Is obesity a class thing?

now no

Well Jalima you were ahead of the game. Carbs, sugar and unhealthy fat before ready meals were invented.?

I think it's in George Orwells "Down and out in London and Paris " where he talks about the middle classes tutting about the bad food choices of the poor. He makes the point that unhealthy fish and chips taste much nicer than healthy raw carrots! Fast foods contain lots of fats and sugar but are easier if you're tired.

Primrose very interesting stats. I think we could do with a tin hat emoji, btw...

Yes, very interesting, particularly when you read past the first paragraphs and down further. Not entirely the correlations that are generally assumed.

You can eat all foods in moderation, even fish and chips, Macdonald's burgers, chocolate, glass of wine just don't keep stuffing your face non stop all day and do a bit of exercise not rocket science.

In my experience, overeating, in the beginning, can be a way of self medicating for depression. Unlike alcohol or drugs, it is cheap and less disruptive to everyday life for a much longer period of time so goes unnoticed and untreated. Due to the precise combination of hidden fats and sugars in our processed food supply, specifically designed to make you want more, this overeating can set up a lifelong addiction which leads to obesity and a lifelong, usually unsuccessful struggle to lose weight and keep it off long after the mh problems have been addressed.
Only people who have never been in this position would say that weight is one of the few things we can control. More is becoming known about the role of hormones like leptin and ghrelin in overeating leading to obesity which makes castigating the obese for being greedy, lazy and lower class, frankly cruel and unhelpful. Those who are growing still more obese, after trying for decades to lose weight, know deep down there must be something else going on rather than just weak will and greed. If you've found it easy to control your weight, it might be you don't have the hormonal imbalances that the stubbornly obese have. You should quietly thank god for that rather than imply the obese are weak willed.

I am fat. There, I said it! I am a great cook ( and modest!) and I enjoy food. On the other hand I have spent most of my adult life dieting and can confirm that it is much more expensive to buy food which helps me lose weight ( lean meat, salads, veg) than it is to buy cheap food - lots of carbs. Also, I am the spitting image of my Nan, who I remember as a cubic shape! I have 2 degrees and a PhD so I am not ignorant about nutrition.
Don't judge others by appearance and don't make crass assumptions!

Thank you ninny you have absolved me from guilt.

All I had today was a banana and plain yogurt for breakfast and a coffee mid-morning (not through choice, I should add).
Then fish and chips with mushy peas in a pub on the way home!! Lovely.

After a stressful day I am now going to have one glass of wine.

Only one? (come on!) ???

Yes ninny you are absolutely right.

It's interesting to note that in some societies being very overweight was a sign of wealth and in these societies the men actually encouraged their womenfolk to gorge on food as it improved their social standing among their peers as it clearly portrayed the fact these were wealthy people. Obesity in the western world is to be found across all classes. I don't buy into the idea that poorer people cannot not afford to eat healthily. My marriage broke down when my children were very young. Money was very tight. The mark down sections in the supermarket was my best friend. I would cook huge batches of vegetable soups with bags of veg reduced to 10p. Cheap cuts of meat went into the slow cooker. Fruits such as strawberries and raspberries were frozen on trays. We ate healthily. A takeaway costs or processed frozen food costs a lot more than its freshly cooked alternative. There were no gyms 100 years ago yet there were far less obese people. Walking is free. Lots of parks have outdoor free gym equipment. I know some people are overweight due to depression or medication but that surely cannot be said for the majority. I once had a very interesting conversation with a woman who told me she couldn't afford to feed her family healthy food yet admitted to smoking 40 cigarettes a day and could afford the full Sky package. Sometimes its a case of priorities. No one gets up one morning and decides that being obese is their goal but surely you have to get to a point ( I know I do) when you look in the mirror and have a chat with yourself that you need to loose a few pounds and then take steps to make this happen. But no to answer the question I don't think obesity is class related after all Queen Victoria was reported as being very obese.