To be disgusted with this woman

[Northernsoulgirl45]

So on This Morning the other day some fitness expert called anyone over a 16 lazy or having low esteem so and wouldn't work with them. Funnily enough is comments like this that contribute to low self esteem.

Aibu to be disgusted with this attitude and not even believe the statistics she spouted as fact. Apparently once you are obese you have double the sick days and shave at least 8 years off you life expectancy.
Ok I am not working full time but not had any sick days in years but dh has had 3 months off in last two years. So impossible to generalise.

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/fitness-expert-who-wont-work-18640266

Obesity IS a contributory factor in hundreds of health conditions. This 'anti-fat-shaming' culture helps no-one.

In which case, surely a fitness instructor is best placed to help someone fix the problem and refusing to work with someone over size 16 is a really idiotic thing to do.

What I find more worrying is that a mainstream program gives a story like this airtime. She's an unknown nobody with a view that most reasonable people would find at best silly and at worst batshit. The world is full of nobodies with off-the-wall views. It's better all round if they remain nobodies rather than being shoved into the spotlight by trash media. This sort of story adds no value whatsoever and you either end up with a vulnerable person being exposed to mockery and bullying that they are ill equipped for or you create a monster like Katie Hopkins or David Icke.

I think the other reason why overweight/obese have poorer health outcomes is because any health issue is automatically put down to weight and not investigated. Certainly when I had a hernia I had a full house of risk factors, persistent cough, heavy lifting, previous surgery but the surgeon just focussed on my weight. Didn't offer any support with it but refused to do surgery until I lost weight.
I lost it by crash dieting but months later I was heavier than before.
Also asked GP but they refused as I didn't qualify because I paid for prescriptions!

@Northernsoulgirl45

That's just it though. I belong to a group who walk for mental health benefits. Exercise is my self care and I resent being classed as laxy because my clothes are a size 16/18 at the moment. I cant wait to get back to the gym and pool too.

But what I don't get is if you're so driven and work out a lot, shouldn't you lose weight and become slimmer?

I think vanity sizing is "Shops catering to the actual size people are". Though I know a lot of people aren't catered for.

I'm a standard size 14, and am 5'7", 39" 30" 39". Yes I am in the overweight range and would like to be lighter (not for want of trying), BMI 28 but I take regular exercise and am an hourglass shape, and my blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure are all perfect and my waist measurement is below the diabetes risk zone. In the 1960s (or even the 1980s) I might have been a 16 or 18 and perhaps not have been able to find clothes to fit in regular shops. Why should I represent the outer limit* of clothing sizes now when I actually look quite slim compared with a lot of people? Of course clothes sizes had to change with society getting taller and larger.

Shaming people by getting them to squeeze into clothes which are too small is not going to help them feel in a good place to lose weight.

*Actually in sports clothes I am often wearing the largest size they make.

She sounds like a prick.

I’m a size 10 (just over 9 stone) and lazy as they come. I eat what I like and love nothing more that puddings and cakes and sweet things. I do try to eat healthy about 4 days a week- although that would include lasagne, sausages with mash and veg etc and lots of butter in the potatoes etc.. so it’s healthy for me in the sense it has protein, carbs and vegetables but some would say absolutely not the lose weight healthy food that they would consider.

I sit on my arse all day at work and hate house work. I’ve never set foot in a gym and I don’t exercise.

My point is - it must be genetics and I must have a faster metabolism that many people. People would look at me and assume I work out etc... my DH would laugh at the thought!

But they are wrong. I hate exercise. I drive everywhere, rarely walk etc..

I know a woman who runs exercise classes etc and she’s not small. She’s quite large. I would assume she’d have no fat on her based on the fact her job is an exercise coach. Without a shadow of a doubt she’s a lot bigger than me, but she’s certainly fitter than me and absolutely no where near as lazy as me!

So my point is- people shouldn’t judge!!

But what I don't get is if you're so driven and work out a lot, shouldn't you lose weight and become slimmer?

Lots of possible reasons.

Ineffective exercise;
Insufficient exercise or physical exertion generally (an hour of moderate exercise won't help massively if you are sedentary the other 23 hours of every day);
Consuming more calories than you burn;
Unhealthy diet;
Having a naturally large frame;
Increase in muscle mass through exercise (not all weight is fat);
Hormonal etc reasons.

I think that woman has done her cause more harm than good, to be honest. She came across as an empty-headed bimbo.
If I was considering employing a personal trainer to get fit and healthy, I sure as hell wouldn't touch her with a barge-pole. I would want someone non-judgemental, who would support me and help me feel better about myself, not shit.

She’s trying to drum up publicity for her business by making ‘shocking’ comments on TV to get people talking. She absolutely reeks of desperation, in summary.

Her attitude stinks, but her rationale isn't far off; however as a PP said, you'll struggle to have a sensible discussion about this on MN

academic.oup.com/occmed/article/60/5/362/1382790

I bet she wouldn't hesitate to let an overweight doctor save her life though.

I would say that in a business capacity she has just had her "Gerald Ratner" moment.

I’m over a 16, I’m not lazy and nor do I have low self esteem, I’m just disabled and unable to exercise.

In my case probably comfort eating and being stuck in a cycle of yo yo dieting which may or may not bugger up you metabolism. Being short so less room to manoeuvre with intake.
Bad mindset. Ie allowing a bad day to become a bad week.
Probably at the start of lockdown drinking too much due to the stress of everything.
Anyway last summer I got into size 14 skinny jeans and was merely overweight . Hopefully by Christmas I can do the same.

Its not double though puzzled and those woth a higher BMI tended to be older as most people pick up medical problems as they age.

Ignore ny comment about age as that is wrong.

If I was looking for a personal trainer, I wouldn't choose her.

It's easy to work in fitness if your clients are already fit, isn't it?

It takes a much better and more knowledgeable instructor to work with unfit, overweight people, because you have to know how they think, and how to encourage them. I have been to trendy gyms where everyone's thin and beautiful, and other places where there's a much wider variety of body sizes, and the instructors are so much better at the mixed places.

If you can only work with thin clients in the first place then you're obviously not very good at your job and not very experienced.

@ivycw losing weight doesn't seem to be a problem for me. It's keeping it off.

She was hoping for her fifteen minutes. She got them. Her blog is dull. Embarrassingly dull. There's hardly any content on there and nothing new. You'd think she'd be able to come up with more inspiring words as someone who professes to do just that.

People were much skinnier in the 50s snd 60s but many smoked too. They had less sedate jobs and walked a lot more.
I'm overweight but I don't smoke and try to eat healthily. I've been going out for more walks during lockdown which has done me good but I've a long way to go to to lose that extra stone.
I went to Florida in 1990 and was amazed at how big people were ( I was only 25 myself and could walk around easily enough in the heat , where others were really struggling to even get up a small step for example but I was much thinner back then)
It's the same here now too decades on and I do blame the fast food culture that did come over from the states and how easy it is to fill up on bad foods as a treat.

@MadameMeursault

Us overweight people may not live as long but I bet our shorter years are happier than saddos who are always in the gym and eating rabbit food 😂

Nice try , whilst I think the fitness trainer in the OP is a complete idiot your comment isn't alot better. I have lost 8 stone and have gone from being obese and eating all the junk food to being size 8/10 and a healthy weight. I enjoy my food more ,I have so much more energy and my anxiety and depression has lifted completely. Don't kid yourself that junk food and crap makes you happier ,it really doesn't in the long term. I don't feel any guilt about food , nor do I spend hours exercising. I am 100 % happier and ita got bugger all to do with what I look like but all the health benefits of losing weight.

That said, this woman the OP has described is basically just not very bright is she ? If you really honestly are stupid enough to try an boil down the complex issue of people and obesity , self esteem and societal hierarchy into her soundbites it just tells me you can't think in any more complex way than " overweight bad skinny good" and just results in me completely discounting any of your opinions.

Weight gain or loss can be about health , self identity, historical prejudices , emotional upbringing , current environment and any number of other triggers depending on personal circumstances. Its ridiculous everyone seems to have simple answer to a complex issue that's been around for a long time.

I honestly think she just wanted her 5 minutes on tv. I wouldn't think anymore of it or she gets more of the attention she's after.

@LEELULUMPKIN

I would say that in a business capacity she has just had her "Gerald Ratner" moment.

Oh I do hope so!

@Northernsoulgirl45

A friend mentioned it on social media so I foolishly took a look. so get new friends

@Northernsoulgirl45
Anyway I should expect this kind of response on here I suppose

I take a lot of responsibility for my body. It’s a job. No one is perfect, we all have error of ways. But I try to take responsibility for my health, with the full understanding I still may get ill in spite of that. I love food as much as the next person, but it helps if you see it from the other side too. Eg. for the animals, environment etc.