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.

[Ltdannygreen]

I’m over weight due to medication, luckily I do enough exercise a day to keep me in the 17 stone range. I have thyroid problems and unfortunley one of the side effects Of the medication is weight gain. DS 12 is the same, he has asd and takes medication for bed wetting which also causes weight gain, he hardly eats compared to most kids his age. Not everyone is overweight due to overeating, they can take all the adverts away and it still won’t make a difference most people impulse buy so maybe increasing the price of junk food and reducing the price of healthy food might be the answer.

[Waxonwaxoff0]

I'm overweight, not by much but I am. It's entirely my own fault, I overeat.

I don't necessarily buy the whole "poverty leads to obesity" stuff either. I've been in poverty and I was the slimmest I've ever been then - because I literally had no money for extras like snacks. The reason I am overweight now is because I'm in a much better financial position so I can afford to buy whatever food I fancy, go out for a meal or get a takeaway if I want, buy alcohol and nice snacks.

[Chicchicchicchiclana]

The question is why are we fatter than any other country in Europe? What is different about us?

I suspect it is a lot to do with takeaway food, cheap food, prevalence of convenience food in supermarkets. But what else?

We probably smoke less than other European countries so that will also be a factor. Do we exercise less?

I live in a funny little middle class enclave in SE London surrounded by poorer, predominantly working class areas. I can literally see the difference in the shape of the majority of people depending on which supermarket I am shopping in.

I'm kind of interested. It probably is a contributing factor in our horribly high covid deaths rate?

[Heygirlheyboy]

giggly I'm reading Allen Carr, quitting emotional eating at the moment, it's good and it's explaining why the draw to unhealthy food is out of your control.. But he promises to end the cycle. Might be worth a look.

[WaltzingBetty]

You've literally just posted telling me I'm going to die because I'm fat. What kind of person are you? Just reflect on that for a moment

Do you think you are a nice and good person?

To be fair you posted saying that being fat wasn't life-ruining - it's reasonable to respond pointing out that if you develop one of the many diseases (cancer, heart disease, diabetes) where obesity is a risk factor, then yes it is. And yes being fat does increase the risks of disease and death.

I say that as a fat person. I don't believe denying facts helps anyone.

[TroysMammy]

I've noticed that when supermarkets have offers it's usually money off pizza, crisps, sugary cereal, ice cream and Pot Noodle. Apart from Pot Noodle I eat the other items occasionally but it must be tempting if on a budget to buy more for less to feed yourself for a week.

I was in Comprehensive from 1979 and we had Home Economics which included budgeting, meal planning, healthy eating and cooking from scratch (even though our first lesson was making packet blancmange). Do schools have these type of lessons on the curriculum anymore?

[LittleHootie]

I notice how overweight so many kids are. Surely not all of them have medical issues that cause it.

I think parents often struggle with portion control, nutrition and exercise therefore their kids have the same problems. It's like passive smoking, just as dangerous and shouldn't be excused.

If my child was overweight I'd be looking at my shopping habits and planning more outdoor activities.

[BogRollBOGOF]

In my county, 2/3s of adults are overweight or obese. It's the majority. It's normal. Healthy weight is the minority. So when weight creeps up beyond healthy, through overweight and onwards, for a very long time, you'll still be slimmer than average.

Yes individuals have underlying health/ medication issues and the health service is not the best at dealing with that. That rarely applies to the majority of children who are increasingly becoming overweight or obese.

We still haven't shaken off the attitudes towards food from when it was restricted, particularly for 15 years or so through rationing. We see more food as good value over quality. Plates are bigger and we fill them up. Cafes and dessert parlours replaced High St shops. Shops like Next put them in too. It's survival instinct to eat while the opportunity is there, but we haven't had the lean times that most humans had.

I think the reduction of smoking has a lot to do with it and there needs to be more recignition of the emotional side of eating and more support to overcome it.

Ultimately it does for the majority, come down to making better choices, eating less, and moving more. It's simplistic and that's not the same as it being easy, and keeping it up as a permanent lifestyle in the face of an obesenegenic society. But ultimately that society exists because enough people buy into it.

[Fortheloveofgodwhy]

I would like to see a national campaign about fitness. About being able to walk up 10 or 20 flights of stairs. Or walk 4 miles in 65-70minutes. Whilst calorie intake is a major factor in weight gain, I do think the idea that only ‘thin’ people are healthy is wrong and outdated. I know plenty of overweight people who are fitter and healthier than I am. And lots of thinner people with less stamina or strength. Crap food is cheap and easy. Too easy to easily swop out for healthier alternatives that are as easy to prepare. But, if you live on turkey twizlers and are 10kg overweight but you can walk to the top of a hill or tor, without dying then your probably ok.

Caveat I am not a dr.

[ShesMadeATwatOfMePam]

Oh my god, this again!?

[DimidDavilby]

Health and fitness are difficult to achieve and expensive.

Campaign for free gyms with a creche. Cheaper fruit and vegetables. Cookery classes. Accessible healthy convenience food. Better/any mental health provision.

There are many things which could be done to help if Johnson was actually serious rather than just window dressing.

[Fuzzywuzzyface]

I absolutely hate seeing grossly overweight children. The vast majority of these youngsters are obese because their parents are feeding them crap. Medical issues are few and far between I would have thought and generslising fat kids come from fat families.
The health professionals need to be honest and flag up.the issues when it becomes obvious the obesity level is rising.
DS13 has always been at the top end of the percentile chart but is also at the top end of the height chart so is in proportion but during lockdown is not as lean as he was 6 months ago. I am at the top end of being very obese and am fat, not curvy or rounded but extremely fat but I do not want my son to be overweight so I provide a healthy balanced diet for him and restrict the rubbish but dont ban it. I am a parent and it is my job to ensure the tight food choices are made for him.

[CorianderLord]

Yes we should chase fat people with whips so they run it off and have guards on the sweetie aisle.🙄

Yes, people are overweight. They know it. There is some help out there from the GP, the media is always telling them to lose weight. They know.

I do think that food tech should become compulsory to GCSE. Much of the problem is that lots of Brits (so many pals are inept in the kitchen) don't know how to cook. So convenience food, premade sauces and packet meals are staples. People don't even know how to make a white sauce or a salad dressing.

So grassroots change and education. Also therapy needs to be cheaper or more available.

At the end of the day though we can't be rationing crisps or banning chocolate because people have free will and should be allowed to choose.

[Bellebelle]

There’s not enough education in schools about nutrition, budgeting, cooking etc.

There is a significant link between poverty and obesity which is more complex than healthy food costing more than unhealthy food (although that is one factor). It’s lack of time to prepare meals from scratch due to working multiple jobs/long hours. It’s living in areas where it’s hard to access healthy food at an affordable price, often referred to as “food deserts” - no supermarkets or decent public transport to get to them, high streets populated with fast food shops rather than fruit and veg shops. It’s dealing with mental health issues caused by the pressure of living in poverty which lead people to overeat or not have the mental capacity to put in the effort to eat well.

The increase in companies selling food that is complete and utter rubbish, void of any nutrition and packed full of sugar. Designed to be appealing and delicious so that people find it hard to resist or don’t even realise/care that it’s doing them no good. How on earth do you put the genie back in that bottle though?

The diet industry - diets only work for the companies selling them. They work for a bit, are unsustainable, people put the weight back on (often with a bit more) and then they try another diet and the cycle goes on and on.

I say this as someone who is a healthy weight and has children that are too, we all eat a good diet, almost all meals are made from scratch, all vegetarian and we get through a huge amount of vegetables every week. However it takes a significant effort and it’s not cheap. Fortunately I love to cook, I find it relaxing, but I’d say I spend about 10 hours a week preparing and cooking meals including batch cooking and freezing meals for days when there isn’t time to cook. We also have to shop quite regularly to buy fresh ingredients as a lot doesn’t last long. It also takes a lot of discipline to not eat crisps, chocolate etc every day of the week - a lot of it is bloody delicious! When I’m tired/bored/stressed I absolutely crave all these ‘bad’ foods but I’m lucky that’s not often. I can absolutely see why it’s so easy to become overweight or obese and a lot needs to be fixed to reverse the trend.

[mantlepiece]

I was talking with my DH about this a couple of weeks ago.We looked at the issue from looking at life changes over the 40 years of our marriage.

1. In 1980s I didn’t drive and very few supermarkets. Every bit of food I brought into the home had to be bought from mainly small traders and carried in. Therefore I think I only bought what I needed for meals. Not surplus things for grazing. Also limited opportunity for impulse buys or ‘treats’.
   

1. Internet. I think we have become more sedentary due to this. I think we visit people less as we keep in contact online. We buy things on line so visit shopping centres less. Young people develop almost an addiction to gaming etc. It’s becoming common that young people don’t leave their rooms unless compelled.
   

1. Perception of crime and increase in road traffic. I see less an less people out and about and certainly less children playing games or riding bikes. Children only get exercise if it is a paid for class.
   

1. Ready meals and takeaways. These things were a very small part of daily life back in the 1980s. I would say at least 95% of food consumed was prepared from fresh in the home kitchen.
   

Discipline of children. I think back in the 1980s it was not a thing that you cooked meals to children’s specifications. The meal was made and everyone ate it. Yes, a child might turn his nose up at sprouts for example but not whole food groups etc. It wasn’t a consideration that you would make nuggets and chips for children when a roast beef dinner was being prepared. Allowing children to eat in front of the TV is now common. I think it has lead to a diet of finger food, chips, pizza, battered products.

School sports. Schools seemed to run many after school sports clubs. Rugby, football, rowing, athletics, tennis to name just some of those offered at my children’s schools. I don’t know if schools don’t run them now because there is no interest or for another reason.

Just some of our thoughts! As you can see we find it very bemusing as to why this has happened but I think the conclusion is that there are many reasons that have affected peoples eating habits and exercise routines.

[Aquamarine1029]

I am at the top end of being very obese and am fat, not curvy or rounded but extremely fat but I do not want my son to be overweight so I provide a healthy balanced diet for him and restrict the rubbish but dont ban it. I am a parent and it is my job to ensure the tight food choices are made for him.

Children learn by example. If their parent is very obese it is very hard for them to comprehend what is healthy. Mixed messages are very confusing.

[WorraLiberty]

There’s not enough education in schools about nutrition, budgeting, cooking etc.

No, but thankfully the internet is awash with such information and video tutorials.

It's all there for people who want to access it in order to feed themselves and their families, keep fit and learn a million and one different dishes to cook and how to budget.

But again, it's about personal responsibility. No-one can force people to read and put it into practise.

[C33P0]

It's not all down to personal responsibility. People are addicted to fatty, sugary, salty food. If it's constantly advertised around them, and cheap and available, then they will keep receiving the cues to eat it. People like to think that we can exercise self control all the time, but often our primal circuitry overrides it: cue - response - reward.

When people consider why they are overweight while others are slim, it is often put down to metabolism. But I imagine, more often than not, some of us have stronger dopamine responses to junk food than others.

[AldiAisleofCrap]

This is why many people especially children are overweight.

[WorraLiberty]

Children learn by example. If their parent is very obese it is very hard for them to comprehend what is healthy. Mixed messages are very confusing.

Yes, both of my parents smoked and all 5 of us (kids) ended up smoking too.

We all kicked the habit eventually but having 2 parents warning us of the dangers of smoking, whilst smoking at least 20 a day each themselves, just didn't wash with us.

And none of us listened to our teachers about the dangers of smoking, as when we were sent to the staff room with a message, you could cut the smoke with a knife when they opened the door (I'm 51 btw).

Ditto when the Headmaster used to walk from class to class smoking a pipe.

[FindingNeverland1]

Yep. It's very noticeable.

It's normalised beyond belief. Half the kids in my DC class are borderline overweight. Can't all be 'puppy fat'.

[Bellebelle]

No, but thankfully the internet is awash with such information and video tutorials.

It's all there for people who want to access it in order to feed themselves and their families, keep fit and learn a million and one different dishes to cook and how to budget.

Yes, but at what point in someone’s life do they get the inclination to educate themselves on nutrition if it’s not been introduced or normalised at an early age? It’s very difficult to break bad habits or change your attitude to food if good examples haven’t been present in your earlier life. Also, as I mentioned in my first post if you’re living in poverty finding the time or self motivation (or even sufficient internet access) to teach yourself these things is hard. It is also genuinely more expensive to buy healthy food. I listened to Jack Monroe on the radio recently saying that previously dirt cheap healthy items such as tinned pulses have increased to around 4 times what they cost 8 years ago.

I’m not saying that it’s not possible, many people do turn their diets and lifestyles around through sheer will and there are some excellent resources available to those that do but it’s overly simplistic to say that everyone can do it if they want to.

[WorraLiberty]

Yes, but at what point in someone’s life do they get the inclination to educate themselves on nutrition if it’s not been introduced or normalised at an early age?

Definitely at the point they choose to have children and become responsible for another life.

Statistically speaking, a child born to 2 overweight parents is 12 times more likely to become overweight themselves.

And besides that (as I pointed out in my earlier post regarding smoking), "Do as I say and not as I do" really doesn't wash with children unfortunately.

[minnieok]

If I could get a decent full time job I would have less time to snack! No chance at the moment unfortunately, 50 jobs and counting

[crimsonlake]

Being large seems to be the new normal and people have lost sight of what constitutes slim. Where I work all but 2 people are on the large side, it is clear why when you see the amount of food they consume during the day.