Costco Aetna Health Insurance now available in CA

[CA renter]

I’ve seen it with my own eyes in my own family. I’ve known what all of these people eat and what they do on a daily basis. We have an endomorphic line and a more mesomorphic/ectomorphic line. There is NO QUESTION that there are far more important factors than diet and exercise.

And chemicals and hormones don’t cause food addictions that I know of; they affect how the body holds onto calories.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/is-your-medicine-cabinet-making-you-fat

It’s easy to be judgmental when you’re the one with a fast metabolism and a naturally high energy level; not so easy for those whose bodies store all of their calories as opposed to converting them to kinetic energy right away.

You know those studies showing that people who bounce their legs and squirm around a lot tend to be lighter? They’re not lighter because they move around; they move around because their bodies *automatically* convert the calories to kinetic energy…they can’t keep themselves from moving. OTOH, there are others who have to intentionally focus on making every movement, with every limb feeling exceptionally heavy and every movement requiring exhausting, deliberate action (those who some ignorant types might call “lazy”). This isn’t because some people are choosing to be “lazy,” their bodies are trying to store those calories, instead of burning them off!

[no_such_reality]

I was wondering about this the other day as to what is causes the proliferation of ‘medical’ weight loss centers in the lower economic area near me.

They’re popping up like yogurt shops a couple years ago.

Is it just the trendy fad weight solution. Or did ACA change the coverage rules for it or add enough people to coverage that previously weren’t covered that there is a whole new market to exploit?

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=no_such_reality]I was wondering about this the other day as to what is causes the proliferation of ‘medical’ weight loss centers in the lower economic area near me.

They’re popping up like yogurt shops a couple years ago.

Is it just the trendy fad weight solution. Or did ACA change the coverage rules for it or add enough people to coverage that previously weren’t covered that there is a whole new market to exploit?[/quote]

no. many of these clinics are dealing legal speed. adults are also getting legal speed by getting diagnosed with ADD. SPEED. amphetamines. just like when it was legal back in the 60s! these are like med. marijuana clinics, but for SPEED. CRANK.

it’s crazy…

great book on the history of speed ive only thumbed thru, but really want to dig into:

ON SPEED, by rasmussen.

a history of amphetamines in america.

this country LOVES speed and it will never go away. We are a manic depressed overweight country that will always have a deep craving for a pep pill.

I’m not sure amphetamines are so bad. Unpleasant, for normal people I think. But for the beat down sluggish tired sad folk? MAYBE it’s good

[joec]

Having never been overweight, I’ve always been one to look down on obese/fat people as simply choosing to live that way…

I agree that everybody is different, but I still think that if they went to extreme lengths to get healthy like run marathons/ironmans, etc…it’s generally impossible to not be thin (or thinner). Like have you EVER saw a fat marathon runner?

The whole sedentary lifestyle and snacks, fast food is a bigger cause of the problem than body type and metabolism and I agree that people should “own up” and if they really wanted to, can lose the weight.

I know being over 40, my body is already not as fit as I used to be, but my diet, lack of exercise, snacks (they are all over the house, etc)…is also a cause so I think for most folks, if it’s a big enough deal, we can fix it if we wanted to…Most people don’t care enough.

It’s just a lot of work and for most of us, , enjoying life is more fun than watching what I eat, doing exercise, etc…

We gotta die sometime anyways.

[CA renter]

I used to be able to eat tons of total crap food without gaining a single pound, so also thought that all of those overweight people were really sneaking a pint of ice cream or something every night. Over the years, my eyes have been opened to the difficulties some people experience regarding their weight.

And with all due respect, asking people to run marathons or work out for 2+ hours/day is totally unrealistic. It’s this sort of mentality that causes overweight people to give up completely.

One more thing to keep in mind is that being underweight or normal weight does NOT mean that a person is fit or healthy. I’ve known quite a few overweight people who could easily outperform most skinny/normal weight people in almost any physically demanding task.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=CA renter] There is NO QUESTION that there are far more important factors than diet and exercise. [/quote]

What can be more important than what you ingest?

unused calories ingested in what causes weight gain, period.

Everybody is different…. so why should people with different metabolisms eat the same diet? it’s obvious the low metabolism person who stores more calorie should less calorie dense foods.

The tools are available for people do gather the data on exactly what they eat. They can then use that data to adjust their diets to their own circumstances.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=CA renter] I’ve known quite a few overweight people who could easily outperform most skinny/normal weight people in almost any physically demanding task.[/quote]

Yes, they can perform some task like lift weights for 1 hour, or maybe beat me up to a pulp. But can they ski up and down the slopes all day, several days in a row?

For health and longevity, it’s not strength for a short period that matters. It’s the long haul over 100 years of life.

[quote=CA renter]
And with all due respect, asking people to run marathons or work out for 2+ hours/day is totally unrealistic. [/quote]

Yes. But it is unrealistic to ask them to eat a different diet. Forget culture, taste and tradition and think of food as science — logically adjust intake of various foods to calorie needs and metabolism.

[quote=CA renter]
It’s this sort of mentality that causes overweight people to give up completely.
[/quote]

Is that because they think that’s one way of getting back at their critics? They are only hurting themselves?

[scaredyclassic]

2 hours of movement a day is reasonable.

In facts it’s weird to think of not kind of moving for that period every day. Sign of bad deal in society.

[njtosd]

[quote=CA renter]I’ve seen it with my own eyes in my own family. I’ve known what all of these people eat and what they do on a daily basis. We have an endomorphic line and a more mesomorphic/ectomorphic line. There is NO QUESTION that there are far more important factors than diet and exercise.

And chemicals and hormones don’t cause food addictions that I know of; they affect how the body holds onto calories.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/is-your-medicine-cabinet-making-you-fat

It’s easy to be judgmental when you’re the one with a fast metabolism and a naturally high energy level; not so easy for those whose bodies store all of their calories as opposed to converting them to kinetic energy right away.

You know those studies showing that people who bounce their legs and squirm around a lot tend to be lighter? They’re not lighter because they move around; they move around because their bodies *automatically* convert the calories to kinetic energy…they can’t keep themselves from moving. OTOH, there are others who have to intentionally focus on making every movement, with every limb feeling exceptionally heavy and every movement requiring exhausting, deliberate action (those who some ignorant types might call “lazy”). This isn’t because some people are choosing to be “lazy,” their bodies are trying to store those calories, instead of burning them off![/quote]

It’s hard to tease out causation in this issue. However, I think an interesting and tragic case proves that brain anatomy, and by extension, brain signaling is involved. Girl who was previously thin and adorable had a small benign brain tumor removed. Apparently hypothalamus was injured. During the next two years she gained 151 lbs – metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, diabetes, etc. theoretically she is on a strict exercise routine and diet. I’ve got to believe that’s true because I’m sure the parents were desperate. Assuming facts are as stated, it is clearly not a matter of calories. And even if her choices have changed, it is brain driven. Interestingly, gastric bypass is helping, thank heavens.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2640563/Texas-girl-metabolic-disorder-lost-33lbs-gastric-surgery.html

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=njtosd]. theoretically she is on a strict exercise routine and diet. I’ve got to believe that’s true because I’m sure the parents were desperate. Assuming facts are as stated, it is clearly not a matter of calories. And even if her choices have changed, it is brain driven. Interestingly, gastric bypass is helping, thank heavens.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2640563/Texas-girl-metabolic-disorder-lost-33lbs-gastric-surgery.html
[/quote]

1 pound = 3,500 extra calories. 151 pounds = 528,500 extra calories in 2 years!

there is no way the girl would have gained the weight if the parents didn’t feed her the calories.

Let’s assume the girl’s body needed 1000 calories per day to function. She was gaining .41 pound per day so that means the then 10 year-old was eating 1,448 extra calories per day for a total daily intake of 2,448 calories!

I don’t discount the brain issues that causes cravings and a feeling of hunger… the girl was probably ravenous and wanted to eat all time.

after surgery, the brain is still the same but gastric bypass has reduced the volume of the stomach resulting in less eating and weight loss.

this girl could use a switch from a traditional American diet to food that is high volume but low in calorie

maybe some kids suffer from hypothalamic obesity. But how do you account for 2/3 (not sure exact figure) of adults who gain 3 to 10 pounds per year, every year, resulting in obesity by middle age.

maybe there are brain and chemical issues that induce over eating and addiction to food. But are addicts all entitled to be satiated?

Other factors induce overeating but they don’t cause obesity. we forget that obesity can only be caused by overeating.

[bearishgurl]

I understand about the possible brain injury of the 10-year old girl here but totally agree with what FlyerInHi (brian) has been trying to say in this thread.

Overweight is caused by taking in more calories than expended, plain and simple. I have always subscribed to viewing food as something one needed to survive and not as “pleasure inducement.” Having had several relatives (immed family and second-tier) who WEREN’T obese but nonetheless succumbed to heart failure at relatively young ages due to severe atherosclerosis, I have always been very mindful of what I eat since I have been on my own (age 17). My family originates from a flyover state where the local culture highly values extended family potlucks with lots of (homemade) starch and sweets. White or redeye gravy (made from lard) was served by the quart at 80% of dinners when I was growing up (along with lots of white bread with butter or margarine with trans fats). Even most vegetables were first fried in cornmeal (with shortening w/trans fats) and eaten with redeye gravy. The few dozen relatives I have whom are still living (boomer and older portion) have since gotten a clue (after attending dozens of funerals of family members) and have done an about-face on their daily diet in recent years and have long since quit smoking. While the vast majority of my relatives worked (physically) hard throughout their lives and were not obese (some were even thin), it is now widely known that this type of diet will kill you before your time and it is entirely culturally-based. This is why some regions of the country have far higher obesity rates than other regions. It is all this population knew and what they were brought up with.

There’s nothing wrong with eating oatmeal 6-7 mornings per week (however one likes it), 52 weeks per year. There’s nothing wrong with eating the same things every day/week or subscribing to a mostly vegetarian or even vegan diet. Food is simply fuel to live well and do what one needs to do. If it was viewed in that vein by everyone (as well as the necessity of daily exercise), then our country wouldn’t have an obesity problem (and most fast-food chains and Frito/Lay and its competitors would probably go out of business, at least in the US).

[joec]

Another point is if it wasn’t just diet, lifestyle and habits, then why aren’t there more obese people in the USA say 70 years ago?

Back then, people didn’t have enough money for meat and worked in jobs that had you moving around a lot more vs now, most people probably sit in front of a screen or at a desk.

If you go to Asia, people who have to walk a few miles to get to work via public transit also aren’t as overweight because you walk so much. They also eat less meat/carbs, etc..

Here, people fight for the closest parking spot to not walk an extra 2 minutes.

No idea on the brain tumor girl, but 2/3rds or whatever people did not have a brain tumor.

Having some family people who were overweight and already has type 2 diabetes, those cases were all caused by very bad diet (he did exercise a bit) and poor lifestyle choices (alcohol)…

I suppose I felt it’s always nice to blame something else (like my body is different, it’s not my fault), but if people want it bad enough, they will make the change (just had ice cream today…I don’t care enough I guess myself. 🙂 )

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=bearishgurl]
There’s nothing wrong with eating oatmeal 6-7 mornings per week (however one likes it), 52 weeks per year. There’s nothing wrong with eating the same things every day/week or subscribing to a mostly vegetarian or even vegan diet. Food is simply fuel to live well and do what one needs to do. If it was viewed in that vein by everyone (as well as the necessity of daily exercise), then our country wouldn’t have an obesity problem (and most fast-food chains and Frito/Lay and its competitors would probably go out of business, at least in the US).[/quote]

That’s the rational science based approach.

I buy a whole pack of broccoli at Costco, lightly steam it and eat the whole thing over a few days. Plain, no salt, no butter, no sauce, sometimes with vinaigrette. Lots of people would view this as a miserable way of living. But I’ve learned to appreciate the natural taste of fresh broccoli.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy good food. In fact, I eat at restaurants quite often but I only order the lightest dishes (eg grilled/steamed fish over meat).

It’s funny to read restaurant reviews. People get upset at bland food. They want food that is “flavorful,” full of fat, salt and sugar. They have so much culturally invested in the food as a pleasurable experience that they get emotionally worked up.

Me, if the food is good.. I’ll eat a little more. If it’s not so good, I’ll eat just enough. But I never complain. In fact, 100% of the restaurant I eat at, including top restaurants over salt/flavor the food. (salt=high blood pressure=heart attack/strokes).

This is actually very good palate training as you learn to appreciate freshness and quality of ingredients. You’re not hung up on the “flavors”, sauces and creative cooking that modify the ingredients (more chemical changes = less healthful. They say cooked tomatoes is better, but I have doubts on overcooking for hours to make sauces).

That makes me a food snob… Unlike most people, I don’t think that a warm, moist chocolate brownie with ice cream is soooooo gooood. There is nothing in there that makes it worthwhile to eat, maybe for some good quality high cacao content dark chocolate which is very unlikely.

The topic of food is so taboo (like money), that in social settings, I just go along and never bring up the topic, except when someone shows an interest. But often, even when people are food conscious, they are not rational science minded… they just regurgitate what they read in the latest magazine.

I have 2 friends who are scientists postdocs, one in biochemistry, the other one a researcher for a medical device maker. They know exactly what good science is, but you watch them eat and you wonder where all the education went.

Another thing, I am a terrible cook but I was lucky to have grown up near relatives who were good cooks. So I have the basic concepts that bring me closer to the food. Make ice cream from scratch. After you see all the white sugar in there, you won’t want to eat it.

[bearishgurl]

LOL, brian, I’ve used balsamic vinegar on my veggies and salads for many years, sometimes with light olive oil on my salad and sometimes not.

In a couple of months, I’m not going to have anyone to “cook for” except myself. So I’ve already started paring down my pantry and frig to just what I will eat. It’s going to be liberating to be able to cook only what I want and not have to satisfy a “teenager’s” tastes. I’ve tried to teach them what I learned about a good diet and exercise but have never had control over these things 24/7/365. I bought a hotpot that turns off automatically for their dorm room and they will bring a used small frig and the roommate will bring a microwave. Fortunately, the kids will have access to a Farmers Market while at college and, of course, will use will their food points as they wish at the cafeteria or food court (I fear coffees and smoothies, mostly). I’ve done all I could, and, except for paying the campus room/board bill, my kid’s diet is not my problem anymore. They either learned from my (boring) example of maybe 5-6 dishes I know how to make well … or they didn’t. Every adult has to find their own food path … what works for them.

[CA renter]

[quote=scaredyclassic]2 hours of movement a day is reasonable.

In facts it’s weird to think of not kind of moving for that period every day. Sign of bad deal in society.[/quote]

Yes, two hours of movement is reasonable, but that’s not what’s required for many people to lose weight. They have to exercise vigorously for at least two hours, 5-7 days/week, without fail. Even then, many of them don’t look the way Brian thinks everyone should look.

I will never be convinced that it’s all about diet and exercise because I’ve seen first-hand too many people who did everything right, but failed to ever get (and stay) in the “normal” weight range for more than a few weeks/months. And the things these people had to do to get there were not sustainable. Eating 1,000 calories/day and working out for 2+ hours/day isn’t something that most people can do for the long haul.

As for why people were generally thinner in the past, I think a huge part of it is the fact that people did physical work all day, and the fact that people ate “clean” foods (no pesticides, herbicides, chemical foods, etc.). But to say that they didn’t eat meat is totally wrong; they tended to eat a lot of meat (and lots of eggs!) back then, especially those who lived on farms, but working in the fields all day will burn those calories fast.

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