...to expect obese people to take responsibility for what they eat?

[Tabby1963]

"If I don't do this, no one's going to help me, and if I don't help myself I'm going to end up dying."

"I should have done something about this, I should have tried harder".

These quotes from a lady on BBC News this morning, and she hits the nail on the head.

As someone who has also struggled with weight issues for most of my life I feel that it is my responsibility what I put in my mouth, and expecting the NHS to fund my weight-loss op is very unreasonable. It is a waste of time unless I actually change my behaviour voluntarily, and if I change my eating behaviour voluntarily then I will solve the problem myself.

This isn't going to go down well...

So people with mental health issues should take responsibility for these too? Because I am a binge eater, I am obese because of it and it is a mental health issue.

Can I eat your biscuit twofingers?

I am in the obese category, hopefully not for much longer and I completely agree with you.

Weight loss surgery isn't a quick fix. People do have to prove they can change their eating habits by losing a bit of weight beforehand. If you go back to old ways it won't work. It just speeds things (no personal experience but that's my understanding)

As for the OP I think you have phrased that rather confrontationally...

I can't speak for anybody but myself: I could try harder. I could prioritise the gym and different or less food. But I don't.

If you're a binge eater, how would a weight loss OP help anyway? You'd end up piling it all back on...something that's caused by mental health issues can only be fixed by mental health work. I'd have thought they'd

And I speak as somebody who managed to eat an entire block of cheddar in one go last week.

You do have a couple of good points.

A band doesn't deal with the problem behind it. Lack of understanding about food and nutrition is part if it too. Why put them through a risky surgery and it is risky!! When they are going to blend up fried chicken and duck the chocolate off biscuits etc. They may be eating less but they are still eating the crap.

It's not just as simple though as telling them to "sort it out"

My friend at college had horrendous food issues. It all stemmed from a child hood accident she never mentally recovered. It's ignorance to not see the reasons behind it. They need more help than a gastric band and the mental state is made worse by feeling so crappy after the op

As someone who struggles with weight I agree with you, but still think there is a place for say gastric bypass on nhs for those who just don't have willpower and are dangerously overweight. Also those with mental health issues. But most of the obese people I speak to just don't have will power.

Yup, and people suffering from depression should just pull themselves together.

It's an addiction. Same as smoking or drinking IMO. Very early in the morning for a bunfighty thread.

Yes. It's true.
it's also true of drug addiction and alcoholism.
you have to be willing and able to do it.
but that being true does not mean you are able to do it alone!

it can be your responsibility and ALSO something you need help and support with.

It can be a serious problem caused by mentel health issues. What next, do we not treat people with anorexia because they could just change their eating habits?

Or is ot only acceptable to not treat someone with an eating disorder because they are fat? After all they should just do it themselves shouldnt they the fat greedy fuckers

Ahh, but that lady had been overweight since she was a toddler, so she hasn't had a fair chance IMO, and its incredibly hard to loose weight ( I have , but had the means to pay for support, not everyone does )

I think you could apply that same logic to all sorts of different issues. Smoking, for instance. People choose to smoke, yet it can cause all sorts of health issues. Why should the NHS pay to treat smoking-related health issues? What about people who suffer liver damage due to excessive drinking, should treatment for that not be covered? Where exactly do you draw the line?

I disagree with weightloss ops. And I think that if treatment is to be offered on the nhs it should be psychological as it is a mental health problem not a hunger one.

A friend of mine had a bypass and her eating habits are still appalling. Shes skinny but malnourished as still has the same head feelings as before.

I think addressing the mental health is more important than the physical.

Im obese. Fucking love crap food but when im on it I can lose every week. Even eating chocolate everyday I know for me I have to exercise alongside diet changes for it to work.

Yabu. A lot of the time it's a mental health issue, like saying annorexics should just eat more, as a former sufferer I know that that's bollocks and doesn't work. I'm sure it doesn't work for big people either to say "just eat less and move more" as it doesn't address the underlying issues.

The NHS pay for stop smoking and anti-obesity interventions because they are cheaper than dealing with the long-term effects of obesity and smoking, I believe. It's an economic decision.

Our behaviours and choices contribute to most illnesses.

Why be so rude?

Clearly op isn't talking about medication! To meet requirements for a gastric band other medical issues would prevent it happening

Yet you still get this in threads like this

there are some medical problems that make you gain weight , but most people who are obese are just plain greedy and could lose the weight if they stopped stuffing their face , they see surgery as a quick fix .

Couthy: those people with medical conditions are not obese.
Op is on about people who over eat.

I agree that it is an addiction.
Also eating food that contains MSG often makes you feel hungry, creating a cycle of eating and eating.

I know a few very obese children. All are on heavy-duty medication which causes this. They may well turn into obese adults. At what age should they "just take responsibility"?

I am currently overweight, though not obese. This happened when my response to a few horrible things was comfort eating. Not wise, but then I was not in the best mental shape to choose - better than drugs or alcohol maybe. I am working on, and think I will be able to resolve, it without help.

Different people have different needs. Why assume what works for you will work for all?

Does anyone remember that American documentary about obese people and the operation. They filmed an entire family , they all ate shit. Take away every day, high fat greasy food. The dad had the operation. The family were fun, kind, and supportive but they had no idea about the impact their diet was having. It showed the oldest daughter feeding her five month old baby bites of her burger.

That's how deep rooted these issues are. People often have no idea about food. And the habits are formed from
Birth practically. You can't solve it with an operation