Obesity linked to poverty

Im not denying that theres an obesity problem but I have two points to make
1) its not true that there were No obese children in the -1950s - I was at school with two very obese siblings, much bigger that any children than Ive seen at my GCs schools (where I've hardly seen any who are overweight )
2. Its also not true tgat all obese people are poor and eat junk food - I know several who are middle class and eat healthily. I also know skinny people who eat much the same. Some of it is down to metabolism.
I realise this is circumstantial evidence and not statistically valid but they are my personal observations.

If you're prepared for a long read, try this:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287937/07-1184x-tackling-obesities-future-choices-report.pdf

It was written in 2007, but unfortunately almost nothing has been done. Now could be the perfect time to get a grip because people are going to have to change their lifestyles anyway.

I live in a town with a sizeable minority of families on benefits. Can’t recall where I saw the figures now. I see grossly overweight families buying cheap fizzy drinks and cheap garbage food lighting up their fags once outside the supermarket. Not judging - it’s what I see.

I think it’s a combination of lots of things, all of you have said things that are right. But I do despair of the food industry who over the years have been adding more sugar to things without us even noticing it, as it’s been gradual. So why don’t they start gradually cutting it all back out again in a manner that we won’t notice. Encourage kids to do more sport too, what happened to PE classes ? I was never in the house to eat when I was a kid we always played outside and only went in at meal times

MawB, I think she was being ironic.

Apparently, the technical term for places where there are few opportunities to access healthy foods are obesogenic environments.

This article is interesting:

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1287380340672204805.html

I have limited mobility at all times, so I've had to adjust my food intake. I have to eat regularly too or my sugar levels go haywire, but sometime all I eat is a single oatcake, which is enough to keep the metabolism going.

Apologies again.

I am going to walk hobble round the garden now it's stopped raining.

Callistemon

Sorry, I thought you were having a go at me and saying I was being nasty about others.
Apologies
It is noticeable though.

That is why I think there is a link. Fast foods are relatively cheap too .

No, I wasn't being nasty about you. I've just been reading an article about the relationship between accessibility of good supermarkets, the number of fast food outlets, etc. and the relationship with deprived areas. There are fewer good supermarkets and more fast food outlets in more deprived areas, where rates of obesity are higher.

MissAdventure

Exactly that.
If you're less mobile then adjust your intake.
Simple as that. Hope all are taking it onboard.

Foot injury so hobbling at the moment.

You do have to eat or your metabolism slows down.

Breakfast: yogurt and fruit
Lunch: a hard boiled egg or cottage cheese and salad, drizzle of olive oil
Dinner: protein, lots of veg and potato.

10 days later put on 1lb.

I suppose I could cut out the potato.

Exactly that.
If you're less mobile then adjust your intake.
Simple as that. Hope all are taking it onboard.

However, the simple answer if you're overweight is to eat less. It is actually more difficult for some people, because they have different metabolisms. There's ongoing research about insulin response, inflammatory response and the role of the liver, etc, but in the end, you have to eat less if you're overweight, even if it means you sometimes feel hungry.

Sorry, I thought you were having a go at me and saying I was being nasty about others.
Apologies
It is noticeable though.

That is why I think there is a link. Fast foods are relatively cheap too .

Oh, nasty, growstuff!

I don't go looking either. But I don't walk round with my eyes shut either.

Callistemon

I still think there is more to it than simple over-eating or drinking.
There are overweight people around here and I am probably one of them, but we don't have fast food outlets here apart from popular fish and chip shops. It's not until I go to a town several miles away that I notice truly obese people, of all ages, and a lot of fast food outlets too.

I agree with you 100%. It's a shame few people have wanted to discuss that. Food is part of our culture and eating disorders (ie eating too much or too little) are a psychological issue.

Greciangirl So why are so many middle aged and older people obese, if they had such a good start in life?

I still think there is more to it than simple over-eating or drinking.
There are overweight people around here and I am probably one of them, but we don't have fast food outlets here apart from popular fish and chip shops. It's not until I go to a town several miles away that I notice truly obese people, of all ages, and a lot of fast food outlets too.

Greciangirl I'm extremely glad I never had cookery lessons at school. I spent the time learning subjects which I found more interesting and learnt how to cook by reading books.

I disagree that school should be about churning out girls with housewife skills.

Callistemon's post ... "I think it's all ages near here.

I know someone who still loves bread and dripping, he's still very thin.

It's not plain home-cooked food - it's the hidden ingredients in junk food.
I think more people drink at home too; we never had wine at home when I was young and it was never sold in supermarkets.

Asians have always tended to be slim but, since the introduction of Western junk food chains, there is more of a weight problem in some countries now and rising diabetes."

To be honest, I don't really go around looking. I prefer to rely on the official statistics. The fact is that over 65s are the fattest group and I can't understand why people are in denial.

Actually, I do understand because that's how so many threads end up. I've just been following something similar on Twitter. It's no wonder that people won't look in a mirror and do something about themselves, when they can be nasty about "others".

I would suggest that the domestic science lessons were wasted, because older people have the highest in incidence of overweight.

Bring back proper cookery lessons in schools.

If children are not encouraged to cook at home, they need to get the habit and the knowledge to do it at school, maybe.

When I was at school, it was called domestic science, and we had to cook proper meals.
Nowadays I’m not sure what they do. But proper nutritional education is needed. Of course, parents are to blame for buying and dishing up unhealthy food.
Children nowadays are so picky and fussy and generally spoilt.
The number of obese people one sees shopping in supermarkets never ceases to amaze me.
Too much choice and availability.

Good for you! You obviously need to replace your specs.

Growstuff I've been all over the UK, I'm out and about all the time in my caravan usually once a month so visit lots of different places and I can only comment on what I have seen.

growstuff

Firecracker123

My observation is that it is young women who are mostly overweight/ obese, teenage boys and young men are mostly slim with legs like drainpipes in skinny jeans whereas some of the teenage girls and young women have legs that can only be described as tree trunks. I think it's becoming the norm and instead of dressing to disguise their bad points ie legs bums and bellies they seem to wear clingy clothes oblivious to what they look like lol.

They don't look like that where I live. Have you tried a trip to Barnard Castle recently?

PS. It's the middle aged and older people who are the fatties, so maybe bread and dripping and home made puds with mothers who spent their time being good housewives didn't do that much good.

I think it's all ages near here.

I know someone who still loves bread and dripping, he's still very thin.

It's not plain home-cooked food - it's the hidden ingredients in junk food.
I think more people drink at home too; we never had wine at home when I was young and it was never sold in supermarkets.

Asians have always tended to be slim but, since the introduction of Western junk food chains, there is more of a weight problem in some countries now and rising diabetes.