Screw You, Death Clock! Signed, Fat Jim

[jimhines]

So I was killing time, following a link from Michael Brotherton to the Death Clock, which supposedly predicts how much time you have left. Apparently I’m going to die in 2048. (At my current rate, this means I should be able to churn out about between 30 and 40 more books.  Yay!)

Anyway, I know this is just as reliable as any other online quiz, but

Comments

[cathshaffer]

It's good to see that you've finally been snapped out of your denial, Jim. I was going to organize an intervention for you before we had to hire someone to cut a hole in your bedroom wall to get you to the hospital.

Signed,
Your Nemesis

[jimhines]

See, the whole nemesis thing has been on my list to follow up with. But I'm glad to see you taking initiative! A self-starter is just the kind of enemy I'm looking for.

[cathshaffer]

See, this kind of supportive encouragement is just the sort of thing an eagle scout like you would do. That's why you get to be the "hero." It would warm a heart less cold than mine. Me, I figure that while you're distracted choosing a nemesis is a good time to get a head start on your downfall.

MUWAHAHA--

Wait, that's over the top, isn't it.

*snicker*

[jimhines]

Thanks for the link. The distinction between "overweight" and "unhealthy lifestyle" is a good one. I definitely agree that we overstate a lot of the "Danger, Danger!" crap when it comes to weight.

I'd stand by what I said. Being overweight *can* have an adverse effect. But I agree that it's nowhere near as drastic as society would have us believe.

[archangelbeth]

And then there's the "you have a health condition that is dangerous, that has being over-weight as a side-effect" thing. Such as, oh, hypothyroism (gaining weight while breastfeeding, above pregnancy weight? yeah, been there, done that). Insulin resistance (caused and/or exacerbated by sleep apnea). PCOS (women only, and under-researched; usually comes with insulin resistance). Note, however, that those are not caused by being overweight; those cause weight problems.

161 pounds at 5 foot 7, eh? Yeah, I was above that for a while, at that height, what with the hypo. (Now I'm down to around 150, give or take 3 pounds. Sure, I'd like to lose s'more so I can fit into nice pants that I wore when I was a teen, but overall, it's my lack of exercise that's unhealthy. The weight is eh. You're probably more muscle and bone than I am, too, and that's heavier than my tummy-padding.)

Oh, and don't forget the backlash against people who are, in actual fact, naturally so skinny that they have to "stand twice to cast a shadow" -- no, my kid is not

[melissajm]

That was a great article.

Re: actually

[jimhines]

It uses weight and height to calculate BMI, and my BMI comes out consistently in the lower edge of "overweight," which is what ticks me off.

But you're right, I forgot about the optimistic/pessemistic field when I was ranting.

Re: actually

[cathschaffstump]

FYI, moving my mode from normal to optimistic increased my life expectancy from 77 to 98.

Catherine

Re: actually

[jimhines]

Now that's something I'd be curious to see the basis for. Definitions used, how they did the research, etc. But I'm all for more optimism and happy!

[kerinda]

I <3 you.

[amysisson]

I do agree with a lot of what you say, and I understand that you're generalizing when you say "I am so sick of my country’s attitude toward weight. We don’t give a damn whether you’re healthy. We care about whether you’re “pretty”."

But, well, I do care about people's health as opposed to their looks, and I've noticed that there seems to be a correlation between the people I know who constantly have digestive and other health issues and who are obese (as opposed to overweight). I can't claim causality -- for all I know, they may be obese because they have digestive health issues. But I do tend to believe it's the other way around. And I did just take a semester-length biology-based nutrition course (i.e. not weight-loss-industry-based so no agenda there) that did express that obesity is unhealthy for a lot of reasons

[jimhines]

"We" is very much a generalization, based on my nonscientific impressions of the Overly Vocal Majority in this country.

I know there are exceptions, and I'm glad to hear you're among them. I definitely agree there are other people worried only about helping us to stay healthy.

I never said that anyone who professes a concern about weight issues only cares about looks. But from my own observations and experiences, limited and flawed though they might be, the "Fat people are all gross" message is a much louder one than any health concerns.

[barbarienne]

More likely the same things that often contribute to obesity (e.g. a high fat diet full of processed simple carbs) also contribute to digestive issues.

Which is not to say that obesity isn't bad for you (I am definitely obese), but just to define the more likely correlation of these two symptoms. Contrast with, say, acid reflux, which is likely caused both by a high-fat diet and simply being obese.

[agent_mimi]

You care about the health of some random (fat) stranger you see on the street? Why?