"Men and obesity Wheres the help with weight loss"

[HelenaDove]

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jul/12/men-obesity-weight-loss-help?CMP=twt_gu


I Cant Even. The support for men isnt there because the pressure on men lookswise isnt the same as it is for women.

The article states how hes had to do it all himself. Hes also moaned about how mens articles focus on how to get a six pack in six weeks FFS womens mags have been running articles like "lose 5 pounds in a week" for decades.

Im glad hes achieved the weight loss hes wanted. Speaking as a woman who has lost ten stone i know what its like.

But the situation has arisen in this way because of patriarchy and the pressure women to pass the fuckability test. It is NOT the fault of women. The article says there is more support for women but there is more pressure too.

And the article explains how a FREE weight management programme was created.

Women who go to Slimming World or Weight Watchers have to pay a joining fee and a weekly fee. In a world where women are still paid less than men.

[HelenaDove]

The sexism and misogyny on The Biggest Loser.


features.aol.com/video/biggest-loser-contestant-says-show-was-biggest-mistake-her-life?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00001348

[DadWasHere]

Dadwashere why do you think stuff in the blog is made up Plenty of women have been commented on and abused in the street.

Oh I know, the abuse is real, my wife is fat and I have lived with lovers who were fat. I am aware of a fair deal of the shit, spoken and unspoken, that fat women have to put up with from some men and women and society in general. But that blog with its 'message from a man', reading like it was penned by Christian Grey after he finished weeping over a Mills and Boon novel, that is just laughable.

It has a lot of epic poetic quality in it... 'I'm a man... With all the red hot lusts of a man..' Thats men for you, not a day goes by we dont declare we are red hot and lustful. 'I'm so disappointed in myself Michelle because I've genuinely not felt this way about anyone in ages.' A man declaring he is disappointed in himself back to back with the woman getting him in touch with feelings he has long lost touch with, how very original. 'I don't want that to happen baby.' lol.. baby.. now I know its Mr Grey. 'I don't want to be lying there next to you, and you asking me why I'm not hard.' Yea, like a guy is ever going to volunteer that short of having a crowbar and blow-torch used on him.

[HelenaDove]

Brilliant post and analogy Buffy

[tribpot]

Buffy I think has said what I wanted to say - this is a much more nuanced issue than the article (which reads as if it was composed in about 10 minutes last night) suggests.

Healthcare avoidance is a major issue among men, and it's hard to see how HCPs influence this when the challenge is getting them to go to the doctor's at all. As a Public Health problem it certainly needs to be looked at, but there needs to be an evidence base to divert funds away from current provision, i.e. if you build it will they come? The huge discrepancy in numbers of referrals to weight management services compares to what ratio of patients who presented, for example?

Yes, for the time being men will tend to be in the minority when attending most general Weightwatchers sessions. The same way as I am in the minority in every meeting I have had in my entire professional life, I expect. So he had to hear about how menstruation affects your weight - so what? It's true, it does, and it was useful info to nearly everyone present. He's not going to drop down dead because 5 minutes of the session was not personally useful. I don't drink, should I groan every time alcohol is mentioned?

So if his article was intended to be a call to arms for healthcare campaigners to be looking at ways in which public health marketing can be targeted at overweight men - good idea. Crack on. It wasn't, however, I suspect because the Grauniad just wanted a bunfight and not to contribute to an informed debate on men's health.

As it happens I know several men in my group of friends and family who are being extremely open (and successful) about their weight loss and I hope this trend continues.

[HelenaDove]

King im on the dating over 45 thread I commented on there that i like men who look a bit more "lived in"

Dadwashere why do you think stuff in the blog is made up Plenty of women have been commented on and abused in the street. It happened to me when i was bigger.

It is unfortunately a regular occurence as INickedaNames post shows. Ive seen a few weight loss stories of women who lost weight because of bullying or a nasty comment and in these articles the bullying or nasty comment is usually mentioned in just one sentence or less and completely glossed over.
The bullying and abuse is minimized which in turn makes ppl believe that there is no way it could happen on that level but it does.

There are a few experiences on Everyday Sexism and Hollaback too.

[Dervel]

Oh and getting adequate sleep, I forgot that one.

[Dervel]

Yes although obesity isn't a male issue, any disparity between men/women I would expect from the cultural assumptions men aren't supposed to ask for help.

A GP friend of mine would be champing at the bit to offer support and advice to anyone who came to her seeking to make lifestyle changes to improve overall health.

I'm no expert but I'd imagine looking at excercise, calorie intake and quite possibly alchahol intake would be better stones to look under.

[Dervel]

I must confess I only skimmed the article, as the tone and language seemed pretty obviously designed to have men and women at each other's throats, I missed the research paper.

[laurierf]

Dervel, yes, of course it's click bait/advertising…

But the research paper referenced in the article is not.

[MorrisZapp]

Yay, Buffy!

As far as I know, women get more help/advice than men on just about every issue going, including medical ones.

Because women are much more likely to ask for advice.

It's the old cliche of a man getting lost rather than ask for directions isn't it.

HCPs can lead horses (men) to water but they can't make them drink.

[Dervel]

I think that whole article was written with the express purpose of causing arguments like this. Thus causing people to engage and click the link. In the men's corner we have the fact that obesity is a somewhat elevated health issue, and if you cannot accept that you're a misandrist, in the women's corner we have a goading title that insinuates its because of women men aren't getting help.

Yes obesity (from a purely health aspect) is a problem, and we'd probably get a lot further if we tackled it without articles written with the express purpose of causing arguments.

[INickedAName]

Also had a heated discussion about the male protein ad, my brother was moaning that no one complained about the male one, and "double standards" I asked him who he thought should be complaining about it, and it totally stumped him.

[INickedAName]

This thread has really made me think.

In my family alone almost all the men are overweight, my dh, my fil, my bil, my brother, (my dad until he died) My dad's weight contributed towards his death and my brother at 35 has already been in intensive care one short step away from a heart attack.

My sister is obese, my two Sils, my mil, my mum, my nieces, are what you'd probably say normal weights. I'm underweight.

The men in my family have never been on a diet, whereas the women, every single one, wether needed or not, have been on countless diets, actually I don't know any woman who hasn't dieted at some point. When a holiday is coming up the men look forward to it, the women stress about how they will on the beach, non if the men have been spat on in the street like my sister, my brother is about the size as my sister but my sister has been called shit mum. Family BBQ last week and the men were eating what they wanted while the women, all of them, big or small, held back because they either wanted to lose a few pounds, or not put any on, same thing at dhs family BBQ. Non if the men have ever had their bodies commented on in public by strangers (I've asked before), whereas the women have, and on a regular basis too.

I know many women who have been to the doctors about their weight, I don't know any men who have. I think that's why it's looks like more help is given to women, because women, on a general scale, are made to feel like there is something wrong with them if they are overweight, and if you get shitty comments by strangers and even people you love, they are more likely to seek help. So if more women are asking for help than men, then it's going to look like they are receiving more help.

I'm not saying men are not shamed too, just that on a bigger scale,moment are bombarded with messages on how they should look, I know some ads do the same to men, but I don't think it's anywhere near the same.

Yes there should be help for men, there should be support, but that's something men should organise if they feel it's lacking, like the author.

[laurierf]

"the perception of dieting as a “feminised realm” has damaged men’s relationship with weight loss, and left them disenfranchised"

whereas it has liberated women?

Researcher actually says:

The aim of this study was to systematically review evidence-based management strategies for treating obesity in men and investigate how to engage men in obesity services...

Men appear more likely than women to misperceive their weight, less likely to consider their body weight a risk for health and less likely to consider trying to manage their weight. Perceptions of dieting and weight-loss programmes as a feminised realm have been cited as a possible explanation for men’s under-representation in weight-loss services.

The perception of having a health problem (e.g. being defined as obese by a health professional), the impact of weight loss on health problems and desire to improve personal appearance without looking too thin were motivators for weight loss amongst men. The key components differ from those found for women, with men preferring more factual information on how to lose weight and more emphasis on physical activity programmes… Generally, men preferred interventions that were individualised, fact-based and flexible, which used business-like language and which included simple to understand information

So women "prefer" confusing language, vague ideas and a focus on inflexible regime of dieting (rather than getting active) when it comes to weight loss???

[FloraFox]

Men's experiences with weight / appearance / health are not aspects of systemic oppression and hierarchy. "Support" for women to lose weight is not privilege.

This guy in the article is trying to launch a business not a support group. He's claiming women are privileged to build his business.

[Mide7]

Growing problem for men. Not me

[Mide7]

Messy I understand all that but I'm a man, I can't experience the pressure women are under to look a certain way. Then how come a number a of people on this thread can tell me about men's experiences with weight/ appearance/ health?

I'm not saying it's worse for men at all but it's a growing problem for me.

That letter to that girl is awful. If he wasn't attracted to her because of her weight then that's fine but there was no need to write that. Although the writing styles and language used are very similar in the letter from the bloke and the reply.

[BakingCookiesAndShit]

DWH.. How come you believe the blog was a fake account of a woman's dating experience? Plenty of women have said they have had similar treatment, from lots of different men, so why is this one fake?

Surely you don't subscribe to the Daubs belief that, because 2 similar accounts have been published, they must be fake? To mine, and most thinking people, the fact that there are 2 similar accounts suggests that they are real. Also given what various men have commented on the woman in question's photo, there are plenty of men out there who would say exactly the same/similar things.

Body shaming women, any women, whatever their size, looks or colouring is a thing.

[messyisthenewtidy]

"All I'm saying is why is a an article written by a man about male experiences a femisnt issue?"

It's not per se but when someone starts complaining that what is effectively a tool of oppression for women is a form of privilege then it becomes one.

Why? Because there is a long line of this type of misrepresentation already. Women have it easy because men open doors for them? Women have more sexual power because they can get sex any time they want? And now women have privilege because they have more weight loss support?

Men should feel lucky that they don't have these awful pressures thrust upon them. The unhappiness that women experience as a result of dieting pressures is astronomical. It is constant and wears you down. Effectively it oppresses women because it sucks in our energy and stops us focusing on other things.

I disagree anyway that there isn't weight loss support for men. All the documentaries abd books that look at the science behind weight loss and the obesity problem are aimed at men and women equally. And they are more likely to focus on the healthy aspect of weight loss rather looks.

[King1982]

Helena, I think that women do slate appearance on here too. There have been threads slating men for being fat and balding. I think there is one at the moment about dating over 45 or something like that.
Shaming someone isn't ok but people are attracted to certain body types and physical features.

[King1982]

I think there is a different attitude to weight between my male and female friends.
The majority of male friends will rib someone about their weight. In a jokey fat shaming type of way.
My female friends will avoid the subject at all costs.
I guess these different attitudes highlight the different pressures we are under and how we deal with them.
I don't think there is an issue with the article. I think it just highlights that men are less likely to seek medical help. I think this goes across the board for all sorts of medical support. So not exclusive to weight loss.