Bawk, Bawk, Bawking Hot Links

The Simple Dollar: The Frugal Whole Chicken (or, Waste Not, Want Not)
I've been looking forward to roasting chickens again anyway (a year without an oven, remember?), and seeing again what a great budget option it is just makes me want one more!

New York Times - Better to Be Fat and Fit Than Skinny and Unfit
What concerns me about articles like this is that they don't sufficiently emphasize what it means to be "fit." Unless you read carefully and think about what it means, you could get the impression that being obese is not a problem and so you shouldn't take any action. In fact, the obese and overweight were more likely to show cardiac risk factors than the normal-weight subjects, and those who weren't at risk in all groups were people with a high level of fitness -- that is, people who exercise. This data isn't an excuse to sit on the couch with the Cheetos.

Poked and Prodded - In Weight Loss, Accountability Is Essential
It's true. I tend to plateau myself if I am not at least loosely tracking my calories.

Poked and Prodded - Alabama Slaps a Tax on Fat People
More signs that obesity is becoming the new smoking. I don't think it's a terrible idea to add accountability when we're talking something so clearly related to the obesity problem like health insurance. Doctor conversations don't do the trick for people, so maybe taking the same approach as to smokers will make a difference in the same way. Maybe.

2 comments:

  1. There was a documentary on PBS (I believe, but could be wrong) about how BMI doesn't take into account those people who are even extraordinarily fit and has them listed as obese. One person was a 5'6" man weighing 220, a professional decathlete. Every person was extraordinarily fit, but had BMIs well over the healthy 25. Their life insurance premiums were higher because of it and they were flagged with their medical insurance companies. Not fair. You're right, though. A person has to be extraordinarily fit to have a high BMI and still be healthier than a person at a perfect BMI.

    I think it's a slippery slope with Alabama, but I also think it's one of those necessary evils that will have to happen in order for health care/health insurance costs to come down in USA. If individuals are proactive about their health, they should be benefited with lower health insurance premiums along with the better health.

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  2. Insightful comment. Thanks for the info you've added!

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