Map of Obesity in the U.S.

lainiefig

lainiefig

Cathlete
Interesting link: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/fit.nation/obesity.map/

Of course, my husband and I have talked about how misleading body mass index can be--like for big weightlifters who have a high weight but are definitely not obese.

Personally if I weighed just one pound more I'd be overweight. Eek! So I'm just barely in a normal weight range. Here's the calculator I used.http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif
 
Very interesting, Lainie. I wonder if it can be explained in part by the changes in the BMI itself. I mean, what else would explain such major changes between 2004 & 2006?

ETA: I think the current BMI seems wrong because it doesn't differentiate by gender. It's utterly absurd that a man and a woman should weigh about the same!
 
That's appalling! Be sure to click the tabs at the top to see how it's changed over the years.

Thanks for sharing,
Diane
 
Wow. I was going to be lazy today and take a day off from working out but I think I'll go downstairs and get moving. All three of my sisters are overweight. I've only got about 15 pounds to lose. I'm the only one in my family doing anything about it. It's funny, when I was younger it was all about looking better. Now that I'm older it's mostly about feeling better and staying strong as I age. I just don't see this obesity problem getting any better anytime soon.:-(
 
we are out of control, how ridiculous. I work on a post op floor so I take care of gastric bypass patients. I was hoping that these would go out of style, I guess they won't be.
 
Trish, gastric bypass has always seemed like such a last resort to me. Is it still? I mean, I assume in order to qualify for the procedure you have to have been obese most of your life, you have to be morbidly obese, and you have to have tried and failed at everything else. Right? How often is the procedure done?
 
right now my BMI is 24.0. I wear a size 4/6. 5 more pounds and I would be considered overweight, and I would probably be in size 6. I don't think a whole lot of BMI.

I will say though, I can believe that over 25% of our population is overweight. I can see that with my eyes, and it travels all the way down to our kids.
 
I never pay attention to BMI. Right now, my BMI is 18.6, which is supposedly underweight. I'm 5'3" and have a very small frame. I had a doctor tell me several years ago that any 'chart' that doesn't take frame size into account in inherently flawed.

Now, I certainly don't think I am overweight but you would be hard pressed to find anyone who knows me that would tell you I am 'underweight.':)
 
Yeah, my husband is 5'11" and 185. That's the biggest he's ever been--he's usually been more between 165 and 175 since I've known him. At his current weight, his BMI says he's overweight, but you don't look at him and think he's overweight and no one who knows him would qualify him as such (though I'm happy because for once I'm in normal weight range--if barely--and he's in the overweight range--he's always been the one with no weight trouble while I struggle).

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif
 
Yeah, my husband is 5'11" and 185. That's the biggest he's ever been--he's usually been more between 165 and 175 since I've known him. At his current weight, his BMI says he's overweight, but you don't look at him and think he's overweight and no one who knows him would qualify him as such (though I'm happy because for once I'm in normal weight range--if barely--and he's in the overweight range--he's always been the one with no weight trouble while I struggle).

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif
 
>right now my BMI is 24.0. I wear a size 4/6. 5 more pounds
>and I would be considered overweight, and I would probably be
>in size 6. I don't think a whole lot of BMI.
>
>I will say though, I can believe that over 25% of our
>population is overweight. I can see that with my eyes, and it
>travels all the way down to our kids.

dorothy,
I totally agree with you about the stupidity of the BMI. I just wanted to point out to you that the map is saying that over 25% of the populations is OBESE, not just overweight. But still, that's according to the stupid BMI (which is about right for me, but I'm on a very small frame, and it makes no sense that someone like you would be considered almost overweight!!)
 
Although BMI is not a perfect tool for measuring,it is still reasonably accurate for most. And yes, I do believe at least 25% of the population in the US is obese. Look around you see it everyday it's easy to see. However, I think we are getting accustomed to see larger people and it has desensitized us to it. I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings or start a flame war.

[font color= purple size=+3]Catherine[/font]

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>However, I think we are getting
>accustomed to see larger people and it has desensitized us to
>it.

I can agree with this. When we were living in the Netherlands and went to Houston to visit family, we were astounded at how big so many people were. It was very noticeable after being away for a couple years (that and how big the vehicles were--yikes). We also noticed how our own family members would circle parking lots looking for really close spots even in decent weather. Of course, it didn't take me long after moving back to the U.S. to start doing the same--but I don't waste too much time circling and I still walk in town quite a bit--just like I did in Europe. :)

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif
 
>Yeah, my husband is 5'11" and 185. That's the biggest he's
>ever been--he's usually been more between 165 and 175 since
>I've known him. At his current weight, his BMI says he's
>overweight, but you don't look at him and think he's
>overweight and no one who knows him would qualify him as such
>(though I'm happy because for once I'm in normal weight
>range--if barely--and he's in the overweight range--he's
>always been the one with no weight trouble while I struggle).
>
>[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
>My fitness blog:
>http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html
>http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif


I am totally there with you on this. All my adult life I have been heavier than my DH. Now he is getting a belly, and I weigh less than my very skinny teenage son!(not less than the teenage daughter, although we wear the same size now).
 
>> I
>just wanted to point out to you that the map is saying that
>over 25% of the populations is OBESE, not just overweight.

Last I heard, about 60% of the population is overweight, and about 30%+ is obese. And from looking around, I'd have to say that's pretty accurate.
 
"Last I heard, about 60% of the population is overweight, and about 30%+ is obese. And from looking around, I'd have to say that's pretty accurate."

Yikes!! :eek:

ETA: I sure hope they all have health insurance and that their illnesses don't cause my premiums to go up.
 
I don't want to seem judgemental but I think a lot of people are looking for a quick fix with the gastric bypass surgey. They want the surgery to fix them instead of sticking to a resonable diet and exercise plan. Judging by the map of obesity, this is not a problem that can't be controlled, it is totally lifestyle, a surgery isn't going to fix that. I get annoyed when that first word out of their mouth is when can I eat or they start whinning because they can't eat. Until someone deals with the psychological reasons that they are overeating it is hard to fix the obesity problem.
 
Trish, many of the surgeons around here have patients go through extensive physical and psychological testin before doing lap band surgery. Are you not seeing that done? Because you are so right. If they don't deal with what is making them over eat in the first place banding or stapeling the stomach is sooooooooo not gonna work!!

[font color= purple size=+3]Catherine[/font]

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