Study: Fat People are Contagious

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I fount this following a trail of links from a facebook autism page.

A new report issued last week warned us that, if trends in the U.S. waistline continue as they are, 50 percent of our population would be obese by 2030. There are many reasons why overweight and obesity are such problems right now. Some research suggests that we’ve grown more comfortable being overweight and that being overweight has become “normal,” while being of an ideal weight may appear to be “underweight.”

While national surveys show that 67 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, a new survey of 1,000 Americans by Russell Research commissioned by Pollock Communications, showed only 52 percent of Americans believe they are overweight. This lack of reality around body weight and diet is considered to be one of the many barriers in the nation’s growing obesity epidemic. We’ve become more “numb” to overweight and obesity because it’s everywhere; a person who is of normal weight actually appears to be the one who doesn’t fit in anymore.

Research published in scientific journals has found that obesity appears to be socially contagious. For example, Harvard Medical School researchers found that your chances of becoming obese are 57 percent greater if you have a close friend who is obese. Researchers at Arizona State University also found that women who had someone in their social circle who was overweight or obese were more likely to have pounds to lose too.

If your friends are overweight it makes it easier to accept your weight, even if it’s more than what you’d really like to weigh. In addition, your eating and exercise habits may be impacted by what your friends want to eat and do socially.

In our country where the majority of individuals need to lose weight, it’s become too easy to live large, making it harder to motivate people to take steps to shed pounds. Vanity-sized apparel; Lycra (read: stretchy) clothing; larger plates, bowls, glasses and utensils; wider seats in cars and movie theaters; and bigger portions are all examples of ways the environment has changed to make it more comfy being overweight.

If you think your friends and family may be making it harder for you to stick with your resolve to eat healthier, consider taking a few steps like using an online BMI calculator and weighing yourself weekly to keep tabs on the number on the scale. You can also use your online social network to connect with dietitians and personal trainers who you can “friend” and therefore get their daily updates to keep you grounded in the realities of what’s a healthy weight.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/1 ... z1YSoRW1O8

Nothing a good famine wouldn't cure.

Then they will just get eaten. People will start setting up hunting tents and stands around wal-mart waiting for someone to come out on an electric cart. They are slow moving and some of those people could feed a family of 4 for close to a month! Of Course that would create a new twist on small kids complain about dinner: "awww, Mexican again? Why can't we have Chinese or Italian for a change?".

I hate to admit it....but I laughed like hell on that one

This article is biased. It makes the assumption that overweight people have unhealthy eating habits and they have done something to become overweight. I know people that eat healthy and less then me (I'm bone thin) and are still overweight. There are hormonal and endocrine issues that will cause a person to become overweight.

I don't understand nor accept the ridicule of people with obesity because it runs in my family and I'm certain it's genetic. It's not okay when an aspie gets attacked for being socially clueless, but it's okay to attack an overweight person? Sad.

Basically.

It's true there are people with hormone issues that couldn't lose 10 pounds to save their life, but really, how many people have hormone issues and how many people overstuff their piehole with fats and carbs, and wash it down with a 1 liter soda a couple times a day plus their morning Starbucks ritual?

I think there are really a lot of factors involved. Genetics, medications (anti-depressants in particular), lifestyles (we're much less active), and even the food supply itself (I'll save that rant for another day ). Another often overlooked factor is nutritional ignorance. Most people don't fully understand what healthy choices even are. They have a salad for lunch and think, "I did good," but completely neglect to factor in portions size, toppings and dressings. They very well could have eaten substantially more calories and fat than a Big Mac without even knowing it. I'm not saying burgers are better, just that our accounting is pretty poor.

And also, yes, I think many overweight people probably just eat too much crap.

I take a medication that causes weight gain and I was told I can keep the vast majority off if I keep my sugar consumption way down. That's pretty simple: watch the sugar, don't get fat from the med. Most people don't do that.

No. A thousand times no. Those people are either lying to you, or are in denial about how much (and what kind of food!) they eat.

Hormonal imbalance can't violate the laws of physics. If you take in more energy than you burn you will gain weight. Period. If you are gaining weight you are eating too much, or not burning enough, or most likely BOTH. Period. Anything else is just being self delusional.

If they banned TV, computers, and video games people would go outside more

Just like if they banned alcohol people would stop drinking!

And if they banned drugs people would stop...

OH WAIT!

Banning something just makes people want it even more. People are their own worst enemies. We are the only species on this planet actively working against our own best interests. Eating 5000 calories of sugar a day? Sitting on our asses all day long, watching reality TV? Smoking? Unbelievable!! !! !

I think we are doomed.