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.

Why are people so defensive about this? The OP has pointed out that people from the UK are more likely to be overweight than our European neighbours. This is partly because we follow the USA more than Europe when it comes to food.

It's not the fault of individuals but it's being driven by greedy food companies and the government are still refusing to do anything about it, despite being advised of ways that they could (see Henry Dimbleby's book).

It's a massive issue for people's health going forward.

I was in France last month and most people were overweight. Not just the Brits.

@QueefQueen80s

https://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/obesityandtheeconomicsofpreventionfitnotfat-italykeyfacts.htm#:~:text=1.,in%203%20women%20are%20overweight.

I’m 5’5” and am lean and toned at 50kg. Anymore and I look flabby. I have a very tiny frame.

I eat healthily due to a cardiac condition, but I don’t deny treats or alcohol. I do exercise a lot and am very fit and active. I love sport. Love it.

As I said, BMI is a blunt AF tool.

@ivykaty44 True we are generally bigger. And I don't think we see the true extent of it.
I'm in a city centre every day and 16/18/20 is a very common size to see now.
But I thought people were getting a lot bigger than that though I rarely see them. I support someone who is 28 stone size 32 and she stands out, gets so many looks from people and we rarely see anyone her size but we are told they exist. I think they must hide away or their disabilities stop them.
I'm gonna look at some stats

We are living through an over correction for our long standing ills where everything from sexism to body shaming is excessively redressed. White people are deemed wicked, masculinities are denounced, and fastness is glorified. I can see how problematic that all is however a grave concern of mine is that the populace will grow weary of this notion and abruptly shift in the opposing direction with great force. It is essential to aid and encourage those who are battling obesity, rather than denigrate or ridicule them. I think we should be very careful indeed.

In every direction.

🤣

@JoeLovesGina If I ate a British diet, I would be 5 times the size I am now. Though when I eat dessert, it is always British. But that's not often.

I think they are trying to normalise obesity, like it's normal and just embrace it.

Yes and until junk food is insane prices or made illegal then it will get worse. It feels like gym goers are a big thing now, healthy living but in general we as a population will get bigger.

Do you really need the government to intervene? Why do some but not others wait for this first.

So many posts along this line, it comes down to each of us in the end.

There will be outliers like Malta ( which has a really small population), Samoa etc. we are noticeably fatter than most of our European neighbours. It is linked to income group with more obesity in lower socioeconomic groups. Unfortunately overweight and obesity is rising throughout Europe but we are pretty much the leaders, with some exceptions.
For EU ( we’re not included, for obvious reasons) the average is 53 % overweight or obese . Didn’t realise the Croats were so heavy.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Overweight_and_obesity_-_BMI_statistics
For the UK it is 59% of women and 68 % for men.
I think there’s a lot of denial about the problem on this thread TBH.

Agree there’s a lot of defensiveness and denigration of the OP here.

Bmi is very vague and don't consider skeleton size and body distribution. I'm 5ft 7 and look very ill if I get below 10 stone and have symptoms suffered by people with anorexia. I have a wide skeleton.
Others at that height and weight would look curvy.

Well i went to America and i felt like i had shrunk 🤣. Get yourself on hoiliday there op 👍

Lots of families like ours can not afford to do anything except go for walks locally. Its not really the way to get kids active, doing fun things does that.

I lost all my weight walking and cycling. My DC do too. Most countries in the world don;t have sports centres, gyms, swimming pools.. I didn't growing up.

@QueefQueen80s oh absolutely get it, my ex was heavily into bodybuilding and I used to always joke he was 'fat' because BMI

I definitely have what you'd describe as heavy bones even though I have a tiny build - most people expect me to weigh about 7 stone not 9!

@CloudyMcCloud If we want change on a population level then it needs serious intervention from higher powers and restrictions.
Otherwise: tasty cheap junk food + normalisation of being overweight + being able to attract a girlfriend/boyfriend despite being fat + stressful lives + food a social activity and need of instant gratification and no willpower and denial of future effects on health = no inclination to keep fit. Its like fighting a tidal wave. It needs massive intervention and control and that's never gonna happen.

I think very obese people exist here too but the Americans don't hide themselves away, I've heard the same about feeling slim over there!

I posted up thread about twenty years of steroids to treat autoimmune conditions. It put 6 stone on me. The rest came post pregnancy and bereavement. I was a carer for both of my parents existing on 5 hours sleep. That kills your metabolism. I nearly doubled my body weight. 18 months ago I gave up drinking and with that cheese and crisps. I don't eat sweets, cake or soft drinks etc.
I now eat very little and have lost 16kg. I am now a size 20 but I am nearly six foot tall. A sixteen is still OK on me. Still plenty to lose but I am nearing 60.
I would have liked the new drug semiglutide but it has been gobbled up by tick tok celebs! Weight loss surgery would be a big risk and I will not take up bed space for that. I was a am athlete before I became ill. I don't go onto beaches although I'm a good swimmer. How do we know people who appear 'huge' haven't been bigger and are having a much deserved holiday post losing weight?
The biggest problem is food poverty and lack of cooking skills.
Both my adult DC cook and neither are overweight. We have been rich and poor but food is important to us. I taught them to cook at an early age. My niece can't cook, is living in relative poverty and eats toast so she can feed her kids. She has lost weight now but she was much bigger through stress and lack of money.
Nothing is simple but it is a first world problem.

Mad isn't it!

Indeed. I’d get out more if the weather wasn’t so constantly crap.

If I didn’t have to travel to work using a car (shift work and no public transport) as my town has been decimated of opportunity and employment over the last 30-odd years. Can’t even blame the Tories; Labour have been in charge here since my (75 yo) dad was a lad, if not before.

I do try and cook from scratch when I can but I’m either exhausted from early shifts or on late turns. I also need something quick and easy to take to work.

As an additional note; I think artificial sweeteners are a huge cause of poor health/obesity. But everyone is always “sugar is a killer” and stuffs themselves full of sucralose/aspartame/stevia.

If people didn’t immediately go to the government fix this but I can do something.. even if it’s both.

You rarely see that though on threads