Unhealthy Excess Fat Is Worth $1,298.
Oh Fat Ones!
A few comments and a challenge.
Be aware that a move is afoot to tax soda pop as a primary reason
this nation is top heavy with obese folks causing increased Health
Care costs. The idea is that the extra 12-cent or so tax will cut
down on the fatty folks buying soda thus we would lose weight and
need less medical care.
It is strange the authorities do not look elsewhere to find better high calorie items to increase tax. Perhaps they could take a hard look toward chocolate covered donuts, Prednisone, Big Macs, a Frosty, French fries, Sara Lee pastries, Colonel Sanders chicken, ChezeIts, Butterfingers, Almond Roca, Hershey bars and other high calorie waist expanders rather than look toward soda pop as the blimp builder.
Drug addicts can hide their addiction, drunks too.
The public, until caught, does not see the human predator. Most
people can hide addiction or criminal ways from public view until
caught.
Not so, the fatties of the world. They have no place to hide. The
fat of the obese is up, down, front, back, and everywhere.
The public judgment is there, as well. A recent study according to two Mayo clinic nutritionists, Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D. showed the evidence of obesity stigma.
The “July 2008 “International Journal of Obesity” …study
developed a tool that could be used to measure bias, and to also
rank biases from being a strong bias relative to others that are
weaker. The three targets of bias that were chosen to measure and
compare were: obesity, homosexuality, and Muslims. …The authors
chose these three because each are widely known minority groups —
…, they are documented targets of discrimination.
…
What emerged was that that there was strongest prejudice against
obesity, followed next by bias against homosexuals, and then
against Muslims. (If you wish to see the statistical details and
strengths of the rankings you may access the using the link
below.)
Laws and other protective policies have been put into place over the years to discourage — even punish — discrimination against race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. It is pointed out that there is widespread documented evidence of weight bias in employment, educational, interpersonal — and yes — in medical settings. However unlike these other targets, no laws or protective policies are in place to discourage or punish bias against obesity.
The study concludes that weight bias is significantly stronger
than bias against homosexuals and Muslims. It also concludes that
much more research is needed in the area of prejudice and its
causes and solutions.
For now, at the least, don’t you think social advocacy is needed to
decrease the disproportionate attitude — and acceptance — of bias
toward obese individuals? The authors — and I — applaud the efforts
and progress made in protecting other minority groups against
prejudice and discrimination. And, I also agree with the authors
that “it is unacceptable that the obesity stigma is still so
pervasive, strong and under recognized.”
It is time to prove – again – that most patients, if educated to
what may well be their medical future if they do not change
personal habits WILL make the changes needed to avoid future
medical conditions.
After smoking forty years, I quit and discovered the true meaning
of addiction and a gut-wrenching craving to smoke.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/comments/MY00586_comments#post
Losing the excess pounds will not change the lung diseases or add a lubricant between the bones of my left hip…but it will make a difference for one or more of the other medical conditions.
I am committing here publically to begin the Dash Diet http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf on Thursday, September 24, 2009.
Women100 pounds or more overweight are welcome to join in the weight loss quest to the healthiest we can be through good nutrition, fewer calories and exercise.
I will meet with anyone interested, weekly or whatever works to make the goal for better health AND for the challenge that the first of us to lose the 100 pounds and keep it off for six months will win $1,295.
We can work out the details.
The beginning is Thursday, 24 September 2009. My plan is the Dash Diet but yours can be anything your doctor approves. Let me know…and change our health lives. It is time to take those lemons and make lemonade.
Can I do it this time? I bet I can.
http://www.wiredprnews.com/2009/09/14/obesity-a-focus-of-health-care-reform_200909145726.html
More later… Sharon O’Hara
First, taxing soda seems silly. ANY drink can potentially have lots of calories packed in it. The average latte has lots of calories. Do we tax that more too? And what about calorie free soda? Will the cashier have to quiz you as to whether you filled up with high-sugar regular soda or low/no-calorie diet soda? I drink the equivalent of a couple of big gulps a day. It is ALWAYS diet.
Second, I have been on a diet for the past 7 weeks. Have lost 16 pounds so far. Goal is losing 80 pounds by the end of May. I’ve dieted before, but could never stay on a program. So, I decided to make this reallly simple. I did the math said that if I don’t change anything else in what I’m doing, I could limit myself to 2000 calories per day and meet my goal weight by May.
That is all I am doing and it is working. I log everything in my iPhone with an application called “Lose-It”. (www.loseit.com) Yes, there have been 3 or 4 days in the past 7 weeks where I’ve thrown caution to the wind somewhat and splurged. Yesterday was one of those days. We had dinner at Stanley and Seaforts for a family celebration. I was good and had the steak salad, but it still put me over a little (it was worth it). And I only had a very small taste of my daughter’s birthday creme-broulais (Mmmmmm tasty!) and otherwise skipped dessert. Habits are changing.
The answer to solving the health care crisis is not taxing “food sins”. It is promoting healthy living, helping people build healthy habits.
An extra 12 cents for my soda (even though it is ZERO calories) isn’t a solution. It is a funding mechanism.
Btw, one final note. A few years ago I quit drinking soda entirely for 5 months. It was a bit of a dare and I took on the challenge. I gained 10 pounds because instead of drinking diet soda, I started drinking juice and milk more. Packed on a LOT of additional calories.
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
Congratulations Sharon for stepping up to the plate to reduce your weight! I’d like to provide you a little inspiration to help you with your journey to find the skinnier you.
I’ll start by telling my story. I chose to take charge of my Unhealthy Excess Fat about a year and a half ago when a friend of mine told me about a program I hadn’t heard of before. Curiosity got the best of me and I found myself researching this program inside and out. Everything I found and every clinical study I read told me that this was something I needed to try, even though I wasn’t looking for a weight loss program at that time. About a week later, I began a journey that I had no idea I would lead me to where I’m at today.
Keep in mind that I “thought” I was a happy, 55 year old, fat person, weighing in at 289 pounds on a 5’4” female frame. I didn’t have any medical problems, but why, I’m not sure. Lucky, I guess.
To date I have lost 125 pounds and I couldn’t be more pleased with myself! Best of all, I’m no longer following a path of disease. I’m at a healthy body mass index (BMI) and I couldn’t be happier! It’s like a gift from heaven and now it’s my turn to share.
As you travel your weight loss journey using the Dash Diet, I’ll be rooting for you, Sharon. Keep your head high and throw any negative thoughts out the window. Before long you’ll be able to tell your winning story, just like I do.
A critical care physician recently said it best, and I quote: “From big money medicine, to pharmaceutical companies’ careless attitude of profits over people, to the food industry’s irresponsible greed, the not-to-be-trusted self-indulgence of dangerous fad diets, and health gurus more interested in best sellers than in what truly is best, you and I have literally been fed deceptive practices, hidden agendas, and outright lies, all in our lives.”
Taxing sugared pop as not the answer. Education and proper guidance is the correct path we need to embrace. It’s sad to note that our children will have a shorter life span because of obese related diseases. Americans are eating themselves to death, and we need to realize that it is not our fault!
If any of Sharon’s readers you like to take her up on her challenge, and would like more information on the program that worked for me, please send me an email: amethystlady@juno.com.
Great story, Denise, thank you!
Sharon O’Hara
Right on, Kathryn….you and Denise made great comments…please note a warning for us on the Swine Flu… I’ll post it tomorrow.
Kathryn, the best exercise for the overly tubby is water…and my plan for five days a week is water exercise… maybe six days/week.
Too bad you only need to lose another eighty pounds … 🙂
Sharon O’Hara