tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30396930.post8933588855283931369..comments2023-10-21T07:58:50.161-08:00Comments on Maya's Granny: Signposts to SanityThis Scares MeMaya's Grannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12183715043200608144noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30396930.post-41890184991628874392007-06-14T22:54:00.000-08:002007-06-14T22:54:00.000-08:00Thank you for bringing such nice posts. Your blog ...Thank you for bringing such nice posts. Your blog is always fascinating to read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30396930.post-67421871195081473572007-06-13T06:50:00.000-08:002007-06-13T06:50:00.000-08:00That is truly horrifying!That is truly horrifying!Ginahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11604097511444010759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30396930.post-19620106142048750392007-06-13T05:36:00.000-08:002007-06-13T05:36:00.000-08:00Humm… the “War on Obesity” seems just as foolish a...Humm… the “War on Obesity” seems just as foolish and dangerous as a “War on Yellow Teeth”<BR/><BR/>What would happen if we tried to reduce the incidence of lung cancer and emphysema by focusing on the characteristic of yellow teeth instead of focusing on the behavior of smoking? What if we launched a “War on Yellow Teeth” to prevent lung cancer and emphysema? What if we defined the problem as yellow teeth? People who had yellow teeth would worry about their health and be made to feel bad about their yellow teeth. They would be told how their yellow teeth were costing billions in health care and insurance premiums. Many smokers would be targeted in this war as needing intervention. They would be given teeth whitening potions and creams, programs to whiten teeth, even surgical removal of the offending yellow teeth. After all, missing teeth and the resulting health problems are not as dangerous as lung cancer or emphysema. <BR/><BR/>What about those smokers who do not happen to have yellow teeth even though they smoke? Since their teeth are white, they would not be defined as having a problem. They would be ignored by the “War on Yellow Teeth” because they do not possess the characteristic that has been defined as the problem. They would not get support or education on reducing lung cancer and emphysema.<BR/><BR/><BR/>What about those people who did not smoke and just have yellow teeth due to genetics, medication, or other reasons? They would be targeted. As they worked to whiten their teeth, they would face frustration because they could not get their teeth white enough. They may damage their teeth with more and more extensive efforts to whiten them. And all along, they would be encouraged to continue. They would be pressured, and chided, and even have recommendations to have their offending teeth surgically removed in order to save them from the awful impending lung cancer and emphysema.<BR/><BR/><BR/>We are experiencing similar results in the “War on Obesity” as would occur in the above scenario about “War on Yellow Teeth”. In both cases, by targeting the characteristic (yellow teeth or body size), instead of the behaviors and actions (smoking or poor dietary habits and inactivity), we prevent a solution from being found. The resulting policies hurt the people with and without the unhealthy behaviors. The assumption that the associated characteristic causes the health issues skews research design and results in conflicting scientific conclusions.<BR/><BR/><BR/>We need to re-define of the problem in a way that promotes a solution for adults and children, of all sizes. I think that the real problem is: We need healthy eating and fitness activity for everybody of every size. <BR/>I propose that we end the “War on Obesity”, and begin a “Campaign for Healthy Eating and Fitness for Everybody of Every Size”.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30396930.post-49689597238857170152007-06-12T10:40:00.000-08:002007-06-12T10:40:00.000-08:00There has to be some middle ground between doctors...There has to be some middle ground between doctors who won't point out that maybe 100 pounds isn't a healthy weight for a 6 year old and this invasive piece of garbage. <BR/><BR/>By the way, I have no respect whatsoever for the AMA. These are the guys who think that damage caps will fix malpractice rates. And I have almost less respect for the pediatric board. Those are the guys who said a kid under 24 months should never ever be exposed to television at all (oh no! his big sister wants to watch educational programming!!), and if he gets an earache you should just "keep an eye on it" for 3 months (just what mom wants to do, "keep an eye" on a kid whose ears hurt all the time). <BR/><BR/>I have two questions about this really. First, who the heck is going to pay for all this? Because insurance companies generally don't pay for weight loss. They won't even pay for a regular office visit where you <I>talk about</I> weight loss in many cases. Second, what happens when some parents decide to decline "elective" weight loss surgery for their child? In some states it is not legal to "withhold medical treatment" from a child, so will these parents be called criminals and risk losing their kids?<BR/><BR/>By the way, <A HREF="http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/17674.html" REL="nofollow">here's the source document with the actual recommendations.</A>Bridget Magnushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05048808659359979258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30396930.post-16905548680596541792007-06-12T10:02:00.000-08:002007-06-12T10:02:00.000-08:00This scares me, too! I am soooooooo tired of our ...This scares me, too! I am soooooooo tired of our goverment thinking it is our nanny. I also am scared of the number of obese children I see. All I can say is that people need to reassess how they feed their children. For my two, McD's etc., was a treat or a quick fix when schedules got overloaded. We sat down to healthy meals AT the dinner table and talked -- just like my family did when I was a child. I don't think a lot of people do that anymore and I think that makes a difference. I got the impression that family meals had gone the way of all flesh when my kids were in school because their friends used to get such a kick out of having supper with us. AND the schools don't serve healthy lunches anymore. As much as I complained about the yucky cafeteria food growing up, it was healthier than it is now.<BR/> <BR/>I wish I had an answer but it doesn't stop me from resenting being nannied. You can't save people from themselves.Kay Dennisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02646717192332313215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30396930.post-48805263444724918842007-06-12T05:25:00.000-08:002007-06-12T05:25:00.000-08:00Ugh, ugh, ugh ugh ugh. My friend's friend just ha...Ugh, ugh, ugh ugh ugh. <BR/><BR/>My friend's friend just had the surgery, and now, only 6 or 8 weeks later, she's pregnant. I'm trying to figure out where the baby will get enough nutrition to develop normally? I guess Carnie Wilson did it, it CAN be done, but it doesn't seem like such a good idea.<BR/><BR/>And any doctor that told me Maya was obese would get a fat lip. End of story.Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00653383372182667361noreply@blogger.com