To think that most health care professionals are hopeless at advising on weight

As an overweight person myself, I think we need to stop the excuses. If we're not exercising, it's because we don't want to. If we're not eating properly, it's because we're choosing not to. We need to ask ourselves what we really want. I don't want to die like my mother did when she was in her early 50's. She had an atrocious lifestyle and it very much caught up with her.

I don't want my toddler growing up thinking that junk food is a good, healthy option. I know it's hard especially when there are mental health issues as well. I'm battling those as well. I also have a physical disability which leaves exercising difficult for me but I choose to do it because I want better. No excuses, just honesty.

We know the right things to do, we just have to do them. If we're unsure, there's information out there.

How “significant” are we talking? I’ve never met a single person who can’t lose weight because some medication they’re on prohibits it.

No, I don't believe that at all. It's a very significant group of people.

And just one of many where just parroting 'eat less, move more' is at best unhelpful.

You say you’re on medication that interferes with weight loss, @Riversideandrelax ?
Surely you get that that’s not the case for the vast, vast majority of people claiming to be puzzled at not being able to lose weight?

I think it is just asking for trouble if you don't listen to your patient. You can't meet them where they are if you have no clue where they are!

Wand waving dietician? 😂

I think you are proving the point I made about seeing professionals and getting the correct advice. The advice is not the same!

Why do people who need to lose weight get referred to dieticians if actually we could just ask @Janiie or @TeaandScandal and they could say 'eat less, move more!' 😂

Of course. One thing he advised me on was what time to take my medication and told me to eat a snack with it (and advised exactly what to eat.)

Letsgetouttahere2023, discipline, discipline discipline.

I know it's tricky but ignore it if you can. My slim, active and fit sister who eats a really healthy diet with lots of grains and pulses etc took a gut problem to the practice nurse. Cue lecture on fruit, veg. diet etc. 'I do that' she said. Lecture repeated. They have the lecture ready on repeat.

I don’t know. I mean I suppose it’s similar to the number of times I was told over the years by Drs and HCPs that I should stop smoking. Sometimes they would recommend nicotine replacement products or books or hypnotherapy, but mostly they just told me I should stop. I would smile and nod and then light up a fag on the way home. I did stop eventually, but I had to make that decision myself and try multiple ways of doing it before I found what worked for me.

'What people need is the correctadvice. As soon as I had that I started losing the weight'

It doesn't matter whether its a stranger online telling you, or a gp or your seemingly wand waving dietician. The advice is the same. Stop calling it a diet, start calling it eating the correct amount to match energy used and just eat smaller portions.

Mostly, take responsibility. Stop blaming meds, stress and everything else. I can't understand why there is so much excusing going on. I fancy a massive slice of cake right now, it isn’t as if people with healthy weights and bodies don't get cravings but I won't overeat because newsflash I'd soon be overweight. I have a an averagely stressful life but I can still control myself.

Eat better too.This works for the majority of people across the world. No point posting saying it doesn't work for you because you have certain specific conditions or meds. It works for the majority. And that's what the HCP is saying.
I have been unpleasantly surprised by how few calories I can eat in menopause. But it is what it is. I can't eat like I used to and I have to move much more than I used to.

”basics" of weight loss - what exactly are these basics?
Eat less, move more…

@Riversideandrelax - exactly. This was my point above to @missmollygreen - it's all very well saying that people should follow the "basics" of weight loss - what exactly are these basics?

Would you mind sharing some of your dietician's advice, please?

I was a binge eater and at my heaviest was 138kg with a BMI of almost 50. I didn't need telling to eat more cucumber and less mars bars, because I knew that.

I went to see the practice nurse about something unrelated and we had the conversation about weight. She asked if I'd considered a referral to weight management services and that was the changer for me. I benefitted massively from the therapy provided as part of the service and ultimately decided to have surgery. Eating all the lettuce in the world wouldn't have worked for me without those things.

What people need is the correct advice. As soon as I had that I started losing the weight.

The rubbish advice I got from the 'health coach' and the weight loss medications did nothing for me!

So people in starving populations are on medication that causes weight gain?

Are you suggesting that dieticians have no idea what they are talking about? That my dietician just made up some rubbish and it just magically helped me to lose weight?

I was never overweight before I started on my medication. Like everyone I know on the same I put on weight. But with my dietitian's plan I've managed to lose it. I think that proves that there are other factors.

Not being obese- as a PP characterised some of us posters- is not some kind of unachievable, distant, high faluting privilege reserved exclusively for some. It is achievable for most people. Maybe not all. But certainly the majority. The UK has far, far better health provision than most countries. And not starving populations. There are many countries which are neither starving nor obese. Japan. Korea. Malaysia. Vietnam. Singapore.

I am tired of this " I can't do anything about it so no one should give me medical advice" narrative, frankly. And I am menopausal so not that easy for me either.

It's in such poor taste to compare obesity with starving populations
Why? It literally demonstrates that over eating causes obesity, however much you insist that there are other factors that keep people eating within normal limits overweight.

@Riversideandrelax if food isn't available as a coping mechanism, like it isn't in starving populations, there will be other unhealthy coping mechanisms.

It's in such poor taste to compare obesity with starving populations. I guess they also don't treat depression there or cancer because who's going to pay for it and so nobody can complain that their tax money is being used for people who have self inflicted illnesses.

you're presuming that obese people don't exercise by saying do even the minimum of physical activity
We do exercise!

People in starving populations aren't usually taking medication that causes weight gain or yo-yo dieting just as 2 examples.

It is much more complex than calories in, calories out according to my dietician. Even you have said 'the body can burn differing amounts of cals depending on certain situations.'

@missmollygreen @OhBumBags (this isn't for mollygreem but I can't delete it on my phone) is that how you think it is? I don't believe many obese people refuse to eat less. I believe they fight this battle at every single meal and their mental health suffers greatly every time they don't manage or undo a days 'good eating' at night or even the next day.

Now I'm guessing people will be along to say they just need to strengthen their willpower. I believe many would benefit from therapy to assess the why and then establish different coping mechanisms. Often it means damage done in childhood needs to be undone and it takes a long time. Some cycles may in fact never be broken and I just find the ignorance on this thread sad by people who don't have the depth to look at this issue properly. I want to know how many of them have actually broken bad habits that were set in childhood for things they cannot just stop but have to manage every day, like eating.

Are you serious?? 🤯

I have been given advice by my dietician which has enabled me to lose weight. No part of that advice was 'eat less.'