Obesity, is it really an illness or a lifestyle choice?
Discussion
People eating only as much as they need and a diet devoid of refined sugar and added fats does not make good business sense.
UK food production alone is worth £40Billion let alone the profit from imported goods, so if we all suddenly started growing our own vegetables and eating more fish and leaner meat, a lot of very powerful companies would be motivated to stop it. Further more the government would lose a huge amount of tax revenue.
So getting people fatter makes the fat cats richer at the expense of peoples health and lifespan, but hey one more Hobnob never killed anyone.
UK food production alone is worth £40Billion let alone the profit from imported goods, so if we all suddenly started growing our own vegetables and eating more fish and leaner meat, a lot of very powerful companies would be motivated to stop it. Further more the government would lose a huge amount of tax revenue.
So getting people fatter makes the fat cats richer at the expense of peoples health and lifespan, but hey one more Hobnob never killed anyone.
I can honestly say the fatties I work with spend their entire working day shovelling food, diet pop and generally smoking all day long. I never see one running, cycling, walking into work for it to be down to anything else.
Add to that they’re really really lazy. I wouldn’t employ one. They’re never up to much and always off sick.
Add to that they’re really really lazy. I wouldn’t employ one. They’re never up to much and always off sick.
popeyewhite said:
otolith said:
I think fundamentally I tend towards minding my own f
king business.
Doesn't explain your post count. king business.
If people want to be fat, be fat. Nothing to do with me. Life is too short to spend it hating people for things that aren't my problem. There is of course the basic human need to look down on others, but there are more than enough thick people in the world to satisfy that.
otolith said:
If people want to be fat, be fat. Nothing to do with me. Life is too short to spend it hating people for things that aren't my problem. There is of course the basic human need to look down on others, but there are more than enough thick people in the world to satisfy that.
There was a documentary on that recently where fatties earnestly insisted they didn't eat that much and skinnies said they ate like a horse yet couldn't understand why they failed to put on weight.
As we all suspected the researchers found the simple answers, the fatties had fibbed and were seen grazing food all day in between meals, and the skinnies also lied, picking at their food, never emptying their plate, buying huge burgers yet only taking one bite and ditching it.
So, as you were, fat people are fat coz they eat too much.
As we all suspected the researchers found the simple answers, the fatties had fibbed and were seen grazing food all day in between meals, and the skinnies also lied, picking at their food, never emptying their plate, buying huge burgers yet only taking one bite and ditching it.
So, as you were, fat people are fat coz they eat too much.
coppernorks said:
There was a documentary on that recently where fatties earnestly insisted they didn't eat that much and skinnies said they ate like a horse yet couldn't understand why they failed to put on weight.
As we all suspected the researchers found the simple answers, the fatties had fibbed and were seen grazing food all day in between meals, and the skinnies also lied, picking at their food, never emptying their plate, buying huge burgers yet only taking one bite and ditching it.
So, as you were, fat people are fat coz they eat too much.
It's nothing new. Ever watched the programme 'supersize vs superskinnny' ??As we all suspected the researchers found the simple answers, the fatties had fibbed and were seen grazing food all day in between meals, and the skinnies also lied, picking at their food, never emptying their plate, buying huge burgers yet only taking one bite and ditching it.
So, as you were, fat people are fat coz they eat too much.
fat people can't understand why they're so fat- only to be faced with how much they eat on a daily/weekly basis
skinny people cant understand why they're so skinny- only to be face with their eating disorder, picky eating and hate for food
There was also a programme called 'secret eaters' where every person was fat.. they couldn't understand why they were fat. but once a food diary was made (actually they had someone follow them around) they were suprised to see how much they ate.
As mentioned before, people sometimes eat and don't even think about what they're doing. Like snacking while watching TV, or whilst working at a desk. Going to the cinema? sure lets drink 300cals of coke + 400 cals of popcorn. But because you're having it while watching a movie you don't even count it or think about it. Same goes for many people who are sat at home eating some pringles or kettle chips. Or some ice cream..
As someone who went from 20 stone to 12 stone in a year by changing my diet and exercising I can tell you it is not genetic. It is laziness and greed (of the food variety).
Shoot me down, but saying it is genetic is normalising it. Saw a clip on TV the other night where a person was told...yes it is in your genes...the next minute they were scoffing down grub as the doctors conclusion was conclusive and over eating was not the problem...
Yes, I am sure certain bodies have a different metabolism etc, but there is no excuse.
Shoot me down, but saying it is genetic is normalising it. Saw a clip on TV the other night where a person was told...yes it is in your genes...the next minute they were scoffing down grub as the doctors conclusion was conclusive and over eating was not the problem...
Yes, I am sure certain bodies have a different metabolism etc, but there is no excuse.
My wife’s overweight and complaints constantly about it...but won’t do anything about it.
She goes to slimming class weekly and the only pounds she loses are the sterling variety.
We’ve got enough diet / healthy eating books to stock a library but she’ll still buy chocolate with the weekly shop. She’ll pore over the comparative carbohydrate content of yoghurts to find the lowest then stick cream cakes in the trolley as well.
She’s intelligent and being diabetic could give you a lecture about how metabolism works but seems incapable of following her own advice.
Any time she mentions dieting or a new theory she’s found I remind her that she knows exactly how to lose weight but simply chooses not to follow through with it.
My wife and I have been together for approximately half our lives, and have eaten almost exactly the same food every day since we got together. When we got together, we were both at the top end of the healthy range of the BMI scale. I am still there, but she is now at the junction of overweight and obese.
She does more exercise than me. We eat the same quantity of food, with the exception that she doesn't eat breakfast on weekdays, whereas I do - porridge oats or (homemade) muesli.
The only other differences over the past ~25 years is that she was on the pill for a number of those years, and I drink coffee with milk and sugar, but she doesn't drink coffee at all, only black tea. Neither of us eat junk food, and only have a minor alcohol intake - I have perhaps 4 units a month.
My metabolism must be vastly different to hers.
She does more exercise than me. We eat the same quantity of food, with the exception that she doesn't eat breakfast on weekdays, whereas I do - porridge oats or (homemade) muesli.
The only other differences over the past ~25 years is that she was on the pill for a number of those years, and I drink coffee with milk and sugar, but she doesn't drink coffee at all, only black tea. Neither of us eat junk food, and only have a minor alcohol intake - I have perhaps 4 units a month.
My metabolism must be vastly different to hers.
I guess most people can only bring "their" experience to the thread.
My sister in law constantly fights her weight. Calory counts, exercise not for pleasure but penance, it's basically miserable. The only time she approached slim was after a particularly nasty illness. Shes not obese or anywhere near, but has to constantly police her weight.
My wife (like me) can graze junk constantly and never puts on weight. I have never calory counted. I've not weighed myself since school. The idea of forcing myself through hours of unpleasant exercise a week is baffling.
So in my experience, there HAS to be more to it than simple maths of calories in, effort out. Has to be, or else how do two humans get such different outcomes?
And, for maximum irony, this set of affairs just serves to make those struggling with weight even more down, and fuel their unhealthy relationship with food.
Onto that relationship.
Someone said upthread "just because something is simple, doesn't mean it's easy".
This is so true. My version of this saying is "all those simple things are hard".
I think by definition the fact people can't cut unhealthy food out means it's not easy. A few beanpole runners condiscendily saying "well I did it, so you must be able to" is fecking annoying. It's like saying to the losing racing driver: "just drive faster next time"
Comparisons with concentration camps is pretty vile...humans were forced into those circumstances by evil people. They shouldnt be talked about in casual conversation, as if it was something ever acceptable.
Pow camp...more acceptable I guess, but still...
We've seen mass internet gnashing about loss of freedom for wearing a mask. I can hardly imagine those same freedom loving individuals being happy to force "fatties" into government exercise camps.
Though let me guess...those freedom lovers aren't overweight...
Society has also changed... we're more open, more instant communication, less willing to hide or cover up problems. Fat shaming - much as it makes those who don't have weight problems feel better about themselves - is not the answer.
It's a failure of the market system I guess..the cost (health problems later in life) are not reflected in the price of junk food.
My sister in law constantly fights her weight. Calory counts, exercise not for pleasure but penance, it's basically miserable. The only time she approached slim was after a particularly nasty illness. Shes not obese or anywhere near, but has to constantly police her weight.
My wife (like me) can graze junk constantly and never puts on weight. I have never calory counted. I've not weighed myself since school. The idea of forcing myself through hours of unpleasant exercise a week is baffling.
So in my experience, there HAS to be more to it than simple maths of calories in, effort out. Has to be, or else how do two humans get such different outcomes?
And, for maximum irony, this set of affairs just serves to make those struggling with weight even more down, and fuel their unhealthy relationship with food.
Onto that relationship.
Someone said upthread "just because something is simple, doesn't mean it's easy".
This is so true. My version of this saying is "all those simple things are hard".
I think by definition the fact people can't cut unhealthy food out means it's not easy. A few beanpole runners condiscendily saying "well I did it, so you must be able to" is fecking annoying. It's like saying to the losing racing driver: "just drive faster next time"
Comparisons with concentration camps is pretty vile...humans were forced into those circumstances by evil people. They shouldnt be talked about in casual conversation, as if it was something ever acceptable.
Pow camp...more acceptable I guess, but still...
We've seen mass internet gnashing about loss of freedom for wearing a mask. I can hardly imagine those same freedom loving individuals being happy to force "fatties" into government exercise camps.
Though let me guess...those freedom lovers aren't overweight...
Society has also changed... we're more open, more instant communication, less willing to hide or cover up problems. Fat shaming - much as it makes those who don't have weight problems feel better about themselves - is not the answer.
It's a failure of the market system I guess..the cost (health problems later in life) are not reflected in the price of junk food.
Ok here’s a thought, perhaps for older people.
Why were there no fat kids at school when we were little ? I genuinely remember just one fat lad: Gary in my year of 120 kids. 4 x 30 kid/classes. That’s in the early 80’s. Can’t even remember one on the 70’s.
I take my daughters to school now and there are morbidly obese primary school kids.
Wtf ?
Why were there no fat kids at school when we were little ? I genuinely remember just one fat lad: Gary in my year of 120 kids. 4 x 30 kid/classes. That’s in the early 80’s. Can’t even remember one on the 70’s.
I take my daughters to school now and there are morbidly obese primary school kids.
Wtf ?
Widespread obesity first got noticed in the early 1900s. Our ancestors had not been fat. Primitive people we studied were not fat. People in villages far from our cities were not fat. But in the cities people were getting fatter.
This really accelerated around 1980, with the creation of "Public Health" in America, which we imported.
Public Health is a "partnership" between government and industry. The government might have had that aim. But industry wants profits. That is most easily achieved by pushing everyone to eat the cheapest crap industry can produce. The "food pyramid" and the "Eat Well Plate" were published. People were told this was the most healthy way to eat. Far removed from food production, they no longer knew any better. So they adapted these eating pattern. Trillions were made in the food industry. We got fat and diabetic. Trillions more were made in medicine.
It wasn't difficult to work out the cause in the 1920s, and it isn't any more difficult in the 2020s. Yet the majority are both ignorant and miseducated about food. And it is only half their fault. We are miseducated intentionally to sell "product".
"Eat less and move more."
"Count calories."
"Buy this slimming product."
"Get a personal trainer."
"Insulin injections twice daily."
"Frosties, they're Great."
Our ancestors did not have any of these things. We don't need them now. Just think about what you are eating, and what our ancestors ate. You can almost guess the rest. But it goes against what we are taught to believe, or want to believe, and it takes a bit of mental strength to go against the grain.
This really accelerated around 1980, with the creation of "Public Health" in America, which we imported.
Public Health is a "partnership" between government and industry. The government might have had that aim. But industry wants profits. That is most easily achieved by pushing everyone to eat the cheapest crap industry can produce. The "food pyramid" and the "Eat Well Plate" were published. People were told this was the most healthy way to eat. Far removed from food production, they no longer knew any better. So they adapted these eating pattern. Trillions were made in the food industry. We got fat and diabetic. Trillions more were made in medicine.
It wasn't difficult to work out the cause in the 1920s, and it isn't any more difficult in the 2020s. Yet the majority are both ignorant and miseducated about food. And it is only half their fault. We are miseducated intentionally to sell "product".
"Eat less and move more."
"Count calories."
"Buy this slimming product."
"Get a personal trainer."
"Insulin injections twice daily."
"Frosties, they're Great."
Our ancestors did not have any of these things. We don't need them now. Just think about what you are eating, and what our ancestors ate. You can almost guess the rest. But it goes against what we are taught to believe, or want to believe, and it takes a bit of mental strength to go against the grain.
austinsmirk said:
Ok here’s a thought, perhaps for older people.
Why were there no fat kids at school when we were little ? I genuinely remember just one fat lad: Gary in my year of 120 kids. 4 x 30 kid/classes. That’s in the early 80’s. Can’t even remember one on the 70’s.
I take my daughters to school now and there are morbidly obese primary school kids.
Wtf ?
My childhood was the late 50's - 60's and nobody we knew was fat.Why were there no fat kids at school when we were little ? I genuinely remember just one fat lad: Gary in my year of 120 kids. 4 x 30 kid/classes. That’s in the early 80’s. Can’t even remember one on the 70’s.
I take my daughters to school now and there are morbidly obese primary school kids.
Wtf ?
I have pics of me that look like I'd just come out of Auschwitz.
I was fed home cooked food, lots of fruit and I was outdoors from dawn till dusk.
That's the simplistic answer as to why I wasn't fat. There may be deeper reasons why the generations are getting fatter and fatter but I can only go by my experience.
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