Girth and The Gut
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... O_20110926
A Graphic Look at Obesity--Inside and Out
A new detailed picture of the biological consequences of the global weight problem, as visualized by the scientifically tuned illustrations of theVisualMD
By Katherine Harmon | September 22, 2011
Global girths are on the rise—with some 1.5 billion adults now overweight and more than one in 10 adults obese worldwide. U.S. figures are even starker: more than half of the population weighs too much and more than one third are obese.
The causes of these conditions have turned out to be much more diverse than too much junk food and couch time. Research has now implicated factors as far-ranging as stress and the lack of quality sleep as complicit forces in the epidemic.
Using some of the latest scientific data, theVisualMD has created a collection of illustrations that elucidate the complex causes and biological ramifications of obesity.
Obese Woman, cross section
http://www.thevisualmd.com/media_galler ... 8&idc=1358
Traditionally, obesity has been defined as a weight at least 20% above ideal weight. More recent guidelines call for classifying obesity by using the body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated based on your height and weight. However, BMI may classify as obese some people who aren't overweight but who are heavily muscled or big-boned. It also doesn't take into account the person's age. Waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) may be a better indication of disease risk, because they indicate if you have a lot of dangerous visceral fat inside your abdomen. Some doctors feel it's possible to be classified as obese and still be physically fit.
Not the nicest of pictures, but I remember when I was pregnant and having to test my blood sugar every day after every meal thanks to being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and seeing in stark black and white the effects on my blood sugar levels of each and every type of food that I ate, and most importantly, my stress levels, had more of an impact on my behavioral modification and eating habits than any conversation with a dietician could've ever had. Sometimes being slapped in the face with the consequences, with no punches pulled, is what's really needed to improve our habits (and looking at pictures beats having a heart attack to wake you up!).
The website above, theVisualMD , has lots of other stuff besides obesity (cardiovascular, depression, pregnancy, back pain, etc) - check it out in your spare time!
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
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