To think that fat people get unfairly bullied?

[Reallytired]

There are those who think that the NHS should not fund essential medical treatment.

It is OK to publically humilate children by weighing them in front of their class mates.

There is a total lack of decent clothes for fat adults and children. Believe that its particularly hard to find nice clothes for overweight children. Surely larger people deserve nice clothes?

And before you ask. I am 5 ft 6in and weight 9 st. I am lucky in that I don't put on weight easy. My slim figure is down to genetics and nothing to do with life choices.

We should accept everyone for who they are and not badger people into starving themselves make them miserable. The press seems to worthship the bodies of those who are so skinny that they are unhealthy. Its abnormal to be size 0.

People with fuller figures should be proud of their bodies and pressurised into attempting to be a totally unrealisic weight.

[Fillyjonk]

really agree

not much to add though, good post

[NKF]

The genetic argument doesn't work entirely when it comes to arguing that some people can't help being fat. The genetic make up of human beings won't have changed and so you have to look for other causes to explain an increase in obesity. Lifestyle choices might well be the explanation.

[Carmenere]

Lifestyle choices yes but what has changed is that our lives today are much more sedentary than even 15 years ago.

So our bodies need less calories because they use less because they don't actually do so much exercise. Coupled with the fact that our food is packed with more calories than ever it is more and mre difficult for all of us to keep a balance on how we eat.

Labour saving devices have made us work more and use less energy at the same time.

This is a huge subject.

[LadyMuck]

Agree that it is abnormal to be size 0, but actually our idea of what is an acceptable size has increased a lot in the last couple of decade. Didn't Evans start at size 14 with the implication that that was the start of sizes for the "larger woman". I think that it is actually quite difficult for some people to accurately identify what a healthy weight looks like.

[MAMAZON]

DS is a stocky build to get trousers to fit his waist they are too long in the leg.
it drives me mad. he isn't fat, its just the way he is built.

if there was an article saying that gay men shouldn't be treated for sexually transmitted diseases there would be outcry....and rightly so.

but yet it is ok to be openly discriminatory to people with weight issue's

fatism is fine apparantly but god forbid you say anything about immigration or racial equality or gay rights because you are deemed a fascist

[Desiderata]

What would you call an unrealistic weight? There's a difference between being a little chubby, and morbidly obese.

And much obesity is entirely to do with life choices. If you eat more calories than you burn off, you will gain weight.

That's a choice, no?

[madamez]

Most fat people are fat because they were a bit chubby and were bullied into dieting. DIeting fucks your metabolism so you will get fatter. The whole slimming industry is a vicious con on the same level of religion - if any of this slimming bullshit worked, the industry would go out of business.

[NKF]

Diets don't work. That's true enough.

[SheikYerbouti]

If they want to tackle obesity, then local councils need to make their sports facilities more affordable. To swim in Bath costs over a tenner a session for a family of 4 - imagine doping that 3 or 4 times a week!

[ZippiBabes]

but it does make you feel a whole lot better lsoing weight

and for a lot of people it is possible

it is just very hard work

i don't think people should give up they should be encouraged to try as it is rewarding not carryionground four stone of extra weight

docotors now can give you an exercis eprescription for the local gym whihc helps too

and changing to a better diet is good too..it can be done

[needmorecoffee]

do fat people really get bullied day to day? I thought 30% of people were obese and another 30% overweight. Thats makes overweight people the majority in this country and therefore almost 'the norm'.

[southeastastra]

totally agree with the local council comment, it's ridiculous, we used to pay 20p to go swimming it is more that a tenner now.

[hifi]

sheikyerbouti, whilst i agree with your point to some degree i do think you can do things yourself that dont cost anything. going for a brisk walk around the block pushing a buggy works womders.

[needmorecoffee]

Car use certainly is a factor in puttin gon weight. I ot a car this week for the first time in a long time. This morning I drove the 4 miles to the local foods place. Usually I'd cycle wheatever the weather. But I told myself it was cold, I had a headache etc etc and I rather shamefull drove.
Only had the darn thing a week!

[needmorecoffee]

yup, Hifi. walking is free. We tend to walk if its under 2-3 miles.

[ZippiBabes]

yes walking is good..i was walking 6 miles a day last year it helped a lot

[ZippiBabes]

but i was very determined to lose weight that was the main factor...i made myself

and was really totally strict with no food that wasn't actually good for me and no alcohol for nearly a year

i had no foods like cake or chocolate or crisps etc

but it worked

[sparkybabe]

I think any extreme is freakish -a size 0 looks ill, but then so does a size 30.
I agree with making exercsie more acccessible, but I went swimming yesterday with 3 kids and it cost £8. Not too bad, for 2 hours of fun and exercise.

[CatIsSleepy]

people eat too much processed food
it's just not healthy to eat it all the time
in general I think in the west we have forgotten how to prepare 'real' food (and I say in general....i don't mean on MN)
that's a major factor in why so many people are overweight
(and I'm not talking about having a 'fuller figure' I'm talking about being fat)

and lack of exercise of course
i think these are things we should be able to do somehting about, although it's not easy I'm sure when you're not used to it

[ZippiBabes]

my gym membership is 24 quid a month..yes it is a lot but i can go as many times as i want and swimming is 1.75 pay per session for me because of the gym sunscription

i hope it will mean i live a bit longer and healthier

and it has also meant i have ac quired a man too lol so now i have an incentive to keep it up

and the first 22 sessions i got on a prescription for a much reduced rate

[ZippiBabes]

a lot of people could afford that if they didn't eat processed food and sweets and drank less

yep not everyone but quite a lot of people