‘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.

What is obese, I'm sure its not that much. Two stone over Ideal weight.

I do think we need to do something as a country to help change our diet and lifestyle as we are an unhealthy nation. But it's very much ingrained now.

I had gained weight over the last couple of years and through lockdown. My BMI was just over 30 on New Year's Day and so far have lost 9lbs this month. I'd like to get my BMI back under 25.

While Kate Garraway's husband is a very tragic story and for it to have been going on so long. But there has never been any mention of his obesity and the huge gut he had. That must have contributed to how COVID affected him.

I am just in the obese category (and trying to improve diet to fix this). However, my healthy weight seems to be in the overweight category.

If you saw me, you certainly wouldn't think I was obese. Medical professionals are always surprised when I tell them my weight, and were when I was 2 stone lighter and genuinely looked healthy. My thighs are and always have been built like tanks, even when I was a skinny teenager.

I can run 5k with ease and have no health conditions or joint problems.

I say all this to remind that healthy takes more forms than weight. I know I can be more healthy with a better control of my diet, but my diet is the issue, not my weight. I'm not in denial - I know I'm fat, but I'm healthier than many people I know who are not fat.

I think the way society doesn't allow any "fat shaming" and keeps on with the idea that it's possible to be fat and healthy is close to criminal. We know it's not and people are dying as a result, but that's always the case, covid or not.

Obviously I'm not saying being horrid to anyone is a good thing, but dare to even mention it and you're accused of fat shaming.

We need to get to a place where people's social duty is to take care of themselves, rather than expecting the NHS to be able to fix their years of self neglect.

That's going to take time and investment and will need to be handled very sensitively, but it needs to happen.

@2020out

I am just in the obese category (and trying to improve diet to fix this). However, my healthy weight seems to be in the overweight category.

If you saw me, you certainly wouldn't think I was obese. Medical professionals are always surprised when I tell them my weight, and were when I was 2 stone lighter and genuinely looked healthy. My thighs are and always have been built like tanks, even when I was a skinny teenager.

I can run 5k with ease and have no health conditions or joint problems.

I say all this to remind that healthy takes more forms than weight. I know I can be more healthy with a better control of my diet, but my diet is the issue, not my weight. I'm not in denial - I know I'm fat, but I'm healthier than many people I know who are not fat.

You might be fitter than some slim people and that's a good thing, but that's not the same as healthy. You are still at high risk of all the usual health issues associated with weight.

Although obviously only just, as you're only just obese

@Nopreservatives

Although obviously only just, as you're only just obese

I do get this, but there is a genetic factor in everyone too.

I am obese now, and trying to deal with it. But I'm going to stop actively trying to lose weight while I'm still overweight, because BMI isn't everything. Some people wouldn't be healthy at 12 stone, I am fairly sure I was and will be. Losing more weight would only be done by extremely restricted dieting, which would be an unhealthy practice.

You don’t need to change your diet to lose weight if your diet is broadly healthy. Just eat less of it and cut out the junk snacks (crisps choc cake). Or Just have them at the weekend.

I cut what I ate by about a third by eating no food whatsoever until lunchtime and having my meals on smaller plates breakfast plates. Bmi was 27 now it’s 21. Still eat same food though.

Was hungry for first few weeks then my appetite adjusted. I have early teen girls and they have smaller plates too. They don’t notice as I just never gave them the big dinner plates. They are both slim I notice several of their friends are very overweight.

Interestingly I was massively criticised for this on another thread 🙄🙄. So by not over feeding my teens so they get fat I am somehow a bad mother. Think by dds will thank me !

Pootle40
Unkind to mention someone's husband by name. I think she has enough to contend with, doesn't need personal comments on MN

I know it's hard I really do get that and it doesn't help when we're told continuously by the food manufacturers that snacking is healthy.

If I stop snacking it really is easy to control my weight, regardless of what I eat at mealtimes and once you change your mindset to only eating at mealtimes, it's really easy to stick to. Far easier than trying to be "good" with your choices, although my preference is for home cooked food with lots of veg, I don't plan "diet" meals.

You are still at high risk of all the usual health issues associated with weight.

Perhaps pp is, but not because of weight carried on the bottom or the thighs. Having large, muscular legs isn't a danger to health, it's weight carried around the waist. Surely the waist to hip ratio is a better guide, or waist size. (Although of course that has its limitations, especially given many women go undiagnosed with things like diastatis recti post birth.)

@MsTSwift

You don’t need to change your diet to lose weight if your diet is broadly healthy. Just eat less of it and cut out the junk snacks (crisps choc cake). Or Just have them at the weekend.

I cut what I ate by about a third by eating no food whatsoever until lunchtime and having my meals on smaller plates breakfast plates. Bmi was 27 now it’s 21. Still eat same food though.

I promise you, I do. My diet is healthy. I used to binge eat but have cut that out. I have eaten no snacks. It is a recent change. I have lost no weight so far.

I am unable to follow a diet plan because I get obsessed about food and end up binging more. My current healthy diet includes two meals packed with veg and fruit and yoghurt as the only snacks. It is an incredible improvement compared to my diet 2 months ago. I have not eaten crisps or unhealthy snacks in 2 months. I repeat: I have lost no weight. I do understand it is very early days and I am in this for the long haul. I feel immensely healthier, have more energy, and am filling up on vitamins. All more important than losing weight is in itself.

I'm glad a moderately healthy diet works for you. It doesn't work for all.

@MrsTSwift

Name change fail above. Think you can probably see what I posted as before!

@nopreservatives

Just cutting out snacks has been done. No effect.

It is annoying when people assume that what works to keep them at a healthy weight will work for others.

Maybe because so many overweight/obese people think they don't have a problem or are just carrying a bit extra, so they wouldn't associate themselves with higher risk if the media said 'morbidly obese person dies' etc.

Sorry of course everyone is different that worked for me. Just trying to counterbalance those that think you need to do a total dietary change to lose weight which may put some off even trying.

Very many of these 'healthy' people dying of Covid will have underlying conditions, just many not diagnosed at the time of admission.
I opportunistically checked the BP of a larger man in his early 50's who simply came for a flu vaccine yesterday, it was through the roof.
He also mentioned he has a family history of diabetes. Will be very interesting to see what his cholesterol and glucose levels come back too.
And there are hundreds of thousands like him all walking about. Diabetic, pre-diabetic, hypertensive. Yet no idea.

Write down every thing that gets in your mouth. I mean everything no matter how small.
You are in for a shock.
Use smaller plates.
Two thirds veg, rest meat and carbs.

I also do at least an hours cardio each morning so I’m sweating and I don’t eat before or after that it til lunch. That’ll do it.

It is undoubtedly more acceptable to be overweight now than it was in times past.

As such a high percentage of people are overweight it is obviously going to be seen as 'normal' and reflected in the clothing industry's vanity sizing and so on.

Fashions for (female) attractiveness change and the current aesthetic generally favours larger proportions than in previous decades.

However, in terms of covid, as I understand it, being merely overweight is not a significant risk factor, so all of the above is somewhat irrelevant.

It is obesity that carries the real health risk for covid and obesity has not become socially acceptable.

Yes, a small and vocal movement are trying to make it so, but if the experience of obese people is anything to go by, it hasn't really caught on in the mainstream.

The vast majority of obese people would prefer not to be for health and social reasons.
They are not obese because society is either encouraging it or tolerating it, and to suggest this distracts from the real underlying issues.

I'm not sure what proportion of overweight people go on to become obese. Many overweight people do not keep getting heavier until they become obese. They maintain their weight, and in many cases would be able to achieve theirccorrect BMI in a relatively short space of time, which is
not so for people who are obese.

So, is it socially acceptable to be overweight? Yes.
Can you be healthy and overweight? Yes. Maybe not in optimum health, but probably good enough in the context we are speaking of.

However this is not the same for obesity.

Thanks for all of the presumably well-meaning advice. But every human being is different.

My lifestyle is currently healthy. I assure you. I wouldn't be in for any kind of shock if I wrote down everything that went into my mouth. I know that my calories in are much less than my theoretical calories out. I eat two meals a day and one or two small fruit or yoghurt snacks. But I keep the weight on. I am fine with that, because I know that I have a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet. If two people have identical diet, exercise regime and lifestyle, and one is heavier than the other, where's the evidence that the heavier one is more unhealthy?

Some overweight people are healthy some are not. Just like some skinny people are unhealthy and some are not. The measure of health is often based on lung capacity, i.e. how quickly you get out of breath when exerted. Despite what a lot of skinnies believe, we are all different shapes and sizes it’s not always due to lack of willpower.

Despite what a lot of skinnies believe, we are all different shapes and sizes it’s not always due to lack of willpower.

Quite. It's madness to imagine that we are all supposed to be the same size when we are all such different shapes and builds! That's why BMI comes with many caveats.

I too watch the media on death and so many tragic families with young adults, who then visually look to be very over weight. I don't think it's doing anyone any favours to not highlight this on public information. Boris told everyone he was loosing weight after his illness, but then it fizzled out... I presume that his advisors said it would upset people??
I'd love a medic to tell us more about what they see in hospitals