can't help being fat

carlstone

Going back to the original point and following from some of the replies. It is true that it is a problem of our modern way of life compounded with the view that it is acceptable to knock 'fatties' (cheers pagem ).

So what we have is a major problem with our modern way of living which without some sort of action will get worse. In general the people who have the problem get very little help to recify it and won't change their habits if left to their own devices. People who don't have the problem see it as the individuals problem and to rectify it they should stop shoving cakes in their pie hole.

No constructive ideas for sorting out the problem?

Well I am looking forward to the day in 20 years time when I can walk down the street and ridicule the majority who are fatter than me. Then I will be able to take the moral high ground and shout 'Oy fatty, get some exercise', feeling smug after buying size medium jeans that have a 36" waist.

Pagem

Eat My Dust wrote:

Pagem wrote:

i think i've every right to judge someone whom causes themselves to become so ill that have to foot the bill.

lol, I knew you were one of those "i pay my taxes" folks. You'll personally foot the bill for all of the fat people will you. My "what a fanny" radar is doing overtime. My brother weighs in at around 30 stone, owns his own business that employs over 30 people, hasn't been to the doctor in probably over 15 years. Yes, he'll probably drop dead of a heart attack, but what does that cost you? nothing. I'd imagine that over his lifetime he'll pay a lot more tax than a lot of people, and I'd imagine there's a lot of fat people in his situation.

lets say he doesn't drop dead. lets say he's so fat that he requires 2 new knees, develops diabetes, requires a triple heart bypass, has liver failure and peripheral neuropathy with ensuing complications. that would and does cost the nhs millions per year and is by no means an extreme example. that's part of your monthly bill and also one of the reasons waiting lists are so high.

your "what a fanny radar" probably hasn't had a sniff since you came across the kays catalogue as a 13 year old.

Eat My Dust

Pagem wrote:

lets say he doesn't drop dead. lets say he's so fat that he requires 2 new knees, develops diabetes, requires a triple heart bypass, has liver failure and peripheral neuropathy with ensuing complications. that would and does cost the nhs millions per year and is by no means an extreme example. that's part of your monthly bill and also one of the reasons waiting lists are so high.

That's a lot of "what if's". So if my brother has paid X amount of hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax over his lifetime, and has to have a heart bypass, you're paying for it, how does that work?

Pagem

Eat My Dust wrote:

Pagem wrote:

lets say he doesn't drop dead. lets say he's so fat that he requires 2 new knees, develops diabetes, requires a triple heart bypass, has liver failure and peripheral neuropathy with ensuing complications. that would and does cost the nhs millions per year and is by no means an extreme example. that's part of your monthly bill and also one of the reasons waiting lists are so high.

That's a lot of "what if's". So if my brother has paid X amount of hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax over his lifetime, and has to have a heart bypass, you're paying for it, how does that work?

we're all paying for it. dont you get it? i'd rather the money from taxes support a healthy country which prevents and cures illness of an unfortunate nature rather than self inflicted ones.

Eat My Dust

Pagem wrote:

we're all paying for it. dont you get it? i'd rather the money from taxes support a healthy country which prevents and cures illness of an unfortunate nature rather than self inflicted ones.

I do "get it". I just don't see where people get off judging other people for being overweight. I'd rather the money I pay in tax wasn't used for a lot of things, but hey, the worlds not perfect.

squired

All this fatty talk reminds me of a story I was told by a lecturer at medical school. I can't remember the specifics, but you will get the idea. The story is that a study was done at the time when Cindy Crawford was one of the world's biggest sex symbols. They took photos of her to remote villages in South America (or somewhere like that) where women are regarded as beautiful if they are fat. The reaction to the photos of Miss Crawford was that she was clearly very unwell, probably had diarrhoea for a number of days and would die at any moment.

I think my point is that in many ways it is all relative to what is acceptable in society. I can see a time in the not too distant future where slim people would be ridiculed for looking ill and unhealthy.

Crapaud

carlstone wrote:

Going back to the original point and following from some of the replies. It is true that it is a problem of our modern way of life compounded with the view that it is acceptable to knock 'fatties' (cheers pagem ).

So what we have is a major problem with our modern way of living which without some sort of action will get worse. In general the people who have the problem get very little help to recify it and won't change their habits if left to their own devices. People who don't have the problem see it as the individuals problem and to rectify it they should stop shoving cakes in their pie hole.

No constructive ideas for sorting out the problem?

Well I am looking forward to the day in 20 years time when I can walk down the street and ridicule the majority who are fatter than me. Then I will be able to take the moral high ground and shout 'Oy fatty, get some exercise', feeling smug after buying size medium jeans that have a 36" waist.

If you have a look around there's plenty of help for the overweight. Most of it, I believe, is free, to them at least. There's Weight Watchers and other, similar groups; dieting groups in church halls and community centres throughout the land; TV programmes galore; bookshops are bursting with diet books. I know loads of people who have had advice from their doctor or a nutritionist, but still tend to stuff a couple of cream buns down their throats and wash it down with a can of 'diet' coke - "Its a wee treat because I've been good". Gymnasiums have never been more popular or easier to find, but how many folk do you know that join up every year and only go once or twice?

I read somewhere that a physio, talking about obese people whom he has to supply with these electric buggy things to get around because of related conditions, said that the overweight say that they "can't exercise because they're immobile" (with dodgy knees, hips, hearts etc.) when really "they're immobile (and fat) because they don't exercise". It's not politically correct to tell them that though!

It's the same with any addict whether it be food, drugs, alcohol, gambling, cars: they'll lie to themselves, make excuses, blame others or circumstances, justify their actions in some manner because they don't want to change. Change takes effort and they don't want to put in the effort, prefering to seek a quick fix.

The problem with fatties isn't in their fridges; it's in their heads.

Clever Pun

Pagem wrote:

*argument*

your "what a fanny radar" probably hasn't had a sniff since you came across the kays catalogue as a 13 year old.

Aren't some of these arguments akin to the sub mortgage debacle??

People are being blamed for miss selling mortgages but the people buying them were happy to lie on forms etc but now they can't afford the mortgage which is 10X their salary they want to blame someone...

This "not enough education thing" is a joke especially how grades are always improving... :shock: You mean the country isn't getting brighter???

carlstone

The problem with fatties isn't in their fridges; it's in their heads.

Correct.

So how is a meeting in a 'church hall', a self help book or going to see a nutirtionist who gets out the old good/bad food pyramid and the overweight - obese - morbidly obese coloured graph going to help?

We all know these things are out there. What is patently obvious is

IT IS NOT WORKING

Telling someone who is psycologically reliant on food as an emotional crutch to read a self help book is exactly the same giving a drunk an AA pamphlet and telling him not to drink.

Clever Pun

carlstone wrote:

Telling someone who is psycologically reliant on food as an emotional crutch to read a self help book is exactly the same giving a drunk an AA pamphlet and telling him not to drink.

How about having the will power to change what they eat... rather than raiding the sweeties, get a box of vegetables delivered every week... it's still food

carrot sticks instead of mars bars is a good start

Eat My Dust

Clever Pun wrote:

This "not enough education thing" is a joke especially how grades are always improving... :shock: You mean the country isn't getting brighter???

I don't think it's that kind of education, or did I miss the "what to eat" A Level?

A big part of the problem is that people don't know how to cook nice healthy food. People want an Indian meal and it's either take away or microwave, if they knew how to make it, it would be a lot healthier. I know that you Home Economics in school, but that's how to cook beans on toast!!!

There is a role for supermarkets etc to play in all of this. I bought a roll from Tesco's, once I had finished it, out of interest I read the info on the back, there was over 1000 calories in it!!!!! HTF do they manage to pack over 1000 calories into a turkey sandwich, if I had made it at home it would have only had a couple of hundred calories.

heavymental

Hell I dunno what the problem is but I guess at some point we embraced a more sedentary lifestyle, lost the skills of cooking healthy food from scratch, adopted drinking as a daily leisure activity, lost the time to eat as a family and became surrounded by products that exacerbate those issues. The inevitable trappings of becoming a wealthy nation with a taste for starchy fatty foods maybe?

As I said, I dunno. But it seems that its very easy to fall into the trap. Because we have. It will also be hard to get out of, because all the above issues are deeply rooted cultural issues that take generations to form.

One thing I am sure as it that I don't think its about 'exercise'. Its about physical activity in a (what used to be) normal lifestyle. Walking up stairs, tending the allotment, walking to the shops, kids playing outside etc. Many of those actions are rarer these days.

There are certainly alot of contributory causes I think and it doesn't only boil down to 'Willpower' I fear.

magibob

Anyone can take the P*** out of my weight, IF they don't smoke, drink, take any drugs, get moody and take their frustrations out on other people or have stress induced illnesses.

I am overweight, I don't blame anyone but myself, and would be understanding if this affected what healthcare I received,, Of course, That's always provided that all the people in the above categories also have restricted healthcare.


BTW, When I am President of the world. If my Government, (or to put it another way, the people working and contributing to society,) are paying for your school dinner, you get healthy food or nothing. AND While I am ranting, if you committ a crime, you will go to prison. I don't care about rehabilitation you will be kept away from decent people, and everytime you re-offend you will go away for double the time. And don't even get me started on F*****g Man United.

Andy

Ps, I think I need a biscuit.

SteveR_100Milers

Pagem wrote:

we're all paying for it. dont you get it? i'd rather the money from taxes support a healthy country which prevents and cures illness of an unfortunate nature rather than self inflicted ones.

See the bigger picture: my point again, then with a healthier longer living public (which actually has been the trend over the last 50 years) where do you think the money will come from to pay for extended pensions? The choice is nanny state run by thinnies or chose your own lifestyle, or we all work longer. And then consume more resources such as energy and food, and suffer even more humans on this already over populated planet. Let nature take its course, and if folks choose to snuff it early then so be it.

nickcuk

I blame political correctness - the government should reward name-calling of fatties in the same way that they used to promote road safety and avoiding chip pan fires.

David Cameron should call Gordon Brown a fat bastard a few times and GB can call DC a tosspot - where's the harm in that ?

secretsam

I'm a fat b :oops: stard and there's nothing I can do about it, I commute 50 miles per week on 2 wheels and still put on weight just by looking at cake :evil:

It's in the genes, Dad had same problem :roll:

Not all of us chunky types are lazy pie-munching f :shock: wits

NFMC

Maybe if you didn't eat the cake when you looked at it?

Clever Pun

Eat My Dust wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

This "not enough education thing" is a joke especially how grades are always improving... :shock: You mean the country isn't getting brighter???

I don't think it's that kind of education, or did I miss the "what to eat" A Level?

A big part of the problem is that people don't know how to cook nice healthy food. People want an Indian meal and it's either take away or microwave, if they knew how to make it, it would be a lot healthier. I know that you Home Economics in school, but that's how to cook beans on toast!!!

There is a role for supermarkets etc to play in all of this. I bought a roll from Tesco's, once I had finished it, out of interest I read the info on the back, there was over 1000 calories in it!!!!! HTF do they manage to pack over 1000 calories into a turkey sandwich, if I had made it at home it would have only had a couple of hundred calories.

now come on you must have realised the tongue in cheek comment there, given the 60% pass rate nonsense and the yearly manipulation of statistics the government produces to say "aren't we doing well"

all the information is out there in books and the internet.... as others have said it's about willpower and the want to live a certain way that isn't necessarily the easiest path to take. I had 6 months off recently and now I love cooking proper food and I'd like to think I'm pretty reasonable at it.

secretsam

NFMC wrote:

Maybe if you didn't eat the cake when you looked at it?

I'd never thought of that one, thanks :roll:

Eat My Dust

Secret Sam, I know what you're talking about!! Although I'm not overweight, I put weight on very easily. I commute 130 miles per week and still have to watch what I eat extremely carefully. I went on holiday and let go, the result was I put on a stone in a fortnight!!!

secretsam

Eat My Dust wrote:

Secret Sam, I know what you're talking about!! Although I'm not overweight, I put weight on very easily. I commute 130 miles per week and still have to watch what I eat extremely carefully. I went on holiday and let go, the result was I put on a stone in a fortnight!!!

You must be my long-lost twin, that sounds like me to a 't'

It's a total PITA, not least 'cos you always look a total berk in any sort of cycling gear :evil:

Eat My Dust

Don't get me wrong Secret Sam, I look great in my cycling gear!!!

Clever Pun

SecretSam wrote:

Eat My Dust wrote:

Secret Sam, I know what you're talking about!! Although I'm not overweight, I put weight on very easily. I commute 130 miles per week and still have to watch what I eat extremely carefully. I went on holiday and let go, the result was I put on a stone in a fortnight!!!

You must be my long-lost twin, that sounds like me to a 't'

It's a total PITA, not least 'cos you always look a total berk in any sort of cycling gear :evil:

I know what you're talking about I cycle 130-150 miles a week, gym 3-4 times and play netball to boot... at present I'm losing weight...

I know when I get my next tattoo (6th nov) I can't exercise for a week, I get really frustrated and will go back in terms of fitness

mea00csf

well going back to the original topic, i wouldn't say it's societies fault, more it is the effect of society. A kid who is used to eating 2-3 microwave meals a week and 2-3 takeways a week, not allowed to play outside because it's too dangerous, not encouraged in any way to keep up exercise after leaving school doesn't stand a chance.

I was quite honestly astounded at some peoples eating habits that i've seen on TV programmes etc, when i was a kid, my mum was no great cook and working in a school had little time but always managed to have something sorted, even if it was grilled chicken with boiled potatoes and veg. Seeing how quick and easy something like that is means theres no need to resort to takeaways and microwave meals. My current fave if i haven't been shopping in ages, have nothing left in and am knackered is boil in the bag fish and sauce, boiled with pasta and frozen veg, 10 mins, 1 pan, nothing that you can't have in as standbys. I think people honestly don't realise how easy and quick even the basic healthy cooking can be.

chrisjsmith

I think the main problem is the morons (like Pagem) who succumb to the media coverage at the moment and join the chanting at the telescreens for the two minutes fatty hate.

It's easy to change the eating habits and to train your body's desires but it requires willpower. That is the problem.

Unfortunately, the typical thing is to constantly bombard the people who need helping with negative propganda, snide comments and ridicule. When you've had a shitty day in a dead-end job and have to put up with all the skinny rakes moaning at you about your weight there is no willpower left, so nothing happens.

Support the people, don't ridicule them.

wildmoustache

mea00csf wrote:

well going back to the original topic, i wouldn't say it's societies fault, more it is the effect of society. A kid who is used to eating 2-3 microwave meals a week and 2-3 takeways a week, not allowed to play outside because it's too dangerous, not encouraged in any way to keep up exercise after leaving school doesn't stand a chance.

I was quite honestly astounded at some peoples eating habits that i've seen on TV programmes etc, when i was a kid, my mum was no great cook and working in a school had little time but always managed to have something sorted, even if it was grilled chicken with boiled potatoes and veg. Seeing how quick and easy something like that is means theres no need to resort to takeaways and microwave meals. My current fave if i haven't been shopping in ages, have nothing left in and am knackered is boil in the bag fish and sauce, boiled with pasta and frozen veg, 10 mins, 1 pan, nothing that you can't have in as standbys. I think people honestly don't realise how easy and quick even the basic healthy cooking can be.

I agree. On your quick meal, do you honestly do all that in one pan? The rish and sauce and pasta and veg all thrown in together? Probably tastes alright, but it must look strange as the fish bobs around in the pasta?

Hotblack Desiato

SecretSam wrote:

I'm a fat b :oops: stard and there's nothing I can do about it, I commute 50 miles per week on 2 wheels and still put on weight just by looking at cake :evil:

It's in the genes, Dad had same problem :roll:

Not all of us chunky types are lazy pie-munching f :shock: wits

Nonsense.

If you use more energy that you take in, you will eventually lose excess body fat.

Genetically your metabolism may make it more difficult for you than others, but that just means that you have to monitor you intake more carefully than others.

It's not easy and can take a great deal of will power but blaming genetics is an easy way out. Your body does not magically produce calories from nothing.

.

Clever Pun

What people also don't seem to realise is...

An overweight persons metabolism is higher than that of a 'healthy' persons because the body has to work harder to stay alive.

HarryB

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Same old bolocks about genes, heavy bones, I put on weight just looking at food . . .

It's simple physics. Calories in against calories used.

RedAende

HarryB wrote:

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Same old bolocks about genes, heavy bones, I put on weight just looking at food . . .

It's simple physics. Calories in against calories used.

exactly , sums it up.

I do lots of exercise, eat healthily and still have a beer gut. Its self inflicted cos I drink far too much beer, when I dry out for 2 weeks before a big event the lbs tumble off.

If the Govt. is serious they cant just target fast junk food, its the whole balance of calries in/out so why not make bikes, exercise equipement etc. VAT free for a start.