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

@1forsorrow, you mentioned topless Putin on a white horse. So, Putin is a good example of a very healthy lifestyle. He does not drink, he does not smoke and he does lots of sports, including sports in the outdoors such as fishing and also ice hockey with his mates. His prime minister and press spokesman have both had Covid, but he hasn’t. No doubt he is well looked after, but I would have thought that the same would also go for those in his immediate circle. Everyone laughs at his topless antics, but actually he is a great role model if you think about it logically (and no, I’m not a Russian troll).

I am pleased to say that this is a fight I already won. 6.5 years ago I joined SW & lost 4 stones & I am still in target 5.5 years after.

@EmeraldShamrock I don't think you are comparing like with like there though. Fresh berries are expensive, but frozen are reasonably priced (I think I paid £1.50 in Aldi for blueberries), and I buy 14 bananas a week for less than £3.

Somebody feels so ashamed or self conscious of being overweight they have no confidence to go out and exercise

You don't have to 'go and exercise' though. That's part of the problem that people are really fixated with the idea of big changes being the way to go.

It can start with simple stuff like parking the other side of the supermarket carpark rather on double yellow lines outside it or walking 5 minutes to school. Or walking up stairs rather than taking the lift. Or buying one less packet of biscuits so there's less temptation in the house so you don't have to worry about a lack of self control.

Just a change of attitude along these lines can make a difference and start off changes. It's not about donning a dodgy tracksuit or wearing terrible lyrica which look awful on most people regardless of weight.

It's small gestures sustained not big grand plans that crash and burn that make the difference because they are things you don't notice so much.

Lots of poorer people (the demographic most likely to be overweight) don't have proper freezers. If they're lucky enough to have their own kitchen it's often a tiny one with only a small under counter fridge with ice compartment.

I don't think food banks hand out frozen food either.

Poverty isn't the only reason for obesity but it's just one example of why it's not always so simple for many people.

If Boris is serious about tackling obesity, and hopefully he is, this is something he'll need to sort out.

RTB that's definitely true. All those things add up to making a bigger difference. There are lots of free home workouts online too. It'd be good if people were given positive motivating tips like you suggested. Alongside MH support for more serious comfort eating where it's very much a form of self medication.

Toffee, have you ever observed supermarket trolleys in an inner city Lidl. A huge generalisation, but first generation Britons are buying fruit and veg and other staples. Others are buying a lot of processed food.

Nor does it seem obvious that people using chicken shops and other take away outlets are significantly better ff than the general population.

Our own experience was that doing our weekly shop at a market was far cheaper and healthier than using a supermarket.

Yes the better off can buy in bulk etc, however poverty is not nearly the whole reason. A lack of understanding of the impact of a poor diet, and a failure to do anything about it are far more important. Even small changes could make a big difference.

@ToffeeYoghurt I've lived in a flat with just a kitchenette and fridge with ice compartment. You work around it. Apples and bananas and oranges don't need refrigeration. I was pointing out that comparing the cost of fresh berries to biscuits is not a fair comparison.

I have just read a full thread that to my eyes, seems packed with emotion. Undertones of vitriol directed at people who are sharing their positive experiences. And tons of nonsense about "Boris can go to hell, he's no example" when it's precisely his experience that's motivated him to talk about it.

The excuse culture around weight loss in this country is what is keeping us as the fat nation of Europe.

So many people resent being told anything - GPs have a losing battle as the minute it's raised, it's seen as a commentary on personal failings.

So many folk have a reason not to change. A reason to shout at another person or scoff at a public person's exhortations, saying they won't change for X reason, when the lack of change is slowly killing them.

I bought strawberries and blueberries yesterday as a treat, they were €6 in blooming aldi
Buy seasonal. People can't really go and moan that they can't afford healthy snacks because blueberries and strawberries are expensive outside of the season...

You don't have to 'go and exercise' though. That's part of the problem that people are really fixated with the idea of big changes being the way to go.
It can start with simple stuff like parking the other side of the supermarket carpark rather on double yellow lines outside it or walking 5 minutes to school. Or walking up stairs rather than taking the lift. Or buying one less packet of biscuits so there's less temptation in the house so you don't have to worry about a lack of self control.
You are absolutely right!

We need to tackle the true causes behind many people's obesity
Indeed, and they are not the things you mentioned, otherwise, obesity would only affect a smaller proportion of the population, not the very high numbers that affect all kind of people, social class, age, financial situation etc...

The true cause is that over the years, we've grown to accept a level of eating and drinking as normal when it is much more than we need. It all comes down to bad habits and people finding much harder to tell themselves no than the previous generation did.

Buy seasonal. People can't really go and moan that they can't afford healthy snacks because blueberries and strawberries are expensive outside of the season
When did I say I can't afford healthy snacks? I was making reference to a family struggling for money.
Take the cheap frozen berries at £1.50 = same price for a cheap loaf of bread & pack of ham. I know what I'd choose to keep the DC hunger at bay.

I have always considered myself slim given i have pretty low body fat, low BMI, am toned and fit, but am size 12, I never knew it wasnt considered slim! Who knew

The free food box for shielding I got from the government was obviously designed for people with minimum cooking skills and facilities.

Which is fair enough as this may be the case for many or they are not able to cook dye to physical or other limitations,

But it did make think about what it would be like to live on that type of thing forever. I think I would put on weight fairly fast.

GinDaddy It's not excuses to note what's needed to help people lose weight or prevent them gaining it in the first place. It's not about saying they can't lose weight because.... It's about saying they need x, y, or z to be able to lose weight so please Boris give that to them.

Individual circumstances differ. For some people it's education or motivation that's needed. For others it's correct medical diagnoses or quicker treatment. And others need money or housing or MH support.

Some people (many thousands of families) live in one room. No kitchen or cooking facilities. Some might have one that's shared between several other unrelated families. Others have nothing.

Food banks don't tend to give out much in the way of fresh food. Variety is important.

Obesity has many causes, some complex. It can't be tackled if we don't acknowledge the issues and what needs to be done. Now that we know, we can do something about it.

I reckon they will introduce a metabo law payroll tax in Japan as this would put the onus on employers rather than government and will also raise revenue.

I mean "like in Japan".

don'tdisturbme If it really is only a small number of people who are obese because of poverty or MH or mobility issues due to long NHS waiting lists or poor housing or misdiagnosis or medication side effects, than that's good news. It means those particular causes of obesity are cheaply sorted out. It shouldn't cost too much to change things for them if it's a minority.

That's all sorted then. Boris can get to work on it tomorrow.

When did I say I can't afford healthy snacks? I was making reference to a family struggling for money.

I didn't say YOU said you can't afford snacks.
Fruit and healthy snacks need to be cheaper too.
I bought strawberries and blueberries yesterday as a treat, they were €6 in blooming aldi when a multi pack of crisps with biscuits would be half the cost and more filling, sometimes it is all people can afford.
I am simply replying to this and pointing out that saying healthy snacks must be cheaper while using strawberries and blueberries outside of the season is not a good example.

I know what I'd choose to keep the DC hunger at bay.

But if DC are overweight the hunger is probably sugar craving. In which case they might be better off with an apple or a carrot, than with bread.

The first thing I learnt when trying to lose weight is that 'hunger' is deceptive. Some types of food, sugar and processed carbs, quite often leave you feeling hungry once the sugar rush has passed.

@ToffeeYoghurt

I am aghast to hear of people with their families in one room. Cooking healthily and ensuring a good intake becomes horrendous at that point.

However I worry that examples like this distort and distract from the general average person who gets angry or defensive on threads like these. They're most likely not living in one room with children struggling (although I await inevitably being told that yep all of them are. It's the Mumsnet way).

It's like when someone tries to talk about the reasonableness of a parent with young children trying to use a designated spot near a door to help them with shopping. Nope! Everyone who parks there without children has a hidden disability. How could one dare even raise the topic without including and listing every single exception, thereby rendering the whole argument null and void?

It's the Mumsnet "scorched earth" policy when it comes to arguments on here. Want to talk about something that makes me uncomfortable? No problem - I'll just go on a "whatabouttery" crusade and let everyone know how unreasonable your comments are because I could have X and Y condition/I could be stressed etc

There are a large number of people who want to attack Boris' physique and personality because he is telling them something they don't want to hear. That's my view, I think that's a real thing

they might be better off with an apple or a carrot

Bit out of the thread point but if you grate apple and carrot, mix with squeeze of lemon juice and pinch of sugar you end up with super tasty thing I could live on that for days if I had to

It'd be good if people were given positive motivating tips like you suggested. Alongside MH support for more serious comfort eating where it's very much a form of self medication.

The same thing is true about improving mental health. It's about setting small achievable goals as much as any other treatment in many cases. Even if the daily goal is 'get dressed today' or 'walk to the end of the street'. It's about the small building blocks and a new feed back loop. The simpler and easier it starts the less opportunity for big setbacks which psychologically are hard to come back from.

This year I've really tried this approach and it does work. I'm not doing it to do lose weight but I have got more active and I have actually lost a couple of pounds and feel healthier in more ways than one.

I think the problem with the big effort, go to the gym, completely new diet approach is because it's not natural and not sustainable for that reason. It has to become things you'd do without thinking almost subconsciously or at least without it feeling like it's difficult or inconvenient. It's also not about this pain / reward cycle.

Walking from a parking space at the other end of Tesco can be just as easy as driving around in circles trying to find one right by the entrance and you have more space to open doors as there's a free space new door etc for example.

Sounds stupid but it does make a difference bit by bit.

To be fair to @GinDaddyRedux he does have a point.

GinDaddyRedux makes a very valid point and sums up why every such thread gets derailed.