Surprised at numbers of overweight adults - surely more needs to be done?

[OrangeSunset]

Fully prepared for this to be fairly controversial but here goes.

We’re on holiday in the South West. I am honestly shocked at the numbers of overweight adults on the beach today. I’d say at least 50% were overweight, across all age ranges. Really it was more like 70%. DH and I are ok but being harsh I’d say we could/should each lose 5kg and be more lean. It’s just miserable and I was shocked - even more so when you see overweight kids too as we all know that sets them up for a lifetime of weight issues.

I’m not sure what my point is, other than to say that Boris cutting some adverts just isn’t good enough. The prevalence of shit food is condemning people to an unhealthy life with medical issues and challenges that us as humans just shouldn’t be subjecting ourselves to.

How do we break this cycle? Anyone who points it is out is seen as judgemental but it’s gone beyond the point of individual choice surely - it doesn’t work and is ruining people’s lives and perpetuating the cycle.

I was talking about this with my brother the other day.

He is overweight and I am normal weight.

He has type 2 diabetes (which is inherited, as well as being a result of his weight) and the doctor has told him to lose weight. But he can't exercise as the diabetes has caused nerve damage in his feet that means he drags his legs. He eats the same amount as I do, which is quite a small amount as I don't want to put on weight.

So you end up in that weird cycle, where the gaining weight gave him diabetes, which he could help by losing weight, but the diabetes indirectly means that he can't exercise, and if he ate fewer calories he'd be EXTREMELY hungry all day, as he can't burn them off.

In short, it's better to stay slim than rely on losing weight.

It is almost impossible to eat healthily out of the home in the UK

I disagree, if you really want to eat healthily most menus have something on them that is a low calorie alternative. There might not be a huge choice but there is usually at least one option. To be honest this is a bit of a red herring anyway, as someone else up thread has already pointed out the occasional calorie heavy meal out is not the problem, it's the 20 other calorie heavy meals at home that do the damage.

It is almost impossible to eat healthily out of the home in the UK

Every cafe, pub and restaurant loads up their meals with cheap processed carbs - chips, loaded chips, garlic bread, loaded garlic bread, onion rings, bread, pastry, batter, breadcrumbs.

This might be the case where you live but it isn't in my nearest small market town or the multiple UK towns and cities I've worked in. I have had the pick of whole food cafes, independent lovely cafes/restaurants, sushi, Lebanese and Somalian, Iranian and Ethiopian in cities, all packed with great healthy options. Even awful pubs usually have a veggie bean chilli or salad type option.

Every cafe, pub and restaurant loads up their meals with cheap processed carbs - chips, loaded chips, garlic bread, loaded garlic bread, onion rings, bread, pastry, batter, breadcrumbs

This is so far from the reality I see that I just don't know where to start. Maybe stop going to shitty chain pubs and restaurants that sell cheap processed carbs?!

But more to the point, unless you're being forced to eat out, 3x a day, in crap places then it isnt an issue. What you eat at home is what counts. Personally I've never been frogmarched into a TableTable, a Hungry Horse or a Wetherspoons and forced to order fried shite, but there you go.

I haven't been to a pub where they make you clear your plate before you can leave the table...

We live in a society where consuming means living. We face a constant barrage of adverts for food and drinks every day.
The government is currently running a subsidised campaign to encourage us to consume food, as our patriotic duty!
Anyone able to face all that pressure and shrug it off is very fortunate indeed. Most people can't.

[quote Diceroll]@PasstheBucket89 but again, it's about statistics not the experience just of individuals. There is an increased risk to pregnancy women who are obese, that's fact. But it doesn't suggest or mean that everyone who falls into that category will be affected, just that it's more likely.[/quote]
Yes, very similar risks to smoking during pregnancy.

I’m in Ireland and it is the same here, so many overweight people. It’s also shocking to see how many overweight children are out there now too, my kids never stop moving and children have really fast metabolisms, how are they putting on so much weight..

I haven't been to a pub where they make you clear your plate before you can leave the table.

In mumsnet land supermarkets force you to load your trollies with crap, fast food joints pull you in off the street at gunpoint and pub menus require you must have the burger and chips.

@fellrunner85

Every cafe, pub and restaurant loads up their meals with cheap processed carbs - chips, loaded chips, garlic bread, loaded garlic bread, onion rings, bread, pastry, batter, breadcrumbs

This is so far from the reality I see that I just don't know where to start. Maybe stop going to shitty chain pubs and restaurants that sell cheap processed carbs?!

But more to the point, unless you're being forced to eat out, 3x a day, in crap places then it isnt an issue. What you eat at home is what counts. Personally I've never been frogmarched into a TableTable, a Hungry Horse or a Wetherspoons and forced to order fried shite, but there you go.

I'm interested in your view of healthy.

Where would you eat for a healthy meal and what meals would you eat?

@Zaphodsotherhead

I was talking about this with my brother the other day.

He is overweight and I am normal weight.

He has type 2 diabetes (which is inherited, as well as being a result of his weight) and the doctor has told him to lose weight. But he can't exercise as the diabetes has caused nerve damage in his feet that means he drags his legs. He eats the same amount as I do, which is quite a small amount as I don't want to put on weight.

So you end up in that weird cycle, where the gaining weight gave him diabetes, which he could help by losing weight, but the diabetes indirectly means that he can't exercise, and if he ate fewer calories he'd be EXTREMELY hungry all day, as he can't burn them off.

In short, it's better to stay slim than rely on losing weight.

www.diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/david-unwin-low-carb-not-just-diabetes/

I would put your brother in contact with how to reverse T2 diabetes through diet alone. This doctor is doing that in his NHS practice. It really depends on what you eat, not the amount necessarily.

To be fair to the PP about calorific content of meals out - there’s a massive class thing going on there, too. If you look at Wagamama or Pizza Express, you can get a bowl of ramen which is low fat and chock full of veggies, or a pizza with a hole cut in the middle and replaced by salad. If your takeaway/restaurant options are a high street chicken/kebab shop or a loca boozer, it’s more likely to be a £10 deep fried munchy box or lasagne with garlic bread and chips.

I'm so pleased for the people on here who have completely normal attitudes to food. My eating is very disordered, tied to my emotions and it's hard to overcome.

Food is really ingrained, and I "treat" myself with food when I'm happy, sad, tired, bored, worried etc. I have a two hour commute and I often stop at a garage to buy a snack because I'm hungry after a day at work and because I'm bored shitless of driving the same route. And I'm not buying apple slices, I'm buying crisps and/or chocolate, then going home for my evening meal. When I'm tired after the drive, I just want something straightforward and tasty, and chicken salad isn't cutting it.

I know it's wrong, and every day I tell myself I'm not going to do it but then I do. I'm post baby no2; I already hate my body that I know will never look the same again no matter how much weight I lose and it's hard to keep going when the progress at times is so fucking slow.

@fellrunner85

Every cafe, pub and restaurant loads up their meals with cheap processed carbs - chips, loaded chips, garlic bread, loaded garlic bread, onion rings, bread, pastry, batter, breadcrumbs

This is so far from the reality I see that I just don't know where to start. Maybe stop going to shitty chain pubs and restaurants that sell cheap processed carbs?!

But more to the point, unless you're being forced to eat out, 3x a day, in crap places then it isnt an issue. What you eat at home is what counts. Personally I've never been frogmarched into a TableTable, a Hungry Horse or a Wetherspoons and forced to order fried shite, but there you go.

This post does beg the question as to why you think it is totally normal that 'basic priced' food establishments (which clearly you would be too good for) sell such awful food so freely?

I don't think it is acceptable that well over half, probably three-quarters, of food outlets are serving toxic food in the UK. Yes there is choice, but the point is you really really have to search it out.

Thank you @hamstersarse - I will show him this.

He's currently on very low carb as his partner is FODMAPing and he's cutting stuff out alongside. He's been T2 for nearly thirty years and he's tried everything to sort it out!

Blustery what would make you stop giving in to your cravings then?

Do we need to provide more counselling and therapy?

I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely thinking what would help, if you can't apply the willpower to not stop and buy junk food.

Not rt whole ft yet but the combination of fat and sugar which is prevalent in much of the food is addictive to humans. It's very very hard to resist that, when we are craving it. And it's everywhere. Virtually all shops have chocolate bars or sweets by the till, every supermarket is packed with the stuff. And then we blame people for being fat. Some are genetically blessed and stay slim, some work super hard to be slim. But many people just buy what's there and easy and affordable.My solution is to stop having cake and crisps everywhere. These should be restricted to a small part of the supermarket and not in WHSmiths and clothes shops.
I also think schools should offer interesting PE, several times per week to instil good habits early.

I wonder if all of the people smugly talking about all the weight they've lost through their superior willpower realize they only have a 2% chance of keeping it off over the next 4 years.

I think the only thing that will have an impact is if GPs refuse some treatments if we are overweight. This happens for some surgeries but on the whole the uk has a ‘the nhs will fix me’ mentality.

It's not right to restrict nhs treatments though. Fat people pay for tax as much as thin people do and the whole point of NHS was cradle to grave healthcare for all.
It's the thin end of the wedge if we allow that to happen and will lead to the end of the NHS. Will we also start saying that sports injuries are self inflicted so shouldn't be treated or car crashes if you were at fault?
Also quite a few HCP wouldn't be able to access for themselves the service they provide for others.

How about restrict for weight related issues eg heart health?

It would work though wouldn’t it?

The NHS was created in a time when we didn’t have national obesity. It costs a fortune and risks the viability of the NHS. It’s not an original idea - it has been debated for years but no gov would risk voters to do it. But it would work.

I don't think it would work. People don't get fat just because they are greedy. There are all sorts of complicated reasons behind it, in addition to the fact that this highly addictive fat/sugar combination of food is everywhere. It's like telling an alcoholic that their disease is self inflicted and the NHS isn't going to help them until they stop drinking.
It's morally wrong to do it.

I wonder if all of the people smugly talking about all the weight they've lost through their superior willpower realize they only have a 2% chance of keeping it off over the next 4 years. hmm

Why are people saying they lost weight smug? And why are you so joyous in announcing they'll likely regain it? And yes, it does take superior willpower to lose a substantial amount of weight, but anyone is capable with the right support. As you're so salty about it, guessing you might be struggling? Btw lost 8 stone over a decade ago and yet to put it back on. Maybe I'm even more superior if I'm in the 2%.

It's not right to restrict nhs treatments though. Fat people pay for tax as much as thin people do and the whole point of NHS was cradle to grave healthcare for all.

Problem is that the NHS is seen by many as 'free' and quite frankly people take tbe piss out of it as a result. While there are loads of lifestyle choices detrimental to our nations collective health obesity is front and centre as the most urgent in terms current and future predicted drain on resources. Yes fat people pay the same taxes as thin people but it is an unfortunate fact that on average obese people are going to place a much greater demand on the service then normal weight people. I personally do not want to see an end to the free at the point of use health care system but I also feel that is only possible if we start looking after ourselves a bit better. I paraphrase Kennedy but I am very much of the 'do not ask what your NHS can do for you, ask what can you do for your NHS' school of thought. So that means not drinking yourself into unconsciousness on a Friday night and spending a night in A&E, not smoking and not getting fat.