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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
WanHeda · 09/06/2016 08:23

this thread is over 3 years old - why on earth was it brought back to life?

inarmsofanangel · 09/06/2016 08:23

Miowthecat - Respect! :)

inarmsofanangel · 09/06/2016 08:24

Is it? put it back in the archives then!

wonderingsoul · 09/06/2016 08:24

This is the reason i dont go swimmimg or to the gym

People say people wont notice or judge but your prove that they do.

echt · 09/06/2016 08:24

Doh!

VioletBam · 09/06/2016 08:26

Someone upthread said it's a class issue in the UK and I'm thinking they might be right...but here in Australia, it's across the classes.

Class isn't such a "thing" in Oz but there is a definite middle class and they are suffering from the obesity crisis as much as anyone.

It's startling here too...mainly because I remember when Australia was very, very sporty....it still is...but every second boy in my DDs class is obese and I'm not exaggerating either...not the girls...not one of them is overweight for some weird reason...the boys have the issue and this is at a private school in a well off area.

I can't fathom it. I wonder if it's because boys tend to play the computer a lot?

wannabehippyandcrazycatlover · 09/06/2016 08:28

Oh come on, OP INBU to comment on how sad it is to see so many overweight children- it isn't healthy or a good thing. I'm pretty sure she didn't say this to their face but being overweight/obese is never a good thing and there is nothing wrong with thinking this...

Where the OP is BU is mentioning the swimming scenario- it takes guts to put on a swimming costume and exercise if feeling self conscious due to weight.

timelytess · 09/06/2016 08:30

Oh dear. There are fat people in the world. And in some places, their entry to exercise facilities is free, so not only are they wobbling their humungous arses before your eyes, they're doing it for nothing and you have to pay.

Excuse me. I'm not usually so unpleasant. But something prompted me...

Butteredparsnips · 09/06/2016 08:30

Laughing at fat Zombies. It's a thread from 2013

fassbender your post is rude

ClashCityRocker · 09/06/2016 08:32

Zombie thread guys

kitkat1968 · 09/06/2016 08:33

I think op posted this purely to try and upset people? What other purpose does it serve? It is not a problem for 'us to solve'. It is personal to the individual overweighted person who may not see it as a problem.their body their choice!

kitkat1968 · 09/06/2016 08:34

What place do fat people get free swimming?

RhiWrites · 09/06/2016 08:35

I have read the entire thread.

The OP's post was a fat attack and her own size is irrelevant because you can be both fat and self hating - in fact society encourages fat people to be self hating. It was also smug and condescending.

Fat people know that they are fat. There are plenty of people happy to point this out in words and gestures and 'just noticing' looks.

Fat people also know that society views being fat as bad. There are newspaper articles every week on the 'obesity epidemic' and endless posters, public service announcements and publications about how to eat a healthy balanced diet and take regular exercise. There are also thousands of adverts for diet pills, weight loss systems, and more newspaper articles on 'good' and 'bad' diets and changes in thinking about food science. People are bombarded with this information.

Fat people don't want to have fat children. They know from bitter experience what it's like to be vocally it silently judges and thought of as lazy, greedy or weak. They know that when people say "think of the children" they are judging the parent and thinking of their parenting as poor.

The OP is being unreasonable and naive at best to think she has contributed anything by creating this thread. She has added nothing new, nothing supportive and no new information in her posts. The only thing she has done, and it would be courteous if posters believed the people posting to say so, is make fat people who already feel bad enough feel worse about themselves.

I bloody well hope those fat people enjoying the pool had an ice cream despite OPs silent 'noticing' judgement. Although I fully anticipate being told they should have had a kale smoothie instead.

VioletBam · 09/06/2016 08:40

Rhi I'm sure you're right...I didn't read the whole thread and there's no smoke without fire.

However. If mentioning the obesity epidemic is out of order, how will people learn anything? If we can't discuss it, how can people move forward?

Thefitfatty · 09/06/2016 08:40

I hate to contribute to a zombie thread, but here goes. I dislike the whole "blame the parents" for overweight kids, because I honestly think very few parents set out to make their kids fat, or that they're all just feeding their kids McDonalds. Because I've never really seen a case where that was true.

I think placing the blame solely on the shoulders of the parents (particularly mothers) is a scapegoat, and it's one the food and diet industry wants us to keep doing.

There's been several studies that say the amount we eat and exercise today hasn't changed that dramatically from 50 years ago, but we're all getting fatter. The reasons could be convenience foods are steadily being stuffed with more and more sugar. People have less leisure time. More stressful lifestyles. Decades of vilifying fats as bad. Changes in gut bacteria's, etc.

The very idea that it's entirely within the control of the individual to determine their weight is a bit ridiculous. When half the population is overweight, it can't simply be that they all just don't have enough willpower.

One things for sure, hemming and hawing and judging overweight kids at a pool and their parents isn't going to change anything.

Conniedescending · 09/06/2016 08:42

I agree - so many fat kids we've lost sight of what is overweight . 3 of my 4 are a healthy weight and my friends say they're skinny! Nope- that's what kids are supposed to look like. My 4th is skinny!

I'm fat btw - trying to lose it but suprised at his many people tell me I'm ok when I have a bmi of 28

RhiWrites · 09/06/2016 08:45

I read the entire thread... and missed it started in 2013. I found it completely believable a new thread on fatness could have racked up this many posts in a short time.

I still hope all those people had ice creams. Grin

Olddear · 09/06/2016 08:47

I know what you're saying op......but you're much braver than me!

timelytess · 09/06/2016 08:52

I don't care that its an old thread. Really. I'm just here for the light entertainment.

Boomingmarvellous · 09/06/2016 08:53

Far too much taking offence and taking the post personally without actually reading it.

OP is talking about children.

I too would be very shocked if 50% of the children I saw were seriously obese. Not a bit of puppy fat, but obese.

It's a serious risk to their future health, so why not be concerned?

I am surprised tbh as I can't remember any children at all in DSs school (3-7) who look fat. A couple who are slightly chubby, but even then nothing serious.

I do think the obesity epidemic is largely a class thing though not always.

SnowBells · 09/06/2016 08:54

It's a mixture of stressful lifestyles and genetics.

A stressful lifestyle means we rely more and more on ready-made food, and we have less control re. what goes in and not. Those ready-made portions also have increased over the last few decades.

Stressful lifestyle also equals less time for sport, etc.

I think most people (bar the lucky few, like my DH and his family) are designed to store fat! That's nature's design. A survival mechanism...

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 09/06/2016 08:58

Stressful?? Life is no more 'stressful' now than it's ever been!

I blame 1/ the snacking culture
2/ Sugar.... In everything,savoury food especially
3/ And 'devices' and consoles

Jelliedeels · 09/06/2016 09:03

Don't judge!

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 09/06/2016 09:05

Interesting Violet - also in Australia, but in a lower socio-economic area than you appear to be, and the majority of the overweight schoolchildren in DS1's PS are girls. There aren't that many of them, a couple of quite severely overweight children but mostly just on the plump side; and only 1 really large boy that I can think of, who also has mild LDs and has just had an ASD diagnosis, which may have contributed to his being bullied and resultant comfort eating.

However, DH is Aussie and he has noticed a significant diminution of sporting activities etc. around; specifically the closure and loss of tennis courts (his pet thing). Also there seem to be far fewer people out and about at the weekends, most people around this way spend weekends shopping, especially if it rains! We have a bit of a giggle together when a slight shower causes the cancellation of soccer training/matches - if that happened in the UK, they'd be a bit stuck! Grin (DH half Irish, so understands)

SolomanDaisy · 09/06/2016 09:15

That's great news! Young people are exercising in fun ways whatever their weight, leading to lifetime of better health. You must have been so pleased to see it. Thanks for sharing such a happy thing with the rest of us!