The number overweight people at swimming today

[pingu2209]

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.

Do you know what I find noticeable on this thread OP?

The one person determined to make other people feel disgusted.

For me, that's easier to spot than overweight (in your opinion) swimming.

I mean, how dare they come out in public and offend you eh?

Don't be ridiculous! Of course we would be shocked by the number of overweight children in this country. It is appalling, we shouldn't be normalising it.

The OP is saying she pointed and laughed, for gods sake... Just that she was shocked. The number of children in this country being set up for a lifetime of health problems by parents that aren't shocked or think that what is actually obese is an acceptable weight for a child.

Agree Katy

I used to have a skinny DC. A few months on and my DC has gained quite a bit of weight thanks to his epilepsy medication. I hate people like you OP.

And attitudes like yours will drive overweight people away from exercise. Well done.

Another one who just wants to say thank you for reminding me that theswimming pool is indeed fully of judgey bitches people.

pingu - you're getting a bashing already, but if it's any consolation, I took DS swimming today and thought exactly the same thing. Nobody was hugely obese, but I did notice that most of the swimmers seemed to be carrying a few extra pounds [and i absolutely count MYSELF among them, and made a mental note to come back without DS and do some serious exercise!]
You are right, it's great that anyone is exercising, and I don't think it's unfair to note something like this - it seems to reflect a societal trend. Hasn't some highflying Head of Obesity just annouced an initiative to give overweight teenagers surgery as it's such a massive problem?
PuddleJumper - not sure it's exactly the same as noting Muslims or disabled people at the pool? Isn't it more pertinent to mention seeing someone overweight at a place of exercise as opposed to a place of religious worship?

I have been very overweight for years myself. However, I try really really hard to ensure that my children are not overweight. I haul my ass to the park when I don't want to and stand getting cold, wet and muddy to ensure they exercise.

I just am really shocked that there were so many children who were very overweight.

Maybe you would prefare it if their parents locked them indoors out of sight,

On the other hand, my underweight Ds has spent the day indoors on the xbox and had MacDonald's for lunch. Maybe you could judge me instead!

I don't think the OP meant to offend people; I think her OP was badly worded, but she was just noticing a trend and commenting on it.

I'm not fat, but I'm not thin either. I do worry about how I look in my bathers sometimes. But people don't have to look at me if they don't like what they see. They have self control, they can look away.

Unless, of course I'm just too gorgeous for them to contain themselves....

Yabu

Although the lesiure centre here do days/sessions for overweight people .. So maybe that's why it seemed like there were a lot of people there today

At least they were exercising

Isn't saying

I hope you did lots of tutting then left promptly. What on earth were these overweight people thinking! Going swimming in half term. Tut. I bet they were having fun until you turned up judging and tutting.
There must be a swimming pool that only allows slim people. Must be. Try Google.
I'd also suggest ringing the Daily Mail.

I don't go swimming either, for this reason. And I love it. :(

Horrible post.

I have twins who eat the same thing. One is skinny as a rake, one is overweight. Don't be so quick to judge.

Howdoyouknowjenny - I can promise you that, as an overweight child and as an overweight adult, I knew when people were staring and judging. I know these attitudes exist, and they make daily life a misery, as well as making it very difficult to trust anyone who says they like me.

When I took my 4yr old DS swimming to the public pool I was terrified he was going to ask loud questions about the overweight people around us. He'd just done his 'healthy eating' module in school and was newly interested in the range of body sizes. Not a conversation I wanted to have with him in public!

as a society we are so much bigger than I had remembered the last time I went swimming. What a bizarre comment
The 50 odd people in a swimming pool at any given time doesn't really reflect society as a whole, you know. Maybe all the larger people stayed home last time you were there.

I took was pretty shocked when there was a school in swimming at the same time as me. When I was wee, there was maybe a couple of fat kids in the year (who were in reality slightly overweight).

In this classic of maybe 20 more than half of them were visibly overweight and three or four were well into the obese category.

It is shocking and we should be shocked. These are children FGS, children who may well die before there parents. People need to stop being so coy about fat people, unlike being black or Muslim it is a health issues which affects us all and is getting much much worse.