I believe the issue of weight regarding the Surgeon General nomination is not a strong concern, nor is it a valid argument against her nomination. In fact, an industry expert who is afflicted with a chronic disease, like diabetes or obesity, might be characterized as likely to be sympathetic to successful solutions for this problem. And further, if her weight is an indication of compromised efficacy in her position, the same reasoning must apply to marriage counselors who become divorced, or surgeons who become addicted to pain medication via back problems from standing on their feet for long hours.
If the argument must be about looks setting an example and being a good role model for those with fitness behavior, then that would certainly support the current vogue of political representatives in the Senate and the House indulging in rampant cosmetic surgery and tanning bed use. But, paradoxically, ‘pretty is’ does not seen to beget ‘pretty does’.
Rather than displaying the proposed Surgeon General’s weight issues as a negative- a bad example to an obese nation- perhaps the Doctor will be in the position to use her own problems as a method to reveal the dangers of stress to fitness, or the strong genetic predisposition of African Americans towards diabetes and the Insulin Resistant gene- which gene causes a disproportionate metabolism of carbohydrates to flow directly into fat storage- bypassing the normal, genetic fat burning process of ‘calories in’. Because, for those with this condition, in order to sustain a normal body weight many must engage in a diet regime worthy of an extreme athlete, like a marathoner, or an Olympic swimmer. And, in fact, when these same individuals drop their caloric intake below an average of 1000 calories per day, these same individuals’ metabolism can show a Basal Metabolic Rate reduction of nearly 300 calories per day- from 850 calories down to 550- equivalent to a metabolic coma. This is not to say one should ‘pig out’. But fatigue and depression often result in these cases, aggravating an already difficult problem.
Additionally, while 25% of America is considered obese (Network News Broadcast, July 27, 2009) American’s often hit retirement after a 30-year battle with for-profit Health Care, entering Medicare with an average FIVE separate chronic illnesses. This does not occur in other industrialized countries with single payer health care. Many of those with Chronic illnesses exhibit illness related weight gain, persistent fatigue and ruined digestive processes that inhibit the normal ‘caloric in’ efficiency of a harmonized metabolic state.
And finally, no one likes to talk about the Fat Mouse. Research has shown- repeatedly- that the Fat Mouse possesses a gene where, even under controlled circumstances, the Fat Mouse gene possessor will ALWAYS weigh almost twice that of the other mice, same diet, same calories. As a genetic advantage, this gene works really well in cold climates where times of plenty predicates fast weight gain against survival in times of fasting.
And really, finally, since the Corn and Wheat Lobby hijacked the National Institute for Health’s food pyramid in the late seventies any nutritionist will tell you that the 14 grains and legumes requisite cited on the pyramid chart represents the same proportions the cattle industry uses Feed Lots prior to the selling of the fattened young cows.
America has become the Corn and Wheat Lobby’s fatted cow. We have been sold a bill of goods about High Fructose Corn Syrup and health care driven by the profit derived from the suffering of others, and many other issues whose information process has been pre-empted by profit. ‘Fat and Sick in America’ works very well for unfettered, unregulated free-market capitalism force fed (pun intended) to an uninformed public where knowledge has been demonized, and propaganda is called Branding.
I am not an anti-corporatist; au contraire. I just don’t like marauders and cheats.
I believe the issue of weight regarding the Surgeon General nomination is not a strong concern, nor is it a valid argument against her nomination. In fact, an industry expert who is afflicted with a chronic disease, like diabetes or obesity, might be characterized as likely to be sympathetic to successful solutions for this problem. And further, if her weight is an indication of compromised efficacy in her position, the same reasoning must apply to marriage counselors who become divorced, or surgeons who become addicted to pain medication via back problems from standing on their feet for long hours.
ReplyDeleteIf the argument must be about looks setting an example and being a good role model for those with fitness behavior, then that would certainly support the current vogue of political representatives in the Senate and the House indulging in rampant cosmetic surgery and tanning bed use. But, paradoxically, ‘pretty is’ does not seen to beget ‘pretty does’.
Rather than displaying the proposed Surgeon General’s weight issues as a negative- a bad example to an obese nation- perhaps the Doctor will be in the position to use her own problems as a method to reveal the dangers of stress to fitness, or the strong genetic predisposition of African Americans towards diabetes and the Insulin Resistant gene- which gene causes a disproportionate metabolism of carbohydrates to flow directly into fat storage- bypassing the normal, genetic fat burning process of ‘calories in’. Because, for those with this condition, in order to sustain a normal body weight many must engage in a diet regime worthy of an extreme athlete, like a marathoner, or an Olympic swimmer. And, in fact, when these same individuals drop their caloric intake below an average of 1000 calories per day, these same individuals’ metabolism can show a Basal Metabolic Rate reduction of nearly 300 calories per day- from 850 calories down to 550- equivalent to a metabolic coma. This is not to say one should ‘pig out’. But fatigue and depression often result in these cases, aggravating an already difficult problem.
Additionally, while 25% of America is considered obese (Network News Broadcast, July 27, 2009) American’s often hit retirement after a 30-year battle with for-profit Health Care, entering Medicare with an average FIVE separate chronic illnesses. This does not occur in other industrialized countries with single payer health care. Many of those with Chronic illnesses exhibit illness related weight gain, persistent fatigue and ruined digestive processes that inhibit the normal ‘caloric in’ efficiency of a harmonized metabolic state.
And finally, no one likes to talk about the Fat Mouse. Research has shown- repeatedly- that the Fat Mouse possesses a gene where, even under controlled circumstances, the Fat Mouse gene possessor will ALWAYS weigh almost twice that of the other mice, same diet, same calories. As a genetic advantage, this gene works really well in cold climates where times of plenty predicates fast weight gain against survival in times of fasting.
And really, finally, since the Corn and Wheat Lobby hijacked the National Institute for Health’s food pyramid in the late seventies any nutritionist will tell you that the 14 grains and legumes requisite cited on the pyramid chart represents the same proportions the cattle industry uses Feed Lots prior to the selling of the fattened young cows.
America has become the Corn and Wheat Lobby’s fatted cow. We have been sold a bill of goods about High Fructose Corn Syrup and health care driven by the profit derived from the suffering of others, and many other issues whose information process has been pre-empted by profit. ‘Fat and Sick in America’ works very well for unfettered, unregulated free-market capitalism force fed (pun intended) to an uninformed public where knowledge has been demonized, and propaganda is called Branding.
I am not an anti-corporatist; au contraire. I just don’t like marauders and cheats.