Is obesity linked to class?

I don't know about obesity, but poor health in general does seem class linked statistically . I was watching a doctor yesterday - I think he was in Portsmouth - talking about a massive problem, with the poorest people dying 10 years earlier than the wealthiest and suffering much more from obesity, diabetes, liver disease and smoking related illnesses.

nanaej you have reminded me of one of our family jokes - when my DS was about 14, his food technology end of year report said 'Edward must improve his pastry skills' - we are still pulling his leg at every opportunity.

I remember the kids all spent about 8 weeks making pizzas - apparently the 'process' was important. The point of it was more than I could work out and I agree with you that the basics of nutrition and how to apply them to everyday living would be of far more benefit.

Perhaps the disappearance of domestic science from the curriculum has contributed to this! As far as I understand there is less of a focus on teaching students how to produce cheap, nutritious meals and more on the theory of a healthy diet! I know it was mostly the less academic girls in my school that 'did' Dom Sci but all of us, regardless of our ability had to learn a dozen basic recipes, how to use an iron and to clean a room properly!

By this point it was time to choose our options for GCE..but we had the basics to be good wives!

A similar version of this story was also published in the Telegraph.

I think the Daily Mail is using sensationalist tactics in their headline. This minister appears to have been trying to draw attention to the dangers of junk food and TV dinners, specially among poorer people. In the body of the article it says "Government figures published last month showed that 24.3 per cent of the most deprived 11-year-olds in England were obese, compared with 13.7 per cent of children from the wealthiest homes."

Of course lots of rich people are overweight and lots of poor people are slim, but from the statistics it would appear that the children of poor people are more likely to be fat.I think it would be good if we could discuss this problem without talking about class, which is a very emotive word. The minister is talking about a real problem and we don't help to improve things if we just shoot the messenger!

gillybob you and me both

Or worse still..... Bloody Big Woman

Yes the big bones are my excuse, pity about the wobbly bits that cling to them though Bags

Well big bones will make you big too, gillybob . BBBW = big-bones and beautiful woman. There. No prob.

I hope you are right Bags I was thinking Big Boned Woman

It's amazing how many stories there are of separated twins who meet up years later and have lived parallel lives and still look identical [I mean apart from the obvious facial features].

I think its genetic. this week in or local paper there was a story of an American who thought she may have a half sister living in our town.

There was a photo of a little girl taken in 1960.
Sure enough this little girl lived near and has since got in touch with her half sister. The father was a soldier stationed in the neighbourhood at that time-
Well both women are in their 50s and both so fat they have double chins! Actually asked about their feelings both thought their new found sister 'absolutely lovely'
If you are poor its not so easy when you are fat to look good in cheap clothes and long straggly hair doesn't help either.

Does SBW count? I am extremely refained but 2 stone overweight.
Don't like the word class, maybe socio-economic group is more accurate, but looking around Milton Keynes, there would indeed seem to be a correlation as JessM says.
In the "olden days" it was considered good to look well-upholstered as it showed you could afford good food - alas that no longer seems to be the case. As child, I can remember the difference between some of the kids in my class at primary school who came from very poor homes and they were generally undersized and underweight.

You called Bags?

BBW = Big Beautiful Woman.

I think

Surely it's about knowledge of nutrition and cooking and nothing whatsoever to do with class. What an emotive statement. Remember Jamie Oliver trying to change school meals and the woman feeding her child through the railings? I don't know what class she was but she was certainly uninformed. (careful use of adjective)

VQ I don't think people's class can change overnight, can it? It is not related simply to income but to occupation, values and aspiration.
In the case of retired people, it's their former job or profession which counts, so really you are still middle-class as well as being the same person

As far as the minister is concerned, a pity her basic message (ie that childhood obesity is a problem and that families who don't eat together miss out) was spoiled by such a gaffe. I'd never heard of her either and we probably won't hear of her again.

Not sure what BBW means vampirequeen? I agree people are bigger/heavier for all kinds of reasons and often there is a genetic link too.

Obesity is certainly linked to poverty - it's the word 'class' which we don't like.

If you see a group of tubby children/teenagers they are highly unlikely to be middle class.

The Daily Mail has probably misinterpreted her words.

I've never heard of her by the way, and I'm not sure if she was expressing sympathy for these children, or disdain for their parents.

What a ridiculous thing to say? My social class changed overnight but I'm still the same person. I cook everything from fresh, eat fruit and veg, only have the occassional treat and am a BBW. When I was in a middle class occupation it was put down to ME causing metabolic problems. Now I'm lower class it must be poor diet and self indulgence.

If you look at younger women it certainly seems to be the case that obesity is much more common among the lower socioeconomic groups. And smoking.

That does sound lovely Smoluski. My eldest grandaughter (6) loves it when I put everything in serving dishes so they can help themselves. I think they end up eating more that way.

Mind you my 3 are all very lean and it put it down to the amount of exercise they have. As my grandma says "they can't keep still long enough to get fat!"

E always starts chatting as soon as we sit down her first words are always "and how has your day been" even if we have been together all day doing stuff together,I love doing a tray bake which is a load of roasted veg ie peppers mushrooms garlic tomatoes courgettes sweet potatoes sort of things and choppin mackerel and salmon and chicken and such like in a huge tray and putting in the table with 3 forks and we all dive in and chat at the same time..lovely

Barrow My DH works away and/or very late sometimes, when I have to admit to eating with a tray on my lap. You are right though you definitely don't enjoy the food as much and I often have indigestion as a result. Likewise eating my lunch at my desk at work!

Finished dinner one day. I told DD she could leave the table. She said: "I'm not leaving the table until we've had an interesting conversation." She was about eight or nine at the time. Nice to know she enjoys post-prandial conversation

One of the things I miss is sitting at the dinner table discussing the days events with my DH. However, a lot of people sit in front of the TV with a tray on their lap, not noticing or tasting what they are eating. Although now on my own I always sit at a table to eat my meals - I can't imagine sitting with a tray on your lap does very much for the digestion!