What % do you think obesity contributes to the health problems in our country? (ETA - and why is rucking the best answer? :) )

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NationalTitles18

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I really do not know...supposedly this is really early...the surgery comes first, then the plan of attack. My neuro-surgeon is also an oncologist...but he specializes in larger tumors, brain tumors, etc -- on the operating side of things. He is putting me with an oncologist who specializes in this type of disease. I was floored at the first diagnosis, but he called and said to relax...all my other "numbers' look great and that being healthy otherwise we can beat this. He's the top dog at MUSC so I'm trusting him...and my sister who is a retired hematologist-oncologist from UAB. I've got a lot of good doctors/resources...a close doctor friend in Atlanta is checking at Emory to see who is specializing in this.

If you have any input I would love to hear it...I know this is not something to fool around with, but I also know that life expectancy figures have gone way up over the last decade...
Sounds like you are in good hands. Watch your kidney function and do just what they say.
 

B1GTide

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Exercising Regularly Is One of the Best Ways to Lower Your Risk of Severe COVID-19

 
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Padreruf

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Sounds like you are in good hands. Watch your kidney function and do just what they say.
The kidney function is what showed this in the first place...thanks for your help and don't worry...I am going to follow every detail of what they recommend. Repairing a spine and curing/controlling a disease are nothing to fool around with...
 

92tide

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Just an update...I debated sharing this for it sounds worse than it probably is...but it may help someone else. I have been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma -- a cancer of the blood that is rarely curable but very much controllable. It seems we have caught it very, very early...the prognosis is 10-15 years if all goes well. Who knows? At 70 that would be the most I would expect anyway, as men in my family do not live very long.
Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers...and if you have any experience with or insights into this disease, feel free to share. I am currently being treated at MUSC...surgery next week and then whatever treatments will follow.
RTR!!!
sorry to hear this padre.
 
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TideEngineer08

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There are people in this thread a lot smarter than me, with a lot more education regarding health. As many of you know, I've talked some here about my dad passing away suddenly in April of 2019 of a heart attack. There is a history of heart disease on both sides of my family. Daddy was 70 when he passed away, apparently in good health. However, he had been on blood pressure medication since his 30s. He had prostate cancer which had done very well with and in fact we got the news from his latest check up for that that he was still clear of cancer a few days after he passed away.

I've also mentioned a little about my bouts with severe anxiety over the past year, which I believe stemmed from PTSD over Dad's passing, Covid lockdowns, and ultimately led to me thinking I was experiencing a heart attack myself. Over the course of about 2 months, I called 911 once and visited the ER twice. The pain was actually coming from gastric issues, and then the adrenaline from the anxiety was making my heart run away from me which was just reinforcing to me that I was about to or was in the middle of having a heart attack. I'm 6'1", and at the time was at my highest weight, 305 lbs. At the time, I immediately dropped all carbohydrates except veggies, all sugary drinks which I consumed all the time, and ate only meat and veggies. I literally believed the next donut I ate would cause me to drop dead. To date I have lost 85 lbs. This is completely from the dietary changes. I have not exercised at all until very recently. I also started intermittent fasting, basically skipping the first meal of the day and not eating until 12 pm - 1 pm.

Over the last few months, as my anxiety has decreased, I began studying more and more about all of this. I do not believe obesity is the cause of any of these maladies. Obesity is another result of the true cause, and that is insulin resistance. And that is caused by our modern diets. I've seen metabolic syndrome mentioned. I believe that's pretty much caused by severe insulin resistance. Hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity. It's all pretty much the same disease, manifesting in different ways. And I believe what causes insulin resistance is addiction to carbohydrates which in modern times are heavily processed, and another culprit is seed oils like canola, soybean, vegetable oil. These foods are definitely addictive. I would recommend "Why We Get Sick" by Benjamin Bikman for anyone interested.

Rewind back to my dad. When he passed away, he was probably 30 or 40 lbs overweight. He was never as heavy as I was. But he had carried that extra weight since probably the 1980s. Ironically, when everyone shifted to low fat diets because of the apparent cardiovascular risk of high fat diets. Which put people eating more and more sugar, and crap foods like margarine instead of butter. I believe this is ultimately what lead to his heart disease and even his cancer. I do not know what my life holds in store. I'm a believer, and as such, I believe God has determined when and how I exit this life, and I realize I don't have the ultimate power to change that. But I also believe He gives free will and if I jump in front of a train, well... you know what happens. So I've changed my life, quite by accident, and because of an irrational fear of dying I stumbled across all of this.

Again, I am no expert. I'm the ultimate layman. I know the difference between causation and correlation. But it is stunning that the meteoric rise in all of these maladies has coincided with the changes in our diets and the shift away from real whole foods, animal fat and protein, to all of these processed garbage carb non-foods. Oh and Covid. Well I caught it despite taking all precautions at the end of 2020. I had one day of flu-like symptoms followed by a week or so of fatigue. I am convinced it was not serious for me because I had gotten my metabolic health in much better shape by that point in time. My wife caught it as well, and she has several metabolic issues. She suffered much more severe symptoms, thank God none related to breathing, and still has yet to regain taste or smell some 4 months later.

Get your metabolic health fixed. The consequences are far reaching and go way beyond obesity.
 

B1GTide

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There are people in this thread a lot smarter than me, with a lot more education regarding health. As many of you know, I've talked some here about my dad passing away suddenly in April of 2019 of a heart attack. There is a history of heart disease on both sides of my family. Daddy was 70 when he passed away, apparently in good health. However, he had been on blood pressure medication since his 30s. He had prostate cancer which had done very well with and in fact we got the news from his latest check up for that that he was still clear of cancer a few days after he passed away.

I've also mentioned a little about my bouts with severe anxiety over the past year, which I believe stemmed from PTSD over Dad's passing, Covid lockdowns, and ultimately led to me thinking I was experiencing a heart attack myself. Over the course of about 2 months, I called 911 once and visited the ER twice. The pain was actually coming from gastric issues, and then the adrenaline from the anxiety was making my heart run away from me which was just reinforcing to me that I was about to or was in the middle of having a heart attack. I'm 6'1", and at the time was at my highest weight, 305 lbs. At the time, I immediately dropped all carbohydrates except veggies, all sugary drinks which I consumed all the time, and ate only meat and veggies. I literally believed the next donut I ate would cause me to drop dead. To date I have lost 85 lbs. This is completely from the dietary changes. I have not exercised at all until very recently. I also started intermittent fasting, basically skipping the first meal of the day and not eating until 12 pm - 1 pm.

Over the last few months, as my anxiety has decreased, I began studying more and more about all of this. I do not believe obesity is the cause of any of these maladies. Obesity is another result of the true cause, and that is insulin resistance. And that is caused by our modern diets. I've seen metabolic syndrome mentioned. I believe that's pretty much caused by severe insulin resistance. Hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity. It's all pretty much the same disease, manifesting in different ways. And I believe what causes insulin resistance is addiction to carbohydrates which in modern times are heavily processed, and another culprit is seed oils like canola, soybean, vegetable oil. These foods are definitely addictive. I would recommend "Why We Get Sick" by Benjamin Bikman for anyone interested.

Rewind back to my dad. When he passed away, he was probably 30 or 40 lbs overweight. He was never as heavy as I was. But he had carried that extra weight since probably the 1980s. Ironically, when everyone shifted to low fat diets because of the apparent cardiovascular risk of high fat diets. Which put people eating more and more sugar, and crap foods like margarine instead of butter. I believe this is ultimately what lead to his heart disease and even his cancer. I do not know what my life holds in store. I'm a believer, and as such, I believe God has determined when and how I exit this life, and I realize I don't have the ultimate power to change that. But I also believe He gives free will and if I jump in front of a train, well... you know what happens. So I've changed my life, quite by accident, and because of an irrational fear of dying I stumbled across all of this.

Again, I am no expert. I'm the ultimate layman. I know the difference between causation and correlation. But it is stunning that the meteoric rise in all of these maladies has coincided with the changes in our diets and the shift away from real whole foods, animal fat and protein, to all of these processed garbage carb non-foods. Oh and Covid. Well I caught it despite taking all precautions at the end of 2020. I had one day of flu-like symptoms followed by a week or so of fatigue. I am convinced it was not serious for me because I had gotten my metabolic health in much better shape by that point in time. My wife caught it as well, and she has several metabolic issues. She suffered much more severe symptoms, thank God none related to breathing, and still has yet to regain taste or smell some 4 months later.

Get your metabolic health fixed. The consequences are far reaching and go way beyond obesity.
Congratulations on your weight loss and on your healthier lifestyle, which seems to also be helping your mental well being.

Weight loss is almost entirely about caloric intake. Yes, we can increase our caloric burn by exercising, and we can increase our metabolic burn rate by increasing muscle mass, but even then it still comes down to calories in vs. calories burned.

Example - If I run 3 miles, I burn 395 calories. And, because I run (or do any cardio), I am actually more hungry. One snack with a sugary drink and that 395 calories is gone. Eliminate the snack/sugary drink and you have done your body as much good from a weight maintenance perspective as running 3 miles. Eliminate all snacks and sugary drinks and you are way ahead.
 

TideEngineer08

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Congratulations on your weight loss and on your healthier lifestyle, which seems to also be helping your mental well being.

Weight loss is almost entirely about caloric intake. Yes, we can increase our caloric burn by exercising, and we can increase our metabolic burn rate by increasing muscle mass, but even then it still comes down to calories in vs. calories burned.

Example - If I run 3 miles, I burn 395 calories. And, because I run (or do any cardio), I am actually more hungry. One snack with a sugary drink and that 395 calories is gone. Eliminate the snack/sugary drink and you have done your body as much good from a weight maintenance perspective as running 3 miles. Eliminate all snacks and sugary drinks and you are way ahead.
So true about the exercise vs. just fixing the diet. But the issue with so many is addiction. Calories in/Calories Out will not work for the majority of people because they are using food to deal with emotional issues, no different than a crack addict is using cocaine. Or heroine. Or cigarettes. Or alcohol.

You do not "cure" an alcoholic by reducing their alcohol intake, right? And I put cure in quotes because its never really cured. One drink and you are back off the wagon. It has to be eliminated. And if you are suffering from metabolic syndrome, chances are your relationship with carbohydrates is irrevocably broken. And today's carbohydrates are not yesteryear's. They are manufactured (even the damn fruit) to be addictive.

You are correct about the math; I'm not disputing that. I've simply come to believe that the modern human's issue goes far deeper than the math. Until that is addressed the person is going to go back to eating the cookies, garlic bread and pasta, and french fries. People are eating for emotional support, not nutrition. I don't even believe the majority of people are fat because they are lazy or don't care. They are fat because they are treating their emotional issues with food and they are stuck in a never-ending cycle so much like a drug addict. I lived it.

The only reason I am where I am today is because I saw my sons losing their dad before they even turned 10 years old because of my lifestyle. When that mental switch went off in my brain, it was easy to change my diet. For my entire adult life until that point, I could never do it or never stick with it. And it remains to be seen where I go from here now that my anxiety has abated, but I tell myself everyday that I cannot ever go back to eating the way I was, not even a little bit. And I've allowed myself to eat cake at birthdays, holidays, etc. But I have felt like I had a horrible hangover the next day so I have been able to maintain consistency.

Again I am not disagreeing with you at all. I'm just making the point for anyone else who may be struggling. It's hard. It's really hard. But it can be fixed if you can come to terms with why you are eating the way you are. Fix that. Replace the hit you are getting from the Big Mac combo and McFlurry with a hit from a nice walk around the park in the evening.

I'll close by saying this. I've come to view the modern food industry with as much disdain as the tobacco companies. They know what they're doing and they know what damage their products cause, just as the tobacco companies did.
 

B1GTide

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So true about the exercise vs. just fixing the diet. But the issue with so many is addiction. Calories in/Calories Out will not work for the majority of people because they are using food to deal with emotional issues, no different than a crack addict is using cocaine. Or heroine. Or cigarettes. Or alcohol.

You do not "cure" an alcoholic by reducing their alcohol intake, right? And I put cure in quotes because its never really cured. One drink and you are back off the wagon. It has to be eliminated. And if you are suffering from metabolic syndrome, chances are your relationship with carbohydrates is irrevocably broken. And today's carbohydrates are not yesteryear's. They are manufactured (even the damn fruit) to be addictive.

You are correct about the math; I'm not disputing that. I've simply come to believe that the modern human's issue goes far deeper than the math. Until that is addressed the person is going to go back to eating the cookies, garlic bread and pasta, and french fries. People are eating for emotional support, not nutrition. I don't even believe the majority of people are fat because they are lazy or don't care. They are fat because they are treating their emotional issues with food and they are stuck in a never-ending cycle so much like a drug addict. I lived it.

The only reason I am where I am today is because I saw my sons losing their dad before they even turned 10 years old because of my lifestyle. When that mental switch went off in my brain, it was easy to change my diet. For my entire adult life until that point, I could never do it or never stick with it. And it remains to be seen where I go from here now that my anxiety has abated, but I tell myself everyday that I cannot ever go back to eating the way I was, not even a little bit. And I've allowed myself to eat cake at birthdays, holidays, etc. But I have felt like I had a horrible hangover the next day so I have been able to maintain consistency.

Again I am not disagreeing with you at all. I'm just making the point for anyone else who may be struggling. It's hard. It's really hard. But it can be fixed if you can come to terms with why you are eating the way you are. Fix that. Replace the hit you are getting from the Big Mac combo and McFlurry with a hit from a nice walk around the park in the evening.

I'll close by saying this. I've come to view the modern food industry with as much disdain as the tobacco companies. They know what they're doing and they know what damage their products cause, just as the tobacco companies did.
I agree. I consider over-eating as dangerous to your health as smoking, and just as difficult to overcome.

Eat just one small cookie (50 calories) per day more than you burn and you gain 5 pounds per year. Sounds like no big deal, but 10 years later that has become 50 pounds, and it creeps up on you so slowly that you don't even notice it. 20 years later that is 100 lbs, and you are morbidly obese, with all of the health problems that come with it. At some point you destroy your healthy metabolism, and losing weight becomes even more difficult.

It is a vicious cycle, and it kills.
 

TideEngineer08

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I agree. I consider over-eating as dangerous to your health as smoking, and just as difficult to overcome.

Eat just one small cookie (50 calories) per day more than you burn and you gain 5 pounds per year. Sounds like no big deal, but 10 years later that has become 50 pounds, and it creeps up on you so slowly that you don't even notice it. 20 years later that is 100 lbs, and you are morbidly obese, with all of the health problems that come with it. At some point you destroy your healthy metabolism, and losing weight becomes even more difficult.

It is a vicious cycle, and it kills.
I believe this is what happened with my dad. It didn't manifest in a 100 lb weight gain, just 30 or so, but then all the other manifestations were going on behind the scenes, unknown until it was too late. He was a hard worker. He probably could have beaten me at arm wrestling the day he died. But it did not matter.
 
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Padreruf

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I agree. I consider over-eating as dangerous to your health as smoking, and just as difficult to overcome.

Eat just one small cookie (50 calories) per day more than you burn and you gain 5 pounds per year. Sounds like no big deal, but 10 years later that has become 50 pounds, and it creeps up on you so slowly that you don't even notice it. 20 years later that is 100 lbs, and you are morbidly obese, with all of the health problems that come with it. At some point you destroy your healthy metabolism, and losing weight becomes even more difficult.

It is a vicious cycle, and it kills.
All true...the 10 became 50 over 10 years...
 

crimsonaudio

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Humans are built to move and we've never been more sedentary as we are today, so while the math is simple, simple caloric deficit will at best make you 'skinny fat'. You need to work the body, both in cardio and strength training, to truly achieve what your body is capable of health-wise. And there are tons of positive side-effects that come with proper nutrition and exercise.
 

TideEngineer08

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Humans are built to move and we've never been more sedentary as we are today, so while the math is simple, simple caloric deficit will at best make you 'skinny fat'. You need to work the body, both in cardio and strength training, to truly achieve what your body is capable of health-wise. And there are tons of positive side-effects that come with proper nutrition and exercise.
I've just started to exercise. I wouldn't do it for the longest because I thought it would make me have a heart attack because to me, it was obvious my heart was sick and any exertion was going to be the end. So I've had to mentally get over that in order to start leaning into some physical activity. And I'm doing it now, basically because of what you say. To really get to where my body ought to be, in order to be the best person I can be for myself and my family. Plus, guess what, it helps combat insulin resistance.
 

B1GTide

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Humans are built to move and we've never been more sedentary as we are today, so while the math is simple, simple caloric deficit will at best make you 'skinny fat'. You need to work the body, both in cardio and strength training, to truly achieve what your body is capable of health-wise. And there are tons of positive side-effects that come with proper nutrition and exercise.
Healthy weight and fitness are absolutely two different things. My boss is a very healthy weight but would pass out if he had to run a city block.
 

Padreruf

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Since my back injury has sidelined me I've gone to eating 1 smaller meal per day...and having a protein shake in place of the other 2. I've got to be under 1800 calories and the weight is coming down.
I am also going crazy not being able to exercise...walking and stretching and light weights (body weight resistance) had me in fairly decent condition. Surgery has changed: now expected to last 4-5 hours and instead of going home that day I'll stay 2-5 days. Ouch. It is what it is and I'll handle it with the help of the Good Lord and the guidance of some great medical people.
 

B1GTide

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I am also going crazy not being able to exercise...walking and stretching and light weights (body weight resistance) had me in fairly decent condition. Surgery has changed: now expected to last 4-5 hours and instead of going home that day I'll stay 2-5 days. Ouch. It is what it is and I'll handle it with the help of the Good Lord and the guidance of some great medical people.
I totally understand - after my abdominal surgery 3 years ago I wasn't allowed to do anything more than slow walking for 3 months, then faster walking for another month before I could ease back into my normal workouts. My fitness routine is a part of my life and I missed it almost as much as I missed, err, other activities.
 

Padreruf

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Last Friday I received some good news -- and since I am on a steady diet of Hydrocodone I cannot remember if I told you all or not. (LOL.) Anyway, my oncologist's assistant called Friday to tell me that they are not ready to call my lytic tumor Multiple Myeloma...I have only 1 protein marker out of whack and that by just a small bit. They are thinking mgus or a plasmacytosis cyst. Either is close to MM, but are very easy to treat and are non-malignant. They will know more on Wednesday after the surgeon gives them the samples to study. If it is MM, she said, then it is extremely early and they believe can put it into remission very quickly.

So, thanks for the thoughts and prayers...I'll update when able after the surgery, probably Friday or Saturday.
 
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B1GTide

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Last Friday I received some good news -- and since I am on a steady diet of Hydrocodone I cannot remember if I told you all or not. (LOL.) Anyway, my oncologist's assistant called Friday to tell me that they are not ready to call what my lytic tumor Multiple Myeloma...I have only 1 protein marker out of whack and that by just a small bit. They are thinking mgus or a plasmacytosis cyst. Either is close to MM, but are very easy to treat and are non-malignant. They will know more on Wednesday after the surgeon gives them the samples to study. If it is MM, she said, then it is extremely early and they believe can put it into remission very quickly.

So, thanks for the thoughts and prayers...I'll update when able after the surgery, probably Friday or Saturday.
That is great news!
 
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