What should the government do to reduce obesity at the societal level?

[waistchallenge]

We're the fattest country in Europe and the upshot is what you see here: people posting threads in desperation about their weight loss struggles. I think we can probably all agree it would be easier to never have gotten overweight in the first place and to never have had to go through these weight loss efforts and experiences.

Apart from the sugar tax, I cannot see that the government has done much, if anything, to reduce obesity in this country; it's higher than ever.

I'm asking here because we all have experience of this to be on here, what-if anything- should the government do to reduce obesity in this country? What would have helped you? Or is it all just ultimately a question of personal responsibility?

If a doctor is prescribing a medication they should also be discussing feasible ways that patients can mitigate certain side effects. Patients should be referred to health support to assist with improvement to all aspects of their health, bespoke help - personal to the patient.

In an ideal world with unlimited funding for the NHS that would be great.

In reality, we should be thankful to be receiving these life saving drugs free from the NHS. And if some of the drugs cause weight gain, then we need to work extra hard on reducing our calorie intake.

They’re not ‘free’. We pay for them handsomely via our taxes.

I've been on multiple courses of steroids over the years, antidepressants, hormonal contraceptives. Yes, they all made me hungrier. It sucks, but the choices of what to eat were mine.

Exactly. Of course it's not easy, but we owe it to ourselves and our families to stay as healthy as possible.

They’re not ‘free’. We pay for them handsomely via our taxes.

I understand that. I meant free at the point of need!

If only it were that easy.

I never had a weight problem until
l went on anti depressants. I guess there’s levels of the hunger they induce in individuals.

But they make me starving all the time.

Mine was crazy water retention that dropped off me as I tapered, and gave me an unrecognisably puffy face (as well as causing all manner of other unpleasant side effects very rapidly). But ok, if it makes you feel better then blame the patients. It won't fix it if we don't address the underlying causes though.

Assume you think Paul Ritter, Christina Applegate, Amy Schumer, Selena Gomez etc etc are all at fault too...

There are more expensive drugs that have the same effects for my condition without causing the weight gain of steroids. So if everyone is ringing their hands about the costs of obesity on the NHS I would say there is definitely a conversation to be had around the impacts of different prescribing options.

No one here has shamed anyone who is obese due to a medical condition, in fact several people have said they should get exemptions.

I have Crohn’s & I’m currently on wegovy to help me lose the weight I gained while on prednisone. I’ve lost 39lbs so far but I’m still in the obese BMI category so I “get it” but people with medical conditions are not the reason we are the biggest country in Europe; other countries who have their obesity levels under control will also have their share of people who are on the same medications that cause weight gain too so there are obviously bigger issues at play here.

”No one here has shamed anyone who is obese due to a medical condition, in fact several people have said they should get exemptions.”

But the rest of us fatties deserve all the shaming and opprobrium?

Can we dispel this myth that Europeans aren’t overweight? If you look at the Global Obesity Scale, there are European countries with a higher percentage of obesity than us, and the rest aren’t far behind. For reference 20.1% of Brits are obese, down from 27% in 2016. There are European countries with worse rates than us (Ireland, Finland, Latvia, Iceland) and most of Europe is within 3% of us. For reference, Tonga is #1 on 77% and Ethiopia are lowest at 1%. United States are #13 on 42.7%, over double our rates.

No, no one deserves to be shamed for their weight.

I was referring to medical conditions because that’s what the PP I was replying to was talking about; she was referencing people with medical conditions SPECIFICALLY so I was referencing the comments (or lack thereof) made about people with medical conditions SPECIFICALLY too.

I deliberately did not say no one has been shamed on this thread because that would be false & I certainly didn’t make any moral judgements about anyone deserving it or not, I merely made a factual statement about this thread.

My comment was not a stand alone post but a reply so next time, please quote the whole reply / chain so everyone can see the context in which a statement is made. It’s really disingenuous to crop bits out & then make false inferences.

@QueenOfTheLabyrinth - my apologies - I quoted that section of your post as an example of people on here saying that people with ‘genuine’ reasons for their weight don’t deserve shaming, but clearly implying that the rest of us do. I should have made it clear in my post that I wasn’t replying only to you, but to all the posters who have said something similar.

I agree with you @SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius .

It's like the deserving /undeserving poor.

Everyone deserves to be met with understanding.

We dont see endless posters /threads rushing to judge and criticise anorexic people and say it would.be easy for them to just eat....

But that’s not what I was doing so you shouldn’t have quoted me in the first place nor be lumping me in with other posters as I wasn’t “clearly” implying anything at all.

This is part of what the PP I was replying to said:

“Paul Rutter, Christina Applegate, Amy Schumer, Selena Gomez, possibly Kate Middleton.... All these people battling/have battled devastating illness and medications that cause weight gain ...

And yet still we have thread after thread of vile comments blaming individuals.

Do you know how shit it is to get a devastating diagnosis and then discover that the medication doctors prescribe will change your body beyond recognition and yet to top it off people will take great delight in judging you and feeling better than you?”

So I said in part:

”No one here has shamed anyone who is obese due to a medical condition, in fact several people have said they should get exemptions.”

Then went onto explain I’m one of those people with a medical condition so I do get what she’s saying.

I was talking to this poster specifically about comments made about people with medical conditions as that’s what she was referencing, I wasn’t casting aspersions on anyone else or making any moral judgements about anyone else either.

I find it ironic that you've chosen to ignore all the other posts you could have picked from (that were made by posters who are a “normal” weight) yet you’ve deliberately chosen to quote me OUT OF CONTEXT as an “example” when I clearly went on to state that despite losing 39lbs, I’m still obese myself which should give you an idea of what size I was / still am.

I might have a medical condition but 99.9% of people I encounter in life don’t know that so I’ve been shamed, humiliated, abused & ridiculed about my weight so I’m the last person who would ever condone that behaviour so how dare you imply that I would ever think that’s okay or be doing it myself.

Like I said, next time quote the whole reply / chain & don’t take comments out of context.

Well, that’s me told!

Let’s hope I haven’t killed the thread 😂

I’m sure we can revive it between us, @QueenOfTheLabyrinth. We are awesome.

My ex is much thinner than me, doesn't eat well, smokes and drinks every day, and only walks from the building to his car (works in an office). I'm overweight, eats lots of vegetables and walk everywhere. There is no way he is healthier than I am.

Health isn't just determined by weight. You could look 'healthy' from the outside but what's going on inside... Fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, various conditions caused by lack of vitamins / minerals etc etc

To be sure.

However, it remains true that most or all of us who are overweight would be healthier if we weren't. And/or if more of our weight was muscle and less of it was fat.

We're all dealt a different hand in terms of genetics and environmental factors but within that, to use a phrase that makes me roll my eyes so apologies, are we being the best version of ourselves?

Says she, sitting drinking tea and MNing when I could be doing something more active and/or useful.

I think most people are aware of that, or should be. However, it would still be good for most of us to lose some of our excess weight!

Don't want to get flamed, but unless medication, poverty etc etc.... weight is kind of one of those things you can control. (Not everyone I know). You can't control your genes, type one diabetes, tendency for bad cholesterol - but at a healthier weight all these things can probably be managed better.

I'm 2 stone overweight, I was 3 stone overweight...I am trying to get down to a reasonable weight for my height and size so I go into retirement with a bit of an advantage for myself.

@BarrelOfOtters I’d agree with you. I’ve been obese bmi 31 and am still overweight bmi 27.7. I lost weight as I felt it was starting to effect my health. I do think people need to take some personal responsibility. Obviously exemptions for people with medical conditions. Most people I know are a bit lardy because they eat/ drink a little too much and it adds up.

Interesting article in the Telegraph from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/weight-loss/women-fat-hips-thighs-stanley-ulijaszek/

Four fat myths
1.All body fat is bad

The especially medically harmful fat is to be found inside your abdomen and around your gut, as well as in the liver. Fat on the outside – subcutaneous fat – might be aesthetically displeasing to some, but doesn’t carry nearly as much health risk. Fat on the bum and thighs, especially in women, is actually protective against chronic disease.

2. It’s all due to my genes

Unless you carry extreme levels of body fat, it’s unlikely to be down to genetics, and if it is, it is also down to expression of your genetics by environmental factors, especially diet.

3. It’s all due to slow metabolism

Metabolism is important, but mostly not in terms of being either fast or slow, but in terms of being flexible. True, some people burn more energy and can eat all they want and not put on weight, while others cannot, but the vast majority of people are along a continuum of metabolic rate.

4. You don’t get enough physical activity

Physical activity can help match appetite to calorie intake and help maintain a healthy weight, but on its own, it is not a way to lose weight. However, it is a great way to get to feel good about yourself

^^

@saythebellsofstclements

I am hoping and waiting for GP surgeries to become 'health centres' with a physiotherapist, dietician and mental health support team on hand without the need for lengthy waits for hospital referrals.

My GP surgery is like that. You can self refer for physio and a mental health nurse without seeing a GP, the wait for physio is a couple of weeks and the mental health nurse about a month. The mental health nurse is excellent, my DD has had help from him while the GPs were completely unsupportive.