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Original poster

Talking about weight and covid

628 replies

Iamsososoexcited · 23/01/2021 18:47

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?

Talking about weight and covid
OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Franticbutterfly · 23/01/2021 19:14

It's not simple but it is possible, and it does mean putting yourself and your priorities first (this isn't possible for everyone, I do know this).

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 23/01/2021 19:15

Souther good on you. I'm not quite at overweight but my diet isnt the best and I've been making changes too to improve my blood pressure.

Twickerhun · 23/01/2021 19:15

I went on a diet and exercise plan at the start of lockdown 1.0 for this very reason. Fell off the wagon during the summer but I’m back with a-vengeance. I still drink way more booze than I should but I’m walking / running / doing core fitness 6 days a week and I am cutting back on snacks. It’s a personal choice but I’m enjoying it now.

Pumperthepumper · 23/01/2021 19:15

@Iamsososoexcited

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.

What did your friends say when you brought up how concerned you were about their health?
catonmylapcantmove · 23/01/2021 19:15

Because it won’t ‘drastically’ improve your chances of not being seriously ill. The increased risk between being a healthy weight and overweight is minuscule on an individual level. Even for morbid obesity it’s not that much of an increase for an individual. Especially with no other risk factors or older age.

londongirl12 · 23/01/2021 19:16

@Franticbutterfly

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.

I'm glad you've said this. The uk is one of the unhealthiest nations, so maybe that's contributing to the high death rate. But it's just not spoken about.
TheSockMonster · 23/01/2021 19:16

If you are genuinely trying to understand then this report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation is an excellent place to start.

GlittercheeksOakleaf · 23/01/2021 19:16

Gosh its been ages since the last faux naïve head tilty why are the fatties fat why don't they think of the NHS fat phobic goad fest.

lightand · 23/01/2021 19:17

I don’t think as much has been made about the weight link as should have been tbh. In my local papers there’s loads of news stories about young people with no underlying conditions dying. They all have photos and they are all hugely overweight

This.

Boris tried to tell people at the beginning, but cant remember him saying much lately.

Original poster
Iamsososoexcited · 23/01/2021 19:18

@Stonerosie67 my grandad died of lung cancer from smoking. Direct link. Direct cause. This is not fat shame. This is fat reality. Why isn’t it being owned up to and addressed?

OP posts:
Awalkintime · 23/01/2021 19:18

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WhatKatyDidNxt · 23/01/2021 19:18

It is concerning. But now is a tough time to lose weight with no gyms open, no personal trainers, lots of people being more busy / stressed / under pressure etc. Personally l am more busy at work, we both do shifts and at the risk of sounding feeble l just want to have something to cheer me up e.g. a nice dinner, dessert etc. We are doing dry January and couch to 5k plus healthy eating but it’s slow going

museumum · 23/01/2021 19:19

OP - you do realise than many of us fat folk think about trying to eat less and better for most of our waking hours. I am always tired and hungry and always trying to resist quick sugar fixes. Always.
Do you have any idea how stressful and exhausting that is alongside a f/t job and homeschooling?
Believe me for many of us it’s really not that we are happily indulging in gluttony.

HairyFloppins · 23/01/2021 19:20

I've been worrying since March about this. I have managed to lose a couple of stone and got my BMI to just above 40. Fallen off the wagon a bit since then. I did get covid in the end and fortunately is was quite mild but a big wake up call.

12frogsincoats · 23/01/2021 19:21

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Aahotep · 23/01/2021 19:22

@Stonerosie67
A thousand times yes

AtleastitsnotMonday · 23/01/2021 19:22

People always say it’s hard. And it is. But that doesn’t mean you don’t try. For most people maintaining a high level of fitness does require a lot of effort, that’s the same for everyone. Just because someone’s slim it doesn’t mean there aren’t times where they would rather collapse on the sofa than go for a run, but some times you just have to make yourself. Admittedly the more you do the easier it gets but it does still take effort.
Equally, most people enjoy chocolate and crisps. Would prefer a biscuit to an apple or there would be times when it is easier to chuck a pizza in the oven than chop veg for a stir fry but chose not to for the sake of their health.
I am not fat bashing at all. I’m just saying don’t assume it’s easy for people of a healthy weight. A lot of people have to work hard to maintain that.

Seriouslymole · 23/01/2021 19:23

OP - you are not being unreasonable at all, but you will be, and have been, told you are. There is a massive correlation between serious effects of Covid and obesity. However, no one is brave enough in the government to say “fuck lockdown, actually we need to tackle the massive public health crisis on our doorstep and encourage people to lose weight, eat the right stuff, exercise if you can, drink less, stop smoking” because apparently it is everyone’s inalienable right to do what they to their own bodies. So because they are not brave enough to tackle that, we all lockdown, wear masks, wash our hands and fool ourselves into thinking it will make a difference. It won’t.

AtleastitsnotMonday · 23/01/2021 19:23

However, I think it’s wrong to assume fat people aren’t trying. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors.

OverTheRainbow88 · 23/01/2021 19:23

I think closing gyms, pools, exercise classes, limiting exercise outdoors to once a day and lockdowns don’t help people loose weight.

I’ve started comfort eating for the first time in my life’

Original poster
Iamsososoexcited · 23/01/2021 19:24

@HairyFloppins I think that is normal response. Well done for trying!

Why aren’t more people worried and instead on this thread they getting angry with me? I can’t stop covid but losing weight can reduce how badly it effects you. Why does this make people angry. It is the reality in which we are currently living.

OP posts:
HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 23/01/2021 19:24

@Iamsososoexcited I am doing it, as are many many other people, but it's not quick, it's not easy and it doesn't instantly reduce your risk.

People overeat because they are addicted to the sugar, because of habit, because of physical illnesses or medications or psychological illnesses and for a host of other reasons.

I started as morbidly obese, I'm now overweight, I've got just over a stone to lose to hit the healthy BMI.

The reason that being overweight is thought to be a contributing factor is complex and there is no definitive answer yet. In part it's the weight on your chest, but it's also linked to blockages in arteries and generalised inflammation caused by high sugar levels. Blockages and inflammation may never go away even if you lose the weight, or they may do but not as quickly as the weight is lost.

umpteennamechanges · 23/01/2021 19:25

@Iamsososoexcited

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 a great job and a nice husband.

I also have bipolar disorder and a history of childhood abuse. This has resulted in me having binge eating disorder.

With my background I could have self-medicated with drugs or alcohol but food has ended up being my addiction. And I am genuinely (psychologically) addicted.

You wouldn't necessarily know about any of these things if we were friends.

There is a scientifically proven link between 'adverse childhood experiences' and obesity.

Think about this...Look up the stats for:

  • Sexual abuse as a child
  • Other abuse as a child (emotional, neglect, violence)
  • Rape or sexual assault as an adult
  • Domestic violence
  • Complex bereavements (e.g. parents lost young, murders, suicides)

This doesn't even cover all of the potential sources of trauma...think how many people there are that have unresolved trauma.

Food is the socially acceptable face of self-medication for trauma in a lot of instances IMO.

AlexaShutUp · 23/01/2021 19:25

OP, I can't decide if you're being disingenuous in order to be goady or whether you're genuinely devoid of any empathy and understanding. Either way, it really isn't as simple as you make out. There are complex reasons as to why people become overweight or obese, and it is ignorant to think that the solutions will be simple or straightforward.

FWIW, I lost 3 stone last year and I'm trying to lose more. I have taken up running and I'm eating carefully, doing intermittent fasting etc. Covid has definitely been an additional motivating factor for me, but the truth is, I've tried many times over the years to lose weight and haven't been successful. It isn't the case that I don't make the link between my weight and my mental health - I am acutely aware of it, but that doesn't mean that I would necessarily choose to talk about it with other people. It's deeply personal. You might assume that mental health isn't a factor as some people are very good at masking their issues and may not wish to discuss them...especially with someone who appears to lack any emotional intelligence.

Try judging a little less and understanding a little more.

Pumperthepumper · 23/01/2021 19:25

[quote Iamsososoexcited]@HairyFloppins I think that is normal response. Well done for trying!

Why aren’t more people worried and instead on this thread they getting angry with me? I can’t stop covid but losing weight can reduce how badly it effects you. Why does this make people angry. It is the reality in which we are currently living.[/quote]
Did your friends get angry when you asked them why they were overweight knowing it’s a higher risk to their health? Or when you asked why they were so fat despite having nice lives?