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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:
JemimaMuddledUp · 19/02/2013 22:22

When I see an overweight person swimming (or running, or going to the gym) I think good on them, trying to make a change for the better.

When I see overweight children in the pool I think good on them, they are obviously being encouraged by their parents to do some activity rather than sitting in front of the TV eating crisps.

I don't start a thread on an internet forum saying how shocked I am that fat people were in the swimming pool.

flyingspaghettimonster · 19/02/2013 22:23

I am obese. I am trying to fix this. I have been in the gym starting a new exercise and diet routine. I put it off for months because I was horrified at the thought of people watching me and judging. Today I am going to swim. This is something that horrified me as I know I look repulsive in my swimsuit. My husband assured me people would just think 'at least she is trying to lose weight'. Now I know I was right. Thanks.

ChaChaDigregorio · 19/02/2013 22:26

No way spaghetti. Do it! If anyone is thinking badly they are fuckwits, don't let them hold you back. Anyone worth worrying about will look on in admiration. Go girl!

Goober · 19/02/2013 22:26

A wise Mumsnetter once said fuck the fuck off!!
Wise words.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/02/2013 22:26

Pinging - can you see how your OP comes over as you judging the fat people in the swimming pool?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/02/2013 22:27

Sorry - pingu - darn iPad autocorrect!Blush

Original poster
pingu2209 · 19/02/2013 22:27

I am a size 20. I don't look great in my costume. I felt self conscious. However, I'm not nieve enough to think that people won't notice my size. Just as I noticed the others in the pool who were well above 'normal'. I don't understand how you can get all shirty because someone dares notice that you are obese when you in a swimsuit. Seems pretty bloody obvious to me.

OP posts:
Original poster
pingu2209 · 19/02/2013 22:29

I didn't judge others and however self conscious I was, I still just got on with it (the swimming/watching my children).

OP posts:
maddening · 19/02/2013 22:29

Fair enough op but can you see that noticing and opening a healthy positive debate is fine but if you word your thread title as you have that the insensitivity therein might provoke a feeling of judgement on your part - even though that is not what you intended.

ChaChaDigregorio · 19/02/2013 22:33

The only vaguely judgemental part of OP is the last sentence. The rest of it is observation.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/02/2013 22:34

I give up.

PurpleStorm · 19/02/2013 22:34

While I think that the OP was very badly worded and can easily be misinterpreted as judging fat people who go swimming, the OP's got a valid point about there being more overweight kids around than there were 10 or 20 years ago.

Junk food's also got a lot cheaper and more readily available than it was when I was a kid. I suspect that's got a lot more to do with rising obesity levels than the amount of exercise kids do.

Original poster
pingu2209 · 19/02/2013 22:37

Maddening, you cant' have a healthy positive debate on this. People are far too sensitive. To say that you won't go swimming because you worry that people will notice your size is just bloody stupid. If you are obese, you will be noticed, especially in a swimsuit. Whether people will judge you negatively is another matter of course. I would like to think that people will notice and think 'gosh she/he is large' but then think 'wow, great they are doing exercise'. But to think that it is 'wrong' to notice someone is very overweight is nieve.

It is such a huge issue for our society - meaning the children being overweight. I don't think my OP was judgemental at all, I think it is people who are way too sensitive about the whole weight issue.

I am overweight. I eat the wrong things and too many of the wrong things. I am addicted to eating. I love all the wrong things and crave them like an addiction. However, I exercise A LOT. My children are slim but I am always wary of what they eat. I don't want them to have the addiction I have.

However, there are a lot of parents out there that are just not even aware that their children are becoming addicted. They must notice their children are overweight/obese but don't know how or what to do.

OP posts:
countrykitten · 19/02/2013 22:37

I think agree purplestorm - junk food and constant snacking were not part of growing up for many of us.

rodandtheemu · 19/02/2013 22:37

well she did as its a free net work site! Just like the OP can make an observation and have an opinion..

It the Post police didnt like it they would remove it. Get over it. Oh and the observation was on the number of children that was obese... not the nervous fat lady in the corner. Maybe the parents should have encouraged the children to eat healthly before hand.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/02/2013 22:40

There is a difference between noticing, and noticing and then starting a thread on it.

And there was no hint in the OP of wanting a discussion about how to tackle the issue, and the things that might have caused the issue. It smacked to me of 'pointing at the fatties', nothing helpful or constructive.

dikkertjedap · 19/02/2013 22:41

Well, the good news is that they were all getting some exercise at the swimming pool! Swimming is probably one of the best types of getting fit if you are overweight anyway as it doesn't put undue strains on the joints and you use lots of different muscles.

Basically, all the people you saw at the pool deserve a little pat on their back for going!

LadyWidmerpool · 19/02/2013 22:42

Of course, we just need to encourage children to eat healthily and obesity will vanish in a puff of smoke. Hooray!

ChaChaDigregorio · 19/02/2013 22:46

Pretty much. That and exercise.

juneybean · 19/02/2013 22:48

This reply has been deleted

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Wewereherefirst · 19/02/2013 22:53
Shock

OP, you are one of these overweight people you kindly mentioned in your OP.

Surely you should change your habits and judgmental attitude before trying to shape your children? They learn from what you do not what you say.

ubik · 19/02/2013 22:56

It's true, it is shocking. Nor so much the older folk who have had kids/ health probs etc

It's the obese teens and young children which often surprise me - not just podgy but seriously fat.

manicinsomniac · 19/02/2013 22:57

Pingu hasn't hidden the fact that she is overweight herself. She isn't talking about adults, she is talking about the rise in the numbers of overweight children.

And to compare obesity to being black, disabled or muslim is ridiculous and offensive to those groups of people. There is nothing wrong with being black, disabled or muslim but there is everything wrong with being obese. That might not be comfortable but it's the truth. Black, disabled and muslim people cannot and should not change. Obese people (most of them, barring medical conditions) both can and should.

Startail · 19/02/2013 22:57

Swimming was the one form of exercise my DMum could have taken that might have help her with her weight and her arthritis.

She felt everyone judging her and wouldn't go. Sad

GrowSomeCress · 19/02/2013 22:57

It's unlikely to be representative of the population as a whole - perhaps you're more likely to see overweight people there as they'll be trying to lose weight? I dunno

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