‘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.

@TheVanguardSix

DH is obese and nearly died of covid. When he was on ICU, he was in a bay of 4 covid patients. And he absolutely noticed that, like him, they were obese and middle-aged. Of the 4, he was the only one who left that bay alive. It was sobering. But not sobering enough to deal with the reality that his terrible eating habits didn't kill him this time but will in the not so distant future. He's back to eating terribly and too much. His near-death experience has taught him nothing. I feel sorry for our kids, tbh. Obese people HAVE underlying conditions (denial is the main one!). They're just undiagnosed.

I think obesity is the ultimate in selfishness. And anyone who thinks I am terrible for saying so, well, you can take what I've said to the bank and cash it. You'll find that the truth is legal tender.

I think it's really unkind for obese people to put their inability to look after themselves onto the shoulders of their families. We are at risk of developing life-limiting, life-changing illnesses throughout our lives, all of us are. So why would you court disaster by being obese?

Why are you with him? Genuine question, meant kindly. I'm sorry you have had to deal with so much stress and worry. I would feel quite resentful if this was my DH.

I agree @purplebagladylovesgin. I'm an 8-10 and people consider me slim, but actually I'm at the very top of a healthy weight for my height (about 7lb wiggle room).

Supposedly I can go down to 7st 10lb which seems skeletal to most people.

@Kndg

I'm in the obese category but reasonably healthy and active. Blood cholesterol was tested recently and came back as optimal, as was my HB1ac test. I put on loads of weight when I stopped smoking, I used to smoke at least 20 a day. My old GP told me it was healthier to be a fat nonsmoker than a slim smoker.

But, you could be a slim non-smoker!

My dh was obese so I tried to cook all his meals and he has lost some.my dm is even larger at one point she was a dress size 24.
She has had cancer twice too and is elderly.She gets tired walking very short distances and is a real couch potato.Her risk from covid is quite bad for her.She didn't know why she had to shield and tried to get taken off the list.I don't think being so large is healthy in any way.

Why are you with him? Genuine question, meant kindly. I'm sorry you have had to deal with so much stress and worry. I would feel quite resentful if this was my DH.

I feel badly about my ranting post, but this is a really honest and good question... one I am really struggling to answer. And I suppose, I too have been in denial along with him- watching the brand new bike he intended to ride to work rust outside over the years, finally getting rid of the hiking boots he bought and never used, noticing that the lead he bought 5 years ago- the one he preferred for himself on dog walks has never been used. Those objects gave both of us the idea of a healthier lifestyle.
The reality has been so different. He can't even change a lightbulb or pick up things off the floor now. That's how obese he is. And the covid- his near death- took me from feelings of despair to 'thank god he's alive' to 'you asshole! You really don't care about your children, do you?' I'm grappling with a covid-induced existential crisis.

Your question is a good one... one I need to sit down and answer honestly then make a decision. Because he's changing nothing, it's clear as day. I feel so hurt by this. It was such a trauma nearly losing him. I feel he owes it to his family to try and stay healthy. I also realise I don't want to be a carer yet. I'm almost 50 and I'm not ready to tuck into years of chronic illness brought on by obesity and a total unwillingness to change.

Obesity is a condition so reports saying they had no underlying conditions are inaccurate as sadly there is a very obvious condition.
As a society we need to stop skirting around the issue of weight. So many people use "overweight" when someone is actually clinically obese. I remember when I first started as a practice nurse being shocked that a patient's BMI put him into the obese category and apologising to him for using the term. He just looked on the solid side. Chunky rather than fat. We offered a lot of support to overweight and obese patients but it's a multifactorial condition with no simple solution so it was hard to make progress with limited resources. Obesity needs to be treated as the eating disorder it is (in most cases) with appropriate psychological support to overcome the issues involved. As a society our perception of normal body weight is so messed up. My dds are "skinny" according to most people. No, they are normal weight and very healthy but because compared to others they are very slim then it's viewed as abnormal. People say I'm slim but I could do with losing a stone for my own vanity. It's just that I'm slim in comparison. My BMI is 23.5 but there's excess lard around my middle and I'm working to get rid of it. That's up to me to do that. So many people today have an external locus of control where everything is viewed as under outside control rather than taking personal responsibility. It's a messed up society.

So sorry Vanguard that sounds very tough. Has to come from him though. I would get him to read or listen to Downsizing by Tom Watson an MP who lost 8 stone and turned his eating habits and lifestyle round at similar age.

@CorianderBee

I agree *@purplebagladylovesgin*. I'm an 8-10 and people consider me slim, but actually I'm at the very top of a healthy weight for my height (about 7lb wiggle room).

Supposedly I can go down to 7st 10lb which seems skeletal to most people.

I can go to 7lb10 at 5'4"

I'm currently 10st and a size 12

Flattered at my routine medical the nurse tried to explain that my bmi of 27 was muscle bless her. We both knew it wasn’t. The appointment spurred me on and I lost 2 stone in 4 months bmi now 21. Would like to go back and weighed again now!

Thevanguardsix I share your view.It has been incredibly frustrating for me that all my nearest and dearest are obese.I have watched them in ill health for years. Dh had a major heart attack and mocks me if I try to help.He says it was the worst time of his life yet does nothing to prevent it.Same with my dm.I get teased for being skinny and walking everywhere.I have a normal BMI.Frustrating.

@MsTSwift

In tears at the panorama program telling the stories of those who died but I couldn’t not notice that every younger person who died was visibly significantly overweight 🙁

Didnt watch the program but have seen it in the news

Very sad

I do think people can be slightly overweight but fit and healthy but i also think that is probably quite rare

I am none of the above unfortunately but I’m making an effort!

Oh and i saw a consultant recently and in the letter to my dr he said

Rufus is slightly overweight

😳

Bmi of 28...thats not slightly!

We have a very sick and unhealthy SOCIETY

And so many people on this thread saying it's within the INDIVIDUALS control

Capitalism, consumer culture, the longest working hours in Europe, NHS unfit for purpose - no prevention work done - only fire fighting, expensive leisure facilities, lack of childcare, no healthy 'culture', fewest cycle lanes in Europe, lowest bariatric surgeries done in Europe...ALL OF THESE can be influenced by GOVERNMENT POLICY!!!

@LaurieFairyCake

We have a very sick and unhealthy SOCIETY

And so many people on this thread saying it's within the INDIVIDUALS control

Capitalism, consumer culture, the longest working hours in Europe, NHS unfit for purpose - no prevention work done - only fire fighting, expensive leisure facilities, lack of childcare, no healthy 'culture', fewest cycle lanes in Europe, lowest bariatric surgeries done in Europe...ALL OF THESE can be influenced by GOVERNMENT POLICY!!!

Sorry, but despite all that people can skim down. I gain weight because I eat too much. Lose again when I eat less. Very simple

Most people have no real gage of how overweight they really are, because most people in the UK are fat to out it bluntly. We need to stop skirting around this issue.

When I had an unhealthy BMI of 26 I was told not to lose weight and that I was slim as I was. (I wasn't). I've now got a BMI of 19 and people seem to think it's okay to comment on my weight now more than when I was fat?? Views are skewed here in the UK.

I'm overweight, walk 3 miles a day in 47 minutes with a resting heart rate between 55 to 65 bpm.
So yes, I am healthy but overweight.
Got eating disorders and aspergers so not great mentally.

There have been studies shown that a BMI of 27 has the lowest morbidity rate. But not sure why. This varies based on ethnicity. What is generally most important is where you carry your weight. I'm a bit overweight, which I'm doing something about, but figure there are no vital organs in my arse, thighs and shotputter arms so am not massively worried.

It’s a shame that a proper anti obesity strategy has never really been implemented. This really was the moment for it with the much greater risk of serious covid if you’re overweight or obese. I wonder how many people could have had a much less bad outcome if right at the beginning when it became clear obesity was such a risk there was more support available to lose weight through the lockdowns. Eat out to help out was really unhelpful in this respect.

I was in the healthy weight and now thanks to being stuck at home and the stress of lockdowns and uncertainty I am overweight. And yes that's my fault but I am aware of how I eat and what affects that.

DH lost a lot of weight when he saw Boris in hospital and it was a wake up call to go from obese to a bit overweight.

I know everything feels harder now I am bigger. I am tired and it's just a bit more effort to do any physical activity. Being overweight to me is not healthy and I wish we had more of a nice but frank discussion on how that makes getting covid worse. I too look at the pictures in the papers and wonder why no one mentions it.

I am starting to try and get those extra pounds off and yes it's hard but I don't think we should shy away from how being overweight/obese is impacting health especially as we are seeing that with covid.

This thread isn't exactly in good spirits is it? Do you think someone who has lost a relative or loved one to covid who was overweight, wants to read something like this?
Carrying a bit of extra weight can be down to a lot if reasons.
"Well done to us all trying to lose weight"
It's so insensitive. I'm sure someone who lost a loved one would have seen them as fit and healthy, seeing as bmi is actually widely discredited. The amount of deaths is Tragic. Starting a thread to specifically nit pick over the term healthy, is petty and in extremely poor taste when so many are dying. I hope to god no one grieving a loss reads this thread.

@LaurieFairyCake

We have a very sick and unhealthy SOCIETY

And so many people on this thread saying it's within the INDIVIDUALS control

Capitalism, consumer culture, the longest working hours in Europe, NHS unfit for purpose - no prevention work done - only fire fighting, expensive leisure facilities, lack of childcare, no healthy 'culture', fewest cycle lanes in Europe, lowest bariatric surgeries done in Europe...ALL OF THESE can be influenced by GOVERNMENT POLICY!!!

Yes, some of those are important and helpful, and a multi-factor approach will always be best, but as a society we've normalised obesity too far. You see it here on MN the whole time - accusations of fat-shaming/ arguments about underlying medical or mental health issues, basically ANY suggestion other than admitting yes, they might not exercise too much and eat too much unhealthy food.

It’s an important discussion @whenthestarsgoblue

BMI has not been widely discredited. There are some specific cases where it isn’t helpful (muscly athletes etc) but for thd vast majority of the population, it tells you if you are a healthy weight or not.

I agree overall but I disagree with the people reducing losing weight down to eating less, and how easy it is, with this undertone that everyone overweight has themselves to blame and needs to take some responsibility for themselves. I have tried everything to lose weight, except surgery, which I doubt I am fat enough for (size 16) and don't want to do anyway. I have THOUGHT I was fat since I was in nursery, as it was always pointed out to me that I was the chubby daughter/grandchild, built for rugby not ballet etc.
As it stands now, I am seeing a dietician who agrees my diet is wonderful, have been to GP many times but there is nothing wrong with me (in fact I'm healthy aside from my weight), don't do fads, eat sensibly, do 16:8, exercise all the time, still fucking massive. Sorry but I don't know what more I can try!

My BMI is 27. I exercise every day and eat well! I struggle to lose weight as my thyroid is fucked and I have PCOS. I eat 1500 calories a day. I'm technically over weight but I carry most of it in my ass and hips but my waist is in the normal range. I doubt overweight (BMI 25-30) is a risk factor in COVID. I think it's when you enter 30+.

If I look at pictures of those who die of this so very many are over weight. The NHS has a useful waist measurement calculator for those who do not like BMI as a tool. However none of this makes it easy to eat a lot less and lose weight.