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Title: Obesity linked to swine flu deaths
Source:
Guardian UK
URL Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/30/swine-flu-obesity-link
Published: Aug 29, 2009
Author: Jamie Doward, Home Affairs Editor
Post Date: 2009-08-29 23:53:50 by TwentyTwelve
Keywords: Swine Flu Deaths, Obesity
Views: 340
Comments: 11
Obesity linked to swine flu deaths Study of pandemic reveals that weight problems and pregnancy are significant factors in fatal cases * Jamie Doward, Home Affairs Editor * The Observer, Sunday 30 August 2009 Obesity has emerged as a possible contributing factor in fatal swine flu cases, according to ground-breaking research looking at deaths caused by the pandemic in countries around the world. The claim is made by a team from the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, which has studied the characteristics of 574 deaths associated with the pandemic H1N1 influenza up until the middle of July. According to the team's findings, published in medical journal Eurosurveillance, underlying disease was found in at least half of all fatal cases. Mortality patterns were in many cases similar to those associated with normal, seasonal flu. But the team observed: "Nevertheless two risk factors are noticeable: pregnancy and obesity." Pregnancy is already a well-documented risk factor in seasonal influenza and in previous pandemics. The study found that 16 women – representing 10% of all female deaths that were studied – were pregnant or had recently delivered at the time of their death. Half of these also had other health issues. But the conclusion that obesity may be a factor in some swine flu deaths opens up a new line of investigation for epidemiologists. Where an underlying disease was found to be present after someone had died of swine flu, in more than one in four cases the deceased had a metabolic condition – diabetes and/or obesity. The team, which concluded further research needed to be done to establish the link between obesity, severe influenza and mortality, also found significant demographic variations among those affected by the pandemic. "Compared to younger age groups, the elderly seem to be protected from infection to some extent, perhaps due to previous exposure to strains akin to influenza A(H1N1)v virus," the team claim. There has been a view that fatal cases involving the pandemic have tended to occur among the young, according to the team. And they found the average age of those who have died was 37. More than half of all deaths occurred among the 20- to 49-year-old age group. Overall, 12% of deaths occurred in cases aged 60 years or more. According to the latest update from the Health Protection Agency (HPA): "In the last seven days, cases reported globally have increased by 8% and the number of deaths by 21%." However, the HPA suggested flu rates in England were now coming down. Concerns remain, however, that infection rates will start to increase again come the autumn. The French team warns: "The pandemic… is far from over, and deaths will unfortunately continue to occur. As in previous pandemics, available data show that age groups are not equally affected."
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#1. To: TwentyTwelve (#0)
Sigh. It just doesn't pay to be fat.
And it's been linked to breathing too.
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't. ~ Anatole France
LOL
Sigh. It just doesn't pay to be fat. www.ironmagazineforums.co...-worst-foods-america.html 30 Worst Foods in America Oh No 30 Worst Foods in America 30. WORST CANNED FRUIT Del Monte Peach Chunks Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup 100 calories 23 g sugars Peaches themselves aren’t bona fide junk food; they are, after all, still fruit. But why manufacturers feel the need to can, packaged, and bottle nature’s candy with excess sugar is a question we will never stop asking. In this case, the viscous sugar solution clings to the fruit like syrup to a pancake, soaking every bite with utterly unnecessary calories. Looking for cheap sources of fruit to have on hand at any time? Opt for the frozen stuff—it’s picked at the height of season and flash frozen on the spot, keeping costs low and nutrients high. 29. WORST SNACK FOR YOUR ARTERIES Pop Secret Kettle Corn (1/3 bag) 180 calories 13 g fat (3 g saturated, 6 g trans) 150 mg sodium The only “secret” here is that the company has no qualms about trans fat. Eat an entire bag of this kettle corn, and you’ll consume 18 grams of the artery-clogging junk—that’s 9 times your recommended daily limit. Choose Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter for fewer calories and no trans fat. 28. WORST SUPERMARKET DRINK Sobe Liz Blizz (20 oz bottle) 310 calories 1 g fat (0.5 g saturated) 77 g sugars Don’t be fooled by the natural motifs that adorn Sobe’s bottles. Spin this one around and you’ll see that it’s made from water, sugar, skim milk, and cream. It also has more sugar than you’ll find in two Snickers bars! We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Don’t buy products with cartoon animals on the front. 27. WORST GAS STATION TREAT Hostess Chocolate Pudding Pie 520 calories 24 g fat (14 g saturated, 1.5 g trans) 45 g sugars This is the type of snack you pick up at a gas station in a pinch and feel vaguely guilty about, not knowing that you just managed to ingest nearly three-quarters of a day’s worth of saturated fat before your tank finishing filling up. And considering these little packages of doom cost a buck of less across the country, the pudding pie qualifies as one of the cheapest sources of empty calories in America. The 2 best snacks to score at a gas station: fresh fruit (if they have it) and beef jerky. 26. WORST SUPERMARKET KIDS’ LUNCH Oscar Mayer Maxed Out Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Combo Lunchables 680 calories 22 g fat (9 g saturated) 1,440 mg sodium 61 g sugars The Maxed Out line is the worst of the lackluster Lunchables, with a back label that reads like a chemistry textbook. By cramming dessert and a superweet drink into the box, Oscar manages to saddle this already-troubled package with more added sugar than your child should take in all day. This meal has the sugar equivalent of 10 Dunkin’ Donuts jelly-filled doughnuts! 25. WORST SIDE DISH FOR YOUR ARTERIES Jack in the Box Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges 760 calories 52 g fat (16 g saturated, 13 g trans) 960 mg sodium It’s no surprise this side dish is bursting with fat and calories—it’s a plate of fried potatoes topped with bacon and melted cheese. The Jack in the Box menu is so thoroughly swaddled in trans fats that they truly have earned the bottom slot on our list of the trans-fattiest foods in America—not to mention, the title of Trans-Fattiest Restaurant in America. The good news is that not all of Jack’s items are filled with the bad stuff—a smarter appetizer or side dish would be the Grilled Chicken Pita Snack. 24. WORST FROZEN PIZZA DiGiorno for One Supreme Pizza with Garlic Bread Crust 840 calories 44 g fat (16 g saturated, 3.5 g trans) 1,450 mg sodium Regardless of the crust you choose, DiGiorno’s For One line is dominated by nutritional duds. The bloated crust and the greasy toppings will saddle you with 60 percent of your day’s sodium, 80 percent of your day’s saturated fat, and nearly twice the amount of trans fat you should take in daily. Hands off! 23. WORST FROZEN BREAKFAST Jimmy Dean Pancake and Sausage Breakfast Bowl 710 calories 31 g fat (11 g saturated) 890 mg sodium 34 g sugars A disastrous trifecta of refined carbs from the pancakes, saturated fat from the sausage, and added sugar from the syrup. Jimmy’s got his name attached to more than a few solid breakfast choices, so find one less than 400 calories immediately and make the switch. Hint: Look to the breakfast sandwiches and the D-Lights line. 22. WORST ADULT BEVERAGE Red Lobster Traditional Lobsterita 890 calories 183 g carbs Lobsterita means a lobster tank-sized glass filled with booze and high-fructose corn syrup. You’d have to drink 4 regular on-the-rocks margaritas to outdo the massive caloric load. Pair that with a dinner and you might be pushing a full day’s calories in one meal. If you want to get drunk, take a shot. If you want to enjoy a cocktail, make sure it doesn’t start with a bottle of mix—your body and your taste buds will thank you. 21. WORST BREAKFAST FOR YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE Arby’s Sausage Gravy Biscuit 1,040 calories 60 g fat (22 g saturated, 2 g trans) 4,699 mg sodium This is absolutely one of the worst ways you could start your day. Make a date with this and you’ll have consumed 2 full days’ worth of sodium before the noon hour. The key to maintaining a reasonable blood pressure for most folks is to take in at least the equivalent amount of sodium and potassium throughout your day. (A 1:1 ratio is seen as ideal.) The problem with this biscuit is that you’re consuming a heart-stopping level of sodium and almost no potassium. Throw in an abundance of calories and trans fat and you may have been better off sleeping in. 20. WORST MALL TREAT Cinnabon Regular Caramel Pecanbun 1,110 calories 56 g fat (10 g saturated, 5 g trans) 151 g carbs 47 g sugars Cinnabon and malls are inseparable. Consider it a symbiotic relationship: Researchers have found that men are turned on by the smell of cinnamon rolls, and further studies have shown that men are more likely to spend money when they’re thinking about sex. But just because Cinnabon might be good for Gap doesn’t mean it’s at all good for you. This dangerously bloated bun contains nearly an entire day’s worth of fat and more than half of your daily allotment of calories. (For those keeping score, that’s as much as you’ll find in 8 White Castle hamburgers.) 19. WORST FROZEN MEAL Stouffer’s White Meat Chicken Pot Pie 1,160 calories 66 g fat (26 g saturated) 1,780 mg sodium The potpie is one of the world’s worst dietary inventions to begin with, and the damage is all the more extreme when the pie seems as big as a child’s head. Stouffer’s tries to get away with it by falling back on the serving-size sleight of hand; that is, to list as 2 servings what every person with a fork will consume as 1. Nobody splits potpies, and eating this whole thing will fill your belly with more saturated fat than you should eat in an entire day. 18. WORST VEGETARIAN SUB Blimpie Special Vegetarian Sub (12”) 1,186 calories 60 g fat (19 g saturated) 3,532 mg sodium 131 g carbs “Vegetarian” doesn’t automatically translate to “healthy.” Sure, this sandwich has vegetables, but it also has 3 different kinds of cheese and a deluge of oil tucked into a hulking 12” roll. No wonder it contains more than half a day’s worth of calories and a cascade of carbs. For a truly healthy pile of vegetables, try the garden salad. If a sandwich is the only thing that will do, you’ll have to settle for the small VeggieMax, still far from a model of meatless eating. 17. WORST KIDS’ MEAL Uno Chicago Grill Kids Kombo with French Fries 1,270 calories 79 g fat (11.5 g saturated) 2,850 mg sodium For food marketers, the color of money isn’t green—it’s beige. Any parent knows that most foods kids clamor for, from fries to white bread to chicken nuggets, come in beige. It’s also a marker of cheap, calorie-rich, nutritionally bankrupt foodstuffs. So when you see this monochromatic cluster of cheese sticks, dinosaur-shaped chicken and fried potatoes, you know your kid’s in trouble. Make it a rule when eating out: All dishes must come with at least two colors (and ketchup doesn’t count). 16. WORST SLIDERS Ruby Tuesday Bacon Cheddar Minis 1,358 calories 86 g fat 75 g carbs Diminutive dishes are one of the hottest trends in the restaurant world right now (probably since most are looking for ways to stretch a buck), and you’d think that would serve health-conscious eaters well. But not under the reckless watch of the burger barons at Ruby Tuesday, who manage to turn 4 “mini” burgers into the caloric equivalent of 7 Dunkin’ Donuts Sugar Donuts. 15. WORST “HEALTHY” SANDWICH Applebee’s Chicken Fajita Rollup 1,450 calories For some curious reason, wraps have come to be viewed as a healthy upgrade from sandwiches, as if those massive tortillas can be filled with nothing but anticalories. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The problem with wraps is that they function as holding tanks for fluids, so hurried fry-cooks can squirt in as much sauce as they want without making it look messy. With Applebee’s rollup, the offending sauce is a Mexi-ranch sauce, which looks suspiciously more like ranch than anything eaten in Mexico. But here’s the final insult: This “healthy” meal is served with fries. Eat them and you tack on 400 extra calories. 14. WORST OMELETTE BREAKFAST IHOP’s The Big Steak Omelette 1,490 calories We’re not sure what’s more concerning: IHOP’s never-ending stacks of margarine-slathered sweets or their reckless attempts at covering the savory side of breakfast with entrees like this one. With close to three-quarters of a day’s worth of calories folded into its eggy shell (thanks to a heaping portion of fatty beef), you’re committing to eating rice cakes for your next 2 meals when you start your morning off with this bomblette. Why not enjoy the substantial Garden Scramble and 2 more real meals instead? 13. WORST PANCAKE BREAKFAST Bob Evans Stacked & Stuffed Caramel Banana Pecan Hotcakes 1,543 calories 77 g fat (26 g saturated, 9 g trans) 2,259 mg sodium 109 g sugars This appalling platter is stacked and stuffed with the sugar equivalent of 7 Twinkies, the caloric equivalent of 8 Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnuts, the sodium equivalent of 6 ½ large order of McDonald’s French fries, and 4 ½ times your daily limit of trans fat. It’s made numerous lists in our newest book, Eat This, Not That! The Best (and Worst!) Foods in America, including Worst Foods, Most Sugar-Packed Foods, and Trans-Fattiest Foods. Above all of these dubious distinctions, it’s the undisputed Worst Breakfast in America. 12. WORST DESSERT Romano’s Macaroni Grill New York Cheesecake with Caramel Fudge Sauce 1,660 calories 97 g fat (57 g saturated) 950 mg sodium 165 g carbs Considering the fact that Macaroni Grill’s savory menu is already cluttered with one of the country’s most potent arrays of calorie, fat, and sodium bombs, its lineup of destructive desserts only adds insult to injury. There’s the Dessert Ravioli (1,630 calories), the Lemon Passion (1,360 calories), and the always classic and catastrophic caramel-smothered cheesecake, which, with more calories than 3 Big Macs and as much saturated fat as 57 strips of bacon, is the worst dessert in America. Seek solace in a scoop of sorbetto—one of the country’s best sit-down sweets. 11. WORST SALAD On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef and Chipotle Honey Mustard 1,700 calories 124 g fat (37.5 g saturated) 2,620 mg sodium The dismal dawn of the 1,700-calorie salad is upon us. With as much saturated fat as 37 strips of bacon and more calories than 11 Taco Bell Fresco Beef Tacos, this abdomen expander earns a well-deserved spot on our list of the Worst Foods in America 10. WORST SANDWIC Quizno’s Large Tuna Melt 1,760 calories 133 g fat (26 g saturated, 1.5 g trans) 2,120 mg sodium In almost all other forms, tuna is a nutritional superstar, so how did it end up as the headliner for America’s Worst Sandwich? Blame an absurdly heavy hand with the mayo the tuna is mixed with, along with Quiznos’ larger-than-life portion sizes. Even though they’ve managed to trim this melt down from the original 2,000-plus calorie mark when we first tested it, it still sits squarely at the bottom of the sandwich ladder. 9. WORST BURGER Chili’s Smokehouse Bacon Triple Cheese Big Mouth Burger with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing 1,901 calories 138 g fat (47 g saturated) 4,201 mg sodium Any burger whose name is 21 syllables long is bound to spell trouble for your waistline. This burger packs almost an entire day’s worth of calories and 2 ½ days’ worth of fat. Chili’s burger menu rivals Ruby Tuesday’s for the worst in America, so you’re better off with one of their reasonable Fajita Pitas to silence your hunger. 8. WORST APPETIZER On the Border Firecracker Stuffed Jalapenos with Chili con Queso 1,950 calories 134 g fat (36 g saturated) 6,540 mg sodium Appetizers are the most problematic area of most chain-restaurant menus. That’s because they’re disproportionately reliant on the type of cheesy, greasy ingredients that catch hungry diners’ eyes when they’re most vulnerable—right when they sit down. Seek out lean protein options like grilled shrimp skewers or ahi tuna when available; if not, simple is best—like chips and salsa. 7. WORST CHINESE DISH P.F. Chang’s Combo Lo Mein 1,968 calories 96 g fat (12 g saturated) 5,860 mg sodium Lo mein is normally looked at as a side dish, a harmless pile of noodles to pad your plate of orange chicken or broccoli beef. This heaping portion (to be fair, Chang’s does suggest diners share an order) comes spiked with chicken, shrimp, beef, and pork, not to mention an Exxon Valdez-size slick of oil. The damage? A day’s worth of calories, 1 ½ days’ worth of fat, and 2 ½ days’ worth of sodium. No meat-based dish beats out the strip. 6. WORST SEAFOOD DISH Romano’s Macaroni Grill Parmesan Crusted Sole 2,190 calories 141 g fat (58 g saturated) 2,980 mg sodium 145 g carbs Fish is normally a safe bet, but this entrée proves that it’s all in the preparation. If you fry said fish in a shell of cheese, be prepared to pay the consequences. Here that means meeting your daily calorie, fat, saturated fat, and sodium intake in one sitting. 5. WORST MEXICAN DISH Chili’s Fajita Quesadillas Beef with rice and beans, 4 flour tortillas, and condiments 2,240 calories 92 g fat (43.5 g saturated) 6,390 mg sodium 253 g carbs Since when has it ever been a smart idea to combine 2 already calorie- and sodium-packed dishes into one monstrous meal/ This confounding creation delivers nearly a dozen Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts worth of calories, the sodium equivalent of 194 saltine crackers, and the saturated fat equivalent of 44 strips of bacon. Check please. 4. WORST PIZZA Uno Chicago Grill Classic Deep Dish Individual Pizza 2,310 calories 165 g fat (54 g saturated) 4,920 mg sodium 120 g carbs The problem with deep dish pizza (which Uno’s knows a thing or two about since they invented it back in 1943) is not just the extra empty calories and carbs from the crust, it’s that the thick doughy base provides the structural integrity to house extra heaps of cheese, sauce, and greasy toppings. The result is an individual pizza with more calories than you should eat in a day and more sodium than you would find in 27 small bags of Lays Potato Chips. Oh, did we mention it has nearly 3 days’ worth of saturated fat, too? The key to success at Uno’s lies in their flatbread pizza. 3. WORST RIBS Outback Steakhouse Baby Back Ribs 2,580 calories Let’s be honest: Ribs are rarely served alone on a plate. When you add a sweet potato and Outback’s Classic Wedge Salad, this meal is a 3,460-calorie blowout. (Consider that it takes only 3,500 calories to add a pound of fat to your body. Better plan for a very, very long “walkabout” when this meal is over!) 2. WORST DRINK Baskin-Robbins Large Chocolate Oreo Shake 2,600 calories 135 g fat (59 g saturated, 2.5 g trans) 1,700 mg sodium 263 g sugars We didn’t think anything could be worse than Baskin-Robbins’ 2008 bombshell, the Heath Bar Shake. After all, it had more sugar (266 grams) than 20 bowls of Froot Loops, more calories (2,310) than 11 actual Heath Bars, and more ingredients (73) than you’ll find in most chemistry sets. Yet the folks at Baskin-Robbins have shown that when it comes to making America fat, they’re always up to the challenge. The large Chocolate Oreo Shake is soiled with more than a day’s worth of calories and 3 days’ worth of saturated fat. Worst of all, it takes less than 10 minutes to sip through a straw. and the number 1 "Worst Food in America is....... 1. WORST MEAL IN AMERICA Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger with Medium Natural Cut Fries and 32-oz Coke 2,618 calories 144 g fat (51.5 g saturated) 2,892 mg sodium Of all the gut-growing, heart-threatening, life-shortening burgers in the drive-thru world, there is none whose damage to your general well-being is as potentially catastrophic as this. A bit of perspective is in order: This meal has the caloric equivalent of 13 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnuts, the saturated fat equivalent of 52 strips of bacon, and the salt equivalent of 7 ½ large orders of McDonald’s French fries!
Jeeze, that post made me hungry as hell.
Ground zero for the Pig Flu.
You should be penalized ten yards for posting an ugly gross.
I beg your pardon. Michael Moore is a paragon of the left. A very well fed paragon of the left. He comes close to Kennedy quality, in terms of mockery.
I almost wanted to go purge after reading it.
Fat people might survive the concentration camps, when they use the starvation method to get rid of those who won't get with the program. Fat people are harder to kill than skinny people when it comes to that. If there is a day when I'm led away from my home in chains, and forced into a camp, I know that chances are I'm not coming out, but those who are fatter than I am might, and they might be able to seek revenge on those who brought us this brand of Nazi Tyranny. It is far past time for America to stand up and start to indict and incarcerate every politician who has betrayed us for the last 60 plus years, starting with Jimmah Carter, on down the line.
Better to be hated for what you are, than loved for what you are not.
Obesity has emerged as a possible contributing factor in fatal swine flu cases,
"If, from the more wretched parts of the old world, we look at those which are in an advanced stage of improvement, we still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised, to furnish new pretenses for revenues and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without tribute." --Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791
#2. To: farmfriend (#1)
#3. To: Original_Intent (#2)
And it's been linked to breathing too.
"If, from the more wretched parts of the old world, we look at those which are in an advanced stage of improvement, we still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised, to furnish new pretenses for revenues and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without tribute." --Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791
#4. To: farmfriend (#1)
Obesity has emerged as a possible contributing factor in fatal swine flu cases,
#5. To: TwentyTwelve (#4)
Mike Flaherty: Yeah, it's been there a long time. I wish I knew which corner.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
#6. To: Jethro Tull (#0)
Them tubbies is fuckin' up everything ping!
Mike Flaherty: Yeah, it's been there a long time. I wish I knew which corner.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
#7. To: Esso, all (#6)
#8. To: Jethro Tull (#7)
#9. To: Cynicom (#8)
#10. To: TwentyTwelve (#4)
what an amazing line-up of crap
#11. To: TwentyTwelve (#0)
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