Obesity can be caught as easily as the common cold

[Scooby Do]

Pregnant women. (Self inflicted if ever there was one)



Have you always been a misoginist, or is it a recent hobby?

[Scooby Do]

That was to Tarrant of course.

[Scooby Do]

Over the years I have had a quite a few colds, can't say I ever caught the obesity bug.

[Libby]

At the end of the day fat people are fat because they eat too much and exercise too little! It's the same the World over! People tend to eat more when they're happy and settled, and more for comfort eating too! It takes a lot of willpower to lose weight and even more to keep it off! I don't believe you can catch fatness, what balloney! lol!

[lawrence]

It is genetic. You are either fat or you are not and there is nothing you can do about it except surgery. And even that is not a permanent cure.

[newyorker]

Jan 26, 2009 20:54:58 GMT lawrence said:

It is genetic. You are either fat or you are not and there is nothing you can do about it except surgery. And even that is not a permanent cure.

Oh cmon! Genes have nothing to do with a tray of lasagna followed by a chocolate mouse chaser, without a leaf of lettuce anywhere in sight.

[Beachcomber]

A short, sharp dose of poverty (or dysentery) would help ...

Shed the pounds ! ........ Drink dirty water !

[Beachcomber]

I see a recession proof business idea ....

Just send me £100 and I will guarantee a significant weight loss. You can even choose your own flavour of my Magic Elixir.

Mississippi Mud.
Thames Tummy
Delhi Belly
Nile Delta Squits
Yangtse River Runs

Guaranteed !

[Libby]

Generally speaking if you look at a fat person's diet, it says it all! Loaded with fat and calories by the bucketload and often!

[tarrant]

Sorry to disagree with you Libby.

When I worked in long stay mental hospitals I saw people there who weighed up to 55 stone!! (That was how we weighed people then).

They ate the same food as everyone else and their welfare payment wouldn't buy many sweets.

I realise there are differentials here. The drugs these people were on were pretty powerful. But others on the same drugs didn't gain the same weight.

But whatever the cause of extra weight, if the individual is happy and functioning in their life, then I really don't see why it is anyone's business any more than any other lifestyle choice.

For example. You and I both spend quite a lot of time on computers. I know some who claim that this will make us into isolated sociopaths!! (Another useless term).

[newyorker]

Jan 26, 2009 22:20:17 GMT @tarrant said:

Sorry to disagree with you Libby.

When I worked in long stay mental hospitals...

Worked?

[Libby]

I understand what you say tarrant, i was referring generally to fat people. Of course i have nothing against them at all - if they are fat by choice, that is their personal choice. Some people are fat purely by gluttony, whilst others are indeed fat because of side-effects of medication or a medical condition - you are quite right there. I apologise for sounding misleading. ;D

I don't think we would be the only isolated socipaths, there will be quite a few from News tarrant lol!

[radge]

still think its 70% mental

[Beachcomber]

I realise there are differentials here. The drugs these people were on were pretty powerful. But others on the same drugs didn't gain the same weight.

I see, so 'legal' drugs are allowed to mess up peoples chemistry. While illegal drugs such as cannabis are still outlawed ?

[Libby]

I don't think anyone would argue with that valid point Beachy!

[Scooby Do]

They ate the same food as everyone else and their welfare payment wouldn't buy many sweets.


So where did the extra weight come from?

[tarrant]

Jan 26, 2009 22:41:40 GMT Scooby Do said:

So where did the extra weight come from?

In the 70s I took a course in Genetics and Evolution. This was before it became fashionable to attack people because of their weight.

Apparently the stools of people who are not prone to weight gain have been examined and compared with stools of those that are. It was found that those prone to excessive weight gain seemed to eliminate fewer proteins and other nutrients.

It was postulated that in our feral days, about 95% of the period modern humans have been around, it was advantageous for some members of each tribe to carry extra weight so they could have a better chance of survival during times of famine.

During times of plenty, some people bodies are more efficient at processing and storing as fat, nutrient.

These people, in the feral state, would be at a disadvantage during times of plenty but at a distinct advantage in famine.

While there are undoubtedly many overweight people who have eating disorders, a significant number will simply have normal diets yet more efficient digestive systems.

addition.

It's occured to me that, even without the example of the stool samples, the postulate holds.

[tarrant]

Jan 26, 2009 22:37:45 GMT Beachcomber said:

I see, so 'legal' drugs are allowed to mess up peoples chemistry. While illegal drugs such as cannabis are still outlawed ?

This is completely true.

Introduce a bunch of chemicals into your body and the results are unpredictable.

The side effects of many medications are documented with more being added all the time.

But in medicine, there is a trade off between the problems of side effects and the advantages of the therapy.

In psychiatric medicine, we were principally dealing with the two psychosis, Schizophrenia and Mania.

The consequences of these conditions, untreated, are horrifying.

Untreated Mania generally ends in death. A rather horrible death usually with complications of extreme dehydration, exhaustion and paranoia.

Untreated schizophrenia is a nightmare with little or no relief. The patient is often terrified to the point where their mind may simply snap and they go into a catatonic state.

These are extremes of course.

The medicines we used had a number of unpleasant side effects. Photo phobia was one for example. The patient would be unusually prone to sunburn.

Another was Tardive Dyskinesia where, among other symptoms, the patient would continually shake. They would be unable to hold a cup and need to be fed.

I knew a bank Manager who developed mania. His medication made him shake so violently, to eat, he would wedge himself against the table, which was pushed against a wall.

I asked him how he felt about it and he said he would rather have that than the mania back.

There are modern medicines now which work in different and more subtle ways. Side effects still occur but different side effects.

This was one of the reasons we have been able to close down the long stay mental hospitals. I'm pleased to say I assisted with one such closure of a 1700 bed unit.

Sadly, since the early 80s a whole new profession of utter charlatans has emerged. They usually call themselves therapists.

These con-men have developed a whole new catalogue of 'illnesses', most with catchy, three or four lettered names, SAD, FAG, BDD, ODD and so on.

The result is that huge numbers of otherwise well people are being recruited into another generation of mentally dependant people.

C'est la vie

[redanchor]

I was at the local shopping mall yesterday to buy a present for one of the birds leaving work and there was, as usual, a wide selection of scantilly clad beauties wandering about shopping and parading themselves. Its summer down here, and its all short shorts, short skirts etc, tanned skin....ohhhhhh yeah....<slap!>..anyway..I couldnt help but notice how heavy in the thighs so many of the the younger chicks were (age 16-20). Maybe they dont realise that they are actually sitting on the slippery slope, sliding down from their peak already. Maybe I should have walked up to them and explained their outfits werent falattering their body shapes?

[redanchor]

I Havent posted for a zillion years and I still cant type. BAH!