Bill Maher nails it

[Skip]

It takes a comedian to say that eating animals is the cause of covid 19 and covid 19 deaths.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OoT2OZ ... e=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDaQOy7ML38

[Growing a Pear]

I was reluctant to click because I generally find him too abrasive, but he's spot-on in these clips.

[MINNIE]

Wow!
Harsh. But.


Sometimes the truth needs to hurt, to get people to hear it.

[PJK]

I saw Maher the other night, too, and I really disagree. He took a small truth -- obesity is one of the risk factors for Covid-19 - and turned it into a big distortion.

He said eating healthily is the most important thing people can do to avoid getting infected with the virus.

No, that's not true. The most important things people can do are wear a mask, practice social distancing, and avoid large crowds indoors. That's not my opinion, that's what we're hearing from the likes of Dr. Fauci and other scientists, physicians and public-health experts.

Also, Maher seems to be blaming individuals for what is a societal issue. He said, for ex., that poor people should replace their soda with water. But how about the billions of dollars spent by soda companies on TV ads? How is that the fault of individual parents.

Overall, I was very disappointed by his points. IMO he wasted an important opportunity.

Note: I am not arguing that a healthy diet is unimportant. Of course it is important. But it is not the most important way to avoid being infected by this virus.

[vegyluvver]

PJK, I couldn't have said it better.

[michaelswarm]

Bill Maher is right in saying that eating animals caused the pandemic (zoonosis)
And he’s right in saying that obesity and chronic diseases associated with obesity make outcomes worse.

Eating healthy is the most important thing you can do, to avoid getting the covid-19 disease, if you do get infected with the virus. Getting infected with no or mild symptoms, or getting infected and developing severe or fatal symptoms, are outcomes over which you do have some control.

Most public health experts have been silent, if not outright hostile, to nutrition. They are part of the problem with the larger chronic disease pandemic. Now that larger chronic disease pandemic is making the covid pandemic worse.

[Skip]

He said eating healthily is the most important thing people can do to avoid getting infected with the virus.

He doesn't say that. He's talking about what one can do to prevent bad outcomes once you have contracted the virus.

What he said is a quote from an official from the city of Huntington which is:
"with Covid-19, you're twice as likely to have a poor outcome if you're obese"

What he said is a quote from Public Health England journal which is:
"One study found that for people with a BMI of 35 to 40, risk of death from Covid-19 increases by 40% and with a BMI over 50 by 90% compared to those not living with obesity."

[Drew_ab]

Both of those clips are simply brilliant and should be shared everywhere. Much respect to Bill Maher for producing them - the message must eventually get out there. Both clips have 1, 000, 000 + views and hopefully they inspire some people to change. HIs candidness and ability to speak the truth is profound. Sometimes being politically correct costs lives.

[PJK]

There is more context. About half of Americans are not wearing a mask. And about the same percentage, in a recent poll, say they would not get a Covid vaccine once it's available.

I think that's a lot more urgent than not eating at McDonalds. The truth is, if someone is now obese, it's going to take them weeks, perhaps months, to improve their situation to the point where it would make a difference should they become infected with Covid-19.

By contrast, wearing a mask is something they can do today.

So is getting educated about the risks and rewards of vaccines.

If Bill wants to yell at people, yell at them about this. Instead, he used the moment to dump on what he calls political correctness and people who eat sugar (one of his bete noires, not supported by science). At least go after Big Food and tax policies that pump so much junk food into our grocery stores and malls.

Sources:
Nearly half of Americans not wearing mask: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbbrand ... 6b0c4b213d

Half of Americans wouldn't get vaccine: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronaviru ... would-get/

[Skip]

"I told him as an expert in the field I strongly recommend wearing it, but he kept bringing up his rights."

[fulenn]

Bill Maher is right in saying that eating animals caused the pandemic (zoonosis)
And he’s right in saying that obesity and chronic diseases associated with obesity make outcomes worse.

Eating healthy is the most important thing you can do, to avoid getting the covid-19 disease, if you do get infected with the virus. Getting infected with no or mild symptoms, or getting infected and developing severe or fatal symptoms, are outcomes over which you do have some control.

Most public health experts have been silent, if not outright hostile, to nutrition. They are part of the problem with the larger chronic disease pandemic. Now that larger chronic disease pandemic is making the covid pandemic worse.

I just saw this. Wonderfully said! I second what michaelswarm says, tool.

Fulenn

[f1jim]

It appears Bill Maher got his facts right. The argument about it's importance to the general public is an arguable point. But it does appear his information is accurate. Being mad at him for taking on obesity might be misdirected. As a former obese person I am not threatened by his comments. Maybe if I still were obese I would. But that's conjecture.
The companies and government policies that allow so much junk into our world is definitely sad. Yet I live in this world and avoid the junk with little issues. Same with illegal drugs that mess up so many lives. They are everywhere in the streets around me. Yet I somehow avoid them, daily. It's because despite their attractiveness and availability I make the conscious decision to avoid them. This is the best way to avoid the consequences of their use. I have no one to blame since I don't use them. If I did, the blame would rest primarily with me. Secondarily, I would assess some blame to those that make them available.
I like a world in which I can freely choose from among billions of choices and accept responsibility for the consequences of my choices.
Personal responsibility is a wonderful, but scary thing. Some don't feel comfortable with it and prefer a world that doesn't require these choices. Oddly, I do.
f1jim

[schnyd]

It appears Bill Maher got his facts right. The argument about it's importance to the general public is an arguable point. But it does appear his information is accurate. Being mad at him for taking on obesity might be misdirected. As a former obese person I am not threatened by his comments. Maybe if I still were obese I would. But that's conjecture.
The companies and government policies that allow so much junk into our world is definitely sad. Yet I live in this world and avoid the junk with little issues. Same with illegal drugs that mess up so many lives. They are everywhere in the streets around me. Yet I somehow avoid them, daily. It's because despite their attractiveness and availability I make the conscious decision to avoid them. This is the best way to avoid the consequences of their use. I have no one to blame since I don't use them. If I did, the blame would rest primarily with me. Secondarily, I would assess some blame to those that make them available.
I like a world in which I can freely choose from among billions of choices and accept responsibility for the consequences of my choices.
Personal responsibility is a wonderful, but scary thing. Some don't feel comfortable with it and prefer a world that doesn't require these choices. Oddly, I do.
f1jim

Well said, liberty is being taken away and sadly many people are okay with this.

[PJK]

There is a phenomenon known as "blaming the victim."

72% of Americans are overweight, and 40% are obese.

Do you really agree with Bill Maher and think they are all lazy and irresponsible?

Or isn't there another explanation?

FYI, those stats from the CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm

[michaelswarm]

Pleasure Trap. And 72% of Americans (at least), have fallen into it. Unless they are in prison, hospital or the military, no one forces them to eat that food. The food industry, advertising and doctors are just giving the consumers what they want, and telling them what they want to hear.

I don’t actually think it’s that cut and dry, however. The Pleasure Trap is human nature. Technology has made previously scare foods abundant. Children are forced to eat what their parents feed them, and young learning is not skeptical.

Being healthy does require a bit more effort, and a bit more responsibility.

If public health authorities had actually told us to eat mostly whole plant foods, avoid animal foods and processed foods, many more of us would be well along the road.

Countries with thinner populations do seem to be doing much better.