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Europe catches up
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Posted by: samovar

I thought you might find this
interesting after the discussion some time ago on this board.

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Wlll Street Journal
REVIEW & OUTLOOK

French Women Do Get Fat
April 11, 2005; Page A22

We are not alone. That's the finding of new research out last month on the European diet. In terms of expanding waistlines, Europeans are catching up to and even surpassing the U.S. Most European Union countries show a rise in obesity across all segments of society, according to the London-based International Obesity Task Force, a coalition of scientists advising the EU.

Germany, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Malta have a higher share of overweight men than the U.S. Among women, only Greece's obesity rate (38%) tops America's (34%). Though the U.S. still takes the cake overall, the gap is narrowing. European children in particular are getting plumper: More than 30% of Spanish, Portuguese and Italian children between the ages of seven and 11 are obese or overweight.

Not even the nation with a claim to its own "French paradox" -- eat rich, stay lean -- is immune. "Obesity: A New French Illness" is the name of a book out recently by a French doctor and parliamentarian, who reports that 19.8 million of his compatriots are overweight, including 35% of French women. So much for the premise of Mireille Guiliano's best-selling diet book in the U.S., "French Women Don't Get Fat." In Paris, obesity is up 70% since 1997.

Another new book in France carries the charming title, "50 Good Reasons to Detest Americans." No. 15 is la gastronomie, as illustrated by cartoons of super-sized Yanks eating hot dogs and sipping mega-Cokes. But it sounds as if this cultural condescension is also out of date: The EU and America may soon be competing to cut calories, as well as tax rates.

Posted by: Vyesna

I don't think the US is so alone in having a significant portion of its population over the weight line considered "overweight" or "obese". The thing is that in other countries people may go over that line, just not as far as here-- ie, we have a lot more people who are 100 pounds or more overweight rather than the 30-50 pounds which are common as people get older in any country. Ie, we have a lot more morbidly obese people, and that's why people think we're so much fatter. There are a lot of overweight people in Russia, but they tend to be around 50 pounds rather than 150 pounds overweight.

Posted by: Jutman

Hi

You need to get the definition on spot. In my country, whcih I sadly must admit is properly one of these countries who are worst hit by the Amrican syndrome 'mega-size', the 2 levels are like +5 kg is overwigthed, but at +20 you're plain fat.

Posted by: sidney

I remember as a child attending the local fair and one of the side shows was to see the fat lady. Today you can see fatter on the streets of america for free. Maybe I'm showing my age but things have changed over these many years.
Sid

Posted by: Vyesna

There is a standard definition of overweight and obese, but beyond obese, there's no standard I don't think. So when they do the numbers, they're including the obese and the megaobese in one category-- and the difference between the two could be pretty big.

"Overweight" clinically means over your BMI. A healthy BMI can range up to a weight that is not ideally "thin" in looks but normal weight-- like 140 for a woman 5'5" (ie, just a tad fatter than Renee Zellewegger in Bridget Jones). Some people would say that woman is overweight, but she's actually not from a clinical health perspective, although one could say she could lose 10-15 pounds to look better. Conversely, 100 is underweight for a woman of the same height but that's exactly what Hollywood standards are (and the weight RZ dropped to) and are not necessarily healthy.

I personally think the Greeks got it right--moderation, moderation, moderation.

Posted by: Pin Boy

moderation! yes, that is the key. i try to live by that one.

read a book a few years ago by the radio host and very sensible dr. dean edell. title of the book was "eat, drink, and be merry." and moderation was basically the theme. easy laymen's read with humor, good advice, and debunking of all the snake oil salesmen who have come back around again.

pin boy

Posted by: Vyesna

Quote:

Originally posted by Jutman
Hi

You need to get the definition on spot. In my country, whcih I sadly must admit is properly one of these countries who are worst hit by the Amrican syndrome 'mega-size', the 2 levels are like +5 kg is overwigthed, but at +20 you're plain fat.

Obese is a BMI of 30+-- for a 5'5" woman, around 180 pounds or more. Healthy, ie, not overweight or underweight for a woman of that height is between about 113 and 150 pounds according to standard definitions. Overweight is typically between 25 and 30 BMI, or about 155-180 lbs. A lot of people would say a woman of 155 lbs at that height is overweight by about 20 lbs, when in fact she is just at the edge of the clinical definition of overweight. Therefore, if the percentages in the article are true of people who fit the definition of obese in those countries, they are not 20 lbs overweight, but 50 or more pounds overweight.

Posted by: Pin Boy

the BMI as a measure has generated some controversy of late...in recent weeks, there was an article that according to the BMI (i forget the exact percentage right now) but a surprising percentage of NBA players are "overweight" and some even "obese" according to their BMI measurements...NBA players, as most people know, are extremley fit if you leave out a couple exceptions like recently retired Shawn Kemp (father of about a bazillion illegitimate children - totally different topic) and the 80's flop "Dinner Bell" Mel Turpin who ate himself out of the league

but, looking around this country, just about anywhere, the sight of so many double chinned, sloppily dressed waddlers is depressing. BMI or no BMI, many Americans could use some cutting back in their diets and add more exercise in their day.

Pin Boy

Posted by: Vyesna

BMI is not intended for athletes who have more (heavier than fat) muscle than most people. I'm sure the double chinned waddlers you see are beyond their healthy BMI-- they are in the obese category, over 30 BMI.

Posted by: Pin Boy

what about the person who is fit and a good amount of exercise is part of their lifestyle? i guess if you fall into that category, you should ignore BMI.

the simplest indicator, in my opinion, is not the scale and the indexes, but how your clothes fit. that's what i go by. related to that, often i will keep a small notebook and write down what i eat each day. the goal is to keep the list as short as possible to sustain me and also be nutritious. it also helps that i have a part time job at a gym for which i basically get paid and a free membership to work out. i'd be there anyway so i just babysit the place (real barebones kind of joint) and lock up on my way put. if they only had beer and dancing girls, it'd be the perfect part time job. come to think of it, the aerobic and kickbox classes are just about the same as dancing girls. now, to get that keg in there....hmmmm.

pb

Posted by: Vyesna

Quote:

Originally posted by Pin Boy
what about the person who is fit and a good amount of exercise is part of their lifestyle? i guess if you fall into that category, you should ignore BMI.

pb

There are some people who are healthy beyond 30 BMI, but I would guess it's pretty few and only those with a lot of muscle. But even a lot of muscle can take it's toll on the heart. I think the BMI range is pretty reasonable, at least I've found it to be.

Posted by: Pin Boy

i guess a person would tend to find it reasonable as long as they fall into the recommended range

otherwise, it's hogwash!! pass the oreos! and skip the skim milk, gimme the real stuff!

pb

Posted by: Vyesna

Quote:

Originally posted by Pin Boy
i guess a person would tend to find it reasonable as long as they fall into the recommended range otherwise, it's hogwash!! pass the oreos! and skip the skim milk, gimme the real stuff!

pb

Oh, so women beyond the range aren't fat if they exercise enough? Or is it only unreasonable when applied to men?

Posted by: Pin Boy

Exactly!

Posted by: Vyesna

Hypocrisy will get you nowhere, my friend.

Posted by: Pin Boy

it usually works for a little while. like the time an old GF claimed that i only said i liked the singer tom waits to get l_ _ d. i guess she mistook the word "like" for "can tolerate on occasion".

pb

okay, enough off topic

Posted by: lester

Friday April 29, 03:38 PM

Child obesity rate triples

LONDON (Reuters) - Obesity in children tripled between 1990 and 2002 in England, according to a government study on Friday.

Junk food, low exercise levels and the popularity of computer games and television have raised obesity rates in developed countries to endemic proportions, experts say.

Heather Wardle, a researcher at the National Centre for Social Research, who headed the project, said the report highlighted the problem in England.

"It has become a serious public health concern," she said.

Researchers used the national Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure obesity, defined as weight in kilos divided by height in metres squared.

Wardle said index figures showing a child to be obese varied. A 2-year-old boy with a BMI of 19.1 would be obese, while a 6-year-old girl with a BMI of 18.1 would not.

Claire MacEvilly, a human nutrition researcher at the Medical Research Council, a government funded institute based in Cambridge -- which did not take part in the study -- said the results pointed to a worrying trend.

"Obesity levels in England are moving more towards those of the United States than Europe," she said.

In 2003, child obesity levels in the United States topped 17 percent.

English levels for 2003, the latest available figures, dropped to just under 14 percent.

But this drop was just a statistical blip, MacEvilly said.

"Unfortunately the trend will continue," she added. "It would be an achievement if the level just plateaued."

The most worrying aspect of the report, she said, was that children were more likely to become obese if their parents were also obese.

The study showed that in households where both parents were obese or overweight, nearly 20 percent of the children were also obese, compared with under 7 percent of children whose parents were not obese.

"Obesity is not just a one parent issue, it's continuing into the next generation and that's worrying," she said.

The report is available on

http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/10/94/10/04109410.pdf