Michael Buerk. Is obesity a disease?

Chips are only on the menu once a week in the schools I work in and the portions are not massive. Fishy Friday is always popular!

Minniemoo thank you for the link. My next task will be to convince the doctor that I weigh too much! They always say 'Oh no, you're fine, don't worry about it,' when in fact I'm uncomfortable and want to lose weight.

I do not believe the really obese people got that way by eating too much, or by eating the wrong foods. I'm no expert but I believe there is some other underlying cause that makes them that way. Either genetic, or something else.

It has been proved that genes do play a part:

On a very simple level, your weight depends on the number of calories you consume, how many of those calories you store, and how many you burn up. But each of these factors is influenced by a combination of genes and environment. Both can affect your physiology (such as how fast you burn calories) as well as your behaviour (the types of foods you choose to eat, for instance). The interplay between all these factors begins at the moment of your conception and continues throughout your life.

Harvard Medical School

I think for a lot of people it's "creep"

Gradual weight gain.... "life happening" which makes people think its a bad time to change habits.. and often people dont realise how much theyve gained until they see an unflattering picture etc

Its never a "good time" to get healthy there are always excuses: babies, new jobs, house moves, emotional times etc

I think a lot of people just put their health on the long finger and it acumulates and acumulates.

Having been at the cinema last night with 7year old GD I think a hard Brexit will do us some good given the scares about food shortages. I was quite taken aback by the amount of food people were bringing in to the theatre , even a lad of about 5 seemed to just eat for the whole 2 hours. Is obesity an illness, No, it's a great marketing exercise.

Portions are so big these days too, I like my food and dont bird-eat but often one adult meal is enough to share between two!

Even coffees are huge!

I agree with you about portion sizes, notanan2. If l am eating out l will often have a smaller portion when available. I recently returned from the USA and Canada and portion sizes there are incredible. I wanted a small ice cream and could not believe the amount l was given. I find too much on a plate is really off-putting.

Generally portion size has increased. I find large portions put me off eating out these days. I know you can leave it but it spoils the experience for me. ( I hate waste). My MIL used to say this and I never understood until now. It really spoils my appetite. Unfortunately many people can and do eat the lot!

I can't exercise as much as I did. I use a mobility scooter because my heart lacks stamina to keep me upright for long.

Therefore I need to eat less. I just ate a Crunchy bar after two slices of cheese toast and I'll have to either make excuses for myself or eat nothing for the rest of the day., or both.

Thats the thing! I hate waste, so if I underestimate what the portion size will be and order a meal that is too big, I feel that I HAVE to eat it!

I think a lot of people are similarly minded so keep eating beyond the point where it is satisfying and enjoyable.

It makes eating out less enjoyable. I think that is why I enjoy sushi and tapas. You can just keep ordering until youre full then stop!

Some people unlearn what hungry and full feel like.

Or the difference between hunger and thirst/boredom/anxiety

I agree about portion size. They are often so big now. Some starters are as large as a main course and you may not know this until you've already ordered.

If you're of a certain age, too, you'll have been raised not to leave anything on your plate and it's really, really hard to throw off that habit.

My daughter is 5 foot 8 inches tall ,up until 5 years ago she was a healthy size 12 .Then she got ill,was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia,Hyper joint mobility syndrom,polysystic ovaries chostrochondritis and other things...she's now a size 20 -22 maybe bigger.She cant move because her joints pop out, she has chronic pain head to foot, she's exhausted all the time .She spends much of her time in bed.On the odd good day she manages to drive the 15 miles to her nearest town with her girls she gets tutted at and verbal abuse.She takes 22 pills a day plus morphine on really bad days .

Believe me her weight gain isn't through eating too much ,its mainly caused by the medication and her lack of mobility .Please stop being judgemental about young women who weigh more than YOU think they should.She would love to get back to a size 12 and be able to have her life back and run her business again .Sadly its not her call .

A lot of overweight people are foodaholics - same syndrome as alcoholics - can't just have one biscuit, binge etc. Also many people associate food with affection, so when unhappy, eat. Or when happy eat anyway!

How do I know all this? Not a mystery. Glad to say after a lifetime of diets and ups and downs I am currently at a good weight, a recovering foodaholic who goes to a meeting once week, WW, as it's now called.

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I had this discussion with a group of women not long ago, some of whom assumed the overweight women they'd seen using mobility scooters deserved no sympathy.

I was rather taken aback that only a few said there are illnesses which make normal mobility difficult and weight gain can be a result. There are also drugs that people have to take every day (I am one of them) which cause weight gain.

My weight has increased considerably since I was healthy and at work. I do not stuff my face, I am as active as I can be although retirement has meant I can indulge in sedentary pastimes like reading, writing and art-based activities, which doesn't help. I clean the house, walk, swim when I feel up to it, cook healthy meals and enjoy sight-seeing rather than lounge-around beach holidays. Most of our day trips out involve walking around. I do what I can. I value my mobility.

However, I am now overweight. I am far from being a couch potato though and I don't eat sweets, crisps, pastry or junk food. I eat cake occasionally, when out with friends, drink wine and G&T but not every day and in moderation when I do.

I have stopped trying to justify my weight gain to those who imagine all who are overweight are greedy, ignorant slobs who have brought it on themselves. It wasn't so long ago I ran, played tennis, enjoyed hill-climbing and I have even had a go at orienteering, abseiling, and kayaking when younger and fitter.

Don't be too quick to judge.

I hear you, Day6.

It is sad to know that people are convinced that overweight people have brought it on themselves.

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned much is mental health. Weight gain can be common in depression. Do we have any sympathy for that sort of weight gain or not?

You are what you eat.

If only it was that simple blue 60

If you are what you consume, then that would include medication too, some of which can cause weight gain or odoema.

Sadly it can be a Catch 22 situation, paddyann.

I am obese.
I'm 4 foot 11 inches (I shrunk an inch due to bone density loss) and I've struggled with my weight for decades.

However, to conclude that I eat rubbish is simply not true. My diet is predominantly healthy and veg based with some white meat and fish. I eat plenty of wholegrains and mostly cook from scratch. We limit processed foods. So why am I obese?

Good question. We do eat out quite a bit, or go away, and during that time we drink wine with meals and eat desserts and cake. I think my portion sizes are too large overall and I eat too fast (causing me to eat beyond when i know I'm full). I sometimes comfort-eat.
I did lose a lot of weight with Slimming World online, just by limiting some foods and increasing the veg. The weight has increased recently and I'm struggling, but I am not a lazy feckless individual who noshes burgers and fries (I loathe them) and I don't drink colas and sugary drinks.

I'd love to lose more weight for my health and I'm trying hard, but don't always make good choices when we're out and I think that is a big problem for me.

Thanks for that feedback notanan2! I’ve downloaded the app. Will try it!