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Health

‘Millenniums’ set to become heaviest generation ever

(113 Posts)
OldMeg Mon 26-Feb-18 11:49:12

Was driving my GS to school this morning and heard this on the BBC News.

“UK millennials are on track to be the most overweight generation since records began, health experts say.

Based on population trends, more than seven in every 10 people born between the early 1980s and mid-90s will be overweight or obese by the time they reach middle age.’

I had thought that there was a downward trend in UK obesity figure but apparently not. What can be done I wonder, because despite all the education in schools, on the media, etc. the message just isn’t getting through.

Jalima1108 Tue 27-Feb-18 20:52:31

I wonder if they check for nits at the same time.?
Remember the Nit Nurse?

OldMeg Tue 27-Feb-18 20:52:53

content.digital.nhs.uk/ncmp try this link

OldMeg Tue 27-Feb-18 20:54:58

Defining children as overweight or obese is a complex process, given that their height and weight change at the same time. An individual's BMI is calculated by dividing their weight (expressed in kilograms) by the square of their height (expressed in metres).

The method of assigning a BMI classification is different for children and adults.

This from above website, which is what I was trying to explain before.

OldMeg Tue 27-Feb-18 20:55:52

Sadly Nitty Nora is No Mora

OldMeg Tue 27-Feb-18 20:56:42

That is something which (unofficially) falls to the teachers.

Very sneaky look at hair ?

mimiro Tue 27-Feb-18 21:10:04

oldmegi agreemarpau i was thinking the same thing.as a 4th generation seamstress/tailor i watched this change along with changing the measurements per size.
had a lovely lady i made leather and suede clothing for.did it for a decade,than she got very large and i refused to sew for her(remember this is leather clothing).i had to get rude with her.she eventually lost the weight (a grandchild was the incentive) and i made her an item for free to celebrate.
best friend is morbidly obese-have flat out told her i would like her to be around past 50.

GrandmaKT Tue 27-Feb-18 21:31:16

There have been a couple of mentions of portion size. This was brought home to me last week when I was watching a local TV programme called Back in Time for Tea. It's one of those things where a family lives as if they are in different eras. This programme very much focusses on food. Anyway, last week it was the 60s. The parents went out one evening and the teenagers were left to cook the tinned Fray Bentos pies (to much hilarity of course!) The thing is, they had one pie each! I remember sharing pies like this between four of us in the 60s.

janeainsworth Tue 27-Feb-18 21:42:42

Yes grandma KT. I and my 3 flatmates had one pie between us.
Though MrA and his 3 flatmates had two pies between the four of them. wink

GabriellaG Tue 27-Feb-18 22:02:51

I'm not in favour of my taxes keeping an overweight/obese unemployed man or woman (or any other gender) in permanent 'victim' mode. Street food is available virtually 24/7 in many big cities and, where it was once thought disgraceful behaviour to 'eat on the hoof', that has been replaced by an 'any time any place' acceptance of consuming food.
Coffee in one hand and food in t'other is something we see regardless of the time of day. On buses, trains, coaches, even short flights.
If people aren't chatting they're chomping.
Desperate days and, if you look at today's pics of the DoC visiting a hospital, just look at the nurses.
The very people who have no right to lecture.

Happychops Tue 27-Feb-18 23:39:42

I think there are many factors. Portion size being one of them,we went out for fish and chips as a family last month and were shocked at the portion sizes, they were huge needless to say we wasted such a lot of the meal but just could not eat that vast amount. Children used to play outside a lot,but many of them play computer games while eating snacks ,unfortunately if they don’t excercise they will pile on the weight. Parents would need to take the lead and show the children that they can enjoy the nice things in moderation,and also teach them that excercise will keep them fit and healthier in later life. I hope it happens soon, as the young people of today will have a miserable middle age if they end up with illness due to the weight problems starting while they are young, and they may never reach old age.

Mamie Wed 28-Feb-18 06:26:49

When I go back to the UK from my home in France, I do notice that people in general seem much more overweight than here.
I notice that people seem to graze much more, eating in the street and in all the cafes in town centres. Portion sizes seem to be huge. There seems to be a culture of cake with everything.
You do see overweight people here, but it seems to be much more associated with urban poverty. I think people generally do not eat between meals, cafes do not have cake or biscuits on sale and patisserie is a treat rather than an everyday thing.
Older people do talk with disapproval about the younger generation buying pizza, but I think this is more to do with the deep reverence (annoying at times) for traditional, local dishes.
It is still very rare to see obese people here.

MissAdventure Wed 28-Feb-18 07:36:53

A while ago a thread was made asking why children today seem to need snacks every couple of hours, and grandparents seemed to think that's quite normal.