Michael Buerk. Is obesity a disease?

I've probably lost the equivalent of 3 people over my lifetime, and put the weight back on.

Its not that it doesn't work, its that I'm a big (pardon the pun) fan of food, and find it hard to resist, so I gradually start overeating again.

I cannot understand why anyone would think I would say something I thought was disrespectful about the holocaust. Why would I deliberately do that? Why am I being told it is wrong but no one will tell me why? Is it me or is it something in the minds of those who disapprove? I genuinely want to know what is wrong with referring to the starvation in the camps.

I find it very strange that overweight people seem to think we (slimmish folk) are lucky.
We just say no thank you. We eat small portions. We are on a diet for life too.
We could be bigger, in fact some of us have been but now we aren’t.
It’s all in the head (and gut). I think one of the differences between those who can or can’t control their intake is their attitude to food. I never feel deprived by refusing food or walking past the naughty treats in the supermarket. Get your brain in the right place and it’s easier.

Good for you Pamela. You have great will power which we should emulate. Wish I found it that easy, I don't but I still work at it and will lose the 6 lbs which the BMI chart says I am overweight. Actually I will try to lose more than that despite being one of those with a 'condition'.

I could say the same about alcohol.
I have absolutely no problem not drinking, I never feel deprived, it wouldn't cross my mind.
I suppose those who drink should just get their heads in the right place. (In other words, easier said than done!)

Nonnie, Methinks I hear a note of sarcasm there? Did I say it was easy?
I hoped to get over the fact that it isn’t easy, it has to be practised over and over till it sinks in.

Read the first line again. We are not lucky, lots of people have to try very hard to stay at a healthy weight. Lots of us manage it though.

It’s easy to eat too much, to be ignorant about food and it’s relationship with ones own body.
There Is a problem with too much information being out there. It can be very confusing but at the end of the day a small sedentary woman can’t consume as many calories as her taller more active friend no matter what what the recommended average daily intake should be. The NHS site says 2000 but then goes on to qualify that total by stating that figure depends on various factors.

Think I’ll just be quiet.?

MissAdventure is spot on.

NO! Pamela not at all, it is envy! I wish I had your willpower!

I have only small portions. When I am away in SE where they seem to serve huge portions I have a real problem. I eat until I feel just full, anything else is left. So then I have the owner/cook coming out saying "you no like" and pointing to what I have left. I have tried and tried for smaller portions but it just doesn't get through.

I think in Cambodia they serve such huge portions because of the starvation period they went through with Pol Pot and now they have food and boy do they eat. They could get a gold medal in eating and you don't see many fat people. Its what they eat and the work they do. A lesson to be learnt

Blimey, women and food.....a ghastly combination.

Thanks Nonnie, I’ll come back now ? .
Now it’s only MissAdventure and Iaam6 that think I think it’s easy !

Barmey I often just order a starter as that is enough for me.

Pamela there is a huge difference between admitting it is hard and blaming it on some other 'reason'. People need to understand that they are the only ones who can do something about it and patting them on the head and saying 'its your condition' doesn't do them any favours. If you care about someone you want them to be healthy. I hope we can work towards helping people to help themselves.

be thin, be fat , be what you like, but thin people are not morally superior.

I eat starter sized portions, I eat very little bread.

I hope we can work towards helping people to help themselves Maybe I can help you.....stop obsessing over 6 lbs.

If it was easy, I would have managed it myself, Pamela.

Maybe for some it is, but not for me, not with my condition, which is being a greedy cow.

I hope we can work towards helping people to help themselves Maybe I can help you.....stop obsessing over 6 lbs.

If you ignore 6lbs it becomes 12lbs then 18lbs then 24lbs...

Miss A, I am sure you are neither a cow nor greedy. Perhaps you don't have the time or energy to prepare food and grab whatever you can. Perhaps you just like the comfort and familiarity of the biscuit barrel or whatever?

notonan......not really? there is a set point, I have 3 or 4 different ones.

Some very judgemental and smug people here. Chew on that.

there is a huge difference between admitting it is hard and blaming it on some other 'reason'.

Nonnie you are being quite callous, and dismissive of those people who do not over-eat but find they gain weight because there IS a reason. A lack of mobility AND a drug regime has caused my weight gain. I don't have a huge appetite nor do I eat junk food or sweets and chocolates all day long. I do not like being overweight but I would have to exist on lettuce leaves and water I reckon to lose weight now.

My metabolism has been shot to pieces too and the drugs I have to take every single day not only make me gain weight easily but make me lethargic and drowsy too. I try to fight it by doing any activity I can manage. That is not an excuse. I know my food groups, understand the calories in and out logic, appreciate the balance between activity and food intake and fed my children a very healthy diet.

People need to understand that they are the only ones who can do something about it and patting them on the head and saying 'its your condition' doesn't do them any favours

And yet YOU fail to recognise that some conditions and the drugs needed to treat them completely bugger up the people unfortunate to be stuck with them! I don't want my head patted, or sympathy, but recognition that some overweight people have gained weight when normally they wouldn't would be a start.

I wouldn't wish a lousy drug-taking regime on my worst enemy. I often wonder how much more energetic I'd be if I hadn't become ill. I cope with it because I have no choice but there are obviously judgemental people out there like you with no understanding or tolerance of those who are overweight but hate being that way.

I rarely eat naughty treats

However, I have put weight on due, in part, to medication and possibly through regaining an appetite and an enjoyment for good food.
I'm just glad to be here, a bit overweight or not.

A doctor told a friend of mine who needed to lose a bit of weight as she was borderline diabetic: “if you’re not hungry, you’re not losing weight”. Unfortunately, this is true for most people. It’s very difficult to live with being hungry most of the time, especially when surrounded by plentiful food, which is why it’s so hard for overweight people to lose the excess and keep it off.

I vaguely remember a thread on here a fair time ago - the usual mother in law versus daughter in law type.

One of the issues was mum in law not having given the grandchild enough snacks.

When we were small my Nan was told not to give us any!

Yes, you need to be hungry a lot of the time to lose weight. Many people miss breakfast or follow 16/8 which means not eating for periods of time at a stretch.

2000 calories is too many for most average women - an average 5'4"" woman will probably only need about 1500 cals to live on. To lose a pound a week, you'll need to create a deficit of 500 calories per day - so an intake of 1000 calories. If you do 10000 steps , you'll "create" an extra 200 calories (ish) - hence 1200 calories suggested by MFP.

Makes sense.

lessis yes, I agree with you, very judegmental - you. How rude to suggest I am 'obsessing about 6 lbs'. You choose to suggest you know how I feel about it. Such arrogance.

Day6 are you deliberately misunderstanding my posts? Is it because we disagree politically? I know there are conditions which affect our weight unless we do something about it but if you have one of those conditions and eat much less and the right things you will lose the weight. There is nothing callous about stating a fact. We all need to face up to the fact that if we put in more than we use we gain weight, whatever the reason.

Nonnie, I really don't know what's wrong here. You seem like such a nice person. But you can't really go on throwing out comments about concentration camps in a conversation about a load of grans trying to lose a few pounds.

It's bloody hard being overweight. Miserable. Please don't tell me to walk more and starve myself.