7 ms·

I think, in the context of possibly dying of Covid-19, it could be effective though. If the messaging was there that you could greatly reduce your risk by loosi

I think, in the context of possibly dying of Covid-19, it could be effective though. If the messaging was there that you could greatly reduce your risk by loosing weight, at least the group of people who were both obese and seriously frightened of Covid could be engaged to make positive changes. That would save lives.

nradov 5y ago
Agreed. It's like if you see a bus heading towards you, would you stand still and let it hit you or step out of the way?
helge9210 5y ago
> I think, in the context of possibly dying of Covid-19, it could be effective though Possibility of dying blind, without feet because of diabetes wasn't good enough reason to lose fat for many. COVID-19 won't be either.
- brianmcc 5y ago
  Yeah but "possible condition 20 - 40 years away" is very different to "contagious disease that could get you next week". Urgency is a motivator!
  - helge9210 5y ago
    Next week and losing fat can't be in the same sentence. 1 kg of fat is roughly 7500 Cal. Healthy deficit is 500 Cal a day, which means losing 2 kg of fat per month. 50 kg overweight means two years of suffering.
  - wbsss4412 5y ago
    Even with the onset of diabetes/serious complications from the disease, it’s still often not enough. Losing weight is very difficult for people to sustain. There are individual success stories but those don’t outweigh the fact that, statistically, people just isn’t lose weight and keep it off sustainably.
  - metalliqaz 5y ago
    No it isn't. People don't make rational decisions about these things. Just look at how many reject social distancing, masks, and vaccines.
    - helge9210 5y ago
      "Not enough" and "too many" are both perfectly fitting with your example.
adflux 5y ago
You know why politicians don't state these obvious facts? Because they don't want to lose votes. Most fat people probably don't like hearing wealthy skinny politicians with personal chefs and trainers telling them to lose weight. Doesn't score well with the focus group I guess.
wwweston 5y ago
People are motivated to lose fat already. There are immediate social and psychological costs aplenty to carrying it and immediate benefits to presenting as trim/fit. Obesity is not a motivation problem. I would believe that covid has provided all sorts of opportunities for changes in habit, though, which might help.
x0x0 5y ago
We can't reliably get people to vaccinate, which reduces the risk of severe hospitalization or death orders of magnitude more than losing weight.
- nradov 5y ago
  How many orders of magnitude? Can you quantify that for us? While I recommend that everyone eligible protect themselves by getting vaccinated, I don't think the current data supports the strength of your claim. Exaggerations and hyperbole aren't helpful.
  - wbsss4412 5y ago
    Peak protection From hospitalization and death reaches over 90%. I’m not too familiar with the added risk from being over weight, but as I understand it, it is no where near that big of a step change.
    - nradov 5y ago
      So that would be one order of magnitude, not orders (plural). We need to be precise in our communications.
MisterBastahrd 5y ago
If COVID has proven anything, it's that political messaging is far better than all other types of messaging combined. Either way, telling people to change their lifestyles falls on deaf ears as a group. People know, for example, that being obese in your 50s and 60s puts you at a great deal of risk, yet most people who are obese at the beginning of their 50s are still obese at the end of their 60s, provided that they are still alive.

nradov 5y ago

Agreed. It's like if you see a bus heading towards you, would you stand still and let it hit you or step out of the way?

helge9210 5y ago

> I think, in the context of possibly dying of Covid-19, it could be effective though Possibility of dying blind, without feet because of diabetes wasn't good enough reason to lose fat for many. COVID-19 won't be either.

brianmcc 5y ago
Yeah but "possible condition 20 - 40 years away" is very different to "contagious disease that could get you next week". Urgency is a motivator!
- helge9210 5y ago
  Next week and losing fat can't be in the same sentence. 1 kg of fat is roughly 7500 Cal. Healthy deficit is 500 Cal a day, which means losing 2 kg of fat per month. 50 kg overweight means two years of suffering.
- wbsss4412 5y ago
  Even with the onset of diabetes/serious complications from the disease, it’s still often not enough. Losing weight is very difficult for people to sustain. There are individual success stories but those don’t outweigh the fact that, statistically, people just isn’t lose weight and keep it off sustainably.
- metalliqaz 5y ago
  No it isn't. People don't make rational decisions about these things. Just look at how many reject social distancing, masks, and vaccines.
  - helge9210 5y ago
    "Not enough" and "too many" are both perfectly fitting with your example.

adflux 5y ago

You know why politicians don't state these obvious facts? Because they don't want to lose votes. Most fat people probably don't like hearing wealthy skinny politicians with personal chefs and trainers telling them to lose weight. Doesn't score well with the focus group I guess.

wwweston 5y ago

People are motivated to lose fat already. There are immediate social and psychological costs aplenty to carrying it and immediate benefits to presenting as trim/fit. Obesity is not a motivation problem. I would believe that covid has provided all sorts of opportunities for changes in habit, though, which might help.

x0x0 5y ago

We can't reliably get people to vaccinate, which reduces the risk of severe hospitalization or death orders of magnitude more than losing weight.

nradov 5y ago
How many orders of magnitude? Can you quantify that for us? While I recommend that everyone eligible protect themselves by getting vaccinated, I don't think the current data supports the strength of your claim. Exaggerations and hyperbole aren't helpful.
- wbsss4412 5y ago
  Peak protection From hospitalization and death reaches over 90%. I’m not too familiar with the added risk from being over weight, but as I understand it, it is no where near that big of a step change.
  - nradov 5y ago
    So that would be one order of magnitude, not orders (plural). We need to be precise in our communications.

MisterBastahrd 5y ago

If COVID has proven anything, it's that political messaging is far better than all other types of messaging combined. Either way, telling people to change their lifestyles falls on deaf ears as a group. People know, for example, that being obese in your 50s and 60s puts you at a great deal of risk, yet most people who are obese at the beginning of their 50s are still obese at the end of their 60s, provided that they are still alive.