Why are nearly 25% of British women obese?

[twitterer]

On the news this morning we are told that British women are the fatest in Europe, why? Of course it is down to eating too much and exercising too little. But other populations don't suffer so badly. I wonder if there is more (healthy) pressure from society, men, employers and others to be healthy

Where to start?

1. Culture of not cooking from scratch
2. Junk food eg frozen pizza so cheap, and veggies etc expensive
3. Advice from government re: eat 6-11 portions of carbs
4. Weather, harder to exercise outside
5. Reliance on cars
6. Peer pressure eg having fat friends
7. Ignorance about healthy eating, eg someone posted a thread on here saying that they'd eaten healthily when they'd drunk loads of smoothie and had virtually no protein
8. Drinking culture
9. Reliance on wheat eg wheat cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner, and then thinking that was a healthy day!

10. Sugar industry and chocolate!

Obesity is another form of self abuse like smoking and drinking!

A symptom of depression.

There may be the odd person who has no idea about food/diet/nutrition, they are few and far between in my experience.

I also find it is a form of self fragulation, beating yourself up for being greedy, for your size, and many in the public take great pleasure in also attacking you for your obvious eating disorder.

I think it has far more to do with what is going on in the mind, than bigger plate sizes/portions, more take aways, junk food availability or it being cheaper to buy value custard creams than apples.

alot of the threads on mumsnet are full of mnetters saying 'size 14? Big??wth??' that's where half the problem lies

people constantly reassuring themselves that they are not overweight when they are

the figures are shocking - it's all set to get worse

a lot

Here's something interesting. I emigrated to Canada with my family when I was a child. EVERY one of my female relatives in the UK is obese. Morbidly so. My mother and I are slim. Diabetes is rampant in our UK relatives but we're both fine.
I believe it to be the food and anti-exercise culture. I'm a runner and my mum is a walker. We don't eat biscuits / cake on a regular basis, go for fish and chips, eat white bread, have Sunday lunch or go to the pub. We used to do those things in the UK but they are just not something that is part of the culture here. There is no judgement in these observations, btw. It's something I've wondered about, myself.

It would interest me to know how many people who have come up with theories on this thread, are actually or have actually been obese?

Cake, I blame cake.

I don't know about all the other countries, but having lived in Germany I'd say

1. It is easy to exercise in Germany - lots of outdoor activities, playgrounds (well maintained) everywhere, shops tend not to be open on Sundays, loads of families out for walks/cycle ride.

1. There is of course plenty of beer'n'sausages in Germany. And there are plenty of obese women, though not as many as here. But there is more of an emphasis on seasonal foods and an enjoyment of food (asparagus season is really big, for instance), which i think is healthier than the stodgy fill you up cheap approach of the likes of kfc/Maccy D.

But perhaps in countries like France and Italy it is just not acceptable to a lot of women to let themselves get fat. So as soon as you don't fit in a 10/12 you diet/exercise til you do again.

why is that mouse?

A lot of people see food in two cathegories: there's healthy food, then there's tasty food. Eating the first one requires a degree of self-sacrifice. After that you deserve a treat for being good

I agree with many of the above re the acceptance of obesity as normal.
Also lack of ability to cook from scratch, over reliance on ready meals, and lack of exercise

btw I have lost 2.5 stone since having baby 6 months ago. I think that is largely down to exclusive breast feeding my humungous, hungry baby

but, on what grounds is the report based, what is their survey sample? We are so quick to offer reasons, but maybe their methodology is flawed. Next week there will be a survey by Flora Light saying British Women have the lowest BMI in Europe.

FFS people stop beating yourselves up about 'someone said on the news' or others come to that

I don't think its likely to be anything other than accurate. All you need to do is look around

Its just greed pure and simple.

How the last generation was comparing to Europe? I might be wrong but i think it was the opposite (British women were slimmer, ok not comparing to French but comparing to Spanish and Italians?). I.e. my mum (Spanish) is size 18, ditto many of my aunts, my Mil (Greek-Cypriot) is size 20. The youngr generation are all slim. But we didn't grow up with mums who diet, with forbiden foods etc. the british i think have and maybe they rebel?

Thinking, why? what in particular?

i wonder why that interests you Mouse?

Food is just too yummy. (have just eaten lamb tikka marsala and sag daal from take away - it was delicious).

Food was vile in the seventies, so even eating chip butties every day (as I did) we stayed thin.

When I got married my wedding dress was a size 12. That was 20 years ago.
I weighed 7 stone 12lbs (5 ft 7) I now weight 8 stone 7lbs and all my clothes are size 8??????
Manufactures of clothes try to kid people they are slimmer than they are. They try to make people feel it's fine to be a size 12-14. 20 years ago size 12-14 was obese! probally was a size 18 +
A woman who does very little in the way of physical activity probably needs around 1500 calories a day. A slice of cake is 500 calories. 2 pieces of toast and butter would add up to 300, a glass of wine another 200. That only leaves 500 caloris for lunch and dinner! not surprising people are overweight.
More physical activity and less cake is probably the answer! Muscle burns up calories, more muscle= less fat.....I think

I am italian and have lived in uk for 12 years.
First of, the cause is laziness: laziness in cooking and in exercise.
Also all your recipes are based on butter, pasty, sauces... In italy we are happy with grilled chicken breast and a big salad. Here in uk, this would be for a detox diet!!!
Also laziness in cooking:love for chips and sh**e like mcdonalds.

Why people who are not obese and have never been obese seem to think they have the answer as to why people are?

I don't see a problem with it being debated, it is interesting to hear the views, it seems strange that people who have probably not studied the issue, or experienced a disorder, can claim to know?

The medical profession are at a loss as to how to sort this eating disorder out long term, they only seem to be offering bariatric surgery as a cure at present.

Thinking I think you need to consider your demographic. Most of the women I see are slim, that is because I live in a very wealthy part of the UK. I think this thread is rather knee jerk and catering rather to those who don't have a brain and can't analyse to any extent the news which is put in front of us.

Get a grip FFS and get a sense of perspective

sea you are talking bollocks and you know it