Comments on: Is overweight a misnomer? http://gravlee.org/medanthro/2007/11/07/is-overweight-a-misnomer/ Course website for Fall 2009 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:04:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kristina Chechotka http://gravlee.org/medanthro/2007/11/07/is-overweight-a-misnomer/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Kristina Chechotka Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:54:57 +0000 http://gravlee.org/medanthro/2007/11/07/is-overweight-a-misnomer/#comment-71 For some reason, I do not find it highly surprising that people who are overweight do not have higher mortality rates than people who are not overweight. When I think about it, people who are just the "right size" have little body fat to sustain them when they get sick. For example, when someone gets chemotherapy, side effects include symptoms like nausea. If this causes a person of normal weight to stop eating, he or she is going to drop weight and waste away more quickly because the body does not have much fat to break down in the absence of food. A person with enough body fat won't have the same problem. Krysten brings up a valid point about the meaning of disability. Certainly the definition varies from person to person, and this impacts self-reported data. One person's disability is another's fact of life. I feel that it is important to elicit some definitions of "disability" from the people who are reporting the data. For some reason, I do not find it highly surprising that people who are overweight do not have higher mortality rates than people who are not overweight. When I think about it, people who are just the “right size” have little body fat to sustain them when they get sick. For example, when someone gets chemotherapy, side effects include symptoms like nausea. If this causes a person of normal weight to stop eating, he or she is going to drop weight and waste away more quickly because the body does not have much fat to break down in the absence of food. A person with enough body fat won’t have the same problem.

Krysten brings up a valid point about the meaning of disability. Certainly the definition varies from person to person, and this impacts self-reported data. One person’s disability is another’s fact of life. I feel that it is important to elicit some definitions of “disability” from the people who are reporting the data.

]]> By: Krysten Barreto http://gravlee.org/medanthro/2007/11/07/is-overweight-a-misnomer/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Krysten Barreto Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:59:36 +0000 http://gravlee.org/medanthro/2007/11/07/is-overweight-a-misnomer/#comment-67 I think that this is a very interesting article. Even though overweight people might have lower mortality rates, i do agree witht he fact that they are at risks for other things. So even though they might not die from cancer or things like that, it is possible for them to die from a sequence of things that arise from being overwieght. I agree with the fact that people that are obese are more likely to be disabled. People who are obese generally have problems doing certain activities, like walking for long periods of time and going upstairs. Moevement , while being obese, puts alot of strain on the body. This puts them at a higher risk of injury and a greater chance of getting a disability. Even though it says that people that are officially overweight do not report higher levels of disability, you have to take into consideration that diability might mean something different to everyone. What you might consider a disability might not be for someone else. this could be either because they dont see it as one or because they've had it for a while and have learned to live with it. This also goes the other way. Something you might not consider a disability , might be one for someone that is overweight. On a last note i think that being overweight can be considered a misnomer because overweight is different for everyone. I know many people of different heights that are considered obese according to the system of measuring obesity. These people are no where near being obese. they are skinny, healthy athletic people. But because of the fact that their weight falls into this "obese" category then they are considered overweight. Take into consideration body builders, those that srtive to be big and muscular. What if your 5 foot tall and weigh 200lbs because of all of the muscle mass y ou have from body building. According to chart you would be considered to be overweight, however you really arent. So i feel that being overweight is different for everyone and should be seen as an individual case for everyone. I think that this is a very interesting article. Even though overweight people might have lower mortality rates, i do agree witht he fact that they are at risks for other things. So even though they might not die from cancer or things like that, it is possible for them to die from a sequence of things that arise from being overwieght.
I agree with the fact that people that are obese are more likely to be disabled. People who are obese generally have problems doing certain activities, like walking for long periods of time and going upstairs. Moevement , while being obese, puts alot of strain on the body. This puts them at a higher risk of injury and a greater chance of getting a disability. Even though it says that people that are officially overweight do not report higher levels of disability, you have to take into consideration that diability might mean something different to everyone. What you might consider a disability might not be for someone else. this could be either because they dont see it as one or because they’ve had it for a while and have learned to live with it. This also goes the other way. Something you might not consider a disability , might be one for someone that is overweight.
On a last note i think that being overweight can be considered a misnomer because overweight is different for everyone. I know many people of different heights that are considered obese according to the system of measuring obesity. These people are no where near being obese. they are skinny, healthy athletic people. But because of the fact that their weight falls into this “obese” category then they are considered overweight. Take into consideration body builders, those that srtive to be big and muscular. What if your 5 foot tall and weigh 200lbs because of all of the muscle mass y ou have from body building. According to chart you would be considered to be overweight, however you really arent. So i feel that being overweight is different for everyone and should be seen as an individual case for everyone.

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