Michael Buerk. Is obesity a disease?

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I wonder why people come onto a thread like this if they are overweight and happy about it?

There are lots of things in life I am happy to be given information about, if it is given in an appropriate way. I don't know everything. In the last few weeks I have been given suggestions about exercises to help my hip and supplements for other things. I am grateful for this information. Why object if someone is being kind?

Hetty, quite right.

I think it's bad manners and/or attention seeking behaviour to obsess about your own body shape at the dinner table. It's not the odd meal out or Christmas dinner that will make a difference anyway!

MOnica particularly after a couple of E's

There is no such thing as 'good' and 'bad' foods, only good and bad eating patterns. Chocolate, cakes, cream, sugar, fry-ups are perfectly 'good' foods when they form part of a balanced diet. Eat anything in excess and it will almost definitely do you harm.

People have died of drinking too much water.

Nice one Hetty!

Refreshing attitude Hetty58. Mind your own business and let me enjoy my coronary in peace.

I'm fed up with the constant obsession with 'good' and 'bad' food from some friends and family. They just have to comment (as if to remind a total blithering idiot that biscuits are, in fact, bad), tell you the vitamin and mineral status of the broccoli you are munching, then pass judgement on how balanced your, their everyone's meal is.

Excuse me but - 'I'm just trying to enjoy my dinner here!' I don't want my guests cross-examining me about cooking ingredients, whining about their weight and waistlines, accepting dessert anyway then stressing with guilt about having consumed it! Yes it contains sugar. You wouldn't like it without. Next time just have an apple instead!

I even had this rubbish to put up with on Christmas day. I got my niece to 'help me get more wine' and told her to shut up (or similar words to that effect).

No, I'm not twisting anything. What I am saying is personal. After a life time of dieting, which has had no success whatsoever, I am not prepared to punish my self any longer.

I look for other solutions.

I am very interested in the language women use about their bodies and weight, hence I highlighted the word " counteracted". The idea that enjoyment of so called naughty food must be followed up with some sort of self admonishment.

There are a lot of fascinating articles and books on this subject.

gaga " fake concern thinly covering judgement from non experts is quite another." have you seen that on here?

Less twisting it again! What is wrong with you? I'm not punishing myself, just being sensible and caring about my health. Are you suggesting I should indulge my body and not care about my health? Really? Beggars belief.

counteract that enjoyment

I don't want to use my body as some sort of punishment for enjoying myself.

I think 'we' should all acknowledge that people are individuals, and that one persons experience is not universal.

Medical professional advice is one thing. But fake concern thinly covering judgement from non experts is quite another.

I agree Barmy Jeanie* we all have a choice, but I think we should acknowledge that it is a choice and not make excuses for something we could deal with if we really wanted to.

I ate rubbish at a picnic yesterday, no regrets but will be very careful this week to counteract that enjoyment.

Just weighed myself and I have put on nearly 3lb in the last week or so. Now I will go on a very strict diet and lose those 3lbs. I have had health problems associated with being slightly overweight in the past, lost the weight, lost the health problem, so I now keep a check on my weight.

I not saying this is for everyone as Jeanie99 pointed out in her very good post, we all have different reasons for weight gain and it up to each person to cope with it.

It's like most things in life it's not black and white why people are overweight or slim.
I'm sure there are many people who take medication which increases their weight.
Certain illnesses I'm sure add weight to a persons body.
People over or undereat.
People eat the wrong foods.
With groups of people it could be the eating style of that family, the types of food they eat whether they are slim or overweight.
A chemical reaction in the brain tells you when you are hungry, with certain people this clicks in early some it doesn't. All making the difference between a few extra pounds and no weight increase.
My opinion is
For the people who have control over the weight they are it is up to them if they want the extra pounds to carrying around or are slim.
I don't think anyone as the right to say you should be a certain weight, the decision is theirs and acceptance of any health problem associated with it.
Being underweight whether because of medication or by under eating can be health threatening.
I wouldn't want to be overweight mainly because it would restrict me doing the things I love to do.
We're all human we like to enjoy our food but know there are foods we should avoid BUT life can be short so eat in moderation but occasionally have that thing you love.

Alexa first let me apologise for missing off the a before. I think there is a slight difference between advice and opinion, its in the way it is written. I do think that if you come on a thread like this you have to expect a variety of opinions and respect them rather than complain about the ones you don't like.

River well done! I know how hard it is but it is worth sticking to it because you feel so much better and it does help mobility if we stop carrying around the extra bag of spuds all the time.

I do think though that as you have a 'serious medical condition' and have still managed to lose the weight, you are an example of what needs to be done for the sake of better health. I know what that is like. I don't know what it is like to have 'serious mobility issues' but it is common sense that if you are carrying extra weight it is going to make mobility harder. Also if you are not getting any exercise it is common sense that you need less food. I have a knee issue, not serious, but am pretty sure that if I lost more weight it would be easier.

Nonni, as you say, you can post your opinion as you wish. As can I. Go ahead and judge whoever you like (including your friend, it seems) but don't expect apologies when your 'opinion' is challenged. You can't have your cake and eat it.

If you think time 'in post' gives you the right to be rude unchallenged, I'm afraid life isnt like that.

Nonnie, in real life I don't advise anyone or comment about weight or other health matters unless they ask me.

On an internet forum it's okay to have an opinion and say what it is. I agree with you it's helpful to get advice from people who are interested in losing weight. Everybody can scroll down whenever they are not interested.

I didn't say the bitching was on this forum or on this thread.

Each to their own. Being thin does not denote strength of character in my very humble opinion.

Here is a nice quote for anybody who cares.

“what I saw as the negative effect on women’s minds of such mundane “tracking” activities as calorie counting, I had sensed that the reason so many tasks women are expected to do in society involve this kind of thinking (e.g. scanning, list making, judging themselves critically, “measuring up”) had something to do with the suppressive effect this kind of thinking has on other, bolder kinds of intellectual or emotional leaps.”
― Naomi Wolf, Vagina: Revised and Updated

Like many people on this thread and elsewhere on GN I'm a life-long dieter. Usual story - lose weight, gain it back, different diets and so on, over the decades. Genetically I'm a short apple, as is my sister and as was my mother and grandmother, and have hypothyroidism.

I'm currently slim, after hard-core dieting for the past five or so months. It's been such hard bloody work - a few meals out and you gain 3 pounds, then those 3 pounds take weeks to get off.

Now I have two choices, to stay as I am by sticking to a reasonable diet, or letting it creep back up which, as we all know, is so easy to do. Apart from serious mobility issues & those few people who have an underlying medical condition, anyone can lose weight if you stick to the diet! We all know it.

Keeping it off is a different matter.

Alex there is a difference though, it is unlikely that the broken leg was caused by the person who has it. True about the social stigma but should we just pat people on the head and say it is fine to be overweight or obese? Social stigma seems to have contributed to people stopping smoking. I think it is helpful that those with this issue hear what they can do about it if they want to change. If not, that is of course, up to them but it seems silly to accuse those who are not fat of being 'bitchy' when they are simply stating their opinion. I cannot imagine being happy about being very overweight if I knew it was bad for my health.

Less I don't think I have seen any "sanctimonious bitching from skinny women though." Examples please? I have seen a lot of advice and opinions but any 'bitching' seems to have come from people who are not skinny.

No it doesn't at all. Many people are entirely happy with their image. Probably better if they avoid sanctimonious bitching from skinny women though.

Lessismore wrote:"A broken leg is a medical injury, which doesn't usually lead to inappropriate and uneccessary self loathing."

True and that makes obesity one of the several symptoms or conditions that are unhealthy and also carry unwanted body image and social stigma.