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Or to an overweight person: "you know you'd be a lot healthier if you just lost weight" or "why don't you get a gym membership" or "it's just calories in minus

Or to an overweight person: "you know you'd be a lot healthier if you just lost weight" or "why don't you get a gym membership" or "it's just calories in minus calories out, bro"? Gee, thanks, you're the first person ever to tell me that I should lose weight and it's just a matter of diet and exercise, like every fat person on the planet doesn't already know. It's like saying to a smoker, "You know that's bad for you. You should quit." That sort of comment is almost entirely self-serving.

0xcde4c3db 4y ago
> "you know you'd be a lot healthier if you just lost weight" Not least because weight loss is unlikely to make someone much healthier unless they have type 2 diabetes, severe hypertension, or are way beyond "overweight". There is a substantial population-level association between obesity and morbidity, but it's heavily influenced by those who are extremely obese (which tends to come with a variety of other issues not immediately relevant to the average fat person).
- maerF0x0 4y ago
  obviously the actual weight matters, but on average this advice is poor. Across the spectrum of over weight people (from mildly to extremely obese) there are a range of health markers from blood pressure, HDL/LDL/Triglycerides, insulin sensitivity, leptin/ghrelin, sex hormones (and PE/ED), blood sugar, cortisol, inflammation, arterial calcification (on and on the list goes) that are all positively improved by returning to healthy "normal" (not average) weights. Layne Norton's book "Fat Loss forever" and youtube channel are excellent resources to begin understanding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxVCtScf8U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxVCtScf8U https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43596925-fat-loss-forever https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43596925-fat-loss-for...
roxymusic1973 4y ago
It can be helpful to tell smokers that.
- BeetleB 4y ago
  I've yet to find a smoker who would agree it's helpful. I've yet to find a smoker who doesn't know that quitting would be good for them.
- deadbunny 4y ago
  As a smoker, just no.
kamaal 4y ago
At least in this case, any advice would be helpful. But it also depends on the person. If the person has been trying several things, and is curious to learn more and work on the suggestion, even small help can make a huge difference. When it comes to things like working out in the gym, or nutrition. There are often some small optimisation/hacks you can do on top of the things you are already doing that can significantly move the needle in terms of gains. If you are walking, something like carrying weights in a backpack could help you burn extra calories. If you are already doing push ups, introducing you to burpees can make a whole world of difference. Similarly if you are already doing Kettlebells, a complex could significantly move the needle in terms of gains. Beyond this, learning itself requires lots of humility. You must be prepared to be offended in one way or other to learn any person, in any way. Chances are high nearly every one you meet has some idea about how to make progress but not the entire idea. You need to take in feedback from several people piece together some kind of a coherent strategy to win.
- BeetleB 4y ago
  > At least in this case, any advice would be helpful. It's not clear what you mean by "this case". It's a rare case where "any advice would be helpful." > Beyond this, learning itself requires lots of humility. You must be prepared to be offended in one way or other to learn any person, in any way. The mistake you're making is assuming that the person is having this discussion with you because he wants to learn for you. And that, after all, is the point of several other comments in this thread. It was definitely years before I understood what people meant by "I don't want your advice or solution. I want you to listen." Losing weight is a simple equation of calories in vs out. The reason people are not losing weight is not because they don't understand that. If you want to help, don't suggest ways they can reduce calorie intake or burn more calories. Understand what the barriers are that's preventing them from acting. It's almost never a lack of knowledge about nutrition/exercise.

0xcde4c3db 4y ago

> "you know you'd be a lot healthier if you just lost weight" Not least because weight loss is unlikely to make someone much healthier unless they have type 2 diabetes, severe hypertension, or are way beyond "overweight". There is a substantial population-level association between obesity and morbidity, but it's heavily influenced by those who are extremely obese (which tends to come with a variety of other issues not immediately relevant to the average fat person).

maerF0x0 4y ago
obviously the actual weight matters, but on average this advice is poor. Across the spectrum of over weight people (from mildly to extremely obese) there are a range of health markers from blood pressure, HDL/LDL/Triglycerides, insulin sensitivity, leptin/ghrelin, sex hormones (and PE/ED), blood sugar, cortisol, inflammation, arterial calcification (on and on the list goes) that are all positively improved by returning to healthy "normal" (not average) weights. Layne Norton's book "Fat Loss forever" and youtube channel are excellent resources to begin understanding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxVCtScf8U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxVCtScf8U https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43596925-fat-loss-forever https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43596925-fat-loss-for...

roxymusic1973 4y ago

It can be helpful to tell smokers that.

BeetleB 4y ago
I've yet to find a smoker who would agree it's helpful. I've yet to find a smoker who doesn't know that quitting would be good for them.
deadbunny 4y ago
As a smoker, just no.

kamaal 4y ago

At least in this case, any advice would be helpful. But it also depends on the person. If the person has been trying several things, and is curious to learn more and work on the suggestion, even small help can make a huge difference. When it comes to things like working out in the gym, or nutrition. There are often some small optimisation/hacks you can do on top of the things you are already doing that can significantly move the needle in terms of gains. If you are walking, something like carrying weights in a backpack could help you burn extra calories. If you are already doing push ups, introducing you to burpees can make a whole world of difference. Similarly if you are already doing Kettlebells, a complex could significantly move the needle in terms of gains. Beyond this, learning itself requires lots of humility. You must be prepared to be offended in one way or other to learn any person, in any way. Chances are high nearly every one you meet has some idea about how to make progress but not the entire idea. You need to take in feedback from several people piece together some kind of a coherent strategy to win.

BeetleB 4y ago
> At least in this case, any advice would be helpful. It's not clear what you mean by "this case". It's a rare case where "any advice would be helpful." > Beyond this, learning itself requires lots of humility. You must be prepared to be offended in one way or other to learn any person, in any way. The mistake you're making is assuming that the person is having this discussion with you because he wants to learn for you. And that, after all, is the point of several other comments in this thread. It was definitely years before I understood what people meant by "I don't want your advice or solution. I want you to listen." Losing weight is a simple equation of calories in vs out. The reason people are not losing weight is not because they don't understand that. If you want to help, don't suggest ways they can reduce calorie intake or burn more calories. Understand what the barriers are that's preventing them from acting. It's almost never a lack of knowledge about nutrition/exercise.