This Wednesday: I’m not lovin’ it
Problem:
A few weeks ago, I was driving home from my in-laws late at night. Feeling a bit drowsy, I decided to stop at the nearest restaurant for a caffeinated beverage. I don't usually eat at fast-food joints, but there aren't many choices near their house (cows outnumber humans by a ratio of about 4:1). So Burger King it was for a large diet, yes, diet coke and some cheesy tots for my “cheesy– tot.
After I placed my order, the little machine at the counter piped in: “Would you like to add a Whopper with cheese for 80 cents more?– By rounding up to an even five buckaroos, I could save over 60% on “ America's favorite burger.– So I stared at the 12-foot banner advertising the Quadruple BK Stacker (that's a full pound of beef, if you can call it beef) behind the 5' 6– , 220-pound cashier trying to decide. Almost 800 calories for only 80 cents. That's, let's see– ¦ 800 divided by– ¦ carry the one– ¦ 10 calories per Lincoln head. No wonder we're so fat.
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Make Progress:
When I say “we– , I have to include both of us here at Progressive Wednesday. And, for that matter, two-thirds of our great, if somewhat gluttonous, nation. Yes, according to the American Obesity Association, 64.5% of Americans like us are considered to be overweight, while half of those fit the definition of obese. That definition? A Body Mass Index over 25 is considered overweight. A BMI surpassing 30 is considered obese. You can figure out your BMI with the calculator here.
Obesity is not an issue of beauty; it's an issue of health. It's not about fitting into those size two jeans or looking good at the beach this summer in that new two-piece. It's about living longer and feeling better. It's about being around when your kids have kids, and maybe even when your kids' kids have kids. It's about being there when the Buffalo Bills finally win the Super Bowl, whether it's this year or in 2077 (that'd be Super Bowl CXI).
But the effect the amount and type of food we eat stretches well outside the milieu of health or appearance. These issues wander into the field of economics, both local and global, health care, animal rights, the environment, agriculture, human rights, and– ¦ do I really need to list more? Let's make some progress.
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Hey guys,
As some of you know, this is right up my alley as I’m somewhat of an expert in the field. I have a couple comments.
1) First off, BMI is a very crude way to measure obesity. It only takes into account height and weight. So if a person is rather muscular, they could be classified as obese. For example, I would bet money that a guy like Takeo Spikes would have a BMI near or over 30 yet is not obese. For the general population, BMI is not bad but if you really want to know, get you body fat measured. The easiest method which is not complete garbage is 7 site skin folds. Most gyms should have someone trained enough to do this. All those machines that you step on or that run an electri signal through you when you hold something are complete garbage. Not one of them has EVER been validated for scientific use.
2) ACSM (the American College of SPorts Medicine) (see acsm.org) recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days of the week. It can be 3- 10 minute walks or whatever works best for you.
3) Several studies have recently been published showing that as far as steps per day (for the pedometer crowd), one should aim for about 10,000 steps per day.
4) As someone who studies this stuff, many gene changes seen after stroke and with diabetes, are the same gene changes seen with detraining (or no training).
5) What we used to call “Adult-Onset Diabetes” is now simply known as Type II Diabetes b/c so many kids are getting it. The 2 major factors are fast food and the lack of PE in school (in my opinion). Make your kids active.
6) Finally, if we were to eliminate obesity, our health care system would save BILLIONS (yes, with a B) each year.
Feel free to conatact me with any questions. Eric knows how to get me.
Mike McKenzie, PhD in Exercise Physiology
I understand the point about BMI being a crude way to measure obesity. But for someone that is overly muscular, they wouldn’t be using it for a obesity measurement. So for the majority of Americans it does provide a pretty accurate idea about obesity.