University of Maryland offers 'fat studies' course

CRT/Woke is so 2020. On LinkedIn, I see a lot of the DEI crowd whinging that their budgets are getting cut and their departments are getting eliminated.

I haven't known a single morbidly obese individual who, if given a magic wand, would not return themselves to a normal weight. They hate themselves, even if they say shit like "I'm a fat fucking 10." (Yes, I saw that.)

I don't see how any of this woke shit is considered an academic discipline. Academics involve the pursuit of truth, not of finding another rationalization of your victimhood and excuses to rage out or cry that life is unfair. This shit would get laughed out of the university in a serious society.

If students didn't take the classes, that would help get rid of them.

I really hope pharma ads are blocked on OTA TV, radio, Internet and cable. Ever notice Ozempic and similar ads show really over-weight people just dancing around all happy, people have no idea of the potential side-effects from these drugs like stomach paralysis.

Say what want about RFK, Jr, a lot of bad crap is in processed foods promoted by lobbyists that affects the FDA approval process as well as the color dyes that are used + the piles of sugar and salt in food. For example, 30 years ago the red and blue food dyes were found to be potential carcinogens, Canada blocked them and they use blueberries and strawberries for color.

I too see on LikedIn all the "pronouns" and people who support DEI. And that Jaguar commercial? Doesn't Jag have enough issues with their vehicles than to follow the Target and Bud Light Darwin Award winners?

This falls in the category of ‘when the truth is stranger than fiction.’ That said….

I did end up watching the Jillian Michaels clip that was embedded in the article and do believe what she’s saying in terms of healthy eating and systemic change needed to improve the health of Americans.

The rate of autism in kids these days compared to a few decades ago is staggering - largely a function of our environment and what we are consuming.

Walmart joins Ford, John Deere, Toyota and other major companies in ditching controversial DEI initiatives. https://trib.al/U5g7lgv

Where is Nice Spice when we need her to weigh in on the perils of the US industrial food complex? RFK Jr is a crackpot but seems to be on track with how the US food industry has created this obesity epidemic over the course of my lifetime.

The socio-history of obesity in American culture is actually a relevant topic. Body issues. Cultural shifts. Obesity as a form of malnutrition. Health crisis. Economic factors. Its all pertinent.

Like angry white man studies. Someone could easily do a thesis on tuscl lulz

On food in America the challenges are very real. The most basic examples I’d offer is someone that lives in a very bad area with no transportation so they are limited to eating whatever crap is on the shelves in a tiny, shitty convenient store that has more shelf space dedicated to things you can drink and smoke than food. And the food that is stocked is not fresh - no produce or fruit. Even if they had it prices would be more per pound than someone who is trying to fill mouths as cheaply as possible. Or maybe they eat cheap fast food options.

Don’t get me wrong though. I’m no saint when it comes to diet but have the knowledge, money and self control to make smart choices. I happen to have been blessed with good genes which keeps me trim despite my fondness of unhealthy food.

^A fat studies course is not relevant to food deserts. Nutrition and availability of food would be relevant to degrees in public health, medicine, sociology and other majors. However, to link it to the black subculture in America does a great disservice by making it a racial issue instead of a public health issue. Worse yet, it seems to frame it in the mentality that being obese and black is okay if you are black enough. Diabetes and heart disease do not care about your skin color. Food scarcity is a problem, there are solutions available that would be a whole new discussion, but to call it a social justice issue is simply ignorant virtue signaling.

There are relevant public health issues, but this isn't a med school course on the biochemistry of nutrition and GLP-1s, nor a public health course on improving access to nutritious food. It's a course on "social justice" aka finding more excuses to be a useless victim, an un-lanced boil on the ass of society and a drain on public health resources.

I hope RFK just goes to fucking town on the high fructose corn syrup and junk food manufacturers.

Tell the students I like my coffee iced and black, so I won't end up like them.

Of course studying the social economic and cultural reasons behind obesity is relevant. We need to start seeing it as a form of malnutrition

Mogul GLP1 meds can have tremendous benefits. I’m in a clinical trial for one of them and have lost 110 pounds without side effects. Stomach paralysis is very rare and it’s usually people accelerating their doses without reporting side effects because they want to stay on the drug.

Gammanu and Puddy Tat - great points and full agree with you.

I did end up looking autism rates in children too since I wanted to confirm what I perceived as higher incidence. According to the CDC (reliable source I presume or at least as good as any) states that 1 in 36 kids is being born with autism compared to 1 in 150 just twenty years ago. That’s a wild increase over such a short period of time.

Incidence in boys is 4x higher than girls.

The GLP-1 medicine is wild too. CMS just stated that >100 million Americans could be candidates for it given our obesity rates.

Separately I’ve bumped into a handful of middle aged women over the past six months who I only see at industry events. They are almost unrecognizable since they’ve lost so much weight on GLP1s in such a short period of time.

Very expensive drug in the US however. >$1k a month I believe. Novo Nordisk is based in Denmark and makes two of the most popular medicines - Ozempic and Wegovy.

Medicare and Medicaid contemplating coverage - like we need more financial strain on the system.

"I’m in a clinical trial for one of them and have lost 110 pounds without side effects. Stomach paralysis is very rare and it’s usually people accelerating their doses without reporting side effects because they want to stay on the drug."

I tried Ozempic and it had no effect until I got up a couple doses--then I got nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, and diarrhea that wouldn't quit. Eventually decided to get bariatric surgery (sleeve gastrectomy). Down 105 pounds since then and it's awesome. I can eat everything I could before, only in smaller amounts. Now on Zepbound to lose the remainder. Zep is just a better drug, more weight loss, fewer side effects. A lot of people cite these serious side effects as reasons not to take anything. These side effects are RARE. Meanwhile these drugs are treating A TON of obesity related side effects; they might even work for Alzheimer's (which NOTHING works for) and even addictions. These drugs have been nothing short of a revolution and even better ones are on the way.

"According to the CDC (reliable source I presume or at least as good as any) states that 1 in 36 kids is being born with autism compared to 1 in 150 just twenty years ago"

I've worked in this field. A lot of this is due to increased screening, gene sequencing, and the like. These kids were usually just written off as "retarded." The immune hypothesis of autism isn't very strong. The Wakefield paper got retracted. Kids might be getting more vaccine but they're getting a lot less antigen in each vaccine (i.e. less of an immune reaction).

"Very expensive drug in the US however. >$1k a month I believe. Novo Nordisk is based in Denmark and makes two of the most popular medicines - Ozempic and Wegovy."

Doesn't matter where they're based, like 2/3 of drug revenues come in the US.

"Medicare and Medicaid contemplating coverage - like we need more financial strain on the system."

They already decided to cover these drugs, since they actually showed that they reduce the outcome of cardiovascular events. These drugs can be a bargain for all the obesity-related diseases they treat. I keep hearing that <DRUG X> `is going to bankrupt the system. It never does.

The one I’m on is pill form similar to Mounjaro called orgolgipron.

BTW if insurance doesn’t cover Zepbound (mounjaro) there is a coupon to get it for about 500 a month. I suspect insurance pays something like that because they never pay retail. If you need to lose a lot of weight it’s tremendous medication. I wish people would stop scaring people about things they know nothing about.

It's no secret, there's no magic bullet. The safest way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume and add some activity to your life.
I've never been a fan of taking prescriptions for anything unless I deem it as absolutely the only option.

Partially luck but also by determination I've never had a weight issue. I'm basically the same weight as when I was in high school and army basic training, both were a long time ago.
And for the record both of my parents were overweight so it's not hereditary. But if I was overweight I would do my best to avoid pharmacy drugs with multiple possible detrimental side effects, some of them dangerous.

Stupid Icey with his little girl always someone else's fault bullshit. I have battled weight issues for 60 years. 11 months into my "lifestyle change" I am down 41 pounds, but with serious weightlifting being fun again, its probably closer to 50+ of fat. For food addicts who emotionally eat such as me, it's something you must watch every day. Rule #1: Calories are limited, do you really want to waste 300 calories on chips, or maybe save 100 and have 2 Coors lights instead. Rule #2: On a diet you have a goal. Once the goal is attained its harder to maintain and easy to backslide. Make it a lifestyle change. Rule #3: Pre-diet before a big event. Last night it was a family feast hosted at an old time red sauce Italian restaurant we've been going to since 1964. In the 24 hours prior I had 2 eggs, a piece of cheese, a handful of pistachios and a low cal pita pocket.. Rule #4: When you fuck up, its not the end of the world, go back to your lifestyle. You have no goal, so you didn't fail. Rule #5: Eat better. You will be thinner, feel better, and I haven't even had a sniffle since we did the huge diet change. Rule #6: When you stop taking drugs, you put weight back on, so have a plan. Rule #7: Ozempic makes you lose weight so fast you will look like you have cancer, not thin, fit and youthful. Rule #8: Even though it sucks, eat less, you won't die and they will still make you a b.l.t. tomorrow if it is so important.

The only real way to lose weight is to use more calories than you take in.

Make gradual changes in your diet and exercise that are realistic and sustainable.

^
Great comment dougster.
Ooops, meant to say alias icie since you're really dougie.

Yep great comment even though I said basically the same thing 2 days ago dipshit!

Fatness and blackness is linked in that there are many obese black people, and they are considered one of the poorest demographics.
But it still comes down to choice, even the cheapest fast food places, are more expensive than buying food and cooking it yourself.. for example look at what mcdonalds and chipotle charge for fries or rice… you could get pounds of rice/potato for $10-$15