Smoking is more dangerous than obesity despite the flawed Rand report |
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The Rand Report on obesity Update: 2005: The CDC has admitted that a mathematical error produced the statistic that obesity deaths would exceed smoking deaths in the next five years. It was a software error, they told the press. For those curious about this, who missed this gem, here is the headline which
has been reported by the media twice at six month intervals, making top
headlines: In the Rand Study (and I STILL cannot locate the funding for this other than through another organization called the Robert Wood foundation which ironically has done several anti smoking studies!), telephone surveyors asked thousands of people they called, 8 questions, among which were their height and weight and six others about their general health. The first problem is that without actually measuring and weighing these people we cannot get an accurate estimation of what their weight (or height) really was! Of course, accuracy seemed not a really important factor in this "study", which the media is STILL quoting!
In this study and also another by the Rand Institute which "proved" that obesity occurs more health care costs than smoking does, the judgment on whether a person was obese or not, was strictly done by weight alone, according to BMI standards (Body Mass index). But BMI is notoriously inaccurate as far as judging anything. For instance, any athlete interviewed would likely show up as "obese" by their weight alone when in fact most athletes carry a very low percentage of bodyfat. In fact, many TV stars considered to be absolutely "fit" and "hunks" measure in the obesity zone if their BMI is computed! Also, have you ever met a smoker who is honest about their health status? All of them are "very healthy" ... until they get hit with complications of tobacco usage. Finally, according to the 20 year studies of the Cooper Institute of 20,000
men, it was observed that the key factor in both longevity and health was the
amount of exercise the individual was doing, REGARDLESS of the size or weight of
the individual. The Cooper Institute studies are highly respected and were
used as a basis for the 1996 Surgeon General's Statement on Exercise. This
document proclaimed NOT exercising to be as risky as smoking a pack of
cigarettes a day.
www.rand.org www.rwjf.org Researching the two scientists, Kenneth Wells and Roland Sturm did not turn
up any more information except that Sturm rides his bike to work in San Diego
(can't be all bad! **smile**). The other odd thing I found about this
study was that although the Rand Institute is located in San Diego and the study
was apparently funded by American sources, the study was originally published in
a British public health journal. This Rand report would be amusing if it weren't for the fact that
people will believe it, will buy more diets and continue to spend
large amounts of money on cigarettes which is of course, what the
tobacco lobby would like to see. 1. those selling diets win 2. those selling cigarettes win (because people will figure if they diet... see #1... they won't have to give up smoking) 3. Pulmonologists, cardiologists and other medical providers win in treating the numerous conditions from both undereating and smoking. And all at the expense of the one group who LOSES - the consumer. Which, of course, is the usual bottom line! SueW (who has not patronized the tobacco industry since 1981 and also rides a bike - recumbent of course, to work!) Sources: Pool, Robert: FAT - FIGHTING THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC (NY, 2001) On the web: Obesity a killer? The evidence is slim to say the least!
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