To feel upset/ unnerved by the advert that just aired on More 4 channel?

[Justheretogiveaviewfrommyworld]

I've just seen an advert for So Clean C-pap hose/mask cleaner. It just feels really jarring that this would be on a mainstream advert slot. My nephew is severely physically disabled and uses a breathing support machine at night, so it's not the machine that has 'upset' me for want of a different word. It was more that I know CPap machines are used by people with weight related airway obstruction at night. I feel sad that this is becoming so mainstream that such things need to be advertised. I'm not judging those who need to use them, but I think it's sad we aren't finding ways to help people with difficulties with their weight, be it over or under eating disorders. I am mid forties and it just seemed like such a big change and so normalised, IYSWIM?

Yes i know what yoy mean. I havent seen this advert but i do see alot of 'normalising' wieght issues instead of admitting that there are health problems and complications that come along with being 'big and beautiful'
I also think that teaching children not to be ashamed of their weight is... misleading. Ofcourse i dont want people to be unhappy woth themselves but i think its counter productive 'normalising' serious issues

I saw this advert this afternoon too! I did think it was a bit odd tbh, like something lifted off of American TV! I can’t believe enough people use CPAP that a TV ad is financially viable but if there’s a market for it, then that’s that I guess.

Slim fast and ‘slimming’ type meals have been advertised for as long as I can remember- lean cuisine in the 80’s. They’re along the same lines.
A bit flabbergasted at the suggestion that overweight children should be ‘ashamed’ too tbh.

Aren't they for sleep apnea?

My 4 yr old with severe disabilities uses one. He is not overweight or any of the other stereotypes you want to trot out. It is basically keeping him alive !
Tbh I don't like aibu and it's aggressive responses so I try to be nice but if this is upsetting you then really you need to toughen up. I dread to think what you would make of all his other equipment and medical interventions.

I also found this advert surprising and looked it up. It's far more common than you'd think!

Who has Obstructive Sleep Apnoea?

It is estimated that up to 13% of adult men and 6% of adult women in the UK suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). That is 3.9 million people. They are mostly (but not all) men, mostly (but not all) overweight, especially around the neck, and they all snore.

www.sleep-apnoea-trust.org/sleep-apnoea-information-patients/sleep-apnoea-frequently-asked-questions/

I know CPap machines are used by people with weight related airway obstruction at night.

Umm. My best mate has one of these for sleep apnoea and shes built like a stick insect.

You're a bit judgemental there, OP

And a fair proportion are children who have to rely on one to stop them from stopping breathing when asleep. In other words they rely on a vent to keep them alive .
Goodness so sorry that you find that so offensive .

I don’t think sleep apnoea is a new thing!
But knowing it can be treated is new. These machines save lives. I remember hearing about drivers so sleep deprived from apnoea they crashed.

I'm not judgemental, my nephew uses one (who is medically low weight due to his disabilities), as I said very clearly in my OP! It just seems odd to me that suddenly a mainstream advert for such equipment is needed. We know obesity rates are rising and that airway obstruction can be a problem for obese people, so I find it hard to believe there is no link between increase use and paying for an advert. Slimming meals are no different than seeing any food advert so I don't see the comparision. I just found it sad that people are suffering these horrible consequence because of the food companies. Tobacco companies were brought to task, why not food companies?

Slimming meals etc are sold so people can reduce their calorie count to lose weight. Or in other words, the are marketed to overweight people.

Cpap machines are for sleep apnea which may or may not be caused by being overweight.

So one is very definitely marketed to those who are overweight, but you dont have a problem with that because it's food? Yet you want food companies brought to task?

It is basically to do with how wide your neck is. If your neck is above a certain width, you will almost certainly have sleep apnea. Being fat increases the width of your neck, but some people just have wide necks.

No me, I was trying to say, seeing food advertised isn't shocking, whereas the mainstreaming of medical equipment for serious issues in with adverts for new washing machines ect was jarring to me. It just feels like a watershed for me re the state of our health and I think we need to take a similar approach to food companies, as we did with tobacco companies to stop it before it gets any worse. I was aware that SA is not always weight related, but those machines were not advertised on tv before, so somr=ething must have led to the change. My nephew is in his teens and has used a cpap all of his life, butt they were never advertised, they were prescribed by his HCPs.

I have sleep apnea and use a cpap, i thought the doctors were kidding me about having this but since I have used it my sleep is so much better my health has improved. I think you are being very judgemental OP the NHS dont give anything away for fun, these machines cost an awful lot of money and if it was just a gimmick for fat peeps would they waste money seriously

My boss has sleep apnoea & uses one of these masks, he is a professional tennis player, weighs 11.5 stone & I dare say is fitter than all of the people thinking this is just a machine for overweight people. Op I suggest doing a bit of research before getting so upset over a cpap machine.

What I find objectionable is the creeping privatisation of the NHS.

i thought the advert was advertising the steriliser for the cpap not the actual cpap itself once again the obsession with lets kill all germs so no one ever gets exposed to anything other than sterile nowadays

isseywithcats apparently the masks do get pretty funky & can need a good clean

Please tell me where I have judged anyone bar big corparations who are causing health issues and obesity is mentioned as a significant cause by the NHS!? My Nephew has breathing issues, why would I judge anyone with them? There has been a change re advertising, which I noticed, obesity rates are rising, obesity is a known cause for serious conditions like this, please where is the judgement?

losing weight if you're overweight or obese
stopping smoking if you smoke
limiting your alcohol consumption, particularly before going to bed – the NHS recommends not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week; if you drink as much as 14 units a week, it's best to spread this evenly over three or more days
avoiding sedative medications and sleeping tablets

Losing weight, reducing the amount of alcohol you drink and avoiding sedatives have all been shown to help improve the symptoms of OSA.

Also, if the drs prescribe it, why is an advert needed?

I've just read that they are good for snoring too? That's interesting, my dp can keep the whole house up sometimes with his :(

I think I kind of get what you're saying op, but your language is a bit off. Upset, unnerved, jarring, sad.

I have to disagree re: food companies. The answer isn't to remove all perceived 'bad' food I don't think.

Loads of people that use them are not overweight. There is some argument that sleep apnoea can contribute to weight gain so people having them may actively help people maintain a healthy weight or lose weight (if they are over weight in the first place) weight is not the only cause of sleep apnoea

@Justheretogiveaviewfrommyworld I think you are mistaken. The advert is for a device to clean the cpap machine, not for the actual cpap machine.

An hcp will prescribe the cpap machine after various tests and sleep studies. They do not prescribe the cleaning device.

Why is being jarred, sad and unnerved 'off', Me? Serious question. I think it is sad and jarring because it's a sign of what is happening in the wider picture?

As far as I know the NHS does not supply all of the different types of mask available either, I know my boss bought a different mask to use with the machine