The 7 billion strains the Earth like 8 billion, thanks to obesity

[Chuck]

Actually, when it comes down to it - it's not how many mouths there are to feed, it's how much flesh there is on the planet."

Matt Mcgrath - BBC - June 17, 2012

{belch!} --Ed.

Researchers say that increasing levels of fatness around the world could have the same impact on global resources as an extra billion people.

The team estimated the total weight of people on the planet and found that North America had the highest average.

Although only 6% of the global population live there, it is responsible for more than a third of the obesity.... [Read More]

[phoebeisis]

200 extra calories per day is 20 lbs gained per year.
Obese people-say 5 years of overeating 100 lbs overweight- are only eating 10% more that they should.

10 obese people are only taking food out of the mouth of 1 normal weight person
10% of the world's population being obese means if they weren't we could have a 1% larger world population.
This is a BS issue because eventually obese people get so sedentary they probably eat no more calories than a not obese person.

Besides there is more to "using more resources" than just food. Probably takes less heat in winter to warm a fat person(yes takes more AC in summer).

The excess use of medical resources- in advanced countries- is a much begger deal than calories
Charlie

[Kurz]

My biggest grip is that our current Health Insurance system does not allow for people to penalized for being over weight.

[Carcus]

Originally Posted by phoebeisis

This is a BS issue because eventually obese people get so sedentary they probably eat no more calories than a not obese person.


Charlie

Wrong.

You've obviously never observed "biguns" grazing at the all you can eat buffet.


To return to the average weights of the 1970s, we would need to reverse the increased food intake of about 350 calories a day for children (about one can of fizzy drink and a small portion of French fries) and 500 calories a day for adults (about one large hamburger)," Swinburn said. "Alternatively, we could achieve similar results by increasing physical activity by about 150 minutes a day of extra walking for children and 110 minutes for adults, but realistically, although a combination of both is needed, the focus would have to be on reducing calorie intake."


Increased Food Intake Alone Explains Rise In Obesity In United States, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0508045321.htm

/ all this -- before we get into the (largely ignored) fact that metabolic waste is not calorie free

[Carcus]

Thermal Efficiency of a Human Being
http://mb-soft.com/public2/humaneff.html

In the quest for Global Efficiency, should one start with his own shlt first and work out from there....?

[AshenGrey]

It would help if the government stopped subsidizing beef and started subsidizing healthy food. It is warped when a pound of onions costs the same as a pound of ground beef that contains 20% fat.

[herm]

fat will keep you alive, onions wont

[Chuck]

^ think AshenGrey's point is in excess, fat will kill you.

I started a serious diet in 2005, and surfed a lot on the topic.

Concluded 3 out of 4 diseases are caused/afflict a lot sooner from bad diet/no exercise.

[roadrunner]

"My biggest grip is that our current Health Insurance system does not allow for people to penalized for being over weight."
I 100% agree with you on this! I happen to be 6'1", 162 lbs, 7% body fat.
I travel to hospitals everyday, and see so many overweight individuals. An example, I am eating my lunch, and look over at this women who is 100+ lbs overweight. Guess what she is eating a bowl of...........bacon! PIG FLESH! This I see everyday!

[Earthling]

Cola drinks taken in large quantities can cause blood potassium to drop to dangerously low levels according to a research paper published in the June 2009 issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice (IJCP).

http://suite101.com/article/drinking...ealthy-a119309

“Sugar-sweetened soft drinks have been shown to cause obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental decay, and metabolic syndrome. They appear also to increase the risk for osteoporosis, gout, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hypovitaminosis C, albuminuria. and chronic kidney disease.”

Extreme Cola Drinking

Some people’s consumption of cola far exceeds the average and this leads to different medical problems. The IJCP report cites the example of an Australian ostrich farmer. He “developed sudden onset of muscle weakness after returning home from an evening of kangaroo-shooting. He had difficulty in getting out of his bath and was unable to stand while waiting for help to arrive. His respiratory status deteriorated, and he required intubation and mechanical ventilation.”

It turned out that his daily intake of cola was around four litres, but when out hunting kangaroos he would drink as much as 10 litres to slake the thirst he developed in the hot and dry Australian outback.

More on this topic What's Wrong With Drinking Soda? Non-Alcoholic Energy Drinks Harmful to Your Health Is Coffee a Healthy Drink? The cola had seriously depleted the potassium levels in his blood. When he cut down on his consumption he made a full recovery.

Harry