Obesity vs. smoking: What's worse?

[RunDownHouse]

Just asked the gf if people with cholesterol under 150 can get a heart attack, she looked at me like I was nuts and said, "Of course."

[chesspain]

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...all obese people are of poor health...

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Not true.

[Skipbidder]

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Skip -- it's true. People with very low cholesterol (under 150 total) don't get heart attacks. It just doesn't happen.

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Would you prefer the refutation to this to come in the form of personal anecdotal evidence (I have someone in the intensive care unit right this very second who proves you wrong) or published study evidence?

[fitnessfreak]

funnily enough i was discussing this with a friend the other day.

fwiw, i would much prefer to be a chronic smoker than obese. both of these can lead to various complications and illnesses, but at least if ur just a smoker you can go out and socialise, meet girls and all that stuff. being obese is a major handicap in that department and the few ppl i know who are obese all suffer from depression and hate going out in public.

[swingdoc]

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Skip -- it's true. People with very low cholesterol (under 150 total) don't get heart attacks. It just doesn't happen.

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Would you prefer the refutation to this to come in the form of personal anecdotal evidence (I have someone in the intensive care unit right this very second who proves you wrong) or published study evidence?

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You just don't seem to understand. Mjkidd will never be wrong. Let me tell you a funny (true) story about a patient I met who was similar: This man was convinced he was dead. He was delusional as hell and despite knowing better, one of the medicine residents tried to help him see the error of his ways.

Resident: So, Mr. Johnson, I understand you've been dead for 5 years now.
MJ: That's right, doctor.
Res: I do have to ask you. Do dead people bleed?
MJ: Nope. They don't cause they're dead.
Res: May I see your finger, Mr. Johnson? (i'm so clever)
MJ: Sure.
-Resident pricks Mr. Johnson's finger-
MJ: I'll be goddamned!! Dead people DO bleed.

Moral of the story: delusions are fixed, false beliefs. No point in arguing.

[nath]

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also, having been both overweight and a smoker, and at points both, i can say i felt better and enjoyed life much more as a smoker of normal weight than a non-smoking fat person.

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How about trying normal weight and non-smoking? It might just blow the other two experiences away!

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yeah, i'm working on that one. i'll let you know in 3-6 months or so.

[Big Poppa Smurf]

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...all obese people are of poor health...

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Not true.

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no one who's that fat is in good health

[Reef]

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Obesity is definitely worse. I've known/seen many 90+ year old people smoking. I don't think I've seen one 90+ year old fat person.

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hmm, good point

[mjkidd]

http://www.hacres.com/diet/articles/...erolHealth.pdf

This is what I was basing my "people with cholesterol under 150 don't get heart attacks," statement on. William Castelli, the director of the Framingham Heart Study -- the most comprehensive epidemiological study of heart disease in America ever undertaken -- says "We've never had a heart attack in Framingham in 35 years in anyone who had a cholesterol level under 150."

[mjkidd]

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Skip -- it's true. People with very low cholesterol (under 150 total) don't get heart attacks. It just doesn't happen.

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Would you prefer the refutation to this to come in the form of personal anecdotal evidence (I have someone in the intensive care unit right this very second who proves you wrong) or published study evidence?

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Please refute me with published study evidence.