A 400-pound woman was allegedly caught shoplifting and was subsequently tasered after her motorised cart got stuck when she was trying to escape.
Jerrie Perkins, 30, allegedly tried to steal $600 worth of electronic goods from a Meijer store in Pontiac, Michigan.
Her attempt was foiled, however, when her motorised cart got stuck in the exit door.
Fat Thanks to Anant P. for the tip!
Scientists have developed a new way to measure whether a person is too fat without having people step on the scale.
The new measure, called the Body Adiposity Index, or BAI, relies on height and hip measurements, and it is meant to offer a more flexible alternative to body mass index, or BMI, a ratio of height and weight, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
BMI has been used to measure body fat for the past 200 years, but it is not without flaws, Richard Bergerman of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and colleagues wrote in the journal Obesity.
While there are other, more complex ways to measure body fat beyond simply stepping on a scale, BMI is widely used both by researchers and doctors.
It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. A person who is 5 feet 5 inches tall is classified as overweight at 150 pounds (68 kg) and obese at 180 pounds (82 kg).
But there is a lot of wiggle room in that calculation.
For example, women and men with the same BMI might have very different levels of extra flab. BMI numbers cannot be generalized across different ethnic groups or used with athletes, who have extra lean body mass.
Better than a BMI? New obesity scale proposed
Who are you calling fat? Canadians may be losing the battle of the bulge, but were still slimmer on average than our supersized cousins to the south.
A new Statistics Canada survey found that between 2007 and 2009, 24.1 per cent of adults in Canada were obese. In that U.S., that number was 34.4 per cent.
The gap was widest for women: 23.9 per cent of Canadian women qualified as obese, compared to 36.2 per cent of American women. Of Canadian men, 24.3 per cent were obese, while 32.6 per cent of American men tipped the scales.
But Canadians have no reason to feel smug about their comparative lack of bulk, said one obesity doctor.
Dr. Arya Sharma, professor of medicine and chair for cardiovascular obesity research and management at the University of Alberta, said Canada is eating its way into a public health crisis.
“We’re not where the Americans are yet, but the numbers are still very alarming,” he said. “When you consider the medical costs of obesity, of treating related cases of diabetes, heart disease, hip and knee replacements, its clear that we have a serious problem.”
Girth of a nation: Canada trails U.S. in obesity rates
In the dessert wars, at least, Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee side with Michelle Obama, not Sarah Palin.
Some conservatives, notably Ms. Palin, have mocked Mrs. Obama’s campaign against obesity, particularly in children. But on separate Sunday morning news programs, Mr. Christie, the New Jersey governor, and Mr. Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor — both Republicans — defended Mrs. Obama, and Mr. Christie put his answer in personal terms.
“I think it’s a really good goal to encourage kids to eat better,” Mr. Christie said on “Face the Nation,” on CBS. “You know, I’ve struggled with my weight for 30 years, and it’s a struggle. And if a kid can avoid that in his adult years or her adult years, more power to them, and I think the first lady’s speaking out well.”
Skip Dessert? Christie and Huckabee on First Lady’s Side – NYTimes.com
Parents who give their children food to quieten them down could be setting them up for a lifetime of weight problems, a study has revealed.
The widely used tactic can lead to a bad diet in adulthood, low self-esteem, comfort-eating and eating disorders, while it will also teach children to use food as a “source of solace” which fills an emotional void, research conducted for Slimming World suggested.
According to the YouGov study, those who recalled receiving food as a reward during childhood were more likely to have an obese BMI than those who were not given such handouts – some 34% compared with 25%.
The Press Association: Food treats ‘can lead to obesity’
Women stressed or tense about becoming pregnant are urged ‘not to worry’, unless they are obese, new studies suggest.
Studies found that obese women notice pregnancy complications due to the added weight and its affect on the reproductive system.
Additionally, the study suggested that obesity may cause irregular menstrual cycles, irregular ovulation cycles, and in some cases, infertility.
Stress Does Not Affect Pregnancy But Obesity Does, Studies Show | Daily Health Report
A Florida woman allegedly went ballistic on her roommate because she believed the woman had gobbled her Girl Scout cookies.
The 31-year-old Naples resident allegedly first attacked Jasmin Wanke around 1 a.m. while she was sleeping – launching an angry rant about missing Thin Mints, Wanke told authorities.
The two argued about the cookies, then Wanke claims Howard – who according to the police report weighs 400 pounds – jumped on her and hit her in the face. They fought until Wanke’s husband pulled them apart.
Hersha Howard busted for beating up roommate Jasmin Wanke over Thin Mints Girl Scout cookies
According to the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the obesity problem in pets is almost equivalent to problems from smoking in human medicine, the Journal reported.
Coral Springs Animal Hospital offers new therapies to help animals lose weight. They’re using an underwater treadmill, originally designed to help animals with limb problems.
“It certainly helps for the buoyancy of the water to help them to be able to stand up for longer periods of time and be able to walk for longer periods of time,” explained Shayne Garnder from Coral Springs Animal Hospital.
The Journal also found that pet health insurance policies are now paying out millions of dollars in costs related to obesity problem. The Binnion family will shell out thousands of dollars for their cat’s health problems from obesity.
“It’s obviously not covered by insurance,” said Binnion. “So it’s a $2,000 a year expense for overfeeding your cat.”
America’s Portly Pet Problem « CBS Miami
Like many these days, Shiva sits around too much, eating rich, fatty foods and sipping sugary drinks. He has the pot belly to prove it, one that nearly touches the floor — when he’s on all fours, that is.
Shiva belongs to a colony of monkeys who have been fattened up to help scientists study the twin human epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The overweight monkeys also test new drugs aimed at treating those conditions.
“We are trying to induce the couch-potato style,” said Kevin L. Grove, who directs the “obese resource” at the Oregon National Primate Research Center here. “We believe that mimics the health issues we face in the United States today.”
Monkeys Fattened Up to Study Human Obesity – NYTimes.com
The proposal, backed by local Assemblyman Bill Monning, seeks to tax sodas, energy drinks, sweetened teas and sports drinks to raise $1.7 billion for programs to fight childhood obesity
Tax on Sweetened Drinks Proposed – Santa Cruz, CA Patch
