to wonder what that is, that some unfortunate fat people get, hanging way down towards mid thigh??

[bejeezus]

Is it just fat???

Or is it some kind of disorder/illness that causes the body to hang right right down at the front?

And why do some people get it?

BIWI that's so interesting.

And the link between diet drinks and fat around the middle.

That is interesting BIW

It's quite scary that our food is being messed about with to such extremes. And them ends up largely synthetic with less nutritional value?

"since we all started to move towards 'healthier' eating, lower fat eating and buying specifically created low fat products, that obesity levels have soared...
Low fat eating clearly doesn't work, yet it's still pushed by health professionals."

Have you heard about "Correlation is not causation"? We are told to eat less fat but there is much more ready made food available and there is very high amount of fat in most of them. Yes, people are told to eat less fat, but in general, they are eating far more of it than any other population in the history of humanity.

Also worth noting: Eating less fat is not eating low fat products. It is putting less oil or butter in the food that you cook.

There are 120 kCal in one tablespoon of olive oil, so if you are sloshing it on your salad, don't be surprised that if you don't lose weight, for example.

Oh, but I put loads of fat on my food - oil on my salads and butter on my veg. And have lost 21lbs so far, because I've cut my carbohydrates right down.

Nobody is saying carbohydrates are not calorific, too. They are. You should eat them in small amounts, not cut them out completely because they have nutrients your body needs and they keep you feeling full.

As a general rule of thumb, half of your plate should be salad or vegetables, a quarter should be protein (1 egg, a chicken breast, or fish) and one quarter should be carbohydrate (some potatoes, 3-4 spoons of rice or pasta, or one slice of bread).

I've always had a tummy overhang thing, even when I was a young teenager and swimming training every day. I've always been fit, have always taken part some kind of competitive sport yet it has always been there. I am convinced it is down to the crap diet fed to me by my parents. My mother and grandmother both have it too. I'm not too bothered by it, my grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday this year and looks wonderful.

I now seek to minimise processed foods in my diet as far as it humanly possible. I've never drunk a fizzy drink so can't blame that!

Really? Not according to all the science I've been reading, Cote.

What exactly is this "science" you are reading that says a healthy balanced diet is a bad thing?

Have you ever spoken to a good dietician? You can find credible-looking websites that support anything and everything, but Google is no substitute for a professional who actually knows her stuff.

My DDs friends Mum has one of these OP and it s terribly uncomfortable for her...she's going away to some special centre to try tolose weight...she's got mobility issues...she's often in pain.

I've read various books about this and have come to the conclusion that I will sit on the fence that the middle is correct.

Refined carbs, white pasta/bread/sugar are unequivocally bad - cause sugar swings, mess with insulin, make you fat.

Unrefined carbs, brown rice, brown pasta, ok, fill you up

Veg carbs, all good, scarf down what you can

Protein, all good scarf down what you can

Fat, some fats good, generally speaking veg fats good (olive oil, avocados) good, animal fats (butter, cream, cheese) not good.

So I sort of agree with the diet pyramid with carbs in the form of veg only on the botton, then protein, then vegetable fat.

I think carbs covers a multitude.
Cutting out wholewheat bread would be one thing. Cutting out iced buns, quite another.

I think cutting out all crap carbs has no nutritional downside tbh.

I suspect BIWI and Cote are talking somewhat at cross purposes.

I eat very little carb and I don't have it with every meal. But what I do eat is the really good stuff.

Agree, there's all manner of nonsense on the web!

The best book on the subject is Gary Taubes' book The Diet Delusion. A review of scientific evidence available since the 19th century. It's a thorough piece of work - over 400 pages with some 40 pages of notes and a bibliography that's almost 70 pages long.

Also work by Dr John Briffa, Zoe Harcombe and Dr Charles Clarke.

Yy Pag - carbs in the form of veg and salad = all good!

Ignore me
ItsAllGoingToBeFine said it much better.

I agree with everything ItsAllGoingToBeFine said. If only I could put it into practise.
Remember the Friends episode with Rachels sister saying how the carbs found her? That is how I feel. I know I feel better when I eat healthier,no processed food, no caffeine, no white carbs etc but the 10 days it takes my body to adjust are hell on earth.

I honestly think it is very simple.

Our bodies need fuel to operate.

Our bodies need exercise to maintain fitness.

Overeat, you will get fat, do no exercise, you will be unfit. A combination of both and you will become fat and out of condition.

Carbs give our body energy, so you eat them in the morning, and you burn off the calories throughout the day. Eat them later in the evening and you dont.

Far too many people (myself included in the past) are in utter denial about what they eat, when they eat it, and how many calories they burn off.

Understanding what your body needs (and doesnt) is the best way to start, and then go from there.

BIWI, I've asked you this before, but do you truly believe (as G Taubes does) that the obesity epidemic can be accredited to people eating low fat diets?

Really?

BIWI, I hasten to add that I'm a huge fan of your work, and I'm jealous re your weight loss, I just really don't agree with you or Taubes on the low fat thing.

And his book is illustrated with degrading 'medical freak' photos from the 1950s.

Most of the overweight and obese people I know certainly do not eat low fat diets, and all the people I know who do eat low fat diets are a healthy weight.

The diet industry is big business, and the people involved in it are out to make money.

Weightwatchers, Slimming World.. they dont want you to stay slim, they want your money, and they want you back again.

The only long term solution is to eat healthily consistently, not "go on a diet" then when you have lost the weight, go back to how you ate before.

Fast food frequently seems to be implicated in obesity. It would cost about £40 to feed our family of 5 adults and almost adults on any kind of fast food meal.

We are relatively well off, but consider this outside our financial reach, except on a very occasional basis. How on earth to so many people manage to afford to eat fast food to excess?

Thanks for that BIWI. That is interesting. Without seeming rude or anything, I must admit I have noticed the people in my life who eat all diet foods are the ones who are fatter than average.

I eat a lot of bread - brown, white, medium brown. I love it. Maybe this is something else I could cut down on. I hardly eat potatoes or other starchy food.

I am going to buy that book too, and tell my brother about it. He's very interested in all this stuff

Some interesting comments on food.

I am no expert (and have no direct evidence to back this up) but there also seems so much psychology attached to food these days - supermarket layouts and product placement, advertising and the naming of products to promote a certain vibe/ethos.

Sometimes it seems the innocent consumer doesn't stand a chance.

well reading this has kick started my not eating again. :(

rubycon , I am sorry this has made you feel you like that but it has had the opposite effect on me. It has made me look at my shit unhealthy diet and reminded me of how better I used to feel.