To think why this is one of the reasons we have an obesity problem.

[Delamalama]

Friend on facebook has put about 2 stone on this past year. She posted a selfie the other day with a statement saying how she's finally learning to love herself, she may not be perfect but it's her body and she loves it!!! She's on the verge of being obese and suffers with chronic backache. Of course she had comments saying 'looking good hun' 'you beauty!' Etc.

I've noticed quite a lot of younger ones doing this 'be fat and proud' crap.

Am I wrong to think that this along with many other things is why we have an obesity problem.

No and no!
I'm currently overweight after having gained weight during lockdown. I know I'm overweight, but for right now I'm trying to accept my current body until it changes. I lost 4 stone last year, and I didn't accept my body anymore when I was smaller than I did when I was larger. Learning to love yourself is so important, and that means loving all of yourself. Wether you're big, or small. You wouldn't be saying a size 6 loving their body is glorifying anorexia would you? So why is it not acceptable for a bigger person to love themselves?

I think a lot of the problems we are now seeing are a result of people losing touch with their bodies, we don’t really know what feels good and what doesn’t. We are often after immediate gratification with everything in life. We long for the sugar rush of a chocolate bar, the gratification of tasting fat thinking it will squash our hunger. We’re not willing to take the time to savour our food and think how it makes our body feel long term. People don’t equate their tiredness to the earlier sugar rush or their digestive problems go last nights tea from the chippy.

Healthy eating that fuels your body is lost in favour of the latest fad diet that doesn’t last long, exercise regimes that require effort and doesn’t immediately produce a non existent Instagram body are only evidences a few months later by the direct debit going to the gym. Instead people turn to pumping their faces full of toxins or having their body slashed open to get something immediate.

People need to get to know their bodies, how to look after them to get the best physical version of you. It might short, compact and muscle lay, petite, tall and Amazonian, tall and slender or anywhere in between. Start seeing food as fuel, exercise as energising, it’s a lifelong thing.

All food should be a treat. Food is delicious and meals should be looked forward to.

I am not sure if I completely agree with that. We all have preferences. Sometimes food is just food. You might not love fish (or soup or chicken), but you include them to have a varied diet. Forcing yourself to swallow a revolting green healthy "smoothie" for breakfast is pointless. Eating something that is just meh because you need to eat something is normal.

It doesn't mean you can't treat yourself to a platter of seafood or a Wagyu steak but it's also ok not to have "treat" every day - and by treat I don't mean junk and rubbish food, I just mean your favourites.

You appreciate your treats a lot more if you eat something else too.

I’ve been fat for forty years now and always defended myself because I still lived a reasonable active life and worked full time - very rarely off sick. Now it’s a different story - my knees are ruined carrying all the extra weight. I have so many aches and pains and have swallowed too much pain medication for it to be much use now.

Being fat when you’re younger is doable when your joints are strong - reach late fifties and it’s another story. I’d ask all younger people to get a handle on it now before it robs you of so much freedom. I’m on a constant diet now and imagine I always will be - because I didn’t see sense years ago.

@Eckhart you often write as if low carb is the ONLY reasonable way to lose weight and as if those of us that aren't in support of it are idiots

but I will concede I need to apologise for saying you judged people, I've looked at your posts not only on this thread but others and you don't judge people

Many apologies

Everything in moderation. Not trendy but true. totally agree

@TheFatBottomLine agree and wishing you so much luck and health

@Graphista

I appreciate your apology. I don't think low carb is the only way to lose weight, sorry if you've interpreted me that way. I've never said any other method of dieting was not valid, and I've never intimated it either. Given that you've accepted I'm not judging people, it's a bit shit to tag on to the same post that I'm making people out to be idiots.

I agree that we are starting to celebrate and normalise something which is one of the biggest factors of early deaths we currently face. This is quite terrifying.

However, I don't agree with being cruel about people's weight either.

There must be a middle ground where we can speak scientifically about this. These conversations must be allowed. Over-emotion and blocking of the conversation as "fat shaming" about this topic is only contributing the ill health and early death of the overweight/ obese.

Early death less is likely than 20 or 30 years in and out of hospital. People have always had some kind of crutch. It used to be cigarettes, now it's food.

@Pebblexox

No and no! I'm currently overweight after having gained weight during lockdown. I know I'm overweight, but for right now I'm trying to accept my current body until it changes. I lost 4 stone last year, and I didn't accept my body anymore when I was smaller than I did when I was larger. Learning to love yourself is so important, and that means loving all of yourself. Wether you're big, or small. You wouldn't be saying a size 6 loving their body is glorifying anorexia would you? So why is it not acceptable for a bigger person to love themselves?

If they were clearly very underweight, then yes, I would.

There must be a middle ground where we can speak scientifically about this. These conversations must be allowed. Over-emotion and blocking of the conversation as "fat shaming" about this topic is only contributing the ill health and early death of the overweight/ obese

This!

There is a reason why obesity and type 2 diabetes are described as ‘epidemic’. Not everybody with those conditions is living in poverty or has mental health problems. There must, logically, be a huge section of people who can make lifestyle changes and who may not realise the long term damage they are doing to themselves. Those people are poorly served by closing the conversation down on the grounds of fat shaming or not understanding what anguish overweight people suffer etc etc.

Most people who are fat stay that way. Like over 90%. You want them to feel ashamed forever?

Prevention of obesity is important, but fat people should be able to enjoy themselves as much as anyone else.

Prevention of obesity is important, but fat people should be able to enjoy themselves as much as anyone else.

When did the OP say that she DIDN’T want fat peop,e to enjoy themselves?

Are they celebrating obesity or just their own self acceptance?

@chocolatemademefat

I’ve been fat for forty years now and always defended myself because I still lived a reasonable active life and worked full time - very rarely off sick. Now it’s a different story - my knees are ruined carrying all the extra weight. I have so many aches and pains and have swallowed too much pain medication for it to be much use now.

Being fat when you’re younger is doable when your joints are strong - reach late fifties and it’s another story. I’d ask all younger people to get a handle on it now before it robs you of so much freedom. I’m on a constant diet now and imagine I always will be - because I didn’t see sense years ago.

Sorry to hear this. I do know a few people like this, including a friend who is only 47. It's not always about seeing sense though is it? It's so hard to lose weight. I lost and gained so many times until I started running and then other exercise which I really enjoy. Saying that i still put it on when running as I ate way too much.

Sometimes it's a switch that goes on in your ahead and you can do it. Never easy though.

I wonder if anyone is able to recommend a method of weight loss that is sustainable and effective in the long term, and can back that up with scientific studies.

If you really gave two shits about fat people’s health, you’d be advocating for them to get access to proper healthcare and doctors who don’t dismiss them. But anyway.

Eat less, move more @DelilahDingleberry

That’s all it comes down to really no matter what diet it’s dressed up as. But it’s the emotional and psychological side that people need the help with. I know I need to eat less and move more but knowing that doesn’t help me when I’m sat at home alone depressed with no money for anything and feeling very hopeless and Groundhog Day but I can afford a cheap pack of biscuits and I know I’ll feel good for a few minutes at least while I’m full and eating something tasty.

It’s resetting that kind of stuff that people need help with.

Backed up by scientific studies is what I asked for. If it was as simple as eat less move more, we wouldn’t have an obesity problem.

@DelilahDingleberry

I wonder if anyone is able to recommend a method of weight loss that is sustainable and effective in the long term, and can back that up with scientific studies.

Once they do...I will lose weight.

In the meantime I've read the research which shows that 95% of people who diet will regain the weight they lose. Nearly half of them will gain extra on top.

I started dieting 35 yes ago when I was 10 stones as I thought I was fat.

35yrs later I am 15 stones.

Never ever dieting again...not ever.

And I have a better relationship with food having made that decision.

@DelilahDingleberry

Backed up by scientific studies is what I asked for. If it was as simple as eat less move more, we wouldn’t have an obesity problem.

You missed my point completely by focusing on the straw man of scientific studies.

Even with scientific studies and the fact that it really does just boil down to eating less food than we use in energy, we will still have an obesity problem because the people who manage to keep the weight off aren’t the people who are struggling with the emotional and psychological side that people don’t get offered help with.

People can be educated til we are blue in the face but if there’s no support with the psychological stuff, we will always have an obesity problem here.

I wonder if anyone is able to recommend a method of weight loss that is sustainable and effective in the long term, and can back that up with scientific studies

Many many many diets are sustainable for many people. I've gone on and on about it upthread, but 'sustainable' is in the eye of the beholder. There's no 'magic bullet' answer. Each individual has to find out what works for them.

I've gone on and on about one upthread, sorry.

There really isn't a magic bullet Eckhart, you and I are agreed on that if nothing else.

@Pachonga

If you really gave two shits about fat people’s health, you’d be advocating for them to get access to proper healthcare and doctors who don’t dismiss them. But anyway.

Fat people don't get access to proper healthcare? Give an example. Those with mental illness struggle to get access to proper help which is why many end up committing suicide. But I'm supposed to advocate for overweight people to? When I was obese it never occurred to me to go to my doctor and ask for help as i knew I was eating too much, end off. I still do eat a lot of crap to be honest but I also move, a lot!

Fat people don't get access to proper healthcare? Give an example.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381543/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5201160/
journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/weight-bias-health-care/2010-04
www.health.harvard.edu/blog/addressing-weight-bias-in-medicine-2019040316319

Just a few...