Comments on: Obesity Could Reduce U.S. Life Expectancy http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/obesity_could_reduce_us_life_expectancy/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:19:10 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: James Joyner http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/obesity_could_reduce_us_life_expectancy/comment-page-1/#comment-39511 James Joyner Thu, 17 Mar 2005 23:21:49 +0000 /?p=9686#comment-39511 Jake: Fair point. Still, a huge portion (no pun) of the population is obese by current guidelines. Jake: Fair point. Still, a huge portion (no pun) of the population is obese by current guidelines.

]]> By: JakeV http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/obesity_could_reduce_us_life_expectancy/comment-page-1/#comment-39505 JakeV Thu, 17 Mar 2005 23:08:24 +0000 /?p=9686#comment-39505 <i>Given that the four to nine months come at the end of a long life, the tradeoff for seventy five years of enjoying access to good-tasting foods may well be worth the trade-off.</i> I don't think this is how aggregate life expectancy works, since it is averaged across the whole population. This article isn't saying you are going to have a lot of fat people dying 4-9 months earlier than they would have otherwise. Instead, what you will have is a lot of fat people dying years earlier than they would have, while non-fat people live just as long or longer as before. Hence the 4-9 month average-- it's the average of a large number of people who don't lose any time at all, and another large number who lose a lot of time. In short, your reference to "4-9 months at the end of a long life" seems to bear little relationship to reality. Given that the four to nine months come at the end of a long life, the tradeoff for seventy five years of enjoying access to good-tasting foods may well be worth the trade-off.

I don't think this is how aggregate life expectancy works, since it is averaged across the whole population.

This article isn't saying you are going to have a lot of fat people dying 4-9 months earlier than they would have otherwise.

Instead, what you will have is a lot of fat people dying years earlier than they would have, while non-fat people live just as long or longer as before. Hence the 4-9 month average-- it's the average of a large number of people who don't lose any time at all, and another large number who lose a lot of time.

In short, your reference to "4-9 months at the end of a long life" seems to bear little relationship to reality.

]]> By: Steve http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/obesity_could_reduce_us_life_expectancy/comment-page-1/#comment-39501 Steve Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:10:40 +0000 /?p=9686#comment-39501 This is slightly off topic, but I've pointed to obesity as being a potential problem for using things like life expectancy as a measure of the quality of health care in a country. Most people point out that the U.S. life expectancy is below that of country X, Y and Z all of which have nationalized health care as if that is the only variable in question. This is slightly off topic, but I've pointed to obesity as being a potential problem for using things like life expectancy as a measure of the quality of health care in a country. Most people point out that the U.S. life expectancy is below that of country X, Y and Z all of which have nationalized health care as if that is the only variable in question.

]]> By: » Gone Hollywood http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/obesity_could_reduce_us_life_expectancy/comment-page-1/#comment-124820 » Gone Hollywood Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=9686#comment-124820 <!--%kramer-pre%-->to obesity. The impact is miniscule, however, compared to lifestyle. Related: Obesity Genes (Kate) Free to Choose Obesity? Income May Help Fuel Obesity, Study Finds The Government’s Food Pyramid Scheme Government Overstated Obesity DangerObesity Could Reduce U.S. Life Expectancy Obesity Deemed an Illness You Are What You Eat War on Fat The Afflictions of Affluence Cheeseburger Bill FAT NURSES OBESITY A DISEASE, II IS OBESITY A DISEASE? THE BLAME GAME GREAT HEALTH NEWS<!--%kramer-post%--> to obesity. The impact is miniscule, however, compared to lifestyle. Related: Obesity Genes (Kate) Free to Choose Obesity? Income May Help Fuel Obesity, Study Finds The Government’s Food Pyramid Scheme Government Overstated Obesity DangerObesity Could Reduce U.S. Life Expectancy Obesity Deemed an Illness You Are What You Eat War on Fat The Afflictions of Affluence Cheeseburger Bill FAT NURSES OBESITY A DISEASE, II IS OBESITY A DISEASE? THE BLAME GAME GREAT HEALTH NEWS

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