Obesity

[Cycleops]

There's also an obesity crisis down here, not just among the better off, who have access to KFC pizzas etc, but with the poorest who can't afford meat or proteins so fill up with carbs which turns to sugar.
It's also seen as a sign of health and wealth if you're overweight. People will often compliment those who have gained weight saying 'You look well'.
There's more pressure on woman who now like to be 'thick' which is the latest craze.

 

[BoldonLad]

All they did in this area was pay for 3 months subscription to Slimmers World, Sorry but that's not real help, that smacks of some box ticking process.

In my case, help was forthcoming via GP referral, but, it was only after (my) persistence. First suggestion was medication for high BP and Chloresterol. It was only when I resisted prescription medication that I was offered actual dietary advice/support, and, exercise advise/support etc.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

What is it you would be looking for, coucilling or dietary advice maybe?

I think counselling to get to the root of her issue, she has the deck stacked against her in hereditary terms, but something else is causing it I believe & I can't help her although I wish I could, I might even be the cause, but unless she faces it & discusses it, who knows.

 

[battered]

I think counselling to get to the root of her issue, she has the deck stacked against her in hereditary terms, but something else is causing it I believe & I can't help her although I wish I could, I might even be the cause, but unless she faces it & discusses it, who knows.

I agree, it's a counselling issue, if you can't bring yourself to do it of your own accord. I've lost 20lb, or 9 kg, in the last 4 months. My BmI is about 25.5, I'm 11s4 and 5'6. The difficult part isn't doing it, I've eaten exactly what I should today and I will tomorrow. I have one night off per week. It works perfectly. But prior to this I spent 2 years deciding to get round to it and being a stone and a half overweight. I know what to do, the evidence is there to see since January. But wanting to do it is the difficult part. I don't mean saying that you want to, I mean actually wanting to do it so that you do what's necessary. It's the same as getting fit, learning a language, etc. You have to get to the point where it's what you do, not something that you would like to do, but it's difficult right now because... If that means counselling, so he it. One cautionary tale about counselling though - how many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one, but the lightbulb has to want to change.

 

[Edwardoka]

It's a complicated issue. People are a product of their environment. In many places we have rearranged the environment to be as convenient as possible for car drivers, and openly hostile to everyone else. Out of town malls with car parks the size of towns, and of course every one of them has a drive-through McDonalds, a KFC, and a Costa, each laden with stuff designed to be as more-ish as possible so that you get a quick burst of endorphins after the tiring process of shopping and you grow to look forward to this.

Takeaways OTOH aren't necessarily bad if you're careful and restrict them (I refuse to get more than one a month), compared to say, ready meals or the twelvety varieties of sugar-laden bread in supermarkets. Stuff that gets consumed daily. It's clear that some people don't look at the food labels. If they did, and paid attention, the supermarkets wouldn't be stocking packaging covered with red marks.

Add to that the capacity and tendency for people to delude themselves into thinking that it's "just a little treat". Something you "treat" yourself to several times a day is not a treat, Senga.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It’s not genes it’s the environment and society people now find themselves in the UK. Those of us who went to school in the 70/80s will remember that the fat kid was a rare as hens teeth, perhaps just one in a class of 34. Now it’s more than 10 in 34 and increasing.

Reversing the environmental and societal changes is going to take at least one or two generations.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

It’s not genes it’s the environment and society people now find themselves in the UK. Those of us who went to school in the 70/80s will remember that the fat kid was a rare as hens teeth, perhaps just one in a class of 34.

You obviously went to different schools to me, I also had at least 4 female relatives who were even then over 20 stones,

 

[Donger]

I always dread this subject coming up as, with a BMI of 35.8, I am officially not only "obese", but borderline "morbidly obese" when looked at simply by my statistics. Plenty of people on this forum have been quick to judge me in the past when I have mentioned my weight and I'm a little concerned that in the event of me developing any serious medical condition, societal prejudice could prevent me from receiving treatment. I'm convinced there is no real satisfactory definition of obesity. A number of professional sportsmen .... like Jonah Lomu, who was also about my height and weight, would also be classified as "obese" if judged merely by their BMI.

Whilst I don't disagree that there is a real problem with overeating these days, I'd just like to make the point that BMI isn't everything, and we shouldn't be so quick to judge people purely on their weight. At 60, although I'll acknowledge I have a bit of a tummy on me, I have never felt fitter or healthier in my life. I can still ride up mountains. I can ride 100 miles. There are plenty of people half my weight who cannot say that.

 

[BoldonLad]

I always dread this subject coming up as, with a BMI of 35.8, I am officially not only "obese", but borderline "morbidly obese" when looked at simply by my statistics. Plenty of people on this forum have been quick to judge me in the past when I have mentioned my weight and I'm a little concerned that in the event of me developing any serious medical condition, societal prejudice could prevent me from receiving treatment. I'm convinced there is no real satisfactory definition of obesity. A number of professional sportsmen .... like Jonah Lomu, who was also about my height and weight, would also be classified as "obese" if judged merely by their BMI.

Whilst I don't disagree that there is a real problem with overeating these days, I'd just like to make the point that BMI isn't everything, and we shouldn't be so quick to judge people purely on their weight. At 60, although I'll acknowledge I have a bit of a tummy on me, I have never felt fitter or healthier in my life. I can still ride up mountains. I can ride 100 miles. There are plenty of people half my weight who cannot say that.

Agreed. BMI has become a “one size fits all” measure. IMHO it gives a GUIDE measurement, which is applicable to a significant proportion of the population, but, not ALL.

Personally, with a BMI of 24, a bit of a belly, but, at 73, still reasonably fit and cycling 3-4 times a week, I believe it gives a reasonable guide for me. However, I have friends who are more athletic than me, with BMI over 25, who are not, IMHO, obese or significantly overweight.

 

[mustang1]

Do any of you over-eat due to stress? I do. Sometimes I think I make excuses and should control myself and on the odd occasion, I do (namely saturdays when I dont work). I recall yeahs ago when I got my current job, before that I handed in my resignation and for three months before starting the next job, my weight drastically dropped and I put that down to very little stress.

But IDK if there's enough evidence about this or am I just making excuses to eat another bar of chocolate.

It's a darn good thing I ride a lot otherwise I'd be really overweight but I'm not sure how healthy I really am on the inside despite not being obese.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Do any of you over-eat due to stress?

No, I used to drink! But everyone is different. When I'm not following my special diet, I can relapse and binge for a couple of weeks. I tend to overeat when I'm happy and relaxed. But when I'm stressed I get knots and butterflies in my stomach so don't really feel like eating at all.

 

[battered]

Agreed. BMI has become a “one size fits all” measure. IMHO it gives a GUIDE measurement, which is applicable to a significant proportion of the population, but, not ALL.

Personally, with a BMI of 24, a bit of a belly, but, at 73, still reasonably fit and cycling 3-4 times a week, I believe it gives a reasonable guide for me. However, I have friends who are more athletic than me, with BMI over 25, who are not, IMHO, obese or significantly overweight.

Every nutritionist or medic already knows that BMI is just one measure. They also know that it only applies to "average" people, whoever she is. Everybody concerned with food and nutrition knows that the 21 year old Mike Tyson, heavyweight boxing champion of the world, had at that time a BMI of 31. So he was obese by that measure. However a glance at him with his shirt off would revel between 5 and 10% bodyfat and scary amounts of muscle befitting an athlete in peak condition. Not very "average" then, not by any measure. Similarly Jonah Lomu, or any gym rat who walks in with arms like my thighs, a 30 inch waist and a diet consisting of steamed fish and protein shakes.

 

[icowden]

Personally, with a BMI of 24, a bit of a belly, but, at 73, still reasonably fit and cycling 3-4 times a week, I believe it gives a reasonable guide for me. However, I have friends who are more athletic than me, with BMI over 25, who are not, IMHO, obese or significantly overweight.

BMI doesn't work for anyone who is significantly athletic as it doesn't take into account the ratio of muscle mass to fat, whereby muscle mass is heavier than fat. Thus if you are like the BiL who runs miles every day and cycles hundreds of miles per week, you will have a high BMI despite barely having any fat on your body.
It does however work as a guide for most people, and most of us (I am guessing ) would like ours to be lower.

As mentioned previously it's just hard when that lovely M&S luxury chicken kiev is looking at you on a meal deal...

 

[BoldonLad]

BMI doesn't work for anyone who is significantly athletic as it doesn't take into account the ratio of muscle mass to fat, whereby muscle mass is heavier than fat. Thus if you are like the BiL who runs miles every day and cycles hundreds of miles per week, you will have a high BMI despite barely having any fat on your body.
It does however work as a guide for most people, and most of us (I am guessing ) would like ours to be lower.

As mentioned previously it's just hard when that lovely M&S luxury chicken kiev is looking at you on a meal deal...

Quite

 

[BoldonLad]

Every nutritionist or medic already knows that BMI is just one measure. They also know that it only applies to "average" people, whoever she is. Everybody concerned with food and nutrition knows that the 21 year old Mike Tyson, heavyweight boxing champion of the world, had at that time a BMI of 31. So he was obese by that measure. However a glance at him with his shirt off would revel between 5 and 10% bodyfat and scary amounts of muscle befitting an athlete in peak condition. Not very "average" then, not by any measure. Similarly Jonah Lomu, or any gym rat who walks in with arms like my thighs, a 30 inch waist and a diet consisting of steamed fish and protein shakes.

I would hope so.

My point (obviously ill explained) was that "the man/woman in the street" does not always appreciate this, and, BMI becomes discredited, giving people yet another excuse not to tackle their fitness/weight issues.