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

rhowton that is amazing! You will do it!

Agree with @Hunnybears that genetics plays some sort of part even though it’s routinly denied on here.

I also think if there’s going to be a public health drive to reduce obesity, it needs to show a bigger variety of bodies that are healthy. I’m totally sick of the fitspo and strong is the new skinny movement dominating social media at the moment. It’s no wonder people would rather embrace body positivity and remaining fat when the ‘perfect body’ is so bloody unattainable for most people with office jobs, kids etc.

Not saying being fit and strong isn’t healthy goal to work towards, ofc it is, but it’s also completely possible to be healthy and fit without washboard abs and 10% body fat. Yet that’s what the media is telling us we need to look like. I can see why it seems like some mammoth task to be healthy to some, when it doesn’t need to be.

Weight is such a trigger on here. It’s like Voldemort. No one should utter its name.

For example a friend of mine is a hairdresser. Stands on her feet 4.5 days a week. She eats healthy lunches yet she’s morbidly obese. Now I don’t believe she goes hone and gorges on 3 takeaway meals each night. To stay the weight she is, she would need to consume a heck of a lot of calories. I find that hard to believe so I can only assume her body doesn’t have a metabolism as fast as say mine?

Standing on your feet is different to walking or exercising. It simply doesn't burn as much. It's very easy to consume hell of a lot of calories for dinner. Very easy.

Johnson promoting weight loss makes me want to do the exact opposite, and I'm about go shopping, so extra doughnuts for the Lakie household today

Cool. Thanks for the added pressure to the NHS the overweight Lakie Household will invariably add.

Agree with PPs there’s too many excuses and not enough personal responsibility. Yes, losing weight IS hard. But it’s not impossible.

@Bluntness100 Fat "Molecules-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named"

For example a friend of mine is a hairdresser. Stands on her feet 4.5 days a week. She eats healthy lunches yet she’s morbidly obese. Now I don’t believe she goes hone and gorges on 3 takeaway meals each night. To stay the weight she is, she would need to consume a heck of a lot of calories. I find that hard to believe so I can only assume her body doesn’t have a metabolism as fast as say mine?

What are her healthy lunches? I have a friend who believes eating a jacket potato with cheese and beans everyday is a healthy lunch.

I was overweight for years; the only way I managed to lose weight was by going on the one meal a day diet. And not thinking that because it was just one meal a day that meal could be a large McDonald's meal or something.

DH struggles to maintain a healthy weight and genuinely needs 4-5 proper meals a day not to lose weight rapidly. It was worse when we were younger, but even now as a 40 something he is someone who has to eat quite a lot not to be very thin.

But DH's metabolism is his and mine is mine; wasting time whining about how he just doesn't gain weight and I do is pointless. If I want to lose weight I know how to do it: I eat significantly less than I want to eat and put up with being hungry at times.

I'm several stone overweight (at least a stone gained since lock down). I have arthritis [gained a lot of my weight through steroid treatment but I am now on a different medication] and I I also have anxiety / depression [began therapy in January but this has been put on hold since March]

For me, sadly, its not as simple as just losing weight.

Am actually thankful to have a wisdom tooth infection so I can't eat much.

I have lost weight before (3st) and managed to keep it off until my Arthritis flared and I spent 6 months housebound and unable to walk.

People who have never had to worry about their weight, will never fully understand how hard it is to lose / control weight.

Good point. I once managed to make 800 cal salad😂 It did look healthy though. I laugh now but was very angry at myself a bit ago when I started looking back on what i was eating. Healthy LOOKING food.

Thanks for the added pressure to the NHS the overweight Lakie Household will invariably add

This just bollocks. It really pisses me off. The only time in my extremely healthy life I’ve made demands on the NHS in almost seven decades was removal of my gallbladder when my BMI was in the normal range. It isn’t any more, yet I have low blood pressure, normal blood sugar and am the only person I know of my age not prescribed any medication or with any long term health conditions. So the Lakie household can have my share.

It is scientifically impossible for your friend eat less than she burns off and not lose weight.

One can argue until the cows come home, however, it is basic thermodynamics. If energy in is greater than energy out then you put on weight. Stood still cutting hair will raise your BMR a little, but not significantly.

People are also genuinely unaware of the calorific content of food and will consume 3 times the requited amount blissfully unaware. I am not one for counting calories, however, I think people should be mindful of them if looking to lose weight.

If Boris wants to bring down the obesity rate, he would be better off having a "war" on poverty, as poor people are far more likely to be overweight due to poor diet and other lifestyle factors

^this 100% - also taxes on crappy fast food and sugar, more nutritional classes in schools, knowledge is very important.

CV could be around for many years to come, improving the nations health needs to be a high priority for all, not just those who can afford it, safe and sustainable weight loss is a great idea and if johnson is genuine, good on him.

Does anyone know if very low calorie or very high fat/low fat diets can give you gallbladder issues? I know I have heard something to this effect but cannot remember what...

He is right people really need help. 65% of us are overweight or obese. It is a very serious health problem and the advice thus far is as confusing as it gets. This country can save a lot of money if we improve people’s health.

I love wine and chocolate too. I am sticking drinking to Fri/Sat nights, sweets maybe every other day.
I do Joe Wicks Mon-Fri and follow the 16:8 fast, i lost a stone in the month before lockdown by going to gym 3 times a week, since lockdown my eating has gotten worse but i've stayed the same, started a few days ago to eat better so hopefully can start losing again.
Still around 3 stone to go :-(

Oh God I just had a horrible thought. Do you think if he loses weight and gets fit he'll do a Putin and we'll have pictures of him topless showing of his abs while riding a white horse? That's an image that's going to haunt me.

Johnson promoting weight loss makes me want to do the exact opposite, and I'm about go shopping, so extra doughnuts for the Lakie household today

This sentence should go next to the phrase 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' as an absolutely perfect example.

I have been making slow lifestyle changes. Doing things like drinking lemon water before breakfast, eating more fruit and veg, using the elliptical that had been forgotten at the back of the garage. Getting 20 minutes of direct sunlight when it puts in an appearance. Getting 8 hours sleep. Drinking more water, etc. Just gentle attempts to get a bit more healthy. That are then counteracted by the dc's begging for pizza or for me to make cakes. Literally all of my favourite food places in town are closed to customers but making deliveries. I'm aware of the near futility of getting off the elliptical to answer the door to a pizza delivery... I need to get stricter with myself.

This virus really has been a wake-up call, though why I'm more frightened of this than of heart disease/diabetes I don't know. I suppose because it's here right now.

I don't know if we do need to address our fat crisis. It's not like we don't know how we get fat. The support is already there really. Unfortunately the most likely thing to happen is that local busybodies will see fit to start fatshaming.

Indeed Joe

Same here. Shame I did the weekly shop yesterday, if I was going today it would be cream cakes all the way

@alsohuman - Really? You’d buy cream cakes to gain weight to spite Boris Johnson?

Cool.

Whether it pisses you off or not obesity is connected to a huge amount of health problems and is a massive drain on the NHS.

Oh God I just had a horrible thought. Do you think if he loses weight and gets fit he'll do a Putin and we'll have pictures of him topless showing of his abs while riding a white horse? That's an image that's going to haunt me.
😂😂😂

I've been trying to lose weight for years, for my own reasons, and it is coming off slowly. Quite frankly, Boris can fuck off. How can anyone take anything that bumbling twat says seriously

In this case he's right though, isn't he?

I am sure there will be a big push for people to lose weight however whilst the NHS Eatwell message is still pushing lots of carbs nearly everyone will struggle in misery. Whilst the message is 'go and exercise more' nearly everyone will struggle in misery.

A complete turnaround, based on the science (catchy eh) needs to be sent out:

• low carb with high fat and medium protein
• what you eat is 80%, exercise is on 20% - do exercise that you enjoy and build up slowly but concentrate on what you eat first and do not count any exercise calories
• don't drink you calories
• the use of bmi and waist measurement as an indicator

Attitudes need to change, individuals need to take responsibility for themselves and their health. We don't need gimmicks or giving out free fitbits and gym membership - there are loads of free videos on line or you could just walk - but walk faster so you get a bit out of breath.

Across the whole of Europe the link has been proven between relative poverty and obesity. The Tory government has quite happily plunged people into further poverty and deprivation. So this must be a distraction tatic, as well as a blame and false sense of security tatic.

I've been losing weight since last year. Had a blip at Christmas, stress ate when this came out, but now I'm back on a healthy eating plan. Low processed carbs, high protein and calorie counting. Carbs were important to cut because I was prediabetic. I've bought a cross trainer and I've got weights. Where I live isn't safe to walk.

My problem with that report is that it talks about obesity and the need for bigger beds. I'm obese and a size 14. People in denial often say 'well at least I'm not the size you see some people', but as said having a BMI over 30 increases your risk. You don't know what's going on, on the inside. But I'd extend that to people who drink over the recommended amount as well.

A lot of people on the diet forums I'm on have restarted because of Covid.