Congratulations, You May Already Be Obese!

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

In a recent study carried out by YouGov for Slimming World reported by BBC News, researchers found that of 2,000 people surveyed, just over a quarter of them were obese. However, only 7% of those asked saw themselves as obese.

Dr. Ian Campbell states, “These figures do suggest that the discrepancy has widened with worryingly few people recognizing their weight is potentially harmful to them.”

According to endocrinology and diabetes consultant Jonathan Pinkney, it is a problem of perception that has come about as the population of the world has grown larger. “In my view there is a very clear tendency for individuals with obesity to feel that they do not stand out from the crowd.”

(more…)

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Model American

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

In a masterful ploy for the hearts and minds of millions of Chinese children, McDonald’s hired Michael Phelps as their “Global Ambassador” to teach the Chinese how to eat like Americans. Phelps helped launch McDonald’s Champion Kids program where 300 kids from around the world were brought to China “for the experience of a lifetime.”

According to McDonald’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Mary Dillon, “These kids will reach out to thousands more, connecting with their worldwide peers to communicate the sights and sounds of the Olympic Games.”

In other words, these kids know thousands of kids, who know thousands of kids, etc. And if we can covertly create a ubiquitous presence in their lives with warm and fuzzy childhood memories of lunch with gold medal Olympians, they and all of their friends are much more likely to become “Heavy Users” when they grow up.

Targeting children with experiential marketing campaigns is nothing new for McDonald’s. In fact, they are so good at it that a study which came out in August, 2007 found, “Most 3- and 5-year-olds who taste-tested a variety of foods said they preferred the ones in the McDonald’s wrapper — even though the foods were exactly the same…”

Since Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1963 McDonald’s has continued to refine and perfect their approach to children. In the words of my 5-year-old niece, “He’s funny, because he’s got big red shoes!”

Yet, since the 2004 release of Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me, many people have become cautiously optimistic about the education of Americans regarding the ills of fast food.

However, with fast food junkie turned Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps all too ready to proclaim the good news of the golden arches, it appears that for today, we’ve made one step forward and two steps back.

Tags: Dead Wrong
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We Made The Top 10!

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

Congratulations Michigan, you just downed enough Krispy Kremes and $5 Hot N’ Readys to make the top 10 list of most obese states in the country, where are you headed now?

“We’re going to the ER!”

A new study by the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health has found that obesity rates increased in 37 states. The report also explains, “Rates rose for a second consecutive year in 24 states and for a third consecutive year in 19 states. No state saw a decrease.”

In my estimation, the saddest piece of information in the study is that the state which came in dead last, Colorado, still had an obesity rate of 18.4%. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not one state in the country had an obesity rate higher than 10%-14% in 1990.

Don’t be fooled, however, there are some encouraging statistics in the report. For example, the state ranking number one in obesity prevalence, Mississippi, clocked in at 31.7%. This means that Michigan, sitting at 27.7%, is only 4% out of 1st place.

So, come on people; get out there and eat like you want this thing!!

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Don’t Believe The Hype!

Friday, August 15th, 2008

Over the past few days the internet has been flooded with innacurate stories proclaiming the new found glory of being overweight and obese. In headline after headline, journalists are shouting from the mountaintops, “For Health, Body Size Can Be Misleading”

So what’s all the excitement about?

A new study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that, “23.5% of normal-weight adult Americans…are metabolically abnormal.” Yet, “51.3% of overweight adults and 31.7% of obese adults are metabolically healthy.”

For the study they defined metabolic normality along the lines of heart health. They divided 5,440 adults age 20 and over into three weight classes; normal weight, overweight, and obese. After dividing them up, they looked at six risk factors for heart disease such as hypertension, elevated triglycerides, and low levels of “good cholesterol.” If you had zero or one risk factor, they called you metabolically healthy. Conversely, if you had two or more risk factors, you were called metabolically abnormal.

Why researchers and media would spin numbers like these into stories that only lead to further confusion among the public regarding the risks of being overweight is simply beyond me.

Interestingly, they begin by stating how many normal-weight people are metabolically unhealthy, then flip the numbers and tell us how many overweight and obese people are metabolically healthy. But, let’s look at the inverse. If 51.3% of overweight adults are metabolically healthy, then 48.7% of them are metabolically unhealthy; a 25.2% increase over normal-weight adults. So, you’re more than twice as likely to be metabolically unhealthy if you are overweight. Furthermore, if 31.7% of obese adults are metabolically healthy, that means that 68.3% of them are metabolically unhealthy; a three-fold increase in risk! (more…)

Tags: Dead Wrong
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Fast Food Makes Kidz Stoopid

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

That’s right folks! Not only will feeding your children fast food establish poor habits that can plague them for the rest of their lives, but research now shows junk food negatively impacts their scores in school.

“Feeding children as young as three a “junk food” diet makes them significantly more likely to fall behind at school…”

So, the next time you’re thinking of grabbing a “cheap” snack for the kids, ask yourself how they will be able to provide for you in your old age when they are flipping burgers behind the counter you’re about to drive up to.

The rest of the story.

Tags: Fast Food
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