More Obesity Business

Skatin' around the web as I do (especially now that spring break is here. Whee!) I ran across this article critiquing the CDC's analysis of obesity. Now, I've said myself that BMI alone is not an accurate measure of obesity. My problem with this article is that it trots out a list of muscled-up celebrities and actors, as if to say that the obesity numbers are massively skewed because they count built people as obese. So while the article does well to question that 61 percent obesity measure that's frequently cited, it suggests to the reader that that number is way off. Sixty-one percent is too high, but I suspect that if we control for all the people whose BMI is high because of muscle as opposed to fat, we're still over 50 percent; probably closer to 55. This is just another example in the long list of reasons why I hate politics. This article is published on a conservative website. If you read the article, note expressions like, "government-approved overweight and obese categories." I mean, hey-- it's cool to have different opinions and it's important and necessary to critique bad math and overblown media covering of issues. The fact that the death of any obese person is somehow attributed to their obesity is ridiculous. And yes, the coverage of obesity in the press and on the IB is out of control. But you know what? Issues like this are not even about liberal or conservative or Democratic or Republican. We all need to take more interest in healthy living, from increasing the amount of vegetables and fiber in our diets to getting more exercise; I'm the main one needing to watch his diet. Painting issues like this with a partisan brush helps no one. Having said that, let me say I'm all for the Cheeseburger Bill. How you gon' sue McDonalds because you got fat eatin' there? Ain't nothin' in McDonalds food addictive except the taste. In fact, there are nutrients in McDonalds food; you can't starve eatin' a Big Mac. May not be at the peak of health, but you won't starve. At some point, jokers just gon' hafta realize that you can't sue your way out of trouble. People hafta be responsible for their own lives. If I go into DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis), I can't jump up and try to sue Hostess. My fool hand shouldn'a put them honey buns and cherry pies into my fool mouth. Period. I'ma prob'ly be wrong for sayin' this, but if people did get money off'a McDonalds, half of 'em would prob'ly give 2/3 of the money back within six months.