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

I find a lot of this supposed concern over people's health to be very disingenuous. Do you also feel upset and concerned when you see people in a pub garden drinking wine or beer? How about when you see people sunbathing on the beach? What about those who are underweight? Or do you just feel "concern" when the vice makes someone look less visually appealing?

Up to two years ago I would have judged harshly. Then out of nowhere I gained over two stone, I ended up being diagnosed with uterine cancer. I had a hysterectomy and sepsis and lost all the weight. I’ll never judge anyone’s body as long as I live.

I actually think we’ve become so skewed that we can see the difference between over weight and obese. A woman who is 5’6” for example who is at the upper end of ‘healthy’ would only need to gain 2.5 stone to be considered obese.

What do you actually think when you see a fat person?

If I noticed them at all (which I probably wouldn't, I mostly notice attractive people and to me that means slim or only very slightly over weight) I would probably think they were unhealthy and that it's a shame, so young.

It makes me feel sad and angry that being overweight is so normalised now. Such a large proportion of people are overweight. It cost the NHS a fortune and it's spiralled out of control. People can blame it on whatever they like, but it is laziness and bad habits.

I've been through periods of life overweight, so I tend to feel empathy.
Any judgement on my part is just reflective of a lifelong battle with my own incredibly poor self-image.

Nothing tbh.
Too busy running my own mind and worrying about my own stuff to notice or care about a strangers body.

People are overweight for a variety of reasons, so I do try not to judge. I do think though that the health implications of being overweight (or underweight) can be worse as you age and so I do secretly hope they're able to maybe lose a little weight, or at least not gain more.

It varies enormously. I saw a young fat person at the weekend and I thought "my goodness, he's got an amazing voice." I think it's rare that my very first thought on seeing a fat person of any age is about their size. Most people have individual characteristics that are much more interesting.

If I see a very overweight child I just feel incredibly sad for them and being honest, yes I judge their parents for failing them.

I am overweight myself at a size 14/16 but unfortunately that is pretty normalised so I think someone would have to be really obese for it to even register with me. In which case I'd probably wonder whether they're unhappy as I know I'm unhappy with my weight.

my thoughts also....

I've struggled to keep my weight down all of my life, so there is no individual judgement from me. That said, I was at a festival earlier this year and I was shocked at how very noticeably overweight/obese so many people were, including young people. I'm not talking 'carrying a few extra pounds' but clearly obvious overweightness. It was possibly more visible at the festival because it was warm and people were wearing less than they would for normal day to day life.

I'm all for body confidence and dressing how you want and having been shamed myself as a slightly overweight teenager, I would never do it to another person or be a part of it either. However, I think it is really important to look after our bodies, which is one of the reasons I persist in my life long struggle to maintain a healthy BMI. We only get one body and I see being overweight/obese as a serious cause for concern health wise. We know that the huge increase in type 2 diabetes is largely weight related and type 2 diabetes is just the start of all the other health complications that follow on from it.

Yes, as I said some cases it's not to do with unhealthy eating.

Fat child - I think the parents have let them down, and it's a damn shame.

Fat adults - that they eat too much of the wrong things and don't move enough. Yes, yes, I know for some people it's medical. But not every fat person has got that way because of a medical problem. They might now have medical problems, but that's beside the point. I wonder how in the hell they didn't see the weight creeping up and think "right, enough is enough!" before it reached that stage.

And honestly, when I see young obese women wearing crop tops and leggings or whatever, bellies out and arsecrack on show/straining through lyrca? If someone sits next to me and they're sweating, taking up my space? It makes me feel disgusted. It's not nice to see. Our bodies aren't meant to be that way, and I think it's a perfectly natural reaction to have. Just because being fat is more common these days doesn't mean it changes that.

Morbid obesity is usually noticeable, yes. The OP used the words ‘fat’ and ‘overweight’ so I don’t know why you feel people are lying about their reactions to that, given that more people are overweight than not in this country.

I wouldn't ordinarily notice. Because there are so many overweight fat people it seems 'normal' these days.

26 isnt young to me! But if I saw someone who was very young who seemed to be struggling to walk and was obviously out of breath then I do feel bad for them and hope there is a way for them to be healthier. Actually I feel bad for older or slimmer people who appear to struggle too so my feelings not just because someone is fat.

I don't judge parenting as I'm aware being overweight/fat isn't as simple as just eating too much and being lazy. It goes a lot deeper than that most of the time.

No judgement on them personally, but I'll admit I assume they're missing out and remember the fun of getting dressed up and partying in my 20s.

I completely acknowledge that 1) they're just as capable of being happy with how they look and it might not affect them, 2) getting glammed up might not even be their thing.

I am, without a doubt, a product of 90s/early 2000s culture and it's absolutely coloured my perspective. Maybe that's just as unhealthy as being overweight.

There are very few where I am, but most people around me are young and not white. Immigrant area.

Exactly, I said the same. It’s akin to ‘I don’t notice colour!’

Lots of liars on here. The vast majority would look at a morbidly obese person of any age and at least notice them and register the fact that they are overweight. Nobody looks at an extremely fat person and thinks oh look there's another person, that's ridiculous.

To me, there's a difference between "just fat" and morbidly obese. When you see someone with their belly hanging down their thighs, and clearly struggling to move well, I do think why did they let themselves get so out of hand? I feel sorry for them.

I tend to wonder why people do this to themselves and wonder if they do not consider the long term health implications. I know there are sometimes underlying conditions but most young obese people are not obese because of illness but because of lifestyle choices. I feel sorry for them tbh

Yeah this is a different kettle of fish. There are only a minute amount of obese children that are of that, due to health conditions.

Thinking about it more, I do judge parents with obese children. By the way young kids run around constantly and have fast metabolisms, there's no excuse. If my 3 year old was obese, not caused by any medical conditions, I'd think I'd failed as a parent.

I’m pleased you have had some nice responses on here OP. Lack of judgment for a situation they have no knowledge of should be the answer, but i thoroughly expected otherwise as I am often quite appalled by the level of censorious judgement ( especially on here) of overweight people and especially women.

I have two friends who really struggle - for good and valid reasons - and so I am informed enough not to judge or cast aspersions. I know that sometimes things are not easy and also that some of the thinnest, most weight-obsessed people I know I are just that: very boring and self-absorbed as well as quite smug and nasty about other people’s bodies. Obviously that isn’t everyone; but it has taught me there are more important characteristics in a person. I would smile and hope you were having a good day.

I didn’t think I would see an honest response on here to be fair.
For me, most of the time I am in my own little world and just want to get my stuff done to get away from the crowds of people. Occasionally though, I will look up and see the sheer proportion of obese and morbidly obese people around me in a supermarket (for example) and feel quite shocked by it because it wasn’t this way 30 years ago. Seeing someone that big was a rare occurrence when I was young and now it’s very, very common.
Around 67% of adults in this country are overweight or obese.

I agree. Overweight children I notice more so. Seeing obese children makes me sad.

I don't think / notice anyone's bodies usually. I guess if I saw someone who was morbidly obese, I'd notice that they're obese. But most of the country are fat or obese. It's a sorry state of affairs and it's the norm now.

When I was on holiday In Majorca, so many brits were fat or obese and it just proves we've got a national problem. People need to get a grip on their weight. Especially when it's only diet related and you've got young children who are going the same way. But it makes no odds to me. I can't say I pay much attention or care.