To resent people who use the "she's thin because she's rich" fallacy?

[GinDaddy]

I recently read an article on Carole Middleton, mother of the Duchess of Cambridge. It was one of the creepy DM ones that highlighted her "trim figure" in a bikini or whatever nonsense they wrote, at her age of 60-something.

What struck me were the comments underneath the article. Hundreds of them saying the same thing:

"She's only thin because she's rich and has the time to be thin".

AIBU to think this is a slightly silly fallacy, a nonsense argument used by people who potentially resent their own weight and situation?

ok YES I agree that if you have staff, you have a business and/or are retired and therefore can control your hours and schedule, that automatically opens up huge swathes of time for the gym, and home cooking.

However how does that account for Oprah, Rebel Wilson, Gemma Collins, etc etc? These are well off (rich in Oprah's case) powerful women whose weight has fluctuated a lot. I'm not criticising them whatsoever. I'm just suggesting that surely there's more to it than just "she's rich therefore she will be thin?"

Carole Middleton has good genetics sure, but it's clearly more than that. She has had a life of self discipline, perhaps borne out of her initial job in the skies, and a slightly old fashioned sense of weight and "keeping one's figure" that has clearly been transmitted down to her daughters. I think her approach pre-dates the money, it's clearly simply a life choice - one no better than anyone else's, but a choice nonetheless.

AIBU here to think the "she's rich, therefore she's lucky and can be thin" is a bit of a straw argument, when I can see plenty of folk around me who don't have such resources but perhaps share Carole's ethos and therefore have prioritised the things that make them a certain way?

Fully prepared to be stamped on as is the AIBU ritual but it's an argument I see time and time again

There is definitely a link between social class and obesity.

There is a link between poverty and obesity, but it's a complex link given that eating healthily can be done extremely cheaply and time efficiently, and nobody needs to go to the gym to avoid obesity, or even to keep fit if they do follow an exercise regime.

It's not a question of not being able to afford to be slim, but has other psychological causes and roots that poverty influences.

YANBU.
It is indeed a fallacy.

There is a link between poverty and obesity in developed countries (it used to be the reverse), but a fallacy means that you can't make conclusions to individual cases.

Individual people may be thin or obese (or the correct weight) due to lots of different factors. Unless you know the person's individual circumstances, you cannot know why they are thin or obese.

WorraLiberty - when i was on a budget i found budget items of products contained more calories than more expensive items. So it was easy to consume more calories whilst making very similar eating choices. Obviously you make totally different food choices and avoid this - but simple stuff like a tin of soup, slice of bread where more calories with the budget version. It made me realise how two people could eat the same diet yet have different calorie intake very easily

My Ds is rich. Her house is massive and she must cover miles traipsing from room to room over the course of a day. I am poor. My 2 up 2 down does not require stamina or fitness to traverse. I am fat. Discovering the rich big house thin/poor small house fat theory was mind blowing.

@damnthatanxiety
Actually, as someone who regularly visits incredibly deprived areas in Africa, I can confirm you will find many obese people. Obviously not everyone, but still their fair share

Poor people are statistically more obese

squeekums

"oh damn i missed that memo.
Thin, never ever been rich or even well off
pure genetics on my part nothing else
i dont exercise and eat as i please
but i dont eat when bored or past that full feeling"

I'd say that's the key. Not 'pure genetics and nothing else'.

Of course, on a population level, there is a link between poor and being overweight. It's just easier to keep slim if you are affluent. You live in nicer areas that it is nice to walk/run in, you can go for a run without someone throwing chips as you; you can afford leisure activities, instead of not being able to go out so your leisure time becomes staying in and eating biscuits.

It's just easier.

@MrOnionsBumperRoller I don't think it is true. My Dsis lives in a mini mansion she only eats a vegan diet and she is easily 3 stone more than me. I am the poor one in the small house.
She is constantly thinking about her next meal, eating breakfast planning dinner.
If she didn't eat the healthier option granted she would be a lot bigger. It is her appetite not purse size. I suppose the purse is helping her with healthier choices.

WorraLiberty - when i was on a budget i found budget items of products contained more calories than more expensive items. So it was easy to consume more calories whilst making very similar eating choices. Obviously you make totally different food choices and avoid this - but simple stuff like a tin of soup, slice of bread where more calories with the budget version. It made me realise how two people could eat the same diet yet have different calorie intake very easily

Yes I get that but the threads were about volume of food in one sitting (the ability to eat beyond hunger being satisfied) and snacking etc.

It's not just MN. Just about most slim people I know in RL, eat less that overweight people.

Reading a lot of the comments on here, a lot of people saying the link between poverty and obesity is proven.
Here’s one for you then: at one point my husband and I were struggling ALOT! We only bought fresh food and cooked home made meals. We were both working but due to various reasons life was hectic and we were in debt, but we made the effort to cook dinner and take left overs for lunch to save money. I just don’t understand why people think eating unhealthily is cheaper, in my experience it is not! A lack of food education is the problem. Oats for porridge are cheap and filling and nutritious. Dried beans and lentils are cheap, mixed with some veg is filling and nutritious. These foods are cheaper than McDonalds or frozen processed crap!
I was a size 8 back then.

Now we earn very decent money and are doing financially quite well (have decent savings etc) yet we are both bigger - the reason, I think, is because we dine out more now, go to the cinema (popcorn) and socialise more than when we didn’t have a pot to pee in.

I have a friend who is struggling yet eats spring rolls and KFC as ‘its Cheaper’. Both her and her child are overweight.

Sorry to sound judgemental, but have been in poverty I just don’t understand!

I think whilst genetics and social standing pay some part, it’s no coincidence, that the people who “can’t resist” a second cake at birthday time in the office are the larger ones.

To add to my point above, we are a lot of salads too to save on the gas/electricity cost. Lentil salads/ bean salads and raw veg are delicious

*ate!

I agree! I think people forget its down to what people choose to eat. Look at Donald Trump, very rich but not healthy! I also seen a different thread yesterday on here, were someone commented that many thin people don’t like fat people and that most thin people have issues with food.

changeorendure Sorry, I disagree with your point. I grew up in central London in quite a dangerous area - shootings/stabbings/drug dealing were not uncommon (early 80s) my family were working class and struggled at times.
My parents still ensured we ate well (as cheaper than eating junk food), and we would walk on the weekends - we would walk for half an hour to a nicer park, run around for a bit then walk back. None of us we’re overweight at all.

Nowadays there is a HUGE amount of chemicals in food. Palm Oil is a massive problem. There is a link between that and obesity and heart problems, yet it is in practically everything, Imperial College we’re researching it.
Not to mention the environmental devastation it causes.

@Anon7728 has said it all, it's great to read some lived experience which doesn't blame anything and shows awareness of life stages and choices

I think it is a lot to do with the fast food culture. if you want a quick snack what is on offer? McDonalds, Greggs, Kentucky, Subway etc.

We lived in a southern european country for many years and there were loads of small family run restaurants offering a cheap dish of the day which was usually cooked from scratch.

I'm not saying that there were no overweight people but there were certainly far fewer than in the UK. This was gradually changing by the time we left as fast food restaurants gradually started to open.

Whenever we have gone to a restaurant in the UK, even a supposedly good one, there seems to be an inordinate amount of food cooked in batter or smothered in rich sauces. It is virtually impossible to get a simple freshly grilled piece of fish with a salad and I think this is appalling considering that we are an island nation.

Food standards generally in the UK are pretty poor unless you can afford to eat at expensive restaurants and buy free range or local produce.

The lack of cookery teaching in schools doesn't help. If a generation is brought up on pre-packaged and fast foods then there is no-one to pass on cooking skills.

Obviously exercise plays a part but, as previous PPs have said, if you are holding down a job, caring for a family and often elderly parents, then exercise is often not your top priority.

I am just amazed at the degree of ignorance about obesity displayed in this kind of threads, everything in there, from greed and laziness, lack of self-discipline and nothing to do with poverty all the way to eat less move more, all proven to be, by and large, wrong by actual science

and so much moralising about it, too, from overweight people self-hating and feeling like they have to express loathing for their own bodies and "accept responsibility" to thin people feeling smug and self-congratulatory

it is a very complicated problem with a variety of causes, and has very little to do with moral failings and virtues

just learn a little about it please!

If I won the lottery I would be fat as butter.

I'd eat out every meal.

The lack of cookery teaching in schools doesn't help. If a generation is brought up on pre-packaged and fast foods then there is no-one to pass on cooking skills.

And yet the internet has literally millions of easy, step-by-step cooking tutorials to suit all budgets.

The lack of cookery teaching at home is a bigger problem imo.

You said the word 'self-discipline'. Rich people are more likely to have parents who themselves disclosed more self-discipline and taught their kids to be so.

Self-discipline is no fun, everyone (or just about) hates it, but it comes more naturally for some, due to education, genes, exposure. The latter being key, like everything, to find something easier, you have to practice it more, so the more you are exposed to things that demand self-discipline, the easier it will become.

I am just amazed at the degree of ignorance about obesity displayed in this kind of threads, everything in there, from greed and laziness, lack of self-discipline and nothing to do with poverty all the way to eat less move more, all proven to be, by and large, wrong by actual science

Everything you have listed there tends to have something to do with obesity.

And whether you move more or not, eating less generally speaking will help you lose weight, especially if you go from having a huge food intake to a moderate one.

So it's a bit rich of you to come on wagging fingers at people and telling them to 'just learn a little bit about it'...

I am poor and thin. I've always eaten vegetables and I don't like take aways. All my children are thin and they all eat loads. I have always had a weird stigma about my weight. Exp looks like she hasn't eaten. I've been called a skinny rake also annerexic it's not nice. From my experience even though I've tried to put weight on people just like to comment. I think it's about choice ie you can choose 1 macdonalds meal or you can buy a bag of potatoes a packet of sausages and a tin of beans for the same price. Although you can feed 4 people. People put different things in the way of eating even a semi healthy diet. People must find the time to eat healthy. Ie apole or bag of crisps same time same price.