Rush Limbaugh: Clueless about health or clever advertiser?
 

Today, Rush said that no matter how healthy your lifestyle is, you will still become old, get sick, and die. The biggest risk factor for sickness and death is age and you can't prevent aging. In other words, eating a healthy diet and exercising won't help.

He's either very ignorant when it comes to the value of healthy lifestyle choices, or he's a brilliant advertiser earning brownie points with the food industry that he represents and earns money from.

Which one do you think he is? Considering that he has suffered form obesity in the past and has been on 12 major diets, I think he may be somewhat ignorant but a clever (food industry) brown-noser at the same time.

I'd be interested in any opinion on this.

:)

I am not an admirer of Rush, especially his delivery. However, his basic premise is correct and some folks have a real problem facing the fact of their eventual demise

Many industries have have made billions upon billions advertising that their product, diet, regime, plastic surgery etc will help make them ageless. The 60's is the new 40's is a case in point. Age is just a number is another.

IMHO genetics the prime indicator. I do believe in exercising to keep the body flexible and strong. The Greeks advice of "all things in moderation" is good advice. Final maintaining a god mental and emotional outlook also helps.

Excellent post by rubicon!

Even if you see Rush as a wind bag (which is how I see his delivery), this is 100% true: "no matter how healthy your lifestyle is, you will still become old, get sick, and die."

We've already heard the O.P.'s superiority in eating "healthier" than all the rest of us slobs who eat things other than carrot sticks and baked--not fried--lentil chips (aka "baked cardboard" sold at Whole Foods for $5 a bag).

But he/she, too, will die by some kind of disease process or "healthy" lifestyle choice like bicycling in the regular streets here that are full of landscaper trucks and their trailers that can make a young-looking, super-fit bicyclist into mincemeat.

It might help to take things in context. Rush was extrapolating on a series of articles by Atlantic Monthly columnist Megan McArdle relating to her experiences with hypertension and her baffling discussions with her doctor. Then she did some of her own research and reached the conclusions (for herself anyway) in the main article and then in a small follow-up that got Rush thinking about the subject in his own inimitable way.

There's a lot of truth to the saying that "you cannot cure old age". I think that's all Rush is saying.

Following is the two articles by Ms. McArdle, preceded by the transcript of the Rush Show that Villages PL is opining on.


http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/20..._don_t_get_old

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...t-sick/251184/

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...et-old/251193/

You can eat healthy, have your cholesterol problems under control, work out 24/7 and have a 6pack to show for it...But if you don't look both ways crossing the street, you will be one fine looking corpse. The grim reaper comes calling when your number is up and old age isn't a given.

Many years ago I worked with a guy who was in great shape and a health nut before his time. He carried a jug of water before carrying water became fashionable. He carried a cooler with fresh fruits and home made food as he wouldn't eat out because of his fear of dirty restaurant kitchens, and germs in general. He would chide me on the way I ate (having a cheeseburger and coffee on my end of day break) and offer me a peach or something.

Not long after his 40th birthday this good man died almost instantly from an aneurism. There was no warning.

old age is the primary killer...it cannot be sugar coated....ask the likes of a Jack LaLane (to pick one of many).

One certainly can do themselves a favor as they age by not being obese or living a sedentary life.

Living in moderation lets one enjoy much more of what life has to offer.

And what is obvious by the appearance of the average American on the street....it doesn't seem to matter.

Each person knowingly picks their own poison like Elvis (to pick one of many).

btk

Thanks, RichieLion, that clears up a lot for me. I printed all 3 items that you gave a link to and will read them more carefully later when I'm not on the computer. In the mean time, I have a question for anyone reading this:

If Rush really believes what he said, why is he working so hard to save our democratic republic? Doesn't he know that it's in poor health and about to die of old age? The biggest factor, in determining why great civilizations die, is "old age." Doesn't he realize how silly it is trying to have a healthy democratic republic when old age is going to take it from us anyway?

No, instead, he only knows how silly it is for someone to try to live a healthy lifestyle. Why is that? Why the difference between one and the other? My opinion is: Follow the money! He works for radio and radio earns a good portion of its revenue from advertising processed (fast) foods.

Anyone have a comment on that?

:)

Regarding this "The biggest factor, in determining why great civilizations die, is "old age.".........

No, great civilizations die when they allow leaders with vile, sinister motives to take over........

....and when the civilization shrinks its BIRTH RATE to be grossly out of balance with the death rate.

Yes, I agree that some do have a problem with their eventual demise. But, hey, isn't that the same reason why religion is so popular? Yet most of us don't go around complaining about the belief of "eternal life in heaven," do we? Rush says he loves puncturing myths; Is that one next? ;) No, he will only puncture myths where there's a payoff, like the one he gets from advertising processed foods on the radio. :)

Again, I agree. But don't forget the other side of the equation. On the other side, there's Rush (speaking for the fast food industry) telling us that eating fast food isn't going to hurt us to any significant degree, if at all. And billions upon billions have been made selling highly processed junk.

Well, there's where I have a little bit of dissagreement. In many cases, genes have to be triggered by something in the environment. Each of us may be susceptible to certain diseases, but it usually takes something from the environment (including one's diet) to act as a trigger. (Although, that should not be interpreted as a potential to live forever.)


:agree: Except, perhaps, for the moderation part. What does it really mean? Does it mean one pizza per week? Once a month? Once a year? My threshold (or tolerance) for moderation just happens to be much lower than that of the average person. I'm assuming that "moderation" means moderate consumption of processed foods. Would anyone apply it to fidelity in marriage? Would it be acceptable to cheat on a spouse as long as it's done in moderation? Do you see what I mean? Some people are very much against cheating. Well, I happen to be very much against cheating on my diet regimen because I don't happen to believe that I will be better off for doing so.

:)

Ummm, you may be about 3 years too late with your warning. :) It happens in small increments, just like health declines slowly in old age.

:)

Villages PL:

I personally made a judgement in error by addressing my opinion of Rush. The important aspect of this topic is mankind's response to death and not him.

From a religious aspect you are correct; albeit I don't see too many people rushing to get into heaven.

As for genetics. The short of it is that we age because at some point our genes fail to reproduce. Scientist are working to extend the reproduction process. Genetics are key to longevity.

Let's take the issue of faty foods and cholestrol. Experts paint a broad brush and some go to extremes. As an example a Harvard study explained that there are three types of consumers of fatty foods: those whose system excrete cholestrol, those who compensate and those who store. Obviously the storer (of fat) is the bigger problem. so to suggest that everyone eating meat, etc is shortening their life expectancy can be mischaracterized. It could well be because of the store factor that even with such a consumer eating more vegetables his/her life expectancy will be shortened. Also we have people who are born with congenial defects that are in a manner speaking invincible until they rear their ugly heads.

Which leads me to address the Greek's suggestions for moderation. When I remind my brother about this Greek philosophy his come back is always" I believe in moderation in fact I believe in a lot of moderation."

The problem with many of us is that we have forgotten the benefit of sacriface. Perhaps it is because as a Catholic I found the benefits of fasting, etc. to be very beneficial. To this day there are many things I intentionally forego because I believe it is of a benefit to my body and soul.

Far too small a number of American can appreciate the benefits of self-sacriface as we have become a wealthy consumer oriented society where materialism and hedonistic ways of living have become not only fashionable but the norm. Its why for instance that a Tim Tebow is laughed at because of his belief in foregoing cardinal pleasure until he is married.

We use to admire such people

As a young boy my Dad pointed to a guy he knew. My Dad told me that this guy would drive the streets of our city until dawn because he was afraid that he would die in his sleep. You guess it he died in his sleep. How many of us would want such a passing. Finally we as a people seem to believe we can remove the risks associaed with living. Isn't that unfortunate as some people buy into this nonsense. We can certainly find ways to reduce some of our risks but we will never be able to eliminate them.

Rush appears to believe in excesses in everything: food, drugs, marriages.

Too true:laugh:

I feel that's really a simplistic outlook and a far fetched kind of conspiracy theory. I really doubt he's thinking of his advertisers on this subject. If you've listened to Rush over the years you know he eschews any exercise in weight loss and downplays the importance of it in that aspect. I thinks it's a foolish thing, but he's entitled to live his life the way he sees fit. He thinks genetics play the greatest role in your life longevity, and science doesn't prove him wrong.

Comparing body chemistry to the life of nations? Cute, but hard to portray parallels. Nations have died for many reasons.

Yes, I agree, and it's funny you should bring this up because the other day he said something that surprised me and made me think that this may be the beginning of the end for his current marriage. I think it was something about people falling in love and thinking they will be in love forever. Could this be his way of breaking the news to his listeners, slowly?

Is it a "conspiracy theory" when a business man plans to make a profit? I just happen to think that when he has a choice of whether to take the side of his business associates and his listeners (i.e., potential customers) he takes the side of his business associates.

Anyway, I finally had a chance to read the material from the links you provided and here's my response:

A critique on the Rush Limbaugh transcript of Jan. 13, 2012: "If You Want To Live Forever, Don't Get Old."

It seems that Rush's job, as spokesperson for the fast food industry, is to dispirit anyone who's trying to take responsibility by living a healthy livestyle. He took a statement by Edgehopper and used it as a springboard to promote an attitude of defeatism relative to health and longevity.

He proudly carries a brand new fast-food-industry banner that says: "Everyone, as they get older, will get sick and die." And, as far as he and the industry are concerned, their best customers will likely die sooner, rather than later, and that's okay with them. It seems that, nowadays, everything and anything goes, in the name of fast-food-industry profits.

I agree that we need to be wary of government interfering in our lives and in our ability to make free-market choices. But, at the same time, we also need to be wary of the fast-food-industry, their hired guns, like Rush Limbaugh, and their industry lobbyists.

I find it interesting that the long-winded-rant from Rush seems to have come soon after the chapter 11 bankruptcy of Yum Brands, the maker of Twinkies and other such junk-food items. The reason given for the bankruptcy is that people are becoming more health conscious and choosing such items as yogurt and/or fresh fruit rather than high calorie junk like Twinkies. Potentially, this could spell trouble for the rest of the fast food industry as well. Is it any wonder that Rush went into overdrive against the notion that a healthy lifestyle can yield dividends?

Could there be a clause in his 40 millian dollar contract that stipulates that he defend or enhance the desirability of fast-food as often as possible or on an as-needed basis?

In order to draw in his loyal listeners, rather than stick to the main issue of health, he loaded down the issue with politics as a means of stiring their emotions and fears. That's what you do when you have a weak argument and your whole "schtich" is based on, "advancing age = sickness and death."

As part of his political ploy, it's almost as if he's telling us to fight liberalism by practicing poor lifestyle habits: "Yeah, we'll show those liberals! We'll stuff ourselves with MORE fast food, NOT LESS!"

He's hoping that a lot of his listeners will buy into his defeatist mind-set and start "chowing down" on a lot of high calorie junk foods. (He's asking us to drink the cool-aid.) So what if we age faster and die sooner. For a talk-show host with no conscience, it's all in a day's work.

Talk about mean spirited. You've got quite the penchant for throwing stones, it appears.

This is an absolutely absurd post. When has Rush ever been the spokesman for fast food. It's ludicrous. Have you ever SEEN or HEARD a commercial for a fast food outlet by Rush Limbaugh????

I'm not sure, but I think many years ago Rush might have done a commercial for Pizza Hut, but other than that.....................

Even if he had; you're saying he cannot comment on a subject that might include some aspect of business of an advertiser? Is this every one in the media or just Rush Limbaugh?

Where are you coming up with this stuff.

Mean spirited and throwing stones? I am sure some might take "The most self indentified "liberal" among us are the ones who seem the most "class conscious" and "race conscious" and "religion conscious" as mean spirited and throwing stones - but to quote my hero, Bill Maher, I might be wrong.

All in a good natured tone, of course.

Let's see. Rush topped the scales at 350lbs at one time, he was addicted to oxycondine, and he's on his fourth wife. What did I get wrong?

I don't so much question him as I do you. You are going to die. There is nothing you can do to prevent it. You may put it off but you wil die. Rush is going to die. I am going to die. Lifestyle won't prevent it.

Just some thoughts

Do you ever stop and just listen to yourself and your self righteous garbage. For Christ's sake, you are freakin' clueless here.

Amen

Lets see, hes rich, successful, highly respected and living life to the fullest. What did I get wrong?

Well, okay, I appreciate your thoughts on this issue. But did anyone ever claim that they'd never die? I don't believe anyone has ever made that claim. I know I certainly didn't.

I believe that's what's known as a "straw dog". Rush pretended that some people actually said they would never die so he could knock it down as being ridiculous. It must be a technique he picked up from Obama. :)

My you get nasty when one of your heroes gets (justifiably) criticized. Doesn't become you!

Still throwing stones. You must be such a perfect person. God bless you.

Oh you too. Shameless drivel. I'm the one chastising the nasty. Attacking a person over personal issues like is being done here is crude and childish. It shows a weak character. It absolutely becomes me to do this because I for one know what the word honor means.

Now you're crude too. Congratulations.

I'll try to explain it the best I can.

Take any information and/or entertainment medium such as magazines, television, internet or radio. They each have their own special appeal for various reasons. If you are a music lover, you might subscribe to a magazine called "Making Music." The job of this magazine is to create an atmosphere that will bring music lovers together with the makers and sellers of instruments, plus other related products and services. In other words, buyers and sellers are brought together.

Radio is much the same in that it too seeks to bring buyers and sellers together by creating a favorable atmosphere for whatever is is that it hopes to sell. And Rush is mainly responsible for creating the atmosphere on his show, for a target audience that is relatively young. So he frequently talks about things that he thinks younger people will be interested in. And when you have that target audience in place, the sellers to that group will show up too.

To create an atmosphere for the sale of products, he talks about a lot of different things like sports, electronic gadgets, computers, food etc. etc.. Even though he may not do all food commercials himself, it's his job to create an atmosphere that will bring certain buyers and sellers together.

It is in this endeavor that he either acts as a natural "self appointed" spokesperson or, if there's a contract, a payed spokesperson. Obviously, if there's a contract it will stipulate that he cannot talk about it. But, regardless of which form it takes, the effect is the same. He will be speaking to create an atmosphere conducive to the sale of certain types of food items. That makes him an industry spokesperson. Some might even say that he is part of the industry. After all where does the industry begin and end? At any rate, you can at least say that he is an extension of the industry.

Now, what types of food products? It's highly unlikely to be any whole food. So what's left? Processed foods, fast foods and restaurant food. All three of these can, and often do, overlap. To save time, I usually refer to all of it as "fast food."

So now the question is: How do you create an atmosphere conducive to selling fast (processed) foods? You ridicule those who are trying to be healthy. That plays well to their younger target audience. But he can't do that by itself. How would that look to those in his audience who may be older and more sensible? So he does it under the guise of ridiculing liberals. That way it serves a duel purpose and has double the appeal to his audience.

You may say that you don't recall a lot of foods being advertised. But, remember, his show is played in about 600 markets all around the country and advertising will varry from market to market. And they are always trying to attract more advertising revenue. To the extent that they don't attract industry advertisers, shows in various markets may be canceled.

Limbaugh is an entertainer, and a good one at that, nothing more, nothing less. Everything he says and does is designed to appeal to a cult-like following of ditto-heads. I began listening to him in 1990, and thought he made some thought provoking points, but as time went on he became more and more mean spirited and egocentric. I pretty much quit listening to him in the mid-ninties as I felt he had crossed the line between political commentator to radio personality. Just last year I tried to watch the golf channel show with him trying to improve his game under the tutelage of Hank Haney. I had watched the series with Barkley and Ray Ramono, and enjoyed it. After parts of two episodes with RL, I gave up. His egomania and bluster sucked all the joy and interest out of the show. He is, in my opinion, a smart, but seriously compromised, personality, with very little impact beyond his few million ditto-head like-minded listeners.

You cannot illustrate in the slightest way how any of your imaginings above is true or has anything substantial to do with Rush Limbaugh. It's total unadulterated trash.

I don't think your post illustrates much intelligence and insight into the man named Rush Limbaugh, or explains why his enormous influence on the political scene for the past few decades is bogus. It appears to be a terminal case of sour grapes.

You didn't like his appearance on a golf show. It was the highest rated of all those Hank Haney shows. The channels audience apparently didn't agree with your disgust.

This hate-fest is truly tickling me.

Your manlove for Rush explains a lot about your attitudes and opinions. His ratings may have been high, for an obscure cable show, that would be explainable by his ditto-heads (i.e. can't think for themselves) following their hero to the golf channel. As for his enormous influence, would that be in '92 and '96 when he got Clinton elected? Or would it be in 2008 where he got Obama elected and a democratic majority in both houses of congress? Your hate-fest for anyone who dares disagree with your self-inflated opinions is truly tickling me.

You've got nothing in which to back up anything you say and your response is to throw out a homo-phobic response.

It's a little disgusting that you've sunk so low in your futile attempts to out debate me.

You demean yourself.

I take this as your surrender. It is accepted.

Once again you delude yourself in an attempt to inflate your self-importance. What is said in this forum is far from legitimate debate, and tends more toward attempts to insult and belittle others attitudes, beliefs, and arguments, while attempting to claim some higher intelligence. It is hilarious that you look for some kind of victory in this silliness, but it does seem to reveal some character flaw. By the way, you seem to self profess to be so well read and educated on political matters, I could save you a lot of time. You are going to vote a straight republican ticket so go have some fun - it takes no study or thought to do that.

I make no claims other than I read a lot. If you glean a high intelligence from my posts and are threatened, I have nothing to say to that. As far as your "prediction", it is one I've professed myself in this very forum, so it is no prognostication on your part. There's no Democrat worth his salt anymore; not for years.

All your personal attacks on me now are proof of your failure here and your frustration. It's bitter pill.

Just as a reminder above is where the personal attacks started.

I don't particularly glean a high intelligence from your posts, that is another of your delusions of grandeur. Did not prognosticate on your voting, I had read where you admitted to it. Again, it would seem your personal attacks are proof, in your mind, of your superiority, and others personal attacks are proof of their frustration. It's a bitter pill. Quite an ego you have there - by the way don't forget Valentines Day is in a few short weeks, be sure you buy that card to yourself before they are all picked over.