[Vision2020] Obesity Compared To Tobacco: Premature Deaths: Physical Activity & Obesity

[Saundra Lund]

Ted asked:

"Can you provide a reference to the study that claims obesity is the number
one cause of premature death in the US?  I have not found any credible
evidence that obesity has overtaken tobacco as the number one cause of
premature death, though obesity has increased, especially among children.
It would be interesting to look at this study, given it contradicts the
Center for Disease Control."

 

Sorry for the delay in responding, Ted - this got lost in my Inbox, and then
my motherboard started dying, etc.

 

In any case, I was slightly mistaken about the study I was recalling - it
wasn't specific to the US and it only looked at men:

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed
<http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=19
244221> &pubmedid=19244221

 

Combined effects of overweight and smoking in late adolescence on subsequent
mortality: nationwide cohort study

 <javascript:AL_get(this,%20'jour',%20'BMJ.');> BMJ. 2009 Feb 24;338:b496.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.b496.

 

"Conclusions Regardless of smoking status, overweight and obesity in late
adolescence increases the risk of adult mortality. Obesity and overweight
were as hazardous as heavy and light smoking, respectively, but there was no
interaction between BMI and smoking status. The global obesity epidemic and
smoking among adolescents remain important targets for intensified public
health initiatives."

 

And, of course, I'm sure you know there have been a boatload of studies
published since the 2005 CDC study you cited showing obesity to be as great
a predictor of premature death as smoking - just go to PubMed and you can
pull up recent studies with more than you ever wanted to know about obesity,
morbidity, and mortality.  Indeed, the more research that's been done in
recent years identifying the multitude of ways obesity negatively impacts
health, the more researchers are predicting obesity will greatly eclipse
smoking as the leading cause of premature death in all adult age groups.

 

Look, the point is that neither obesity nor smoking are "healthy" and both
individually are huge predictors for premature death, and not just in the
US.  I guess I just didn't understand your interest in minimizing the risks
associated with obesity and premature death.  In fact, lots of people who
have experienced both "addictions" think the food addiction and developing
healthy eating habits is much, much more difficult to beat than tobacco,
particularly in these times when more Americans are eating out - or grabbing
food to go - than in this country's history . . . well, at least until the
GOP's policies created the economic crisis.  With smoking, you can just
completely give it up, which isn't something one can do with food.

 

And, if our City Council is going to get in the business of prohibiting
legal behavior, why shouldn't they get in the businesses of telling local
restaurants to serve healthier foods???  Regardless of activity levels, Ted,
high fat diets aren't healthy for anyone, nor are the low fiber foods that
are epidemic on the Palouse.  I've heard more people than I can count
comment that the most veggies they eat are from when they eat in
restaurants, which is a sad commentary.  And, with a few notable exceptions,
I've heard lots & lots of comments about the lack of affordable and healthy
vegetarian options when eating out, both in the community and in our
schools.

 

Of course, I don't think our City Council should be in the business of doing
either, but since they've done one, why not the other?

 

 

Saundra Lund

Moscow, ID

 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.

~ Edmund Burke

 

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2009 through life plus
70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
author.*****

 

 

 

 

From: Ted Moffett [mailto:starbliss at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2009 3:33 PM
To: Saundra Lund
Cc: bear at moscow.com; Tom Hansen; Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: Obesity Compared To Tobacco: Premature Deaths: Physical Activity &
Obesity

 

Saundra Lund v2020
<mailto:vision2020%40moscow.com?Subject=%5BVision2020%5D%20Draft%20Ordinance
%20Banning%20Smoking%20in%20Bars&In-Reply-To=1f0ec0aaa8f65b5a1a10e2ee96d4b9e
f.squirrel%40secure.fsr.com>  at ssl.fastmail.fm 
Wed Jun 24 11:15:40 PDT 2009 wrote:

 

Let's see . . . obesity is either the #1 or #2 cause of premature death in
the US depending on what study you read. 

-------------------

Can you provide a reference to the study that claims obesity is the number
one cause of premature death in the US?  I have not found any credible
evidence that obesity has overtaken tobacco as the number one cause of
premature death, though obesity has increased, especially among children.
It would be interesting to look at this study, given it contradicts the
Center for Disease Control.

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