NationStates Jolt Archive

Now, as hilarious as this actually is (and it is hilarious), this is surely a worrying sign about the state of general health in the West.

I say West because the trends in the United States inevitabley trickle down throughout the rest of the West, as you can see below it is also beginning to affect the U.K.

Increasing numbers of Americans are becoming too fat to fit into X-ray machines, US researchers report.

The nation's rising obesity problems mean many citizens are not only too large for scanners but they have too much fat for the rays to penetrate.

Over the past 15 years, the number of failed scans linked to patient obesity has doubled, Radiology journal reports.

The problem is not confined to scanners. UK hospitals have had to make their beds stronger for obese patients.
.....
Dr Colin Wayne of the UK's National Obesity Forum said the UK was showing a similar trend.


The US government says 64% of the population are overweight.

This is the most worrying:

Dr Raul Uppot and colleagues, who work in radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, had noticed that they were seeing more and more patients whose weight prevented them from having medical scans.
Link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5219884.stm)

Thought? Comments?
Doesn't this also pose a security risk in airports if people cannot fit through the X-ray machines?

HAHAHAHAHAhahahahaHAHAHAHA.....
cough

hehe... fatties.

:D

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Thats fucking brilliant!:)

I reckon Britain can't be far behind though....

It is disappointing to see. But ultimately people must realise that exercising their "personal choice" to damage their bodies in that manner will have consequences that no amount of "acceptance" will solve. Because companies that manufacture MRI scanners, elevators and all sorts of stuff, will not necessarily be working to that template.

rofl

HAHAHAHA! THAT'S FUCKING HILARIOUS!!

God bless the United States of America!!

Hey... is that a box of... fried chicken?

When I moved back to the States from Germany the large amount of fat people kinda surprised me. I guess I'd forgotten about it. When I landed in Chicago on my flight from Frankfurt I couldn't get over how fucking huge some of the people are.

And we wonder why we pay so much for healthcare? And it's only going to get worse......

I wonder how big a person has to be to block x-rays.

http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy051.gifhttp://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy051.gifhttp://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy051.gif

Here is the link to the original article, by the way:

BBC: Americans 'too fat for x-rays' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5219884.stm)

Does this mean that you could use obese sword swallowers to sneak weapons aboard planes for use in a hijacking? At last my plans can come to fruition!

Here is the link to the original article, by the way:

BBC: Americans 'too fat for x-rays' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5219884.stm)

Odd. I thought the link worked ok. Thanks for letting me know. Fixed now.

I wonder how big a person has to be to block x-rays.

It's not too fat to block X-rays. It's too fat to fit in X-ray machines.

I guess it's natural selection in action?

It's not too fat to block X-rays. It's too fat to fit in X-ray machines.
No, its both sadly.
...citizens are not only too large for scanners but they have too much fat for the rays to penetrate.

:D :D :D

There must be a way of x-raying cattle and horses and such that can be applied to those people?

:D :D :D

There must be a way of x-raying cattle and horses and such that can be applied to those people?
Generally cattle and horses have layers of muscle, not fat.

No, its both sadly.

Whoa. Missed that. I fail at reading.

Generally cattle and horses have layers of muscle, not fat.

So, Americans are fatter than cattle? :eek:

So, Americans are fatter than cattle? :eek:
In terms of thickness of fat covering the midsection and internal organs, some will be, yes.

Suppose a scanner can penetrate a 10cm layer of fat (figure plucked out of the air). You can imagine a cow having a fat layer that thick. Now how thick is the fat on a large beer gut? Hmm. I have seen some pretty damn obese people who will own the 10cm mark.

A lot of dairy cows I have seen, you can actually just about see the ribcage. Can't say that about humans, especially obese ones.

Another notable thing is, unless the animal in question is breeding stock, it is cheaper to let it die than send it off for ultrasound / X-ray / MRI scanning. So there isn't much in the way of technology to apply.

I guess it's natural selection in action?

Oooh yeah.

So, Americans are fatter than cattle? :eek:

No, people are just fat, period.

I was watching Nightline last night and they were talking about this 16 year old who was 368lbs getting gastric bypass, and how they tried to do it lapriscopic, but the tools were too short to reach through her fat to get to her stomache.

that's sad :(

In terms of thickness of fat covering the midsection and internal organs, some will be, yes.

Suppose a scanner can penetrate a 10cm layer of fat (figure plucked out of the air). You can imagine a cow having a fat layer that thick. Now how thick is the fat on a large beer gut? Hmm. I have seen some pretty damn obese people who will own the 10cm mark.

A lot of dairy cows I have seen, you can actually just about see the ribcage. Can't say that about humans, especially obese ones.

Another notable thing is, unless the animal in question is breeding stock, it is cheaper to let it die than send it off for ultrasound / X-ray / MRI scanning. So there isn't much in the way of technology to apply.

I bet the yanks have military gadgets that can see through stuff. Just give it to a doctor and tell him not to squeeze the trigger when he's looking through the scope.

We need some incentives for people to get off their lazy asses and start shedding some pounds.

We're bitching about Americans being too fat, and insisting people are ignoring the problem. The thing is, people aren't ignoring the problem in general. The wrong people are paying attention to it,though. The (often deserved) "Americans are fat" stereotype seems like it might be linked to anorexia and bulimia amongst women. The media bitches about that too. No wonder everyone's warped -- everyone's either too fat or too thin, according to the newspapers.

We need some incentives for people to get off their lazy asses and start shedding some pounds.
my husband's company has a fitness challenge and for every 5 pounds I lose they put $5 into my HSA, that's motivation!

Minor gripe about the article: while talking about people who are too fat to be x-rayed, they said "64 percent of Americans are overweight". There is a huge (no pun intended) difference between overweight and obese. Even assuming their 64 percent figure is accurate, that's NOT the percentage of people who are x-ray-proof. You can be overweight and still be healthy and fit.

my husband's company has a fitness challenge and for every 5 pounds I lose they put $5 into my HSA, that's motivation!

Nice... I like the sound of that.

I think the problem is that the American media has force-fed the "mass psyche" of the American people "body image" over health. If we cared more about our health than we did about how we looked, chances are there would be more people in a healthy weight range.

In media terms, body image is rarely ever tied to actual health. Paris Hiltion chomping a burger while washing a car, or Olympic athletes sponsored by McDonald's are just some examples. I believe that this huge disconnect, coupled by poor health education, leads a lot of Americans into a sort of fatalistic attitude.

my husband's company has a fitness challenge and for every 5 pounds I lose they put $5 into my HSA, that's motivation!


What if the person regains the wieght? Do they take the money out of his HSA? LOL

And we wonder why we pay so much for healthcare? And it's only going to get worse......

Actually, we're paying huge amounts for healthcare, because the FDA bans the import of pharmeceudicals, and so all medicines have to be made in this country (with massive labor and overhead costs). Additionally, the advertising costs drive up the prices, as well as the fact that (due to the fact that Americans cannot buy from another source) the companies raise their prices (technically gouging) for extra profits. For that reason, prior to the recent oil company gouging, pharmeceudical companies had been the most priffitable companies in America for more than a decade. That's why we're poaying so much for healthcare. That's why Social Security will be bankrupt by 2041. That's why (due to nursing and continual increases in what's funded while decreasing funding) the education budget will be bankrupt by 2025. Obesity, however, isn't helping. Keep in mind, though, that for many people obesity sadly has nothing to do with personal choice (genetically bad metabolism).

Apparently, doctors are finding that, for incredibly obese people, the needles for (rear) shots are not long enough to penetrate the fat. As such, the medicine is collecting in the bottom and not reaching the necessary areas of the body. For this reason, hospitals are now ordering longer needles to be made.

Jay Leno had an interesting comment about this.
He said, "In other words, you will die, but your fat ass will live on forever!

this is as funny as hell . hey fatboy ...lose some of that lard so the xrays can penetrate...want another burger ?:D :D


I have noticed way too many fatso's walking around this summer..my eyes are starting to hurt really bad .

Hows this for incentive:

The government will NOT pay medical bills for operations that are a direct result of controllable and disregarded obesity. I was nearly sick to my stomach when I heard gastric bypasses were added to medicaid and medicare. To even need one of those operations, you have to be so revoltingly fat you probably cant climb stairs without stopping for a breather.

If W wanted to announce a military dictatorship he could easily do so now. The military practically has a monopoly on physical fitness. Not that it didnt stop US from winning the Tour De France...again.

Yes.

Americans are fat, lazy, and stupid....

Wich is why we end up kicking all of your asses in most international sporting events.

Tour De France anyone?

The Olympics, perhaps?

Yes.

Americans are fat, lazy, and stupid....

Wich is why we end up kicking all of your asses in most international sporting events.

Tour De France anyone?

The Olympics, perhaps?

So the U.S.A. is a nation of olympians and cyclists?

Yes.

Americans are fat, lazy, and stupid....

Wich is why we end up kicking all of your asses in most international sporting events.

Tour De France anyone?

The Olympics, perhaps?

Lets assume that a generous 1% of Americans are interational atheletes and there are roughly 300 million Americans.

That still leaves a potential 297 million fat bastards.

Yes.

Americans are fat, lazy, and stupid....

Wich is why we end up kicking all of your asses in most international sporting events.

Tour De France anyone?

The Olympics, perhaps?

Game of rugby? Perhaps a game of (dare I use the word?) soccer?
Or maybe you need your ass handed to you by a Swiss tennis player?

Don't worry, China will soon be kicking everyone's butts in every sport.

I wonder what kind of x-ray machine they're talking about, that people have to "fit into." I've had lots of x-rays, and they've either used machines that pull down from the ceiling, or rolling ones on stands that they roll over the bed. Nothing space-limited like an MRI tube would be...

Hows this for incentive:

The government will NOT pay medical bills for operations that are a direct result of controllable and disregarded obesity. I was nearly sick to my stomach when I heard gastric bypasses were added to medicaid and medicare. To even need one of those operations, you have to be so revoltingly fat you probably cant climb stairs without stopping for a breather.So if someone gets that fat, the response should be, "Tough--stay that way!"??

If someone is desperate enough to be willing to get one of those quite risky operations, I think they should have full support from the gov't. Obviously everything else has failed in their attempts to lose weight (and there have likely been plenty).

Nobody in their right mind would use gastric bypass as a first resort. It's inherently risky to mess with the guts that much, compounded by the risk of operations in general to obese people. And it leaves the person unable to enjoy a decent (not oversized, just regular) meal ever again! By the time someone is willing to submit to such a thing, the alternative is very likely death.

Smunkee's incentive is close to a real incentive, but not quite on it.
MONEY IN is a good incentive. But it needs to go directly into the people's pockets, not an HRA that will likely be used LESS when the person is more fit.

Big tax deductions for verified weight loss would probably motivate everyone to lose weight. So much so, in fact, that the government would have to make a point to NOT pay if the person was already at his/her ideal weight, to keep people from starving themselves into sickness!

And spin it so it's a *deduction* for weight loss (a carrot)--rather than a tax for being fat (a stick). Fat people have spent a lifetime ignoring "sticks." A stick, if it did anything, would bring out the spite response and work in reverse.

Fergi America']And spin it so it's a *deduction* for weight loss (a carrot)--rather than a tax for being fat (a stick). Fat people have spent a lifetime ignoring "sticks." A stick, if it did anything, would bring out the spite response and work in reverse.

Well, then they'd get more money, which they'll need.

Game of rugby? Perhaps a game of (dare I use the word?) soccer?
Or maybe you need your ass handed to you by a Swiss tennis player?

Don't worry, China will soon be kicking everyone's butts in every sport.Oh, you're right because those are games that we clearly care about. :rolleyes: If no one cares about them, why would anyone strive to be good at them and why would we have programs and leagues to cultivate it? I don't care if America is bad at handball, badminton, cricket, and croquet...I really fuckin don't.

Now, as hilarious as this actually is (and it is hilarious), this is surely a worrying sign about the state of general health in the West.

I say West because the trends in the United States inevitabley trickle down throughout the rest of the West, as you can see below it is also beginning to affect the U.K.
The US and the UK are not the west. And just so you know. I lost 6 kg's the past 4 months.

The US and the UK are not the west.
What are they then? The Orient? :rolleyes:

What are they then? The Orient? :rolleyes:
A country of fatties and those who want to be like them.

My grandfather (A chiropracter) was complaining about this the other day.

A country of fatties and those who want to be like them.
huh?:confused:

huh?:confused:
A dumb question get's a dumb answer.

A dumb question get's a dumb answer.
ah, thanks for the explination...a brilliant way to show your inteligance:rolleyes:

ah, thanks for the explination...a brilliant way to show your inteligance:rolleyes:
My 'inteligance'? :D Well, three cheers to your 'inteligance' then. Since you obviously didn't understand I meant PM and not you.:rolleyes:

My 'inteligance'? :D Well, three cheers to your 'inteligance' then. Since you obviously didn't understand I meant PM and not you.:rolleyes:
why would you quote my post if you were talking to PM?:rolleyes:

why would you quote my post if you were talking to PM?:rolleyes:
You quoted mine with the 'huh?:confused:' why did you do that for?:rolleyes:

America needs smaller portions.

America needs smaller portions.
either that or people need to learn self control but I don't necessarily see that happening

America needs smaller portions.
Americans need bigger pants.

You quoted mine with the 'huh?:confused:' why did you do that for?:rolleyes:
because i was looking for a explnatioN of sorts...

because i was looking for a explnatioN of sorts...
And I gave you one. Which you then didn't understand, so you decided to attack my 'inteligance'.

And I gave you one. Which you then didn't understand, so you decided to attack my 'inteligance'.
At least you admitted your answer was dumb.

Kudos. That takes balls.

At least you admitted your answer was dumb.

Kudos. That takes balls.
Now it's your turn to admit that your question was dumb. Do you have the balls for that? Something tells me no.

Now it's your turn to admit that your question was dumb. Do you have the balls for that? Something tells me no.
Well, there's a 50% chance I'm female, rendering that point null and void.


Luckily I'll shorten my answer to your original question with this:

Have you met Mr. Sarcasm?

One entry found for sarcasm.


Main Entry: sar·casm
Pronunciation: 'sär-"ka-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: French or Late Latin; French sarcasme, from Late Latin sarcasmos, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer, from sark-, sarx flesh; probably akin to Avestan thwar&s- to cut
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
2 a : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b : the use or language of sarcasm

Luckily I'll shorten my answer to your original question with this:

Have you met Mr. Sarcasm?
Yes I have. Have you?

Yes I have. Have you?
No.

Now it's your turn to admit that your question was dumb. Do you have the balls for that? Something tells me no.
well considdering the fact that iam a girl...
that aside you did not give and explination...perhaps the " huh?" what a bit random deep end but not dumb...dumb would be "hehe yah there all so fat the whole rest of the world is starving heheheh( lame hick laugh)":D

but its a crap argument any way...i concead the point to let you think your special...actualy did you know that i have only ever conceded the point of an argument onec befor?

*snip*

Yes, I agree that the pharmaceutical industry is part, perhaps the largest part, of the reason we pay high healthcare. However, things like obesity add to this problem.

And yes, part of the problem is bad genetics, but it's also in what we eat. The average American diet could be described as a big ball of greasy meat that is coated in sugar. The easiest and cheapest food these days is the food that is the worst for you. In years past the rich were fat and the poor were skinny. Now it's reversed.

Americans have become so fat that it's difficult to be a relatively fit person. I myself am a little chubby around the tummy, but my arms, legs and torso are relatively well-shaped.

Do you know how hard it is to find size 3 anymore?! I hate shopping!! Everything's plus-sized!! I buy everything here when I'm in China now (and it's cheaper!! And looks better, actually.)

I thought obesity was on the delcine in the US and on the increase in Europe. Obviously not. The whole world is just getting fatter. Lyndsay Lohan is just doing her bit for humanity so!

as funny as this is, it's also a little worrying.

I was involved in a car accident when I was 18 and the paramedic's thought I'd broken my sternum (the bone between your chest where the heart is).

They took me for x-rays, and the x-ray guy actually commented that my breasts probably saved me from broken ribs and a punctured lung. He found it difficult to get an x-ray, and at the time I was only a D cup. So maybe the medical professionals should consider stronger equipment.


Just a thought

but yes, lots of Americans, and other nationalities, are little on the heafty side.

They took me for x-rays, and the x-ray guy actually commented that my breasts probably saved me from broken ribs and a punctured lung. He found it difficult to get an x-ray, and at the time I was only a D cup.

Fat evolved as a way to store energy in a more effective manner than that of regular sugar. There are two types of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats store less energy, and are very loosely packed, and are thus liquid in form. Saturated fats store more energy in an extremely compact manner. Plants store their energy mainly as unsaturated fats. Animals, including humans, store primarily at saturated fat. Why?

Saturated fats pack more energy, and are a more effective and lighter storing mechanism. Most animals move around, and thus we need to carry our energy storage with us. An upside is that fats also serve as insulation from cold, and cushioning. Being too thin not only means not enough energy, but no insulation from the cold (hence why most starving people, esp anorexics, are very hairy, to prevent heat loss), and loss of cushioning (bruise and fracture easily).

But too much fat is not good. And i believe I do not need to go into it. Anyhow, breast tissue is mainly fat anyway. When you fall, it's a pretty good idea to land on your bum than anywhere else, since it's cushy. Although what is even better is to roll when u fall.

Then again, if people get too fat for x-rays to penetrate their fat, maybe Americans have found the answer to air pollution. Base everything on nuclear power instead of fuel, dump the nuclear waste... well, anywhere you want, and make people fat enough to resist any sort of radiation. Of course, people will still have to get much fatter to resist the harder types of radiation.

Or this is an instance of intelligent design, where God prepares his chosen ones, the Americans and Brits, for some sort of cosmic disaster (radiating meteorites or something). It's easier for a rich man to get into heaven (i.e. dying) than for an obese, radiation-proof man to pass the eye of a needle.

...No, I don't believe in intelligent design.

Doesn't this also pose a security risk in airports if people cannot fit through the X-ray machines?
No, they don't use x-ray machines on people, only on personal belongings. People go through metal detectors.

There are two types of fats: saturated and unsaturated.
What about trans-fat?

... at the time I was only a D cup.
Only??? :eek:

Well...Americans are not only stupid, and apathetic, but it seems also fat too.


I'm moving to Switzerland.

Well...Americans are not only stupid, and apathetic, but it seems also fat too.
*AHEM!*

I suppose you can't tweak up the X-RAY dosage for a better result - you'd just give someone cancer by accident.

I didn't read the OP. I just wanted to do this:

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha*snort,sigh*hahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha*sigh, breathe*hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahaha*sips coffe*hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaahahahahaahahahahahaa

Meh. Machines are tools we build for ourselves. If a machine is too small for our needs, we should build a bigger one.

Meh. Machines are tools we build for ourselves. If a machine is too small for our needs, we should build a bigger one.

Thank Grog. Now make spear we and hunt big furry elephant thing.

What about trans-fat?

Trans-fat is a form of unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and trans-fats. I'm sure I'm missing one... but I'm typing this rather quickly before work.

Trans fats can be found in animals, but I assume you're referring to what they're doing now to plant fats. Saturation refers to how much hydrogen is in the fat molecule... more hydrogen is higher saturation. Trans-fat is now artificially induced in plant products by hydrogenization via the processing food industry. It's still better than saturated fats, but it's not good compared to other unsaturated fats. Hydrogenization fats raises their melting point, which makes it solid at room temperature (most unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature), helping aid in storage. Also, some people use them as substitutes for saturated fats, such as butter and lard. Healthier than saturated fats, not as good compared to other unsaturated fats.


I'll recheck this when I get back from work, see if I missed anything.

Japanese voice "Foorish American, put down cheeseburger!"