Am I the only one that noticed all the fat people?

Genetics may be a risk factor but are not simply inherited, overall it is the environmental elements that lead to obesity. My mother is her proper clinical wieght, as my father, my sister is overweight, I dont really apply because I am an avid bodybuilder. Wheres the genetics there? I have also recently trained 2 brothers, 1 obese, the other skinny, both could now enter competition and do very well. All about your environment.

Hey, people like to enjoy life. Stll though, it's really really inconveniant in crises like this. Still though, you can't say they did it on purpose.

Originally posted by Vass
Genetics may be a risk factor but are not simply inherited, overall it is the environmental elements that lead to obesity.

I'm not sure genetic factors can be discounted yet.

Fat gene?

More linkage

Having said that, all a genetic oddity will do is make you more likely to develop something, at least in this case. Predisposition, really, so that does mean there's an environmental causation too; I'd also think that genetic and/or medical anomalies count for a relatively small percentage of obese people.

Still, they are valid considerations. Sometimes it's just not as easy as eating less and moving more.

I have to side with the thread starter. I too noticed the obesity. Some may be genetics and some is just plain laziness. I work out, ride mtb, ski, backpack/hiking etc. Why? Because I care about my health and what I'm able to do. Most of you say so what but in reality you do see the problem but worry that others will get on you. It's a big problem that is growing literally. But hey gain all the weight you want and have a happy not too long lasting life.

Originally posted by Vass
Genetics may be a risk factor but are not simply inherited,

Mayet's first post throws that idea out the door.

This scenario is not indicitive of jut N.O., as seems the trend of this thread has taken, in spite of the OP's comment of Way too many Americans are obese. Were this to happen in any city in the states, you would see the same overall picture in the media you view, be it N.Y. (hell, you don't recall the size of many of the cops during the media cliips of 911), S.F., Dallas, my city, any city.

I have yet to receive an answer about the plight of rescue concerning these larger people .......... so they are on the ground, in need of rescue, they strain a rescue effort - I want to know, if this lean towards taxing rescue efforts is the concern - what, CatHerder, is the alternative per the scenario at hand?

Misfit

water usage African : 50L of water a day
water usage European : 150L a day
water usage American : 700L a day

I think we can safely say that shows the trend of consumerism in America.
I say let them starve for a while, maybe someone will learn a lesson. But it's highly unlikely and those who are able to change the situation probably care even less then me.

As to the rescue of these 'larger' people.....they are no less deserving of rescue than the others. Since a percentage of the population will be heavier, so must a percentage of rescues......it follows that the 'rescue industry' should provide or change some sizes of their lift baskets or gurnies.

The nursing home industry and others who regularly deal with geriatric people usually have taken this into account. Many of their clients have become sedentary, not simply because they are lazy, but as a result of arthritis or broken bones, or other aliments that accompany aging. There exists a range of larger wheelchairs, lifts, bath room equipment, etc with the larger patients in mind. So as the population ages, the rescue industry should also prepare to cope. Surely, a large number of their recues already include such people.

Another thing that should be taken into account.....many of these people that we are seeing, were laborers in unglamorous occupations. Long hours standing on hard floors will not do much to burn calories, but will tire feet and legs, lessening the likelyhood that one would exersise and increasing the long term damage to joints.....again leading to a more sedentary life, just as the metabolism slows. It becomes a viscious cycle.

Originally posted by Shroomery
water usage African : 50L of water a day
water usage European : 150L a day
water usage American : 700L a day

I think we can safely say that shows the trend of consumerism in America.
I say let them starve for a while, maybe someone will learn a lesson. But it's highly unlikely and those who are able to change the situation probably care even less then me.

You are taking the overall quantity per country and comparing it to personal usage. That does not work. Not to mention, you are comparing the usage of Europe in whole, to that of America. Break it to country per country and you will have quite different results - that being, the larger countries having usage more comperable to America. How many industries are in Africa? How many industries are in Europe that use massive amounts of water for their processes to produce commercial goods that end up in YOUR STORES, your cars, your homes? You are, effectively, bitchin' about something YOU BUY! Take the industry water usage out of the numbers, and you have a number that you can not bitch about, after all, these people that are in need of water, do not use the quantity of water that a chemicle plant does. Don't bend numbers to suite your desired outcome.

Ya, I use 700L of water every day.

Let them starve? That has GOT to be the most blatant vocalization of of disgust for another human I have ever heard. What if a cotrastophe of this stature happened to YOU? Should we let you and your family starve, as you put it, because of your entire countries overall usage of goods?

Misfit

[edit on 3-9-2005 by Misfit]

Originally posted by Shroomery
water usage African : 50L of water a day
water usage European : 150L a day
water usage American : 700L a day

I think we can safely say that shows the trend of consumerism in America.
I say let them starve for a while, maybe someone will learn a lesson. But it's highly unlikely and those who are able to change the situation probably care even less then me.

But you "cared" enough to troll in this thread!......so I'll bite

Those water usage figures probably include people who water huge palatial lawns, and have grand swimming pools.....(thats ok, they help pay for the water system that provides for the rest of us as well.)

But, surely you can realize that these people, the ones in the most need now, are not actually those who consumed the most before!

While we all could be better stewards of our resources, starving these people will not 'teach' much to those who need the lesson.

And ditto what Misfit said!!

[edit on 3-9-2005 by frayed1]

I am proud to say that I didn't once notice the fat people! I simply saw people in desperate need.

I think this thread is appalling. What about the sick people? They have those pesky wheelchairs and oxygen tanks! They're going to be a drain on the rescue efforts.

Did you notice all the fat people?
Did you notice all the fat, black people?
Did you notice all the fat, black, poor people?
Did you notice all the fat, black, poor, ugly people?

I'm totally disheartened that people A) noticed the fat people, B) thought it prudent to make a thread about it, C) imply that somehow they're less worthy of rescue and D) Make statements about starvation as regards fat people. It makes me sick!

... and hurts my heart.

[edit on 3-9-2005 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I am proud to say that I didn't once notice the fat people! I simply saw people in desperate need.

I think this thread is appalling. What about the sick people? They have those pesky wheelchairs and oxygen tanks! They're going to be a drain on the rescue efforts.

I'm totally disheartened that people A) noticed the fat people, B) thought it prudent to make a thread about it, C) imply that somehow they're less worthy of rescue and D) Make statements about starvation as regards fat people. It makes me sick!

... and hurts my heart.

You have to admit though, that those who ARE fat due to their own causes, fat enough to take up two peoples spaces, ARE HAMPERING rescue efforts due to the fact that they've spent their lives saying "Who am I harming by eating crap and getting obese?". you CANNOT deny that in a desperate situation, when as many people need to be evacuated as soon as they can, OBese people who got obese through "Who gives a damn, eat some more fried chicken", should be ashamed.

Originally posted by chebob
You have to admit though, that those who ARE fat due to their own causes

You didn't actually read the posts in this thread did you.

You might want to go back a few, specifically, Mayet's post. That will dispell your "it's your own fault" notion.

I fought Lithium Intoxication for 7 weeks. During that time, I was only able to eat 'maybe' a slice of bread every couple days. I lost no weight, zero. My dad, on the other hand, can gorge himself with food all day every day, and has not gained or lost one ounce in all his 82 years - this includes, when he was active and working, against now, in a chair. My point being, it's not just about how much of what food one eats, its about metabolism.

You know what, this thread AND all of its blatant juvenile 'your fat' posters is quite loathsome .......... outta here.

Misfit

[edit = final sentence]

[edit on 3-9-2005 by Misfit]

Originally posted by Shroomery
water usage African : 50L of water a day
water usage European : 150L a day
water usage American : 700L a day

This just shows that Africans are extremely thirsty, and probablly don't have enough water for every day survival.

Europeans are probablly priced out of using as much water as they should.

Americans have enough water, and actually enjoy it.

You can't tell me Europe has no swimming pools, no car washes, no lawns to water. Besides which each of these economies and life styles are vastly different whether that particular life style is choosen or not.

Not all americans choose the lifestyle they live in. I will admit that this is a nation where food sits on the shelves while people starve in the streets. That is shameful.

I noticed that about many of the Emergency Medical Teams and Police...at least 3 to 4 out of 5 of them were really over weight.

I was about 30lbs over weight 4 months ago and took up the South Beach diet. It's not a no carb or even low carb diet but a "right" carb diet and how to mix the right amount of fats carbs and protein together for maximum metabolic enhancement. It works and Im no longer hunrgy nor am I sluggish with no energy.

With exercise and weight training I should have my 6 pack abs back by Summer 2006

Yawn.

It seems that there' two factions, just like every other subject. One group believes having a terrible diet (for whatever reason) and not exercising may make you obese, and another who thinks that being obese is unnavoidable in every case, you are either born to be fit or fat. This is bull#. Of course there are those who are 2 or 3 stone too heavy because thats how their metabolism works, there are also those who are too heavy by about 10 stone because they "just wanna be comfortable" eating a supersized big mac while watching the TV every night. It is the latter who pose the problem, you cannot possibly say that there are not obese people who are obese as a result of their lifestyle choice. They made that choice, and now they are obese, without genetics ever having entered the equation. I'm in no position to differ between self causing and genetic obesity, not without studying the person in question. That matters not, those who have dedicated their lives to "It's my life, I'll eat as much crap as I wasnt" lifestyles have only themselves to blame. Thats not "Your fat" juvenile material, it's #ing common sense.

Originally posted by Valhall
I believe heartless dickhead would be what I would choose.

Yup. A heartless dickhead who took 1/2 of his RRSP savings (I think it's similar to your 401K), cashed it, and sent it to help those in the south. In essence, I not only donated $x dollars but I had to pay 10% tax up-front (and will again at the end of this tax year) to donate it to an out-of-country "charity", would you do the same? I highly doubt it.

Heartless dickhead who not only helps with his pocketbook, but also has the balls to post what is a real observation. Keep right on sitting on your ass in your comfy home, munching on comfort foods, and talk about others while you do sweet # all to help.

Oh the irony!

[edit on 3-9-2005 by CatHerder]

I hope you had the forethought to earmark it for skinny people. That way you can help like 7 instead of just 1 fat one.

It's probably not too late to get that done.

Originally posted by Valhall
I hope you had the forethought to earmark it for skinny people. That way you can help like 7 instead of just 1 fat one.

It's probably not too late to get that done.

That's one of the strangest things I've heard you say, I guess you hate all "skinny people" or something? I don't hate anyone, I don't see somebody that is overweight as any less of a human being than I am. I just wish people would clue in that they're killing themselves with their eating habits, and during times of strife they're hurting others indirectly and directly because of their weight.

If you happen to be overweight Val, that's fine by me, I truely don't have a lesser opinion of you in any way shape or form. But I really do care about your health and hope you'd take steps to change your eating habits (healthy food doesn't have to be tasteless food) to improve your health and reduce your weight. (I'll just ignore your acidic comments and assume they're just an emotional response.)

OK guys, let's tone it down, it's beginning to get out of hand.

Originally posted by Misfit
I have yet to receive an answer about the plight of rescue concerning these larger people .......... so they are on the ground, in need of rescue, they strain a rescue effort - I want to know, if this lean towards taxing rescue efforts is the concern - what, CatHerder, is the alternative per the scenario at hand?

There is no alternative. It doesn't matter who you are, what you look like, where you work, what your sexual preference is, or how much you weigh -- when it comes to a rescue you are all of equal value to any SAR professional. A life is a life is a life. The problem (as I said from the beginning) is logistics -- if a resuce worker is faced with a situation where one individual would reduce the number of total rescued they will have to choose to leave that individual behind or risk the success of the rescue operation. I think that's an unfair decision to have to force another person to make.

Yes, I realise there are medically obese people and there probably will always be (without genetic manipulation of the human species). But I also realise that 90% of the obese people in the US and Canada today are obese because of their eating habits and their inactive lifestyle and not at all to do with a medical reason or genetics.