Boris declares war on fat

[Weallhavevalidopinions]

Boris has said his being overweight contributed to his problems with Covid-19.
Stories this morning suggest he will wage war on fat...

What type of help do you think might be suggested?

Have you decided to lose weight due to Covid-19 worries?

YABU - no I will not lose weight due to Covid worries
YANBU - I will lose weight due to Covid worries

If you get fat you get sick and die......Oh yeah, that'll be right.

I'm also guessing that Boris lost weight because of Covid-19 and not because of any efforts he made.

I think there are two things going on, and I have different reactions to them.

1. I am overweight and am exercising to try to lose it, partially because of Cv, partially because I wanted to anyway. I put the weight on because of an incredibly stressful period of time, and I over-ate, stupidly yes, but I was not in the best decision-making phase.

1. The government is in a real mess with how it has handled, and how it is continuing to handle the crisis. Its inactions have caused tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths. It doesn't want to lose votes over that, so it's looking to shift blame. And this kind of talk is to start to encourage people to blame victims, to blame themselves if they get it, rather than the structural problems in our society right now, and the huge MH issues that have worsened with less investment, and with the idiocy of Brexit. And I don't want to fall for that.

Considering I should have died three decades ago, I’m not going to lose sleep over how many years scientists/politicians say I will lose due to my weight.

I'm not stressing over ht, because I get obsessive. I'm overweight but otherwise I'm healthy. The only medication I take is an opiate substitute and anxiety medication.

I've yoyoed a lot in the past and as a tswn was obsessed. I exercised regularly doing 3hrs a night about 6 nights a week. I was too small to wear size 6 and really punished myself. Since then 8ve grown in size but still had the obsession and attempted to lose weight by doing weight club, starving on weigh days and using laxatives. My attitude to it all is so fucekd up. For now, I'm just trying to exercise more and eat a bit healthier. But some days like today, lunch is hummus and crackers and tea is pizza and wine.

@duffeldaisy - What on earth are you on about? Are you saying that these people who were obese that died from Covid should blame the government?

Take some personal responsibility and stop trying to shift the blame somewhere else. The government are not doing this, they are pointing out that statistically you have a much greater chance of dieing of Covid if you are obese. That is not shifting the blame, that is stating facts.

Would you rather they not make these announcements?

For now, I'm just trying to exercise more and eat a bit healthier. But some days like today, lunch is hummus and crackers and tea is pizza and wine.

And that's absolutely fine! Balance. That's it. Good luck with keeping yourself ok

Why are some people so angry about this? It’s not like Boris is wrong. We do need to tackle the obesity crisis. And not everyone is obese because they have mental or physical health issues.

Jesus, I went up to a sixteen, likely an eighteen at one point, I didn’t have mental or physical health issues, I was being lazy and greedy, that’s it. No way round it. I got into a habit of eating Ben and Jerry’s on the sofa. I’ve a friend with a signicant weight issue. She’d be the first to tell you the same. She “loves food and eating” and will tell you that’s the issue.

This isn’t about blame. But it is about personal responsibility where that’s appropriate, We need to stop pretending that no one is obese because they eat too much. Plenty folks do. I was one of them. Until people who are in this category own it, the obesity crisis won’t ever change.

A calorie is a calorie - be it from cucumber or a burger

There are about 4,400 calories in a pint of petrol. Equivalent to around 19 Mars bars.

No matter how much petrol you drink, you won't put on weight.

This isn’t about blame. But it is about personal responsibility where that’s appropriate, We need to stop pretending that no one is obese because they eat too much. Plenty folks do. I was one of them. Until people who are in this category own it, the obesity crisis won’t ever change.
🙋

Surely if the by-product of this virus is anyone losing weight to become more healthy it’s a bloody good thing. Good on Boris to fessing up. Carrying too much weight is an all round health risk.

There are about 4,400 calories in a pint of petrol.

Why. Why did someone even think of testing calories in petrol. Why.

So much of it is about understanding nutrition. Breakfast cereals for example are sugary junk yet there is an aisle of them in the supermarket and it's seen as normal to start your day with them. How many people actually eat the recommended 7 fruit and veg portions?

People obsess over calories not nutrition as well.100 calories of nuts is nutritionally different to 100 calories of a Muller light but one is labelled "low fat" & the other has fats in...

Children are brought up on bland junk so itlays poor foundations.l for life. Foods are viewed as a treat. I treated myself to a McDonald's etc.

A treat for me is going to a nice fish restaurant or an a la cart restaurant that makes good 10 x better than I can cook.

You can't exercise off a bad diet but few people do enough exercise. I Have a colleague that drives the half Mile to work (no children, works 9-5).

Just don't buy crisps and chocolate and biscuits. I've seen people use the vegetable drawer of a fridge for biscuits. If it's not there it cant be eaten. Very few people can't medical conditions that mean they can't lose weight.a lot try dad diets and are suprised they don't work and blame their body.

No one wants to admit they eat too much. I know I'm a naturally very hungry person so I eat 3 meals day and snacks. I just make sure it's all nutritionally good. If you are hungry you won't ever sustain it. We need To move away from thinking of restrictive dieting if we have any hope of people losing weight.

Why. Why did someone even think of testing calories in petrol. Why.

Because a calorie is a standard unit of energy.

Have a look at your gas bill.

www.nationalgridgas.com/data-and-operations/calorific-value-cv

" Are you saying that these people who were obese that died from Covid should blame the government?"

Yes, I am. Because the virus was allowed to spread to the point where there was great risk to people. We had warnings from Italy, we had years of NHS staff warning that they needed more investment.
The government openly took a 'herd immunity' strategy at first, knowing that that would result in hundreds of thousands of deaths before any herd immunity was reached.

Of course people need to take responsibility for their health, but eating and obesity is an extremely complicated thing connected hugely with mental health and poverty. If it was easy then there wouldn't be so many people with weight problems.

@PhoneLock okkkkk. So I am now going to be bit of an idiot and admit that I've never realised it's used in that way too😳 I thought different units were used

Yes, I am. Because the virus was allowed to spread to the point where there was great risk to people. We had warnings from Italy, we had years of NHS staff warning that they needed more investment.

But none of that absolves us of personal responsibility.

We've just had a wake up call, a short, sharp shock that we need to heed.

Voted YABU because I am a healthy weight. I plan to lose a little more but Covid has nothing to do with it. If I was overweight, however, I might feel more incentive to lose the excess due to Covid.

I'm angry about what Boris has to say because he has yet to acknowledge how poorly he and his Government have handled the pandemic. Obesity is being used as a headline grabber. It will be interesting to read the findings of an independent review once things settle down. I can't believe people aren't getting angrier about the mismanagement and incompetence of this government.

@Thighmageddon

Yes, fine, take personal steps - I am too, but turning it outwards into people being 'deserving' of getting ill is a very nasty, isolated view. We have to focus, too, on bigger societal pressures on people who perhaps have financial, MH, or other hidden situations that make things massively harder for them to achieve.

Of course people need to take responsibility for their health, but eating and obesity is an extremely complicated thing connected hugely with mental health and poverty. If it was easy then there wouldn't be so many people with weight problems

Right because dealing with a global pandemic is Easy in comparison. Balancing the vulnerable, the economy and the virus. Yup you’re right.

Look it’s not about blame, stop focusing on who is to blame. Whether you agree with the governments policies or not, it simply doesn’t remove personal responsibility.

I've been considering a consultation for bariatric surgery.

I think I'll keep saving and trying to lose weight. Then as soon as my car's paid off I'm going to enquire about it as I'll have that extra money to put towards it.

They're preparing to blame fat people for the government's failings. Plain as day.

They're preparing to blame fat people for the government's failings. Plain as day.

I agree. It's a distraction from the reality of the Government's incompetence.

Our supermarkets are overflowing with inexpensive calorie packed junk’ food, processed crap, and ready meals. Sugar, salt, and all the e crap is highly addictive. Any real “war” would need to target the sellers of this junk, and no political party has the stomach for those kind of battles, least of all the Conservatives.