To think most people don’t care about healthy eating, exercise, etc

[Notcontent]

We keep hearing about rising obesity levels, diabetes, and how sugary/processed good is responsible for a lot of it, etc.

But it seems to me that most people are completely ignoring those messages - either because they think it’s all nonsense or because they think “oh well, I want to enjoy my food and drink and I don’t really care what happens when I get to 50”.

I completely agree that we need to have treats and enjoy food because that’s what life is all about. But a lot of it is just simple stuff, like having water instead or sugary drinks. Why is that? Yes, I know some people can’t afford healthy food, but most of us do have some choice about what we feed ourselves and our families.

Weight is largely dependent on diet as opposed to exercise.

Most overweight people are not mentally ill.

Since having children I have taught myself to cook. Just really simple stuff like Bolognese, meatballs, pasta bakes, soups etc. I also find using the slow cooker for things like chilli really helpful. My mum didn't cook, we were such a busy family we just ate from jars or ready meals. I remember my mind being blown when I ate home made macaroni cheese at a friends house as I was expecting the Heinz stuff in s tin. Macaroni cheese was the first thing I taught myself.

Fresta I suspect when you are talking about morbidly obese people, that a very high proportion will be mentally ill.
I know someone with bipolar and someone with schizophrenia, both work full time, and most people know nothing about their mental illness.

Because most people don't care about either the long term health effects or the bigger picture of society and the NHS etc. Most people live in the now and want to eat and drink what they want. I've been huge before and I didn't give a shit about society, I wanted my crap food in that moment

I see there's the usual level of denial and batshit pseudoscience on this thread. This forum is the worst.
Meglett good point about the stairs. Climbing stairs is free exercise, and one thats often corporated into fitness programmes.

Im morbidly obese amd would do anything to come out of it. I suspect traumatic childhood and likely adhd/autism play a huge part. I go to an eating disorders group but havent cracked it yet... id love to have someone cook for me/more psych help but truly isnt there on the nhs.

Fresta it's both diet and exercise, assuming neither is too extreme. Overeating by 200-300 calories per day (which is pretty common) can easily be counterbalanced by some exercise, even just a rigorous walk.

There is loads of research around weight, most of which gets ignored on threads like this. Because people prefer to spout their prejudices instead.
But basically if you have had a traumatic childhood, or are mentally ill, or live in a very poor disadvantaged neighbourhood - then you are much much more likely to be morbidly obese.
People who are struggling with life do not prioritise eating healthily.
People who are well off, with good mental health and happy childhoods are much much much less likely to be morbidly obese.

People react to what life throws at them. Some people make a superhuman effort and manage to eat healthily, go for a daily run, etc in spite of having an incredibly difficult life. Most people though don't manage that.

Easier though just to judge someone and tell them to eat less and move more. When the real issues are much deeper.

It reminds me of those experiments with rats. When given a lovely living environment, the rats no longer drank the water with the drugs. Because they didn't need them to get through life.

And those who think people get morbidly obese because the NHS is there - just look at the US. Plenty of poor morbidly obese people in spite of the fact they have to pay for healthcare.
And that is because the causes are much much more complex.

Thanks Claire that's exactly how I feel at the moment. It feels overwhelming. Of course I dont want to be morbidly obese, im aware of health issues and its something i worry avout every day. I feel Ive tried so hard over the last 10 years and just got bigger.

Im starting a years trauma therapy soon for abusive childhoods so hopefully my head will get a bit better.

Good luck with the therapy xx

I agree that most people have other priorities other than eating moderately & healthily & trying to get plenty of exercise or daily have healthy lifestyle behaviours.

I don't see where OP has said anything unreasonable or berated anyone.

Healthy food is also delicious and in many cases much nicer than junk food. Maybe it's about retraining your taste buds.

I agree about the cooking. I think the plethora of cooking shows and people like Tom Kerridge and other celebrity chefs producing recipe books with 15 ingredients for one dish makes people thing cooking is difficult when its really not that hard most of the time, and doesn't take half the day. I know what to eat,I know how to cook, I cook from scratch every night, I even have had to devise a healthy eating course for young people with learning difficulties, but still, I was in town with the kids today , went into Greggs for lunch and had a vegetable bake. If Id looked around for an extra few minutes, I could have found a salad or wrap or something, but I didnt. I dont know why. It wasn't the most amazing thing Id ever tasted and I was hungry again quite soon after.

Yes I use older cookbooks mainly and I have really noticed that if I look up a recipe online, it often has lots of ingredients. Whereas in my cookbooks that are 20-30 years old there are far less ingredients for the same dish and it is often easier to make.

I like healthy food. I also like unhealthy food. Healthy food, unless you have tons of money (apart from fruit) usually takes more time to prepare.

On the back of what Tessalectus said, it's possible to make a huge pot of lentil and veg soup for around £2. That could be 10 lunches. Add a couple of hard boiled eggs, bit of cheese and an apple and you're done, full till supper.

But people prefer meal deals, mcdo, pizza etc for 300% markup and massive detriment to their health.

So I just shut up about homemade soups.

I love homemade soups. Love making something thats really cheap and nutritious, and easy.

@elsabadogigante

www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l2164

Big tobacco, the new politics, and the threat to public health

"The IEA is secretive about its funding sources, but The BMJ can report that the organisation is part funded by British American Tobacco. In the past it has also taken money from the gambling, alcohol, sugar, and soft drink industries. Meanwhile, politicians with links to the IEA seem to be progressing ever closer to power. The concern is that public health policies could be put at risk under a new Tory leadership, including current plans for calorie labelling and for advertising restrictions designed to tackle childhood obesity, as well as progress towards a minimum unit price for alcohol (see box C)"

I'm still in shock that someone has stated smoking in pregnancy is as bad for the baby as obesity.

it really really isn't.

It's similar @SillyBillyBandy

Risks to you of being overweight in pregnancy (copied from NHS website)

Being overweight increases the risk of complications for pregnant women and their babies. The higher a woman's BMI, the higher the risks. The increasing risks are in relation to:

miscarriage – the overall risk of miscarriage under 12 weeks is one in five (20%); if you have a BMI over 30, the risk is one in four (25%)
gestational diabetes – if your BMI is 30 or above, you are three times more likely to develop gestational diabetes than women whose BMI is below 30
high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia – if you have a BMI of 35 or above at the beginning of your pregnancy, your risk of pre-eclampsia is twice that of women who have a BMI under 25
blood clots – all pregnant women have a higher risk of blood clots compared to women who are not pregnant, and if your BMI is 30 or more the risk is additionally increased

the baby's shoulder becoming "stuck" during labour (sometimes called shoulder dystocia)
post-partum haemorrhage (heavier bleeding than normal after the birth)

having a baby weighing more than 4kg (8lb 14oz) – the overall risk of this for women with a BMI between 20 and 30 is 7 in 100 (7%); if your BMI is over 30, your risk is doubled to 14 in 100 (14%)
You are also more likely to need an instrumental (ventouse or forceps) delivery, and an emergency caesarean section.

Risks to the baby if you're overweight in pregnancy

Problems for your baby can include being born early (before 37 weeks), and an increased risk of stillbirth (from an overall risk of 1 in 200 in the UK to 1 in 100 if you have a BMI of 30 or more).

There is also a higher risk of foetal abnormality, such as neural tube defects like spina bifida. Overall, around 1 in 1,000 babies are born with neural tube defects in the UK. If your BMI is over 40, the risk is three times the risk of a woman with a BMI below 30.

I usually cook from scratch but we weren't trying any new recipes because of the 15 ingredients thing. I got a Simply Cook box to try because the first one was only £3 and I fully intended to cancel the subscription afterwards , but I'm thinking about continuing it on a monthly basis so we have one new dinner a week. It means I only have the fresh ingredients to buy, not all the spices and so on.

I’m overweight. I worry about it a lot. I ballooned ten years ago when I was pregnant and in an abusive relationship, and I just can’t get on top of it. Mainly because of a long term health condition causing pain and fatigue alongside medication that contributes to weight gain. None of which you would know from looking at me. People struggle to get on top of weight for all the reasons outlined by some of the previous posters. It’s not all down to lack of willpower and not giving a shit. Plenty of research to suggest it’s related to many factors outside a persons control. Interesting reading for anyone who wants to genuinely understand the issue.

There is a horrible irony I suppose in that exercise really really helps mental health issues. But when you're struggling with depression etc it's almost impossible to motivate yourself to try it.

I agree about the cooking. I think the plethora of cooking shows and people like Tom Kerridge and other celebrity chefs producing recipe books with 15 ingredients for one dish makes people thing cooking is difficult when its really not that hard most of the time, and doesn't take half the day.

I find this excuse really lame. There are many simple ingredient shows out there (Jamie, Delia, Nigella) and even more cookbooks. On line, there are so many resources for simple, easy recipes and a seemingly unlimited number of you tube videos which demonstrate how to make the recipes.

I am a completely self-taught cook who learned by experimenting, watching shows, a finding good cookbooks so I am speaking from experience.

Good cookbooks exist which teach about food and how to construct a dish without relying on recipes like "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" which help the beginner cook get a feel for how food comes together and to get better instincts in the kitchen.

Here is a great interview with the book's author.