Why are the British so comfortable being overweight?

[lookforthespace]

When it seems there is a lot of chit chat about now 'oh, you've lost weight!' People obviously want to be slim. But they can't do it?

Yet so many people, including myself,
seem to fluctuate and remain overweight

Is there a psychological difference between us and Japan/South Korea? It is it just because those countries will outright tell you 'You are fat'. And it isn't seen as rude or impolite to say so

US has an obesity issue but people in European countries with single-payer health care systems are slimmer than UK

Yes I thought that after a typed it. Would it be fair to say that there are so many people in the US with no insurance at all, that they don't have the same motivation to look after their health in the same way as people whose insurance depends on it?

Don't know, just a thought.

Because it's my party and I'll eat pie if I want to!

I work at a place where a cooked lunch, eaten together with colleagues at a table, is part of the working routine (it’s also part of the pay package). Every day, people sit down and eat two or three courses of homecooked food - meat and two veg, or a casserole and veg, or a pasta dish and veg, etc. Followed by fruit or crumble or yoghurt or cheese. And people are noticeably not overweight as a result.
I think it’s in part because knowing you’re going to eat a full lunch takes away the encouragement to snack during the day - why offer round cakes if everyone’s going to have a free hot meal soon? So eventually you find yourself eating a lot of veg and not much cake.
But that’s a way of eating not available to many people today, because it requires time and support from employers.

@ElftonWednesday

How is a Chinese takeaway processed junk? I have King prawns with ginger and onions, a bit of boiled rice and some stir fried broccoli. It's a bigger portion and more calories than I'd normally eat in a sitting but it isn't junk food.

I eat really healthily, plenty of veg and plenty of protein but still want crisps and snacks because they taste nice.

Obviously it depends what you have, but most Chinese takeaways add sugar and thickening agents etc to their dishes. That’s why it tastes so nice!

We’re not taught to listen to our bodies- so can’t identify being full

That is an interesting topic. You always hear that eat when hungry and stop when full, and that's the secret. But I think the snacking culture means that people have really lost the concept of what 'hungry' and 'full' means.

I have a French husband who eats a lot and is very slim. Like someone wrote above, he has grown up eating 3 meals and an afternoon snack. That's it. So he has always expected to be hungry before mealtimes - but in France this just means you need to wait and be hungry, not that you go get an extra snack. I think part of the problem definitely is that people don't expect to be even a little bit hungry any more, but have a constant supply of food at all times.

@ElftonWednesday you never heard of MSG?

Plus i know this isn't what you have but I just read this and feel rather sick

A chinese takeaway meal can contain the equivalent of a wine glass full of lard, a study has found.

Gorging on a dinner including prawn crackers, crispy duck, chicken balls and spring rolls racks up 132.5 grams of fat and 2,823 calories.

@Sparklfairy What is your angle with MSG?

Msg is naturally occuring is a lot of foods. It's umami.

Just that its addictive and makes your brain want more, so we eat more chinese or snack other stuff later. I'm amazed ashamed at the amount of Chinese I can put away

[quote gingerperil]@Mifacagare I found your post really interesting. What would be a typical days diet for you in Italy and could you give some examples of the meals you prepare from scratch each day? I only week half the time you work each day and really struggle to cook from scratch each day! Am impressed [/quote]
@gingerperil

Well, yesterday was a bank holiday here so I made a batch of Ragu sauce ( mince, carrots, celery onion and tomatoes) and a batch of Tomato sauce ( tinned tomatoes, onion, garlic). They are now in the freezer in portions for when we need them with pasta for lunch.

We have our carb heavy food at lunch time, such as pasta or risotto, so in the canteen at work or heated up in the office microwave, if we're not WFH.
A normal evening dinner in our house would be a few olives to start and other antipasto food such as slices of ham and salami, a bit of cheese and some breadsticks. Then we'll have a piece of grilled meat or fish, with some courgettes or steamed green beans, spinach or Cavolo Nero, on the side. This is usually followed by a simple green salad or raw veg such as carrot or celery dipped in a mix of oil and vinegar and then fruit. If I have time, I'll bake a whole fish (usually sea bream or sea bass which is the normal everyday fish here) on a bed of a few sliced potatoes. I do cook curries, chilli and English roasts too, but usually at weekends at they take more time,

Last night we had grilled tuna steaks, dressed with an uncooked sauce made from olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, I boiled a couple of spuds, left them to go cool and had the dressing over them too. We also had a plate of chopped up tomatoes dressed with oil and oregano and had a few on some bread which we'd toasted and rubbed with a clove of garlic too, and then clementines and walnuts for dessert.

Today we had pasta & ragu for lunch, we had a slice of homemade apple cake at 5pm, so I think tonight we'll have vegetable soup ( made from a bag of frozen veg) some slices of smoked salmon olives & cheese.

I should add that a lot Italians eat a snack at around 5pm, usually a small piece of focaccia or a some crackers, then dinner is at 8.

@Sparklfairy

www.inverse.com/science/the-racist-history-of-msg/amp

You mind find this interesting, it's not what you've been led to think it is.

@CanIPleaseHaveOne You're absolutely right - I'd say for the older generation it was skinny above all else, for the millennials and Gen x-ers though there's a big emphasis on being fit and muscular as well as slim. You see lots of women in the gym lifting to build lean muscle 💪.

Huge generalization, of course, but I see the general trend.

@daisyjgrey I'm not sure what you think you're proving? That's what I said. It activates pleasure sensors in the brain and makes you want to eat more.

Also, I'm amazed by just how much ready made food there is in the UK, I mean there are aisles of it, it does look extremely tempting though and I can understand why it's popular! Here in Italy my local supermarket only sells raw ingredients, so I have no choice but to cook from scratch every day. I think in the freezer section there are maybe 2 dishes that could be microwaved, but they look yuck and like they've been there years!

@Sparklfairy I am Chinese and amazed at how much british people order in a chinese restaurant. You are supposed to share the stuff with family/friends! So while roast duck might be a lot of calories, each person gets a few pieces. An exception is during wedding dinners where you get 11-14 courses, but then there are usually 10 people at the same table, so you don't get much either. Chinese families were traditional multi-generational with aunts and uncles. Nowadays, even with small families, there are at least 5-6 people. So if you are a couple or child, it is more appropriate to order 2 dishes- a veg and a meat dish and mainly eat rice. Even then, that is a hearty meal, so for small families (less than 4 people), what is better is to order noodles and maybe a side dish. The traditional chinese meal doesn't really work... Some restaurants also offer 'student specials' so that is good too.

@Sparklfairy

No more so than regular table salt, making the "have you ever heard of msg" is a moot point, unless you're planning on including all food with flavour enhancers in (which is all that salt is).

Yes but people are eating out - I don't want to count my calories when I do that unless I was eating out for regular meals. Same as when I have a takeaway, I'll eat less the rest of the day on a Friday so I can enjoy my 1000 calorie+ meal later.

You're half right. Any junk food, even those bought in supermarkets (not just Chinese food) is carefully constructed to hit that "sweet spot" in your brain that makes you want more. After msg got such bad press (unfairly) a few years ago manufactuers stopped using it and went back to salt as supermarket shoppers would check the label and not buy. But msg does have a stronger effect than salt. Its also lower in sodium so actually marginally better for you than salt

If you look, I was replying to a pp that said "how is a Chinese takeaway unhealthy" and I put a grin after msg, so its pretty clear I wasnt bashing or lecturing about it.

@onlychildhamster do you think the "all you can eat" restaurants ruined it? I've been to AYCE places and the food is nothing like proper amazing Chinese cuisine. Everything is deep fried and in huge quantities. If I suggested a takeaway with friends, they'd all choose Chinese because "the portions are so huge and its cheap". Its just got that rep here now which is a bit of a shame.

Obviously the diet is a lot healthier in many other countries so it's easier to stay slim but I think a lot of it is to do with the cultural norm. Here in the UK the average size of a woman is size 16. If your friends and family are all a little plump it takes the pressure off you to be slim. It's just seen as normal - this is how women (and men) are. Also we are very careful and sensitive when it comes to mentioning weight in this country. It's seen as very rude to tell someone they're getting fat or mention their weight in a negative way. I know in other countries it's not taboo. They just come out and say it. My MIL is Indian and has 3 daughters. She's always commenting when they put on weight, nagging them to slim down. I would hate this personally but it does show how it's just not acceptable to be fat in other countries - whereas here it is.

@SallyWD

Obviously the diet is a lot healthier in many other countries so it's easier to stay slim but I think a lot of it is to do with the cultural norm. Here in the UK the average size of a woman is size 16. If your friends and family are all a little plump it takes the pressure off you to be slim. It's just seen as normal - this is how women (and men) are. Also we are very careful and sensitive when it comes to mentioning weight in this country. It's seen as very rude to tell someone they're getting fat or mention their weight in a negative way. I know in other countries it's not taboo. They just come out and say it. My MIL is Indian and has 3 daughters. She's always commenting when they put on weight, nagging them to slim down. I would hate this personally but it does show how it's just not acceptable to be fat in other countries - whereas here it is.

I have noticed in some other cultures, or countries I’ve lived in for a bit or had ties with, it is more acceptable to say you are gaining weight etc

@De88

For me personally my vanity does not outweigh my greed

This.

@A596881B

Honestly, so many sweeping statements on this thread it’s laughable

Hmmmmm, your post is really making me think, Thanks for that A5.

@Sparklfairy honestly I only knew about them when i moved to London. Buffet is not associated with chinese food in singapore, it tends to be in 5 star hotels that serve international cuisine- presumably to serve their clientale from many different countries but the locals also do like it as a special treat.

I think buffet and chinese food really don't go together, Chinese food needs to be served HOT and the buffet food would cool down inevitably. The thing is Chinese people do like a bargain too and there are people who would always go for the largest quantity of food for the cheapest price too. But I think chinese people are less shy about asking for doggy bags to take the leftovers home or sharing with other people. British people all want their own dish and they don't want to share. That means you eat more and you also spend more.

@Sparklfairy and the thing is many british people rarely eat out or at least treat eating out as a special occasion. They want generous portions or they wouldn't come back. So Chinese restaurants are better off giving large portions; Chinese people certainly wouldn't complain even if they eat less; they would just share or ask for a box to take the leftovers.