Monday, September 04, 2006
Derb gets in a good one
Headlines on Drudge this morning.
"Obesity pandemic looms on earth ... 'Evolution to blame'"
Typical—When there's blame to be assigned, the Intelligent Design people are nowhere to be found....
Link.
8 Comments:
By 
Fabio, at
Mon Sep 04, 05:19:00 PM:
Also, why call obesity and "epidemic" or "pandemic"?
Is it contagious? Are there obesity bacteria or viruses? I don't think so.
We are, on average, fatter because we have 1)more to eat; 2)less physical work to do.
By Final Historian, at
Mon Sep 04, 05:50:00 PM:
And 3) The foods we eat are more fattening.
By 
, at
Mon Sep 04, 05:52:00 PM:
Fabio:
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/07/28/fat.virus.ap/index.html
Obesity is a clinical condition and a serious and growing public health problem, which is not to be dismissed or trivialized in a facile manner.
By , at
Tue Sep 05, 12:33:00 AM:
That's right, Phrizz11. It's not your fault. You are a victim.
By , at
Tue Sep 05, 12:50:00 AM:
On a "lighter" note, "Professor Zimmet, director of the university's International Diabetes Institute, told more than 2000 delegates to the International Congress on Obesity that the obesity pandemic was as big a threat as global warming."
[Excerpted from "The Age" (Australia) ]
HOUSING BLAMED FOR POOR HEALTH
Tamara McLean
September 4, 2006
GOVERNMENTS have inadvertently encouraged Australia's obesity epidemic by allowing "McMansion" type developments that pay no heed to healthy living, an expert on diabetes has warned.
Addressing an international conference in Sydney yesterday, Monash University professor Paul Zimmet said "these ugly dwellings" had been developed across entire residential blocks with no attention to pavements, bike paths, playing fields or exercise areas.
Professor Zimmet, director of the university's International Diabetes Institute, told more than 2000 delegates to the International Congress on Obesity that the obesity pandemic was as big a threat as global warming.
"This insidious, creeping pandemic of obesity is now engulfing the entire world, led by affluent Western nations, whose physical activity and dietary habits are regrettably being adopted by developing nations," Professor Zimmet said.
He said the problem needed urgent solutions — not just widespread changes to diet and exercise but the rethinking of national policies on urban and social planning, agriculture policy, education and other areas.
"In particular, have our state and local governments inadvertently contributed to this epidemic by permitting property developers to give us urban social problems, most noticeably manifest in the ubiquitous McMansion," he said.
"These ugly dwellings, which are now sprawled across entire residential blocks at the expense of backyards, have also been a key feature of developments without attention to sidewalks, bike paths, public transport corridors, playing fields and friendly exercise areas, attractive and accessible to people who want to maintain their level of fitness and a healthy lifestyle."
Full article can be seen at:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/09/03/1157222007440.html
By Fabio, at
Tue Sep 05, 09:20:00 AM:
Phrizz11,
fair enough, a research group has found a possible correlation between obesity and a certain virus. Still a far cry from an epidemy or pandemy such as the infamous middle-ages plagues or the more recende influenza.
I know that obesity can be a serious problem, but there are also loads of hysterical reactions out there. And the government has no authority to regulate eating habits.
mistery meat,
council houses and the like are a crap way of living however you slice it...
By , at
Tue Sep 05, 09:20:00 AM:
Mystery Meat: I am 6'2" and weigh 170 lbs, and I am in excellent physical condition. I happen to be blessed with a metabolism that allows me to eat pretty much what I want and not get fat; I will gladly link you to some pictures if you believe that credibility on this issue is predicated on body weight.
Saying that obesity is only a problem because people can't restrain themselves is like saying that drugs are only a problem because people can't restrain themselves. It is true, but it does not make it any less of a public health problem.
And statements such as "Is it contagious? Are there obesity bacteria or viruses? I don't think so" are just ignorant of the science that is being done in this area. And your snarkiness certainly adds nothing to the conversation.
By , at
Tue Sep 05, 09:23:00 AM:
Fabio: sorry, I didn't see your post before I posted. I agree that it is overreaching to label obesity as an epidemic or pandemic.
