Reply to: 5 a day

[Ignis Fatuus]

Perhaps the fat people of Walsall sit on their arses watching telly all day, and would probably die of a heart attack even if they were thin, while the fat people of Italy actually eat even more calories, but get some exercise and therefore have a cardio-respiratory system that can cope with their mass.

They do seem to get a bit of low-level exercise, for example in the offices where I worked in Milan, they would all go out for a short walk after lunch. Even if it was just an amble round the same block every day, they were insistent on it.

[TimberWolf]

According to this table, Italy is way down the skinny league for fatness, with the UK in the top 3 fatties.

[Mich the Tester]

I don't know about that. You see quite a few of them wobbling around. They might not be as disgustingly well insulated as the population of walsall but they are still well into BMI > age territory.

Perhaps the fat people of Walsall sit on their arses watching telly all day, and would probably die of a heart attack even if they were thin, while the fat people of Italy actually eat even more calories, but get some exercise and therefore have a cardio-respiratory system that can cope with their mass.

Perhaps. Maybe. I'm not a doctor. But then, they don't seem to know either.

[doodab]

But you don't see many seriously obese Italians either. It seems many of them live for a long time. Maybe it's not so unhealthy to be a little bit tubby in middle age.

I don't know about that. You see quite a few of them wobbling around. They might not be as disgustingly well insulated as the population of walsall but they are still well into BMI > age territory.

[Mich the Tester]

Absolutely. Did someone suggest that they do have a low fat diet?

Well lots of people have done in the past (mediterranean diet etc), but actually I was agreeing with your points and adding to them.

[Mich the Tester]

You don't see many slim middle aged Italians though.

But you don't see many seriously obese Italians either. It seems many of them live for a long time. Maybe it's not so unhealthy to be a little bit tubby in middle age.

[Ignis Fatuus]

Anyone who's been to Italy a few times might have noticed their penchant for eating chocolate cakes and whipped cream in the afternoon. Northern Italians also cook with butter and sometimes goose fat. It's just not true that the Italians have a low fat diet.

Absolutely. Did someone suggest that they do have a low fat diet?

[doodab]

Anyone who's been to Italy a few times might have noticed their penchant for eating chocolate cakes and whipped cream in the afternoon. Northern Italians also cook with butter and sometimes goose fat. It's just not true that the Italians have a low fat diet. However, they seem to walk more than other Europeans as their towns often have narrow streets that are no good for cars; they also tend to walk before and after meals. Of course, the climate encourages people to spend lots of time outdoors just wandering about; even when it's cold, if the sun's shining and you live in a beautiful Italian town, you're likely to go out for a walk instead of sitting indoors watching telly.

You don't see many slim middle aged Italians though.

[TimberWolf]

Common scientific sense says if it burns, it's exothermic, no?

That's the word. What's the calorific value of a two pence piece?

[Mich the Tester]

And eat fresh food rather than processed food, butter rather than marge, and olive oil rather than processed vegetable oils.

Anyone who's been to Italy a few times might have noticed their penchant for eating chocolate cakes and whipped cream in the afternoon. Northern Italians also cook with butter and sometimes goose fat. It's just not true that the Italians have a low fat diet. However, they seem to walk more than other Europeans as their towns often have narrow streets that are no good for cars; they also tend to walk before and after meals. Of course, the climate encourages people to spend lots of time outdoors just wandering about; even when it's cold, if the sun's shining and you live in a beautiful Italian town, you're likely to go out for a walk instead of sitting indoors watching telly.

[d000hg]

A bit off topic, but does anyone know whether burning iron (in air) releases a net amount of energy (assume it can be ground), or whether it takes energy. Ditto for copper and other metals money is made of.

Common scientific sense says if it burns, it's exothermic, no?

[TimberWolf]

A bit off topic, but does anyone know whether burning iron (in air) releases a net amount of energy (assume it can be ground), or whether it takes energy. Ditto for copper and other metals money is made of.

[Ignis Fatuus]

List of countries by life expectancy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Italy are above UK, they eat a lot of pasta.

And eat fresh food rather than processed food, butter rather than marge, and olive oil rather than processed vegetable oils.

[d000hg]

Fruit and vegetables do not protect against overall risk of cancer, review concludes | Science | The Guardian

Phew, I had only worked my way up to 1 a day. Presumably there is a health benefit though, as the lack of calories one gleans from consuming indigestible vegetable matter helps ward off obesity.

I thought that had been debunked recently too.

One report doesn't debunk anything... these things come about as a combination of many reports, there are always some which disagree but if the majority support one direction, that's what makes most sense to follow.
The fact individuals vary such a massive amount (some live to 90 smoking and drinking heavily, some die at 30 despite healthy life and exercise) makes any kind of conclusion hard to reach.

[Mich the Tester]

Why not do more exercise and stop worrying about diet?