To think that people pretend not to understand obesity

I think your statement is true to so much in life. Many people do not have the empathy/sympathy or ability to walk in someone else’s shoes unless they’ve walked in it themselves.

Im someone who has never had a weight problem, but I have watched my mum who was stick thin and tall in her younger years, struggle with weight gain in her late 40s and 50s - she did make some drastic diet changes about a decade ago, so although she is still a bigger size, she has her clothes tailor made, she’s much healthier - thin on top but can’t get rid of anything below the hips.

Again, prior to witnessing this, I was oblivious to how obesity worked, but I wasn’t horrible about it. But just because one can keep weight off it doesn’t mean we don’t have our own issues to deal with. I come across many that “pretend not to understand” depression, diabetes, parenting … and lots more until they go through it themselves.

I don’t think anyone pretends not to understand, I just think there needs to be more education around it - especially as it can happen to anyone of us.

That feels like a challenge.

I actually don't know that many 'fat' people.

I don't judge. I smoke like a bastard.

I’m beginning to think there is no point in entering into a debate with people who just don’t get it. It’s like when I decided I was an atheist. Being religious is the default in NI and it took me a while to learn that allowing myself to be trapped into a debate by someone religious was a big mistake. We just ran in circles. With the whole diet/obesity issue, there are far too many people who haven’t caught up with the latest information and all you’re doing is wasting your breath. I was curious about obesity because my SIL, previously a very slim dancer, became obese over a few years. I found it difficult to shift weight myself, but was (and still am) overweight rather than obese. I read a good book and a few articles and honestly changed my perspective completely. Previously I thought obese people ‘just’ needed to move more/eat less etc. But I get it now, after reading up on the subject. My SIL has been on weight loss injections for a few months and her weight has dropped and she has fewer aches and pains as a result. She also looks great. I’m just incredibly happy for her and glad that such a resource was out there for her to take advantage of.

Copied from Thyroid UK website:

”Hypothyroidism is mostly seen in women between the ages of 40-50 and is seen in women ten times more often than men.2 It often occurs during the menopausal years and symptoms are often ignored during the early stages by both patients and doctors if the patient is at this age.

The prevalence of hypothyroidism is 1-2% (approximately 2 in every 100 people) but some doctors feel that the rate is much higher than this.3

Subclinical hypothyroidism is found in 8–10% of the population, is more common in women and increases with age.4

Common signs of an underactive thyroid are tiredness, weight gain and feeling depressed.

Hey, just gonna throw this into the ring.

So I will be your obese case study…

Weight fluctuated up and down all adult life aged 16 - 35, but remained in normal range in the main and dipped into overweight with clothes size ranging from 8/10 - 14/16. Was a size 12 for the majority of the time.

Weight increased with first pregnancy (35 yrs old) big bump. Went up to 16/18. Concerted effort to lose baby weight after the sleep deprived 1st year of motherhood. Managed to get back in size 10’s when toddler turned 3.

Second pregnancy. A toughie, extra monitoring needed, ++physical pain and strain. Huge bump, gained over 4 stone. Did not eat differently to when was a slimmer size 8-12. In fact due to severe morning sickness could barely eat anything for a lot of the pregnancy.

Struggled to lose the weight, tried everything I did previously with bells on and started earlier (baby 5 months old). Nothing. Nada. Gained more weight. Cut calories as hard as I dared during breastfeeding and even harder after finished nursing. Health problems started to
arise. Got desperate, got depressed. Could not understand why I could not lose weight.
Health got worse.

Finally after a long medical journey, arrived at the discovery my thyroid gland had been eaten away by disease. By the time tests and ultrasound concluded the diagnosis I was in an advanced state of hypothyroidism, my metabolism was through the floor, completely dysfunctional and vital organs had been damaged. I was simply not burning calories in any kind of normal way for at least a few years, but I suspect longer. The weight had simply piled on and refused to budge, even eating healthily and actively attempting 15 (yes, 15) different diets (some doubled or more) and exercise over the course of 3 years.

Thyroid disease was the cause of the gain and is still my biggest barrier to losing weight, despite being on hormone medication (Levothyroxine).
I am still battling and may well face this battle for the rest of my life.

Please have compassion for larger people. You don’t know what hand they’ve been dealt in life, their background, what their story is.
Obesity is also in my family line on both my maternal and paternal side. So is thyroid disease. Interestingly it appears they were all normal size / slim until their mid/ late 30’s.

Anyone who tells you to just eat less and do more exercise to lose weight has obviously never had a major weight problem.

But an addict is an addict.

It doesn't matter how it started.

If they're addicted then they're addicted and that's that.

Nope. The medication helps with the insulin resistance as well. It isn't just the restriction.

Oh I wish! It was affecting my health. Hence GP being so supportive.

Urgh, the nasty fat freaks are really causing you harm, aren't we. Perhaps we should just be dressed in, vast obviously, sacks so the Normal People don't have to face the indignity of having to buy a size 8.

@Winifredtabago But I hear the underlying message, which is that you don't have any actual evidence from the website that you keep quoting at me, because it isn't there.

That's poor, even by the standards you have exhibited on this thread.

I think I'm starting to realise which topics of the NHS website you need to look at. And its not obesity.

Then free yourself. There is no rational reason for you to be upset by the number the clothing trade uses to denote the size that fits your body. You are the size you are, and there are clothes available in a size to fit your body. Whether that size is called 12, 8 or 47 and three quarters, as long as you know the number being used, you're good to go.

You're either a liar or you haven't actually looked properly at the NHS website.

You copied a few words. You missed out the many paragraphs detailing the reasons. Obesity being a complex problem is an overview. It means it's not just caused by one issue alone. They cant possibly produce that website and not acknowledge all the potential causes can they! But it's very obvious by the topics that dominate and appear first what the most common causes are. It's the same as reasons for headaches. They don't put brain tumors first for obvious reasons.

You're right. My reply lacked empathy. Full disclosure - I was a little triggered as I too have to buy a smaller size than I did in the 80s, and when I was first faced with the realisation that the clothes that fit my body are now labelled with A DIFFERENT NUMBER than they were 30 years ago, I was shaken. To put it mildly. But (with work) I managed to come to acceptance and developed the workaround of simply buying the size with my new number. However I accept not everyone is as resilient as me.

If you keep repeating incomprehensible nonsense, people are going to keep not understanding it. What I cut and pasted was the whole of the section on causes of obesity. It talks about genes, environment, biology and medical causes. It does not cite a lack of willpower. I really don't understand what you mean by "the whole of the NHS website on obesity" if it's not the section that I posted.

Then you miss the point altogether. Why can't people say they are now a 16-24 size in Jeans rather than traditionally normal sized people learn that they are now a size 6-8 to keep the abnormally-sized happy.

OOh, I can guess this - the larger-sized people are now the norm and they buy clothes and business makes more money. So why are so many larger sized people not very happy with their size and resort to MJ then?

When consumerism first really took off in the early 2000's and shopping became entertainment rather than a necessity I used to comment on how the clothes manufacturers still charged the same price for mini skirts (less fabric) and below-navel jeans with no waists (less effort).

We are all slaves.......

The whole of the NHS website on obesity. I dont know why I have to keep repeating myself that I acknowledge there are some obese people with medical conditions that cause obesity. But your in denial if you dont realise the bulk of the problem.

No quotes?

That isn't the only thing WLI do, certainly not mounjaro at least.

🤦‍♀️ and this is why I'm guessing you are either overweight or unhappy with your weight.

No. Why don't you do some work instead of hanging around here trying to make people with a condition that you don't understand or care about feel miserable for your own entertainment? Go and find an actual quote that supports what you have been saying about people being obese because they're not trying hard enough. You won't, because there isn't one, because unlike you the NHS actually does understand the complexity of obesity and isn't in the business of shaming people who are not like you for a problem that willpower won't permanently solve for them.