Obesity and Resources

A number of years ago I got involved in a flame war over the Internet, in which I argued that obesity was a bad idea. I was called heartless, I was called a fat basher, and I was called a sham. I have since then known overweight people whom I thought the world of, even loved; and I regret having said what I had said on the subject.

I will however address a much larger issues, and that is a moral issue. The issue is overconsumption of resources to the point that it's no longer even good for the people using them. People overconsume fuel and poison the air. People leave air conditioning running in their houses while they are away at work. People buy huge houses that they have to spend the rest of their lives working to pay off.

I choose to exercise; whether the next person does that or not is their business. However the overconsumption of resources is everyone's business. Everyone loses when someone chooses to drive a Hummer. Everyone loses through uncontrolled burning of oil and coal. Everyone loses when people ranch in the Amazon and leave the place a wasteland.

You will not see me say anything negative any more about fat people. But you will see me argue till I'm blue in the face that overconsumption of resources is the wrong thing to do. The next person's shape is not my business, but the health of the planet is my business and also everyone else's business.

I move from addressing obesity toward addressing overconsumption of resources.

 

Obviously the best thing anyone can do to protect the environment is to commit suicide. Second best is not to propagate.

 

And why do you get to judge if a person wants to set their temperature at 78 instead of 85?

Who appointed you God?

 

It seems to me overconsumption is bad by construction. If it wasn't bad, it wouldn't be overconsumption, it would just be consumption. So the question is where that line is drawn. Now, I will probably agree with you that the appropriate amount of food or sweets to eat is one that doesn't make you obese, but that is a matter of degree rather than fundamental difference, so it's hard to pin down exactly where to draw the line. Of course, in practice, it's going to be pretty obvious where that line is, but since it's technically arbitrary, attempting to enforce it puts us in a category of nanny-state-ing which is much harder to justify than the idea that being obese is bad.

 

So the question is; what do you do to combat this? You say you exercise...I generally find that most people that exercise eat more than people of the same body mass do, that don't exercise. Do you drive to work and then drive to the gym, and then drive home? You need to examine what you do that is overconsumption before you throw stones.

my wife and I have one car, she drives to work because the way is dangerous...I commute on my bicycle 8 miles each way, that is my exercise. I'm 54, retired military and still working...So have you tried commuting on a bicycle? Grow your own food, hunt, fish...What do you do that helps the environment because that is all you can do...You cannot control other people, it is not your right to impose your views on others...You do the best you can, and hope others will follow suit...lead by example.

 

I'm disabled, in pain at various levels 24/7/365 and have many other issues being fat is kind of my vice but I like good food that tastes good and sticks to ones ribs. I figure I'll die younger and leave an uglier corpse to cremate but I have to have some joy in life. If eating a slice of cherry pie makes me smile and eating a plate of good pasta gives me some pleasure then its what I enjoy using taxpayer money. But I live modestly I use a power wheelchair, take the bus and really don't own a lot of expensive frills even this computer was bought on sale on Black Friday two years ago and saved for it paying cash I saved up.

 

I do all of that (and more). And I agree with the OP. And I will keep imposing my views on others until the safety of the planet is secured for mine and your children.

 

Unless resources suddenly become infinite, you have every right and reason to protest the hogging of same by the few. In a planet with a finite supply of everything except sunlight, no one is justified in driving a hummer or running air conditioning around the clock.

 

depending how much one exercises, they could end up consuming more as their need for calories would grow if that was a concern .. catch 22

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let Coca Cola add cocaine back into their cola.... people will consume less as that is a appetite suppressant, one of the best in fact

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God appointed us guardians of the planet, according to theists. I have no clue how believers justify gross consumerism, given belief in a creator god who gifted us this amazing planet ... upon which we and our children and our children's children depend for survival.

I don't believe in gods, and I've managed to find a less harmful way. FINITE resources, remember.

 

being obese is bad, though. medically certainly, and emotionally bad for the individual's loved ones ... who will likely be bereaved sooner than they need to be.

 

Avoid Carbs,

then it is hard to become obese!

 

Imo, people are entitled to consume their earned assets as they see fit. Just don't expect me to pay your medical bills or living expenses. To add, no one should get food handouts that are not malnourished.

 

Actually believe it was dominion over the earth, which is why Conservatives are such turd blossoms.

 

Older people who refuse to slow dome and not be athletic over-consume healthcare resources with their aches, pains, sprains, and joint replacements.

 

Actually, you have to keep moving to get lymph nourishment to bone cartilege or it dies, which then allows the bones to grate on each other, causing joint destruction.

 

Moving doesn't require marathons.

 

to be fair, obese people can be malnourished, all being obese means is you ate too much in the past, not how much you ate in the present

 

Obesity in America is a HUGE problem. Three out of ten people are obese. And another three out of ten are overweight. This has been estimated to add an additional cost to healthcare around two hundred billion dollars per year.

 

And what if they can only afford carbohydrates because
1) they never learned to cook, protein
2) they can't afford anything but, carbs.

Consider America now has some 3 generations born and raised without
a home maker, but rather "bread winners".
A Home Cooked Meal has become Rice A Roni !

 

If you buy health insurance you are paying for others medical bills through higher premiums.

 

Here's the life and Schools of my time. https://youtu.be/fISgKl8dB3M

 

Why is adding to GDP a problem? Having a strong economy is necessary for national security. Fat people are the real patriots of America.

 

How is exercising reducing your consumption? By exercising, you are actually burning more calories, thus allowing you to consume more food without being obese. It basically allows you to consume as much as someone who is overweight and inactive, but appear that you consume less calories (resources). If you are really concerned about over consumption, you would stop exercising and eat less food.