Americans getting too fat for x-rays/scans
 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/07/26...eut/index.html

In my opinion, instead of building larger machines, maybe medical experts should be working more on getting people to lose weight. If people don't care enough about their weight, then why should medical experts spend their time building machines to accomodate people's bad habits?

That's just my opinion.

Well, if people don't care to lose weight, how will pumping money into programs geared at making them lose weight work. I say, let them eat cake-and build the tubs bigger machines!

I suppose that's why I'm not a doctor. I'd tell people that they're too fat for any scans and to come back whenever they lose some weight instead of wasting my time creating machines which facilitate obesity.

What is most digusting of all, is the fat population is ruining everything for those of us who are NORMAL.

What happens when you make a MRI tube bigger? The diameter increases.
What happens to those of us who are of NORMAL size? We get further away from the actual scanner (In a MRI you are suppose to be a tight tube with little extra space around you.) and this results in a lower quality scan.
What does this mean? Because of the population that cant take care of them selves they are in turn killing (or at least hurting) those of us who do. You know damn well hospitals wont be able to afford to have a normal person MRI and a fat person MRI.

I find it pathetic really.

I'm with Infinite_Loser on this one... doctors just should help them lose weight, not pretend its not there and make the machines bigger.

Unfortunately, the medical profession doesn't do enough to help people lose weight. In fact, it's better for the medical industry if people are overweight. Being obese causes a person to to be stricken with health problems and diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. People with health problems need to take drugs and be under constant medical care, which pumps more $$$ into the medical industry. Also, creating and providing larger and more powerful medical equipment means more $$$ for the medical equipment industry. The FDA also supports this by misinforming the public about appropriate dieting. It's all a big mess.

So, I am in agreement that doctors should focus more on curing obesity, but the medical industry does not support this. It's left up to the public to inform themselves, and that's a losing battle.

That's like saying "Hey, some people smoke, how about we not give them treatment for lung cancer.

Here's my opinion. To start off with, I'm a pretty big guy. Being overweight and going to a doctor, they pretty much always mention weight loss. It's not like something a doctor ignores, they always try to convince you to lose weight and try to help with that. Saying the doctors are just there to keep people fat to make money is ludicrous. If you really believe that, you don't look around enough to notice diabetes advertisements telling you how to prevent it, same with other issues.

Should they build larger x-rays/scanners for larger people? Yes. Saying that ill people don't deserve medical attention because they're overweight is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. "Broke your leg? Well, we won't know for sure until you go jog some laps and lose some weight."

"Lung cancer? Well, take some deep breaths, do a little yoga, and come back to us in 6 months and we'll see if you've lost some weight so we can help you out"


I think that almost pushes this thread into tilted paranoia... Unless you're a radiologist I don't think you have the understanding to be able to say that "Larger MRI=Dead Normal people" As much as you can choose not to trust the government and the FDA I don't actually believe that they would put out a machine that did not work for the general population in addition to the overweight population.

Um... what do you want them to do? I guarantee you every doctor tells fat people they're fat. Do you want them to lock them in a room and force them to exercise?

You dont have to be a radiologist. MRI's work by using powerful magnets. With sensors they can determine the differences in magnetism in various forms of tissues.

Magnetic power is directly affected by distance. By extending the distance the power, and thus the clearity of the picture, is lowered. Lower quality of a picture leads to increased problems.

Sorry, the medical profession does not at all need job security, come on.

Not exactly.

It's not a matter of whether people "deserve" medical tests and diagnostics, it's a matter of can medical centers offer the same treament options to all, equally? I don't think that larger machines encourage obesity, they're SO freaking expensive, it's not like movie theaters who upgrade their seats to accomodate the larger American bum, you know?

It's just yet another reason people need to take their health and fat content seriously. It is going to degrade not only one's health, but the quality of healthcare they get. I truly do understand it's not just a matter of "Get out and lose the weight, Mr. Scapegoat!". It's a huge process for which one has to be emotionally prepared and willing to go through. I do think that many, many people convince themselves that they *can't* when in fact they certainly can. But until *THEY* reach that point of accepting the responsibility and the task (much like smokers or alcoholics or some drug abusers), no one can guilt, pressure, or whatever else someone else into doing something they are not willing to do.

God dammit, I wish we focussed more on healthy eating habits. It's disgusting what fast food, lack of food education, and body image has done to our society as a whole.

Ok on a completely unrelated note that maybe will help out some of you someday if you go into health professions.

When it comes time for anatomy lab, be sure to get a skinny body. Luckily someone warned me about that prior. Anatomy is hard and disgusting enough as it is without cutting through a foot of fat to get to the parts you are supposed to study.

Its not just fast food its restaurant economics. Look at the size of the portions at most restaurants. I'm not sure how you tie in body image though, I thought the whine about body image was people were too thin.

If they have to pay for two seats on an airplane, then let them pay double for a larger machine. Do HMOs cover gastric bypass surgery?

Hi, my name is warrrreagl, and I'm fat.

And pretty ashamed of it too. I hate the way I look. I have no excuses, but there are plenty of reasons. My wife deserves better (she's in great shape) and my cats deserve better (they have nightmares that I'll step on their tails). I lose weight from time to time and get close to my target, but then something goes wrong, my weight shoots back up, and I end up weighing more than I did when I started.

My father is in FANTASTIC shape and he runs, lift weights, walks, bicycles, etc. He's 74 and looks younger than I do, so I can't blame it on genetics. I'm just a disgusting fat-body. I don't want to be. I'd LOVE to be smaller because I really like wearing nice clothes and I want to be healthier for my family.

It's hard. I know that I need to simply eat less and excercise more, but the routines always fall apart after a few days. I can cognitively tell you EXACTLY what I need to do and should be doing, but I just can't make myself stick with it. And what's even worse is that I get nasty with Grancey when she tries to help out, so she's totally lost as to what to do.

Me, too.

Blame me for the stretched-out MRI's.

Some cover it. At least in Texas the teachers insurance covers it because two years ago my gov teacher was a pretty big lady and she was in a legal battle with my school district since it didn't cover it even though by law they were requird to.

Being a former heavy weight, although not medically obese, I find myself in a category not unlike those of exsmokers in that I have little tolerance for those who complain they're fat as they shove potato chips and big macs down. I understand that it's work and commitment to lose the weight and it has to be a desired goal. As a 200 lb pregnant woman, I couldn't fit into restaurant booths, I couldn't walk more than a few feet without sitting down to rest. As a 175 lb 'fatty', I had trouble with my knees, among other things. I'vd had MRI's done back then and I don't think I would have fit with another 25 lbs tacked on, but today's MRI's are 'open'-you're strapped down ala the bride of Frankenstein and the machine comes down on top of you and scans you. CAT scans are tight, but they're not THAT tight-you'd have to hover around 600 lbs to not fit in one.
As stated, I'm a bit intolerant of obesity, but this sounds like just another scare tactic aimed at the overweight-that they won't be able to get any help for all the maladies already associated with obesity because, well, sorry, Big Guy, you won't fit in our stuff.
Of course, the simple solution would be get out there and lose the weight and it'd be great if all made the effort. But, as it is with us pariahs, the smokers, it's easier said than done.

If we're going to focus on blaming the medical profession for not treating obesity, we have to blame insurers too. Too few insurers have caught on to preventative medicine, because they don't want to pay out unless there's a problem. Despite the fact that preventative medicine costs less, lots of insurance doesn't pay for it yet. A lot of insurers don't cover appointments with dieticians, when they should.

The fact is, the blame lies with the American people. Our lives have gotten more and more sedentary with time as we eat more and more unhealthy foods. We have no idea what a real portion size looks like. I doubt many of us weigh out our foods or label-read. I think a great many people really have no idea what they're putting into their body, and I think many of them don't care--modern medicine will fix it. Well, sorry, but obesity is one of those things you can't fix in modern medicine without major surgery, and in the meantime, the extra weight has taxed your cardiovascular system and joints to the point of permanent damage. This will remain true until we move towards a preventative model, which doctors are TRYING to do.

Besides, don't you imagine that it's a little fearful for the doctor to tell some 40-year-old woman she's obese? I can just see that fight. They may move slow, but they're heavy.

You're very lucky in that your father exercises. Have you considered exercising with him?

*SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

I love the man dearly and consider myself incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful father. However, he is the single most competitive man I've ever met, and there is no simple way to exercise with him (I've tried). He would demand ever-increasing distances each day with faster and faster times until I would have to kill him. Plus, he lives in another state.

He used to play pick-up basketball with the college athletes in the area until my mother made him quit. He would punk them so bad on the court that they kept knocking out his teeth in anger and frustration and my mother was tired of paying his dentist bills. THAT'S how competitive he is.

Actually that's how you're supposed to work out. If you dont constantly increase your distance, or alternate your program your body will decrease the effectiveness it gets out of said workouts.

Your body adjusts to what you do. If you do the same rep/intensity/distance/etc your body will produce just enough muscle to do it and then quit.

I did the exercise thing this fall but I'm too lazy. Luckily the 'less food in the piehole' method worked for me and it can work for anyone ;)

I still gotta hit the gym though, I would like to be a stud for a while before I get old and have to buy HGH at minor league ball parks.

Well, people aren't necessarily fat because they are stupid or lazy. They are just misinformed about what is healthy to eat and what isn't and how much food is too much.

At my last doctor's visit, he told me I was 20 pounds too heavy for my height. I also had high blood pressure & high cholesterol. He basically told me to lose weight and change my diet. OK, fine, but what kind of exercise and how much? What kind of diet? What foods will help me to lose weight?

Also, some people are overweight due to stress, a malfunctioning thyroid, and allergies to some foods. Diet can help, but what diet? Most people don't even know they have these problems.

Why can't doctors simply give out information on why people may be overweight and how to lose weight. Give out information on what foods are good and bad for losing weight. Maybe some doctors do this, but my doctor doesn't. Also, any information a doctor gives to a patient has to be approved by the AMA or some other authority. For example, a doctor can't tell a patient to follow the South Beach Diet because it is not approved.


I'm not necessarily talking about doctors only as the medical industry. A person gets fat, develops high cholesetrol and diabetes, and the doctor prescibes medicine. The drug company makes money. Do you think that the pharmaceutical company hopes that this person loses weight?

I agree with your statements for the most part, but I don't see the doctors trying to move toward prevention rather than curing.

My health insurance provider through work (HMO Blue) has just started a wellness program that is free to all employees that is a preventative program. However, my work and a handful other companies are the only ones in the state of MA that have such a program in place. So I do see the health insurance companies making an effort by offering the wellness program.

I go every year for an annual exam. Every year at this exam we discuss my BMI, we discuss healthy eating options for women, whether or not I exercise, whether or not I smoke, and whether or not I drink. The fact is--we need to be having these conversations with our doctors, whether they ask us these questions or not. We need to be equally proactive.

Doctor - "Just so you know eating an entire bucket of KFC extra crispy per meal is not a good idea if you want to lose weight."

Patient - "Oh really, I had no idea, why didn't someone tell me sooner!"

Blaming doctors for people being fat is like blaming doctors for not telling you its bad to stick a fork in your eye. Diet is a basic life style choice and it should be learned long before a doctor sees you. While a true 'balanced' diet might be hard to figure out, it shouldn't require a M.D. to tell you that donuts for breakfast, big macs for lunch, and fried chicken with extra beer is going to make you get fat.

I don’t see what the problem would be with building a higher power x-ray machine. A large portion of the population is big. It is what it is, we just have to deal with it, and it not going to change, at least for a long time. Building higher power x-ray machine would be catering to their needs. How is that bad? We have special medical equipment that is only used my a select amount of individuals, how is this different? I don’t think fair to simply say loose the way to tough shit.

Would this new machine hurt us in anyway? I can’t think of how it would.

It doesn't hurt anyone per se, but it does reinforce the notion that it's okay to be obese. Saying that "People are what they are" is simple ignoring the problem, in my opinion.

I still believe that medical experts should work to get people to reduce their weight rather than catering to obesity (If that makes any sense). If people don't want to be at an appropriate weight level, then that should be between them and themselves only. There isn't any reason to waste resources building machines for people who don't care about their health to begin with.

With extremely rare exceptions being fat is a choice a person makes. By making that choice they also choose to endure the inconveniences and possible early demise that come with it. I find it difficult bringing up tears for someone when they get what they chose.

I agree that it's not the doctor's fault for people being too fat. All I'm saying is that if a doctor advises a patient to lose weight, they should give them all the information available on how to lose the weight and get healthy. What would be so hard about giving a patient a diet and exercise plan to follow? Obesity is a form of sickness. If I went to a doctor for dealing with migranes, I would expect them to do more than just say "You have to get rid of those migranes". I would want them to help me to try to figure out what is causing them, and then prescribe some plan to cure them. If they couldn't figure it out, refer me to a specialist. Why can't they put the same effort in for curing obesity? It's much more common and more deadly.

Proper diet is not as easy as knowing that donuts and eating 12 pieces of chicken at KFC are not good dietary choices, that's obvious. But where does one learn what a good diet is? If your parents fed you a steady diet of pizza, soda, pancakes, and Big Macs throughout your childhood, that may become a normal dietary habit into adulthood. It's up to somebody to teach about proper diet. Do public schools teach this? Not during my schooling years, and I'm guessing public ed hasn't changed much. The food in the cafeterias certainly weren't geared toward weight management. Since obesity is a heath issue, doctors should do everything they can to help since they are the first line of attack in health care.

I think this is where I disagree. I don't see it as a sickness but as a poor life style choice. Doctors are not taught much nutrition beyond the basics, they are trained to deal with diseases. While the concept of your doctor covering all aspects of health in depth sounds great, its not practical, there is only so much training one can get, and specializing is the best way to get the best care for specific aliments. A lot of people want to promote the idea of the doc who does everything, but most of those people are really trying to lower costs, not improve care despite the words they use. I would say your doctors best path should be referring you to some sort of nutritionist but it’s a waste of a doctors training and limited time to explain to everyone how to eat.

I am in the same boat as Warrrreagl, I am a big person. I will always be a big person. When I was 18 I joined the Army at 180 lbs, I was 5 foot 7, and had a BMI of 29.9%, just under the max for females. Before I went to bootcamp they sent me to FTC(fat camp) basically, all you do all day there is work out. I was there for 3 weeks and I did not lose any weight. However my pushups, situps, and running greatly improved so they sent me on to bootcamp. When I graduated from boot I was bigger than ever. I had not lost a single pound, and the clothes I wore there would not fit. My jeans would not even go over my thighs. And I wasnt sitting around eating junk, yes it buffet style, but I had white rice and fish almost everynight.

Some people are naturally larger than others, we are not all petite 5 ft 2, and a 120 lbs. Why shouldnt there be different sized machines?

Have you ever counted the calories you eat vrs the estimated calories you burn? I hate to sound harsh but no one violates the laws of physics, and if your intake is less than your output you will lose weight. Some people have it easier, some are different body types, but only to a degree. I'm 6'1" and know that eating more than 2000 calories a day will start to put weight on me if I'm not working out.

It does seem like being fat is the new gay. Being in bad shape will kill you sooner. Being gay will only kill you sooner if you live in the South (badum bum).

If you're overweight and fine with it, that's cool. Understand that you will be considered less attractive to the average person, you'll have less energy, you'll get sick more often, you're clothes will have to tent over your tummy, and you are probably shortening your life. But you're free to do that. I see it as being similar to smoking (having been addicted to food and smoking in my life).

If you aren't fine with it, then do something about it. I'll do everything I can to help.



On the up side, no more claustrophobia in the cat scan machine for me! :thumbsup:

Well... No, and No...

Actually, there have been frivolous law suites for doctors telling people straight up that they are fat. They can suggest losing some pounds, and hint and wish all they want, but because of PC the phrase "You are too fat, and you NEED to lose weight" never leaves their mouths.

My cousin is an x-ray tech. Just working in the hospital, she sees overweight people come in with joint and foot problems all day long every day, and the doctors always do the same thing:

"Well, it would help if you tried to lose a little weight, but we're going to try this...."

Whatever this turns out to be, it never works, and they are back, telling the doctors that they still have problems, while being just as heavy, if not heavier.

And yea Ustwo, no one can violate a very specific law of energy... "Energy In + Energy Generated = Energy Out + Energy stored"
Energy In= Food; Energy Generated= Burned Fat; Energy Out= Work Your Body Does; Energy Stored= Fat Added to the Storeage.

I don't hold it against fat people, but for most it's a lifestyle they got used to from day 1 in this world. I have to imagine it's hard to break a routine you've had since a kid.

Personally I think we as a people are to focused on being "Full" when we eat. I eat until I'm not hungry anymore... Not until I'm "full" There is a differance.

An aside, I read an article the other day that said my generation is going to be the first in many many moons to make the average lifespan of a human DECREASE, due to heart related problems, mostly from being overweight.

Oh the pride.....

As far as the machines... Yea, I think the companies who manufacture them should offer larger machines. No thoughts on forcing hospitals to purchase them. And personally... Do I want a more powerful xray machine?? FUCK NO. I hate getting hit with those things as it is.

Eeeep! Thanks for the warning...taking anatomy in the spring :eek:

This is the problem I ran into last year after several surgeries caused my activity level to drop. I started packing on the pounds. To the tune of almost 30 lbs in a year. I tried to adjust my eating habits and found no success. I began to feel more and more tired. Finally I had to ASK my Dr for a Thyroid test (which btw was a little low) and I had to ASK my Dr how to loose weight. Until I did that all I heard was - yeah loosing a few lbs would be good too. Lotta help that was. Also I had to start doing a lot of research myself to find out what a better balance was for me. Only recently have I really started to loose any weight. The majority of the reason is not eating less because according to all sources I should not eat less than 1000 calories a day (and that's a low count from what I understand) and I've not been eating more than a hundred or two more than that on a regular basis. I am an active person too as well. The activity that finally started the weight loss was working construction for 8-10 hours a day in 90+ degree heat.

Point to me a single person... ONE SINGLE PERSON who does not know that if you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight.

It's not migraine headaches, it's simply eating too much and exercising too little. There's nothing to explain at this point, everyone knows. Fat people especially know they need to work out. I went through a back surgery and I couldnt work out for 1.5 years, I got fat. Afterwards I lost 40lbs in 3 weeks because *gasp* I burned more calories than I took in.

Stress does not make you gain weight, allowing it to prevent you from working out and eating right does.

VERY VERY VERY few people have the excuse of thyroid problems, not the 1/3 of Americans that are overweight.

And allergies? So you're allergic to broccoli... so you eat a dozen donuts a day? Please explain that logic.

And they dont know they have problems? If they wake up in the morning and can not find their penis.. no one is going to say they didnt know they're fat.

While I of course agree with what you are saying, this seems a bit 'hardcore' in terms of weight loss. I know most diets err well on the side of caution, but thats a ton for so short a time.

I totaly understand what you are saying about intake/outtake but my body holds its fat, I dont know why. I breast fed by son for a whole year and managed to gain 30 lbs. Who gains weight when they breastfeed? The only way that I can lose weight is by not eating carbohydrates, but that makes me terribly depressed. Some may say that there is not a link, but when I cut them out of my diet I am a crying mess, and when I add them back in its almost like I get high.
My weight doesn't bother that much though anymore. My energy level is average and I have never had the flu, let even a cold in the last ten years. What bothers me is other peoples perception of my character because of my weight, and that is just something that I will have to deal with, have dealt with.
Joke inserted here...Perhaps the apocolypse will come and when all the skinny people are rotting in the dirt from starvation, Waerrragle and I will finaly be considered "healthy" :D and besides, fat people are harder to kidnap :thumbsup:

I think environment is a big factor. The American diet is simply awful, and if people were fully immersed in Japanese, or French style diets their calorie intake would be greatly decreased because the portion sizes are more reasonable. I think many people genetically are not suited to eat the western diet and stay in a respectable weight - example certain Native American's gain enormous weight on the American diet simply because their genetics were designed to keep them alive in scarcity of calories.

So, I do think it is fair to point out that it is not equally easy for everyone to get to certain weights. I have always been scrawny - I can eat as much as I want and not get real weight, probably because I burn calories very quickly. On the flip side - I have great difficulty gaining muscle.

Exercise is good though, and doctors should recommend that everyone who is overweight get on a real exercise plan that is ambitious - that is one of the best ways to lose weight, because it will over time increase their metabolism and help them keep the weight off.

Thats a good point! Maybe its one of my problems because I am mostly American Indian and German. I gain muscle way to easily, and bieng a female that is not such a good thing

Muscle might not be great for weight, but its great for fat loss as it raises your basic metabolism. My wife didn't lose much weight while breast-feeding. She started a weightlifting program which helped her a ton. Exercises like cardio alone are not great for weight loss unless you really push it to an extreme most people don't have time for.

She lost weight but she also gained a lot of muscle which shaped her and made her look better.

You might also want to look into a doctor that specializes in weight loss as you sound very atypical and there might be an underlying issue. You seem to have a great attitude about it all but it sounds like something you would feel better about if you could change it.

Now some bad news is that a lot of American Indians are known for having issues with carbs as its not part of their 'natural' diet, which is a big part why diseases like diabetes is so high in their populations. You might need to do some experimentation with lower carb intake (not elimination).

hmmm. Thanks for the advice, I had never heard that before. I am gonna go do some research! :icare:

*sheepishly*

I had the opposite problem the last time I went in for x-rays...they said I was so skinny they couldn't get a good enough contrast, or something. Looking at what I perceive as my little poochy belly I have a hard time believing it, but I'm gonna believe the medical professional :)

I too, am skinny. Just a fast metabolism, hard as hell to gain muscle mass, but I never gain fat weight.

Now just a theory I've been tossing around for a few days, totally conjecture, but on the idea of overweight americans, and weight loss, I'm going to toss it out. None of this is meant to offend (i really dont think it will anyway, but... )

The american culture focuses heavily on gratification. Consider this. If from infancy and through child hood, you were to always eat until you were "full" I have to imagine this in turn would slowly stretch the capacity of your stomach out. Not a real big stretch of the imagination to see that as a possibility. In addition, as Americans, we eat what we want, not what we need.

Fast forward from an early life of always eating until gratification, and possibly stretching the stomach. Now your 25, 30, or whatever and want to lose weight. Now you try to diet, and lo and behold, it feels like starving yourself, because your stomach is larger than it needs to be.

The amount of office job, rather than physically demanding work, just compounds this problem. 40-60 hours a week you work in the office, and even as a skinny guy that would just like to gain some muscle and tone... Working out after that blows. You're still tired, and it's a major effort to force yourself to do it.

So while it is an individual problem, I think largely the issue stems from our culture.

As adults, we need to take care of the problems ourselves, but as parents, I think (as much as it might pain you to deny your child what he wants) we really need to encourage a good diet, not stuffing yourself, and a lot more phyical play time in order to arrest this growing (and I don't even want to use this term) epidemic.

Much easier said than done, but I think the only way to solve the problem as a whole, is to start from the earliest point possible, aka, early childhood.
(EDIT/NOTE: I am not a parent, and as we I refer to americans in general. I was always active as a child, I loved video games, but when the sun was shinning... I took full advantage of it)

That's exactly how it works. Some obese people get a stomach reduction surgery as a last, desperate resort but according to this study they really don't have to.

Seaver, you make it sound much easier than it actually is. It's not always the number of calories in vs. calories burned. It also depends on the kinds of calories you take in. For example, I went on the Atkins diet for 2 months back in January, and I lost 20 pounds without changing my exercise routines. The rules for Atkins is basically to eat as few carbohydrates as possible. However, a person can eat as much fat and protein as they wish. My weight didn't drop due to my decrease in calorie intake, but due to a process that my body went through called ketosis, which I won't try to explain in this post.

Fat can be decreased by eating low glycemic food (the ratio between simple sugars, like glucose, to complex sugars, like fiber). This is not common knowledge, but perhaps it sounds logical. As an example, 1 orange and 1 cup of orange juice both have a similar amount of calories. However, an orange is a low glycemic food and the OJ is a high glycemic food. Both are healthy foods, but only eating the orange will help you to lose weight.


Not entirely true. Stress can trigger a defense mechanism in the body that increases fat production in cells.

I agree, but still eating less and eating healthy won't solve the fat problem. Most people who suffer from this don't even know they have a bad thyroid, and doctors won't run this test unless you ask them.

No, you don't understand my point. There are people out there who are allergic to certain foods, such as gluten (a protein in wheat foods) for example, that causes internal inflammation in the body. The inflammation can cause higher water retention and fat production. Again, most people don't know they have this allergy because the only symptom is the inflammation. Not all allergies cause obvious symptoms like hives and sneezing.

Well if they were female, and they found their penis, then they would have bigger problems. :) Again, these people know they are overweight, but don't have all the information necessary to do something about it. It is my opinion that the medical profession should take more of an active role that I'm seeing.

I won't disagree with you, but I think this is still a fine line there.

OK, doctors are not well trained in nutrition, but are well trained in solving health problems that poor nutrition leads to. Perhaps if doctors are better trained in nutrition, then they would have less need to be well trained in curing diseases.

If a doctor is not responsible for explaining proper nutrition, then who is? A nutritionist, perhaps, but it is not common practice among the public to see a nutritionist regularly like they would a doctor. Perhaps it should be a mandatory subject in school like phys. ed. Unfortunately, I think the governments would prohibit schools from telling the truth about some foods due to pressure from big business. There really is no easy answer.

Losing weight isn't easy for everyone and it isn't hard for everyone. Thank goodness we live in a world of shades of gray instead of black and white.

I used to be a porker. I was an athlete in HS, but I had to have serious heart surgery, which impaired my exercise for years. I went from 180ish to about 240ish in a few years. When I got the okay from my doc to begin exercising again, it was a pain in the ars. I had grown used to being somewhat lazy. My diet had also gone down the tubes (I blame no one but myself for that one). I found out later that I had a food addiction to deal with stress and depression, but I digress. I had to seriously change my lifestyle and it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. I stopped eating red meat, I stopped eating complex and processed carbohydrates (think less doughnuts, more fruit), and I exercised for a few hours a day. Yes, it mucked up my schedule, but what's a schedule worth if you're fat and unhappy?

I could very well have been oen of the people who can't fit inside a cat scan or what have you. It would have been easy in the short run, but hard in the long run. Being fat really isn't too fun. You get out of breath tieing your shoes, you can't play with your kids in the way they want you to play with them, even wearing really nice clothes you still don't look your best, less engery for the luvin, and a plethora of other terrible things. Unfortunately, I have a few stretch marks that will always be there to remind me to do what I can to respect my body.

Do I think that building larger machines is enabling? Yeah. Do I think it's wrong? Not really. Are doctors responsible for the health of their patients? To a degree, yes. Doctors have to be part healer, and part motivator in order to help people overcome obesity. What if I had an ear infection, and my doctor said something like, "Well 1/3 of America has an ear infection, so take this medicine if you want to...", well what help would that be? Most people, in my humble opinion, are not usually self motivated. Maybe they should try this one, "You're sick, and the medicine is strict diet and exercise. Here's what you do..."

Ok what you're pointing out are foods that change the way you're body deals with the calories. In the end though, while some changes may make it easier or harder, bottom line is... A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. There are NOT differant kinds. A calorie is simply a measure of energy.

It's the other stuff in the foods you're eating that make it harder or easier for you're body to extract those calories, and what you're body does with them. Some thing perhaps, your body will just excreet rather than store, carb convert to useable energy easily, so they get stored first, etc etc.

So no, it's not so simple as that, however, bottom line... If you burn more than you intake, it WILL trigger your body to start using the energy stored in fat. Fats just take more work to make into useable energy, so if there is any possible way for your body to get "easy" energy (AKA Carbs) it will.

Calorie myth debuking time:

Let's say that tomorrow I eat: 1 bowle of Total in organic skim milk, 1 banana, 1 lean turkey sandwich with tomato, cucumber, and lettuce, and a cod fillet with steamed rice...all totalling to about 2200 calories. I exercise the exact amount nexessary to burn off 2200 calories (including sleep). Let's say that the day after tomorrow, I eat 2 McDonalds breakfast meals, Doritos, a few doughnuts, a Snickers bar, and Cheetos, totalling to about 2200 calories. Again, I exercise the exact amount nexessary to burn off 2200 calories (including sleep). Yes, calories are all the same because they are a base unit of measurement (in this case, energy). The problem is that's not the whole equasion. There are a million other factors, many of which are substantial, in how your body metabolizes food and liquids. Calories are an important part of the equasion, but they are not the only variables.

>>>Magnetic power is directly affected by distance. By extending the distance the power, and thus the clearity of the picture, is lowered. Lower quality of a picture leads to increased problems.>>>

Reply back when you have "talked" to a radiologist. My wife is an RN nurse and says you know zip about anything medical. She has talked with radiologists and assisted in people getting in and out of these machines. All this article talks about is the use of a medical term ! That means as this term is learned and used more and more in the medical field that this term will show up more on reports ! Read between the lines people ! The reason this term is used more is because more and more small town hospitals are starting to use the term and more and more older medical professionals who never used the term are retiring and new professionals are entering the field with that term in their vocabulary. Millions of dollars are spent on these x-ray, MRI, and other machines, they are tuned up and will always work just fine for 99% of the population. Just because you are normal sized or skinny in no way means you will "be killed or hurt" by having a larger machine. Some of the machines are hard to climb into. Some fat people used to kill themselves before they would ever see a hospital. Now more and more obese people are seeking treatments like stomach stapling and other treatments to fix themselves. If an obese person needs a scan or something along that process of self-healing, then they need a bigger machine opening ! To say that a larger opening is encouraging obesity is definitely paranoia to the nth degree.

Jonathan

Heh this sounds like one of those cute sounding things that the primary care advocates say which really means nothing. The other diseases are not going away reguardless of nutrition, so the doctors still need to be trained in them. Even if they go from seeing 100 cases of X to 1 case of X a year, you would hope they knew how to deal with that 1 case of X if it was you aflicted with it.

People need to take responsiblity for their own lifestyles. There is PLENTY of information out there and if they are too stupid or lazy to crack a book I have little sympathy for them. It would be nice if there were more nutrition centers or whatever out there, but most people are fat not because of a lack of education but a lack of desire to change. I view it like smoking, a bad habbit but no one put a gun to your head making you smoke, or eat that second helping for that matter.

Honestly, I couldn't disagree more with your statements. Yes, there is plenty of information out there, but much of it is contradictory and has little scientific basis.

For example, the food pyramid created by the USDA, which is the most recognized dietary outline to the American public, recommends that we eat 6 to 11 servings of bread, rice, cereal, and pasta per day. Most bread, cereals, and pasta are made from refined sugars. Intake of refined sugars are one of the root causes of obesity. This is scientifically proven.

The Atkins diet recommends eating as little carbohydrate as possible. The Pritikin diet recommends that 85% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Which diet is the right diet? Could they both be right or both be BS? Can you see how this might confuse the general public looking for a diet plan to lose weight?

I would bet any money that most obese people would rather not be obese. I would also bet that most of these people wouldn't say "I want to lose weight, but if it means giving up donuts and Big Mac's, then forget it". Overweight people who try to diet typically fail because they either don't work for them or they suffer from undesirable side-effects like fatigue, headaches, increased hunger, and sleep deprivation. The typical overweight person needs more help than they are getting from professionals in order to succees in losing weight. I say that starts with our medical professionals, who should spend time detailing programs for overweight people when they recommend weight loss.

The rebuttal of course is this... 2200 calories of Mcy D's food is going to keep you full for... Oh, and hour or two? That is not all you're going to eat. I acknowledged the fact that there are other influencing factors.

Mostly my post was discouraging the myth that there are "differant kinds of calories". How those other things effect your bady varies from person to person, but a balanced LIFESTYLE, is going to be the answer to the problem. That includes balanced nutritious diet, so your body can do its job. A balance of calories in vs calories out, and a balance of sleep to waking time. It's all interconnected.

Just because there are other factors doesn't mean any given person should throw the calorie balance out the window, was all I was saying.

I don't think this is any reason to not treat people, or grounds to criticise the obese as some have (probably only jokingly) suggested.

First up, the point of medicine seems to be treatment the sick. If you rule out a treatment for the highly obese you are on a slippery slope. What about those with lung cancer? Those with AIDs, others with heart disease? Liver damage from alcohol etc. What if we are presented with a repentant druggie? What about a motorcyclist with trauma/spinal? A skateboarder with a broken arm? Where to stop?

The second point is that health care is a business, at least as far as I see it. Unless I'm mistaken - this is not government funded on the whole in the US. Treatment cost must influence insurance costs though, and yep, I can agree with differential costs for various categories. Maybe.

But once again, if you are not careful - you start heading towards a system where only the healthy get covered and those with a genetic precondition, high weight, and so on will be cast adrift, left without cover.

And we should remember I think that many highly productive people (intellectually and economically) do not look after their health, either due to focus on work, family care and/or hobbies... It's easy to laugh at the fat person at the shopping centre - but their contribution to society may be much greater than the nearby pretty-young-thing in tights.