Obesity, is it really an illness or a lifestyle choice?
Discussion
Hoofy said:
I've been trying to say for years (possibly decades, maybe not quite) that it's a mental health issue. Well, the root cause is. Deal with that issue (might be child abuse, bullying, parents breaking up, whatever).
Indeed. Over-eating of 'comfort foods' to combat depression in a lot of cases I suspect. dirky dirk said:
its a choice
i suspect its clouded though by peoples mental health
I doubt that people choose to be obese. Once you are, I suspect that doing something about it is a lot harder than most of us imagine.i suspect its clouded though by peoples mental health
Isn't saying that it's a choice the equivalent of telling someone with a mental illness to 'pull themselves together'?
smn159 said:
Indeed. Over-eating of 'comfort foods' to combat depression in a lot of cases I suspect.
I still find it sad just how little in the way of anything many do, or aim to do, outside of work. Doing nothing, eating/drinking rubbish, being in terrible condition and feeling crap must be self-perpetuating.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 26th July 11:37
smn159 said:
Hoofy said:
I've been trying to say for years (possibly decades, maybe not quite) that it's a mental health issue. Well, the root cause is. Deal with that issue (might be child abuse, bullying, parents breaking up, whatever).
Indeed. Over-eating of 'comfort foods' to combat depression in a lot of cases I suspect. I like the informal definition of addiction as an activity that has an impact on your life.
So... if you're so heavy that it's giving you knee pain or meaning you need medical attention or have other health issues caused by eating too much...
or if you're spending so much in the bookies that you can't afford to buy food for your family...
or if you need sex so much that you disappear from the office just before a meeting because you need to use the services of a prostitute...
or if you drink and it causes you to fight people or beat your wife...
or if you can't stop playing a game and it means you're late for work or underperforming through a lack of sleep...
or if you can't stop buying a new car every 6 months and are always unhappy with your purchase... (sorry, maybe too close to home here
)Absolutely no judgement from me in any of these situations but it's a good indication of an addiction issue.
We like to pick on fat people because they seem like an easy target, obesity is not religion, gender or race based so they're seen as fair game. And yes, sometimes it is just about eating less and moving more while choosing a healthier lifestyle but sometimes it's a symptom of a deeper issue.
grumbledoak said:
dirky dirk said:
its a choice
i suspect its clouded though by peoples mental health
i suspect its clouded though by peoples mental health
Blame the patient and make nasty insinuations about their mental health. Are you a doctor?What effects 'will power'?
My mother was obese, my Aunt was obese. My Aunts daughter was obese.
No one else in my family was or is.
Go on. Is it genetically disposed to or are they the offspring of someone else?
They loved eating. Never saw them really like exercise.
Hoofy said:
We like to pick on fat people because they seem like an easy target, obesity is not religion, gender or race based so they're seen as fair game. And yes, sometimes it is just about eating less and moving more while choosing a healthier lifestyle but sometimes it's a symptom of a deeper issue.
It also gets a lot of attention because of the extent of the problem - we live in a country where nearly a third of adults are not just overweight but clinically obese and that number is rising. Hoofy said:
We like to pick on fat people because they seem like an easy target, obesity is not religion, gender or race based so they're seen as fair game. And yes, sometimes it is just about eating less and moving more while choosing a healthier lifestyle but sometimes it's a symptom of a deeper issue.
Yes, but often it's because junk food takes delicious and binging on it is ace.Many people pick on fat people due to envy, they know fatboy is having a great ride (whilst it lasts).
kambites said:
Hoofy said:
We like to pick on fat people because they seem like an easy target, obesity is not religion, gender or race based so they're seen as fair game. And yes, sometimes it is just about eating less and moving more while choosing a healthier lifestyle but sometimes it's a symptom of a deeper issue.
It also gets a lot of attention because of the extent of the problem - we live in a country where nearly a third of adults are not just overweight but clinically obese and that number is rising. The slim and fit adults stand out as unusual.
hyphen said:
Yes, but often it's because junk food takes delicious and binging on it is ace.
I love junk food as much as the next person but if you don't have an underlying issue, you don't take bingeing to the next level and over a few years end up clinically obese and requesting gastric surgery.That's why I'm nearly 50 and in pretty decent shape.
I know it's popular to put everything down to envy on PH, but that one is pushing it!kambites said:
Hoofy said:
We like to pick on fat people because they seem like an easy target, obesity is not religion, gender or race based so they're seen as fair game. And yes, sometimes it is just about eating less and moving more while choosing a healthier lifestyle but sometimes it's a symptom of a deeper issue.
It also gets a lot of attention because of the extent of the problem - we live in a country where nearly a third of adults are not just overweight but clinically obese and that number is rising. It's easy to order uber eats when you are 12stones but it soon creeps up and up and weight gain is never sudden. Its consistent over a period of time with slight lifestyle tweaks.
I don't buy in any shape or form that we should accept obesity as body positive.
We should be focused on health.
Are you willing to double your NI payments every month?
We are going to need it for social care in the next few years.
@hoofy cheap poor quality processed food is abundant. Everything is fried.
How many restaurants do you go into that offer something that ISNT fried? Have a think of every dish next time you go in.
Ontop of this is drinks, shakes, desserts etc.
It's changed massively over the past 4-5 decades.
Yet all this is mental deep-seated issues?
Really?
It's becoming cyclic. Children become the parents who then give then the same food that they had and vice versa.
None of my sons friends cycle to school. Their parents drive them as bikes are dangerous.
It's all habit forming for the next generation.
Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Monday 26th July 19:31
MC Bodge said:
I see plenty of heavy children at my son's school who are not from poverty-stricken families.
So what? I'm sure you don't really think one school, the one you happen to visit, is atypical of the entire country.Why are poorer children at higher risk of obesity and overweight? A UK cohort study
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/26/1/7/246...
Interesting....
https://theconversation.com/child-obesity-is-linke...
Hugo Stiglitz said:
@hoofy cheap poor quality processed food is abundant. Everything is fried.
How many restaurants do you go into that offer something that ISNT fried? Have a think of every dish next time you go in.
Ontop of this is drinks, shakes, desserts etc.
It's changed massively over the past 4-5 decades.
Yet all this is mental deep-seated issues?
Really?
Yes, because I like many people can enjoy fried food without being anywhere close to obese.How many restaurants do you go into that offer something that ISNT fried? Have a think of every dish next time you go in.
Ontop of this is drinks, shakes, desserts etc.
It's changed massively over the past 4-5 decades.
Yet all this is mental deep-seated issues?
Really?
I did not think frying’s the problem, it’s all the bad carb stuff. Which is nearly everything. Remember they change what’s bad all the time cos they don’t know much, and industry wants to sell whatever it can to make money. Government wants to be able to feed the people - can’t all eat meat too much resources. Butter is bad, butter is good. Eggs are bad, eggs are good. Meat is bad, meat is good. Clueless. Yes I am too I’m sure, but at least I can recognise it.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff