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After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

nytimes.com

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Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#51

Post by robbiemitchell »

bb85 wrote: post #8

I wonder why, when we talk about obesity, there is this tendency to use language that removes responsibility from the person, or at least move it from their mind to their "body", as if they were different entities. I think obese people fit the definition of addicts. Most of the time, other addictions are fought by pushing awareness on the person, forcing them to recognize they have a problem and that they need to cha…

> I wonder why...

My guess is -- correct me if I'm wrong -- it's because you're not a doctor or researcher who works in any of these areas (nutrition, obesity, addiction), and haven't read much research on the intersection of these topics.

> I think obese people fit the definition of addicts.

I'm curious how you have arrived at this conclusion.

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#52

Post by Zach_the_Lizard »

dempseye wrote: post #2

> The difficulty in keeping weight off reflects biology, not a pathological lack of willpower affecting two-thirds of the U.S.A. Fifty years ago, two-thirds of the USA were not obese. Biology has not changed in that time. What has?

>Fifty years ago, two-thirds of the USA were not obese. Biology has not changed in that time. What has?

Other commentators have mentioned the food aspect, but there are significant lifestyle changes since the 50s. The rise of the suburbs greatly reduced the amount of walking for many Americans to basically just walking to a car in the morning and walking from a car in the evening, with maybe some walking back and forth to a bathroom or water cooler in between. Contrast that to the past where most American cities were laid out with public transit in mind (including LA; it used to boast a larger rail system than NYC). This meant burning more calories just to exist.

I myself moved from the land of sprawl to a walkable urban city and I lost quite a bit of weight since most, but not all, of my trips were on foot, bike, or public transit. Very few trips were undertaken in a car. I then moved to NYC and get even more activity, though that's counterbalanced by the delicious food everywhere.

You'll notice that most walkable urban areas tend to be slimmer than sprawling areas, all else being equal.

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#53

Post by bb85 »

emodendroket wrote: post #16
bb85 wrote: post #8

I wonder why, when we talk about obesity, there is this tendency to use language that removes responsibility from the person, or at least move it from their mind to their "body", as if they were different entities. I think obese people fit the definition of addicts. Most of the time, other addictions are fought by pushing awareness on the person, forcing them to recognize they have a problem and that they need to cha…

This attitude is tiresome for precisely the reasons outlined in the article. That one guy in the article has to consume 800 calories a day fewer than a normal person his size to maintain his weight which likely means dealing with constant hunger. It's not exactly surprising that few people manage to succeed under those circumstances. I also, frankly, think the opposite is true -- most material about obesity spends a…

I don't think that's how hunger works. Do you think hunger is triggered by an absolute number?

Isn't hunger the sensation you feel when your body starts dipping into your fat reserves because the content of your stomach / blood is not sufficient?

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#54

Post by bluedino »

While these people are on the show, they are living in house with other contestants. You can't just order a pizza and sit on the couch with TV cameras and your co-stars watching you.

They're forced to exercise for hours. If you're at home you're not going to wake up at the crack of dawn and do a 5 mile run and then do weights.

They're forced to eat right. Food selection is limited. There's no cheese and donuts and fast-food.

It's no wonder that it's impossible for them to keep this up. They just go back to normal which is 'being lazy'.

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#55

Post by yabatopia »

dempseye wrote: post #2

> The difficulty in keeping weight off reflects biology, not a pathological lack of willpower affecting two-thirds of the U.S.A. Fifty years ago, two-thirds of the USA were not obese. Biology has not changed in that time. What has?

Often forgotten is the incredible increase in drug consumption. Popular drugs like painkillers or antidepressants can have a significant effect on body weight. For the pharmaceutical industry it's like having a cake and eating it too: develop new drugs to fight weight gain, weight gain that can be caused by other drugs.

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#56

Post by DenisM »

I encourage everyone to read the "physiology" chapter at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adipose_tissue

TLDR: Blood sugar spikes above certain level are toxic, so the body responds with an emergency action of stashing the sugar wherever possible, including muscle, liver, and fat tissue. The former two are rather limited in their capacity, while the latter is unlimited. Ongoing elevated levels of sugars in the bloodstream is an ongoing cleanup job for the fat cells, and they never get aground to release the accumulated energy back into circulation.

At the "hardware" level, that's all there is to obesity - overabundance of quick carbs (sugars, flour, starch).

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#57

Post by emodendroket »

bb85 wrote: post #53
emodendroket wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This attitude is tiresome for precisely the reasons outlined in the article. That one guy in the article has to consume 800 calories a day fewer than a normal person his size to maintain his weight which likely means dealing with constant hunger. It's not exactly surprising that few people manage to succeed under those circumstances. I also, frankly, think the opposite is true -- most material about obesity spends a…

I don't think that's how hunger works. Do you think hunger is triggered by an absolute number? Isn't hunger the sensation you feel when your body starts dipping into your fat reserves because the content of your stomach / blood is not sufficient?

No... I said no such thing. However, if you lose weight you will generally feel hungry until you start eating at levels that would restore your weight, as detailed in the linked article and also this one: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/opinion/diet-advice-that-i...

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#58

Post by atom-morgan »

emodendroket wrote: post #16
bb85 wrote: post #8

I wonder why, when we talk about obesity, there is this tendency to use language that removes responsibility from the person, or at least move it from their mind to their "body", as if they were different entities. I think obese people fit the definition of addicts. Most of the time, other addictions are fought by pushing awareness on the person, forcing them to recognize they have a problem and that they need to cha…

This attitude is tiresome for precisely the reasons outlined in the article. That one guy in the article has to consume 800 calories a day fewer than a normal person his size to maintain his weight which likely means dealing with constant hunger. It's not exactly surprising that few people manage to succeed under those circumstances. I also, frankly, think the opposite is true -- most material about obesity spends a…

> That one guy in the article has to consume 800 calories a day fewer than a normal person his size to maintain his weight which likely means dealing with constant hunger.

And the recovering alcoholic has to consume more alcohol than the average person, at first, to make it through their days. Same effects, different substance.

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#59

Post by DanBC »

bb85 wrote: post #32
rayiner wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wonder why, when we talk about obesity, there is this tendency to use language that removes responsibility from the person, or at least move it from their mind to their "body", as if they were different entities. I wonder why, when we talk about obesity, "responsibility" even enters the discussion. Obesity is a nationwide phenomenon, which means for "responsibility" to be the root cause, we have to posit that peo…

I'm just wondering why there seems to be more empathy towards people with eating habits problems, than when it comes to other addicts. Maybe because they cause less damage to other people? I don't think humans are less responsible, on a society scale obviously the problem is deeper. I'm just wondering why for other problems we blame people, but not for that one. Maybe it has to do with addictions moving away from som…

Everybody eats food. They die if they don't.

Heroin is not a required nutrient.

Re: After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight

#60

Post by dempseye »

bb85 wrote: post #43
gnur wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like the piece actually takes away some of the responsibility of the person. If your resting metabolism burns 400 calories per day less, you can eat exactly the same as someone else and slowly gain a lot of weight. I really don't think there is anyone to blame in that case.

That doesn't explain it though, as how much you weight and how happy you are with it should influence how you eat. Obviously a kid and an adult, a sedentary female and an international athletes have different needs. When you have tooth problems, you go through a lot to have it fixed. When your hair looks bad you get a haircut. Some obese people change their lifestyle and lose that weight. So what about those who can'…

> how much you weight and how happy you are with it should influence how you eat.

I'm pretty sure constant hunger would trump those considerations for you and most people.

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