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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:
mowgelijeffs · 09/03/2017 15:04

She didn't say nobody fat was allowed to swim for fuck sake!! She just said lots of people are fat these days and she is right.
Where did you all get the stop staring from. She didn't say she was staring.
Stop being so self defensive and start losing weight.

LouKout · 09/03/2017 15:13

Self defensive..is that like doing karate?

mowgelijeffs · 09/03/2017 15:15

Lou.. yea I have a lot on at the moment and didn't proof read.
You know what I meant though.

mowgelijeffs · 09/03/2017 15:16

At least Karate is exercise Grin

JedBartlet · 09/03/2017 15:22

One of the reasons there are so many overweight children in the UK is because of attitudes displayed on threads like this - 'how DARE you judge fat people' 'I won't exercise because of people like you' 'YOU are the one with the problem you judgy bitch' etc etc etc.

Until people start taking responsibility for their own lives and their own health, how can we expect children to have healthy attitudes towards food and exercise?

There was nothing wrong with the OP. It IS shocking how many overweight children there are. Barring the obvious exceptions (medication, illness, eating disorder, growth spurt etc) it is the parents responsibility to offer a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. There is no reason for an otherwise healthy CHILD to be considerably overweight.

I am half a stone overweight myself, and it's because I eat too much crap and don't exercise enough. That's my fault, not the OP's, or my mum's, or society's. My children have a much better diet than me and I have lost weight since becoming a mother because I am taking them swimming/out for a run around/to the park and so on. Because I am determined to give them the best and healthiest start in life that I can. What they do as adults is of course up to them, and any of you who are overweight - that's your own choice. But it shouldn't be the choice of these children, they need to be provided with better, healthier options.

Stop being so bloody defensive and rude to the OP and take on board that it is fucking awful how many fat children there are in this country who could, with better guidance, be living happier and healthier lives.

Justwantcookies · 09/03/2017 15:29

I haven't rtwt but I don't think the OP was bashing fat people. just stating that there were alot of fat children. Which there are, around here anyway.

I find it really sad that these children will go through their lives generally being fat because of their parents (OK some may have medical issues, but not all of them).

Surely if your child was overweight you would try and do something about it for their sake rather than start having a go at someone for pointing it out.

And for those who say thats why they don't go swimming. What rubbish. For one she was talking about kids. And secondly you most likely don't go swimming because you cant be bothered or because you know you are fat and don't feel happy about that. How is that someone else fault.

FYI I'm a bit on the podgy side, but if my kids started getting podgy I would certainly intervene.

Joey7t8 · 09/03/2017 15:33

There is one at my pool, and I think it's wrong they are allowed to make money this way.

Heaven forbid that you give fully grown adults the option to exercise a bit of willpower and just walk past the vending machine.

CarrieMyBag makes a very good observation about how touchy people are about being overweight. It's not being judgemental to point out that the UK has a real problem.

Why the issue with this being a zombie thread? Obesity hasn't gone away in the past 4 years.

LouKout · 09/03/2017 15:35

No wonder people are touchy when people talk about them like they are shit on their shoe for being overweight.

EmeraldScorn · 09/03/2017 16:39

I know this is an old thread but there's nothing as crass as passing comment on someone's appearance, it's a very nasty thing to do in my opinion.

I'm not overweight but if I was it would be no one's concern but my own, I do however have an overweight sibling; She has an extremely pretty face, the kindest heart and is incredibly intelligent but she has struggled with her weight since we were young.

The amount of times (even recently) I've had arguments with strangers in public for making cruel jibes at her, fucking adults giving her dirty looks or laughing at her as if she was some circus animal.

It's these types of people who will be raising children (the next generation) to believe it's acceptable to bully - Making fun of anyone is not alright and I'd much rather surround myself with a crowd of decent but overweight human beings than horrible individuals with no degree of common decency.

Some of the comments on this thread are truly appalling and ignorant; Overweight people have feelings believe it or not, my sibling far too often goes home in tears because some little bastard has shouted something cruel at her (on one such occasion the teenager in question was being egged on by an adult woman to verbally abuse my sister).

People are hateful and there's an awful lot of nastiness on MN!

mowgelijeffs · 09/03/2017 17:24

You are all missing the point: the point wasn't that she was staring, the point isn't that fat people are gross, the point wasn't that fat people shouldn't be at the pool.

The point is: there are lots of fat people nowadays and it is a bit of a shock.

kittybiscuits · 09/03/2017 17:28

I haven't read the thread. How dare those fatties go in the pool when you're there? Why can't they stay at home watching telly and eating burgers while you enjoy your swim? Horrible, horrible post!

TrojanWhore · 09/03/2017 17:31

please, folks

Read the thread

It's four years old. OP probably isn't around any more.

CarrieMyBag · 09/03/2017 17:33

EmeraldScorn I've had more nasty comments about my weight than I can remember. However, I don't go kaboom when I hear people making an observation about a fact, which is what this original thread is all about.

How do these sensitive souls get on day to day? There will always be people judging, it's called being human. I judge certain things too, I bet you and they do too. You can just get on and ignore them instead of going all touchy about it!

Bobbydeniro69 · 09/03/2017 17:56

Unbelievable attacks on the original poster from people in this thread. All these 'people like you' commenters have deliberately twisted her words.
She's talking about overweight kids, not adults. Not once has she fat shamed or judged anyone, let alone adults.
This is a poster talking about her shock at seeing a high number of obese and overweight children. I can relate to this as I too was taken aback when I took my daughter swimming last.
I blame diet, but also digital technology advancements that means kids prefer Sky TV , games consoles and laptops to 'playing out'. We are raising a generation of couch potatoes.
The original poster is NBU . We have a problem.

Janey50 · 09/03/2017 18:50

It's people like you that put me off going swimming.

PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 09/03/2017 18:57

I have been a member of dozens of gyms and to be honest from my observations nobody gives a shit what size you are as they are too busy getting on with their own exercise routine. Not everyone down the gym is some toned cover model, it's mostly average looking people trying to do their 3x a week workout. If I do see someone down the gym who is seriously out of shape my first thought is 'fair fucks to you, you are doing something about it', not mocking or staring

noeffingidea · 09/03/2017 19:02

Well thats your problem really, Janey. If you want to go swimming then go swimming. Don't blame other people for 'putting you off'.

mowgelijeffs · 09/03/2017 19:19

Yes what bobby pan and noeff said.
Janet you don't swim because you can't be bothered or you are insecure it's not because of others. Look in the mirror for faults and out the window for success.

gamerwidow · 09/03/2017 19:29

OP I am always saddened and shocked at how many overweight young children there are around. I know some will havd medical conditions which mean they gain weight but for the others it feels like they are being set up with a lifetime of avoidable medical problems.
I am not thin and have always struggled to keep my weight down. It's a miserable and life limiting experience being obese and one we should do everything possible to help the next generation avoid.

gamerwidow · 09/03/2017 19:31

Just noticed it's a zombie thread the OP going to be quite surprised to have this hornets near stirred up again Grin

Sparklingbrook · 09/03/2017 19:33

.

The number overweight people at swimming today
wonderingsoul · 09/03/2017 19:37

This is why i dont go swimmimg and when i do put my big ...sorry fat... pants on to take my children indont enjoy it one bit because of judgment

BlackberryandNettle · 09/03/2017 21:17

The number of overweight people now is shocking, yanbu op. Is a fact that more people are overweight nowadays, v worrying that so many children are overweight

KoalaDownUnder · 10/03/2017 01:03

This is why i dont go swimmimg and when i do put my big ...sorry fat... pants on to take my children indont enjoy it one bit because of judgment

And this is why I hate this stupid ZOMBIE THREAD!! So horrible and counterproductive to make people feel like this about swimming.

(And no, I'm not overweight.)

Amandahugandkisses · 10/03/2017 21:27

I see where the OP was coming from actually. When I'm on holiday I always notice how slim the people native to the country are when I go swimming. The English are always overweight. Always.
It's a massive problem and it's not nice to see children in that way.