I read that 20-25 percent of the people of the USA are obese. "Obese" is defined as a BMI over 30 which is not even fat for many people.
The reason this came up is because someone asked if there is no "obesity epidemic" why does he sees so many fat people?
In looking through the latest issue of SHAPE Magazine, I saw one possible answer. One of the photos was of two normal sized people adjusting things (like makeup) on a model. I was astonished that the model looked "normal" and the people right in front of her (by comparison) looked HUGE.
Maybe the reason he sees so many fat people is because anymore a normal sized person LOOKS fat when compared to the extremely slender stylish person.
Kind of a no brainer.
Another no brainer? The article in the magazine told the reader how this model (who resembles something from the concentration camp in girth) keeps "so slim". They described her meals.... tiny portions of fruits and veggies. In other words, she doesn't eat. Well duh. Not eating will always make someone super slim. It might also make them unhealthy but who really cares about health.
Not 60 percent of the public who do not exercise regularly (according to a new study reported in SHAPE). And not another 25 percent of the public who do not exercise at all. So lessee, that means 15 percent of the public exercises regularly (usually defined as 30 minutes cardio a few times a week). And less than 5 percent of the public exercises enough to affect their weight (i.e. 60 minutes of cardio, 7 days a week or more)
That means if it follows through that not exercising makes you fat, then 95 percent of the people should be obese. But even at their bloated numbers in which normal sized people are counted as obese, only 25 percent of the public is obese. Really less than 15 percent of the public is REALLY obese (BMI over 35) and a full 1/3 of those are manufacturing a hormone (says obesity researcher, Rudy Leibel) which causes them to be fat.
Finally, same magazine (a fitness mag) stated that women who exercise to be slim or toned, exercise 40 percent LESS than women who exercise for other reasons like HEALTH. (what a novel concept, exercising for health!) Probably this is true because exercising does NOT (as the media tries to tell us) make people with the wrong genes, slim.
It's all looks with our society. I've seen stomach surgery patients who look (and feel) like death warmed over but they are lauded as being healthy because they are slim. And I've seen healthy fat people who are living a healthy lifestyle of frequent exercise and good food choices who are told they MUST be sick because "they don't look good" (according to the whims of society). I remember a terminal cancer patient who was so ill from the chemo, she couldn't walk more than a few steps but she managed to get on a scale and rejoice at all the weight she'd lost.
Sick society? Yes, I think so. Time to get real because....
"Nothing LOOKS as good as HEALTH FEELS!"