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 think it’s acceptable to generalise or be offensive of any nation . Why is it acceptable to generalise about the British.

You or your husband can’t batch cook from scratch and snack on some strawberries or cucumber sticks?? Take a healthy breakfast to work?
it’s pure laziness!

Really, is no one allowed a holiday from being judged?

I am more critical of behaviour in Brits abroad than weight. Whenever you are woken up by loud shouting or people playing loud music in their rooms, 9/10 it is a Brit.

Yes, our love affair with alcohol, namely binge drinking and the behavior that follows is more embarrassing imo. But be critical of that and you're told you likely only enjoy a sniff of sherry at Christmas and are boring/trying to spoil people's fun, despite alcohol also being known for making people overweight and causing more problems in more areas than obesity. I've yet to see/hear/read of someone getting lairy, into a fight or behaving in an anti social way because they had a couple more donuts than recommended 🤷🏼‍♀️.

I notice a few fat Romanian men around here where I live. Can't say I am bothered either way. Maybe you should focus on your holiday instead?

Thanks for your insight, I don't see a GP about my decades of eating disorders and the damage done is very real. But it's so helpful for someone to suggest a change of lifestyle, never thought of it before.

Because this is mumsnet,and every week there is a thread about what an appealing disgrace Britain and its inhabitants are to the Human race especially compared to.the highly revered Europe🙄

I agree with the person who said it was not the issue of weight. I'm maybe two or three sizes above the ideal, but don't get recognised as being from these shores. As I make an attempt to speak the local language, and have some dignity in the way I dress, nothing with any logo or something that says I am from these shores.

The horror of being recognized as British🙄

What part of the U.K. are you in? Where I live is very walkable with lots of foot paths and places to walk in nature. It’s also only really France who have more mandatory annual leave than us. You can also choose not to eat so many processed food and have smaller portions.

it all just sounds like excuses to me. Health condition aside there’s no need to be very obese. It’s mainly lifestyle choices and bad habits that are hard to break. I don’t card what size people are, it’s no skin off my nose, but it’s the excuses that get me.

So why do you think Brits are so predisposed to make these excuses? What is it about the British character that means they're more obese than other countries? Why are we so uniquely deficient in willpower, why do we make more bad choices than anyone else? And why is it the poorer Brits especially, more than the wealthy ones? Just something worse in their nature, do you think?

We are actually in Europe too.

My mistake I should have said the rest of Europe

You know, I think some people on this thread want to have their cake and eat it - and, ironically, it's not the fatties.

People want to say how disgraceful British people are for being so much fatter than everyone else. But they also want to say weight is only ever an individual's personal responsibility. So it is a British thing, but nothing to do with the environment of Britain. So there's nothing we need to change as a society, only fat people need to stop overeating and get off the sofa. And the reason for them existing in greater numbers in Britain is just - a mystery? Because it's only the fat person's fault they're fat. So it can't be to do with anything in Britain. But also it's a uniquely British problem. Except not caused by being in Britain. But also a consequence of being British. But all their fault.

Or is it that people who enjoy fat-shaming just like sneering in general?

Honestly I’m completely not sure. Partly culture, partly mindset. Generations of people not being taught to cook cheaply and healthily so we turn to cheap and easy freezer food. I don’t have the answers but to blame everything on “facts” which are simply not true is unhelpful as it just gives people excuses. “It the uks fault so this is the hand I’m dealt and there’s nothing I can do about it”.

It’s also just become the norm to see slightly overweight people as kind of slim and normal rather than overweight, which is what they are. no one bats an eyelid at someone who’s a size 16, but for most people a 16 is overweight.

I get why people don’t want to try and maintain a lower weight. Junk food is yummy and exercise is dull, but you can’t blame the country for peoples bad choices.

But people do need to take some personal responsibility for their choices and their health. It can’t always be someone else’s fault. obviously medical issues aside, some medications and condition do make you gain weight and that can’t be helped.

But if one country has a greater proportion of people making the same bad choices, maybe something about that country needs to change @Ohhelpicantthinkofaname. And I notice you've got no suggestion about why obesity is more prevalent in poorer people in Britain than richer. Just that junk food is yummy and they don't like hard work?

Can't both individuals and society as a whole take responsibility though? People do try to lose weight, not everyone fat has just abdicated all responsibility you know.

@Maverickess you are not wrong on shift work being a contributing factor. I know two people now obese who worked non conventional hours.
A friend who gained 10 stone at a major uk plc. Salary £500k, hours 18 per day. She retired and lost the lot. My husband an international sports player. Public service worker when he retired early through injury. 5 stone on due to 4am starts and 5 hours sleep.
We do not value the family because our housing costs are so high. We work to live. Who does that outside of the UK?

Harsh yo-yo dieting can be counterproductive, it’s not something I do really.

It is hard though, what can the government do to help you personally?

Are you in agreement with pp with the £5 biscuits or what would you like them to give you?

@MysteryPop thank you

I blame the weather, its easy to get out and about and walk everywhere when it's lovely and sunny.
It's nice to sit out and have a leisurely evening meal with family made of beautiful fresh ingredients from the local market that you walk past on your way home from work when it is still 20+ degrees in the evening.
Of course the people that live in these countries look better! It is hard to look good when you spend an hour drying and styling your hair only to step outside and get piss wet through, we haven't had a fully dry day in my area of the UK for about 2 months, and this is supposed to be summer 🙄
Of course brits would look amazing if we had the beautiful naturally tanned skin tone of the Spanish, unfortunately for me I have the double whammy of being pale as well as fat, I use fake tan to try and look slightly better but it isn't the same as the amazing skin tones found in naturally sunny places.
I have multiple medical issues (under active thyroid) that are currently not responding well to medication hence the weight is a bitch to get off/keep off but I think I would stand a better chance in a country that isn't cold and wet for the majority of the time.

Absolutely right. It's really sad :(

It’s true that crap food is often cheap and convenient. Good food can be cheap too, but you have to know what to do with it. Maybe there should be more focus on this in education if we want to change this. Or maybe the gov could run free cookery classes in area with high obesity levels.

I never said people don’t like hard work, please don’t put words in my mouth. What I said is exercise is dull, which it is. Lower paying jobs are often physically demanding (I know, I’ve done plenty) and people are tired and don’t have the motivation to change their habits, you have to be motivated because it’s the harder option.

people get incredibly offended if anyone suggests that maybe they are the ones who need to make the changes rather than the country as a whole, obviously there are things that could be done, but they won’t make any difference if people can’t find the self motivation to make changes.

😂I always get asked directions within five minutes of arriving somewhere. Must do a good job of blending in, or look like I know where things are or friendly and helpful. I honestly have the worst sense of direction and could give the wrong information where I live, never mind somewhere I've just arrived!