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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The number overweight people at swimming today

588 replies

pingu2209 · 19/02/2013 18:40

I went swimming today with my 3 children. I am not exagerating to say that well over half the children and teenagers were overweight; some were seriously obese.

It really was noticable. Girls as well as boys. Anything from age 4 to 14.

Okay - at least they were exercising but I was really shocked.

OP posts:
tree568 · 11/03/2013 05:04

There aren't many overweight children at my children's schools but in the poorer areas some of the kids are quite large. I put that down to poor diets and relatively little for the children to do, e.g. vandalised parks.

Maybe obesity is a local issue though. I was in Newcastle recently - first time I have ever been - and was struck by the sheer size of the city centre, and being surrounded by so many slim people I felt like I was on a TV set for a new show called "Beautiful People". It was like being in an "overweight people not expected to enter" zone.

merlottits · 11/03/2013 06:37

What a strange thread. The poor OP! She merely made an observation and was slated for it. She clearly wants to bring in ethnic fat cleansing and exterminate all the fatties. Not.

We are getting fatter. Pretending we aren't or getting so super sensitive that it can't be discussed is not going to help. Especially our children. It IS shocking. Does nobody else sometimes look around them and see just how many fat people there are and wonder - shit, what have we done?

It is about the price of processed food. It's about our taste buds being tuned to high sugar, high fat foods. It is about lack of time. I also feel its about stress and comfort eating. Everyone I know uses food (and alcohol) to feel better, as a drug. I personally think its almost nothing to do with lack of exercise.

I'm a fatty so I'm hardly sitting on my high horse judging.

MightyMinaj · 08/06/2016 22:50

Im a dad worried about swimming with my kids cause im not a normal shape :(

lifeissweet · 08/06/2016 22:55

Zombie. Thread.

Iknownuffink · 08/06/2016 23:23

Pingu, you come across as a right biatch.

Also being so judgemental says more about your inadequacies and state of mind.

StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine · 08/06/2016 23:25

It's good that they were there, then, wasn't it?

Or are they supposed to hide away at home, out of your sight, and just get fatter and more unfit?

StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine · 08/06/2016 23:26

Fucking fat zombies Blush

MadamDeathstare · 08/06/2016 23:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

iwasyoungonce · 08/06/2016 23:30

Fucking fat zombies Grin

blowmybarnacles · 08/06/2016 23:47

This thread is the complete opposite of the one 'what do you think of larger ladies in bikinis' thread.

Anyway, its about the kids isn't it, and what we feed them, and how inactive they are, and how skipping is banned at school because of the H&S police and technology, and they will all we born hunched over a phone.

Wake up, if your child is overweight and so are you then who is that down to?? And enough of the poor me in a bathing suit in this thread.

Scarecrow2016 · 08/06/2016 23:51

God I remember this thread from first time around.

KERALA1 · 08/06/2016 23:54

Helped out at school swimming today. 9 year olds, 15 girls two hugely obese 4 noticeably overweight.

BurningBridges · 08/06/2016 23:57

I thought this was a new thread; I mean, who can get enough of the moral high ground when it comes to fat kids eh? Then I found my post on it from February:

The way it seems to go with these threads is the OP is a bit like a bully in a playground who runs up and punches someone. When the punched person objects, they say "oh but I was only being friendly, YOU took it the wrong way!!" and then bursts into tears and is immediately surrounded by lots of supportive friends, who then take her to the teacher, sobbing "Punched Person is being MEAN to me!!!

I imagine Pingu is now confined to dark rooms in case she sees fat people and is filled with a messianic desire to tell them all just how much better she is than them.

BurningBridges · 09/06/2016 00:00

KERALA1 I think the school would be much better off without your sort of help if that's your attitude.

fassbendersgirlfriend · 09/06/2016 00:01

This reply has been deleted

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ArgyMargy · 09/06/2016 07:11

Facts are that 2/3 of UK adults are overweight and 1/4 are obese. Much the same for children. However the most worrying trend is the denial - claiming that it's all inevitable or genetic etc. To understand how bizarre this attitude is just go to Scandinavia - you'll struggle to find an obese person.

MiaowTheCat · 09/06/2016 07:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StarryIllusion · 09/06/2016 08:01

I must ask what the fuck it has to do with you?

namechangeparents · 09/06/2016 08:06

I live in a relatively affluent area and you really don't see many obese people here - a bit overweight but that's all. If you go to the swimming pool most of the kids will be skinny. None will be what I would call fat, some may be carrying a bit of extra weight. There are some bigger ladies who swim but as they are faster than me, it clearly makes no difference to their fitness levels. Plus the fact that if you want to lose weight you have to start somewhere. It's a bit counterproductive to judge people because they are exercising because they are fat - well that's kind of the point isn't it! The same happens with runners - people make stupid comments. Well what do you want to happen - them to sit at home on the sofa and eat more cake? Doh.

All that said however, I was holiday last week and I really did some huge people. How on earth do people get that large? I can understand being a bit overweight, I've been there myself, but so big that 3 of me would fit into them?

notagiraffe · 09/06/2016 08:10

Not read full thread but Hmm Was on a thread the other week saying how no one bats an eyelid at my local pool when I waddle in to swim with my son. If you are being judgemental, be discreet. don't put overweight people off exercise will you?
(Still remember two sweet white van men leaning out of their window at me and my also not slim friend joggling by on a run, and expecting some rude comment, but getting: Brilliant work! Keep it up!) We should listen o people like that, not OP.

BluePitchFork · 09/06/2016 08:12

yanbu
it saddens me as well.
but I don't judge or stare and am happy to see people of all sizes having fun in a pool!

inarmsofanangel · 09/06/2016 08:17

Hmm, I think OP is just trying to make a general point but probably did put it very well and OP you shouldn't have put it in AIBU!!!!!
I have gone from a size 16-18 after having my 3 children down to a size 10 in the space of a year. (I was never bigger than a 12 before the kids) and much of this is also due to stress going through divorce ect but in myself I feel much better.
Having said that I have a sister who is quite OW but she does have a medical condition (PCOS) which can exacerbate this. She's always been the biggest in the family but she's also probably the happiest and most intelligent.
I am in no position to judge and frankly I see people for who they are not their weight but I think as a society maybe children are becoming obese much more frequently - this could be due to medical issues, lifestyle changes or what they eat. As a mum of 3, I think I would be worried if one of them was becoming very obese purely from a medical point of view and the risk of diabetes as it runs in my family.

inarmsofanangel · 09/06/2016 08:20

...and I think it's bloody brilliant these people were at the pool exercising. At least they have some focus.

echt · 09/06/2016 08:20

I didn't see the OP as fatty bashing, though it could have been more explicit: if 4-14 year-olds are overweight/obese it's sad because it's down to their parents.

echt · 09/06/2016 08:21

The swimming is good, though. More of this.