World obesity day

[Mustang27]

Aibu at being surprised at the statistics sky news are reporting today regarding the people that feel judged by others whilst at hospital/drs the gym etc!! The percentage was its highest at 45% this seemed really quite low and the others were around 32%. They had only asked 1000 obese people so I guess it's not that many people but most of my family are obese and I can honestly say they have all been discriminated throughout their life on most levels.

I genuinely thought these statistics would be much higher closer to 80% does my family just live in a less accepting area.

I think it depends what bracket of obesity they asked. I think people who are morbidly obese and super obese experience more discrimination than clinically obese.

I struggle with my weight. Need to get off another 4 stone. Lost a stone already. I am memopausal so struggle. I walk 30 mins in morning to station then another 20 when i get off daily plus 20 coming back. I do get a lift from station home but more because I get home late. I know people prob look at me and think fat but i walk more than alot of thin people . I have been abused a few times from workman in vans shouting fatty or teenagers. I got called a white fat bitch from a young muslim girl in a city centre cause i walked in to her. It does not ruin my life but its not nice.

I think given how much we have lost sight of what normal weight is people who are just in the obese category probably don’t feel judged as their viewed as normal now.

When I was in the morbidly obese range I certainly felt judged, especially when eating out. By the time I was just in the overweight I was being told I was too thin

I think feeling judged and being discriminated against are two completely different things for a start.
I have a BMI in the 40s, if I go to the doctor about anything they will bring up my weight, in the past, I felt judged. But now I see that:

1. its the docs job to make a judgement call about all the factors affecting my health, and to alert me to them.
2. my weight rightly effects what treatments I will be offered. When going through difficulty ttc there was no way they would offer me IVF as my weight would make it unlikely it would be successful and its such a limited resource. It would be mad to offer it to me over someone with a much better chance of success. Also when I lost some weight I Conceived naturally so why should they offer an expensive treatment when you could potentially take care of the issue yourself or free. I don't see that as discrimination. Just good stewardship of resources.

Ite a very sensitive issue, it a shame that instead of looking at the advice/warnings in an objective way and taking them on board, people are feeling judged and dwelling on it. We are not helpless, we can take responsibility for our weight. That's not to say everyone should lose weight even if they dont want to, but you should be able to hear a medical professional give you the facts about the implications of your weight, without getting offended.

I think a lot of it boils down to mental health and it's not always easy to lose weight. Certainly from my experience any way there are a couple of people within my family it's just excess but for the others it's a lot to do with the emotional side of it all.

Put it this way it affected me watching them struggle and I make better choices but I'm fortunate enough that mentally I can.

Oh and yes discrimination and judging are very different.

I go to a gym that has quite a few morbidly obese people there and l have been told that many have a 'prescription membership' whereby they get a big fee reduction if they have documentation of medical advice to lose weight (or ilk). Yes l do judge them.... as incredibly brave, it takes guts to walk into a gym alone and climb onto a bike or treadmill when you have stones to lose and/or you are so unfit you can barely do ten steps or pedals to start with. I never ever judge anybody for being obese or unfit, l would more likely think good on yer for doing something about it. But in general l mind my own business and certainly don't presume somebody on the larger side is there because they want to lose weight either.

I was obese for a few years when I got ill and started taking steroids. This was after being slim all my life. Come to think of it, I did notice people becoming really much nastier. I didn't think anything of it, just assuming it was society getting worse or something. Also, I was ill and had better things to worry me. Now, I have recently clawed my way back to a normal BMI (albeit very top end of that) and people seem different again. Awful to think weight changes people's attitudes so much. I am still the same person!

I agree people are rider to bigger people, it's just odd imo.

I agree bahhh it really takes a lot of guts to go to a gym full stop because there is always going to be someone prettier slimmer stronger whatever your hang up but to plough through that stuff regardless takes guts.

Yes Mustang and those first steps/pedals even weeks must seem so futile and an impossible mountain ahead of you. I just know l wouldn't have the mental strength to not give up if l didn't see results within a few weeks.