Originally Posted by
duceditor
That is one problem with our public opinion approach. And it is especially hard on those who are out of the mainstream and are made to feel guilty for being "obese" or whatever. Average numbers are useful for understanding average people, nothing more. But who the hell is "average?"
I'm sorry, but averages/statistics can do more than that. They can reflect
probability. IMO, public opinion should be
more open, and less politically correct, in condemning fundamental issues affecting our health, such as obesity. Statistics show us that avoiding obesity has, on average, a very positive affect on health. The fact that there are individuals where this does not apply, does not mean that it doesn't apply to the population as a whole. An obese individual has a higher probability of experiencing a variety of health problems than an individual who is not obese. Reducing obesity would have positive affect on the overall/average health of our nation; enough to favorably impact our economy. Just as you can't apply an average (max heart rate is good example) to an individual and expect it to always match, you certainly can't look at an individual, and use that single data point as evidence that averages don't apply to the entire population. That's sort of like applying family microeconomics to the macroeconomics of the nation as a whole. It just doesn't work.
The more skinny cyclists we have, the better off we'll be.