General Chat

Being overweight is now (wrongly) considered to be the norm according to the Chief Medical Officer.

Apparently overweight people and obesity cost the NHS over £5 billion a year and yet they are preventable.

I totally agree - overweight people are now portrayed as "bubbly", "cuddly", "ebullient", "jolly", "vibrant" etc so often that it is seen as the "norm".

A high proportion of obese people do not even consider themselves to be because their perceptions of being overweight are based on media portrayal (amongst others) which often depicts overweight people as grossly obese - totally misrepresentative.

The problem is exacerbated by shops making clothing sizes bigger which, apparently, has now gone on for a number of years.

In the past there have been calls from various quarters for the NHS to refuse treatment to people whose injuries or conditions are self inflicted - extreme sports, excessive drinking, smoking etc

If this is the case then surely it should also apply to those who are overweight if it is self-induced rather than a medical condition in its own right or caused by another condition and/or treatment.

(I'm not advocating withdrawing NHS treatment for any of these groups, merely saying that if it applies to one then it should apply to another.)

I say: "Buy a mirror!"
(no, that wasn't where I read the article)

I'm now "cuddly"......... exercise is extremely painful, and I am finding it more and more difficult to walk.......this is because of injuries caused by activities in my younger years....... they're all catching up with me.

Would you call dancing an extreme sport? I'm not talking about dancing around a pile of handbags with girlfriends on Saturday nights........... I'm talking about dancing on a stage in front of an audience...... no poles or removing of clothes involved!

Should I be banned?

ooer!!!!

Not sure if I should answer that one.

A good point though because the whole issue of what is deemed an extreme sport or pastime is, of course, very subjective.

Yes Errol.I'm sure you are right.

Not me - Dame Sally Davies in her annual report.

"The problem is exacerbated by shops making clothing sizes bigger which, apparently, has now gone on for a number of years."

So those of us who are overweight should not wear clothes :-0

Anything you say.

Nooooo I said nothing of the sort about what people could wear.

To quote Dame Sally Davies: "I have long been concerned that being underweight is often portrayed as the ideal weight, particularly in the fashion industry.

"Yet I am increasingly concerned that society may be normalising being overweight.

"Larger mannequins are being introduced into clothes shops and "size inflation" means that clothes with the same size label have become larger in recent decades.

"And news stories about weight often feature pictures of severely obese people, which are unrepresentative of the majority of overweight people."

Well there we are.

l think more education to the families who serve their poor kids up with rubbish food, take aways etc....these families maybe think its norm to be overweight because thats how it is in their family, maybe they are all over weight""

l'm putting on weight and l don't like it, but l'm finding it hard to lose it....but thats because l am not strict enough with myself and have no motivation.....so all those poor kids being stuffed with yuck food will have less motivation then me thats for sure.

Very good thread Errol....here is the link you are using for others to read...:)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26765078

jude

Certainly an issue that needs tackling although I think the sugar taxation idea that has been talked about recently (including by Dame Sally Davies) is a bit "nanny state".

Education and awareness would surely be a better step forward.

Thank you Jude - a pretty emotive issue but fascinating nevertheless.

Not sure MORE education will help

The food industry has to take part of the blame for this problem,

One example,

They sell products labeled Fat free 0% or no added? and as was highlighted recently on TV these products tend to replace the fat's in these products with sugar to improve the taste, Sugar in it's self is not a fat but if you eat these products and don't burn these sugars off they then turn to FAT

Roy

A very good point Roy.

There is also a current debate about saturated versus polyunsaturated fats.

I think a big issue is exercise and education, awareness and promotion could help in this area.

l've noticed with our grandchildren that the they are now getting more orange squash in the juice drinks, when grandson was little his juice drinks were really yuck, just a colouring of or orange or blackcurrant, his mum was really worried about giving too much. But now they both have a drink that they can atleast enjoy with abit more squash added....they eat well and he is always being made aware of the good and bad foods to eat...but he will always try it on with us to get sweets. We usually check with d i l or son, sometimes we just buy something naughty. Yesterday the little was stuffing baby tomatoes down, she loved them and apple:))
Grandchildren in Dorset are the same...:))
jude

Roy.....quite agree with you. But there are loads of things we can all eat that,don't have all the additives. For instance don't eat pre-packed products, get fresh, they are'nt always too expensive....but with some families their priorities are the gadgets in the house and the latest dvd etc...so they do need educating.

jude

The problem is multiplied because people think if it's fat free i can have more (2) instead of the 1 normal portion thus doubling their intake of sugar so twice as much fat is retained in the body

also people think they can eat as much friut as they want but fruit is also high in sugar so again people think they are doing the right thing when in fact they are not.

OH used to buy fruit drinks all labeled with no added sugar thinking it was the healthy option but again all friut and fruit drinks including home made smoothies are high in sugar regardless of whether sugar has been added, Parents think if it's no added sugar they and their offspring can have as much as they want and so their intake is effectively unregulated

Roy

not all obesity is caused by overeating - there are other factors to consider

perhaps we should return to wartime diets - no obesity then

Roy....quite agree with you re the drinks, its the same with diet drinks, people just don't realise and of course there is a sugar replacement in all these drinks which is as bad or worse. The manufactorers are very clever at making some products look/sound like the best thing since sliced bread...and thats not the same as it used to be either:( (sliced bread).

D i l still does'nt give the kids a proper juice drink, its well diluted.

AnnC...yes again quite agree, Errol did mention this in the OP l think.

jude

Edit..added this bit from the OP

If this is the case then surely it should also apply to those who are overweight if it is self-induced rather than a medical conditiion in its own right or caused by another condition and/or treatment.

I quite agree Roy.

The overriding factor in many cases of people being overweight is over eating through ignorance - that may be over eating generally or far too much intake of a particular substance such as sugar.

I think the main point being made though was that too many people do not consider themselves to be overweight. They have to admit that to start with, before looking at what they are actually eating and this is where the comments by Dame Sally Davies apply about people considering being overweight or obese to be the norm when it clearly is not and should not be.