Michael Roberts: But isn't the greatest hurdle just getting people motivated in the first place?Shame is a powerful motivator.
TF: I would actually say that motivation is not the question. The real question is: What are the incentives? Let's say I created a gym where you pay $400 the first of the month, and for every visit I refund $25. And before you sign up, we take unflattering photos of you in your underwear, and if you don't make a certain number of visits, we post those photos to a public website. I guarantee you that would be one fucking fit gym.
Poverty + subsidized corn = obesity.That math's a little off.
Researchers have linked the rise in obesity to technological progress reducing the opportunity cost of food consumption and increasing the opportunity cost of physical activity. We examine this hypothesis in the context of Walmart Supercenters, whose advancements in retail logistics have translated to sub- stantial reductions in the prices of food and other consumer goods. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System matched with Walmart Supercenter entry dates and locations, we examine the effects of Supercenters on body mass index (BMI) and obesity. We account for the endogeneity of Walmart Supercenter locations with an instrumental variables approach that exploits the unique geo- graphical pattern of Supercenter expansion around Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. An additional Supercenter per 100,000 residents increases average BMI by 0.24 units and the obesity rate by 2.3% points. These results imply that the proliferation of Walmart Supercenters explains 10.5% of the rise in obesity since the late 1980s, but the resulting increase in medical expenditures offsets only a small portion of consumers’ savings from shopping at Supercenters.posted by wilful at 5:19 PM on July 7, 2011 [9 favorites]
Please tell me this involved exercise and not surgery.Yep. Exercise was definitely a part of it. Equally important, and the bit that a lot of people miss, is that I just ate less.
What's weird about all this is that the epidemic is based toward people with low incomes, so you can't assume that the people suffering have cars, TV, fancy phones, or vacations.Actually I was addressing some people right here who'd implied fresh fruit & veg in the US are expensive, rather than the great obese masses. I accept that if someone has no money then buying anything is difficult but for the vast majority of educated and relatively privileged people who come to this site, I suspect, it's about priorities and not about poverty.
I accept that if someone has no money then buying anything is difficult but for the vast majority of educated and relatively privileged people who come to this site, I suspect, it's about priorities and not about poverty.What does that have to do with the "Obesity epidemic"? The average person doesn't come to metafilter. It's also incorrect to believe that just because someone can write clearly, they're privileged. Not so much on the blue, but if you go on reddit there are tons of posts from people who are obviously poorly educated/low class yet can write perfectly clearly. There are occasionally AskMe's from people who clearly are lower income.
Republicans have now lined up behind Representative Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) proposal that dramatically slashes Medicare spending even more for anyone under age 55.posted by rtha at 10:36 AM on July 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
Say what? No wonder many people are confused. To cut through the claims and counterclaims, examine a statement Ryan has made repeatedly. In his Pathway to Prosperity booklet, Ryan describes his plan for Medicare this way: "Starting in 2022, new Medicare beneficiaries will be enrolled in the same kind of health-care program that members of Congress enjoy." Sounds good, right? The thing is, there is but a surface resemblance. The differences are crucial and illustrate why his plan isn't reform.
In essence, under the Ryan plan Medicare recipients in 2022 would get a "premium subsidy" paid directly to a health plan of their choosing. The value of the subsidy would increase at the rate of the consumer price index; the Congressional Budget Office estimates the subsidy would be worth $8,000 initially. The yields on Treasury Inflation Protected Securities signal that investors expect consumer price inflation to average a bit over 2 percent over the next 30 years. Medicare per capita spending rose at an average annual rate of 6.7 percent between 1985 and 2009. The "cost" savings on Medicare come largely from older folks dipping deeper into their pockets and the government picking up less of the Medicare tab.
"People who are less affluent don't own cars and can't go distances for healthier foods." . . . Car owners on average weighed 8.5 pounds more than non-car owners except in areas with high fast food concentration, meaning five fast food restaurants per mile. Non-car owners in high fast food concentration areas were found to weigh 2.7 pounds more than car owners who lived in the same areas, and 12 pounds more than residents of areas without fast food outlets. Those who did not own a car and lived in areas without fast food outlets weighed the least.posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:55 PM on July 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
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. . . And now for sports.
posted by isopraxis at 3:54 PM on July 7, 2011 [18 favorites]