to find the reaction to BMI related vaccines.... interesting?

[staydazzling]

Ive noticed a lot of posts on twitter and of course Prof. Tracey from Facebook type posts bemoaning the fact people with a high BMI are getting an early vaccine, how undeserving we all are, its almost as if "we only care about your health" only applies if we are at a disadvantage in the health care system, and as soon as an outdated measurement gives us an advantage that 'care' is replaced by resentment 🤔. funny that, almost as if it was never motivated by care at all.
A big reason why ill have to tell noone ive had the vaccine i also have an immune condition that flags me not particularly serious, ive only ever been in hospital to give birth, many others like me, seeing lots of true colours recently. finally benefitting from the blunt instrument that is BMI and apparently that's no ok either! all very interesting.

Some people seem to see getting the vaccine as a reward that Boris the Benevolent has showered upon those deserving of his favour.
I somehow doubt that. It's ultimately about health economics. The high risk groups don't represent the people who are likely to take up most resources if they are infected - most likely to be hospitalised, most likely to be admitted to ICU, most likely to require ongoing care if they survive etc. It isn't about being kind to vulnerable people, it is about stopping hospitals being full to the brim with Covid-19 patients at great expense to the public purse and to the detriment of other types of care. Once that's achieved it is far easier to remove restrictions.
Of course it is natural to be most concerned about yourself and your loved ones, but as a society it is to our benefit to vaccinate those most likely to become severely ill first. It isn't about who is most worthy of protection. The priority groups do have the most to gain from vaccination and that has knock on benefits for wider society.
Plus the argument about moral rights to treatment is a very slippery slope. So many illnesses and injuries have at least a degree of self inflicted-ness. Broken bones in a sporting accident - serves you right for playing. Heart disease related to lack of exercise - serves you right for not playing. Pre menopausal breast cancer? Oh look you had your children late in life and you didn't breastfeed for very long did you - you've got to carry the can there. Cervical cancer? Well look at you - sexually active from a young age and you didn't always use a condom - what did you expect?! People are very good at taking the moral high ground when they see someone with what they view as a self inflicted ilness if it isn't a "failing" that they personally have. But we do well to remember that we all make decisions which impact on our risk of illness or injury. Starting to make moral judgements on who deserves care is a very dangerous thing. It is one thing to say to say, a smoker "You can't have this operation unless you stop smoking because we know that wound healing is delayed in smokers and the surgery often fails as a result" but quite another to say "Smoking makes you a lesser person so you don't deserve treatment". Or to decide what in someone's background absolves them from the "sin" of smoking, over eating or whatever. There's no place for that in a civilised society in my opinion.

"DO" represent those most likely to take up resources.
Stupid auto correct, sorry.

Bravo @MrsAvocet

If someone is medically vulnerable to Covid - and obese people are - then of course they should be prioritised. All this talk about "bad choices" doesn't stand up. So many diseases and illnesses (heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer etc) could be partly due to "bad choices". A bit more compassion and less jumping to conclusions would go a long way.

*In the past ten years you've probably avoided any number of illnesses and co-morbidities that would have come with continuing to be obese. You've very possibly avoided stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart attacks, gout, even having to use a wheelchair.

You're not an 'in quotation marks' success story. You are a success story. If the price of that is obsessing about what you eat, so be it.*

Thank you for your armchair diagnosis. Due to the obsessive eating patterns I developed when I lost weight, I now have numerous health issues including a stomach ulcer (and yes, my doctor has attributed this to the sudden weight loss.) So when a medical professional has told me, in exactly these terms, that I was far, far healthier when I was obese- because at least then I was providing my body with fuel and nutrients- forgive me for believing them. It is not up to you to say whether I'm a success story or not.

@OnceIWasAnApe if you want to view yourself as a failure, of course that's up to you. I have health issues from anorexia and bulimia - however, it doesn't change the fact that you have done your health a huge favour by no longer being obese and by maintaining that healthy weight for a decade. I'd rather have a stomach ulcer or bradycardia or haemorrhoids than cancer, stroke, heart attack or arthritis. But of course we must each write our own story. I admire you for no longer being obese, even if you don't.

Won't somebody PLEASE think of the NHS?! :'(

Ive noticed a lot of posts on twitter and of course Prof. Tracey from Facebook type posts bemoaning the fact people with a high BMI are getting an early vaccine

I'm on Twitter & Facebook every day for hours. I haven't seen a single message like that. I mention that because you (we, I) modify what social media feeds us. You're seeing that stuff because you've done some level of engagement that makes the algorithms think you want to know those opinions or to hear them. You liked or followed or 'friended' or commented or shared.... Hit hide/unfollow/mute to see less of the views you can't agree with or enjoy.

My social media feed is full of weight loss stuff, so it's not like SM thinks I'm skinny enough yet.

im sorry this thread is probably triggering, its not triggering me as an overweight person but it's all depressingly predictable isnt it?

im slightly regretting, seeing as its upsetting some, encouraging so many unpleasant specimens out of the woodwork, doesn't take much does it??

Sadly the point i was making is being well. made.

Oh my god i wish i was suprised by that @Fuckadoodleboo

Waiting for someone to tell us we must be mistaken

I'm glad the vulnerable are being vaccinated....means we can all leave the blood house

That is not to say that the obesity epidemic is not problematic for us long-term, just that for now, get all the vulnerable vaccinated and get us out of this shitstorm!

I got my letter this morning. It's because of my BMI. I have gained weight over the last year due to very poor mental health. I have always been at least a little overweight but this is the heaviest I've been. My BMI is just over 40 but that means I'm at an increased risk of complications from covid. I'm pleased to now be being given the vaccine but I won't be sharing that information with those outside my family as I know it won't be well received.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Honestly. There should never be thing like "lose wight to take care of our healthcare system" It should be to take care of yourself/myself/themselves.

The only way to "take care of our healthcare system" is to push politicans to fund it properly, nlt by placing the responsibility for the state of it on individuals🤷🏻

That is really problematic

Are you seriously saying no one should have responsibility for their own health?

Wouldn't you want to?

This vaccine is being given specifically to protect the NHS and keep the numbers of hospitalisations down. Unfortunately this does include vaccinating fat people before thin people. It's just how it is in this situation.
I am one of the fatties. My vaccine is next week. I won't be telling anyone I've had the vaccine for that reason because I'm ashamed. As I'm sure most fat people will be. For whatever reason I am fat, I could not fully reverse my weight gain the 12 months since covid. I would need 2 to 3 years. Covid has scared me into action.

@RonaldMcDonald

I don’t care. You’re vulnerable because you’re vulnerable. Faux care for fat people is often just an excuse to judge and bash them

I’m thin but in honesty I am largely disordered in my eating and dress that up as intermittent fasting

If someone needs extra care give it to them. Food and eating is complicated.

Brilliant post, another one, from RonaldMcDonald.

What is it with these goady fat-threads all the time now? OP, what's missing in your life that you need to start a thread just to be goady? There's no discussion needed, people need to be vaccinated, the more the merrier, for whatever reason. The sooner that's done the better.

What else did you need to say or were you just trying to drum up a fat-bash posse? This is supposed to be a site for parents, mostly this will be comprised of mothers and many of them will have eating struggles in one way or another.

Why do we need to have posts like yours just to make the day a bit more miserable. What are you getting out of this exactly? You and all the other questionable posters with your faux-concern that is visible a mile off. Pathetic.

I'm not bothered by people with a BMI over 40 getting the vaccine before me. Lots of illnesses are self inflicted, lots are not.
What does bother me is that someone with a BMI of 40+ thinks that their defence is BMI is an outdated measurement and should not make them high risk. Regardless of how inaccurate BMI can be, if you are coming in at 40+ it is not because you are pure muscle and you are very, very far from healthy. The reason behind your weight does not negate from that.

Are you seriously saying no one should have responsibility for their own health?

No? Errm. I wasn't saying that at all😐
What I was saying is that the state of healthcare system is not individual's responsibility. The only reason why people should be losing weight is for themselves not to "take care of our healthcare system".

@staydazzling

im sorry this thread is probably triggering, its not triggering me as an overweight person but it's all depressingly predictable isnt it?

im slightly regretting, seeing as its upsetting some, encouraging so many unpleasant specimens out of the woodwork, doesn't take much does it??

Sadly the point i was making is being well. made.

If you're overweight yourself, are you really that tone-deaf that you wouldn't think this might be an unnecessarily harsh thread?

If there are 'so many unpleasant specimens coming out of the woodwork' to respond to you, does that make you Chief unpleasant specimen to post it?

I don't even understand your point so I wouldn't say that it's well made either, please don't give yourself credit where none is due, these threads arrive every day, in the same contrived and predictable format.

Surely it doesn't matter why people have obesity? The reality is that it makes them more vulnerable than others so they are more in need of the vaccine now.

People don't like people getting vaccines based on BMI because "you're fat because you're fat and lazy, underlying conditions are an excuse to be fat and lazy, it's different to being treated for say a sports injury because that's a worthy endeavour, smoking which is an addiction" etc. Obesity is seen as a choice to be unhealthy

I'm not sure I made it clear but that isn't my opinion, bit it's how people seems to treat people like myself who are overweight

[quote SomersetHamlyn]@LimitIsUp

Unfortunately obesity is demonised in society.

28.0% of adults in England are obese and a further 36.2% are overweight but not obese. commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn03336/

That's over 50% are overweight or obese. Not really a beleaguered minority, is it? More like the actual majority of adults.

What do you think we should do instead of 'demonising' obesity? Celebrate it?

It causes cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, arthritis, and many, many other diseases, all of which contribute long-term to the impossible burden on the NHS. Let alone the impact on the individuals themselves and their families.

This is not OK. None of it is OK.

And in every thread, you'll get the outright denialism. No one eats 1000 calories a day and maintains an obese BMI. Sorry, it's just - simply - not - true. There are a tiny, tiny number of people with genuine metabolic issues. Tiny. Not 28% of the adults in the UK. But people will not be honest with themselves and the situation just gets worse and worse and worse.[/quote]
I don't know.... we could perhaps post ENDLESS threads about how bad overweight/obese people are, making them feel awful and perhaps they'll just stop cramming buns in their gobs, yes?

No. It hasn't worked, it doesn't work. Wouldn't still be 'needing' these goady threads if it did, would it?

These threads are for angry people to declare their disgust at people who don't fit the BMI range. That's it. Sorry to rain on your spite parade but don't think that your 'stats' are going to get the job done.

Celebrate obesity, who is doing that? No, it doesn't warrant celebrating, but in what normal mind does it require 'demonising' and how exactly do you think that is going to achieve the objective?

I'm not obese but I've struggled with my weight, many women do. I've had the vaccination 3 weeks ago. Not because of my sizeable arse but because I have MS. Perhaps people were mentally sizing me up in the queue but, I don't care - and I don't do that to other people either. Why would I? I have my own things to busy myself with.

It is eye-opening - and eye-watering - to read the continuous droning on and tone-deafness, pointless posturing and preaching to posters about their weight. ItDoesn'tWork...

I agree with the people saying it depends on why you are obese.

Thyroid problem. Bad luck. Not your fault.

Choosing to eat 3 bars of chocolate a night. Not bad luck, bad decisions.

My MIL got her vaccine last week. 58 no underlying conditions, was told she was having it because she is morbidly obese. She is the weight she is purely because she spends her life eating rubbish. She laughed and told me 'see! It doesnt pay to be skinny! Being fat has its advantages'. FIL also has his because he has T2 diabetes from a bad diet. He spends his time drinking beer and eating chocolate. Now that's infuriating.

*Thyroid problem. Bad luck. Not your fault.

Choosing to eat 3 bars of chocolate a night. Not bad luck, bad decisions.*

I got fat on that huuuuuuge salads people keep talking about😳
Not even joking. So it's like I made good decisions to eat healthy but bad decisions in how much if that healthy. It's ridiculous yet funny actually