How will they know who is obese?

[GinWithRosie]

Just that really! In the latest reports about new proposed 'rules' on shielding that 'may or may not' (who knows anymore!!) be introduced, it is saying that anyone over-50 and obese will be told to shield. But...how will 'they' know this information?

I guess I'd be in that category, at 56 and 14 stone, but nobody in authority knows my weight! I've never been weighed at a GP surgery or any other place where my weight has been recorded. I haven't even visited my new GP surgery...so they've not actually seen my body to have a clue what I might be in terms of BMI 🤷‍♀️

So...how will they know?

you dont have a choice to shield, if you have to go out to work, if your actual job is a carer?
or even in an office

i assume a risk assessment is done but i believe that only asks for social distancing/ppe, depending on severity of obesity

@ifonly4 I do know! I said as much in my post...that wasn't my question. The report I read very clearly said that GPs had to ensure that they were sending shielding advice to obese over 50s. My GP wouldn't know that I was in this category.

And as others have already said...this will mean an awful lot of people off work through winter if it does happen 😱 Half the staff in my school will be shielding due to being obese and over 50 (when in fact we are actually perfectly ok to work 🤷‍♀️) Several will be isolating due to other reasons as an ongoing thing (we've not had a full cohort in for a full week yet since starting back, it's like the proverbial House Of Cards 🤦‍♀️)

If only we could reset 2020!

I've brought my bmi down from 39.something to 35.9 in the last couple of months, but I see that doesn't improve my Covid age at all!

This is guidance. No one is being locked away, FFS. It's just a matter of being more careful, staying in when possible, observing social distancing.
We were advised months ago about the increased risks of obesity re. Covid. It's up to individuals to use this information to protect ourselves as best as we can.

how about your mental health,
no one wants to forever stay in being careful

It's just a matter of being more careful, staying in when possible, observing social distancing.

This is not what shielding is.

I've got a new surgery I haven't visited too, but had to provide my weight and height on registration, and so they calculated my BMI and added it to my patient record. Would have thought it was fairly basic information for a healthcare service to need.

In March I was morbidly obese (BMI 42) and had been for about 2 years. I had an operation a year earlier so I'm guessing my Drs have notes saying I am morbidly obese somewhere. I have worked hard to lose the weight and am now a couple of lbs away from 'overweight'(BMI 29). I've lost almost 5 stone. Drs would still have BMI 42 on their records though.

I'm positive when they say obese they don't mean just a bit overweight.

If your health is adversely affected by your weight already then I imagine that's the group they're talking about.

im obese noone official knows its up to me i guess if i shield

havent been going out alot anyway

The media love to stir things with words such as "forced" or "told" to shield. In reality all it means is that the guidelines will suggest that people who are obese and over 50 will need recognise that they are at higher risk and to be careful (if they aren't already). They won't be in the official shielding group and nobody including those who are shielding are forced to lock themselves in. Therefore they don't need to know anyone's weight. You can weigh up the risk for yourself and decide what you want to do.

do you go out to work @GinWithRosie

at my work they have done new risk assessents, adding BAME, as well as BMI

My weight fluctuates. I've been normal weight, obese and overweight in just the last year alone. I haven't needed to see a Dr in about 15 years and haven't been called for an MOT. I'm currently overweight but losing so could be normal in a month or so.

26% of men and 29% of women in England are obese.

digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet/england-2020

I can't imagine over a quarter of the adult population will be required to shield.

The fact that over a quarter of our population is obese (and 67% are overweight) is another problem entirely.

at your work staff would not necessarily be shielding, but they would need to take extra precautions,

@cardibach

I’m not sure it is obvious who is obese. Overweight, yes, absolutely, but obese in a medical sense? That’s BMI over 40 I think. Could you tell, just by looking, someone at BMI 39 from 41? I very much doubt it. Plus they haven’t really shown obesity itself is a risk factor rather than health issues often, but not always, associated with obesity (high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes etc).

They said that inflammation is a bigger risk for obese people.

@WaxOnFeckOff

Normally all over 50s are invited for health checks i believe. My DH is nearing 60 and had two health checks so far when they do blood pressure/bmi/blood tests etc. I'm 54 and never been called yet (i did get my breast screen at about 51 though)

There doesn't seem to be anything happening in relation to health screening in the same way that there is nothing happening with referrals etc.

I'm 53 and am still awaiting a call for breast screening, which is supposed to happen between 50 and 53. I have not been invited for any health checks at all.

Tbh I think we'd all lose 2 stone without too much difficulty if we could afford a handsome personal trainer as often as BoJo

Good incentive to keep chipping away I suppose. I've got my BMI down from 36 to 33. Obviously still a way to go, but at least it's moving in the right direction!

@JamminDoughnuts I'm the Deputy Head and Year 2 teacher of a very large (400+ children) primary school. Yes...I work 😉

I'm over 50 and overweight....won't be shielding though, I'll be working and trying to keep a roof over my head.

well then @GinWithRosie
have you not asked your staff to do risk assessments?

at my work they have done new risk assessents, adding BAME, as well as BMI

I won't be impressed if work want to know my BMI!

But not everyone goes Madcats. I've been invited a couple of times for an over 40s MOT (before lockdown obviously) and haven't been and don't intend to.

Why not @PinkSparklyPussyCat? What are you afraid of? Do you avoid smear tests, and will you avoid mammograms when the time comes?

I don’t think now is a good time to go into the fat shaming rabbit hole. It’s become abundantly clear even to those that denied it a year ago, that there are serious health consequences to being obese. And bringing morality into it, saying people are judging etc. just isn’t helpful. No one is judging, no one is shaming, it’s just an uncomfortable truth.

Well said. I feel that some people still get defensive and call out fat shaming even if it means facing the uncomfortable truth, sadly.

Weight has no bearing on if you are beautiful, kind, intelligent or a general all round fabulous fucker but it does come with potential health implications. No side stepping it really and discussing it isn’t “fat shaming”

I agree. My lovely, intelligent sister has had her health affected by her weight. I don’t care what she looks like, but I do care how healthy she is.

I agree that portion sizes are getting ridiculous. DH and I hardly ever eat out now because portion sizes are so large, and feel it is such a waste to leave half the food that we have paid for on our plates.

This is ridiculous there are plenty of over 50's who are obese who work in the health sector - what happens there do they have to stay at home and leave all the patients to die?