To ask what you think when you see a young, fat person?

Because there is less tax on one passenger flying rather than two for a start. I’m sure there are other savings too. The luggage allowance would be the same and only one body to carry so potentially less weight. Less fuel used.

I wouldn't think anything of it, but if someone points it out to me I've usually just felt bad for them for having to deal with the scrutiny but also grateful that I'm healthy and have the genetic advantage of a good metabolism and slender figure.

Nothing because it's pretty much the norm. There are more fat people than slim people in this country. I would notice if someone was extremely overweight but wouldn't think anything of it.

To put it bluntly, it depends how fat. The threshold is pretty high in today’s society.

If I noticed that you were unusually big, and young, I’d feel sad for you because it’s the easiest time to be effortlessly not fat. I’d also wonder how you’d let yourself get that way.

You would have to be really noticeably obese for me to have that thought process though.

I have two lovely 25 year old colleagues who are both quite overweight. They are 'grand' now - reasonably mobile and agile, though honestly nothing like they should be at their age, are pretty and are good with makeup, clothes, etc. But as we all know, youth is incredibly forgiving. Though never more than mildly chubby, I was able to do lots of things to my body in other ways when younger and pay very little price for it. As we all know, that does not last. So I genuinely do worry about them across a range of dimensions as they get older, aesthetics is the least of it. In contemporary sedentary society with such abundant and bad food and drinks everywhere, you have to work damn hard to stay strong, fit agile and yes, slim or at least not overweight. The sooner that becomes part of everyday life the better. Its dull, a little bit limiting sometimes - certainly since my mid 40s I don't eat nearly as much as I would like - but also completely necessary if you want to have a healthy and lively middle age, let alone old age.

I honestly feel a bit sad, as I worry for their health. but I don't think it's their fault. Our society's culture around food is appalling.

Do you have similar concerns for people's health, or the overall picture in our society, when you see the relentless focus on weight loss that can lead to disordered eating and poor nutrition? Or when you see women who get toxins and silicone injected into their bodies (with unknown long-term effects) for purely cosmetic purposes? I assume you're also very concerned about the amount of car pollution on our roads that literally causes long-term health effects and even death?

Or is it just fat people you're concerned about?

Admittedly a random & exasperated thought after reflecting on that particular flight. Anything other than going through that again for 5 hours.The comfort of all passengers is equally important. Having someone practically taking up half your seat when you have both paid the same price is unfair to say the least. It's not the fault of the larger person.Its the fault of the airlines for not accommodating people with a larger build.

I notice as I work hard to be fit and keep my weight down and wonder why others just aren't bothered. I'm one of the oldest on my office at work and 90% of the women aged 22-28 are on the heavier size, I just find it surprising at that age. Nobody thinks it will be hard to lose weight and keep it off until they're older and realise it's a long bloody slog.

I pulled a friend up once for laughing at a very overweight jogger. In my eyes, that person was actively trying to better themselves and help their health and I have the upmost respect for that.

Sounds awful but I always think ‘don’t ever let yourself get like that’. I’m 46 so much older, but I’m finding it hard to stay slim.

Why would an airline sell a second seat at less than full price?

I can see at a pinch a very last minute arrangement for flights that are not full where extra seats are sold off to other passengers at check in if they fancy a bit more room. But anything else would be commercially stupid.

Having concerns for society is all well and good but I don't think people are honest about this really, particularly when people approach middle age, there is no great secret, essentially you've just got to not eat very much. Only 1 percent of people are naturally thin and the documentary I watched on this was covering scientific tests on people that do no specific exercise other than walking from A to B and didn't prohibit UPFs, this means you may not know anyone that is naturally thin, I honestly don't think I know anyone that fits the above description, the one person I did that seemingly eats junk all evening is taking medicine for something and it speeds up your metabolic rate so why aren't people just honest about this - eat less!

There should be areas on a plane where if requested larger people are able to pay a little extra for 2 seats without paying the full price.

The problem would be the same as extra legroom seats where people that don’t strictly need extra legroom are prepared to pay the extra because they want it.

Worse really because having long legs isn’t a choice.

I think ‘damn, I’m looking good’.

It's that feeling when on an aeroplane and the person next to you has their hips spilling into your seat & their legs crushed up against yours & you can tell they are uncomfortable. The last time flying I spent the whole journey squashing my legs together & pressing myself up against my DH on the aisle seat. It was awful. I always sit in the aisle seat but this time there was no way DH was going to swap with me.There should be areas on a plane where if requested larger people are able to pay a little extra for 2 seats without paying the full price.

Why are you worried about weight gain in pregnancy when you are a size 8? I think that was probably what the midwife was trying to say, albeit clumsily. I know that BMI depends on height but I’d imagine that with a starting point of size 8 you must be able to gain quite a lot of wight before you are anywhere near an overweight BMI. What is it that worries you about moving up within the normal//healthy range, especially at a time when weight gain is normal and expected?

Except that very few people in this thread have been judgy.

Having views about the overall picture in our society or concerns about obesity related health is not being judgy about individual overweight people.

And people are certainly judgy about alcohol. Especially on MN.

In common with several others on this thread I don’t give it much thought unless I am sitting on a plane, train or bus. Then I think “Please God. Not me.”

Any age, young or old.

Maybe, all the overweight people that I know are not tough, and they do not alter their eating habits, so nothing changes.

How fat are you talking? The majority of people are overweight to some degree nowadays (including me) so honestly unless very very obese I probably wouldn't even "notice" -in quotation marks because obviously people are aware of others' weight in the same way you are aware of their hair colour, skin colour, whether they wear glasses etc - but I wouldn't take any particular note of it.

The only time I remember taking note of young, overweight people is when I've seen girls/young women in very short crop tops and/or shorts -I mean properly, bum hanging out, very tight bum scrunch shorts not just any skin showing outfits - and if I'm honest my thoughts were a mix of "fair play, bigger girls would never have had worn stuff like that when I was younger" (early 2000s)" but also "but it really is not a flattering look." Which tbf I don't think it would be a flattering look on 95% of people, including me. Again this is only very specific, very skimpy outfit/s, not just standard summer wear - I don't think anyone over 8 stone should be in full burka or anything.

Other than that I wouldn't care or take any note. I certainly wouldn't feel sorry for them or assume any particular personality traits or anything like that.

Not the poster you quoted but last week my midwife was telling me ‘you’re tiny, look at you, you’re absolutely tiny’ when I said I was worried about the weight I’d gained during pregnancy so far. Still a size 8 at the moment. Definitely don’t consider myself tiny. But perhaps a size 8 does look tiny compared to lots of overweight people that we see each day.

In answer to the OP, if I passed an overweight young person in the street I’d probably be too busy in my own world to give it a second thought. If I actually met or was introduced to someone, I would think it was a shame to be in that situation at an age where they should be in their prime. Keeping weight off tends to get harder as we age so I’d probably wonder how the person would manage in their mid life and beyond.

That’s just you though. Some people are quite happy being fat

I am impressed by anyone who presents themselves as well-dressed and well-groomed (and this doesn't mean they have to be expensively dressed). Whatever their size, if they dress to suit their figure and take pride in their appearance, that gets a thumbs up from me.

But I'm sorry to say that I my heart does sink if a very large person heads towards sitting beside me on public transport (ie, plane or train) as I get anxious about the impact their size will have on my personal space, access and comfort. I have endured several journeys where my comfort was seriously compromised by someone large spilling over their seat beside me. Sorry - but true.

I thought we are told a size 8 is a size 12 in vanity sizes so even at 5ft 8 it isn't that small? I'm sure you were, I thought I was referring to the 5ft poster. The fact is I can well believe you were unwell looking as I am only 5ft 6 and didn't look well at all in size 8 but this was the early 00s so maybe size 8 was smaller but I was constantly told by family that I was cold because I was too thin, even my Dad's male business partner saw me when I met my Dad for a lunch and commented on me being too thin. I have to say I was secretly elated because thin was good back then.