To think that some women go on and on about the obesity crisis and weight

[Tobythecat]

Just to be smug about their healthy eating and slimness?

I have noticed it on here a lot and real life, even a good friend of mine posted something on facebook about it and i was disappointed with her for being so judgemental.

People who fat shame and go on about the obesity crisis and talk about overweight peoples eating habits dont seem to think that these individuals likely have binge eating disorders and bullimia.

I have had a binge eating problem since i was a child and used to starve myself. Im overweight and trying to lose it but im sick of some smug women who try to make people like me ashamed of our weight issues.

A good friend of mine just posted about a quote from the bible about obesity and gluttony. A lot of her friends are carrying weight and i just felt like she posted it to feel smug and superior. Shes always going on about how she used to make herself sick and talks about how she only eats salad and healthy stuff, whilst offering me a biscuit.

AIBU to think that a lot of women do this as a way to feel superior?

YANBU with how you feel re people being smug and 'fat shame'

YABU to assume its only bigger people that all this is directed towards though - i am thin, and i have een accused of starving myself, been humiliated online, real-life by people asking me whats wrong with me etc. Its not always 'fat shaming' you know. People thin shame too, its just we never go on about it because apparently, everyone wants to be thin and we will be 'rubbing it in their faces' and being thin is not an issue anyway.

I totally agree with you op.

On just about any thread that concerns weight there is a scramble by a group of usual posters to be the first to despair about vanity sizing and how people don't even know that they are fat anymore.
It's comical. I swear they must have a clipboard of outraged comments waiting to roll.

You haven't answered the question. Can you somehow tell on sight that someone has a medical issue that might cause weight gain, or make it difficult to lose weight?

Hence why I said, my opinion is my opinion - I don't go around calling out people for being overweight, I would never be outwardly rude to someone about the way they look (unless some very exceptional circumstances arose). That said, I would bet in reality, this is a VERY small minority of people (despite what people want to believe, or make excuses for).

I have an ex friend who goes on and on and on about it. I assume as she's an ex-friend, she's still doing it.

total hypocrisy as she thinks the NHS aren't doing enough to help her mother with her knee issues - her mother is obese. but apparently some people can't help while everyone else is just stuffing their face endlessly.

People are complex and the reasons why people overeat are usually very deep rooted. Do you think the same of smokers and alcoholics? All of these individuals are human beings, deserving of empathy, compassion and understanding, not ridicule, judgement and humiliation

Yep - people are killing themselves & are a massive drain on resources on so many levels. These are things they CAN control, yet chose not to.

I have an addictive personality trait, but I manage to show self restraint, as I don't want to kill myself, by one means or another.

I think that the food & drink industry wants us fat. Starbucks have started doing some iced tea and in small letters it tells you that you can have unsweetened (aka 0 cals). Why is this not the default option? Why can we not get unsweetened (apart from plain water) bottled drinks easily in this country? Why are the only options between sugar or sweeteners?

"Hence why I said, my opinion is my opinion - I don't go around calling out people for being overweight, I would never be outwardly rude to someone about the way they look (unless some very exceptional circumstances arose). That said, I would bet in reality, this is a VERY small minority of people (despite what people want to believe, or make excuses for)."

Your words, and I quote, were "medical conditions aside, I find fatties pretty disgusting", implying that those with medical conditions are acceptable. So how do you determine who gets a pass and who doesn't? Or, is it as I suspect, they're ALL disgusting, but you might make more of an attempt to hide your contempt if you find out that someone is ill?

People who talk about others' bodies when unasked just need to bore the fuck off generally.

I get that some people think being overweight is appalling, and that they feel better than us fatties because they're not fat, but it's dressing it up as faux concern for someone's health that grinds my gears. Weight is just ONE PART of your health, there are umpteen other things going on that you can't see. Someone with ulcerative colitis is far less healthy than I am, but you can't see that so no comments to make.

It's also the assumption that someone overweight must be eating cake, pizza, chocolate and burgers all day long.

alligator

1. While some slim people are unhealthy, ALL obese people are unhealthy. There is no such thing as 'obese but healthy'.

2. 9 times out of 10 when I see someone eating something unhealthy walking along the street, they are overweight.

3. I think many overweight/obese people don't grasp the extent to which slim people DON'T eat cakes, pizza, chocolate, burgers, chips etc. AT ALL. I don't eat pizza, bread, biscuits, burgers, chips, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereal, etc. ever. Similarly cakes, ice cream, cheese, sweets etc. I have dark chocolate in small amounts, and I drink booze. That's it as far as unhealthy stuff is concerned. If i ate that sort of thing, I would be fat.

I must admit I see very little 'fat shaming' on FB - I'd guess that the closest I've come to making reference to weight was a single-line ecstatic post when after 15 years of dieting I finally got down to a size 10 following hypnosis.

What I do see a lot of is overweight people posting memes and inspirational quotes in an effort to normalise being overweight, which worries me a great deal.

A close friend of mine has always been significantly obese and has two sons, who as young children were skinny and constantly moving. Now they're 9 and 11 and extremely overweight and barely move off the sofa. She told me (I didn't ask!) the other day that 'since everyone's bigger these days' she thinks it's fine. It broke my heart thinking of their reduced lifespan and quality of life, let alone the cycle they'll likely continue with their own kids as 'it's normal'.

That said, I would bet in reality, this is a VERY small minority of people (despite what people want to believe, or make excuses for).

I disagree. I lost 3 stone last year and had to bloody bust a gut to do it. I have Hashimotos, which is a thyroid condition - one of the main 'tells' was that I always struggled to maintain a healthy weight no matter how great my diet and strict my exercise routine; I ran an average of 30 miles a week, did 4 high-impact fitness classes weekly, swam 3 nights a week and walked the dog every single day but still managed to be 3 stone overweight. To drop that 3 stone I had to aim for below 800 calories 5 days a week but also continue exercising as often as I had done previously. To maintain my current healthy weight I'm going to probably have to calorie count and remain below 1000 most days for the rest of my life.

Thyroid conditions are hugely common. They can affect every part of an individual's life, have no outward symptoms you'd spot from walking past someone and, frankly, unless you know what someone's diet is like day-to-day, you probably ought to be a little less judgy about their size.

3. I think many overweight/obese people don't grasp the extent to which slim people DON'T eat cakes, pizza, chocolate, burgers, chips etc. AT ALL. I don't eat pizza, bread, biscuits, burgers, chips, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereal, etc. ever. Similarly cakes, ice cream, cheese, sweets etc. I have dark chocolate in small amounts, and I drink booze. That's it as far as unhealthy stuff is concerned. If i ate that sort of thing, I would be fat.*

I eat most I guess it is to some people. of those those things occasionally other than chips and burgers unless homemade, and am a normal BMI. I couldn't live like that. Being ultra slim is not that important to me as long as I'm healthy.

Sorry my post became gibberish.

I eat most of those those things occasionally other than chips and burgers unless homemade, and am a normal BMI. I couldn't live like that. Being ultra slim is not that important to me as long as I'm healthy. I guess it is to some people.

idontbelieve I also have Hashimoto’s and hear you loud and clear. I am on dessicated thyroid (as opposed to Levo) which I truly believe works way more efficiently. Since having Hashi’s, I’ve gone from a really skinny 8 stone and eating what I want (I’m 5’7.5), to 9 stone and watching what I eat. I’m still on the slim side, but it’s been humbling going from lightning metabolism to being careful. I can absolutely see why people with thyroid conditions struggle to control their weight—the engine of your body is essentially always faulty, and thyroid meds only go so far to putting you “right”.

People love to judge and divert attention from their own addictions. We all have our vices.

Stopgap I ran and swam competitively at school and Uni, and was also one of those 'eat anything' sorts just like you. As you say, it's been a humbling experience knowing I'm not going to be one of those skinny people any more without really working at it. I think being naturally tall and slim meant I had little understanding of how illness can impact so enormously on a person's life and render them unable to control their body.

Can I just ask those who do not believe you can be fat and healthy - how do you define health?

Gorgon

I am size 10. I eat pretty much everything on your forbidden list.

It's quantity that counts.

You seem very angry. Stop raging at overweight people and have a biscuit.

YY Peg Agree with every word.

Its my birthday today These threads always seem to appear on here on the rare occasions when im going to eat cake.

Last time i ate cake was the yule log last Christmas.

You can definitely be over your recommended weight by eating foods which are considered healthy. Its all about amount and balance.
Example, I just snacked on pecans - probably around 250-300 KCal for that little snack.

I am size 10. I eat pretty much everything on your forbidden list. It's quantity that counts.

Good for you to have that much self-control. I unfortunately am one of the majority of people for whom processed junk food (deliberately) short circuits the satiety messages of the brain/body. It's far easier to overeat that stuff than overeat fruit, veg, chicken, fish etc.

You seem very angry. Stop raging at overweight people and have a biscuit

That's just needlessly rude, isn't it?

cleofatra Can I just ask those who do not believe you can be fat and healthy - how do you define health?

It's not about what I or anyone else 'believes' - it's fact.

This is a good summary, with links to the original peer-reviewed research

www.nhs.uk/news/obesity/new-study-casts-further-doubt-idea-you-can-be-fat-and-fit/

Here's some key points from it:

The possibility that people might be "fat but fit" has often been touted. This study goes against this and supports what is widely understood, that being overweight and obese are detrimental to health.

It benefits from looking at a very large sample of people. All body measures were taken objectively rather than self-reported, and valid diagnoses of later cardiovascular outcomes were obtained from medical records.

You still can't remove the possibility of influence from other factors, but many of these factors (such as diabetes, high blood pressure) may be caused by obesity anyway. Last year a similar study made the headlines showing that obese people are at higher risk of heart disease even when they are otherwise "metabolically healthy" without high blood pressure, diabetes or raised cholesterol. Obesity is enough of a risk factor on its own.

I am under the impression that the study above did not consider other lifestyle influences. Measures of fitness and activity levels were not taken in subjects

Happy birthday Helena, you have that cake and damn well enjoy it