Perceptions of 'healthy' or 'overweight' are really skewed by the area you live in?

[alwaysdream]

I'm sure I'll get roasted for this, but here goes anyway...

I live in an area of London where pretty much nobody is 'overweight.' Particularly young people.

Last night, in Wembley Stadium (Harry Styles concert), the ONLY food available was chicken and chips or doughnuts. That's it. And - I know this will sound very judgemental - but I'd say about 7 / 10 people were quite 'overweight,' but all walking around in tiny shorts and cropped tops, etc (I know this is the vibe at this kind of event). It made me wonder if this is 'normal' for young people, on a national level? I know it sounds judgemental, but AIBU? Are most teens overweight where you live?

I live on the zone 1/2 border and it is true that it's unusual to see either an overweight parent at the school gates or an overweight child.

London has the lowest obesity rate in the country- about 20% compared to 36-37% in some areas.

I don't think it's a binary case of young girls needing to 'cover themselves in a tent' (as someone put it) or wearing the kind of shorts that reveal their bum. There is a quite expansive middle ground! I don't think it's particularly liberating to be any size or body type with half your bum on show in the street. It's not flattering and why would you need to do this? Just like the general public do not particularly need to see men walking around with their shirts off or the builders bum look.

So what this thread really comes down to is ‘ew fat people, I don’t want to see that’?

I live in the south east and most people around me are healthy weight. I would say I'm the biggest out of my friends and I'm a size 12-14, BMI 26 so slightly overweight. When I go home to south Yorkshire I'm am very shocked by how big everyone is, especially young children.

I've been trying to do a low carb diet recently. It's so hard as unhealthy carbs, sugar etc is everywhere. Eating, fresh, health food is expensive and difficult. I don't know what food options are available in healthier countries like France, Spain, Greece or Italy, but we have a terrible food culture in the UK. Also, obesity is really rare in countries like Japan, the question is, what are other countries doing right that we're not?

Op I also went to harry styles and noticed this particularly. I think it’s the choice of glitter / hot pants etc outfit. Was definitely not as noticeable at billie eilish concert with the jorts and graphic Ts and bandana thing going on

One of my DDs is obese and unhappy and very defensive. I’ve been obese at times in my life so I know exactly what she is battling. We are in France and very few people her age are as large as her.
Hers is 100% hormone related. It came on very quickly when she changes pills at about 16. Her appetite became uncontrollable. She finds being at home a bit miserable as there is nothing more exciting than black chocolate to eat and no puddings. I’m sure she stocks up on treats. And I don’t blame her.
My other young adult DD is a gymnast and wierd about food. Life is unfair.

Yes I think it probably is this particular hot pants look for this Harry Styles thing that is very unflattering for too many people, yet these girls all feel a need to conform. The same girls in a pair of jeans or something would probably look fine.

Ahhh, do you think that people think you're poor because you're not as slim as the people you live around?

I’m aware that many people defend obesity.. I’d have to be blind to be unaware of that. It’s on this thread! Therefore your assertion is false, uninformed, grasping at straws.. in fact.. you’ve resorted to contradicting me and falsehood, due to not having anything constructive to offer. Again. I won’t respond to your little contradictions again, it’s not worth my time.

I often think that too.

I can only assume you’re a troll because I can’t see you’ve made any arguments.

There is a public health issue because obesity rates are rising. Im not aware of any evidence which suggests shaming obese people reduces obesity levels.

There are then people of all shapes and sizes wearing shorts. This isn’t a crisis and most people don’t care.

@GwennaI'm nearly laughing at your comment that 2000 calories maintains a 10 stone frame. I appreciate you also said everyone is different. I try to follow around 1500 a day and really struggle but am losing weight slowly. In about 2 or 3 years at this calorie intake I could get to 10 stone. If I was to eat 2000 a day I'd stay overweight for life. It's so hard and depressing sometimes. There's a part of me that thinks why bother, the difference between constant sacrifice v indulgence and the difference between me wearing size 10 or size 16 doesn't feel proportional.

The people around me who are slim seem to work hard at it, they are usually high energy people that have big egos / high self esteem and are ambitious in all elements of their lives. Energy I think is key. Not just physical energy but mental too. When I get a bit overwhelmed or tired of life my weight escalates quickly, its not a mystery why, its because I lose the mental capacity to have an argument internally with myself at 20 min intervals 24/7 which is the only thing that stops constant eating. If I was on low income or had a difficult home life or poor relationship or disabled child or awful neighbours or insecurities about my own abilities or a horrible house or no local shops or medical conditions I would be obese with zero chance of changing.

No people wearing shorts is not a 'crisis.' It doesn't need to be. This thread is an observation. Fashions and choices of clothes do reveal cultural shifts - about what we think is aspirational, or acceptable or whatever. I'm in my 50s and fully admit I don't get quite a lot of things about the culture younger people live in. So there is that for sure. But to me, there is 'body confident' and then there's people wearing things they really don't need to be wearing. Sorry, and by all
means call me old fashioned, but there it is. I would argue nobody needs to be in micro shorts with their bum showing, I don't care what size or shape they are. But also, people can dress for their size and body type. In other countries people manage this better I think, even countries with similar socio-economic divisions, so I don't think it's only about that.

I think some of it is the constant fake reassurances and lies we feed to teen girls. The presumption that they are all delicate flowers on the verge of a mental health crisis. I'm not suggesting anyone should fat shame anyone but advice on how to dress for your body shape would help. When they are shopping or considering clothing someone is always telling them they look amazing. They are constantly reassured that they are not actually as big as they think they are to the point of almost being gaslighted. So a 14yr old sees massive wobbly thighs in the mirror and everyone around her convinces her that it's only her imagination and she has in fact got beautiful legs and should indeed wear the tiny shorts to show them off. And so she convinces herself that her own sight and thoughts are actually delusional and everyone else speaks the truth.

No it's doesn't, it's 30% where I live it's 15%.

I was there last night.

I thought the atmosphere was amazing. Women of all ages and sizes dressed up to the nines, lots of silly costumes and everyone having a great time. It seemed such a sharp contrast to when I was a teenager and Kate Winslet and Geri Halliwell were being called fat.

So, what actually is the point of the OP?

Is it that poorer people tend to be fatter than richer people? (which is ‘no shit, Sherlock’ in this country - but quite the opposite in many other parts of the world).

Or is it that fat women shouldn’t wear revealing clothes?

Or that nobody should wear revealing clothes? (but especially not fat women!)

Or that lots of people aren’t stylish enough in your oh-so-important opinion?

Or that Wembley Stadium should serve a few quinoa salads alongside chips and doughnuts?

OR

Are you just enjoying your anonymous little dig behind your screen at lots of other women (and girls) being free and having fun, like we aren’t judged and castigated enough for the way we look and dress by the rest of the world all the time?

You can look at overweight and obesity stats by each authority in the UK - https://www.ons.gov.uk/explore-local-statistics/indicators/adult-obesity-prevalence

There are lots of 'poorer' people on WLIs - they're not an indicator of wealth and the great thing is, as more generics become available, prices will continue falling so that everyone can access these drugs and have the choice on what size they want to be. Fantastic!

I get your general point, but your logic is flawed because people will have travelled from all over to attend the concert so you couldn’t possibly make a link between obesity and geographical area.
Being overweight is obviously on the rise overall and I’m sure there is a link between obesity and social deprivation so you might well find it’s more prevalent in certain areas.
People in lower socioeconomic groups may find it harder to afford a varied diet (although some on here will say ‘oh but it only costs 28p for a bag of wonky veg and some chickpeas for a curry for feed a family of 9- what do you mean you don’t have curry powder, cumin, garamasala and lazy garlic in your store cupboard and grow coriander in your garden?), are more likely to be suffering from mental and physical health issues that can contribute towards obesity and are less likely to have access to good quality public amenities that promote exercise such as safe, clean parks and leisure centres.

So there is that for sure. But to me, there is 'body confident' and then there's people wearing things they really don't need to be wearing.

So is the thread about the demographics of weight in the UK or about shaming people? You started out with one thing and have now transitioned to judging young women for not being ashamed enough to hide their fat from your field of vision and, I guess, offending your aesthetic sensibilities.

The whole thing seems pretty disingenuous. Was it the first time you'd left your neighbourhood?

Definitely. I'm about a UK 12 or 14 depending on brand. At home I feel, not slim, but in okay shape. Here in Tokyo? I can't even get clothes in some shops. I used to do a baby movement class in a room with full length mirrors and would feel massive compared to the other mums, which I never felt in group exercise classes in London.

As a chubby young adult I lived in a nice area of London and people were very slim. I lost weight because I worked in an office with skinny ladies and realised for the first time in my life that it wasn’t normal to eat constantly.

I have now moved to the midlands and am shocked at how overweight people are. The women are all so round and no one seems to think it’s bad that a lot of the children are as well. A lot of the children’s clubs still have tuck shops and children always seem to be drinking full sugar cans of coke. Healthy eating doesn’t seem to really exist.