Obesity

[Drolefille]

I agree, I think at some point you have to say something whether it's.. I'm really concerned about your smoking habit, you used to smoke X number of times a month and you're up to a pack a day...

or

Hun, I'm really concerned about your weight, is there something going on?

Heck, the biggest help would be being workout buddies IMO

[f8nacn]

Exercise and a healthy eating plan...its a great source of accountability knowing that someone is in it with you (even if their goals are different).

[Still BLUTANG]

you could have a scrapbooking party or some other kind of "remember back when ________" event. Sometimes the person who has gained a lot of weight might not really realize it until they SEE it. Gradual weight gain is a monster... just 7 pounds a year betweeen high school and college graduation will be the difference between being "thick" and "damn what happened"

I would advise people who are concerned about their friends weight to do things with them like taking a walk, going swimming, playing tennis, etc. A lot of communities have health fairs and free screenings so go TOGETHER and check that stuff out too... maybe it will serve as a wake up call.

Even small things like finding something to do BESIDES going out to eat will make a difference.

I personally wouldn't talk about the weight, but rather invite them to be more active. They'll get the hint.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AXiD670

I expect to hear it from my doctor, but I definitely would want to hear it from my friends.

"Donna, you're starting to look like your mother."

Lol

And then as a friend, be willing to do things like be workout buddies, plan meals together (so you can both eat healthy) and provide general support!

[KSigkid]

I agree that there are times when you should tell a friend something; not necessarily tell them what to do, but perhaps advise them or give your opinion.

I don't think obesity is one of those times. If someone is constantly endangering their health by being exceedingly overweight, they may not even be listening to their doctors, let alone their friends.

[Liberal_South]

All you need to know is the coke and bourbon diet. glass of bourbon in the morning, a line at lunch, and another glass of bourbon at dinner. Garunteed to lose 10 pounds a week.

But seriously, if you're fat, use your messageboard time to go do something like go running, and then grille chicken all the time. Being fat is no way to go through life.

[Minnow]

I would hope my friends would be honest enough and care about me enough to pull me aside and let me know if I have a serious weight problem. I would most likely know or be guessing I had one already. I do think it would be important for them to let me know it is because they are my friend and they would rather tell me than so idiot i do not know on the street or in the market palce.

Cameron Bishop
Phi Mu Alpha
Delta Omega Chapter Alumnus

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by Minnow

I would hope my friends would be honest enough and care about me enough to pull me aside and let me know if I have a serious weight problem. I would most likely know or be guessing I had one already. I do think it would be important for them to let me know it is because they are my friend and they would rather tell me than so idiot i do not know on the street or in the market palce.

Cameron Bishop
Phi Mu Alpha
Delta Omega Chapter Alumnus

Do you not have a mirror? NO ONE should tell ANYONE that they are overweight. It is none of their business.. and the overweight person KNOWS they are overweight. The only thing you can do.. as a FRIEND is to be their FRIEND.

It's a shame how society discriminates people just because of how they look.

[FHwku]

BMI (Body Mass Index) Calculator (Adult)

A lot of obese people don't perceive themselves as being obese. Were I obese, morbidly or mildly, I'd want to hear it from my doctor first. Then I would want my friends to pummel my self-esteem into a fatty paste until I did something about it. Obesity is not an indicator of moral failure, but I doubt that most obese people eat right and exercise.

I may be obese and not even know it. I guess that's like being secretly fat, but being the only person not in on the secret.

from here.

Obese men and women are reasonably accurate when it comes to reporting their own weight, says researchers, but they are much more likely than normal weight persons to misjudge what weight falls into the obese category and therefore do not consider themselves to be obese.

Dr. Kimberly Truesdale, a research associate in the laboratory of Dr. June Stevens, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, presented the study results in April at Experimental Biology 2006 in San Francisco. The presentation was part of the scientific program of the American Society of Nutrition, Inc.

One hundred and four men and women, both white and African American, between the ages of 45 to 64, were asked to report their weight in pounds; categorize themselves as either underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese; and estimate how much they would need to weigh in order to be considered obese. The researchers then collected weight, height, and other measures for each person. BMI, or body mass index was calculated by weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared: a standard tool for categorizing individuals as either normal weight (BMI: 18.5 - 24.9 kg/m squared); overweight (25.0 - 29.9 kg/m squared) or obese BMI: greater than 30.0 kg/m squared).

Using the measured BMI, there were 31 normal weight, 40 overweight, and 33 obese adults in the group. About 90 percent of normal weight adults and 85 percent of overweight and obese adults accurately self-reported their weight and height such that the BMI calculated using those self reports fell in the same category as actual BMI.

That accuracy changed, however, when researchers asked participants about their perceived weight status, that is, if they would consider themselves NOW to be underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. Seventy-one percent of normal weight and seventy-three percent of overweight adults classified themselves correctly, compared to only 15 percent of obese adults who correctly considered themselves to be obese.

The researcher then asked participants how much they would need to weigh to be classified as either underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese, and again the results varied depending on current weight status. On average, normal weight participants were reasonably accurate in these estimates, but obese participants overstated how much they could weight for every weight status category, from underweight to obese. For example, if a participant was 5;7" and normal weight, they would estimate normal weight as 143 pounds (BMI = 22.4 kg/m squared) and obesity as 189 pounds (BMI = 29.6 kg/m squared) but an obese participant the same height would estimate normal weight as 164 pounds (BMI = 25.7 kg/m squared) and obesity as 233 pounds (BMI – 36.5 kg/m squared.)

These findings have important public health implications, say Dr. Truesdale and Dr. Stevens. If obese adults do not consider themselves to be obese, they are not likely to pay full attention to public health messages about the consequences of being obese. More research is needed into why obese adults do not consider themselves to be obese, with two possibilities being perception and denial.

###

The research was supported by the General Clinical Research Center at the University of North Carolyn at Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digest and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

another related article

[blueangel]

I'm not a big fan of the Dr. Phil show.. but I saw a promo yesterday and HAD to watch. The subject was about a man who married a model thin woman who had gained more than 100 pounds. Did she know she was overweight? Yes. Did she want to lose weight? Yes. Had she tried? Yes. Was she successful? No.

Part of the reason was that she ate for emotional reasons. And guess what her wonderful, thoughtful, caring hubby said to her? Get out of the way, you're so fat you're blocking the TV! And other gems like that.

With someone telling you constantly that you need to lose weight.. and stabbing at your self esteem.. it's no wonder she's having so much trouble.

Telling an overweight person they're overweight is cruel.

[RU OX Alum]

yes, that situation is cruel, but encourageing healthy activities like exerosize and a healthy diet is not.

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

yes, that situation is cruel, but encourageing healthy activities like exerosize and a healthy diet is not.

It's cruel to call attention to a problem the person is well aware of.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

encourageing healthy activities like exerosize and a healthy diet is not.

Given that I compete in Figure competitions (where nutrition is of great importance), and I've learned a lot about a healthy eating regimen, a lot of people don't even know what a "healthy" diet is.

Sure, given my sport, what I eat is a tad 'extreme' (because avoiding processed food is not so easy), but when people say, "I watch what I eat", they don't know what the "h" they are talking about.

Things like pizza, ice cream etc. while tasty, are pretty much crap. You're better off eating chicken breasts, tuna, turkey, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc. Even things like bread and cheese, and sausage aren't great --they're processed. You get more bang for your nutritional buck from things like slow-cooked oatmeal, and what I mentioned above.

Lastly, when you eat "clean" and do weights, you will find that you don't even need to do that much cardio. If you need to do TONS AND TONS AND TONS AND TONS of cardio to lose a bit of weight, it is often your nutrition (or lack thereof) that is the problem.

I eat about every 3 hours, with small, pre-portioned meals (Tupperware is my friend). I also save money by not buying my lunch from some food outlet (I can also be safely assured that no one has spat in my food, either....eeew)
For example, for lunch I will have:
4 oz chicken breast, 1/2 cup sweet potato, 1/2 cup broccoli, 7 almonds and lots of water!

[James]

She didn't "try" if you consider "trying," to be having a comprehensive plan will work.

Originally Posted by blueangel

I'm not a big fan of the Dr. Phil show.. but I saw a promo yesterday and HAD to watch. The subject was about a man who married a model thin woman who had gained more than 100 pounds. Did she know she was overweight? Yes. Did she want to lose weight? Yes. Had she tried? Yes. Was she successful? No.

Part of the reason was that she ate for emotional reasons. And guess what her wonderful, thoughtful, caring hubby said to her? Get out of the way, you're so fat you're blocking the TV! And other gems like that.

With someone telling you constantly that you need to lose weight.. and stabbing at your self esteem.. it's no wonder she's having so much trouble.

Telling an overweight person they're overweight is cruel.

[blueangel]

James:

The point of my post (and mentioning that episode of Dr. Phil-- plus the clips I included from iVillage and Dr. Phil) was that people know they're overweight, that it's very difficult to lose weight, and that the only person who can lose the weight is the person hit/herself. When you point out something like weight-- no matter how well intentioned you may be-- it cuts deep-- and causes more of a loss of self esteem to that person... which often causes the person to spiral downward into more overeating.

The best think you can do for someone who is overweight is to be their friend. Being their friend does not mean hurting their self esteem with comments about their weight.. but rather being there for them if they ASK for help or if THEY want to talk about their problem. If they don't-- then leave it's best to alone.