What if no one were fat?

[Kaufman_Lib]

In the United States today, 66% of adults are overweight. Almost 33% of adults are obese, and 4.7% are morbidly obese, or more than 100 pounds overweight. But . . .

What if nobody in America were fat?

We'd save billions of dollars in gas. Airlines would double their profits. A dearth of diabetes and other diseases would save billions of dollars more -- and put thousands of doctors on the street. McDonald's would sell not Big Macs but little steamed chicken snacks -- or watch its profits melt away. Productivity would rise, potentially creating tens of thousands more jobs or higher wages all around.

Add up the savings up on health, food, clothing and efficiencies, and you could buy a professional home gym for every U.S. household -- or hand each $4,270 in cash.

Continued: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/Advice/WhatIfNoOneWereFat.aspx

What a fine country we live in. It isn't enough to pick on poor people or gays, now we obese people are subject to harassment?

[Pawel K]

1. Is my calculator broken or does 66 + 33 + 4.7 = 103.7%

So that means not only are no people in this country the right weight but we are getting an extra 3% there somewhere?

[notesdev]

10. each is a share of the next

those numbers are percentages of the total, the smaller numbers are subsets of the larger numbers.

So they read as:

66% overweight (thus 34% not overweight)
33% obese (thus 67% not obese)
4.7% very obese (thus 95.3% not very obese)

[Pawel K]

21. I got it.

Sorry, a little slow this morning.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. The extra 3% is all from the excess weight.

I WISH I was only 3% overweight.

[Dorian Gray]

27. That's not how the percentage works.

The 33% and the 4.% fall within the 66%. (They are a part of that overweight number.)

[Pawel K]

35. Yeah I figured that out above. Technically they should have been seperate.

Being overweight is much different from being obese.

[Dorian Gray]

41. You are right...

and of course I read the rest of the topic AFTER I responded to you, so I saw someone else beat me to it after! Sorry about that!

And before I have my coffee, I make mistakes much more egregious that THAT! So, sorry I jumped on it! :)

[Pawel K]

53. Thanks for explaining it anyway

I appreciate it.

:toast:

[DavidDvorkin]

2. The view would be much more pleasant

[notadmblnd]

19. Well fat people always have a chance to lose the weight

but ugly is forever. And that was an ugly thing you said.

[Book Lover]

25. A prudent man would have removed the links to his blog in his sig line

before posting that.

http://www.dvorkin.com/photos/dphoto.htm

But perhaps beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and other people here will come to a different judgment than I have done after viewing your photos.

[distantearlywarning]

29. Heh.

Now that's damn funny.

Doesn't it always seem like it's the men who have the least room to talk about attractiveness that always seem to be the most bigoted about fat people?

[DavidDvorkin]

36. Did I say I consider myself slender?

I consider myself overweight.

[distantearlywarning]

48. Attractiveness isn't just about fat, dude.

You know, some studies link baldness to an increased risk of heart attack in men. That gives all the rest of us a perfect right to malign your character as much as we please, laugh at you, make snide comments on the bus when we have to sit next to you and so forth. After all, you are clearly an unhealthy individual who is contributing to high health care costs for everyone else. We would just be enabling you if we refrained from making nasty comments about your looks.

And we all know that women are looking for fit mates who aren't going to die of a heart attack before they help raise the kids, so you shouldn't be surprised when we say we think you're totally repulsive. It's just a simple matter of evolutionary fitness. And we're all very tired of being blinded by your shiny head when you go out in public. If you want to be treated like a person, well, all I can say is, you better get yourself down to a toupee shop post haste.

God, if only all the bald men would just get Rogaine or something. I am so sick of every man I meet who is my age being a hairless freak. It's like trying to date at the dog show, with little tufts sticking out the sides, or the ubiquitous comb-over. Disgusting. If you can't grow it, then at least shave it all off - the little fringe is just pathetic. Honestly, if the receding-hairline crowd would just take a little better care of themselves, they would be much more pleasant to look at. It would be a much better world if there weren't so many men losing their hair out there.

(Sucks, huh? Maybe next time you'll think twice about making nasty comments with a link to your pics attached. And no, I really don't find balding guys attractive. It's a personal preference.)

[DavidDvorkin]

49. Wow, you need an analyst

[distantearlywarning]

50. Truth hurts, huh?

:evilgrin:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

81. They're usually VERY concerned with how much women weigh. nt

[seabeyond]

63. bah hahahahha

i swear most of the guys acting like such male pigs are inevitably the ones that couldnt get a good lookin woman to even look their way

just sayin

[Runcible Spoon]

78. bwahahahahahahahhah!

OWNED! :rofl: :rofl:

[DavidDvorkin]

79. Not at all

As my reply made clear.

[Runcible Spoon]

80. denial ain't just a river sweetie.

it's OK, I'm sure people will still love you for your sparkling personality.

[blondeatlast]

83. Sorry, but yes, you are owned. nt

[blondeatlast]

82. No words, just...

:rofl:

and

:thumbsup:

[Marrah_G]

33. Take a look in the mirror. n/t

[distantearlywarning]

3. If no one were fat...

We'd have to think up some other group to stigmatize.

Who should it be? We're already harrassing gays, and it's not socially acceptable to look down our noses at blacks or Jews anymore.

Hmmm...I'm thinking maybe redheads. After all, England's already bashing on the "gingers", so why not us too?

[Snarkturian Clone]

31. No, it would be Pirates.

Then the pirates rights groups would be like "We Preferrrr the terrrrm Smugglerrrr-Amerrricans!!!"
Then the pirates will be offended at people saying "Arrrrr"... they'll be like "That's OURRRRRRR worrrrrd!!! ARRRRR!"

After pirates it'll be cats. The cats will get together and say "Meow we prefer the termer Feline-Americans mow!!!" And of course then the dogs will come along and say "Ruff we're called Canine-Americans now rrrrff!!" Then everyone will lament about a time in America when dogs and cats were held captive as pets to Human-Americans.

Then tall people with acromegaly will be like "We're not tall, we're Altitudely Inclined!!!!" and so on until every living creature walks around in full body grey jumpsuit burka-type clothes that make everyone look the same height,weight, and sex with voice-altering speakers so no one can be identified, but then the disabled will be identifiable, so then everyone will be required to sit down in a vehicle with a huge grey burka around it. Then, you'd still be able to tell what language people were speaking, so a universal translator will be used to transfer the person's voice into a neutral language that'll be received by your burka-vehicle's microphones and translated to your language.

:crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly: :crazy: :silly:

[distantearlywarning]

54. I have another idea.

Maybe we could just treat one another like human beings, all of whom have flaws but deserve respect regardlesss?

Really freakin' crazy idea, I know, but maybe it would be worth a try sometime.

[Broken_Hero]

64. Probably heavy metal fans

or superman fans, which means I'm uber fucked either way.

[blondeatlast]

84. People with bad teeth. They are already prohibited from appearing on TV or at nightclubs; shaming

them in public'll be easy...

I kid, of course (I hope it's obvious anyway...).

[babylonsister]

4. No more 'cushion for the pushing' or 'dunlap' jokes?

:wow:

[phantom power]

5. If we all had perfect teeth, the increased albedo would reduce warming!

[flvegan]

6. What if proper nutrition was taught in all our high schools?

And no, not nutrition courses paid for by McDonalds or ConAgra or big beef. Granted, high school kids will still eat fast food and crave junk, but at least they'd have the knowledge to practice proper nutrition when they matured.

99% of drivers know exactly what fuel to put in their cars, but far fewer know what they should be eating. I think that this is a major part of the problem.

People who are obese shouldn't be subject to harassment, no.

[RadiationTherapy]

17. Jesus Christ. Thank you for saying this.

I am so piss sick of this American "calories are calories" ignoramus crap. I have been teaching my daughter nutrition since before she could speak. I was mocked for cooking her a wheat-free, sugar free, banana-strawberry, maple sweetened cake for her FIRST birthday. My MIL pulled me aside and asked me to let her go and get a "real cake"; all that sugar and petro-based colors for a ONE year old. I was mocked for not feeding her pig and cow and french fries and fast food. I was told that she would grow up and only want meat lovers pizza and McD's.

My daughter will be raised educated about foods. Not indoctrinated with unfounded rules. Even now at age 6.5, I let her make her choices about foods. She is very disciplined and rarely finishes a piece of cake at a b-day party. It is just too sweet for someone who's desserts at home are 95% fruit.

[Dorian Gray]

28. I agree

Proper nutrition should be taught to everyone. Grains like Quinoa and Millet. Vegetables like Chard and Kale.

[Captain Angry]

7. It's pervasive.

I have a professor that makes cracks about heavy people fairly regularly. And in another class, it was hysterical hearing about new equipment that EMTs have to use to assist heavy patients. Or at least the class thought so.

A few years ago, I lost between 75-100 pounds. I don't look "fat" but I've been pretty heavy. So, I still have a little of the persecution complex that articles like this gave me. So, in my class where everybody thought it was funny, I got really sarcastic. "Yeah, isn't that great? People that have diabetes or other disorders that can cause weight retention and such, MAN they're funny."

That didn't bother them in the least. Some people suck.

These people think that obesity is a choice. In some people, it can be. My grandmom had diabetes, she ballooned up, her legs had to be drained regularly, etc. She didn't choose that one.

Where's the article about what if nobody drank alcohol? What if nobody smoked? What if nobody drove cars?

[guardian]

8. What's your point?

What if there were no Republicans? What if I shit gold bars? What if you had a brain? Fantasizing things that you can't change is a waste of time.

[Systematic Chaos]

9. Then that would mean that the megacorps had a conscience.

It would mean that they weren't all conspiring to produce huge quantities of genetically altered, pesticide-, hormone- and corn syrup-laden food; to push on us from the day we're off the cow's milk formula bottle; to make us all sick and therefore dependent on all kinds of drugs whose side effects are often worse than what they're supposedly treating; to keep us alive just long enough to further line their pockets and steal yet more wealth, power and freedom from the rest of us.

Sounds about right to me. :shrug:

[El Pinko]

11. I think calling this article "harrassment" is a bit of a stretch.

It just makes the point that if all the overweight people dropped a few pounds it would benefit society as a whole, and it would.

I don't think anyone's deluded enough to think that everyone in America will ever be thin.

But the costs of obesity are real - the article wasn't framed in a demonizing way, so it didn't bother me (formerly obese, BTW).

[Lex]

13. Better still, what if no one were stupid and insensitive.

That would be even better, imho.

[Kaufman_Lib]

14. Tolerance apparently doesn't extend to people of girth. Sad really.

n/t

[Missy Vixen]

18. It's amazing to me that those who "nanny state" the fat have nothing better to do with their time

Then again, it's good to feel morally superior, isn't it?

Julie

[sam sarrha]

15. it has survival aspects.. back at the beginning of the last bad weather change all the skinny people

starved the first bad winter after the first bad crop failure before the last ice age.. pretty soon if you cant gain 60 pounds before winter you will be eliminated from the gene pool.

[tsdraegeth]

16. .

It is so rude to remind people that if they changed unhealthy behavior, it would benefit everyone, including themselves. I know that my dear obese great-aunt Mildred would have stood up for this proposition if she could have.

[OwnedByFerrets]

20. We are one of the last

sections of society where its always good for a laugh. And now we are being blamed for high gas prices too?:rofl: Sounds like something monkeyboy would come up with.....but of course, it would only be fat democrats.:rofl:

[Horse with no Name]

42. Well to be fair

I'd ride my moped to save gas but I'm too fat and I flatten the tires...

[OwnedByFerrets]

72. ...

;) ;-)

[RadiationTherapy]

22. It is true. I am tired of people who eat FAR MORE than their share

acting as if they have a right. It is no different from the SUVs. No different from the McMansions. It is shortsighted and unnecessary.

There are medical and drug related issues for SOME people, but, in my anecdotal experience, every one of my fat friends is fat because of calories in vs. calories out. For those of you who's weight is affected by these conditions and drugs: Good luck and I hope you can maintain your health. I am sorry you encounter so much insensitivity. For those who have an overeating disorder, the same luck and well wishes to you. It is difficult.

To those who eat "as much as they want because they can" and are overweight because of it, I ask: If you could magically wish away the fat and be lean and healthy, would you?

[bbgrunt]

47. I guess we ought to just kill off all those

"useless eaters" who are unemployed, retired, disabled, or who, in anyway offend your sense of entitlement to their SHARE!! After all, they are really unnecessary and keeping them around is pretty short-sighted. I am also offended by those who have an overly inflated sense of righteousness. How DARE they!!!!

[RadiationTherapy]

52. You have misunderstood my post. It regards those who eat to the point

where those you mention are left out.

[bbgrunt]

55. your subject line says it all:

"It is true. I am tired of people who eat FAR MORE than their share acting as if they have a right. It is no different from the SUVs. No different from the McMansions. It is shortsighted and unnecessary."

and while you feign to show compassion to those with special conditions you suggest that every one of your fat friends is simply overindulging and eating too much simply because "they can".

I dare say you have never had a weight problem, but I'll bet you have deprived yourself somewhat to remain thin and thus feel justified in determining what is causing others to be fat. That is why you can condemn overweight people so casually (careful to avoid the quicksand of those with metabolic disorders). However, I have yet to meet a person who overeats simply because "they can"-- as if they wanted to be overweight and it were simply a matter of not stuffing their fat faces.

So, basically, you are saying people are fat because they want to be with the extra kick that "THEIR SHARE" of food is being exceeded and thus they are contributing to environmental crises. If you can so clearly determine what different people's share consists of, then it seems clear to me that those who are not contributing to the total output are also exceeding "their share."

It seems to me that the WHOLE human race exceeded its share long ago--no reason to further pile on fat people.

[RadiationTherapy]

65. Every one of my fat friends is lazy and eats too much.

I see people eating just because they can all the time. I'm fat and I over eat. I'm fat and it is because I eat more than I need. Since there are people in the world who do not get enough, I have to think that I am eating more than my share. I acknowledge it and am changing my habits. I wish I had deprived myself more often because I have eaten and digested far more food than I have ever needed.

Fat people are not immune to criticism. And, obviously, one must be informed before criticizing.

[bbgrunt]

68. in Steven Colbert style, "your apology is accepted".

I never have problems with people characterizing their own habits or situations, it's just too easy to generalize about others based on that. bon apetite.

[RadiationTherapy]

70. I am generalizing others. The ones who have control but do not exert it.

[treestar]

67. Not always true

It depends a lot on age and metabolism.

As for eating "more than their share" all Americans do that.

[Missy Vixen]

69. Do your "fat friends" know how little you think of them?

I know I'd want to know if one of my "friends" held me in such disdain.

I have hypothyroidism as a result of a dead thyroid. Should I wear a sign so I'll be acceptable to you? After all, it's your business, isn't it?

Julie

[RadiationTherapy]

74. Why would I "think little" of them. I have friends with SUVs.

I have friends with McMansions. And I have friends who are gluttonous. So what?

[Missy Vixen]

75. You've made it clear that you sit in judgment of others

including those you call "friends".

Actually, I feel sorry for your friends. Surely they could find someone else to spend their time with that actually liked them as people.

Julie

[Name removed]

85. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[GoesTo11]

23. Social security might go bankrupt

All those people living longer. It would be as bad as the drop in smoking. :sarcasm:

[lisa58]

24. my clothes would fit

[dysfunctional press]

26. it would be a lot more fun to go to the beach.

nt

[madinmaryland]

30. No more Jenny Craig Commercials!!

:woohoo:

I don't care how much weight Dan Marino lost!

[slackmaster]

32. We'd look a lot more like the French

Rather than the Germans as we do now.

[krabigirl]

58. Unless you count my French SIL and MIL. They aren't exactly thin...

[Silver Swan]

34. I liked this response to the article.

http://ccafeteria.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-is-us-in-recession-because-of-all.html

[pleah]

61. That was excellent!

:applause:

[Mountainman]

37. You know money is more important than people. If we can save money and sacrifice people

well then that's ok. Just measure everything by the money you can save. :sarcasm:




I never understood how you save money by spending it. I buy a plane ticket, there are no overweight people so I get a refund? Makes no logical sense unless you can prove that airlines will reduce the cost of a ticket if we were all slim. Less fuel translates into less cost thus lower ticket prices?

[bbgrunt]

38. I guess there are not enough blacks, jews, hispanics,

welfare recipients, perverts, homos, liberals, elitists, redheads, and smokers to hate. The objective is, in the end, to hate everyone but yourself---and then to hate yourself because no one loves you. Then you either join the brownshirts or commit suicide.
Either way, you are no longer the source of friction for those in power.

[theboss]

39. I propose the "Take Your Fat Ass for a Walk Act of 2008"

Good times.

[defendandprotect]

40. What if we were all Vegetarians/Vegans traveling in electric cars????

Heaven . . .

[LeftinOH]

43. That scenario already has a name: Europe.....

...sure, there are overweight Europeans, but not many *very* overweight people. And, the giant belly-hanging-over-the-belt/gigantic-behind squeezed-into-stretchpants phenomenon is very rare.

[Perry Logan]

44. God seems to want some of us to be big. God loves biggies.

[leftofthedial]

45. What if no one were ugly?

What if no one were stupid?

What if no one was a repuke?

[bdamomma]

46. well if the food prices continue to rise, alot of people will be shedding

alot of excess weight.

[Silver Swan]

73. And starvation is good?

Why?

[KamaAina]

51. Belly dancing would suck big green rocks?

:shrug:

[Scout]

56. then the health nazis and fat bigots would have to find someone else to shit on. n/t

[poppysgal]

57. what if no one

were human? What if everyone was perfect because they weren't real? What if we were all Stepford people. Then we would reduce all diseases, we would reduce all food costs and the only thing we would have to replace would be parts (nut and bolts and circuit boards) and oil. Wow, what a world. :wow:

[krabigirl]

59. Depends. No one 10 lbs overweight, or no one obese?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

86. 10 lbs overweight would become The New Obese in that case. nt

[pitohui]

60. what if nobody was an innumerate fuckwit?

Airlines would double their profits

er, just so that this writer will know next time, the double of zero is still zero

i'm not old enough to remember the last time "airlines" and "profits" could be realistically used in the same sentence

anyhoo i'm not even chubby and i'm offended by this obvious propaganda/hate piece -- there are other errors in the piece too but i'm too tired to point them out so i leave them as an exercise for the reader

what if nobody was taller than 5'8", we'd have all these same wonderful benefits, oh, but it's okay to hate on the fat people(fat is ugly) but not okay to hate on the tall people (tall is beautiful, apparently)

i wonder if we'll ever see a day when it isn't cool to hate people for their looks?

disclosure, while i'm not overweight, yes, i'm just another deeply embittered short person who never got a discount on a air ticket for taking up less weight or room

[seabeyond]

62. what if we lived in utopia. ????? n/t

[treestar]

66. The standard would go down

"fat" would include people now considered mid-sized.

People always have to feel superior about something. They look around and find someone whose skin is darker or who has more meat on their bones and decide they're going to be superior on that. Beats having to actually achieve something.

[pleah]

71. The world would be a very boring place!

Variety is the spice of life!

[slampoet]

76. It reminds me of Stanley Matis in the film "Complex World" when he was singing, "We could feed the..

....whole wide world if we just didn't feed the broads."

[lonestarnot]

77. mmmm! 3 more pots of tater salad! Liv'n large!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

87. Jesus, the writer of that article is an asshole.

Fuck you Shirley Steel. Just fuck you.