[boplicity]

That may be true for most people, however, there are many conditions that cause obesity outside of those two factors. Unfortunately, people are judged for being obese, even if it is due to a chronic illness or other factors outside of their direct control.

Nothing wrong with promoting healthy eating and exercise, but unfortunately, this often turns into negative judgement against people that do not deserve it. These negative judgements often cause real harm. I know people whose doctors have dismissed all symptoms of real diseases, simply because they were obese. "Just lose weight" is what they've been told, far too often, when, in fact, there were serious conditions that needed immediate treatment.

So yes, promote healthy habits, but please do so carefully, and without judgement.

[PuppyTailWags]

Voicing an agreement with this. We know certain serious health conditions can actually cause obesity, so excessive attribution of symptoms to weight often makes things worse. More than once I've come across cases where someone's obesity is used to eg. overlook unexplained weight loss (an obvious cancer indication).

[lotsofpulp]

When 70%+ are overweight, 40%+ are obese, even in age 20 to 30, and 20%+ are obese in age 12 to 19, I think it is reasonable to make statements referring to the population at large needing lifestyle changes.

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statisti...

[PuppyTailWags]

Applying broad population-level statistics over the individual patient is inappropriate medicine. An obese person who is losing a medically significant amount weight without going on a diet should be a serious sign for cancer screening, not a "well, good for you" and having the obese person's concerns totally ignored. An obese person who is gaining medically significant amounts of weight without lifestyle changes should be a serious sign for fluid retention issues, kidney failure, etc., not a "eat less" and having the person's concerns totally ignored.

[lotsofpulp]

Yes, but when ChrisMarshallNY wrote:

> we need to eat less, and exercise more.

I interpret the “we” to refer to the collective as a whole (society that ChrisMarshallNY and the other readers on this forum belong to).

[ChrisMarshallNY]

That's what I mean. I meant it in the least judgmental way possible (fat lotta good that did, eh?). I feel that "we" Americans keep looking for "quick fix" cures, and people are more than willing to sell them to us, but the classics never go out of style.

[ChrisMarshallNY]

I'm sure as hell not one to judge. I'm not exactly Charles Atlas (so you now know I'm old, as well as plump).

I just do enough to try keeping the ticker going. Last time I checked, I was about 40 lbs over what I should be.

I walk three miles, each morning, and have (regretfully) stopped eating a lot of stuff I used to love (as I get older, more and more stuff disagrees with me. It's been years since I've had ice cream).

Nevertheless, I still wear pants with a waist bigger than the inseam, which is why I'm skeptical of their "math."