Talking about weight and covid

[Iamsososoexcited]

In the 44-53 age group, 73% of people in the UK are overweight to obese. This is a government statistic according to the House of Commons library.

Does anyone else think this is massively concerning?

This awful virus arrived a year ago. It has a disproportionate effect on people who are overweight and obese.

People are washing hands, wearing masks, keeping their distance, isolating with families to stay safe. Why aren’t people losing weight to stay safe as well?

I don’t understand. It is like being told there is a course of action you can take (losing weight) that will drastically improve your chances of surviving this terrible virus, and yet people are not doing it?

Please help me understand?

Because people like to eat and weight loss isn't instant.

I think if you can't understand then there is probably no point in explaining it to you.

Because there are a multitude of reasons why people are overweight. Money (cheapest food is usually the unhealthiest), emotional, hormonal, medication, lack of education around food and cooking, long working hours meaning convenience food is easier.

I'm overweight, 2 stone. I was healthy weight before the last lockdown. The stress and mh impact of working full time and homeschooling made me eat chocolate and drink wine, to numb the crappy feelings.

I'm working on it now, but it's not easy, especially in a pandemic when life feels pretty bleak anyway.

I'm not overweight but I agree with MerryInthechelseahotel on this...

I genuinely don’t @MerryInthechelseahotel Mental health / poverty don’t account for 77% of people in my age group. What else is at play? People are not seeing families, restricting lives (in accordance with government rules) but not doing the one thing that can help them?

I have friends who are overweight/obese. They have great lives, good jobs, nice husbands and kids. But they don’t seem to link their weight to their health.

For the record this is not a vanity thing, I don’t care about body shape/size. I am talking about BMI the known effects a raised BMI can have.

I have often thought the same as this. Two years ago I realised I had put on weight, I was buying new jeans and 34" felt too tight. I started to eat less and am now comfortable in 34", It was not difficult to lose weight and I am so pleased that I have lost it before this pandemic as being overweight does seem to be a risk factor. (I am a 73-year-old male without a beer belly)

Some people are! My Dad is 77 and covid shook him into losing weight that had crept back on. He lost 2stone in the first lockdown.

I'm fat.

To lose weight at my height & age requires total diet compliance for an extended amount of time, probably best part of two years done properly, to minimise muscle loss. Add in thyroid issues & the menopause...

My food (both making & eating) is my main pleasure & also helps me control my adhd. Currently my mental health is more important than any weight loss. Maintaining my weight at current levels is enough of a challenge.. 😁

Unfortunately it takes a long time to lose weight. Of course people should take responsibility to get to a healthy weight, but if it was easy then nobody would be overweight! Lockdown has caused a lot of people to put on weight; lack of opportunity to exercise with gyms closed and boredom causing people to eat and drink more.

I do think people have had a wake up call due to COVID and hopefully we’ll see the number of overweight adults come down. It’s going to take time though.

I work on a red Covid ward and the people who aren't elderly and are dying, are generally overweight.

They say on the news there are loads of under 55s in hospital. They should be adding that there are loads of under 55s who take no care or responsibility for their health whatsoever, and already have a catalogue of health problems very often caused by poor lifestyle choices.

So many of my friends and family are so unfit and make no attempt to improve their health and fitness, it really worries me.

Being overweight is a massive risk factor with covid.

Pre covid it appears that people believed they can have a bad diet but you will only get diabetes in old age, so why worry in your youth. In the same way no worried about lung cancer when smoking cigarettes aged 21.

This virus has accelerated that link; if you are overweight now you will be more seriously ill with Covid now. Right now.

Everyone is giving up so much, freedoms, friendships and families. But they are not giving up excess food which would have a massive positive effect.

@Franticbutterfly that’s what I see too.

@phlebasconsidered but you are still overweight. As Joe Wicks says “you cannot out train a bad diet” so why not eat better, and enjoy the health benefits of being able to run well. It’s like smoking but eating lots of broccoli. Stop the smoking.

Well you’re over simplifying it a bit really, decide to lose weight isn’t like flicking on a light switch for many people.

There are a lot of people who have emotional issues tied up with food or a difficult relationship with it, and it’s not always simple as cutting calories. Then there’s complications with links between poverty and obesity, people working long hours with no time to cook.

And then yes there are many who are relying on food for pleasure at the moment because life is dreary and shit - no friends, no family, no leisure - just walking and working. I can understand why some wouldn’t want to add a strict diet on top of everything else at the moment.

Oh goodie another fat bashing thread. How original.

But it's a not choice to give up seeing friends and family. We have to. And the lack of human contact, the added stress and anxiety makes weight loss even harder.

You are right. But people are so into instant gratification that they can't conceive of what they are doing to themselves and they get upset if you point it out. So instead we have chucked the economy under a bus to ameliorate grown adults' bad life choices and their outpouring of bullshit excuses for why they are special and can't lose weight.

@Iamsososoexcited people don't have much to look forward to at the moment and are suffering with poor mental health and some are eating and drinking too much. The combination makes motivating yourself to lose weight difficult. Do you really not understand? Can you not see that some people are really struggling to cope and it's not always obvious? I'm not overweight, I work really hard to control my weight but in the last lockdown it crept up due to injury and then illness.
I don't think it's hard to understand.

@MerryInthechelseahotel

I think if you can't understand then there is probably no point in explaining it to you.

Agreed.

Well this is in no way a goady fat-shaming post.

How do you know 'people are not doing it' OP?

If it was easy as ‘just lose weight’ there would be no fat people. Op I assume you’ve never had any issues with your weight.

The U.K.’s statistics on being overweight and obese aren’t right either and bmi is rubbish. DP is 5 foot 9 and between 11.5 and 12 stone. In men’s size small and 30 inch waist. He’s borderline overweight according fo BMI but very slim to look at. He eats more than me most days yet I’m ‘obese’ according to bmi for my height.