Arkansas Governor Goes Off Deep End
In the battle over fat, it's clear that there are some... questionable... stats being thrown about. But none is more suspect at the moment than Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. He's saying that unless we act (now!), fat deaths will number 600,000 annually.
The more apalling thing is that he's comparing this to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Oh, and September 11th, too. Tasteful!
"The poor health habits of the citizens of our country are costing 600,000 Americans their lives every year due to lack of exercise and poor nutrition," The death toll works out to 2,000 people every day. "Imagine the headlines that we'd read if today another 2,000 Americans died, and then tomorrow another 2,000, and then another," the Arkansas governor said.
The article contains no source for the 2,000/day figure other than the Governor himself. Note the subtle avoidance of using the word "obesity" here, even though MSNBC implies it with its headline. The esteemed governor is also, allegedly, considering running for President in 2008.
There are a lot of stats thrown out in this article (particularly Medicaid costs) that have no backing, but given the tone of the article the reader is supposed to assume that fat is the root cause. I'm not sure what's worse: Huckabee's ridiculous, dangerous statements he's making in order to sell his diet book, or the sloppy and spoon-fed article here that's passing for journalism. [Many BFBers sent this in - thank you.]
America on the Move! | We'll Be Right Back!
Posted by paul on September 28, 2005| directisaa |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
If I recall correctly, the
If I recall correctly, the Arkansas governor used to be plus-sized himself and was part of the ambitious anti-fat effort started earlier this year with former President Clinton. I see a larger agenda beginning here...
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| paul |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
That's right. "I lost weight
That's right. "I lost weight - you can too!"
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| bodylove |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
I think Huckabee could make
I think Huckabee could make a much more convincing argument if he used real statistics and accurate numbers. True, Americans in general have poor nutrition and little exercise. True, diabetes is a really bad disease and kills alot of people. But do all fat people eat poorly--no. Do all fat people lay on their couch all day--no. And last but not least, not all all fat people have diabetes.
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| nwhiker |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
What I hear is that Huckabee
What I hear is that Huckabee is planning on running for president in 08. Which means he needs to be slim... and what better platform to run on than the war on obesity? That way he can be a wartime president too and not even have to attack Iran!
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| directisaa |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
Here's the agenda, folks,
Here's the agenda, folks, from the same article referenced above:
"600,000 Americans dying prematurely each year from obesity, lack of exercise, and smoking.
"Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is leading a crusade by the nation’s governors to get the American people and the news media to pay heed to what the governors see as a catastrophe."
Nice, to lump the known 400,000+ deaths from smoking with the combined 100,000 deaths from lack of exercise and (supposedly) obesity and say all 600,000 die from obesity. Very insidious...but at least we know what's coming.
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| fatthought |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
Sounds to me more like he
Sounds to me more like he wants to create a Huckabee Dieting Empire including book, talk show, packaged diet foods, etc. Huckabee Down Home Lo-Carb grits, anyone?
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| samus |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
He's running for president?
He's running for president? Get your bummper stickers printed up now:
"I (don't) Heart Huckabee"
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| nwhiker |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
Samus, I've read in several
Samus, I've read in several places, including the MSNBC article, that he was thinking about it.
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| GregShaw |
September 28th, 2005 | Link |
A candidate for president
A candidate for president running on a platform of repressing fat people is pretty fucking scary.
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| BLR |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
But he's doing it for our
But he's doing it for our own good, you understand.
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| 2DayIs4Me |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
I think everybody in
I think everybody in Arkansas needs to get their Big Fat VOTES down to the polling place and let their Gov. know what they really care about. I'm willing to bet that the size of their neighbor's ass is not what is first and foremost on most Arkansas residents' minds.
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| rebelle |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
What is this guy's problem?
What is this guy's problem? Isn't it enough that he's happy with having lost weight himself?Why does he have to up the ante by insisting repeatedly that obesiety is going to kill us all--doesn't he feel sufficiently superior yet? It's too bad I couldn't find a way to give MSN feeback, because I would have asked where the hell he's getting his figures from; why the reporter didn't ask that same question, and by the way, why the article did not mention also that Huckabee is pitching a diet book. They could also differentiate between obesity, lack of exercise and smoking--after all, fat people don't all just sit around on the couch sucking down fumes all day. Of course, that would force them to differentiate between mortality rates, now wouldn't it? It goes without saying that not all fat people have diabetes and not all diabetics are fat, too, but you wouldn't get that from this article.
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| ajoyce |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
Rebelle: "They could also
Rebelle: "They could also differentiate between obesity, lack of exercise and smoking--after all, fat people don't all just sit around on the couch sucking down fumes all day."
I don't have the stats at hand, but if anything, aren't fat people somewhat less likely to be smokers than thin people?
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| mmailliw |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
Oh yeah... instead of
Oh yeah... instead of attacking Iran, he'll just attack Isatonthecouch...
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| shoe |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
"They could also
"They could also differentiate between obesity, lack of exercise and smoking--after all, fat people don't all just sit around on the couch sucking down fumes all day."
I would love to see a public *exercise* campaign if for no other reason that I'd kill for my community to have bike paths and walking trails. After almost being flattened by countless trucks on the roads while riding my bike yesterday, I am really seeing the value of bike paths.
Of course, no public figure could safely risk separating weight and exercise habits, because the fact is, most Americans (thin and fat alike) don't exercise, and if you point out to the thin that they're not necessarily any healthier than the fat, they'll turn their morally superior ire in your direction. And as most any fat person could tell you, that's not something one would invite.
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| sabrina |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
Well, at least I know who I
Well, at least I know who I WON'T be voting for in 2008! I don't heart Huckabee, that's for sure!
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| moonvine |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
Ajoyce, no idea if fat
Ajoyce, no idea if fat people are less likely to be smokers than thin people. I do know that it is not uncommon (no statistics, just anecdotal evidence) for people to start smoking because nicotine is an appetite suppressant. I know I did. I would smoke when I was hungry. Yes, I was insane as a teenager. There is evidence that fat has a protective effect against lung cancer. As a former smoker (quit 5 years ago or so) this is something in which I am very interested.
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| belleza |
September 29th, 2005 | Link |
I know this doesn't exactly
I know this doesn't exactly fit in here, but, man I'm so sick of the war on obesity. I'm sorry but fat is not a communicable disease! So then why all the furor over people having to lose weight. I'm getting to the point that I don't want to hear one public figure talk about weight loss until they read every single article on Health at every size! I'm so pissed off about the one sided arguments. I mean how many public figures that push "weight loss cure" actually do the responsible thing and read such articles dealing with Health at every size? I'd be amazed if even one. You can't read such articles (HAES) and think these are bad information. Common sense tells you that such articles make so much more sense than dieting, which by it's very definition is depriving the body of some sort of nutrition. I'm sorry but this is still America. You can't tell fat people to lose weight and still allow thin people to be just as unhealthy...that's called hypocracy. If public figures want an issue to tackle about poverty, homelessness, low-wage jobs. Geez there are so many more significant issues than telling a person what to eat, when to eat, and how to live their lives!
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| fatthought |
September 30th, 2005 | Link |
Indeed, belleza, but
Indeed, belleza, but doctors/researchers cannot get grants for tackling poverty, homelessness and low-wage jobs. Well, at least not from Big Diet-funded corporate entities.
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| rebelle |
September 30th, 2005 | Link |
Huckabee also made it into
Huckabee also made it into Newsweek. There's less fat demonizing in that piece, but the tired old (false) links between health and weight and weight and moral achievement are all still there.
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| QitelRemel |
October 1st, 2005 | Link |
rebelle wrote:
What is this
rebelle wrote:
What is this guy's problem? Isn't it enough that he's happy with having lost weight himself?
They never are.
bellezawrote:
I'm sorry but fat is not a communicable disease!
Try telling Greg Critser (and a lot of other fat-bash gurus) that.
-Qit
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| jportnick |
October 1st, 2005 | Link |
Bill Clinton was on the
Bill Clinton was on the cover of Parade Magazine this week. The article was entitled something like, I Was A Heart Attack Waiting to Happen. Brother Bill apparently feels a great deal of guilt about all the fast food he consumed in the years past, and all the exercise he didn't get. Since his heart surgery and weight loss he wants to let everyone know how unhealthy it is to be fat.
Pshaw!
My analysis is, he is confessing to the wrong sin. If he feels guilt and needs to make something right, it's Hillary he needs to be talking to, not the fat people of America. I think fast food is an easier thing to atone for than cheating on your wife, and having the news of it become as public as it did in this situation.
For such a brilliant man, he's acting pretty stupid on this one.
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| YBNormal |
October 1st, 2005 | Link |
Quote:
"Huckabee is working
Quote:
"Huckabee is working on a way to give food stamp recipients a financial incentive to buy healthier foods."
You mean like the ones laced with hydrogenated oils, artificial additives, and pesticides? Anyone ever flip over the back of the average "health food" item at a local grocery store? Yeah, really healthy.
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| rebelle |
October 1st, 2005 | Link |
Good one, jportnick! And
Good one, jportnick! And again, it's too bad Clinton's focus wasn't the junk food and lack of exercise, which can take its toll on anyone, fat or not. It was, instead, the fat. Sigh.
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