Curious.

News today broke that Pfizer is no longer going to dedicate research money for obesity drugs. As we've all been told, obesity is an epidemic, so it would make sense for a drug company to focus their efforts on it. Right?

Not so fast. It turns out that most medicines involving obesity take one of three tacts:

Speeding up metabolism ... think amphetamines. 

Blocking absorption of calories ... think Ali. 

I don't believe the obese should be a protected class, just like I don't think people with tatoos should receive special protection. It's a choice made during your life to become obese. There are things you can do about it. Still, there are times where the discrimination is just blatant. While it's not against the law, it's disgusting. 

Ultimate Bride is a bridal shop in St. Louis. A recent Bill McClellan article laid out a situation that happened that may show discrimination.

Splenda is a zero calorie sweetener that's been on the market for 10 years in the United States. It's a chemical composition that has its roots in chlorination of normal sugar. Think of it as sugar that has been neutered. It comes in the those little yellow packets and many people find it sweeter than any other artificial sweetener. 

Today, the New York Times has a report where Splenda is responsible for obesity. The report says:

The nation of Japan has a fascinating medical system. They use a program where all medical rates are negotiated between the government and providers. Everyone is covered through compulsory insurance premiums that are tied to where you work or where you live. A recent Frontline episode dug into the Japanese medical system and really pulled back the covers. 

One of the things the program eluded to is that costs in Japan are rising, which means there is pressure to increase fees. It would be unpopular, as the Japanese see their doctors more than three times the rate of Americans. I bring this up only to demonstrate the Japanese are active participants in their medical care.  

An article published today in the San Francisco Chronicle examines the gender differences when it comes to fighting obesity. The article is based on a book by Karen Miller-Kovach entitled, "Weight Watchers She Loses, He Loses: The Truth about Men, Women, and Weight Loss". Mr. Miller-Kovach is the chief scientific officer and vice president of program development for Weight Watchers.

One of my favorite topics is BMI. Body Mass Index is a simple formula where you divide your weight in KG by your height in meters squared. You can find BMI calculators all over the internet. 

As we've said before, BMI is a good, rough indicator of normal weight, but it doesn't take into account things such as muscle index or bone density. There are other measurement tools available, but the insurance, medical and government entities have latched on to the BMI like it's the end all. The problem is you get things like this article from the Ranger Online.  The article delves into the fallacy of the BMI by explaining George Clooney is obese.  

I have no idea where this photo came from; I've long lost the source. It's a fascinating picture that you could spend minutes looking at. Sometimes it's hard to put into word the stresses that obesity puts on your body, so it's good to see it with your own eyes. 

Here is the obesity xray photo - yes, I understand it's not an xray:

Mike Huckabee is running for president of the United States, and he seems to think that obesity is the cause for many economic issues in the United States.

Governor Huckabee said that there were three reasons obesity causes economic impact:

• Obese young people won't be able to pass military physicals
• Obese people don't show up to work
• Obese children won't live longer than their parents

Before we take these points in order, it should be known that Governor Huckabee was once obese, and lost 110 pounds in a year. This spurred his writing of a book entitled, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork. I've read the book and it's pretty good (mental note write review.) Yet, we all know that formerly obese people are like former smokers ... sometimes they take things too far.

This is hilarious. I missed this when it came around the first time, but I am catching up. Meme Roth of the National Action Against Obesity went on Fox News to rail against the size of Jordin Sparks.

Here is the video:

I have no idea.

What I do know is that doctors tend to be harsher on themselves than the general population. Sure, it's interesting to note that those who know health and medical prevention best are sometimes the worst at following their advice, but it's even odder to look at some statistics.

A recent article in the The Tribune titled, "Doctors fighting the battle of the bulge", discussed this issue. One of the more important points is that the doctors they spoke to aren't that obese. Yes, I know it's like being a little pregnant, but one of the doctors is 5 foot 10 inches and 240 pounds. Heavy? Sure. Obese? I don't think so.