Is obesity linked to class?

We do too Smoluski I find it so much nicer to eat (and chat) around the table. We tend to sit at the table for most meals although I must admit to an occasional tray night when my husband is working away !

I love it when the GC all have so much to tell you and they are all talking at once. We play a game where we go around the table and each person gets a chance to speak. My middle GD is by far the loudest chattiest (is there such a word?) and extends "her" time by pausing, taking a bite to eat and then coming back in with another round! I find they eat more that way too.

To be fair, she was talking primarily about children, although it's accepted that an overweight child is more likely to become an overweight adult. MPs and the like make their own lifestyle decisions.

When I was having my new kitchen built a couple of years ago, it all centred on the kitchen table, which is where everything meaningful seems to happen in my house. We sit round it for chats and visits, the kids play and bake there, I hear news about relationships and pregnancies, I do my sewing there, prepare meals, and we eat and drink tea there. There's more likelihood of families eating good, nourishing meals when they have a table to gravitate to, and having somewhere to cook from scratch without being separated from the family means we don't often have expensive takeaways or ready meals that contain too much hidden salt, sugar and saturated fats. Any family can have a table without having to find much money.

It's not as simple as being about class. Busy lifestyles, loneliness, greed, addictive fast food, TV/couch potato culture, sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise aren't confined to one class. What does this statement about class and obesity say about the House of Commons? There are plenty of obese MPs who enjoy fine dining and excessive expense account lunches.

We enjoy sitting at the table too gilly even long after the meal is cleared away.

I don't think Diana Abbott could ever be described as being poor SmoluskiA hypocrite maybe, but not poor.

My grandchildren love to site around the table for their meal when they are at my house, although I suspect they don't do that too often at home. I find it a great time for chatting and catching up on everyone's day too.

Well looking at the shadow health minister Diane Abbott is she one of the poor being referred too.
We have a dining table which I consider an important part of family life,and we despite being on benefits eat fresh fruit and veg,and meat and not junk,despite my best efforts E at 5ft 4 weighs 14st I am a normal size ,so is OH and son,we don't eat cakes and biscuits,and sweets are occasional treats,we don't eat fast food or takeaways as they are too expensive,we cook from scratch and watch what we eat.

No she absolutely shouldn't Mishap.

"Carb laden" food is much easier to fill up on and quite cheap too but to suggest that "you can spot poor people because they are the fat ones" is outrageous.

More to the point....should this lady be saying such things?!

Fatty, carb-laden food is cheaper so it must be a temptation if money is tight. I do not know of the research into her contention.