‘Healthy’ but overweight?

[bumbleymummy]

Ok, I know this is a sensitive subject and I’m really not trying to upset or offend anyone. I just think it’s misleading when people say things like ‘ICU is filled with healthy under 60s’ or talk about a ‘healthy 40- something’ passing away and it turns out that person/a high proportion of those patients are very overweight. Are people who are clearly overweight actually ‘healthy’? I know it’s not the same as an underlying condition like diabetes or heart disease but we know that a high bmi puts people at greater risk of complications from coronavirus.

Before someone jumps on me, I’m not saying that someone’s life is of less value because they are overweight or have an underlying health condition. I’m just wondering if it’s accurate to say that they are ‘healthy’ when we are reporting figures and talking about risk.

The amount of obesity in this country, it’s not just people who live in poverty and stress. That’s probably a tiny percentage.

Some studies show if you live in poverty or deprivation you’re almost twice as likely to obese as not. Childhood obesity also significantly higher in deprived areas. It’s a big problem.

It is undoubtedly correct that eating well can be easy and inexpensive but, as pp's have stated, our relationship with food is a complex and emotional one.

There is no disputing that a certain percentage of overweight or obese people remain that way because they do not want to make a change, but for the majority it is a real battle to break ingrained habits and behaviours. Poor sleep, stress, lack of exercise and time all contribute. Not to mention feelings of failure and shame tied in to stigma around so-called 'good' v 'bad' foods and how easy it should be to cook from scratch every mealtime. I feel very strongly that doing the best you can most of the time is far more valuable than striving for perfection, falling off the wagon and giving up because you couldn't resist the bar of Dairy Milk that was calling you from the back of the cupboard.

The clean eating movement, and the rise of virtue-signalling around food on social media, have a lot to answer for imo. I'm lucky that I can cook healthy food from scratch for myself and my family. I have the time and the wherewithal to do it, and I even like kale and quinoa 😁 If I tried to impose my own standards on my PT clients I'd get laughed out of town though. I encourage them to strive for balance, get a handle on portion control and to live a little every once in a while. They are grown men and women with complicated lives. Me telling them how easy it should be for them to whip up a scrummy vegan feast after a long and stressful day at the office isn't going to make me popular, trust me.

I eat almost completely home cooked from scratch stuff, rarely have takeaways, I only drink water or tea/coffee, no fizzy drinks at all apart from tonic with the odd gin. I'm still overweight and becoming more all the time so because I just eat way too much!

I’m overweight 😢 not healthy. Need to get my ass in gear

I do not believe you can be healthy and overweight

What he most probably meant by "fit and healthy" is that you didn't have any illnesses requiring medication? It's generally notated as such when taking medical and social history.

Although being over weight isn’t healthy as it can put extra strain on your heart and breathing if you catch covid. I’d say its more important to not get to that stage first by eating a balanced meal with plenty of vitamins and maybe extra vitamin D in winter as this would be better at keeping your immunity in top condition so your body can fighter the virus before you get so sick and need hospital treatment. Daughter is a virologist and insisted we all up our vitamin D supplements back in March. I know plenty of skinny so called healthy people that are always sick as their immunity is rubbish as they don’t eat properly. My MIL is 85 yo and was very overweight, we think she caught covid back in March. She was in a bad way and lost so much weight as stopped eating, I think she would have died if she’d been much thinner. Luckily she was already on oxygen and we could nurse her back to health with good food during first lockdown. She’s half her old weight now and doesn’t need the oxygen anymore. Scarily at the time her doctor was talking to us about DNR forms.

@OliveTree75

I agree too. A friend of a friend died this week of covid. He was only 37,but extremely overweight. It obviously doesn't make it any less tragic but we know it is a big risk factor

I'm so sorry for your loss Olive Tree. This worries me so much because one of my adult DC is very overweight. I'm no expert, but I believe that a lot of people (not all) who are very overweight are likely to be prediabetic which is not as serious as diabetes, but still not healthy.

There are many reasons why people are overweight but the reasons (apart from actual medical reasons) are just excuses. Its easy not to face up and make a change and I am not saying this is wrong, but its an excuse nonetheless.

The whole purpose of reporting these deaths is to frighten people into staying home and following the rules. A healthy 40 year old passing away is far scarier than an obese pre-diabetic passing away due to complications.

I agree - obesity is the elephant in the room. It is a significant risk factor for a poor Covid outcome but we are afraid to say so. Healthy people’s immune systems don’t overact to a virus. The problem is we can’t be sure we are metabolically healthy ( even if currently this) so it’s all a bit of a gamble. But being significantly overweight and truly healthy really isn’t possible

There is no such thing as 'healthy but overweight', but I do think there is such a thing as overweight but with a healthy attitude and a right to consider my excess weight is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

@rubia

I agree - obesity is the elephant in the room. It is a significant risk factor for a poor Covid outcome but we are afraid to say so. Healthy people’s immune systems don’t overact to a virus. The problem is we can’t be sure we are metabolically healthy ( even if currently this) so it’s all a bit of a gamble. But being significantly overweight and truly healthy really isn’t possible

I really don't get why obesity is something we can't talk about, and I really don't get why fat people can't be honest with themselves, even if they want to pretend to the rest of the world. Being honest with yourself is a far healthier place to be with your own MH.

I have lived outside of the UK for 25 years, returning home about once or twice a year. Every time I come back I've noticed how more and more of the people I see in the airport seem to be overweight, compared to where I now live. Another thing that has really struck me over the years has been observing portion creep in action: the UK seems to be following US portion sizes, normalising overeating.

BMI can be a very misleading figure. I know a number of athletes who are classed as clinically obese by their BMI yet are the fittest they can be. I remember Matthew Pinsent being classified as this when he had only just won a gold medal at the Olympics! My OH will never be in a normal range of BMI despite captaining a national rugby team not too long ago and being an extremely active cyclist and other activities now he has retired from rugby. He has a very big build and his muscle mass on its own is above what his weight would need to be for his BMI to be normal! That’s without his bones and organs! Yet he can cycle 200 miles in a day etc

Are you saying that everyone who is overweight is “ill”?

Totally agree OP.

I think you do get some slim, young people who, for unexplained reasons become very ill with Covid. But agree that all the headlines about “healthy” people are a bit misleading.

The other thing is that there are lots of people who are not terribly overweight but they are slightly overweight, very unfit, etc and so not that well placed to fight a virus.

This is one of the many reason I don’t understand why so many posters on recent threads take such pride in declaring that they and their children don’t go out or do any exercise - not even a walk - as they see no reason to!

@LexCake

Are you saying that everyone who is overweight is “ill”?

I think “ill” is different to not being in good health. Someone who has diabetes, or joint problems, or a fatty liver, etc would probably not describe themselves as ill...

So true.
And the effect on kids' health and weight too of taking away sporting opportunities. Mad.

@LexCake

Are you saying that everyone who is overweight is “ill”?

No, 'not healthy' I think was the phrase.

I'm not a doctor but done loads of nutrition courses, am a personal trainer, yoga instructor etc but I've done alot of 'doomscrolling' and yes, being overweight and obese is such a factor. Being a male is also a massive factor. Everytime I see a picture of a 'healthy' person who has died, tragic as it is, they are 9/10 overweight.
So, let me try to explain something fairly simple which will explain why overweight people are such a risk. 62% of adults in this country are overweight or obese. It's huge and a massive health crisis. A male will put weight around his trunk and vital organs generally (beer belly effect) whilst a female will mostly put weight around her hips and thighs but obviously as more weight is piled on, the weight then gets distributed more around the trunk and vital organs too. So, imagine having COVID and lying in a hospital bed with your lungs screaming for air but have no energy to breathe. Imagine trying to make your lungs breathe with the amount of fat/weight that is piled on top of your chest because of your weight. It is no wonder that the lungs give up. So please, if you have it and are on the heavy side and are at home, try to be more upright than on your back, and also try to sleep on your front more (hospitals are doing that to many more patients). But yes, every excess pound will cause your lungs to have to expend energy it doesn't have. And please please take Vitamin D.

The PP who said that many people have an unrealistic idea of their own weight. I was convinced I was only carrying ‘a bit extra’ until my DD encouraged me to actually weigh and measure myself and check my results in the BMI and waist checker on the NHS.

Turned out to get a BMI under 25 required me to lose 2.5 stone. And my waist is now under 30 inches. I feel so much better - less aches and pains, more energy, clothes fit properly and regular exercise is now happening and is much more enjoyable.

I did it as the one thing I could do to help myself if I was unlucky enough to catch Covid. I have rheumatoid arthritis and hadn’t appreciated that being overweight added to my inflammatory responses and this is now the best controlled I’ve been for years.

I wish that there was less worry about offending people who are fat because wake up calls are really needed. Not just for Covid either.

LexCake the opposite of "healthy" isn't "ill", it's "unhealthy". OP is saying that very overweight people are less healthy than they could be.

I don't know how people can say that obesity is the elephant in the room, and that we are too frightened of offending people to be honest about the risk of obesity in relation to covid.

That message is everywhere, and had been from the start of the pandemic.

Unless they live under a rock, no obese person could possibly have missed that there are health implications arising from the obesity, and that their risk from covid is increased. MN is full of posts from people literally terrified about this.
Pointing it out over and over in different ways is hardly necessary.

As many people have said, obesity cannot be fixed quickly, so there is little an obese person could do to reduce their risk 'in time' to be safer from covid.
In the longer term, some will address their weight, some won't, but I'm fairly certain that where people don't it's not because it's not talked about enough.

Overweight, but not obese, is a different matter, and I agree that people are often not aware they are overweight due to changed perceptions around this.

@alwaysinjured

I'm not a doctor but done loads of nutrition courses, am a personal trainer, yoga instructor etc but I've done alot of 'doomscrolling' and yes, being overweight and obese is such a factor. Being a male is also a massive factor. Everytime I see a picture of a 'healthy' person who has died, tragic as it is, they are 9/10 overweight. So, let me try to explain something fairly simple which will explain why overweight people are such a risk. 62% of adults in this country are overweight or obese. It's huge and a massive health crisis. A male will put weight around his trunk and vital organs generally (beer belly effect) whilst a female will mostly put weight around her hips and thighs but obviously as more weight is piled on, the weight then gets distributed more around the trunk and vital organs too. So, imagine having COVID and lying in a hospital bed with your lungs screaming for air but have no energy to breathe. Imagine trying to make your lungs breathe with the amount of fat/weight that is piled on top of your chest because of your weight. It is no wonder that the lungs give up. So please, if you have it and are on the heavy side and are at home, try to be more upright than on your back, and also try to sleep on your front more (hospitals are doing that to many more patients). But yes, every excess pound will cause your lungs to have to expend energy it doesn't have. And please please take Vitamin D.

Thank-you.