[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.