Michael Buerk. Is obesity a disease?

It angers me when people make assumptions that because a person is overweight they are eating junk food endlessly , guzzling sugar fizzy drinks and are lazy ! My daily diet is 2 ryvita 1 banana ( breakfast) , water , one coffee with milk no sugar, avocado tomato cucumber ( lunch) chicken stir fry with 1 portion straight to wok noodles. No pasta , no potatoes, no rice, no biscuits /cakes /crisps , yes sometimes a Diet Coke or a mini bounty. I walk swim and live on a house with 3 floors. Take 50 mg thyroxine and recently got put on testosterone replacement which has certainly given me more energy. But I’m overweight and I’m unable to shift a kg. My 81 yr old mother ate the same as me for 10 days and lost 2 kg. It take enormous strength for me to maintain my health and I’m lucky to have excellent blood pressure, normal blood sugar etc, and recovered incredibly fast after a recent major op. However I do think anxiety and stress about my weight , being told I’m going to die , might make things worse. The NHS is always trying to cut costs and weight is the new smoking . Two of my aunts were huge and lived to 86. If anyone has ideas about weight loss I’m always grateful. I went to slimming world and followed a strict regime and didn’t lose a lb in the end the facilitator didn’t really want me there. I’m hoping with testosterone that when the heat dies down I can exercise even more. Something has to work. But accusing overweight people of being greedy and lazy is cruel when maybe it’s caused by child neglect , abuse, depression, alcoholic parents, genetics, family patterns. Who’s perfect ? Rant over.

Having been prone to be chubby up til 2000 - a series of major shocks did something to up my metabolic rate and it has stuck there. Now I have to be sure to eat plenty. So I know it is not as simple as just what you eat. But the mix of nutrients and their quality along with ones activity level obviously affect health. And it is health rather than weight we need to focus on. We have far too much focus on appearance only today, from make up and fashion for children as well as the frank fattism of the media. We should be working for a society where it is possible to be healthy - the happy will follow.

Well sad Nanoftwo.
I am overweight and unhappy with it, but this last year i have gone through a lot of family problems and still going through health issues.
I have a problem which usually makes you lose weight but in my case it makes my body think i am starving it so it makes more fat.
I have to be very careful what i eat all the time and most of my food is boring.
My sister on the other hand is as skinny as a rake because she is an alcoholic.
Never judge a book by its cover.

Umm fat shaming. The operative word is SHAME. Another "helpful" comment. Just proves my point, there are a lot worse things to be than fat, you could be thick.

Ah, the concentration camp has reared its ugly head.

With regard to hypothyroid pts it's quite simple. They would have died.

People die of UAT unless they are medicated so they would have been long gone.

The problem with hypothyroidism is there is a percentage of woman who can't lose weight due to the fact they are not on the correct medication.

We only rx Levo here, T4. Some pts taking this can't convert and need a dose of T3. A trip to an endocrinologist will reveal this. They do a far more extensive blood panel. We only do TSH. We used to be able to rx T3 along with T4 but the price was exorbitant. So it went on the NHS ban list . They have now relented slightly but GPs don't necessarily send pts to endos. Pts tend to have to demand to be referred.

So for a few patients no amount of calorie watching, exercise etc etc will work.

However this is a tiny proportion of women and of course many obese people have got this way due to over eating and little exercise.

Nonnie- "did you see any fat people in concentration camps" All I can say to that is WOW how wrong and insensitive is that on so many levels.

It really makes my angry when people are judgemental about people's weight. Yes I am fat, neither sad or glad about it. I'm just me. Maybe I dont take care of myself as I should, maybe I over-indulge in something I shouldn't , maybe I am un-healthy but just because it shows in my appearance, slim people think they can comment on fat people's weight, more often than not to an audience. I am sure many slim people don't take care of themselves, they may over-indulge in something thats un-healthy for them, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, maybe they are un-healthy but their vice or weakmess can be hidden. I am aware of lots of slim people, paticularly ladies who are quite slim and proud to be slim but they are raging alcoholics who don't eat to keep slim and pop pills to stay slim. There are many reasons why people are fat, there are many reasons why people are alcoholics, there are many reasons why people are not perfect. I would say as long as you are happy with your own body, fat or slim, keep "helpful" unhelpful comments to yourself.

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My son who is overweight lived with us for a few months while working nearby. I discovered just how difficult it was to lose weight and was shocked at how little he ate.

There is a lot of food "cons" out there.

Those "baked" walkers.... about the same calories as regular walkers: the cals are just where fat was replaced by more carbs

"Skinny popcorn" : MORE calories than toffee popcorn. And 10 times less satisfying

And so on.

These diet cons make you fat.

People think wraps are "healthier" than sandwiches, but again, they are usually higher in calories.

Then there is diet clubs. I joined one of the most famous ones once (never again). The allowed foods were often heavily processed and not very nutritous. There was no emphasis at all on getting a good range of vitamins and minerals. The "talk" was all about how to work in treats and wine (daily!) And how to have cheat days to "treat" yourself, and where to find low calorie "treats" - totally unhealthy attitudes to food!. My goal weight was set at 1lb above underweight. When I objected saying that that was too low for me the leader accused me of wanting to cheat!

Please watch this and inwardly digest.

www.ted.com/talks/peter_attia_what_if_we_re_wrong_about_diabetes?language=en

You won't gain weight but you might be a little more sympathetic. I am genetically disposed to Diabetes, even the modest eaters with good exercise regimes don't escape. There is so much we don't yet understand about the body, the way it metabolises certain foods and the way we measure energy from our foods (Calories) is a very basic way of doing things.

Nasty goody thread op - what’s you motive or you just unhappy and get a little rise from being a sanctimonious Pratt?

Is that comment aimed at me, Tigertooth? because if it is, you've totally missed the point.

I was inviting people to comment on Michael Buerk's article. Did you bother to read it?

Eating has become a leisure activity.

And a reward
And a treat
And a consolation

I’m overweight, always have been. Dad was big, mum v slim. Brother very slim.
I went on to marry a slim man, we have 4 children, eldest has my thick hair and thick build - he’s always been a big lad, he controls his weight with sport ( Rugby - my legs?) but it is always an issue. Daughter raised on identical meals has always been tall and slim, son no 2 - chunky, puts on weight easily, son 3 - very tall and slim. It’s genetic if one has a tendency to hold too much weight, just like red hair, poor eyesight, full lips, diabetics, MS, high cheekbones etc.
Anyone who does not realise that the this is stupid and just enjoys thinking that they’ve done something wonderful by being slim - I know this, and my mother knows this as we’ve both raised children on the same meals, same exercise, but they are totally different shapes.
Obviously the comments saying that overweight people are greedy and have no self control are hurtful as well as ignorant.
Depression also has a hereditary link - would you tell a depressive to just pull themselves together and stop moping around?
Nasty goody thread op - what’s you motive or you just unhappy and get a little rise from being a sanctimonious Pratt?

FlexibleFriend me too, i use to run three times a week or do aerobics but since my arthritis has become more intense i am actually afraid to do anything other than walking incase i make it worse. I have put on nearly a stone in two years due to lack of real hard exercise.{sad}

I don't want to get in to the causes/reasons for overweight but I just want to say that my weight loss - pathetically it took me to the ripe old age of 74 to practice what I knew in my heart - has made such a positive change/improvement in my life that I had never even considered. I recommend it to everyone and I found it painless because I had a low weekly target loss over many months.

Diane has said it well

I think obesity is a disease and can be a part of the eating disorder spectrum. You cannot hide being obese while you can hide anorexia and bulimia, so sufferers are obvious. I was so angry when I read Buerk's comments. People don't know why a stranger is obese but they mostly judge them. There are so many factors involved. I am obese and struggle on a daily basis with this and, to be frank, would rather die than carry on with this struggle. I have a DNR on my medical notes. Writing this post has been so hard as I normally try and keep quiet about my struggles. Don't judge until you've walked in someone else's shoes. People need proper help which isn't available, not judgement or being condemned.

I think it is putting too many calories in your body. It is however, a complicated problem. If you look back at our tv shows in the 70's, most people were thin or normal weight. Portion sizes and availability of take out (USA!) no exercise, video games, smart phones, etc. has led to obesity or is a great contributing factor. When we were bored, our mothers would tell us to go play outside. And honestly, the world is not that much more dangerous. We just hear about it twenty four/seven. I had a sandwich, an apple and milk for lunch-in a brown bag! I am not trying to be an old grump because I love delicious treats and fast food. But they are treats! not just an everyday food choice. Moderation is key.

Food can be an addiction - just like booze, fags, drugs. Difference is if you are addicted to the later 3 you get help, support and understanding from NHS / society etc. If it is food - you just get fat shamed and guilt tripped.

Eating has become a leisure activity.
Food is everywhere you look. They are so many supermarkets, express stores, coffee shops fast food drive throughs. We tag eating onto lots of other things that we do. Eg a swim then go to the cafe. Meeting friends for coffee AND cake .
Taking children to the cinema where eating all the way through the film is the norm. Big bags of pick and mix, huge tubs of popcorn, large bags of sweets not to mention all the fizzy drinks . Then perhaps pizza afterwards.
No wonder we are overweight.
When I was a child I was slim and my mother was always trying to fatten me up. She wanted me to be a little Shirley Temple all chubby cheeks.
When I look at old photos I realise that I was a perfect weight for my height but I grew up with a complex that I was too skinny.
Now I am over weight !
My mother would be proud !

I too can easily get overweight and have thought a lot about what leads to my eating more than I need. I am now a healthy weight, but it took time to understand enough to get here - I've been a healthy weight now for over 9 years and expect to stay that way. I think it is important to think about the feelings and thoughts and habits which lead to overeating. If it were simple, none of us would be over weight, but food is so basic to our lives, and has so many meanings for us - and nowadays the world around us is full of advertisements, food, drinks, images, all of which promote the kind of eating which leads to being over weight. And if you are overweight or obese, you probably fear others are judging you as greedy, so you feel bad, so you turn to your habitual source of comfort - food. Then the whole cycle begins again - people need support and understanding to get out of this cycle and change. Yes, it is down to ourselves to change, but it is also possible and helpful for people to get appropriate support.

I remember my lovely mum thinking she was overweight at 10 stone. Dad probably weighed about the same. They didn't eat fast food and didn't drink alcohol. Mum walked everywhere as she didn't drive. Dad spent every spare minute working on our huge garden. Their lifestyle was spot on. I'm overweight, drive everywhere, eat takeaways a couple of times a week. My own fault I'm fat.

Hmm! I think obesity is a symptom of many things. We have the combination of a sedentary lifestyle, processed foods which we are preprogrammed usually to like, we don’t have to hunt and gather anymore....we can drive to the shop for our chocolate bar (or whatever).

For me the answer lies in moving more and having a good understanding of nutrition.m

I am overweight, I am losing weight though and I am doing it on 1900 cals a day, 10000 steps a day and working out three times a week,

I weigh daily so can see normal fluctuations too.

I focus on protein and fibre to the exclusion of the other macros .

As a result I no longer have a desire to binge eat.

I do Parkrun most Saturdays and have seen my times get faster .

I am 53 and the healthiest I’ve ever been.

I am still obese at the moment.

Dementia is a massive issue as we have an aging population.
Diabetes is a big issue and potentially a major public health issue.

But we live in an obesogenic environment which makes it harder.

Plus if you’re feeding a family.....

A pizza, frozen chips, garlic bread and a tub of ice cream is on offer at my local store this week for £6.

Buying fresh fruit, veg and meat and cooking from scratch comes in much higher.