To have come back from Lanzarote feeling geuinely shocked at how fat the British tourists were?

[Illgetmycoat]

I'm not talking slightly plump, I mean seriously, morbidly obese. A whole different race to the German, French and Spanish tourists.

What is going on? When did our country become like this? Whenever you heard a british accent, it would be accompanied by a 3ft wide backside. And whole families, too, all swollen to gargantuan size, with the poor kids unable to put their feet together because of the rolls of fat on their legs.

How has this happened? What the heck are the Brits feeding their children to get them so large? How can you feed an eight year old you love so much food that they become morbidly obese?

It can't just be blamed on poverty, because it's not cheap going to Lanzarote.

I was shocked.

Why is it being "sizeist" if you comment on people's unhealthy weight?? I am no Miss Universe, and I know I could lose some pounds and look/feel better for it. So could lots of other people, its just the facts.

becstar we had observed that there were hardly any fat/obese people in central London when we went on holiday last year. We live in a rural county and everyone goes everywhere in their cars. Consequently there are a lot of unfit and overweight people around here. In London, we used the tube to get around, but still walked miles. Everyone walks at a brisk pace in London as opposed to the dawdle/waddle they do here. Around here they will move heaven and earth to park within 2 feet of their destination - a far cry from those who own cars in cities who may be parked streets away from their houses or destination. It is a lifestyle problem

lol at convention

We are getting fatter. I notice it particularly when outside London, e.g. in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and especially among the young. When I think back to my schooldays (v large secondary school, other schools in our town) I can think of maybe one or two chubby children and no one really overweight. That isn't what I see when I walk past groups of schoolchildren now. We have normalised this increase in size, most of all in the 'overweight but not obese' category. Trouble is, if you are like that at say 17 you are in real danger of being very much more overweight by the time you are in your 30s and for women, after having children.

I do think 'healthy' food is far more expensive than junk, especially when you factor in the energy costs of cooking. I also think increased alcohol consumption has been a factor in Britons getting fatter, not just because of the calories in the alcohol itself but also because people often eat a lot with or after alcohol-bar snacks, kebab on the way home etc.

There are so many situations in Britain in which utter rubbish is the only food available to you, especially on the go-motorway service stations, railway station kiosks, football grounds, etc. You will still get tea and coffee (the latter with loads of milk, cream and sugar syrup, if you want) but otherwise it is sweets and crisps all the way. We didn't used to eat like that, I think.

I agree that, on the whole, people have lost track of what a healthy weight should look like. I am very overweight/obese. However, I do not eat a lot and what I do eat is not processed (wholemeal oat toast for breakfast and lunch, which I sometimes do not have, followed by steamed fresh veggies and dry-fried fresh meat). No added salt, seasoning, oil, breading, nothing. I HATE chips, crisps and soda and we keep no chocolate/sweets/sugary snacks in the house. Our diet is bland and boring. However most people will probably assume I eat rubbish. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16 and have always struggled to lose weight. However, not all of us with weight problems can simply cut down on what they eat. I can think of no ways to cut my calorie intake!

My brother moved to London a year ago and has put on a lot of weight but I put this down to being out socialising with work most nights and the food/alcohol that entails.

I definitely think there is a skewed sense of "normal" here though. I think the national average is about a size 14 isn't it but unless you are very tall, you generally need to lose weight as a size 14. I'm 5"5 and would be very big at a size 14. I'm not intending to offend anyone, I know this is very sensitive.

I think it's getting to be time to call as it as it is re. obesity and over-eating.

Young man of about 17 I sat next to on a plane just before Christmas--your obesity made it very hard for me to drink my own cup of coffee and read my paper. You were well into my seat space because you were so large.

For lunch, you ate: a large cheese wrap. A pack of extra large mayonnaise-y sandwiches of some kind. A large packet of crisps. And drank a large bottle of coke. You probably ate the entire calorie intake for someone your age in one hour-long flight.

That is why you are so large.

And your being so fat actually did negatively impact on my journey. It was uncomfortable for me to sit squashed up into what was left of my seat. You were very nice and polite and I wouldn't have dreamed of saying anything to you, but really I felt very sad that a boy of your age was so large.

It is fact. I am overweight and bashing myself. Denial is the biggest issue to losing weight. I know, because I spent years giving myself excuses.

I had PCOS, but in a lot of people it occurs because you are overweight. I lost 10% of my bodyweight and it definitely improved. I've had an IUD fitted now. End of excuses.

I had abdominal separation during pregnancy, as my DS was 10 lbs. I used to use it as an excuse not to exercise. My women's doctor here told me frankly it was just that, an excuse. She said even the least healthy of us can get out and walk slowly for 20 minutes a day with Nordic sticks. So I did. End of excuses.

I used to eat healthily, no junk food, or alcohol i thought. But keeping a diary showed me that we were using far too much olive oil, eating huge portions of food, and snacking on olives, cheese, dips, homous and pittas, lattes etc. All very "middle class" acceptable food. Not typical junk food. All laden with calories. So now I update the Fitness Pal Ap everyday to honestly measure my intake. End of excuses.

My health insurance company don't want to hear the how's and whys of why I am over my BMI frankly. They just know there is a risk there because I am over it.

I know as a society things are going wrong, and we must be supportive. But in the end it only comes down to an individual thinking about their actions that will change that. And it is bloody hard, but no one can do it for you.

I was in the south west of France last year, there were Brits there but also (possibly predominately) Spanish, French, Dutch and German people. I saw a LOT of fat children. We were surprised-not so much the parents but the vast majority of children had rolls of fat. We reckoned it must be down to lack of activity and too much screen time.

I agree with OP.
The British are bigger generally than any other nationality Where I have been on holiday.

A list of fattest countries, as you see, UK are 28th out of 50 listed:

Nr 1: Nauru; 94.5%
Nr 2: Federated States of Micronesia; 91.1%
Nr 3: Cook Islands; 90.9%
Nr 4: Tonga; 90.8%
Nr 5: Niue; 81.7%
Nr 6: Samoa; 80.4%
Nr 7: Palau; 78.4%
Nr 8: Kuwait; 74.2%
Nr 9: United States; 74.1%
Nr 10: Kiribati; 73.6%
Nr 11: Dominica; 71.0%
Nr 12: Barbados; 69.7%
Nr 13: Argentina; 69.4%
Nr 14: Egypt; 69.4%
Nr 15: Malta; 68.7%
Nr 16: Greece; 68.5%
Nr 17: New Zealand; 68.4%
Nr 18: United Arab Erimates; 68.3%
Nr 19: Mexico; 68.1%
Nr 20: Trinidad And Tobago; 67.9%
Nr 21: Australia; 67.4%
Nr 22: Belarus; 66.8%
Nr 23: Chile; 65.3%
Nr 24: Venezuela; 65.2%
Nr 25: Seychelles; 64.6%
Nr 26: Bahain; 64.1%
Nr 27: Andorra; 63.8%
Nr 28: United Kingdom; 63.8%

The sad fact is here, it is much cheaper to go to a takeaway for your tea than it is to go to Tesco or Asda, buy your ingredients and cook it instead. £4.20 for 500g of mince is shocking.

But that is a good four portions, isn't it? Just over a pound a portion. Possibly less if you used vegetables, tomatoes, etc, and bulked it out in a pasta sauce for five or six. More 80p a serving, plus pasta/rice.

Thats average clothes size though.

Did anyone see "Weightloss ward " last night on ITV ...a ward in Sunderland where obese people go before gastric band/balloon ops.
One guy was 29 and weighed 47 stones.
He was sent there for 4 weeks to lose weight before a blloon was fitted...he managed to put ON weight, as the trolley lady came round every morning with crisps/sweets and he was buying loads.
Why on earth would the hospital allow that to happen?

The man had been in care, lots of back history..but I lost any empathy for him when the surgeon told him how much his bed was costing a day..£250. His attitude was "so what, that's what the NHS was for". He just didn't see that he had to take responsibility.
Sadly his daughter was overweight..they lived on kebabs, pizza and takeaways.

Binful - mine is more than just separated tummy muscles - my dr helped push my intestine in though my abdominal wall today - I take it you are inferring that I am using excuses - I do exercise but it is limited due to the hernia.

Sorry, possibly playing Devil's advocate here, but maddening, perhaps some fat people get treated with no respect because they themselves have no respect? How can you respect yourself if you think you're only good enough to eat crap?

Further, in this vein, mumsy, I completely agree with the tempting £1 chocolate bars. I truly believe beating a sugar addiction is far, far harder than quitting smoking or drinking. After all, smoking and not smoking are so blatantly different, but sugar is everywhere and impossible to cut out really (it's in fruit, obviously) so the cold turkey approach is already off the method list. I've managed 2 weeks with utterly no sugar and when I did have a muffin, Jesus H Christ. I thought I was on speed! First three days were hard, bu as I think another poster said, once you've gotten over the initial withdrawal symptoms, the addiction and temptation fades.

I still believe that those cheap snacks will still be more expensive. The sugar plunge they cause triggers hunger, so you're kind of 'buying cheap, buying twice'. On one hand I blame the manufacturers.

BJunction - huge love for you right now! You're right with your 'fat people are fat'. It's ok to realise and admit that some people in society are fat. 'Fat' in and of itself is not a dirty word. It's the lack of responsibility people take for it that's the huge and perpetual problem. The moment they realise that 'curvy' isn't an excuse or euphemism to get away with having rolls of fat, the better for them. Their quality of life will massively improve.

Further, what with sugar being addictive and Nature vs Nurture, I reckon (I don't have kids though, so please correct me) that a child would eat healthier foods (maybe not lentils - that's an odd texture to a lot of people) and not be begging for chicken nuggets etc because they simply wouldn't be addicted/know the flavour if they had never been exposed to it before.

Im overweight, and im now trying to be healthy so my DD doesnt go the same way, so far shes tall and a skinny minnie.

I work in a school reception class and only one of the children could be described as a bit chubby.

In Cyprus I saw some obese people, some British, some German and many many Greeks...

Think you may be exaggerating.

MrsRobertDuvall - completely agree. It's the lack of responsibility that I think pisses a lot of people off when it comes to overweight/obese people. I've had friends/colleagues etc remark 'ugh, look at that fat person' or 'look at that fatty sweating on the treadmill' - Christ, at least they're doing something about it.

That said, there are plenty of unhealthy skinny people. It always amazes me on that Supersize vs. Superskinny programme how many of the 'skinny' ones feast solely on junk food and soft drinks. Way to kill your body. There was one episode where the 'supersize' one was a chef or something - cooked the most delicious looking meals. In that scenario, I think I may have preferred to have been her over the junk-eating skinny. At least the former was getting nutrients (her portion sizes were just too large).

I also agree with Thunder about children. I have a DD who is 14 months old. I do not add salt or sugar to her diet, as I want her to get a healthy start and not end up with my weight issues. I want to scream whenever I am told 'oh a little salt/sugar/fried food won't hurt!' It hurt me as a child and made me what I am now, which is eating very little (and no junk) and still struggling to shed the weight.

Italian kids are getting fatter, I saw a programme where more and more eat from school vending machines rather than at home, its a big concern over there apparently.

This is true. As "easycook"/junk food has expanded in range and fallen in price people, especially kids, are getting bigger.

I'd say a good 20% of my son's friends/main gang are overweight, a couple of them seriously so.

its shocking! what would once have been the largest size in the country is now not uncommon in every town.

and the "fattest man in britian" types used to have a lifetime of eating behind them, whereas now it's people in their late teens and 20s that weight!