BTS.talk: The War on Fat

PODcast: The War on Fat
Yarcofin talks about the obesity pandemic.

length: 03:54
file: btstpod_1571.mp3
size: 1834k
feed: btst
status: live (at time of posting)

*Lower quality to reduce filesize

[edit on 25-3-2006 by Yarcofin]

Mods:

Can someone please move this to ATS:F (Fragile Earth & Health), actually? I didn't realize that it fit into an ATS section.

PODcast: The War on Fat (reply 1)
Bh makes some observations on personal risk and privacy.

length: 06:27
file: btstpod_1574.mp3
size: 3027k
feed:
status: live (at time of posting)

BH I get what you're saying. It's their life and their choices, but I just feel there are some things that are obviously not good. Who wants to shorten their lives? What is the difference between knowingly slowly killing yourself with food over an extended period, or killing yourself in an instant with suicide. I think the two are pretty close, although maybe people don't conciously think about it like that.

The following things you listed would result in a fine/jail time, so in a way there are already things in place to prevent it:

*Drinking and driving
*Not wearing seatbelts
*Speeding
*Doing drugs

These things are all accepted by society as being wrong to do, and if you engage in this kind of behaviour, you pay the price.

I think what it comes down to is that they aren't just hurting themselves, they are hurting others around them. Just like you have a choice to drink and drive doesn't mean that it's the responsible thing to do. And you could hit somebody head-on and kill them, just as easily as you could kill yourself. If you have kids in the car, you could kill them too. And when I see overweight parents overfeeding their overweight kids, it makes me sick, I have to be honest. It's just so incredibly sad to me. I'm sorry if you don't agree.

I think skydiving is a stupid thing to do too, and I personally wouldn't engage in it. Just like I wouldn't engage in most/all of the other life-shortening things you listed. I want to live as long as I can, and anything that I can do or not do to add to my time here on this Earth, I will do. If other people want to die, that's not my problem. At least skydivers get an adrenaline rush and enjoy what they are doing. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't feel you could find a single person that would say they are glad they are fat. Maybe they enjoy eating and need food to comfort them, but they aren't getting an adrenaline rush on being fat.

It's about quality of life. I know people do these things. But I just don't undertstand why anyone would engage in anything that would jeopardize their life. There are a lot of good and exciting things to do out there that don't carry the emminent risk of death. Maybe I'm just too 'straight edge'.

And in my opinion, there is no comparison between someone drinking and driving, and someone in the military. I'll admit that wars are a HUGE waste of money and could feed lots of hungry people, but I still think that it's a noble thing to do. Many of those people have no other job options, either.

As for the insurance perspective, insurance companies go on statistics alone. Just because I'm a guy doesn't mean I will be a dangerous driver, but statistically males my age get in more accidents, so I have to pay the price for it. Unfortunately in your case, it was something you couldn't change either. But I am talking about something that people CAN change, if they put their minds to it. Nobody is genetically predestined to be obese (except for disease-caused), because it's just a design that wouldn't survive in nature. I am talking about something that statistically WILL improve their lives, if they choose to do it.

Exercise and a healthy weight can also lessen depression, and help self-esteem. On a whole, being healthy just makes you FEEL better. Who doesn't want to feel better about themselves?

I just wish we didn't live in a world where people make counter-productive choices.
I'm all about efficiency.

Thanks for making me feel bad about it though =).



[edit on 25-3-2006 by Yarcofin]

PODcast: The War on Fat (reply 2)
BH responds to Yarcofin's post.

length: 05:59
file: btstpod_1577.mp3
size: 2806k
feed:
status: live (at time of posting)

Originally posted by Yarcofin
Mods:

Can someone please move this to ATS:F (Fragile Earth & Health), actually? I didn't realize that it fit into an ATS section.

I'm a mod in Podcast land, but I have no idea how to move podcasts within the forum. I click on move podcast and the only destination available is, "Member podcasts".

I think someone higher up the food chain will have to take care of this one.

Edit to add: I can move it to the trash bin and you can re-upload the cast to the section you want it in. U2U me if thats what you'd like to do. You're going to lose the replies you already have though so its something to think about.

[edit on 25-3-2006 by mrwupy]

MrWupy, just leave it I guess. Too much work now that BH has uploaded two replies .

Sorry I'm not responding with podcasts. I'm really tired and cold and my voice will sound terrible .

Maybe my problem is unlike all the different people/situations you talk about, I am afraid of dying. I like my life very structured and I like to play it safe. I like to be in control. And death is one of the few things that I can't control. I guess being too tense/playing it too safe could be just as big of a problem as living life ridiculously on the edge.

I know that what we are talking about are life choices. Part of me sort of accepts it a bit now that you explained your point, but part of me is never going to be able to agree. People who are addicted to gambling can get help. People who are addicted to alcohol can get help. People who are overweight can get help too. How come people hold interventions for drugs/alcohol all the time, but you hardly ever (in fact I've never heard of) people holding interventions for people who overeat?

I think that these are all things that people can do without. The world is a big amazing place. You can have a whole lot of fun without sitting at the bar, or at the casino, or at the kitchen table all your life.

Yes eating is awesome. Yeah gambling is fun. Yes drinking can be fun too, or even healthy in moderation. But when people start to do stuff too much, they become obsessed and addicted, and that's when it becomes a problem. No matter WHAT you do, ANYTHING can be bad for you if you do it too much. Water and Vitamin C are good for you, but if you take too much, it'll kill you. Just like lots of other things in the world. I think that is what we are talking about here. Why do people have to do ANYTHING in such an excess that it hurts themself?

PODcast: The War on Fat (reply 3)
Addiction and other control issues.

length: 03:30
file: btstpod_1581.mp3
size: 1643k
feed:
status: live (at time of posting)

Originally posted by Yarcofin
Nobody is genetically predestined to be obese (except for disease-caused), because it's just a design that wouldn't survive in nature.

You arent going to tell me after all the time man has lived with starvation during the winter months ( most of our existance) we didnt have some people living in the worst areas not be able to put on weight easier through evolution? There are people that are made to handle calories to survive lean times by putting most of what they eat into storage, these people survived the harsh climates. They easily put on the pounds for the winter, but now those same people dont have lean times. So it becomes more than just a little struggle to keep the pounds off, for some I bet its nearly impossible for them to lose weight, so they get more depressed and the cycle gets worst.

You talked about efficiency, well those fat storing obese ones are actually burning fuel very efficiently because they strore most as fat. Sure there are some that are just overeaters that dont exersize, but quite a few cannot help it. You never meant any of those really skinny people that eat like a horse and dont exersize? Well those folks woudnt have made it in the harsh winter months of yesterday because they do not burn calories efficiently. Science needs to come up with something for people so they do not suffer being outcast fat people recieving dirty looks because people like you dont understand that most of them its not their fault!

[edit on 1-4-2006 by LoneGunMan]