Overweight Brits abroad

[Artyfart]

I know this will upset people but it’s time to face facts and I’m talking about myself here too. Just got back from second holiday abroad this year when once again it was painfully noticeable how overweight British people are compared to our European neighbours. We stand out a mile! Every time I saw someone fat I’d wait for it and…. British accent. We look a state and it’s time to do something about it. No wonder the NHS is on its knees. I came back more determined than ever to lose weight.

I don't know why you're getting such a hard time, OP. You've only got to walk down your local high street to see we are a nation of rapidly expanding girths – it stands to reason there will be fat Brits on their holidays too. Then look at footage from the 70s and even 80s – overweight people were not the norm back then. This is not a criticism of individuals, however, but an indictment of how food manufacturers have been allowed to get away with pumping so much hidden sugar into their products that we aren't eating healthily even when we like to think we are. Meanwhile, the diet industry is making a killing out of repeat customers – it's the only industry that relies on failure to be successful, so the programmes are designed to only work up to a certain point, to ensure you keep going back.

And yes, EU nations are catching up with us. We are not alone in our increasing waddling.

British people have ballooned in the past 40 yrs.

Obviously not all, but look at old 1960's videos of street scenes- people were so slim then compared to now.

Laziness and lack of self control.

people get so defensive when weight is discussed on MN. Of course a small proportion of overweight people are on medication or have issues making it hard to maintain a healthy weight or really can’t afford to buy anything but the cheapest most unhealthy food. Most people aren’t in this situation though, it’s just easier to buy ready made food even if you’re not working long hours, less effort to not cook and it tastes nice frankly. However I don’t understand why people don’t realise when they’re several stone overweight and then of course it’s hell to lose it. I’m a bit overweight in my old age but if I creep up a few pounds I cut back. It’s scary when people in their 30s need new joints and will need it done again in 15 years time due to the strain on their body. It really is a matter of personal responsibility, not the State’s.

Laziness and lack of self control

Watch out for those calories.

Because imagine being ill and then on top of it being judged @angstridden2

These are not UK stats. They are stats for England. Based on England alone, the OP is correct - 64% of people in England are overweight and that is higher than closest European neighbours.

Most people lived a more active life then.
They walked, very few had cars and certainly couldn’t afford taxis, even trains were a luxury.
They didn’t eat loads of processed foods, meals were cooked from scratch.
They didn’t have as much money to spend.

Indeed. All inclusive cheap tui package deals attract those from lower income backgrounds who are statistically more likely to be fat. Plus if it's a resort frequented mostly by Brits, you're hardly getting a true representation of other nations from the small sample size available. I promise that the Brits vacationing in Aman resorts are not noticably overweight. In fact in my experience the noticably overweight people were all Russian men. Again though, the sample was not really representative.

I agree OP, that people in Mediterranean countries don't seem to be as overweight in the same numbers as Brits. But they definitely seem to smoke more. I've just come back from a week in Italy and there were far more smokers walking around than you'd see in the UK. So it's swings and roundabouts.

People smoked a lot more then, which also put a strain on the NHS. People have just replaced putting cigarettes in their mouth as an emotional crutch with food.

People are taller now too, because wartime food rationing hasn't stunted childhood growth. Don't worry though, Tory austerity is achieving much the same thing so the povs will take up less room again.

Steroids aren't responsible for the 63.5% of fat people in the U.K.

I don't know very many schools in the UK without playing fields. I'm not sure the fact that people are generally polite is really a negative tbh. Having said that if somebody came up to me and gave an opinion on my children’s weight, I probably wouldn't be polite.

BlossomCloud
i think you will find I mentioned people with medical or MH issues. Do you think we shouldn’t encourage sensible body weight because we might inadvertently upset a small minority? My friend is in a wheelchair and is getting bigger each year; I doubt anyone judges her for enjoying her food whilst taking no exercise.

Yes and many European countries have high levels of smokers compared with us. Perhaps that is why they are thinner. They won't be healthier though.

Self-flagllating isn't going to improve your cardiovascular health. Far from it.

I'm a curvy size 12 with a solidly built, tall DH and slim child. We looked pretty normal on recent trips to Croatia and Berlin.

Were there thinner people there? Yes, but no more than there are in my corner of the UK.

People are taller now too, because wartime food rationing hasn't stunted childhood growth this is factually incorrect

War time rationing didn't stunt human height https://economics.yale.edu/sites/default/files/yale_ljcg_ada-ns.pdf

and now we are one country in the world that has started losing height due to poor diet https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/207893/poor-nutrition-school-years-have-created/

Oh come on Rupert, another bored day at the Fail? I'm surprised MNHQ keep allowing you in here like this
But I am sure it facilitates ad views. lol.

I think its fairly well documented that we have one of the highest rates of overweight/obesity in Europe, which given your interest in the topic presumably you knew. So not sure why it should come as a surprise to see larger people on holiday? Did you think only slim British people went abroad?

However, i suppose this makes a change from 'show us yer income, luv'.

Loads of schools in London don't have playing fields. My DC's primary didn't.

Food rationing had not long come to an end then.