AIBU - With this new data on obesity and the NHS is it time to have some honest and difficult conversations?

[IAmADancer]

New data from a ‘landmark study’ has show that obesity costs the NHS around 14billion a year and that 2 out of 3 adults are obese.

I know this is a difficult subject but the numbers are pretty clear. With the cost of living crisis and a general requirement for both parents to work now to support themselves how do we support people to make the right choices and tackle a growing problem?

Im really interested to hear people’s opinions on what we can do with such stark figures laid bare.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/17/cost-of-obesity-twice-those-who-are-healthy-nhs/

People get defensive because it IS personal. Fat people get blamed and stigmatised all the time. For making themselves ill, for costing the NHS. Weight stigma is a very real thing. And it costs lives.

Also, I’m not scared of the word fat. I am fat. And unashamed.

As I said earlier in the thread, I became fat in my pursuit of staying thin. But no one ever seems to take that into consideration.

I think the way women are encouraged to breastfeed puts many off. And any discussions are so divisive that research cannot be mentioned without people getting defensive and shutting down conversations.

The situation now is a perfect storm in so many ways from decades leading up to now, not just with regards to obesity, but to pretty much everything. We are led by a bunch of power hungry arseholes who couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery. Any attempts to change things will be the same pointless wankery which will provide wealth transfer and plenty of blaming the feckless poor/fat.

I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to need total change in society.

Threads like this could be really useful, but ends up with most spouting the old “calories in calories out” “you just need more self control”, when we know so much more about the causes of obesity than ever before, and if you try to discuss this it’s perceived as making excuses.

Everyone seems to eat takeaway so much these days. I know people are busy etc but you'd think the cost of living crisis would impact things - although the queues I see at McDs etc all the time are never ending....

The adverts for Just Eat and similar are everywhere,

There is so much encouragement to eat junk - and ways to get it delivered - I do think we're on a hiding to nothing with obesity unless this changes. And portion sizes are crazy! We have a Chinese takeaway every 6 weeks and get a meal for two plus one additional meal, which is plenty for 2 adults, one OAP and two ravenous teens. I don't know the answer but it is going to have to involve legislation.......

I’ve spent time in Spain and France and the supermarkets are full of crap. And yet as a population they don’t have the same obesity problem as the UK.

There’s something significantly different, but I don’t know what it is.

Although we know so much more about the causes of obesity, it still boils down to calories in and calories out and it always will.

How to help people get there is often the problem and of course there will be some who just want a magic fix, without changing anything.

Spain still has a massive obesity problem though and it's rising, particularly in children/teens.

It really doesn’t boil down to that. This explains why quite well.

Well they weren’t full of crap when I lived there and having worked there for a few years I noticed that their eating habits were completely different to ours. They were very routine about it, and quite fastidious.

In case of medical causes, I'm sure there would be exceptions made.

I am sorry that you are not being given the help you need, but I think many overweight/obese people fall into the same group that I fall in. I was overweight because I ate too much food and drank too much wine.

I have no underlying conditions, probably like most other overweight people, and I have battled my weight for years and years. I have no excuses and no-one else is to blame - my weight is my problem.

I struggle like mad to stay under 10 stone, and it is tough, but I prefer being there rather than at almost 13 stone - which is where I was many years ago. To be honest I still drink too much wine, but no-one is perfect. least of all me.

Can’t believe people are still making fools of themselves about this.

@Clarabell77 sorry to be thick but are you agreeing or disagreeing with me.

"The causes of obesity" for majority of the population has nothing to do with the excuses reasons and medical conditions being stated.

It's simple but we live in a society where no one wants to take responsibility and accountability for their actions.

So true

And the pissheads run to the pub or off licence or nick alcohol from a supermarket aisle and leg it knocking another customer (me) over in the process People tend not to get run over by someone under the influence of a Krispy Kreme Its usually by a pisshead or a lush or a druggie.

What's frustrates me is the people who say it's simple you need to eat less move more.

During uni we were a really close house and ate most days communally did all our activities together and have remained firm friends.

2 of the group are very slim, they ate the same food as me, we did the same amount of exercise, they would drink fizzy drinks and snack on sweets whereas I was very much a water and fruit person yet I remained obese and they maintained their slimness so how does this work?

Peoples metabolism are vastly different and this is why I think people who go well it's simple to loose weight/maintain a slim figure sometime really don't understand the struggle for those of us whose metabolism doesn't work like theirs and therefore there are people who would need to dramatically reduce kcal per day compared to a close friend or family member

@elephantmarchingin it seems that once someone is obese their physiology changes to make it harder to lose weight although I don't know if there is evidence to support this. I'll look over this weekend because I find it interesting. Obese people can and do lose weight though so it's not impossible. Going back to old habits is what makes people regain weight though. The key is not getting obese to start with. That's what society needs to focus on now-prevention.

@AutisticLegoLover

The key is not getting obese to start with. That's what society needs to focus on now-prevention.

But when places like schools try to encourage healthier eating, they get called lunchbox nazis. You can't win. Bad habits are comes through the generations - if parents ate badly and don't exercise, then their kids will be the same.

Find other sources of bliss/joy/quick fix. Booking in for massage etc not possible for all, £…

I’ve been studying nutrition, obesity and diabetes for over 10 years. I have a degree and a masters degree in the subject and I don’t have the answer. Food desserts where families don’t have access to healthy food, cheap take away deals, lack of breast feeding, smoking during pregnancy, lack of physical education and active jobs, depression, COL, busy lifestyles, giving in the children’s demands for tasty food, lack of control, medication, hidden calories etc etc all contribute. The list goes on.

We have also known this since 1980 when first studies were produced in deprived areas and the government just hid it under the carpet because they haven’t wanted to deal with prevention and pumped money into the cure. Nutritionists can’t find work because they want dieticians who can deal with those already sick.

This needs to come from the top. It will take a lot of money, education and time. We also need to talk about it more and not get defensive when talking about our weight and our children’s weight.

Well indeed 'desserts' could be a factor

Some really disgusting posts here.

Some of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

The problem isn't that obesity runs in the family, it's that nobody runs in the family!

True....apart from to the pie shop 😂

Hilarious.