of circling for an hour to get parking by the door, and for all of us who understand the risks being overweight, making deliberate efforts to encourage our friends and family to live a healthier lifestyle.
Why avoiding red meat? Contrary to the conventional wisdom, red meat does not cause any disease of civilization.
I more meant that I keep the amount in reasonable proportion to my diet. I say “low” because I don’t eat burgers, ground beef, steak etc every day of the week like a lot of folks I know.
“Sin” taxes don’t really work either. That’s just another way to gouge people without raising a huge fuss.
Every smoker I’ve known said things like “Once cigs reach $xx per pack, I’ll quit” and they never quit based on price. Same with alcohol – higher taxes but there’s still alcoholics, drunk driving, etc. You’d have to tax something at an astronomical rate (like 50%?) before you’d see significant reductions.
They don’t need to add a tax, they just need to stop subsidizing it.
The bit about how the cost of premature mortality was calculated seems rather bizarre to me. It looks like they just assigned an arbitrary value to a year of life.
Seems to me that dying, on average, 5-6 years earlier is a cost savings, if anything. It would mean you’d need to save less for retirement. (Not that that’s a good thing of course…)
That earlier death is more likely to be due to medical conditions, however. So, not only do you die younger, but you’ve likely spent 5-10 years getting knee replacements, having complications from diabetes, etc.
Those are expensive last years, in addition to dying younger, perhaps while still working (or trying to still work).
No doubt it’s costly. But wouldn’t that already be included in the medical costs mentioned above?
“dying, on average, 5-6 years earlier is a cost savings, if anything”
What a great argument. Just think how much money you’ll save if you die at 30 instead of 80! That’s 50 years’ worth of savings right there!!
Hehe. I never made the case dying early was a good idea or something to strive for. 😉
I just think it’s nonsense to include it in the financial costs of obesity by assigning an arbitrary monetary value to a year of life.
But you did say that dying 5-6 years earlier could be viewed as a way to save money. I’m just taking it a step further. 😉
(I’m reminded of a character from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe who spent a year dead for tax reasons lol)
At least one of the tobacco companies made that argument about their products. The fact that their customers died faster was pitched as a positive when they were lobbying some foreign government since it would save money on care for the elderly.
Hi! The longest living person in our times lived to 115 years old . The person smoked 2 packs a day for 96 years and drank a pint of whiskey daily. Ther didn’t exercise much from the article either. Lots of it depends on our genes. Jim Fix died at 52 . He ran all the time.
Lisa, there have been heaps of people who’ve lived to 115, and a good handful who’ve lived longer.
Who is this amazing person you refer to? Or are you just repeating something someone else told you?
Does it make you feel better about not living a healthy lifestyle?
This reminds me of a fridge magnet I used to have that said “Financially I’m set for life — provided I die next week.” Ha!
Actually, all the folks who believe that the obese or smokers are “costing us money” are probably wrong. According to one study, smokers and the obese die sooner and cost less in the long run. So the solution isn’t more regulation of food or smoking, unless you just wish more control over everybody else’s decisions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05iht-obese.1.9748884.html
I heard a program on the radio a few years ago that talked about how there will be less tax money coming in from tabacco as more and more people quit smoking and that soon it would not cover the health costs of smokers. The now non smokers would be living longer and also be needing a lot more support from the govt. It therefore actually helps the govt to have a certain percentage of the population addicted to smoking. :0)
I am married to an obese person and I definitely see that he has more sick days and doctors visits (he has diabetes).
I also live with a morbidly obese person and his medical expenses are through the roof due to injuries suffered because of his obesity.
Other things that I see:
– vehicle costs: The morbidly obese need to drive vehicles that are large enough to hold their mass. So they are spending more on larger vehicles than they would otherwise need to (they obviously can’t comfortably fit into a Beetle).
– food costs: Obviously they are eating more than a healthy individual. Not sure why this number is not in there (I didn’t read the full report though).
Clothing costs? Surely if you’re buying a tshirt with twice the fabric, the company are passing on the costs to the consumer…
Disagree Ru. Have you gone bikini shopping lately? $125 for what?
$125?! My bikini was £10 (~$15). I see your point though, a lot of clothing is expensive no matter your size although being a common size can save you money because it’s easier to find clothes second hand.
There are a lot of other things morbidly obese people might have to buy though, like reinforced chairs and toilets, mobility aids, etc.
@Ru – If 60% (or whatever) of the country is fat, why are the plus sizes NOT the “common sizes” that save you money? There is no reasonable explanation for why it’s so difficult and expensive to find plus-size clothing, especially plus-size clothing besides mumus in 70s prints.
Also, the percentage of fat people who require reinforced furniture and mobility aids is vanishingly small. I weigh about 315lbs and I have no mobility issues, I’ve never bought a reinforced anything, and the only time I’ve ever needed a mobility aid was when I sprained my foot last year and needed crutches.
I agree with Anna, I am 285lbs and I’ve had no need of reinforced furniture or mobility aids. My BMI is 46 and that puts me firmly in the morbidly obese category.
However, one of my fears is having some kind of accident or something that makes me need assistance. There is no guarantee that if I weighed much less that my parents would be able to care for me, but it IS a guarantee that at my current weight none of my family or friends could move me. If I had to have help getting up or moving, I would have to go to a care facility. Now, lots of “normal” weight people would have to do the same but it’s a certainty for me at this weight.
I agree that this is a huge problem in the United States. It sounds crazy, but another similar problem is pet owners who do the same thing to their animals. Dogs and cats who are obese have a much higher cost to care for and they generally cost a lot more with food and health related costs.
At least with cats, one way to keep them from getting fat is to let them outside. One of my cats went from 11 lbs to 8.5 lbs with the additional exercise. She’s also a much happier cat.
Don’t think that this will save you money, though. Your cats will be in better shape, but they will have health problems from other sources, especially occasional bites. Treating these is expensive ($150 – $300 per bite, especially if medicine or stitches are needed).
On the whole, letting cats outside is not a great idea. Cats are actually really bad for local bird populations and are one of the factors in reduced bird numbers.
I keep my cat fit and trim by measuring out food (no free-feeding) and by making sure I play with her every day.
My cats have always been outside cats. They are very healthy and they keep down the mice population around my house and barn. I’m also healthier since I don’t have cat hair, dander and litter box issues in my house.
So to protect the numbers of birds, you’re willing to keep an animal in unnatural conditions by refusing to let a cat outside?
That strikes me as a bizarre juxtaposition of caring about (and not caring about) animals.
Luke:
1. Cats are not a wild animal, they are domesticated
2. ‘Keeping’ a cat at all is not ‘natural’
3. ‘Natural’ is not always the best method anyway
My friend recently lost his 32 lb. cat to diabetes. He had to give it insulin for the last few months of its life…I’ll be honest, I found it all very amusing.
My grandmother’s cat developed diabetes after years of being fed budget cat food. She spent thousands on insulin, needles, and disposal containers, but also switched him to a better quality food, and after two years of injections and carefully monitoring his weight, his diabetes went into remission. He’s now healthier than he ever was. Throughout the experience, we were all painfully aware how that budget cat food ended up being quite expensive in the end!
That’s what I find upsetting about diet-related diabetes, the fact that it’s preventable! I commend your grandmother for taking her cat’s diagnosis seriously and nursing it back to health. I think my friend enjoyed having a fat cat.
Wow, lots of great data here!
I’d be really interested to see this balanced with the other side of the coin. That is, what increased costs are associated with being a healthy individual?
Some things that come to mind:
* Gym memberships
* Healthier, natural foods (more expensive than junk food)
* Activities (sitting at home watching TV is cheaper than wakeboarding or traveling to a campground, etc.),
* Sports equipment and uniforms
* Gadgets like heart rate monitors, GPS wristwatches
* Club memberships and team dues
* Social costs (beer and wings after the weekly softball game)
* Gas traveling to all these activities
I wonder how the numbers would balance out if you did a similar comparison to the “fit and active” lifestyle. Which is more costly?
Kevin, these questions were my same ones too. You can certainly make a case for how obesity puts a strain on the health care system and how that leads to higher premiums for everyone (including the healthy). But I’m not sure how much of this holds from an individual, microfinancial perspective. Obesity certainly can cause a decrease in quality and quantity of life. But that’s not the same thing as financial costs. It certainly and unfortunately can cost MORE money to be healthy. Unhealthy foods tend to be cheaper. If you don’t work out, you don’t have a gym membership (which as we know in JD’s case can be expensive). Going back to what Kevin said, being a couch potato costs very little money!
Look, no one is going to choose to be healthy for financial reasons. They choose to do so because it improves the quality of their life. Overall I found this article unconvincing, despite the large amount of numbers and statistics.
Very few of the purported costs for being healthy are necessary, though — you don’t need any special equipment to walk or run every day. Fitness videos are available from the library. Some health plans offer discounts on gyms or free weight loss programs.
Cutting out junk food and empty calories consumed in great quantities (think soda, for instance) certainly would save enough to buy some healthier foods. Eating truly unprocessed healthy foods like oatmeal is definitely cheaper than anything processed and junky.
Another hidden cost of good health is time. Extra time used to work out, extra time used to cook healthy meals, etc. That can add up fast over a week.
On the other hand, I think that one can be healthy without spending anything on gym memberships or exercise equipment. Situps, pushups, and calisthenics do not require any equipment, and good instructions on how to do them are available all over the net.
This response is to David+Rugge (comment 35…there’s no reply button there).
Really? The time factor? How much time did/does an obese person spend being inactive (watching TV perhaps) or eating more than they should? Spending 30 mins at the gym (40 if you include time to change into workout clothes). And it takes no longer to cook healthier than to cook unhealthy. Actually, I’ve found that healthier cooking is quicker: seafood takes very little time to cook, and healthier cooking does not involve things like breading (which I find to take a long time).
Take this scenario: you are going to live 80 years. You can choose to live more healthy and enjoy a relatively healthy, mobile life, or you can choose to be unhealthy and eat whatever you want and not exercise; the tradeoff is that you spend the last 10-15 years of your life on medications you need because of your bad choices and limited mobility which keeps you from doing the things you want to do. You’ll live 80 years either way; wouldn’t you rather enjoy ALL of them?
I can actually put together a robust salad, steamed veggies (in place of grains) and stove top grilled fish together in less than 15 minutes. In terms of healthy meal prep mid week, that’s virtually no time.
@ Claire … living to 80, you may be on a host of medications no matter how fit you are. There are plenty of thin and/or fit people out there who still have issues with hypertension, cancer, alzheimers, strokes, migraines, etc. Being fit (as opposed to just thin) can set you up for better health but it is no guarantee.
And, while being obese sets you up for poor health it is also no guarantee that you’ll be miserable in your old age.
For those debating the time, finances & healthy living issue. This is actually a topic that comes up often with social workers. Many of you have stated that it takes no time at all to prepare a healthy meal. One person talked about fish and fresh veggies.
If you are poor, you usually don’t work near your home because there are no jobs where you live meaning you commmute. So on top of your work day (which is at least 8 hours, usually longer) you have commuting time. I’m away from home at least 11 hours on a work day. This is only if you don’t have to work 2 jobs to get by. After a long stressful day at a job that most likely sucks the last thing most people want to do is cook a meal or workout.
Now for that meal. Fish and fresh veggies? Yes, they are quick to prepare but not everybody can afford them especially if there are kids that need to be fed. In some inner-city stores they aren’t even available. Quick, healthy food takes planning and effort. When your working and chasing kids it’s not always easy to manage. Mcdonald’s dollar menu starts looking pretty good at the end of the day.
It also takes money to have a place big enough to have room to workout. Sure you could go for a walk or run outside, except it rains for months on end here (no, really, we just had a week of rain in July) which means you need stuff to keep dry whcih takes money to purchase. Ditto for places that get snow. Again, if you have kids, what do you do with them when you’re working out?
All these things are totally doable, I’ve done them, I’ve had friends that have done it but it takes commitment that can be really hard to muster when you’re dealing with all the other stressors of being poor. That and education.
And for anyone that would like to comment that people shouldn’t have kids unless they can afford them, they should talk to my friend that just left her alcoholic husband so she and her three kids could have a better life. She comes from an affluent background and is now dirt poor and scrambling to get by. Not to mention those unplanned events (as someone once told me: here, “You use birth control?” Me, “Yeah.” Her, “Well it doesn’t always work!”)Sometimes where you start out is not where you end up.
I have to be very careful with my food budget in order to eat well. I eat a lot of vegetables — which can get pricy during the winter here in Canada. Dairy alternatives and whole grain products also get pricy.
However, I think there’s balance. For instance, eating meatless meals and meals that use little meat (like stir fry or wraps) keeps my protein costs low. I’m also not spending on desserts, sodas, candy and other junk food on a regular basis.
In PF terms, it’s like cutting some non-necessities out of your budget and allowing yourself a little fun money. You don’t have to give up the “treat” so long as it’s not an everyday indulgence and you fit it into your overall plan.
The costs of being fit are very varied. I consider myself fit and active. I personally probably spend a bit more on groceries, but since we don’t eat out much, we probably still spend average on food. I stay fit by running, which is a pretty cheap activity, especially if you use minimalist shoes that don’t need to be replaced as often. I think it would be dishonest to average what I spend with what, say, a bicyclists who likes to buy a new expensive bike every year spends.
Being fit can be done pretty cheaply. Some people just choose to spend more money on it because it is worth it to them. Like JD says, cut what doesn’t matter to you and spend on what does. Whereas, I don’t think anyone really intentionally chooses to spend more money on health care because they are obese and it is worth it to be obese to them, even if it costs more. Am I wrong? I believe most obese people are just sort of “stuck” in a cycle of unhealthy choices and would probably like to change.
Great list of questions. I’d classify myself as fit and active so thought I’d take a stab at answering these. In my case, staying healthy does not require expensive gear or a huge time commitment in my opinion.
* Gym memberships
– No gym membership. I exercise at home and run/bike outside. I picked up a set of adjustable dumbbells for $400 four years ago mostly because I didn’t like the high cost of gym memberships and didn’t find myself actually going to the gym on cold days.
* Healthier, natural foods (more expensive than junk food)
– My grocery bill is about $90 each week for me and my girlfriend.
* Activities (sitting at home watching TV is cheaper than wakeboarding or traveling to a campground, etc.),
– I watch plenty of TV and play Xbox quite a bit (seriously, probably 8 hrs a week of gaming)! I find that exercising is not a huge time drain or expensive. My main cardio exercises are jogs and biking to/from work.
* Sports equipment and uniforms
– My bike cost $400 four years ago and yearly maintenance about $80. Yearly sports leagues run about $200 per year. Equipment is acquired so slowly over the years (a baseball glove hear, frisbee there) that I don’t really notice the expense.
* Gadgets like heart rate monitors, GPS wristwatches
– I have a $10 watch from Wal-Mart to track time on runs.
* Club memberships and team dues
– Yearly team dues for softball and flag football run about $200.
* Social costs (beer and wings after the weekly softball game)
– This is typically $15 – $20 each week for me during the season (8 – 12 weeks for each sport).
* Gas traveling to all these activities
– Chicago has lots of public transport, is very walkable, and certainly bikeable. So, $0 for me!
Are you serious? Trying to rationalize eating junk food in front of the TV by claiming that it’s cheaper is a bit of a stretch, even by the standards of some of the cheapass commenters on this site.
I’m not sure where your idea of fitness comes from if you think it has to involve driving to the gym, and softball games accompanied by beer and wings.
Getting off your rear end and doing stuff not only saves money if you use your energy productively, but it’s also a free way to get fit. Time spent passively on the couch is time wasted. Even if you manage to convince yourself that it saves money, it’s still a rather pointless existence.
If you’re healthy, you’re going to tend to have a better and happier life. If you’re fat and looking for excuses to stay inactive, then your quality of life will suffer.
I think maybe you misunderstood. I’m not trying to rationalize remaining unfit. I am actually extremely fit, which is how I recognized all the ways in which it is more expensive. I shower more frequently, do more laundry, eat more food (exercising burns more energy than being sedentary), am prone to occasional injuries (I’m a runner, so I’ve had custom orthotics made, in addition to a few sessions of physio for various joint-related injuries). The extra hot water from the showers and laundry, the extra laundry detergent, the extra electricity from running the dryer in the winter when we can’t hang clothes outside, the extra cost of replacing workout clothing when it gets too funky too cure with washing – it all adds up.
I don’t know, you have to eat more to stay overweight, too.
That is your expenses for your healthy lifestyle. I think what the others were trying to point out is that there doesn’t have to be any added costs to live a healthy life. It all depends on the choices that you make. You can clean your house (for free) wearing old sweats or your PJs (for free)while burning calories (for free) and you end up with a cleaner home and a leaner body with no gym membership, workout clothes, or pedometers needed. And there are plenty of free “excercise” options out there, mainly it’s just doing normal stuff instead of sitting.
As for eating healthy, the Green Cheapskate did a great article about how foods that are good for you are cheaper pound for pound. It involved a lot beans though. 🙂 Eating seasonally can lower the fruit and veg budget too. And cooking it yourself burns calories so it all comes full circle!
Kevin — look at this way: eating well and exercise generally means people have more years of good health. Why does that make a difference financially? I’ve seen several studies now that point out many people are forced to retire due to their health. The more I read, the more I realize that health is a long term investment. I dare say your being smart with your body will pay off later.
True, people could always lose weight and start exercising “later”, but damage is already being done to the body. It’s like saying you’ll start saving for retirement after your kids are grown. When you do decide to make health a priority, it’s going to be a lot harder to do. Many people don’t make health a priority until an illness or injury forces them too. That’s like waiting until you’ve run up a huge credit card debt before creating a budget.
@ Missy – Your post is a good reminder that not all things works for all people.
“…You can clean your house (for free) wearing old sweats or your PJs (for free)while burning calories (for free) and you end up with a cleaner home and a leaner body with no gym membership, workout clothes, or pedometers needed. And there are plenty of free “excercise” options out there, mainly it’s just doing normal stuff instead of sitting.”
Done. I think most people here already clean their own homes. I clean my small one bedroom apartment and that is in no way enough exercise to keep ME slim and fit. As I said in a previous post, I was a fat runner at one time. Some of us really need to hit it hard (for me its safer to do it in a gym where I’m less likely to risk serious injuries due to a chronic illness).
Believe it or not, work out clothes are necessary. I tried to run in my cotton clothes at one time and ended up with heat rashes and chafing from the sweat not being wicked away properly. Fortunately I am able to find reasonably priced clothes at discount stores such as Ross.
Not all things for all people. Glad cleaning your house in your sweats works for you.
Plus where you live. Living in the suburbs, where your neighbors probably are thinner and the grocery stores have produce, is more expensive than living in the inner city.
Where I live (NYC) people in the suburbs are a lot fatter than people in the city. We in the city walk places and a lot of people are in very body-conscious industries, like fashion, etc.
Same here. I’ve always noticed fatter people in the burbs where people don’t get to walk as often, its almost impossible to bike due to freeways separating towns and less access healthy foods due to lack of farmers markets and independent natural food stores.
Whooo Captain Stereotype!
Kevin, were you serious when you wrote this post, or is my sarcasm detector malfunctioning again?..
* Gym memberships – you don’t need a gym membership to exercise (shocking, I know!)
* Healthier, natural foods (more expensive than junk food) – just because you don’t eat fast good and other processed junk, doesn’t mean you have to buy organic vegan food, etc. There are tons of healthy options even on a small budget.
* Activities (sitting at home watching TV is cheaper than wakeboarding or traveling to a campground, etc.) – you don’t need to spend money to exercise; you don’t need to wakeboard (what’s that?) or hike unless you want to.
* Sports equipment and uniforms – do you really need a uniform to go jogging? Really?..
* Gadgets like heart rate monitors, GPS wristwatches – they are entirely optional.
* Club memberships and team dues – do you need to pay dues or join a team to do pushups in your living room or to ride a bicycle??
* Social costs (beer and wings after the weekly softball game) – one doesn’t have to join a team or even socialize in order to stay in shape
* Gas traveling to all these activities – are you saying you will drive someplace where you can run, bike and/or do pushups?..
GL, this post isn’t about cheap ways to exercise. It’s about the general extra costs of being obese. I was attempting to compare that the general extra costs of being fit and active.
Is it possible to get fit without spending any money? Of course. It’s also possible to be obese and frugal (comparison-shopping your diabetes test strips and such). But in general, people who are obese incur additional costs over people who are not obese. I was simply attempting to point out that in general, fit and active people also incur additional costs over people who are sedentary.
I don’t pay for a gym membership – my work has an adequate gym that I use free of charge. Eating healthy most definitely is more expensive than eating junk. Lettuce costs more than Kraft Dinner, especially in January. Whole grain breads cost more than crackers, especially when you have to throw the last third of the loaf away because the loaves are sized for entire families, and as a single person, you may not always get through the whole loaf before it goes bad.
Sure, you don’t have to pay for activities, but it’s more fun if you do. I play squash twice a week. It costs money. Could I stop and save money? Could I instead spend my Thursday nights doing pushups in my living room for an hour, as you suggest? Of course. But why would I? I enjoy squash, and it’s great exercise.
Sports equipment: Running shoes need to be replaced regularly. Squash racquets need to be restrung. Shirts get funky and need to be replaced. Laundry costs money. Squash balls wear out and break. Bicycles need maintenance. And so on and so on.
I could go on, but you’re missing my point. In general, people who live fit, active lifestyles spend money on those activities. I was simply curious how those added costs compare to additional costs incurred by obese people.
Ah, thanks for the clarification. However if you think about it those costs you listed could just replace costs you already have. If you sit in front o f the TV all the time and get a gym membership, cut the cable and go to the gym to watch TV. The membership fee is about the same if not less than your cable bill.
Natural Foods – Get your raw ingredients (like wheat not ground flour) and make your foods yourself and it will be cheaper, while also keeping you active keeping the weight off.
Activities and related costs – Choose your activities carefully, start with equipment from a thrift store and upgrade as your wear things out. A perfect example of this is my mountain bike. Cheap, but as things break/ wear out (derailleurs, break, rim, tires, etc.) you replace them with quality components until you have a great bike. (Still saving up to replace the front derailleur that got bent on the pivot axle so I can only change 2 of the 3 chain rings).
I would add the cost of injuries from an active lifestyle. I do martial arts and ski. Aside from the fact that these are pricy activities in and of themselves, 90% of my non-routine doctor visits are because of injuries I’ve gotten doing these. Scratched eye, concussion screening, torn ligaments, MRI’s, X-Rays, physical therapy, the ankle surgery I will eventually need…
My sister (50)- who is thin and exercises all the time to make sure she stays that way- has had three major surgeries to her legs from injury and many physical therapy sessions- from neck strain to toe damage.
My mother- 81 and obese- has been in a hospital five times- to deliver five children. She has had PT because she was knocked down at a store by a person who felt they needed to be at the counter first- a thin person.
My sister takes five different prescription medications- and a number of other non prescription.
My mother takes three (and three non prescription- like aspirin and vitamins).
My sister eats very carefully- never after seven- small meals.
My mother just learned how to cook for herself (she did cook when we were young, but was not very good).
The conclusion in my family is that you should have five children and run after them- forming a good core in your early years- for a very long (and functioning) life.
I sure would like to see an article on the costs to our nation on drinking (and drinking related damages) or smoking.
Congratulations, your family is an exception to a rule. Anecdotes are not data. 🙂
Actually, anecdotes are data. They are not, however, necessarily representative of all the data.
I am technically obese (Height: 5’4″ Weight: 190lbs BMI: 32.6). However I train with weights regularly and my bodyfat is around 17%. I don’t think I’m part of the group referenced by this article.
Even though my weight is high for my height, my costs hasn’t gone up simply because I try to think of food as “fuel” so I don’t eat junk food etc.
There are certainly people who are BMI rated obese but not actually an unhealthy weight and these people are almost always athletes and body builders.
In a perfect world we’d use bodyfat percentage rather than BMI, but BMI takes two seconds to calculate with height and weight while accurate bodyfat requires you to become immersed in a pool of water.
Bodybuilders and other abberations on the BMI formula are rare enough, statistically speaking, that the data is still accurate. It’s not like the obesity % of Americans is secretly low and just being thrown off by millions of Mr Universes.
Actually, you don’t have to be a Mr. Universe to throw this data off. And yes, that data could be used in these studies.
Last week, my company had a health fair. Our insurance company gave anyone who would get their biometrics and turn them in, $20 cash. The biometrics included blood sugar testing, cholesterol check, blood pressure and BMI. I
asked them what is being done with the information and was told they give some analysis to our company and all the raw data goes to a university research program.
One of my coworkers was shocked to see that his BMI was 29. I explained to him that it was because of his muscle weight. He’s only about 5’8″, he runs, swims, bikes and lifts weights. He is by no means even an amateur weight lifter, just your average guy who does strength training in addition to his cardio. He completed his first triathlon about a month ago. He doesn’t follow a strict diet, but he works out almost every day.
So yes, there are LOTS of people out there skewing the data on BMI because BMI is NOT accurate enough. You do not need to be a power lifter to register as “overweight” or “obese” if you do just enough strength training for your height.
I don’t think 17% body fat qualifies as obese, does it? The BMI calculation based on height is meaningless for people who exercise with weights.
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=82475
The fact of the matter is that they ARE talking about you and quite likely they are talking about several if not the majority of the people that are self righteously sitting there reading this thinking it doesn’t apply to them either, only people who are “really fat”. But they are kidding themselves. Because the difference between “healthy” (and I object to the use of that word to describe people that are in an arbitrarily defined category of what one group calls “average” weight, though it’s no longer average) and overweight can be one pound or less, and that is why these facts are ridiculous and meaningless and this article makes me want to spit. I find it hard to believe that when someone gains 5 pounds they will all of a sudden start taking more days off work and other such nonsense. But that would put them in the “overweight” category. People want to think that when they are talking about “overweight” and “obese” people they are talking about someone else, these huge headless fatties you see on the news, but they aren’t, they are you, me, your mother, your father, your neighbors, 2/3 of the population.
There are a lot of things that have led us here…
I’ll start with people eating out at restaurants all the time. This is a byproduct of both the need/desire for dual income households and trying to cram too much into our days and no longer having time to cook for ourselves. Once at the restaurant this is now compounded by ‘value’ being presented to us as a giant meal at cheaper places or one possitively loaded with fat at the higher end places.
Lack of exercise follows. I would suggest this is mostly due to there being less manual jobs and more cubicles. But suburbanization which prevents walking or biking to places and overburdened days are also at fault. How many adults do you know of in a softball league anymore?
I say split your entrees and get outside when you can. If this doesn’t work then at least try to enjoy it – stress is no good for you either.
So agree! I also was talking about the food prepping just last weekend. I will never understand why going out is considered to be faster than cooking at home from scratch – as well as I will never understand a claim “I can’t cook”. Anybody can cook, my kids could since they were 10 at least. I can make 4 meals in a matter of hour from scratch by sticking my head into fridge/pantry without knowing ahead of time what was in there – and I don’t even think of myself as a good cook or liking to cook. It takes far longer to put ok clothes on, get into the car, drive to a place, wait to be seated, order, wait to be served, eat (I am not even mentioning cost or health value here, simply time), wait for the check, wait to be charged, get out, drive…exhausting to even list all this while writing!
Also, on costs of exercise/healthy foods. Yes, you CAN just run. I have a gym membership on top of running – $20/month. I do add on because it is MY value of life (as for JD to do Crossfit) – for yoga classes, traveling to trail races, and this summer for a personal trainer (because I chose to, not because I needed to). And I simply buy veggies, tofu and chicken (which is $1.29/lb) – how is that expensive?
With due respect Olga, not everyone can do what you do. I hate cooking and cleaning up with a passion, especially after a long hard day at work. It may take the same amount of time to eat out as to make it myself (usually less as we live near a lot of eateries), but I enjoy myself a whole lot more when I spend that time socializing/catching up with my husband than struggling in the kitchen. Life improved when I acknowledged that I simply need to build eating out in the budget instead of conforming to advice that doesn’t work for me, just as there are people who pay someone to clean their houses rather than do it themselves.
I wish I COULD run, but plantar faschiitis is literally a pain, not to mention a bum knee. Running or walking too much make both flare up. I’m trying to get back to a swimming routine but it’s not easy (vertigo makes it tough).
Please be mindful that one size really doesn’t fit all.
If I had someone else’s life, I could do what they do. If someone else had my life, they might find it challenging to do things they thought were easy.
Exercise issues/physical limitations aside, your post illustrates a big problem I feel our society has regarding any difficult lifestyle adjustments.
Namely, using “I can’t” when you mean “I don’t want to”
You CAN cook your own meals at home. You choose not to because it’s not something you enjoy. By eating out, budgeting appropriately for it etc you’ve made a lifestyle choice that makes you happier. There’s nothing wrong with that at all if it’s what makes you happy and improves your life beyond any negative consequences there may be.
It’s a subtle difference in wording between “can’t” and “don’t want to”, but there’s an entire attitude behind it that drives me up the wall.
Saying “Can’t” is implying that not doing X is something beyond your control, and therefore anything resulting from that isn’t actually your fault.
Saying “Don’t want to” shifts the entire statement into the realm of “I’ve made a conscious decision to not do this” and that you’re taking complete responsibility for the choice.
Changing a bit of language may seem irrelevant, but consciously making the shift will eventually result in a shift in thinking and how you look at problems. It’s like trying to change negative words in your vocabulary to more neutral or positive alternatives. Over time, it shifts how you think.
Be conscious of the words you use as you are with the choices you make. And own those choices as your own, regardless of the consequences.
Have to agree with MikeTheRed in terms of words, I guess it was my point, but the language barrier in thinking came across too harsh. I tried to imply “everybody can”, and yes, we choose not to. I never say anybody else has to run – aslong as you do something. Swim, walk, bike, play badminton, chase kids in a backyard…and we can socialize while cutting food on the counter-top – with my husband, and kids too.
When my husband sleeps in and skips a workout, all I need to hear is that he “owns” his decision. I will never judge anybody’s. I make mine, and someone else makes theirs. I will also not blame “outside problems” for what I do.
I love going out! Once a month, so it’s really special:)
Thanks for the replies, it helps me realize that language can be limiting… I do take responsibility for eating out instead of cooking; that’s a choice, and one I make voluntarily.
“I can’t” means no matter how much I “should” be like someone else and do what they do, I’m not. I have had plenty of people say, “Oh, I can’t understand why you don’t like cooking/eating gourmet food/working out in the gym LIKE I DO, if you just did what I do, you’d like it too! So what’s holding you back is you because you won’t try it [again] since if you did it (like me) You Would Like It and Therefore Do It.” That is what I mean by “I can’t.” Because I’m not you. It’s easy for you, just like some things are easy for me but not necessarily for others. Sorry, I realize how defensive this sounds, but if I had a nickel for every person who’s ever passed a judgment for what I Should or Should Not do or be able to do, I would have Gotten Rich Quickly.
@Laura — I’m not a big fan of cooking either 🙂 When I was finishing high school, I worked and both my parents worked and in an effort to cook at home, we ended up relying on a lot of convenience foods. Even though they claimed to be healthy, the amount of sugar, sodium and refined carbs in them was appalling. It was a diet disaster. Cooking at home doesn’t always mean healthy!
When I lived on my own and my parents retired, all of our diets improved. As I’m only cooking for myself, eating at home is the best solution for me, but I imagine I would feel differently if I was feeding a family. One stir fry does me four meals — very different than that amount only doing one meal.
I hate to cook. Absolutely hate it. But I have a small child to feed and I want to know what’s in his meals, so I force myself to do it – most of the time. One of the luxuries I allowed myself as my finances strengthened was to hire a personal chef to cook me a bunch of freezable meals each month. It’s nothing I couldn’t do myself, but at the end of a long day it’s awesome to know I don’t have to.
And restaurant food is just high calorie, even if you don’t super-size. Look at the nutrition information so readily available, that nice steak is so extra tasty because it’s drenched in butter, etc. Salads at restaurants can be crazy high! etc., etc., etc.
I’ve found that when I’m at a healthy weight, eat well and am physically active I have a lot more energy and am more cheerful. I imagine that long-term this could make a big difference in my productivity and earnings.
I’ll hold back from commenting on the study until I’ve read it more thoroughly, but I have some doubts as to how much of the medical costs are attributed to being overweight and how much of the costs are related to a pre-existing condition that causes weight problems (thyroid, other medications, etc).
As well, although I personally think that health and weight are important, some of the language here is worrisome. There have been numerous studies debunking the usefulness of the BMI scale, and the authors seem to barely stop short of suggesting that employers demand the height and weight of potential candidates. And while yes, weight can be attributed (sometimes) to choices that individuals make, the set from which to choose is often beyond the individual’s control (see: food stamps not being accepted at health food stores, food deserts, high schools sponsored by Pepsi, etc).
If you replaced the word “overweight” with “limited mobility,” a lot of the dialogue around weight would be discriminatory. I’m not suggesting that we pretend that it’s not a problem, but a closer look at the system that fosters such high percentages of overweight people and a shift in the dialogue about weight and healthy lifestyles would be more helpful than just suggesting that people lose weight because it’s cheaper.
I think this is a very good point, especially that the figures do not take into consideration that obesity can be caused by a preexisting medical condition and the medical costs associated are for the preexisting condition. Personally, I fall into this category. I’m one of the healthiest fat people you’ll meet (thankfully, I’m not diabetic) and my medical costs are related to the preexisting condition and not heart/lung/blood sugar/cholesterol/etc issues. I’m not saying that the figures would drop dramatically if people like myself were taken out of the equation, but it is definitely a factor that was overlooked.
These situations are overlooked because they are statistically irrelevant. The cause of the overweight isn’t the subject; the financial consequences of overweight are (and clearly the reference is to excess body fat, not to high BMI due to extreme bodybuilding).
It’s a common misconception (rationalization?) that medications can “cause” weight gain. Certain hormonal, medical, or medication issues can *contribute to* metabolic imbalances that change the way a particular individual processes calories. They do not “cause” weight gain, however.
The cause of excess body fat is always the same – more calories consumed than can be expended. Overweight and obese people do not accumulate excess body fat by taking pills. They accumulate the fat by eating more than their body can burn.
There are a lot of possible reasons *why* a body can’t burn as many calories as perhaps it did prior to pills, but since few medical regimens include regular consultations with a nutritionist it is up to the individual to understand what is happening and look for ways to modify their diet and activity.
Without going into waaaay too much detail, trust me I fall into the exception to the rule. Whether you believe it or not there’s not a thing I can do through pills, exercise or nutrition to lose weight. It means I can also eat super unhealthy things and sit on my butt all day and not gain weight, though I choose not to and instead maintain a healthy lifestyle. Pills don’t make me fat. My condition does.
So, yes, statistically speaking removing my individual case wouldn’t make a difference. BUT, taking into consideration *all* of the exceptions, including the body builders you mention, might.
Hi! I am a woman. I weigh 298 pounds. I have tried to lose weight by following a 1,200 calorie diet and exercising at the gym for 3-4 hours a day.All I did was get sicker. I have low FERRATIN count , low vitamin C & D& they don’t know why. People who have thyroid problems can gain 100 pounds in just a few days or on steroid meds or depression or insulin. I know people who have donme it & they were not esting any more than before the problems.
I want to lose weight, but the more I exercise the sicker I get. I am diabetic & do not eaty jun k food or sugar foods and still weigh this much. Any ideas on how to change it? Thanks!
The whole calorie in calorie out things is just completely untrue and one of those diet myths that people love to spount. I eat more than anyone I know, tons of butter, fatty meat, sour cream, ice cream and weigh 108 and don’t exercise. Digestion and hormones play a huge role and if it was as simple as eat xx calories then all those 100 calorie snack packs and low calorie frozen meals would have solved the problem already.
Lisa it sounds like maybe you already know you are low thyroid or have symptoms of low thyroid check out “stop the thyroid madness” for information
It seems like the study showed a correlation between lower wages and obesity, but not causality. It could be just as possible for those data to indicate that having lower wages makes a woman more likely to be obese.
This leads into a discussion about food deserts, nutrition education, and how emotional states (being poor makes you feel bad) relate to unhealthy eating.
Exactly! Correlation does not equal causation.
I have noticed, with people I know who are obese or overweight, that there are many added consumer costs that go along with being at an unhealthy weight.
Cars and furniture must be replaced more because of the added weight applied to them over and over again. This weight leads to wear and tear on the fabrics and the mechanics that go into keeping those objects in working order.
Clothes often cost more in larger sizes (my husband has to pay at least 2-3 dollars more for shirts because he wears an XXL).
These are the 2 that I have noticed the most with people I am close to who are also overweight.
I agree that being a healthy person physically and being a healthy person financially often require the same discipline: one must be willing to wait for the reward, one must work hard at the goal, and one must often do things he or she does not want to do (you can’t just take the easy way out). But I think in both instances the prize at the end is worth everything you have to do in order to get it.
Ba!
You are saying that a fat person uses more than a thin person. How often are your clothing pieces changed (shopping)- or shoes bought- or place redecorated? THAT is where the use comes in. You are fooling yourself if you think being fat causes more consumption- it is shopping that causes more consumption.
I actually think that I spend less money on clothing as a result of being fat for the simple reason that fashion is targeted towards thin women. Many women like to shop for fun and wear designer clothing as a status symbol. They enjoy finding outfits that flatter their figures and discovering new styles every season. As a fat woman, I hate shopping for clothing, so I buy clothes only when I really need them. Nothing flatters my figure, so I just stick with the basics. The styles depicted in fashion magazines aren’t made for someone my size, so I don’t even try to keep up with the latest looks. Sure, a polo shirt from Wal-Mart costs $12 for a 2XL compared to $10 for a smaller size, but that $2 difference is negligible in the bigger picture of shopping habits.
What if your job is the cause of your obesity?
Well, then we have quite a conundrum, don’t we?
This is especially true if you’ve sold your soul to get into this highly specialized field.
It’s what happened to me. I gained 50 lbs over 6 years.
Luckily, I’ve lost 20 lbs since moving to a new job in the same field but the stress is still there…as is the temptation to overeat.
When I think about it, eating was one of the few pleasures I got out of life. Now I don’t even get that anymore.
Even though most people are able to delude themselves into thinking it isn’t so, modern life basically consists of going to work and coming back home every day. Then, not spending too much money because you don’t have it, and not being able to find someone to marry because of our degenerate society. (This isn’t just limited to me. Otherwise our society wouldn’t have birth rates below replacement level.)
But now I’m getting off the topic…
I think it illustrates how food can be an escape for so many people, though.
So, you’re a taste-tester for Twinkies? What kind of job CAUSES obesity?
I can think of an instance. I switched from a highly active customer service position where I was moving around all day long, to a sedentary position in front of a computer. It was a promotion and good for financial reasons, but my metabolism took a hit because I am stuck sitting on my can for 7 out of 8 hours a day. I do walk on my lunch, and I try to watch what I eat but in three years my weight has managed to creep up 15 lbs over what it used to – and I am pretty disciplined. Right now, I am trying to lose it by playing tennis twice a week for 90mins and cutting out any processed foods, but it requires a dedication that is superhuman most of the time. Right now, I am not gaining, but I’m not losing a lot. Until my work allows me to put in some sort of exercise device to ride while I’m tethered to my desk analyzing data and creating reports, building databases, then I have to make a lot of effort to exercise outside of work, whether I’m tired or stressed or not.
I had a friend who became obese as an investment banker. He actually quit and went to a much lower-paying job (after paying off his student loans ASAP) because of the stress of the job. He said he got obese because of a few factors
– long work hours (think 80 hrs/wk)
– work meetings at restaurants
– the habit of drinking each evening to wind down from the stress of the day
Once he moved to a more reasonable job for him, he used his extra time to begin exercising and learning how to cook. He found the trade-off worthwhile, but many of his former coworkers made different decisions.
For one thing, if I am not sitting still at my computer station, I’m not working. I’d get more exercise as a waitress, but I make more as a web developer. Twinkies are not required to gain weight! If you have a sedentary job like I do, and you are not overweight, I would venture to guess that you are under 50. Just give it some time, youngling. 😉
This is why I got serious about running.
I’m another person who is GAINING weight simply because I work at a desk job where I sit ALL day. While I have a lunch break, if I take it, I have to work longer, so I typically eat at my desk and work thru lunch. I never had this problem until I moved to a sitting-type job. The pay is better and I love the job so I stay, but I have no time to exercise. (Meals are not fast food, but Lean Cuisine for lunch and a protein bar for breakfast and a home-cooked regular meal with veggies for dinner. I go out to eat 2 a month.)
Either you have to exercise more and/or eat less.
You can’t blame your job for your weight – sorry.
I gained weight when I changed jobs too. Yet my job was not the cause of that gain – my eating and exercise habits were. The job (and the stress introduced by it) were a catalyst, but the choice was ultimately mine.
When you look to pin the blame on outside causes, you’ll never improve (outside of the relatively rare genuine medical causes for weight gain, of course).
I’ve lost 50 lbs by simply eating less of the bad stuff, more of the good stuff (not eliminating anything entirely) and walking more.
My job simply gave me an excuse to avoid that initial unpleasantness – it was not the cause of anything.
“not being able to find someone to marry because of our degenerate society. (This isn’t just limited to me. Otherwise our society wouldn’t have birth rates below replacement level.)”
I think you’ve made quite a fallacious leap in logic there. For one thing, why would a society of degenerates be less likely to marry each other than a society of non-degenerates? Wouldn’t a society of degenerates happily pair up with other degenerates at an identical rate?
Secondly, you’re equating marriage with birth rates. You claim that the lower birth rate is due to the lower marriage rate, but you haven’t established that there actually is a lower marriage rate. Are couples pairing up with less frequency than a generation ago? You don’t say.
Of course, it’s quite possible that people are getting married just as often (or more) than ever before – they’re simply choosing not to have kids (or as many).
Anyone out their chained to their desks – I recommend nerdfitness.com and the forums at nerdfitness.com/community. The author of the blog no longer works a desk job, but there’s hundreds of people on the forum working 8, 10, 12 hour days and still staying on track with working out and eating right.
Life insurance is a prime example. My brother-in-law and I are both 27 years old. He, recently having a baby, and I, being the ultra-planner, both applied for life insurance this year. He is overweight (maybe obese), and I spent the last 18 months getting in the best shape of my life.
So we both applied to AAA with the same requests(30 year, term, $1 million), our jobs, family health, etc, are all very similar. In actuality the health of his family was likely presented better than mine. We got our quotes within about 6 weeks of each other. My rate was $685/year; and his rate was over $3,100.
We compared applications, and on paper we were 95% similar, but the couple differences (weight and health) obviously translate to large differences in premiums.
Over a 30 year span, he was looking at paying an additional $75,000, which was an incredible realization. This was the first time the actual “costs” of obesity really were put into perspective.
Wow, that’s a scientific experiment, I say! If that doesn’t make a statement…
Thank you for sharing! I hope this jolted your brother to get more serious about his weight.
Obesity is an incredibly complex dilemma made up of genetic and psychological factors, and of course a large amount of personal responsibility. Without the individual’s desire to change the societal problem will never be resolved.
You left out environmental factors. Individuals’ genes and sense of responsibility did not suddenly change at the beginning of the US obesity epidemic.
We now mostly live in environments where it takes effort to do things (exercise, eat whole foods) that used to be automatic (our jobs were more physically demanding, our transportation system required lots of walking, commercially processed foods were unavailable, and food itself was expensive).
Leisure time involved visiting (more walking), dancing, and sports; snacky treats were hand-prepared by Mom and thus limited in availability; gelling in front of the TV in a stupor was not an option; restaurants were too expensive for the average person and food was too expensive for large portion sizes to be common, etc.
Genetic factors and “personal responsibility” are a very small part of this problem. Our environment changed, and most of us got fat as a result. Seems much easier to find ways to change our environment again, than change our genes our our human nature.
YES. Becky is spot on.
Yes, I’ve read a few studies/articles lately about “will power” and how it relates to weight loss and obesity. The basic idea is that in any given day, an individual has a limited amount of will power that gets used up throughout the day – which is why people tend to overeat at night. The more temptations you face throughout the day, the earlier your will power gets used up. All of these environmental factors you describe mean that if you do want to exercise and eat right, you have to use TONS more will power to do it than you would have years ago, when it just happened automatically.
I guess that why when my GF asks me to “force her to workout” I just can’t do it – I say, “I love you, but you are in control of your life and your will power.” I barely have enough will power to make myself work out, let alone police someone else, too! (And she consistantly weighs less than me, anyway, so I don’t think she needs my help!)
When I see someone who is very heavy, I just think about their poor knees, heart, lungs, etc. It just has to be so hard on the body to support all that weight day in and day out.
Some people seem to be able to live just fine being overweight, but I think they are the exception. I know many who have had knee replacements, and weight probably was a major cause.
I also know people that have had gastric bypass, and they end up just as heavy as they were the day before the surgery. That stomach sure must be stretchy, but those surgeries have their risks too.
I think overeating is a very understudied condition, because really, who would want to be obese? Eating obviously has its psychological components, and unfortunately, science hasn’t figured out how to ‘control’ eating.
When I see someone very slim I think:
Do they smoke?
Will I be paying for a knee replacement soon?
How many hospital bills will be for injuries during classes?
I have had two brothers in law and one sister in law all die in their 50’s. None were obese.
I am not saying it is a problem- but the problem is in proper nutrition and not in a person’s size….
On a more technical note, BMI is very poor indicator of whether one is obese or not. It will never tell you what is the actual proportion of fat a person carries on himself/herself. Waist measurement is the marker you need.
And interestingly, being overweight /as defined by BMI 25 to 29/ leads to longer and healthier life.
* Being overweight was not associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
* Being overweight was not associated with an increased risk of death from cancer
* Being overweight was associated with a reduced risk of deaths not related to cardiovascular disease or cancer
* Being overweight was associated with the lowest risk of death overall
link: http://www.drbriffa.com/2009/07/10/more-evidence-that-the-overweight-are-at-the-lowest-risk-of-death/
There’s a difference between weight loss and finance.
With personal finance, everyone who puts $5 a week into a savings account has $260 in that account at the end of the year.
With weight loss, it’s less democratic. Some people can cut out pop and lose 15 pounds. I cut out pop, and didn’t lose anything. But I continue on with it because I believe it’s healthier for me.
…but I have to take it on belief. I don’t get to see results.
Not drinking pop/soda IS healthier for you, hands down. Unless you’re buying more expensive (albeit tastier) specialty sodas, you are chugging high fructose corn syrup, which has all sorts of health issues (despite what those commercials paid for by big corn tell you). Even if you drink soda with real sugar, it’s still a lot of unnecessary sugar in your body. As for diet soda, that has also been shown to have negative health effects due to the aspartame. You’re better off without it, including the lack of (real or imagined) spikes in blood sugar.
And yeah, your point stands, although I will say the idea of compound interest sort of applies here. Some damage (especially in the knees) is cumulative over time, for every pound you lose, you take off serious amounts of pressure on your joints/muscles.
And don’t forget that pop is terrible for your teeth, so even if you don’t lose weight, you may save money on dental bills. (My own experience proved this to me!)
This is so true. Weight is NOT democratic, no matter what people believe or say. For some, keeping their weight down is a very time consuming and difficult process.
I too cut out pop and didn’t loose a single pound. I did it for financial and health reasons. I only drink pop now when I’m out in restaurants. And only then occasionally.
Same thing here–I cut out soda and didn’t lose weight. But I did save money–
Interesting, though, was that about a year after I stopped drinking it, I had a Coke in a restaurant on a very hot day. The rush was unbelievable–comparable to the rush from a drug high (and yes, I know what that’s like to–or I used to). It led me to firmly beleive that sugary sodas are probably very addictive. Just like with drugs, the mroe you take in, the more you want, even if the original pleasurable feelings are gone.
Good article. No doubt being overweight and obese is more costly. Echoing Tomas’ comment, BMI is not accurate for individuals. Hopefully, companies using BMI as a factor in figuring insurance rates, etc. will adjust their methods. This Men’s Health article really puts things in perspective and provides background on why BMI is so widely used. Time for a change maybe. http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/truth-about-bmi
The article you linked decides BMI isn’t a good measure because it doesn’t work for a particular professional athlete who is 6’1 and 217lbs.
Good lord. I lose faith in humanity sometimes, even though this community at GRS is usually one of the best I’ve seen on the net.
YES, BMI doesn’t work well for professional athletes, who have huge amounts of lean muscle tissue.
We get it.
For the other 99.9% of the population, it’s okay to use BMI as a trend indicator that we’re getting more and more obese in Western countries. Please refute that statement by saying that professional athletes and super muscular weight lifting types are skewing population wide sampling.
I dare you.
Is there a reason people have to get so mean and nasty with their comments? Can’t people contribute without getting bashed and threatened?
In all fairness, I think Adam raises a very salient point.
Far too many people quote the exceptions to the rule to try and disprove theories/indexes that are generally accurate.
For example:
~Athletes have high BMI, therefore BMI is nonsense
~My dad/gran/cousin smoked for 50 years and didn’t die from lung cancer, therefore cigarettes aren’t dangerous
~I lost money on my pension because I never increased my contributions, looked at the funds it was invested in or calculated how much I’d need in retirement. Therefore, pensions are all a scam and you shouldn’t have one
Far from being iconoclasts, people who go against the flow of established thought are often ill informed or relying on confirmation bias to ignore the fact that they’re wrong.
Rant over 😉
Further, I wonder whether the number of bodybuilders with low body fat but high BMI are swamped by the number of people with ‘normal weight obesity’ – misleadingly OK BMI but a high level of body fat.
Somehow, I basically never hear people say/write, “My weight puts me in the normal weight category, but I’m actually fat because I have so little muscle mass.”
I don’t think anyone is arguing that BMI is anything like a perfect proxy for obesity at the individual level, but it does seem both handy and reasonable for epidemiological work using huge sample sizes.
I do refute it, because I know people who are athletic (by no means professional) who have inaccurately high BMI. You don’t have to be a professional athlete or weight lifter – you just have to be relatively muscular AND relatively short. And yes, there are millions of people out there who fit these two characteristic who ARE skewing the data.
* I do weight training 4 days a week and cardio in addition to that. (I can leg press 335 lbs for example). I am no pro though.
* My bone structure is on the high end of large for a woman (according to my doctor).
* I wear a size small to medium and 6/8 and really cant go smaller -structurally because of my build.
With that said, my BMI is 27.5 which would put me in the high overweight category.
Here’s the thing, though. Nobody can agree on how to change this. I have strong opinions on the subject but they are heretical to the medical establishment and plenty of laypeople (including many here, I’d be willing to bet).
I bet a bunch of people will chime in and say “It’s easy to lose weight. All you need to do eat less than you spend in energy.” I personally believe this is bunk. Then there will be people espousing gluten free or exercise (does not help with weight loss, FYI) or veganism or vegetarianism.
Me? I topped out at over 400lbs before getting diagnosed with diabetes. It was really upsetting but I’m so glad I got the dianosis. I switched to a low carb diet which I believe has saved my life. But it means throwing a whole lot of personal finance bromides out the window, especially those about giving up meat. I do not eat beans or grains. I eat meat, vegetables, fat, and dairy.
However, even while I will never be someone who lives on a food budget of fifty cents a day, I have saved hundreds compared to my former lifestyle. While my food is expensive, my food budget has gone way down because I eat so much less now (low carb suppresses your appetite). I have far more energy, so I can tackle more projects around the house or at work. I feel better about myself at work and am able to work harder and smarter. And btw, I still weigh a number that would make most of you faint.
BMI is certainly not the best indicator of obesity for all people, especially for more fit people with lots of muscle. But we’d be kidding ourselves to think that the errors in BMI as a scale are leading to a false obesity epidemic. Interesting point someone made about the correlation between obesity and making less money-again, correlation does not equal causation. It could also be a third factor leading to both the obesity and the lower income.
As far as obesity being caused by a medical thing, I’m sure that there are many cases of this, but I don’t think we can use medical obesity to explain the obesity epidemic. A generation ago we weren’t obese and now we are. Unless you think it’s a disease caused by something other than easy access to cheap and unhealthy foods, then explain how such a huge change happened so quickly and be caused by something medical that clearly wasn’t a problem a generation ago? I know that we are often judgmental of obese individuals and I think that isn’t right, but I don’t think the majority of obesity cases are due to medical reasons.
Excellent post.
I read “The Sugar Fix” not too long ago, and it proposes that the day Congress decided to put in massive corn subsidies (early 1980s) and Coke and Pepsi (and tons of others) switched to HFCS instead of cane sugar was the tipping point.
This was also the period that started to villainize fat in favour of white carbs. So you have high fructose ingestion with high refined carbs…and 30 years later an obesity epidemic.
I don’t think it’s lack of activity to blame, I think it’s too much sugar and refined carbs.
People need to eat more veggies, whole grains, water, poly-and-mono unsaturated fats (nuts, olive oil, fish), and lean proteins.
On a financial cost thing, in Canada the public health system treats everyone, so the tax payers pay for gastric bypass if a doctor prescribes it. I guess that is cheaper than paying for the heart surgery and years of rehab?
I favour sin taxes on sugary sodas and refined carbs the same way we do on alcohol and cigarettes. You want to eat/smoke/drink? Okay that’s your right. But don’t ask the healthy tax paying people to pay for your bypass (Gastric or heart)!
I do believe that obesity is a problem, but this sort of scaremongering is only making things worse. Being overweight or obese is actually correlated with having a 66-77% LOWER risk of death before age 60. The CDC studies looking at death from obesity toss out 90% of all deaths when creating their statistics. When you are massaging the numbers that much, you can prove whatever you want. Another issue is that underweight is actually quite dangerous as well, with 25% higher death rates. That never makes the news somehow. A woman of Jennifer Aniston’s height and weight has a 50% chance of living to age 75. As her weight increases, it improves before it declines. Jennifer would have to hit 300 pounds before getting back to a 50% chance of not seeing 75. And that level of obesity is less than 5% of Americans.
The problem with obesity is we DON’T take it seriously. Cancer researchers got together (early 70s?) and agreed that they would all use the same research protocols and share data freely so that studies could each build on what the others have learned. Every obesity study stands alone, and often when you go and look at the numbers the story they tell is opposite from the conclusions the authors state. Studies from other fields (cancer, psychology) that look at obesity as a variable come to very different conclusions from the research done by obesity specialists.
The best book I’ve read on the topic is Gina Kolata’s “Rethinking Thin,” where she looks at the research and follows the participants in a weight loss research study. She points out that we have no studies showing that diet and exercise are effective for large scale weight loss. In fact, European cancer research shows previous calorie restrictive dieting as a greater risk factor than overweight itself.
Studies have also shown that a significant portion of the “excess” medical costs of the obese are due to doctor’s delaying care, telling the patient to just lose some weight. This then leads to patients not bothering to go to the doctor. Obese and overweight people are far less likely to get standard preventative care. Do you blame them or the doctors? I have a friend who started eating healthier – five servings of veggies a day (none before) and exercising. Her numbers improved drastically, but her weight barely budged. Did her doctor congratulate her? Of course not.
I really do want obesity to be taken with the seriousness that cancer and other diseases are. But that will mean a level of honesty that the field doesn’t have now. And numbers like this really just serve to conflate the societal prejudice against the obese with overweight itself.
Mo – I can COMPLETELY believe that story about your friend. I have my own story I won’t go into…I have friends with similar stories.
I even had a friend whose doctor blamed her soft tissue injury on her “baby weight”. She was not fat! She was carrying a few extra pounds after the baby was born. The injury didn’t magically go away as she lost of the weight naturally. But it took ages to get a decent diagnosis and proper treatment.
Hah! I have a similar experience. I was hit by a car several years ago and broke my foot. It didn’t heal properly (even I can see on the x-ray where it is deformed) but everytime I go to the doctor I get told to lose weight and the pain will go away.
Some corrections on the “facts” of this post:
– Being slightly overweight is protective, but being obese is NOT.
– There are HUNDREDS of studies that show that diet and exercise are effective for large scale weight loss.
I think she means “large scale” as in thousands of people losing weight and keeping it off successfully; not “large scale” as in one person losing a large amount of weight.
Actually, the “facts” state that the entire overweight category of the BMI (25-24.9) is at reduced risk of death and no increase of cardiovascular issues. There is no “slightly” overweight category.
I think I have to disagree on this one. I used to be obese. Then I joined a gym ($70 per month) worked out with a trainer couple times a week ($45 per session). Started buying more produce and had a lot of green smoothies for breakfast (much more expensive than cereal). I shop at Whole Foods once a month to stock up on all natural whey protein and other spices (more $$$). I am much happier now with the weight gone now, but it’s not cheaper by any means. Fresh produce, even non organic is much much more expensive than processed food and there are never any coupons fro fresh produce. Whenever I groan on seeing these costs, my husband reminds me that I am investing in my future health.
Great article supported by some hard facts. I have been waiting for a post on this topic – thanks April!
According to the ridiculous BMI chart, I am obese. I hike, hike or walk over 100 miles a week. I strength train and I eat well about 90% of the time. I have no medical conditions related to anything and I am not on any medications, other than birth control. I realize this is one piece of anecdotal evidence, but I don’t see how my weight is causing me to lose money. I have a great job with a great salary, and I believe this is directly related to a lot of years of experience and several degrees.
But I will admit that once I moved from an hourly position (where I worked on the production floor) to a salary position (where I sit in front of a computer for 7 hours a day) the weight crept up and it’s been a struggle to lose it. So yeah, sometimes your job can contribute to weight gain. More money, more weight.
I’m right there with you. I’m not as active as you, but I’m still active. Since I’ve been at a desk job where I work 10 hours/day, I’ve seen the weight creep up. I walk as much as I can, but there’s only so much you can do. It would be nice to have a standing desk!
It sucks that BMI is the standard number because it’s definitely not accurate.
With all due respect, I don’t believe you. I think you’re likely calculating your BMI incorrectly (and are in fact overweight, rather than obese), or are grossly exaggerating your level of exercise. I simply do not believe that an obese person walks more than a half-marathon, every single day of the week. Even if you did, your knees would be hamburger.
I am the organizer for a biking group on meetup and as a result, I usually ride 4 times a week at 20 miles a clip. I used the BMI indicator found here: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ – it said my BMI was 33. Just a little over the line from overweight to obese.
I don’t really care whether you believe me or not. I think the problem is that no one really understand what obesity looks like. Take a look at this link, http://kateharding.net/bmi-illustrated/
My knees are not hamburger because I have always been fat and athletic. But that is really not the point, is it? I am still overweight and it’s not costing me more because of it.
Hang on, you’re changing your story now. First you said you hike or walk 100 miles a week. Now it’s biking 80 miles a week.
Looking back at your original post, you said you “hike, hike or walk,” which it now seems was probably a typo. I’m guessing that first “hike” was supposed to be “bike.” That changes things significantly. Also 80 != 100, which is another big difference.
Good grief. I am not changing my story. I simply didn’t include the miles walked or hiked, thinking that you could do that math on your own. I wear a pedometer every day, so the last 20 miles is included with hiking or walking.
So, to sum up. Approx 80 miles biking, 20 miles walking and hiking.
Lisa, are you even LISTENING to yourself?
Do you REALLY believe you are the typical obese person represented by the medical community and the obesity epidemic in the Western World (it’s not just America, obviously)?
No. You are not. You are an athletic person who gets excersize and eats well 90% of the time by your standards. Maybe there is a medical reason you are still obese despite eating well and massive amounts of excersize. It seems almost certain, because otherwise it doesn’t make sense.
But please, do not mistake yourself for a typical person who is obese in America. You are not, your regime is extremely active even for a person with a 21 BMI. *This* blog article is discussing the costs of being obese for a typical obese person in America. Not someone who is healthy, active, but overweight. Your one off anecdotal evidence of yourself does not disprove it in any way.
Adam, I don’t think we are necessarily arguing different things. What I’m trying to point out is that the metrics used by health agencies and insurance companies are flawed. And like I said, I am merely one point of anecdotal evidence. But when those agencies use that damn BMI chart to classify individuals as overweight or obese, they are misleading us all. That’s why I posted that link about what obesity really looks like. I hope people will take a look at it. It’s not all those people you see on The Biggest Loser. Sometimes I think the media blows this issue way out of proportion. Okay, I’m getting off topic here and I don’t want to start ranting.
This is my point. The metrics are deeply flawed. BMI is in no way a predictor of good health. And anything that uses that chart as evidence for a claim is bunk, IMO.
Lisa I owe you an apology and I’m sorry. The bottom of the blog post asks for people to share whether it was costing them money to be obese or not…and you shared that! I would delete my post if I could, or move it to it’s own point because while it’s valid in and of itself (the typical obese person is not healthy) I shouldn’t have brought it into your discussion on how it’s affecting you personally.
Kudos on being active by the way! The world would be a much better place if everyone had your resolve.
Adam, no apologies necessary! I am glad we are on the same page. Have a good one.
Good grief. I am not changing my story.
Yes you did. Your first post didn’t say anything about biking.
You said you walked or hiked 100 miles per week.
I called you out on it.
Then you said you biked 80 of those miles.
You made a mistake. You made a typo. You typed “hike” instead of “bike.” Scroll up and see for yourself.
Holy crap. I can’t believe you’ve given me all this grief over a typo. Well, now at least we know that I am a bad typist AND fat. Whew.
Nice article with lots of facts, but sadly, education is not the way to motivate change because logic often loses out to emotional motivations. For a good book that discusses more effective ways to motivate change, check out Switch by Chip & Dan Heath: (http://www.heathbrothers.com/switch/).
Excellent read. The research on how environment effects behavior is particularly interesting.
I am in the obese category with a BMI of 42,but I haven’t experienced these costs at all. In fact, I’m the healthiest person I know. I haven’t had a cold or flu in years and I take maybe one day a year in sick leave, far less than my co workers. I don’t even notice higher grocery costs as I’m not a large quantity eater and fruits & veggies can be pricey. My clothes cost slightly more & maybe my fuel costs are higher, but that’s about it.
Then the only people you know are MORBIDLY obese. Please do not embarrass yourself by claiming that you are a ‘healthy’ obese person. No such thing.
Really? No such thing? So, by your theory, every single thin person is healthy? Is that how it works?
At least attack what she actually wrote, rather than putting words in her mouth. 🙂
I think these numbers underestimate the cost of obesity for an individual, especially for women. There are financial costs associated with the emotional trauma obese women suffer on a daily basis in our society.
While wages for the same work tend to be lower for obese people, this does not take into account how much harder it is for an obese person to get hired or promoted. Much in the same way racial discrimination can be invisible to people who are not themselves racial minorities, fat discrimination tends to be invisible to the skinny, based on our stereotypes about fat people. Because we associate obesity with laziness and poor self-control, we assume that obese people aren’t getting hired or promoted because of their (presumed) character defects.
In truth, these types of “character” issues are often unrelated to weight gain. I’m thin, but I am 100% sure this is not because I have self-control. I just don’t like sweets much and feel uncomfortable when I overeat. I can see, when the dessert goes onto the table, that my friends who struggle with obesity have something different going on in their bodies and brains than I do vis-a-vis the cake. Not eating extra cake is very easy for me, and very difficult for them. Frankly this was the luck of the draw in terms of our genes and environments growing up.
Our society has created an obesogenic environment through many, many factors. Many members of our society are suffering in consequence. I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know that “personal responsibility” can only be a small part of any eventual solution. Human nature did not suddenly change in 1980 when U.S. the obesity epidemic started. Our ancestors were not thinner because they posessed some kind of virtue that we don’t have today.
Any social solution that requires changing something fundamental about human nature is destined to fail. We need to change the obesogenic nature of our environment and culture in many ways, and nobody has all the answers today. As a society we’re going to have to try a bunch of stuff and see what helps.
(By the way, I feel the same way about our culture of debt and overspending…)
One of the things that I am sure does not help, though, is shaming and denigration of overweight/obese people. I am happy to see little of that so far in these comments. Thanks guys.
“Human nature did not suddenly change in 1980 when U.S. the obesity epidemic started. Our ancestors were not thinner because they posessed some kind of virtue that we don’t have today.”
Yeah, I think this is very true and worth repeating when the “personal responsibility” lines come out of the woodwork.
I personally believe that obesity is not caused by some essential character flaw. I don’t think it’s caused by gluttony or sloth or a psychological problem. I have been both thin and very, very fat in my life, but I’ve been the same person with the same personality the whole time.
Why on earth are we using the BMI to indicate obesity rates in the US?
I personally feel that the obesity “epidemic” in the US is not nearly as bad as what we are led to believe.
As many people have already stated, BMI is a very poor indicator of true weight/health. I’m currently sitting at a BMI of about 28/29. Like JD, I am a CrossFitter, play for a local Rugby club, and regularly participate in events, like 5k’s, and even did a relay run from Madison to Chicago (197 miles).
However, I’m apparently a part of the overweight epidemic. As are most college and professional football players, rugby players, most baseball players, wrestlers, or any other athlete who has done a heavy dose of strength training.
Before anyone can start figuring out a solution, we need to have an accurate idea of what the problem is in the first place. BMI fails to provide that.
I’m not sure I’d be holding up football players, baseball players, or wrestlers as paragons of fitness. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but an awful lot of footballers have been dropping dead during practice lately. Their hearts can’t take the exercise while carrying all that extra weight.
And baseball players? The guys who spend 3 hours standing/sitting around doing nothing, and need a break after 7 innings? Uh, check out the guts on those guys. They’re not exactly poster boys of fitness. BMI says they’re overweight because they are overweight.
And finally wrestlers. You mean like Rulon Gardner? The Olympic Gold medal wrestler? Or, you might remember him from more recent media coverage, like the fact that he was on the last season of Biggest Loser (and quit, by the way). A great example of how fit wrestlers are? Won the Olympic Gold, but was fat enough to be on the Biggest Loser (and quit)?
BMI isn’t perfect, but it seems to me that in all your examples, BMI actually had them pegged correctly. Fat and unhealthy.
If you want to argue that BMI is useless, find me an “obese” pro soccer player.
“An awful lot of football players have been dropping dead at practice lately”
Really? Could you name them for me? I mean, it should be easy to rattle off a ton of names if an “awful lot” of the 100’s of thousands of people who play football on the college and professional level are keeling over dead. Furthermore, how many of them died due specifically due to their weight?
Baseball players do more than “stand around for 3 hours”, what about practice? Off-season training? Or how about all the work they put in to get to the MLB in the first place? Have you been to a baseball game recently and seen these players up close? How about guys like Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, or Ryan Braun? Are their overweight players in baseball? Certainly, but there’s an overwhelming majority of them who would fall into the “overweight/obese” category of the BMI, who aren’t anywhere close to being so.
You bring up Rulon Gardner. Yes, he definitely had severe weight problems. So the fact that you can bring up ONE example of an overweight wrestler somehow undermines my point? What about every other wrestler on the face of the planet? Cael Sanderson? Ben Askren? Recent one-legged NCAA champion Anthony Robles? What about all the former wrestlers you see competing in MMA?
So BMI had a handful of people pegged correctly…therefore it’s a perfectly adequate standard for ALL people? Really?
If you had actually read my comment with any honesty, you would have seen that I never argued that BMI is “useless”. I simply stated that before we talk about having a solution to the “overweight/obesity” epidemic, we need a BETTER way to get a grasp on the extent of the problem. By using BMI you are including a large amount of people as “obese/overweight” who are actually quite healthy and fit individuals.
I agree, soccer players tend to fit BMI better than most professional athletes. Is that because they are fitter? Perhaps. But I would also suggest it helps when you play a sport that has more emphasis on speed and skill instead of strength and size (such as Football, Rugby, etc.).
By the way;
Wayne Rooney, (5’10”, 175), BMI – 25.1 (overweight)
Using the Rulon Gardner rule of examples, I guess that means all professional soccer players are overweight, right?
“Wayne Rooney, (5’10″, 175), BMI – 25.1 (overweight)”
I said “obese,” not overweight.
All I’m saying is BMI isn’t perfect, and that bickering over its flaws is simply a red herring. At the end of the day, it’s a useful indicator. If you’re a professional MMA fighter or an olympic bodybuilder, maybe you can disregard BMI. But for the other 99.9999999% of us, it can be a useful guidepost.
I agree that BMI is a ridiculous measure that does more harm than good. Yet, the fact that BMI generates bad data doesn’t mean we don’t have an obesity problem in the U.S.
Look at any group photo (other than a professional sports team) from today and compare it to a photo of a similar group from 1961. Look at school yearbooks. Go downtown or to a mall and look at the people walking around.
We most certainly are fatter than we used to be, on the whole, although you personally may be fitter.
When I was in high school 30+ years ago, I was considered plump, pudgy, borderline fat. At the same weight today I’m actually on the thin side of average. And my size 12 prom dress from the 70s? It’s about a size 6 or 8 by today’s standards. (Yes, sadly, I still have my prom dress. Hoarding is another subject for another day.)
Oh yes, the “vanity sizing” that goes on with clothing now is unreal. I’m the same weight as I was in college, but when I buy pants now they’re typically two sizes smaller than what I bought in the early 1990s.
Having once been an unhappy overweight April I think there are plenty of heavy costs to pay for being on the large size. If not the money, without doubt the health implications, the reduced lifestyle options,and the great damage to self-worth those many extra pounds bring. When the food goes in I always ask, ‘What’s really weighing you down?’. Answer that and watch the weight mysteriously begin to disappear and the person come magically back to life.
This is a term I call Monesity which is a TERRIBLE thing because it means money lost and weight gained!
There are a lot of studies out there that talk about why Americans on the whole are larger. I wrote about it in a recent blogpost because of a Harvard study which said most people don’t have time to make healthy meals especially in this economy when both parents are working. So, we eat out cheaply (which can be accomplished most efficiently at McDonalds et. al). But what shocked me was the amount of money eating out cheap cost me! I didn’t realize was the amount of money I lost by eating out twice a week, it added up to over $1000 in a one year period!
http://blog.impulsesave.com/what_we_think/2011/7/15/how-eating-in-can-save-you-1000s.html
I really like your term “monesity” – I’ve been thinking about it and giving it a definition of my own. To me, there are several things that contribute to my “monesity”. Spending money on eating out seems like the most obvious one – I also eati out way more often than I should out of a sense of convenience. I used to bike to work a lot – a 40-km round trip – but I’ve gotten lazy and I rarely do it anymore. That makes spending money on gas and parking during my commute another example of monesity for me – I could have done something free and healthy, but I got lazy and did something that cost me money and didn’t help me physically. This might not hold true for everyone, but going to the movies is another example of monesity for me – it costs a lot these days to buy the tickets and the popcorn and I get no physical benefit out of it. I would have been better spending a few dollars on a drop-in yoga class or going for a bike ride. I guess other people might have different things that contribute to their monesity, but those are mine and the very fact that I now have a name for it (thank you!) helps me realize that if I get my monesity under control, I’m helping myself in two of the most important areas for me – my financial situation and my physical health. Thanks for helping me figure out a new way of looking at things!
When it comes to obesity/weight issues, people tend to discuss too much in detail and not enough action (exercise). Fitness is much like a budget. You need a lot of discipline, motivation, attainable goals and long-term vision.
For example:
Finance
Saving/Debt = Incoming $ – Outgoing $
Fitness
Weight Gain/loss = Incoming Calories – Calories used
You have to:
1.) Decrease one end of the equation or increase the other end to see the result. (or combination)
It is really that simple. Instead of talking about the little details and possibly being overwhelmed, please go outside and do something.
It’s actually NOT that simple. While it’s true that calories in/calories out is something that describes what happens when you gain weight, humans have pretty much no chance of consciously changing that equation because we have little to no direct control on the “output” end of the equation.
Sure, you can say “Well, you can go for a run,” but here’s the thing: you have no idea whether or not that run will A) cause you to be hungrier later and unconsciously eat a bite or two more, negating any calories burnt or B) if you perfectly calibrate your calories in, cause your body’s metabolism to slow down later.
To paraphrase Gary Taubes, citing calories in/calories out is like looking at a crowded restaurant and saying “That restaurant (body) is crowded (fat) because there are more people (calories) going in than coming out.” Well, duh. But none of that tells you WHY more people went in than went out.
This whole “dieting is like budgeting” line is one of those things that crops up in personal finance blogs and it bugs the bejesus out of me because it has no relationship to the reality of the human metabolism, which is a lot more complicated than compounding interest.
It is that simple, when the calories in are the densest lowest calorie source of nutrients you can find. It’s not that simple if your body isn’t getting what it needs.
You’re not hungry because of the exercise calorie deficit, you’re hungry because you have nutrient needs. That may be because you ran and need more protein to rebuild the muscles etc (or you could just be addicted to the seratonin released when you are full on simple carbs – but that’s another story.
One problem is that fruits and vegetables have lower nutrient contents then they did 50 years ago (a side effect of growing faster and shipping them farther). Another problem is all the low micronutrient value food that is so prevalent in the north american diet.
Exercise and energy balance is an important part of the equation, but the type of diet (and I mean the quality of calories not the quantity) is what makes it doable.
While I agree it would be nice if it were that simple, it’s not.
In GENERAL, sure, eating less and doing more will help, but it’s WHAT you eat and WHAT you do, along with genetics, etc – the equation is more complicated.
Eating 4 cups of ice cream might give me 1400 calories but were they good? probably not… so eating the almonds, egg, tomato, whole wheat bread, fish, salad, etc that also equals 1400 calories is better – but the equation you posted won’t account for that.
Exercising will increase muscle mass, which uses more energy to sustain itself than fat, which thus helps, but if I eat 300 calories of a hamburger and then go run for two hours, that hamburger won’t “go away”.
Finally, genetics has a lot to do with it as well – I am the same weight at 28 that I was at 18 – and until recently, I didn’t really watch what I ate, exercise, or anything else. I was just lucky in the gene pool.
But, like BMI, it is important to think generally when first looking at fitness. Eat less, eat healthier, find more ways to expel excess and you will see a reduction in weight and BMI and should feel better and look healthier.
In the end, as JD says, do what works for you.
Hi Megan and Margie:
I am not a dietitian or a fitness expert and I really appreciate your replies. You both brought very valid and important aspects of fitness. If my tone came across as an arrogant person in my previous post, I apologize. What I am trying to say is people dig into too much detail and over look the bigger picture.
My cousin struggled with her weight since she was a child. She used to complain about her weight while eating in front of the TV. She would also research about the “healthy” way to lose weight for months and not actually followed through. She started losing weight once she decided to go for a jog every time she feels like complaining. She is now running Marathons and more fit then she has ever been in her life.
It would be interesting to see you compare the costs of being overweight to the costs of “pursuing fitness.” Gym, workout gear, sports injuries, etc.
You don’t need a gym or workout gear to pursue fitness. There are tons of free exercises you can do without any equipment whatsoever – and for free! You don’t need any special gear, either. Unless you’re a nudist who doesn’t own any clothes, the ones you already have will suffice. Now give me 50 pushups and run for 2 miles! 🙂
I was overweight for a good portion of my 20’s. I was unhealthy due to the weight, but in the short-term, it didn’t cost me much. I decided that I wanted to change my life and my appearance so I changed the way I eat and my overall lifestyle. Low-carb, combined with eating huge portions of veggies with meals, never skipping meals, avoiding most forms of sugars and of course avoid processed foods is what saved me. I was always active; I tell people all the time I was a “fat runner”, but I had to step it up a bit.
Not eating the typical American diet of cheap, processed foods from Grocery Outlet, running shoes, other work out equipment and eventually a gym membership does cost more money in the short-term, but its not about money in my case. Its about my health.
Ironically, I now have Multiple Sclerosis which cost me so much more money than anything else ever have in my adult life. I’m glad I’m no longer overweight, but being a low body weight, working out on a regular basis, weight training, great diet, etc is no guarantee of perfect health and low medical costs.
ETA: Before two years ago, I did’t have a gym member and was proud of the fact that I can do everything outdoors or at home. My mobility from MS is only limited a little, but enough that I can no longer run, play tennis, or any other sport that requires balance and I have to make sure I don’t get overheated. Gym memberships cost money, but its so worth it for me. I loosely consider that part of my medical expenses”.
If I may humbly say “Yes, I have the answer”. And it’s quite simple.
But it’s so simple and the results are so profound, it just can’t be believed.
And you could prove it to yourself in 2 weeks.
The problem is you have to do yourself, and it takes work. You can’t buy health in a pill.
Read Dr T Colin Campbell’s book: The China Study
Oh please, the China Study???
A quick Google search will bring up tons of references that show that Campbell cherry-picked his data, leaving out all the states that did not match his pre-formed hypotheses.
He then used his cherry-picked observational data to make causal conclusions, when every 9th grader knows that you can’t prove cause from a correlation.
He is NOT a good scientist and the China Study is garbage.
For me, the issue that causes me to gain weight is the issue that produces the money. Sure, weight is food – exercise. But in my current job (a desk job), I sit ALL day and make more money than my prior jobs, I work longer hours, and I don’t have time to exercise. With my natural metabolism, I’m one of those who needs more exercise to stay in the “normal” weight range. I gained weight when I moved to this job. In my last jobs that did not pay as well, they were tons more active, so I was skinny. I eat less but weigh more now. The reason is not as much exercise.
Not everbody who is overweight is that way because they eat french fries. I’d love to see if how we work and with more workers in the field contributes to the obesity problem in the US.
This commenting is starting to remind me a lot of the biking to work commenters. Excuses excuses excuses. Yes, BMI can be pretty dumb for some people. Yes, losing weight is hard and harder for the obese because they have a lot to lose. But, for most of America we have a choice. Really, it’s a bunch of little choices. You can make excuses and whine about your choices being limited by this and that, but in the end, for the majority of people it is a matter of personal responsibility. If you look at my family you know that I have genes such that I could easily be obese. When I let myself eat whatever I want including nasty stuff that doesn’t make me feel good but is addicting, I gain weight quickly. But I work to stay healthy instead. It is hard work compared to some people who are thin without any effort. God I hate those people. But I feel better physically and better about myself. My sister was obese and lost 90 lbs by working her ass off. We can fight about the details of the best way to lose weight (low carb, low animal products, etc), but in the end it’s going to be effort whichever way you go, especially for those of us who have genes working against us. But that’s not an excuse to not do anything.
I’m not familiar with the details of BMI vs death, but from what I understand much of obesity is now tied to type to type 2 diabetes and it’s associated problems, which are decidedly bad for your health. You can be overweight and fit, but most of America is not in this camp. Yes, there are underlying societal problems that we can try and do something about, but each person doesn’t need to wait for Congress to act so they can stop eating crap. Dry beans and brown rice are cheap, not that much effort, and probably relatively healthy. Supplement with some veggies and fruit and you’re probably doing much better than the standard american diet.
Argh, remind me never again to click the “notify me of followup comments via email” button again. It’s too stressful.
You dismiss a different POV as “excuses, excuses, excuses.” But it’s not that–it’s simply a matter of different priorities based on different circumstances. Most of the comments here that I’ve seen aren’t by people complaining “poor me, I just can’t.” It’s a matter of different priorities. It is OK for people to make different choices than you have made.
For me, I weigh more because I work a desk job that has long hours, am raising a family with young children, am finishing an addition we did ourselves, and I don’t have the time to exercise. (My eating is not the problem–I don’t like sweets other than fruit, fried fatty foods make me queasy, and I have a small stomach.) I could change jobs, spend less time with the kids, etc, but my weight gain is not as much of a priority. I have 35 pounds to lose and can reach that goal later. I can’t say the same for my children’s childhood. One day, they will want to spend time with their friends instead of me. I’m happy with my decisions overall. I love to have everything right now, but that is not reality. To everything, there is a season.
As to your comments on weight and the discussion with the stupid BMI thing, 30 pounds is the difference between “normal” and “obese.” 30 pounds is relatively small in my opinion. The BMI penalizes you for muscle and breasts, so my BMI was skewed even when I was skinny. Body fat is what matters and BMI does not do that. Some insurance policies use only BMI, when hydrostatic weighing or the DEXA scan are what truly measure body fat.
I so relate to this post. I have been unable to get the pounds off since having kids and breastfeeding (still). I don’t like the image I see in the mirror sometimes, but I try not to stress over it. You have to be kind to yourself, especially when you have younger children. I am exhausted and sleep deprived. I haven’t slept through the night in over three years. Let’s talk about what sleep deprivation does to your weight! And even before I had kids and was pretty small, I never fit into the charts. And I have genetics to blame for this – really and truly. They gifted me (or cursed me depending on your perspective) with a large bosom. So, yes, it often is a lot more complicated than people make it out to be.
That is exactly what I was talking about. Excuses. At least your excuses you say is a choice. That is better than the “I can’t eat healthy because…” or “I can’t exercise because I don’t have time…”. But really, you don’t have to choose between being healthy and spending time with your kids.
Why not do activities with your kids? Take them on bike rides, walks, go play tag with them etc? Have them roller blade or bike while you run. I don’t know their ages obviously, but kids left to their own devices burn through a lot of calories with their playing and you can burn them with them and spend time with your kids AND set a great example for them. I don’t have kids so it’s easy for me to say that, but when I do I plan on staying fit in whatever way I can, though realistically, probably not as fit as I am now.
I know I can’t even imagine how much work kids are and thus can’t really understand your situation, but I really don’t think you have to choose your health or your children. 30 lbs is a lot of extra weight I’m sorry to say. Try carrying 30 lbs of weight in a backpack for a day. Whether it’s really that bad for you is one question, but boy I bet you will feel great if you can lose it, even if it’s not doing much long term damage. But if you’re going to choose to not care enough to put in the effort, then say it that way. In a way, you are kind of blaming your children for your own decision, which I think is a dangerous route.
Sleep dep. is bad for mental and physical health. I went through it in grad school. Good luck with getting some sleep soon. I know how miserable that can be. That’s your first priority, getting baby to sleep through the night so you can sleep again. All else can be dealt with later.
I know what you mean about it being hard. It’s really hard for me too. But I choose to put in that effort because I know I feel better and it’s better for me. I’m on the edge of the healthy weight range according to BMI and I work hard to stay there. It’s harder for some of us than others and that’s not “fair”, but this is the body you have been given by “god” “your parents” or whatever you believe in. Treat it with the respect it deserves, making it a priority cuz it’s the only one you have.
Stephanie, I hope you’re not a counselor. Your constant use of the word “excuses” is telling and not really helpful. What you think of in such a negative way as “excuses” is really just explanations for life. And when a woman who has had a baby says she’s gained weight, she is not blaming her child. But pregnancy changes your body forever. That’s just a fact. And I don’t see cause and effect as merely excuses or unhealthy blame of another.
And your comparison to the sleep deprivation of children to graduate school is like people I know who try to commiserate with me about how bad it is when their dog wakes them up at night. If you were a medical resident, then I retract this. But otherwise, trust me, you have no idea. And even people who have had good sleeping babies also can’t understand how life altering sleep deprivation is over such a long period of time.
I think the real reason for obesity in the country is not the fast food or the sugary snacks. Those are symptoms. The real cause is what other people have mentioned – stressful lives with two income homes. And yes, lack of sleep.
You denigrating my experiences with sleep deprivation in graduate school is on the same level as you claiming I’m judging you for being a mom and having trouble keeping the same shape. You have no clue what my sleep deprivation was like. I dealt with it for WAY more than 3 years and went for months without a good night sleep. I spent many nights up all night because of my own stupid brain. Most nights I couldn’t sleep at all and would be up till the wee hours of the morning, so frustrated that time was ticking away and I just couldn’t get to sleep. I’m not sure if it’s worse to have sleep dep. due to external or internal problems, but I can tell you, 5 years of going without sleeping for most nights and constantly feeling stressed about it and tired does mean that I can relate to other people who have sleep issues, even when they are caused by something completely different than mine were.
I agreed with you that when dealing with sleep dep you really just need to focus on that for now, as other things will fall into place once you are better rested. The comments about playing outside was for the other mom, who claimed she couldn’t be active because her kids only have a childhood once and she needs to spend time with them, so I assumed her kids were older. I’m sorry if you took those comments to be directed at you. I know how hard sleep dep. is. I truly do relate to your situation and I hope you can get some sleep soon. It sounds like your trouble sleeping is at least not in your own head, so hopefully, once your children calm down with the keeping you up all night, your good sleep should return. For me it took ~5 years of trying everything under the sun and spending lots of $ on random things before I found what works for me. And I hope you don’t take any of this offensively. I’m not trying to judge you, I’m trying to make you realize that your automatically assuming I don’t understand real sleep dep. was incorrect. It sucks and makes you crazy and unable to control your impulses and emotions or to think clearly, at least, that’s what it did to me. Hope it gets better soon.
I know people who battle with insomnia to the point that new parents get more sleep than they do! I also know people who haven’t had a full night’s sleep in years due to pain or another healthy issue waking them up. Their sleep issues aren’t their choice. (You can choose to be a parent or a student, but you usually don’t choose to suffer from an illness)
I don’t think we can really compare whose lack of sleep is better or worse because it’s an individual experience and it’s going to have different consequences for all of us.
Stephanie, I’m not sure where you got the thought that I’m not “active” with my family. We are a very active family but in my book being “active” is not the same as “exercise.” Exercise is getting my heartrate within the range, keeping it there for 40 minutes, pushing myself. I also count my weight-lifting regiment as exercise. I have no time for this. But we are an active family. We do things together (not running because I’ve always hate running), but we bike, we swim (my fav), we hike. We play sports.
Yes, 30 pounds is a bit of weight, but there is more than 30 pounds difference within the “normal” range of BMI, so it sounds like you’d be just as critical as one in the “normal” BMI who was at the high end of the scale as that an additional 30 pounds too. (And I know exactly what it feels like to carry an additional 30 pounds because that’s exactly what happens with our family walks–I carry my youngest–my current way of getting more exercise into the walk).
As for lack of sleep, there is no comparison between kids and grad school. I went thru law school at a top rate school and studies night and day to graduate in the top percent. The Bar Exam studies were even worse since I did that when I was working. I never felt as sleep deprived as I did with kids. Most of my law school friends who had kids had the same experience, thinking we knew sleep deprivation and it would be an issue and then being shocked at the difference.
My mom is sick due to the unhealthy choices that also led to her obesity. I’m very scared that something is going to happen to her and she won’t be around or herself. I want to have kids someday and I want my mom to be around to meet them. Her mom had a stroke very young and was never really “there” after that, so there’s definitely bad genes to combat. If she told me that she couldn’t be healthy because of having kids, that would make me very upset. I would say “Mom, please, I wish you would have taken the time you need to make the healthy choices that mean you are going to be with me for a long time.” That is why you somewhat blaming your kids caused a strong reaction in me. I’m also worried about my aunt who is also obese, though I don’t know her medical condition. It sounds like you are in the overweight but healthy category, even if your exercise isn’t up to your normal standards. If you are active and eat healthy then that’s fine I hope you live a long happy healthy life. I don’t care what anyone’s BMI is, I know plenty of unhealthy thin people and healthy “overweight” or “obese” people according to BMI. My husband is almost obese by BMI, but he’s vegan and runs marathons, so I know BMI is often BS. I just care that people I love make healthy choices so that I don’t lose them early.
I still think that I can understand extreme lack of sleep and you don’t really know enough about my life to say whether my experience compares to lack of sleep with children or not, as commented by Beth. Hopefully I will have kids someday and maybe I will eat my words then, who knows. But I’m just saying, just like I don’t know your life and shouldn’t have been so quick to judge you, you don’t know my life and shouldn’t be so quick to judge me and my experiences with insomnia. Stupid internet makes it way to easy to jump to conclusions because we obviously have very little information to base our judgements on and we humans are so very good at making snap judgements on people. Sorry if my comments seemed harsh at the time, I just your statement a little too close to home with my family situation and I couldn’t tell that you are actually pretty healthy. My mom was never active at the level you already are and never ate healthy so it’s a totally different situation. Just keep doing fun active stuff with your kids and having a healthy diet and attitude and you will live a long and happy life.
What exactly is the point of this article and what the hell does it have to do with personal finance? I am sick of the media convincing everyone that not only is my double chin and arm wobble causing me great personal detriment but also drowning the country in debt and causing global warming! Now it is not only making me poor but making everyone else poor and having those poor skinny people to pick up my slack cause I take so much time off work and when I’m there can’t get it done. Excuse me?
People like Stephanie and the rest of the self righteous up there would probably be shocked to think there are plenty of us big fatties that actually do *gasp* eat healthy and exercise! But *double gasp* it didn’t make me any less fat! Ok I think I lost 15 pounds, but when you weigh 275, it was sort of a drop in the bucket. “Working your ass off” might make you thinner but it probably won’t make you healthier than moderate exercise and a healthy diet of produce, whole grains and lean protein. Stop confusing vanity with health. Habits make healthy people, not a number on a scale. Instead of weight, the numbers people need to be concerned about are their cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar…these are more important. Fad diets to lose weight not only won’t work but won’t make you healthy, and that’s exactly what most people do to attempt to “get healthy” ie get skinny. Lets focus on the inside as harbingers of health, not the outside.
I don’t doubt you *personally* being healthy. I’ll take your word for it.
But I take issue with you saying “there are plenty of us big fatties who eat healthy and excersize” if by *plenty* you somehow mean a statistically significant number of you?
Someone with healthy eating habits and daily recommended excersize habits does not get to 275lbs+ to begin with, baring some sort of untreated medical problem with their thyroid (or also unless they are like 7 feet tall or a massive bodybuilder type).
Most people who maintain these healthy habits will over time come down from obese into a healthy BMI range. They will not remain there. “Our” genetic makeup (by which I mean humanity) has not changed such that this no longer holds true in the last 30 years.
I have found that for me personally, I can only concentrate on 1 major life change at a time. So for the past 4 years, I’ve been working on getting my financial house in order and my weight has increased. When I was more concentrated on my weight, I didn’t pay attention to my spending. I’m at a point that my finances are in order and just needs basic maintenance, so now its time to start working on the weight loss. Hopefully I can gte to the point that I can keep both fully in check and under control!
This post makes me so angry, and JD I have loved and respected most everything that comes through here. Do none of you people realize that the weight loss industry feeds us all this obesity scaremongering BECAUSE they make money off of it? That in effect, the public at mass has created a war against its own constituents, in some instances likening fat people to terrorists and considering them a target that needs to be defeated. Does that ever help larger people to lose weight? No, it only makes them feel shitty about themselves, and it separates people from their money to try and fix it. I can see fat women being less confident in demanding the same wages because they’ve been through a lifetime of humiliation. There are also studies that say being fat provides medical benefit. (all info sources found at link below) Really, we just need to stop policing our bodies. There is no ideal health for all bodies. Only 5% of dieters keep their weight loss off after 5 years. That makes 95% of them failures, and I’d guess there is an enormous portion of the population that are now considered “failures.”
I spent the last year without a car, using my bike as a means of transportation and eating healthy, making green smoothies and guess how much weight I lost? 15 lbs. Does that give anyone the right to make me feel shitty about it? I’ve failed to fulfill my “choice”, as some of you would describe it.
Anyone who is interested in hearing the other side of this completely obnoxious and offensive debate should read any and all of the information gathered here.
http://corpulent.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/new-to-fat-acceptance/
Thank you for saying all of this. You are completely right. This blog has been slowing leaning more and more towards fatphobic ideas for some time now and with this post, I am out.
A person’s health cannot be judged on how they look; should losing weight or remaining thin because one has cancer be seen as healthy? No. Same with fat people – you have no idea what my health is by looking at me and my fat ass, so don’t judge me.
!?!?!?!??!!
I guarantee you that GRS is not fatphobic. To write about obesity research is not to be anti-fat. I don’t give a rat’s ass how skinny or fat you or anyone else is. I’ve been fat, and I know what a struggle it can be. And I know people who are fat not because of choices but because of their biological makeup. Trust me: I don’t judge anyone based on whether they’re big or small. I may judge myself, but I let other people fight their own battles.
I haven’t thought of GRS as fatphobic, but this article certainly spurs fatphobic thought, conversation, and people to come out of the woodworks. Obesity is compared with financial health, which is much easier to fix (JD you’re an EXCELLENT example, as am I), as you’re not fighting years of evolved body mechanics and its not quite a fair correlation. I’m not against getting to a healthy body size and weight, but failure to do so should not lessen anyone as a person and make them feel like a wasteful burden upon others. No one should have to feel like less than because of how much space they take up. Some reasons that things cost more for big people because they’re not given the same respect and consideration as “fit” persons. If you were clothing shopping, and found shirts that charged an extra 2 dollars for every size up beyond xsmall (so a large would be +6), I’d bet that there would be alot of outrage towards retailers, and a lot more self-consciousness about our bodies, which is the wrong message! Corporations can get away with this with fat people because THE PUBLIC HATES FAT PEOPLE. But no one ever thinks about this from a fat person perspective, because they obviously DESERVE to pay more on account of how fat they are and how they obviously shove twinkies in their mouth daily. It’s elitism and ableism at its worst.
I don’t believe this site is intentionally fat-phobic, but this article has certainly allowed the haters to have free rein. As a person who has lost 80 lbs. and is struggling to maintain that loss, it is really disenheartening to see all the ignorant and hateful comments.
I would also like to suggest a website that will give a better idea about the difficulty of losing weight and maintaining weight loss:
http://www.drsharma.ca/
Dr. Sharma specializes in treating people with obesity and has a clear viewpoint on what weight loss and maintenance entails.
No, this doesn’t directly reference personal finance, but in this discussion, I think it may be a helpful viewpoint to assist in removing some of the extreme moral judgement that has been displayed.
also, I’m not saying that we don’t need to be healthier as a nation. We do. I’m just saying that the definition of healthy is different for everybody, and that some of you people are like a mob with pitchforks about obesity. This is not a healthy attitude towards our fellow men, and in fact it hurts a hell of a lot more than it helps.
We should be promoting health for everyone, and stop with this war against fat.
I agree it is a huge problem. I would like to see medical insurance taking the lead in solving it and I do not mean medical procedures. Everywhere you turn, we are marketed to death about food, fast food and snacks. Restaurants provide portions that are enough for 2 people. Fortunately, I am in great health and shape and have been for most of my life. I think in this over consuming nation, we do not need all this help to eat more.
I typed up a big comment about how much I disagree with this post and how disgusted I am that you would post this thing which basically encourages more prejudice against fat people, but I decided to just address two specific issues:
It often costs fat people more for medical services not because they have more problems but because medical professionals are as prejudiced against fat people as the rest of the country and tend to say “lose weight” instead of actually treating what’s really wrong (see http://fathealth.wordpress.com/ for many stories). Because of this, many fat people (especially women) forgo regular checkups entirely and instead are only treated for severe problems at emergency rooms (if they’re treated at all), which is much more expensive. Also, many insurance companies have an arbitrary BMI cutoff that disallows many fat people from having any health insurance at all.
ALSO and most importantly, that so-called study you quoted was “supported by an unrestricted gift from Allergen, Inc” (quoted from the bottom PDF). Allergen is a pharmaceutical company that produces, among other things, the LapBand. There is a MASSIVE CONFLICT OF INTEREST in that study.
I’m deeply disappointed that April wrote this terrible post, and that JD posted it. While I believe that perhaps their intentions were benign, the net message I have gotten from the article and all the comments is one of fat-phobia and fat-shaming. Body size and weight is nothing like personal finance, and comparisons between the two are offensive to everyone.
Based on my BMI, I’m “morbidly obese.” I think a lot of people would be surprised by what qualifies as “morbidly obese” — I can fit in a regular car (and even buckle my seatbelt), walk a couple of miles and climb stairs without getting out of breath, and wear clothes other than mumus. This is not to say that I am proud of my weight or that I don’t wish to be thin every day of my life, but please realize that not everyone who is considered “morbidly obese” is confined to bed and unable to function.
As for the medical costs of obesity: I am still fairly young, so perhaps my weight hasn’t caught up to me yet, but I do not currently have any medical conditions that cost me money. I don’t take any prescription medications. I do not have problems that cause me to seek medical attention.
The most difficult part of being obese is the assumptions that people make based on what I look like. People look at me and assume that I am stupid and lazy, when I am neither. A major cost of being obese is the self-consciousness that I carry with me all the time. It is hard to form relationships when I know the kinds of hostile feelings most people have towards me because I am fat — the kinds of things people have expressed in the comments here. I seek jobs in which I don’t have to be in the spotlight. I don’t know where I would be in my career if this weren’t an issue; maybe I would be an executive by now!
Still, in spite of my obesity, I make pretty good money (low six-figures). I haven’t experienced lower wages than my thinner peers where I work; I have actually been promoted faster than most of my coworkers, and I am at the top of the pay scale at my current job.
I have the best attendance record in my department. I have taken one sick day in the six years I have been with my company.
I have, by far, the highest productivity in my unit. In spite of the fact that people are conditioned to view me as lazy because I’m fat, I am consistently recognized — both by word of mouth and on my performance appraisals — as being the hardest worker around. My job, by the way, is moderately physically demanding and requires a lot of walking and stair-climbing; I am on my feet the majority of the day.
I know people are going to say, “But you’re not the typical fatty! You’re an exception to the rule; all those other fatties really are stupid and lazy.” Well, I can tell you that’s not true. I know plenty of obese people who are brilliant and hard-working (and plenty of thin people who are stupid and/or lazy). Even if the majority of obese people are stupid and lazy, it is detrimental to use that stereotype to make assumptions about all obese people. These stereotypes are probably largely (ha) responsible for the lower wages, in sort of a circular reasoning: fat people are viewed as being worth less than thin people because they make less money, and they make less money because they’re viewed as being worth less than thin people.
Although the article talked about the possible perception of overweight/obese people as stupid or lazy in hiring or promotion decisions, I haven’t seen that viewpoint expressed here in the comments.
I haven’t read all the comments (yet) but I see some of the conversation turn towards regulation.
Our doctor was telling us that Finland started to solve part of the problem (heart disease and cholesterol) by encouraging agri-business to make 2 changes. One change was to feed chickens with better food (increasing Omega-3 in eggs. I actually already buy these)
I forgot the other, but it had to do with grain production.
They didn’t try to educate people, they didn’t try to change habits, they just changed the quality of the food.
The longitudinal study shows that it worked.
I am very disappointed in this story. While I agree that there are medical costs associated with poor health habits, these are not caused by obesity, but rather the health habits. A thin woman who has unhealthy habits is just as likely to have similar complaints as fat woman. We just think that one’s body weight is under direct control, and thus anyone overweight is “bad,” and discriminate thusly.
There are many stigmatized identities that one can have, and all can impact one’s health, not because of the identity itself, but because of the overwhelming bias against stigma that we have within society. We find that “obesity” is easy to pick on because we think that one can change it. But, for example, Black families have a wealth gap of $150,000 compared to White families, yet we would never suggest that one change their race.
Anyone can have any health complaint, but many issues are MORE LIKELY to occur and symptoms can be worse if a person is overweight. For instance, skinny people can suffer from sleep apnea, but people who are larger are more likely to. Anyone can suffer from arthritis, but the first thing experts advise to manage the disease is to lose weight — even as little as ten pounds can significantly reduce pressure on the joints. Excess weight can make GERD worse too simply because of the pressure on the esophagus.
However, skinny doesn’t equal healthy and underweight people have health issues due to their size as well. As there aren’t so many of them — and “thin” seems to be the standard of beauty in many countries — no one makes fun of them.
Er… Make that almost anyone — I likely won’t have to worry about prostate cancer 😉 It’s just that the more I read, the more I see that there are many many people who don’t fit the patterns we think. Non-smokers get lung cancer. People who shun the sun still get skin cancer. Strong swimmers can still drown. You get the idea 😉
If obesity is becoming an epidemic, why doesn’t the medical community take greater strides to prevent the problem instead of being reactive and incur the costs associated with being overweight or obese? As an exercise physiologist I can attest that the medical community does not do enough to prevent this potential health epidemic. The medical community should treat the prevention of overweightness and obesity like it does injuries, with physical therapy. Make it mandatory for exercise physiologists to have a license and have insurance cover the prevention programs. Make the position of exercise physiologist more lucrative to attract the best people. Any insurance costs incurred from the prevention programs will be offset by the decrease in costs for medical attention that the patient would have needed because of being overweight or obese. An exercise physiologist is highly trained in promoting life style changes!
@AmandaLP:
“We just think that one’s body weight is under direct control,”
It is. Stop making excuses. What goes into your mouth is one of the few things that individuals have 100% complete control over. No one can force-feed you into being obese. You did it to yourself.
“Black families have a wealth gap of $150,000 compared to White families, yet we would never suggest that one change their race.”
That’s an outrageously ridiculous comparison. Of course, you cannot choose your race. But you absolutely choose what (and how much) you eat.
The problem is the inability for the general public to admit to their choices, accept their choices, and then do something about those choices when adverse affects are experienced. The general public wants to blame others for their decisions, choices and lifestyle, whether it be marketing, genetics, family history etc.
I was obese from ages 12-26. I am 5′-11″ and weighed approximately 235 pounds. In August of 2009 my wife got the Wii Fit for Christmas. I told my wife iwas going to start with the Wii and make a change, so I did. I gradually decreased my food portions (in half) and increased my daily exercise to about 5-6 days a week. 18 months later I was feeling amazing, weighed 170 pounds and was in the best shape of my life. Now image a conscious effort to remain at this level. In short, I have changed my lifestyle.
As far as genetics are concerned, 3 out of my 4 grandparents were obese, my mother is morbidly obese, my father and sister are obese, and 4 out of 5 of my bloodlines aunts/uncles are obese, so I would imagine I carry the “fat gene” as well.
I believe there are genetic conditions or traits that will increase weight gain in lots of families, but to pretend that you, as an individual, do not have the will or ability to counteract and control your intake, in my opinion, is likely a lack of “really trying.”
Sometimes you can’t just want to change, you actually have to be the change.
So what were you doing all those years before you got the Wii fit? Did you really spend 26 years as part of the general public? Shame, shame, shame… 😛
Seriously, congratulations on your progress, and people can fight obesity, you’re right about that… but as your own life exemplifies, if you don’t get that Wii Fit in your hands (or that book that makes you see things clearly or you get drafted to the army or whatever), you might forever stay in the mass hypnosis that turns sweets for children into “food”.
I get that you’re in “ex-smoker crusader” mode at this time, but can you explain hat happened to you until you were 26 and can you see how that might happen to others?
E.g., I’ve been to supermarkets in rural areas where they have gallon-sized bottles of corn syrup for snow cones but no fresh vegetables anywhere in sight. Good luck growing up in a place like that, ‘Merica.
…”if you don’t get that Wii Fit in your hands (or that book that makes you see things clearly or you get drafted to the army or whatever), you might forever stay in the mass hypnosis that turns sweets for children into “food”.”
Exactly, that was my point. There needs to be some “trigger” or stimulus to encourage or introduce the change; however, to that effect, the person needs to be willing and acceptance of change.
“I get that you’re in “ex-smoker crusader” mode at this time, but can you explain what happened to you until you were 26 and can you see how that might happen to others?”
What happened to me until age 26? I grew up in an obese family, I was still living at home and just finishing college. For me, eating large quantities of unhealthy food was typical, normal, even pleasurable. I was complacent and went along with the flow, but I am aware that I made the choice, I don’t blame my parents for offering great dinners every night or my grandparents for their genes.
I got married at 26, my wife and I moved away and started our own life together, making our own choices. And honestly, the Wii Fit just sparked an idea and provided encouragement by tracking my weight loss. In actuality the Wii Fit did nothing for my fitness, other than serve as the stimulus or trigger.
As far as being a crusader for health or fitness, far from. I have never suggested, inferred, or implied to any person I know how they should or could lose weight over the last 18 months, nor do I ever intend to. This was my decision, and my life choice.
The only reason I even commented was because of the numerous comments regarding genetics, advertising, etc. as mere excuses.
My comment is one directed at people making excuses for their own life decisions, rather than a direct comment towards losing weight. Replace weight/fitness with any other life choice and I would make the same comment.
Which in reality, I think is what ties this post back to the basics of the GRS blog. JD stopped making excuses, took responsibility, adjusted his life choices, and produced more favorable results. Whether that is increasing income, decreasing debt, increasing healthy foods, increasing exercise–in the end, it’s all the same premise.
Yes, you can take charge, definitely, I’m just saying it’s sometimes too easy for us who got out of the swamp to point fingers and say “oh, they are there just because they want to be there.”
The first few years after I quit smoking I was an insufferable self-righteous anti-smoker. I had to, in a way– have to be an extremist to kick such a strong habit. After a few years my passions tempered– now I live and let live (or die, depending), and I’m not so quick to point fingers at smokers. Getting hooked in easy and quitting is hard.
My point is that when you manage to escape it is easy to forget how it was to be trapped. These aren’t excuses– the individual has power, yes, but we are social animals. Culture and environment play a role in what we are. So you change to a new environment where your horizons broaden and you are capable of doing new things– you were lucky. It’s not just about self-determination.
Life is a lot more complex than the individual– Americans don’t like to recognize that, which is why we have such poor public policy in many areas, but obesity is not just an individual problem– it’s a cultural and environmental one.
Just look at the Pimas north and south of the Mexican border– 95% of American Pimas are type 2 diabetic, whereas the Mexican Pimas are about average with the rest of the world. It’s not that the Mexican ones are better individuals with more self-determination. It’s that they live in a different environment with more physical activity and less access to processed foods.
This is not “making excuses”– it’s understanding reality for the complex web of cause and effect it is. If we’re going to make changes, whether individual or social, we have to see things for what they are. “Self-determination” is a useful fiction, just like many myths and legends, but useful only to the point where it ceases to function.
@ El Nerdo — I saw a video lecture on sugar’s affect on the body and one thing that stuck in my mind was the doctor saying that any theory we have about the causes of obesity has to account for obesity in babies and toddlers. His theory was that it was liver toxicity due to sugars in baby formula.
I’m not sure I follow his particular theory — I need to do more research — but I agree that there’s more to the story than saying it’s because people are eating too much and not exercising. I’ve read that stress can alter our hormones (such as increasing our production of cortisol) that affects appetite and how we gain/store weight.
@Elizabeth Not to mention the numerous studies linking sleep deprivation and weight gain.
@Carla — that too! We also gain weight as we age — especially women. I have come to despise the word “menopot”, and don’t even get me started on the media’s obsession with “baby bumps” that make those of us without a flat stomach rather self-conscious 😉
Our environment in the US is a toxic food/health environment and it would be awesome to change that. You can change your immediate environment by moving like Jeff did. Or just eliminating things from your household helps, though we aren’t home that much these days. There are probably fundamental issues underlying the obesity epidemic in the US, maybe sugar or refined carbs or too much stress and too much easy access to bad food, whatever, I’m not saying I know what it is. Here I mean only the obesity cases that are unhealthy due to Type 2 diabetes issues or heart troubles or whatever. I’m not saying everyone defined as obese by BMI is unhealthy, as that is clearly not true. And some people have medical issues for their obesity that they may not have any control over. But the unhealthy obesity epidemic is something we should deal with at some level in our society.
However, if you wait for the government to do something about obesity before you try to do something, then you will probably die waiting. I’m just saying, I think we can all agree, whatever side you are on, that Congress is inept. So, although everyone’s case is different and some people have a harder time than others or are healthy and obese or whatever, people in the US who are obese AND unhealthy because of it should do something about it themselves and not wait for society to change. That’s all I’m saying. Yes, there are lots of things we could change societally to help more people at once (stop subsidizing corn which essentially subsidizes HFCS and instead subsidize fruits and veggies, for example), but waiting for Congress to act is like waiting for Godot.
At 35 I had a BMI of 54, was on 8 prescription medications and seeing Dr’s & specialists regularly for severe GERD, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and the aches & pains of carrying around an extra person of fat, my insurance would cover the conditions I had because I was obese but would NOT cover anything weight loss related to treat the obesity… no nutrition classes, fitness programs, medical/therapeutic assistance. I self paid for weight loss surgery out of the country. It was the best gift I ever gave myself (and it turns out the best gift I ever gave my insurance company) as I am off all 8 medications, all health issues are resolved. I have been maintaining my 158 pound weight loss (through healthy choices and working on the whys of why I got fat) for 5 years and feel awesome. I was able to pay but so many continue to suffer. Obesity must be battled from all avenues education, prevention & treatment.
“So readers, I’ll turn it over to you. Has your weight noticeably affected your expenses or income? If so, share specific examples and costs.”
The biggest cost related to my obesity is clothing. Plus size clothes cost more. I haven’t flown in a couple of years, but the clothes would indirectly cost me more there too. More material = less items fit in suitcases = more checked bags fees (If I’m going somewhere for a longer period of time).
I’m sure, over time, that it’s cost me more in gas than if I weighed 120# but I don’t know if that’s a significant amount of money. I rather doubt that it is.
What it hasn’t cost me: sick days or salary or prescription medication. I’ve called in twice this year … because I wasn’t willing to risk life, injury or my car traveling to work in a blizzard. I received one of the highest raises in my department (according to my manager, take that with a grain of salt). I have yet to be sick this year, aside from the allergies and asthma I’ve had since I was 18 months old. FYI, I wasn’t obese until I was as adult, so no, obesity did not cause my asthma and allergies issue. I was diagnosed with an ulcer when I was about 8 years old, while not obese, so it didn’t cause that either. I had migraines in grade school and middle school – not obese, it didn’t cause that either.
I was, however, diagnosed as diabetic 3 months ago. Not a big surprise to me. I am 5’6″, weight 285 pounds and have a family history of diabetes. I also LOVE sweets and HATE vegetables. I test my blood twice a day and am on no medications. The spike in sugars that precipitated my diagnosis was very sudden (because of my weight, my doctor had been monitoring things for a few years now – always normal across the board) and I wanted time to see if I could get it down again. I cut off pop (mostly) and started sporadic exercise. My sugars aren’t totally normal yet, but they’re getting there. I had my checkup last friday and the doc is still ok with me avoiding medications. I bought a treadmill (I’ve had gym memberships often, but never stuck with them) and I’m trying to get healthier.
I have issues from when I was younger and from now that make getting into better shape difficult, but I can do it through diet and exercise. It’s going to take awhile though. Even though I fit the stereotype of the fat person who just needs to exercise more and eat better/less, I absolutely empathize with those who have other things going on.
It has cost me more in intangible things than in money. And that will continue to be the case as long as people think it’s perfectly normal to mock and denigrate people based on their looks. I have yet to be penalized on salary, but I’ve also been with the same company for 12 years so they know ME and recognize my worth. I am wanting to change jobs and I carry myself very confidently, but sometimes these studies about salary make me nervous that some jacka$$ will try to cheat me based on my fat. And it is cheating me when you make a decision based on my body type rather than my skills (outside of a fitness related job). Anyway, hate these type of articles that encourage the fear mongering instead of taking a more balanced view of things.
Has weight had an effect on my finances? YES! I work for a small doctor’s office that doesn’t provide medical insurance (yeah, ironic!) Blue Cross essentially flipped me the bird when I applied for individual coverage and reported my height & weight.
For those of you with insuranc who are curious about what medical care costs when you get sick, just take your per visit co-pay and multiply it by 20. I got pneumonia and the visit at the doc-in-the-box was over $500! THAT WAS JUST ONE VISIT W/O MEDS!
I’ve dropped 21 pounds, but I’m nowhere near where I need to be to get coverage.
For those of you who need motivation, picture this: a single woman with the typical American debts (car note, student loan, credit cards) who makes $30 K a year having to CASH HER WHOLE PAYCHECK just to take it to the doctor’s office! That should help you drop a pound or two, too!
I am super-thin, BMI of 18. I have lived under the poverty line for most of my adult life. My thinness has NOT gotten me any favors for jobs (and I’ve been told I’m an excellent worker, so my low pay isn’t due to being a slacker).
I am not healthy either, despite eating healthy. I suffer from several conditions, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and the lowered immunity that comes with those (ie… I get sick with the common cold a lot easier than most people).
Meanwhile, my obese friends (some of them morbidly obese) make 6-figure incomes, and are overall healthier than I am.
Yes, this is anecdotal evidence, but then again, that’s what the question asked for at the end of the blog.
Also: Some of the comments from people in this blog were just plain hateful. :/
This is only the beginning of a major problem facing the world. The various governments do not allow enough spending money to educate parents, teachers and children. Also the high street food chains are so big now the governments are not slapping them down there is too much fast food advertising which is driving this epidemic of obesity.
Over the last two to three decades, over nutrition and obesity have been transformed from relatively minor public health issues to a major threat to public health. The aim of this book is to show how serious obesity is and what needs to be done in order to solve the issue. It is important that anyone who is overweight or obese people know about their condition and learn that there is a solution to their weight issues and there are steps that they can take. Laid out in a modular fashion–each concept building on the next–The Menace of Obesity will help those affected to get started.
See http://www.The-Menace-Of—Obesity.com
Thank you
Oliver Greene
Author “The Menace of Obesity”
First of all, I just wanna say that BMI is BS. It’s not an accurate reflection of someone’s actual health. The “obesity epidemic” mostly exists because suddenly folks decided that 25 was the cutoff for “overweight” instead of a higher number. When my BMI was 25.5, I was in amazing shape–I was running, kickboxing, and lifting weights pretty much every day. I was a size 4/6 and weighed 125 pounds. And my doctor still looked at me and said I could stand to lose 10 pounds because my BMI made me “overweight.” aww yeah. (and I’m not alone in this: http://kateharding.net/bmi-illustrated/)
Secondly, nowadays, I’m a fat girl, and I honestly don’t think my life costs me any more. I don’t eat junk. I have a cheap gym membership and I use it. I don’t buy any wacky weight-loss supplements. I don’t have any serious health problems (except insomnia, which I’ve had since I was 9). I’m just fat. That’s it. I have a freakishly slow metabolism (when I weighed 125, I was working out 2 hours a day and eating about 800 calories because that was the only way I could lose weight) and I’m fat. Tada!
I would rather wonder if part of the reason us chubsters have more expensive health costs is because we actually acknowledge our health. I go to the doctor for preventative reasons (blood tests, etc.) a LOT more than my skinny friends do. They just assume they’re healthy because they’re skinny. This is purely anecdata, of course, but I always wonder if people who put these figures together have issues with correlation vs. causation because that’s often a factor.
The only diet you’ll ever need: 100% Raw Vegan to drop weight. Eat as many vegetables and fruits as you can and you’ll still lose weight if you’ve cut out all the more calorically dense foods in your diet. Take your veggies/fruits as homemade juices or smoothies if you need help getting down enough calories to feel sated. You will not be hungry.
Just about any weight goal is attainable within a year on this diet, but most will achieve their goals much faster than that.
Once goal weight is achieved, stabilize on a diet with very low bread/pasta/rice and low animal products (meat, cheese, eggs, milk, etc) and a high proportion of fresh, raw ingredients. It’s okay to eat anything sometimes (I enjoy fish, but don’t tell the vegetarians), however fruits and veg should always be the mainstay. Combine with regular physical activity for best results.
Most people are obese because they eat far too many calories in the form of bread, pasta, refined foods from boxes/packages, oily fried foods, and cheese. People will never get healthy until they decide to eat healthful foods. It’s simple.
I think a number of things need to change in this country. I doubt there is one “magic fix.”
Agriculture policy needs to change. We should stop subsidizing corn so heavily. A ton of what we eat is derived from corn, including soda. High fructose corn syrup is dirt cheap and probably has a lot do with the obesity crisis. One early commenter mentioned that you will never get people to eat healthy when a fast-food meal for three costs so little. Modern agriculture (the production of corn, beef, etc.) is likely a significant contributor.
Personal responsibility and education play a part as well. We need to give people good information, and people need to make good decisions. Our culture needs to change, as well. It needs to be “cool” to eat and drink healthy foods–not Pepsi, Coke, and McDonald’s.
Corporate law should be modified. The shareholder-primacy model is stupid. We need to change the incentives that corporate executives face. Yes, the model does good and has produced a lot of progress, but it causes so many unquantifiable problems. If you think the CEOs of food and beverage corporations are interested in our health, then you are sorely mistaken. They get judged (and their jobs and social status depend on) short-term profits. They will do virtually anything to keep those profits coming. We need to give other stakeholders (employees, the community, etc.) real power in corporate decision-making.
We need to realize that while personal responsibility is important, humans are built to crave sugary and fatty foods. It’s how we’ve evolved. I think some regulation of food would help, mainly the really unhealthy and valueless stuff like soda and fast food.
We need to stop advertising crappy food to children. Food and beverage companies buy their way into schools and try to get our kids hooked on junk food…and it works.
Parents need to take responsibility for their kids’ health. Stop feeding your children junk food. A treat here and there is fine, but fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats need to be the basis of a good diet. If you start them early on this stuff, they will like it. My three-year old still loves black beans, homemade salsa, grapes, apples, salad, and much more because that’s what we’ve fed her from the start and that’s mainly what we keep around the house.
There are many other things, including exercise, that would help, but I’m not writing a book so I’ll stop now.
This is a manufacturered epidemic, which groups people who weigh 190 lbs with people who weigh 400 lbs and calls them the same risk. Ask yourself (as some of these other comments have recommended) who benefits financially if you treat yourself for this “condition.” It is incredible to me that the only major cost listed here is lost income- which costs no one else anything- and yet there are several posts here about how obesity is costing all the thin people money. Add to that the researchers cannot explain why the next major cost- lower income in women- is peculiar to women. No speculations even? How about the many speculations on this site that if we all bought wiis and ate vegetables (which I do to a much greater degree than my much-thinner husband), this “problem” would go away. The cost is clearly a perception issue- women are expected to be thin, and men, well, they just earn money. If you weigh over 300 lbs, yes, it is time to think about that. If you are struggling to get down from 200 to 120, think again. There is NO evidence that you need to. When they break out the weight range to finer steps and still see an effect on heart disease, I will revise this.
After reading through a slew of comments on this article, that have been very interesting! It was interesting to see how so people wanted to argue that this or that or the other study didn’t sound reliable beecause they read another one that disagreed. I hope everybody that looks at any study looks into who is funding the study because whether its about obesity, food quality, medicines or anything else if a manufactorer is paying for the study and not an independent payer the results are really just not that reliable. Thats what makes the FDA so scary. They don’t acutally do any studies in ‘labs’ they go off of the studies that they recieve. Which often time are studies paid for by the maker… you can see how they wouldn’t put any red flags on their own product.
Glen, love what you put out here. I think a lot of us feel bad if we want to make money from our blogs. Luckily for me, I’m getting over that hump and hope to implement a lot of changes to EIP in the next couple of months.
I am surprised they didn’t look at the cost of the food, also! I came across this article because I was looking for articles or photos of shopping carts or pantries of the morbidly obese. The monthly cost of candy, soda, and fast food must be huge.
A lot of people say that unhealthy food is cheaper than healthy food but I just don’t think that’s the case. I pay about $90 a week to feed myself and my boyfriend (in Australia which is notoriously expensive). We used to drink lots of soda and buy junk food regularly and go out for fast food and ice cream. We had to cut that all down to reduce our debt. It has definately been cheaper for us to prepare simple healthy meals. And its not very time consuming. Tonight I made lemon pasta and scallops and it only took about 20 minutes.