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.

Time Magazine reports that obesity is a problem in every country in the world with rates set to rise to half the global population by 2035 and low-income countries' rates rising the fastest. No country is untouched by obesity and no country has managed to reverse the trend and reduce obesity.

https://time.com/6264865/global-obesity-rates-increasing/

I am overweight and have been since I was a child. And you're right... I'm also shocked at the rise in overweight children here. I live in Germany and overweight children are not something you see a lot where I live. I am shocked by how many I've been seeing here back in Scotland. That was me in the 90s and it's awful being overweight as a child but I was usually in the minority.
The govt needs to do more.

What’s up?

Why so angry and unable to take on other views.

You can’t just go through life this angry.

It's not on the government.

People feed their children more UPF than they eat themselves, and this is on the parents. They can set the direction or they cannot bother. A lot don't bother.

@MysteryPop that's an interesting report and as I thought, UPFs are to blame. They are really an absolute blight on the world.

It does say that obesogenic pollutants are a major issue, not UPFs alone. There are more factors than just the food people are eating. And there is nothing that individuals can do about those pollutants; that can only be solved by government intervention.

And as countries adopt a western diet obesity rates rise along with cancer and diabetes t2

No I haven’t used the words fatties - that’s you.

And no I haven’t said just eat less (although yes moving more is good) I’ve said UPF makes it very hard to reach satiety and is addictive

There are other, better ways that are not the usual yo yo dieting

If you feel ‘bashed’ it’s because you are posting defensively.

Try to not imagine words not there for a start and maybe the blood pressure will reduce a bit.

If number 1 was the cause of obesity wouldn't there be a disproportionate number of obese people among those who claim benefits ? Whereas obesity is a widespread (no pun intended)issue in Britain , and just as common living in those who work full time.

I think what could be a factor is the type of work people do now. Fewer jobs in mines and factories and on farms there are machines to do the work.

Do you think parents don't care about their children's health? Most of them do.

And why do you think governments shouldn't intervene in public health? It's part of the government's role. Not to come round and tell you personally what you should and shouldn't eat, but its their job to create policies to improve public health. In the face of an obesity crisis, they should be doing something to combat it.

I’m in the US on hols and it’s very noticeable that there are far fewer overweight people in the naice areas…

Thank you your mum sounds great.

I'm curious as to where you go on holiday. Are your fellow tourists really desperate to spend their precious holidays getting a stranger's thoughts on the former PM of a foreign country?

You just mentioned ‘bashing fat people’

Your words alone. Try to not see words not there in my posts and they won’t get to you so much.

@macrowave many also have lots of access (and reasonably priced) to fantastic and clean well kept public leisure facilities with saunas and indoor pools and steam rooms etc which are used by all classes. Same in Germany and Austria etc-

It was notable in Copenhagen that I can only remember seeing 2 Maccy Ds - although I confess they had fantastic fresh hot dog stalls

What I did see less of was older very overweight guys wearing football tops or with shirts off and tanked up boorish behaviour- it's not the weight I think about the Brits (loads of Germans are big too) it's the boorish laddish behaviour by many- even at 60

Doesn't mean she feels bashed, she might not be fat!

Thats only half the year.These countries do have a lot better summers than us

Of course shame is going to make fat people thin. Of course. 🙄

This. the government want most of the population to become obese and die an early death through obesity related problems as it means they will not have to pay pensions for 20+ years of someone's life. That's why good healthy food is far more expensive than processed unhealthy crap. the government are forcing poorer people to an early grave through cheap shit food as its the only food they can afford to eat.

@MysteryPop - the government can educate but honestly it cannot make people eat certain food; that is a choice.

Except children. They don't have a choice because their parents set what is eaten. If children are eating UPF that is on their parents, in the same way that eating s takeaway is the responsibility of the person paying.

Children only have the food choices their parents give them. If you are giving your children a diet of mostly UPF, is that caring about their future health? What they eat will set them up for life.

Yes, so really important that the government has a good Early Years strategy and support for new parents (like the Sure Start children's centres they closed) and that they fund schools well setting out guidelines for school lunches and making sure that schools have the resources to adhere so that UPFs are avoided in school dinners. Breakfast clubs for children in need. A strategy to eradicate child poverty. Investment in PE equipment, reopening of leisure centres and youth clubs to help keep children active.

Oh no, sorry, none of that is needed - what would work much better is criticising parents on a Mumsnet thread.

@curaçao although it's been shitty there too this year- but I must say when we lived in Denmark we thought the weather was better- more seasonal and sunnier overall and less rain - the Danes think it rains a lot- compared to here it didn't feel that way to us