California Obesity Study

* So now it turns out most of us Californians are either overweight or obese (June 14). Indeed, at just under 6 feet in height, my 205 pounds put me at the high end of overweight, not far from obese. Yet I have little fat on my body, I work out six or seven days a week and eat a reasonably healthy non-fast food diet. I did notice that the chart used by The Times was the same for men and women, the same for all adult age groups and the same for all body types. One would think that the more appropriate measure would be percentage of body fat.

The Times also noted that the numbers have been recently inflated. Are we all supposed to look like Calista Flockhart? According to the chart, I should weigh 177 pounds or less. I know from experience that in order to accomplish this I would have to make myself look like a recent escapee from a POW camp. I would have no energy or muscle tone. The authors of these studies ought to consider whether their overblown scare tactics will have the tendency to make people ignore the underlying and legitimate message of the need for exercise and a proper diet.

ALLAN IDES

Brea

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Your story indicated that most Californians are overweight. The causes of this problem are no doubt complex. But one reason is that in Californians’ car-dominated lives, most people rarely engage in the best form of exercise--walking. The relatively small number of people whose major mode of transportation is not a car, but is instead walking, bicycling or transit, almost inevitably get more exercise.

This is an aspect of people’s lives where they can make choices, like walking to the grocery store instead of driving to the health club. But encouraging walking on a large scale also requires designing communities where walking is safe, pleasant and effective as a means of transportation. Let’s use good city planning to fight obesity.

NATHAN LANDAU

Berkeley