Or, you know, not.

No man who is fat is truly healthy over the long term, a new study finds. “There appears to be no such thing as metabolically healthy obesity,” said a statement by Dr. Johan Arnlov, an associate professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Uppsala University, and lead author of a report published online Dec. 28 in the journal Circulation.

That assessment is based on a study that has followed almost 1,800 Swedish men, starting at age 50, for an unusually long time, 30 years, recording those who died or had a cardiovascular problem such as a heart attack or stroke. Arnlov and his colleagues measured not only obesity, but also the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors — high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides (fats), low HDL (“good”) cholesterol and a broad waist size (40 inches for men, 35 for women). Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or more of these risk factors.

Previous studies have found no increased cardiovascular risk in obese men who did not have the metabolic syndrome, giving rise to the notion that there was a “healthy obesity.” But the new report indicates that those studies didn’t follow the participants long enough. Problems only become more evident after 15 years or so, the researchers found.

41 replies on “Health At Every Size”

  3. Way to be anti-Adipositive, Dan! You want people to accept queers and yet you diss other groups? Such a hypocrit. Where do you get off!

    I’m writing a letter to cancel my subscription.

  4. How dare you consider this long term study with a large sample size instead of my anecdotal evidence that a small proportion of overweight people are healthy!

  6. Yyyyeah, studies that only include white men don’t prove anything. I’m no size-apologist, but it’s the wrong century for that shit.

  8. Hey #3, ‘where does Dan get off’?, I think Dan gets off in his BF’s mouth, ass maybe even an armpit hump now and then=D

  12. @4+5, 4 wins the fucking week

    @6 Studies for health trends that only include white men are common because they remove variables (like the higher rate of certain cardio-vascular problems in black men). So if you’re going to do a study with as few variables as possible, may as well use the biggest sample group available

  13. When I weighed eight hundred pounds I wasn’t so concerned about my heart as I was about where the fuck the remote fucking control had gone. You would be surprised at the places that thing could get wedged and I wouldn’t even feel it!

  14. “no one could’ve predicted” Dan would start the new year off with another post about obesity. sorry, the second post of the new year. first was a timely post about George W.

    Dan isn’t a bad bad man, he’s just a humorless old man.

    i bet he’s got a profile on http://www.beautifulpeople.com

  15. I’m going to be preemptive here. I just know that somebody is going to come out and say “well of course if you study them for a LONG TIME everyone will have health problems because they’re getting OLDER, so it’s because of normal aging not obesity.” So, before you make that argument (you know who you are), keep in mind that the non-obese people were ALSO AGING and still had a lower chance of these health complications.

    Yes, everyone dies. However, NOT everyone spends the majority of their time leading up to that (earlier) death in a constant state of breathlessness, hypertension, joint pain, fatigue, etc etc etc. Keep that in mind 🙂

    And once again, if fatty food is worth those health risks to you, great! Chow down! Just don’t cling to the dishonest myth that the health risks do not exist in the first place, and don’t feed your children the same diet until they’re old enough to assess those risks themselves. That’s all we ask.

  16. If you choose to only look for things that reinforce your hatred, you will find them. I am not even saying the study was wrong, but you seem to have not pointed out the part of the article that says they did not account for the variability of how much people do or don’t exercise. Many fat activists agree that a sedentary lifestyle and/or yo-yo dieting leads to health complications. Even if you don’t believe in “health at every size” the fact that you choose to constantly hate on fat people is disturbing. What is your point, exactly? People shouldn’t and can’t be fat, because you deem them lesser humans if they are fat? Is your point that fat people are lazy, don’t eat right, don’t exercise, take up too much space, are stupid, shouldn’t have kids, are society’s plague, are ugly and unattractive, smell bad, deserve to die, should be ridiculed, have no self control, etc. etc.? Is that your point? You can try to cover your hatred of fat people with all the “scientific” articles you want, but the question you might want to ask yourself is “why do I hate fat people so much?”

  20. Wow kristinbell. Your comments would be meaningful if they weren’t just obvious attempts to justify your own corpulence.

    I’m fat too. But I don’t buy your brand of bullshit.

  21. 16: I don’t hate fat people. I hate people who insist on distorting facts, be it about health, the climate, homosexuality, etc etc.

    Somebody who is fat but healthy is fine. Somebody who is fat because they have a bad diet, but who have made a conscious choice to have that diet and acknowledge the health risks involved, is fine.

    Somebody who, skinny OR fat, dismisses all evidence that obesity is unhealthy as “anti-fat hatred,” refuses to acknowledge it, accuses those who do acknowledge it of being anti-fat-person, are NOT fine. They are dishonest, they are shrill, and they are usually the very people who have not made peace with their bodies or their diets (hence their need to deny reality in order to accept themselves).

    If this is a description of you, then YOU have a problem. Not other fat people, not the scientific community, not the world’s population of realists, but YOU. Get help.

  22. Fatty rage! Ye-haw! I wanna watch them Sumo wrestle!

    I love how when Dan posts these stories, everyone flips out, thereby confirming that most Sloggers are indeed FATTIES. Ewwwww!

  24. @16

    Because’s they’re unattractive, and we’re deemed by the selective pressure of millions of years of evolution to dislike them.

  25. What is your point, exactly?

    You didn’t wait for an answer. Fat people are so unmannerly! tsk-tsk.

    … you deem them lesser humans if they are fat?

    No. But I do, personally, deem them (including myself) less attractive humans. I understand that this is subjective, however.

    Is your point that fat people are …

    1. lazy,

    No, but they do tire easier and more frequently, which can give the appearance of laziness. But, honestly, even if they are, who cares? Unless you’re a stupid fundy Protestant Work Ethic asshole, being lazy isn’t a moral failing. Most people are lazy, even the skinny ones.

    2. don’t eat right,

    For the most part, yes.

    3. don’t exercise,

    For the most part, yes.

    4. take up too much space,

    In some cases, yes

    5. are stupid,

    As a rule? No. Are many fat people stupid? Yes, they are. So are many skinny people. Most people are stupid.

    6. shouldn’t have kids,

    As a rule? No. Most people shouldn’t have kids.

    7. are society’s plague,

    It depends on what you mean by “plague.” But, as a rule? Yes. Most people are society’s plague.

    8. are ugly and unattractive,

    Not all of them are. But the morbidly obese ones? Yes. But that’s just me.

    9. smell bad,

    As a rule, yes. So do smokers.

    10. deserve to die,

    Silly question, bordering on hysterical. When you calm down you’re going to be embarrassed.

    11. should be ridiculed,

    Absolutely not.

    12. have no self control,

    I don’t think they do, no. But plenty of people lack self-control about many different things. For fat people, this tends to be fattening foods, whether it’s sugar, starches, carbs, or dairy. This is not a moral failing, but simply what is.

    I don’t hate fat people, you silly woman. I’m just honest about them (and myself).

  26. I think that “Health at Every Size” doesn’t mean automatically that Every Size is Healthy, but rather that one can do their best to be active and live life without necessarily falling victim to the ravages of obesity-related diseases. By being part of the exception.

    What’s wrong with encouraging that in people, even if some fall short of whatever mark you deem acceptable, if it gets people trying to be healthy and trying to value their existence on this earth? Why try to just tear down the idea, when it might actually engender healthy activity?

    God knows it’s hard enough as a fat person to get moving – it hurts like a bitch, which makes sustaining that particular lifestyle change tough. It appears like a GIANT MONOLITH OF CHANGE that one must hurdle, and all the person can see is this idea of a thin person who is the end result. Why not promote the great feelings that come along the way, you know, Every Size, instead of making it so Puritan and all-or-nothing? I realize it’s about being judgmental and feeling superior to those who are actually able to accomplish this, as many comments to these posts on Slog attest. But I don’t get how it takes away any of your feeling great about yourself if someone else feels a little bit great about themselves too. It’s like saying gay marriage destroys het marriage, ferricecakes (hah!).

  27. And here’s what Dan conveniently left out that was at the end of the article:

    ‘A shortcoming of the study is that while it measured other factors such as smoking, it did not look at levels of physical activity, Franklin said.

    “We have unequivocal evidence that being physically fit, whether you are overweight or obese, has a beneficial effect,” he said. “So, if you are overweight or obese, it is all the more important to emphasize your fitness.”‘

    For those of you who do not know: Health At Every Size is an alternative to dieting (which we have valid evidence is unsuccessful in the long term) which allows people to find a model of being healthier. The principles include: self-acceptance, regular sustainable/enjoyable body movement, and intuitive eating (paying attention to hunger cues and letting go of negative judgements on eating).

  28. I find it interesting that I never made any comment about “trying to justify my corpulence” and I never made a comment about how I didn’t believe the research findings (in fact, I pretty much agreed they may be correct), and yet people think I’m akin to a Holocaust denier, because I question Dan’s hatred of fat people. This post is not the first in his obsession with fat hate. And for the record. I am fat. I don’t care if you care and I don’t need to justify any part of my existence in this world to anyone, least of all a bunch of snarky sloggers. I make no apologies for my fatness, and if it is “my fault” then so be it. I don’t deny science or the fact that fatness can have its consequences. The big fat bottom line is that I question people who hate. I question people who hate fags and queer people. I question people who are racist. I question people who are fat haters. I also question myself about my own internalized prejudices. I happen to think it is important to unpack prejudice. I’m just sorry that so many people feel it important to hate on fat people and that they never look into their own fat hate. AND BTW, if you think fat hate only hurts fat people, you are wrong on that account too.

  29. Health at Every Size is indeed NOT about saying that a given person is equally healthy at all body sizes, but that it is possible to engage in healthful behaviors and improving ones health status as a result without losing weight. Self-acceptance is a big part of Health at Every Size and I guess this might be why people have a problem with it. But self-hatred is actually psychologically and physiologically harmful, and since self-acceptance and self-love are not the same as saying that one does not have any health risks I don’t think advocating that fat people shouldn’t accept themselves is in any way useful.

    @ Spins – great comment.

    @ breadandcirce – also a great comment. As a fat person my self I disagree that my biggest obstacle to exercise is physical pain, though. Lack of suitable equipment and exercise clothing as well as the ridicule, the open contempt some people show whenever they see a fat person exercising and the cluelessness about how to adapt exercises to the abilities and needs of a fat body that many exercise class instructors show are far greater obstacles.

  31. @ fatcarrot: Oh, I agree. All of those things are pretty bad obstacles and considerations for any significantly heavy person starting to exercise. But I can do a lot of stuff in my own house, even as the smallest step I can begin to take. Programs on On-Demand, Netflix, etc. Stretching. Dancing in place. Whatever – at the end of it, though it’s good for me, it all hurts. And the only way past that is through it, but it is quite daunting indeed.

    You’re right. The self-hatred’s a pretty big obstacle, too, fed by the ridicule and other difficulties. That’s why it kinda bugs me when Dan has to pick apart even the smallest efforts by dismissing the idea of Health at Every Size.

  32. Rob, great. (And predictable.) But that doesn’t address the concept of Health at Every Size, which encourages people to try to do as much as they can AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. I don’t think that article applies to that concept. Why can’t there be a middle ground? There’s as lot of middle ground between “severely obese” and the idea of healthy that is held up as the goal. Are we meant to dismiss all of that in-between time? If I start at 300 pounds and lose 50, am I still worth nothing in the long run, despite accomplishing something that few people are able to do? I mean, this is the insanity of this issue. Health at Every Size tries to avoid that insanity, I think, so to try to dismiss it loses the baby with the bathwater.

  33. Body size is NOT a shorthand for lifestyle. Both thin and fat people are sedentary or active. Both thin and fat people eat nutritiously or not. People of all sizes have different lifestyles. Body size is a characteristic, not a behavior or character flaw. Every body of every size has the right and responsibility to take care of themselves, INDEPENDENT OF WEIGHT.

    Have you seen the Obesity Systems Diagram?
    http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/proje… There are 108 variables shown to affect large body size. It is not as simple as energy in and energy out.

    Do you even know what Health At Every Size (HAES) means? To clarify, here are the five principles of HAES from http://www.sizediversityandhealth.org/co… :
    1. Accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes.
    2. Recognizing that health and well-being are multi-dimensional and that they include
    physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects.
    3. Promoting all aspects of health and well-being for people of all sizes.
    4. Promoting eating in a manner which balances individual nutritional needs, hunger,
    satiety, appetite, and pleasure.
    5. Promoting individually appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity, rather
    than exercise that is focused on a goal of weight loss.

    Do you really argue with self-care for all sizes?

  34. Body size is NOT a shorthand for lifestyle. Both thin and fat people are sedentary or active. Both thin and fat people eat nutritiously or not. People of all sizes have different lifestyles. Body size is a characteristic, not a behavior or character flaw. Every body of every size has the right and responsibility to take care of themselves, INDEPENDENT OF WEIGHT.

    Have you seen the Obesity Systems Diagram?
    http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/proje… There are 108 variables shown to affect large body size. It is not as simple as energy in and energy out.

    Do you even know what Health At Every Size (HAES) means? To clarify, here are the five principles of HAES from http://www.sizediversityandhealth.org/co… :
    1. Accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes.
    2. Recognizing that health and well-being are multi-dimensional and that they include
    physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects.
    3. Promoting all aspects of health and well-being for people of all sizes.
    4. Promoting eating in a manner which balances individual nutritional needs, hunger,
    satiety, appetite, and pleasure.
    5. Promoting individually appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity, rather
    than exercise that is focused on a goal of weight loss.

    Do you really argue with self-care for all sizes?

  35. #28.

    I question people who are fat haters.

    Then go find some some fat haters and yell at them! But no one here has said anything that can remotely be interpreted as “I hate fat people,” and that includes Savage. And if you think we have, I can only conclude that either you’re making this shit up in your own head or you’ve never read the actual definition of the word “hate.”

  36. Really? As much as I agree with Dan, he calls “hate” on those against gay rights constantly, and none of those people hardly ever say hate.

  37. You’re seriously comparing Dan’s skepticism of Heath at Any Age and intuitive eating (which I support, btw) with those who would remove basic civil rights from gays and lesbians?

    You honestly think that these two things are analogous?

  38. Wait, #36! I think I might have misunderstood you. I’m trying to figure out what you’re saying (and I’m very sleepy right now, so bear with me, please).

    Are you saying that because anti-gay rights bigots don’t say, “We hate homosexuals” (besides the Phelps clan, of course), that Dan is wrong to call them haters? And, because of that, KristenBell’s accusation is fair?

    Hmm, I don’t agree. The only reason the homophobes don’t use the word “hate” (and some actually do) is because they know that would work against their cause. Their actions reveal their true feelings.

    No one here is advocating cruel or inhumane treatment of fat people. No one is advocating taking away their civil rights. No one is saying we should have fat laws. And no one is saying that fat people are abominations. All of that, if believed, would reveal a deep hatred of fat people.

    We’re simply saying that many Fat Activists are wrong and delusional. That’s not hate. That’s disagreement.

  40. No, I’m not at all saying that Dan is wrong to call them haters. In fact, I said that I agree with him. But I’m also saying that it’s not hard to extrapolate “hate” from a lot of what happens in fat posts on Slog (and the infamous post Dan made a long time ago called “Today in Intuitive Eating” that was basically a surreptitious photo of fat people at some fair in the Midwest).

    That’s the problem that I have with these posts, is that they’re part of a pattern — I seem to be incapable of separating them from their ilk, which is a fault of mine. It’s in those that I see suggestions of cruel treatment of fat people, taking away some of their rights (this usually comes up when discussions of fat people’s burden on someone’s insurance bill comes up), and a lot of the language gets close to being about abominations. It became such an ongoing thing that when a severely obese man died in his armchair several weeks ago, more than one person wrote to Dan to point out the event and say how hilarious it was. To his credit, he scolded them roundly.

    I’m not saying that it’s exactly the same as gay rights, but it smacks of the same trends in thinking, which I always find odd and a little disturbing. And I responded to this particular post because I don’t believe that HAES is delusional; I think it’s empowering self-care, and I’m sad to see it dismissed outright when it’s already difficult enough to find peace in this fucked-up world.

  41. Thank you, #40. After a good night’s sleep, everything makes sense now. I remember the “intuitive eating” post too. Savage didn’t help his case there. 🙂

    Mocking isn’t hate, but yeah, when Dan received all of those emails from cruel, thoughtless, ignorant assholes laughing at that poor guy (and his wife), I think we all got hit over the head with a clue stick.

    As GLBTs we all know that far too often, lying beneath the mocking of gay people is a cesspool of ignorance and hate. I don’t think this is the case with Dan, and his response to those laughing at the death of an overweight man proves this. But that doesn’t mean that a lot of haters don’t read Dan and treat his posts as validation for their own hate.

    But is Dan responsible for assholes? I think that most of us put a lot of responsibility for Dr. Tiller’s death in the hands of O’Reilly. A lot of us pointed fingers at Michael Savage, O’Reilly, and Hannity when police found their books in Adkisson’s home after he attacked the UU church.

    And I’m comfortable putting blame in their hands. But they use coded hate speech. Dan doesn’t. Dan debunks HAES because he considers it incorrect. He mocks fat people sometimes. Nowhere does Dan encourage people to “hate” fat people. Nowhere that I’ve ever seen, anyway.

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