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"We need great weight loss drugs that adjust the metabolism to keep weight off without side effects." Talk about missing the point. As discussed in Good Calor

"We need great weight loss drugs that adjust the metabolism to keep weight off without side effects." Talk about missing the point. As discussed in Good Calories, Bad Calories (aka The Diet Delusion), there was a study done of mice in which a group of mice was bred with knockout genes in order to be much more obese than normal mice. However, they were given the exact same diet as a group of normal, healthy mice. The obese mice had no higher rates of any of the illnesses commonly associated with obesity (diabetes, heart attacks, etc). But a group of mice that were fed with an unhealthy diet to become equally obese had all of those problems. Obesity and other health issues have a common cause. Obesity does not cause (most) health issues it is commonly associated with. Solving obesity without solving the common cause will do little more than make us feel better about ourselves. Being obese doesn't make you unhealthy--being unhealthy makes you obese.

reasonattlm 17y ago
The above is misleading and wishful thinking. Compare with the papers and disease mechanisms referenced in these posts: http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/03/lose-the-visceral-fat.php http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/03/lose-the-visceral... http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/01/how-excess-fat-tissue-slowly-destroys-you.php http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/01/how-excess-fat-ti... It's the fat.
- DarkShikari 17y ago
  It's "wishful thinking" to say that a "magical drug" won't solve all our problems? Seriously? I'm pretty sure the people proclaiming that all we need is a miracle drug to eliminate fat are the ones involved in wishful thinking. Read the facts: http://higher-thought.net/complete-notes-to-good-calories-bad-calories/ http://higher-thought.net/complete-notes-to-good-calories-ba.... Being fat may have some health costs, but the primary impact is caused by the diet that made you fat. If you believe that simply removing the fat caused by an unhealthy diet will make you healthy again, now that is wishful thinking. If you don't eat healthy, you won't be healthy, no matter how many pills you swallow and how much you exercise.
  - watmough 17y ago
    Based on my wife, who has lost a whole bunch of weight, some weight loss tips: * Other than say breakfast cereal and snack soups, eat mainly or only food cooked at home, * By implication, no fast food, * Lean toward simple minimally processed ingredients, * No soda, * Buy smaller plates, US standard dinner plates are way too big, * For any restaurant, only ever eat half the portion. Sack the rest and eat as leftovers later in the week, * Where possible, avoid foods such as bread, ready meals, cereal, jams and jellies that contain HFCS, This ideas can be eased into over a period of months, and will lead to a much healthier diet, and as a bonus, will teach you to cook. As a further bonus, a diet like this cut our grocery bill for two down to around $300 / month. And we still get dessert!
    - DarkShikari 17y ago
      I did something similar: near the end of January I dropped all soda, increased the amount of meat, cheese, eggs, and vegetables in my diet, and removed almost all rice, pasta, and bread from my diet. I added a large water bottle to my desk and drank it all day. I kept some desserts, but replaced all my snacks with cashews and other nuts (high fat/protein content, low carbs). I've lost almost 20 pounds since then. It's damn effective.
      - watmough 17y ago
        Yeah, we've been spreading the word. I'm not a big guy, but I was getting kinda burly. I made one change, which was eating only half a Chipotle burrito bowl for lunch, instead of the whole thing. That ONE CHANGE dropped me 10 - 15 pounds. No doubt about it, soda and processed food are poison. It not even like you have to go full-on zealot, just a trip back 20 years to eating meatloaf, nuts, vegetables, home-made bread.
- Snark7 17y ago
  The above articles are not at all convincing. They are also hosted at sites that have a vested interest in selling you weird shit to put in your body that will supposedly make you live longer. I'm going to eat my vegetables, go to the gym, and pass on the weird shit.
  - reasonattlm 17y ago
    Clearly you didn't click though, much less go on to read the scientific papers linked from those posts. Fight Aging! is a science blog. It reports on published research and advocates more research into aging and longevity. The only thing it's selling is the idea you should give more money than you are presently giving to research efforts like Aubrey de Grey's SENS. Really, it just illustrates how ridiculous and poisoned the cultural environment has become surrounding fat, aging, and research that someone would knee-jerk the remark above.

reasonattlm 17y ago

The above is misleading and wishful thinking. Compare with the papers and disease mechanisms referenced in these posts: http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/03/lose-the-visceral-fat.php http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/03/lose-the-visceral... http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/01/how-excess-fat-tissue-slowly-destroys-you.php http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/01/how-excess-fat-ti... It's the fat.

DarkShikari 17y ago
It's "wishful thinking" to say that a "magical drug" won't solve all our problems? Seriously? I'm pretty sure the people proclaiming that all we need is a miracle drug to eliminate fat are the ones involved in wishful thinking. Read the facts: http://higher-thought.net/complete-notes-to-good-calories-bad-calories/ http://higher-thought.net/complete-notes-to-good-calories-ba.... Being fat may have some health costs, but the primary impact is caused by the diet that made you fat. If you believe that simply removing the fat caused by an unhealthy diet will make you healthy again, now that is wishful thinking. If you don't eat healthy, you won't be healthy, no matter how many pills you swallow and how much you exercise.
- watmough 17y ago
  Based on my wife, who has lost a whole bunch of weight, some weight loss tips: * Other than say breakfast cereal and snack soups, eat mainly or only food cooked at home, * By implication, no fast food, * Lean toward simple minimally processed ingredients, * No soda, * Buy smaller plates, US standard dinner plates are way too big, * For any restaurant, only ever eat half the portion. Sack the rest and eat as leftovers later in the week, * Where possible, avoid foods such as bread, ready meals, cereal, jams and jellies that contain HFCS, This ideas can be eased into over a period of months, and will lead to a much healthier diet, and as a bonus, will teach you to cook. As a further bonus, a diet like this cut our grocery bill for two down to around $300 / month. And we still get dessert!
  - DarkShikari 17y ago
    I did something similar: near the end of January I dropped all soda, increased the amount of meat, cheese, eggs, and vegetables in my diet, and removed almost all rice, pasta, and bread from my diet. I added a large water bottle to my desk and drank it all day. I kept some desserts, but replaced all my snacks with cashews and other nuts (high fat/protein content, low carbs). I've lost almost 20 pounds since then. It's damn effective.
    - watmough 17y ago
      Yeah, we've been spreading the word. I'm not a big guy, but I was getting kinda burly. I made one change, which was eating only half a Chipotle burrito bowl for lunch, instead of the whole thing. That ONE CHANGE dropped me 10 - 15 pounds. No doubt about it, soda and processed food are poison. It not even like you have to go full-on zealot, just a trip back 20 years to eating meatloaf, nuts, vegetables, home-made bread.
Snark7 17y ago
The above articles are not at all convincing. They are also hosted at sites that have a vested interest in selling you weird shit to put in your body that will supposedly make you live longer. I'm going to eat my vegetables, go to the gym, and pass on the weird shit.
- reasonattlm 17y ago
  Clearly you didn't click though, much less go on to read the scientific papers linked from those posts. Fight Aging! is a science blog. It reports on published research and advocates more research into aging and longevity. The only thing it's selling is the idea you should give more money than you are presently giving to research efforts like Aubrey de Grey's SENS. Really, it just illustrates how ridiculous and poisoned the cultural environment has become surrounding fat, aging, and research that someone would knee-jerk the remark above.