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.

But how do you know the person you're judging isn't fat because of medication or illness, OP?

Ah yes, the ultimate crime of existing while fat. How bloody dare they.

Sounds like confirmation bias.

Surely you’d be better off posting some official stats on obesity rates in UK vs EU?

I was in Rouen in Normandy in October last year and there were plenty of overweight people,they can’t all have been tourists.

And you say “weight gain due to taking medication is completely different….” But it looks just the same. It’s likely that at least some of those you were judging were overweight for this reason.

Wouldn't know, not been abroad for many many years.

Even 25 years ago I felt like a giant living in northern France. I was size 10-12, am 5'7" and sometimes they had to get my size from the store room as they only had smaller sizes out. Definitely bras too and I was about a 32C, that caused a lot of oo la lah ing. And shoe shop staff thought my feet were enormous at size 6.

Same .

Go on holiday to Florida if you want to feel good about yourself - that’s a whole new level!

Would say the Brits and the Germans tbh

Here’s the answer OP, you just need to be more middle class.

Active transport e.g. cycling using body power, walking helps keep your weight down.

Depends what stats you look at. America is about 36% obese (as % of population). We're at about 28% - Germany and Spain are about 25%. Those numbers don't allow for degree of obesity, so it's possible the obese Brits are bigger for some reason. I think that's unlikely.

Nevertheless - try posting this: "AIBU to not give a shit about my weight when I go on holiday next month?" and you'll get an uncharacteristically unjudgy (for MN) chorus of "YANBU" - you're never going to see those people again so you shouldn't care about flaunting your big, beautiful plus-sized rolls of fat around the pool for the visual delight of all those present.

All of which rather misses the point. Abrogation of personal responsibility and a culture of excuses contribute to the problem. I hate the nanny-statism of banning BOGOFs and policing sugar content in foods. But if you tell people that they're living in an obesogenic environment for which they can claim fully paid-up victim status, then it's hard to see how or why they'll change their lifestyle.

I thought the opposite when I was in France this year and there were very few British. It depends on age as although young people tend to be thin, middle-aged French people are not.

Unfortunately, that’s true. Strong correlation between income and educational attainment and BMI.

😂

Costa almeira ...shedloads of really fat spanish people.
There are fat people everywhere.

Stop judging.

“Across Europe, being overweight or obese affects 8% of children under five and one in three children of school age. According to the study, of all European countries the UK ranks fourth for having the most overweight and obese adults, behind Israel, Malta and Turkey.”

Depends where you go in the US e.g. New York City compared to Memphis.

The UK ranks very highly in a list of European countries. I found it very noticeable in France. I am myself obese. If you try buying clothes in France you can see that you will have a problem.

My weight is what it is at least partially because of physical damage caused during DD1's mishandled birth (during a period where the NHS trust are currently under investigations for failure in maternity care) leaving me in permanent physical pain and unable to walk any significant distance.

How interesting.
I always think these threads sound like tabloid fodder.

35 % of French people smoke as compared to 20% of Brits. And almost twice as many French women as British women. Nicotine is a known appetite suppressant.

Why do we need to know that it was your "second holiday this year"?

A fat person complaining about fat people.
Oh the irony 🤣🤣

I think you should do a comparison with Brits abroad in somewhere where the great outdoors and sports activities are the prime attraction rather than somewhere full of wall to wall bars and unhealthy food outlets. (I went to Lanzarote in May too). In the main resorts nothing to do but eat, drink and lie on a sunlounger. We hired bikes and everyone seems surprised we'd hired the sort where you provide your own pedal power rather than electric bikes! Lanzarote is not our usual sort of holiday but I was so sick of British weather we booked for virtually guaranteed sunshine.