Michael Buerk. Is obesity a disease?

minnie yes, you are behaving arrogantly, especially about the Holocaust, because you say I was wrong but refuse to tell me what is wrong with saying those people lost weight because they were starved. It takes a kind person to explain rather than attack.

You said it hadn't popped up on active which was factually incorrect. If you had said it hadn't popped up on your phone that would have been a different matter.

You are not alone in refusing to admit when you are wrong and thinking that attacking the person you have wronged will make them look bad instead of you. If that is your way so be it. I always apologise when I have inadvertently made a mistake. Perhaps it was not inadvertent?

You can continue to twist what I say and attack me, that is your prerogative but please do not expect me to sit back and let you.

For God's sake, those poor souls who came out alive do not need to be compared to us.

It is totally not right.

Witzend-your post made me laugh. I worked with an overweight chap who used to say how little he ate. In his bottom desk drawer he kept slabs of fruit cake and cheese and we were all amused to see him bending down and coming up, cheeks bulging, chewing! Bet he didn’t tell his doc about going for a pint-or two-every day after work either!
On Sunday was talking to (well listening to!) an overweight lady reciting her latest health problems-she “enjoys poor health”-while she was steadily munching on Bourbons! She was obviously in complete denial about the link between her problems and her health.

Obesity is not a "disease". Obesity is a fast way to develop many diseases. Obesity is (in 90% of cases) a lifestyle choice. Obesity costs the NHS billions of £ annually. Obesity is responsible for multiple quack remedies, thousands of useless articles in magazines, pointless conversations and thousands of back injuries for healthcare staff.

We have had threads on the forum encouraging people to attend breast screening clinics etc. Yet obesity is now the second biggest preventable cause of cancer - and we are not supposed to tell people they are too fat because it might hurt their feelings.

Will now duck behind sofa.

@wildswan.

I agree with most of what you say; however I am coming round to the thinking that obestity IS a disease in itself (or becomes a disease in itself due to overeating) and closely linked to other disorders such as diabetes.

I don't think anyone can deny that obesity is caused by overeating with other sociological/ lifestyle/perhaps medical issues factored in.

Around 80% of people with T2 diabetes are overweight.

To be overweight, you only need a BMI of 25+.

To be obese, you need a BMI of 30+.

That's not particularly heavy. I bet most of us on this thread have BMIs of 25+, putting us into the "overweight" category at best.

Most of the people I know in my age group (particularly women) would probably be in the 30+ category, and in total denial about their weight as overweight has become so normalised.

We all need to wake up.

Less why are you comparing? I agree it is wrong which is why I haven't

I am obese, I have MS and cannot walk far, so am in a wheelchair most of the time when I go out.
I do not snack all day like a lot of you say, I cook fresh food almost everyday, and do not eat sweet food very often, maybe a dessert once or twice week.
Like they say you cannot see all disabilities, so maybe many of you are too quick to judge.

Gilles, I recommend smaller helpings and /or stop liking sugar.

Whoa, smaller helpings, who ever would have thought of that?

A lot of judgement on here. It's almost as if those who judge want to be able to feel superior.

I don't buy junk food or have it in the house. So much so, this is why my daughter learned to bake, because it was the only way she'd get cake or biscuits!

Dinner tonight was salmon with steamed asparagus. Homemade broccoli soup to start,

But by all means have me down as a cheese and chocolate (don't like them) chomping hog.

I'm fat, not weak. I escaped a violent marriage. Put myself thru uni as a single parent. Earned and paid my MA by working 3 jobs, including a night job as a single parent. Have taught in HARD inner city schools as well as living and working, as a single woman on 3 continents. Definitely NOT weak.

I feel inferior to you Gagalo. Truly . Nonetheless I cannot help having opinions and I do have a little experience too.

What has an MA to do with being overweight? Whatever overweight is anyway?

Lessismore

Key word being weak.

Dear me, that's terrible.
What about changing body shape and size?
Thin person, admirable, strong willed.
Larger person, weak, lazy.

Alexa I do not have sugar, and my helpings are not large, I do not have MA ?
I have Multiple Sclerosis, and this is why I cannot walk very well.
If this is how understanding people are on this site, I guess it is not for me.

IGilles, there are a lot of very judgemental people here. But there are also a lot of nice people.

Sorry about your lack of MA. I have bronze lifesaving, Grade 6 piano and CSE Maths grade 4.
I am also a bit fat.

As a person who is not overweight I would say that people who happen to be thin are all too ready to take credit for it. They'll say (smugly) that it's due to their active, healthy lifestyle and their self-control with food. Victim-blaming is so very easy, isn't it?

My chubby friend is appalled at my food intake and self-indulgent consumption of sweet snacks and chocolate. I do feel sorry for her. Life just isn't fair!

Lovely honesty Hetty. My bloke too. Scrawny rather than slim. Eats his head off. Loves biscuits and chocolate, not to mention pastries for breakfast (yuk!).

My very slim friend gets my goat too. There's me suffering over a slimline tonic and she appears to be able to eat anything....

....however on looking more closely at her habits, she never snacks, has small portions of healthy food, and walks miles. She has the odd beer or piece of cake, but these are treats, not part of her normal day.

Oldgimmer, there is your answer.

Slimline? It helps to make you fat.

I got to over a stone overweight. Nothing fitted me, but I love my food. I was fat shamed, won't go into it, but now glad I was. Lost 11lbs and it was almost painful, reduced portions, no chocolate, cakes etc, my comfort food. I want to lose another 1/2 stone to get to a weight where I can wear what I want. I would love to eat what I want, but it looks awful waddling, bad for my health, risk of diabetics etc. I have done this before, got lazy and piled it on quicker than I lost it. My responsibility.

Does one stone make you waddle?

I do agree, it's the cake and so on that causes the problems, that and the plonk.

Stop liking sugar

Alexa that simple eh?