Is obesity a class thing?

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.

Yes ninny you are absolutely right.

Only one? (come on!) ???

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

now no

Ah ha! You say that was your treat - that was my lunch! And now butter or even marge on it, just bread and jam. You must have been one of the rich kids Jalima ?

You were lucky Anya
I got bread and butter with sugar as a treat from my DGM
At least DM said it was butter but I bet it was marge.

PaddyAnn I think your analysis of this is pretty accurate.

If you are in a difficult situation with lots of stress and no chance of changing things, because of lack of rescoures you will feel depressed and demoralised and eating comfort food might help you feel better.

You never know what has happened in other peoples lives to push them into these situations.

Leek and potato soup? There's posh! We had to settle for a jeely piece ?

It must be all to do with the type of food.
When we were young and poor we depended on leek and potato soup ( home made of course) nice and healthy. Nowadays I suppose it would be a very cheap ready meal full of sugar and unhealthy fats.

My charger is on the wall above table height, no effort at all.
It does help, otherwise my fat tummy could get in the way of plugging it in

Oh, she was lying being funny? What parts do we believe then? Perhaps she's not fat then

I don't think she was being serious ....

[ ] these kind of brackets kitlong

You said yourself you couldn't bend down far enough to plug in a charger.....???

Anya - what makes you think I am prevented from doing "everyday things". What is it that you immediately assume that I cant do? This is what I find so odd about others who judge. If by "everyday things" you mean shopping, housework, walking the dog, going on holidays (yes, even on an aeroplane), working, gardening, driving, meeting friends, singing in a choir etc etc etc then nope, no "everyday things" prevented here. I was a dancer many moons ago and am still able to touch my toes. Oh and I've also just re-painted the ceilings all up the stairs in my 4 storey house. I'm not fat because of my class/finances, I'm fat because I love food. I still do everything that anyone else does, and possibly more so please don't worry about me (smile). I've typed smile in brackets here so hope there's a smiley face!

When I was about 5 we moved from London to Carlisle. There we lived on the edge of what would then be called a working class suburb. I immediately noticed how many fat women I saw at the bakers. In my innocence I asked my mother why. The answer was that it was because they were poor.

Later I realised that at a time when money was tight and most of the family budget went on food. The priority was first give the husband, usually the only wage earner, good food to keep him well and in work, then feed the children, the women lived on what was left and filled up with bread and margarine, spread with sugar, because it was cheap.

Those on low incomes make poor food choices because they are the cheapest and easiest.

That's an interesting definition of "completely fit".

My frown lines are quite faint (as yet). I like them; they show that I puzzle over things and think about stuff, not that I'm an angry person.

Well, if it worries kitlong it won't show because she won't have any frown lines

I am trying to lose weight but am worried that I may suddenly get a lot of wrinkles.