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tagrynMegan McArdle over at the Atlantic Monthly has a series of four posts on the health-care campaign to combat obesity. It starts here, continues here (my favorite of the four, read this one if your time is limited) and here, and concludes here. They're long, but worth reading.
Some key points I came away with:
1) A person's weight is largely due to heredity.
2) Almost all diet programs which don't involve surgery usually fail to keep the weight off over the long run; this is probably related to point #1.
2a) Governmental programs to combat obesity are probably doomed to fail for the same reason.
3) There's no studies which connect increased food advertising with increases in weight. Its just assumed. (this is in the fourth post)
Personal story: I was in Home Depot over the weekend, looking at stepladders and setting up a couple to see how far they'd reach (answer: not far enough to get into our attic access). Another customer comes up to me and says "Hey, how much WEIGHT are you going to put on those? Heh, heh, heh." Now, OK, I'm above my optimal playing weight with a belly, I'm aware of that, but COME ON! I exercise regularly and don't indulge in Big Macs. The main problem is I'm not age 20 anymore: the metabolism doesn't burn up calories like it used to, very sorry about that, everyone.
The best part is the fellow was older and in worse shape than me. Guess he thought it was the funny thing to say.
Some key points I came away with:
1) A person's weight is largely due to heredity.
2) Almost all diet programs which don't involve surgery usually fail to keep the weight off over the long run; this is probably related to point #1.
2a) Governmental programs to combat obesity are probably doomed to fail for the same reason.
3) There's no studies which connect increased food advertising with increases in weight. Its just assumed. (this is in the fourth post)
Personal story: I was in Home Depot over the weekend, looking at stepladders and setting up a couple to see how far they'd reach (answer: not far enough to get into our attic access). Another customer comes up to me and says "Hey, how much WEIGHT are you going to put on those? Heh, heh, heh." Now, OK, I'm above my optimal playing weight with a belly, I'm aware of that, but COME ON! I exercise regularly and don't indulge in Big Macs. The main problem is I'm not age 20 anymore: the metabolism doesn't burn up calories like it used to, very sorry about that, everyone.
The best part is the fellow was older and in worse shape than me. Guess he thought it was the funny thing to say.
