Fit Nation, a special report at CNN has a map showing how the United States is becoming fatter and fatter over the past twenty years. Notice how good ol’ Mississippi leads the way in obesity (30% of Mississippians are found to be obese!): Link
teqjack
In 1985 a consensus conference convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommended that men and women be considered “overweight” at BMIs of 27.8 and 27.3, respectively. In 1996 an NIH-sponsored review of the literature found that “increased mortality typically was not evident until well beyond a BMI level of 30.” Yet two years later [1998], the NIH yielded to a World Health Organization recommendation that “overweight” be defined downward to a BMI of 25, with 30 or more qualifying as “obese.”
And studies show that those with BMI of circa 28-35 live longer.
see especially blog
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/
Vako
I agree with that teqjack character. People are getting way too paranoid about fat people. It is like a new McCarthyism or something. Settle down. Just let people be happy and comfortable. Jeez.
Christophe
Wow. I guess those CO mountains make you go up and down. I should move there.
… and away from my computer…
HaricotVert
I find it more frightening that this map is almost identical to red state/blue state map that you see in Presidential elections.
Obesity = Republican?
Louise
So it’s not Red State/Blue State? It’s Brown State/Blue State.
No wonder Rush Limbaugh is portly. It’s patriotic!
Rob
Note also how the worst states happen to be the poorest. We love to complain about fat people, but no one ever seems to address the issue that it’s cheaper to eat bad. Forget all the charts and programs, how about making fruit and vegetables cheaper than Little Debbie’s?
Sass
Being fat /= being Republican. People make enough associations (mainly negative) about fat, let’s try not to add political leanings to the list.
Also: what teqjack said.
Sid Morrison
@Rob-
Sorry, but “it’s cheaper to eat bad [sic]” is crap.
It’s FAR cheaper to buy quality raw ingredients (flour, sugar, rice, bulk fresh meats & veg) and to prepare meals from scratch than it is to buy pre-made microwavable frozen food and/or takeout (healthy OR unhealthy).
Your argument only holds true if it is a “given” that they are too lazy to cook (actually prepare from scratch, not just microwave) for themselves and their familes. If that is true, then yes, it will probably be cheaper to buy processed junk food to microwave than healthy premade stuff to microwave (or take out). But that isn’t the only option!
People can prepare their own food from staple ingredients a WHOLE lot cheaper than buying anything premade. They are just way too lazy to do so … might interfere with watching Oprah or QVC.
Ennis
“They are just way too lazy to do so … might interfere with watching Oprah or QVC”
Hmmm, let’s see….
There are plenty of ways to end your pontificating post, Sid.
Here are a few…
-might interfere with playing their Wii.
-might interfere with playing WoW.
-might interfere with watching porn and jerking off.
-might interfere with getting stoned/drunk and making a fool out of themselves.
Or…
might interfere with making judgemental posts about others on some website.
Angie
RE: Sid
You must be joking. Tell me you bake your own whole grain bread every day. Doubt it. And if you think buying fresh vegetables and meat in bulk is accessible to the WORKING poor you are incorrect. Take a look at grocery stores in any poor neighborhood. You’ll find meat that’s often been repackaged, sold beyond it’s expiration date as well as overpriced and far from “fresh” vegetables. Your pompous platitudes serve no one but yourself.
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