Are you overweight? Check the facts and you could win €100

Darragh

Folks

I've split this thread in two - there's now a thread for discussing the science, the food pyramid and all the other important matters you've raised - that's at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056307124.

This one should be kept to people's reactions about the video for the competition we're running. It will just help us in keeping the conversation cohesive and informative for newcomers to this forum as well as the regulars.

Thanks

Darragh

angel01

Noone wants to be overweight but some people end up that way for several reasons, eating can be a comfort and sometimes you get past a point and it seems impossible to admit that you have to do something. For a lot of people, the idea of joining a Gym is very offputting and can be embarrassing and the fear of being judged.

I think if people want to lose weight, it should not be for anyone else but for them and also for the right reasons.

Some of the slimming clubs out there (in my opinion) abuse their position, they bring out these low fat foods and pre packed meals that are no better for you than a lot of other foods on the market and price them highly and sell them on the basis of "if you eat this, you will lose weight". It isn't that simple. Losing weight is about losing it at a correct pace and with the right amount of diet and exercise.

To me, it should be a lifestyle change rather than calling it a diet.

TommyKnocker

Darragh wrote: »

Folks

I've split this thread in two - there's now a thread for discussing the science, the food pyramid and all the other important matters you've raised - that's at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056307124.

This one should be kept to people's reactions about the video for the competition we're running. It will just help us in keeping the conversation cohesive and informative for newcomers to this forum as well as the regulars.

Thanks

Darragh

Hi Darragh

While as the communications Manager for Boards.ie you are entitled to moderate threads as you see fit and I respect your decision, it would be my opinion that the decision to split this thread to remove the debate pertaining to the food pyramid was a bad decision.

The OP contained 2 videos from the campaign from Safe Food with regard to the rise in weight issues within the Irish population. The second video invited viewers to log on to the Safe Food web site for "more to do"

When you log on to their site you find that the advice being given is based on the Food Pyramid, a fact confirmed by the safe food reps on this thread.

It has been shown by scientific research that the food pyramid is actually not the best advice to follow to combat weight issues for the majority of people. Further more looking at the weight related issues in the countries that advocate the use food pyramid, which has beeen around now for 20+ years, shows that it doesn't work. Nobody who posted on this thread engaged in bashing the food pryamid just for fun. Links to research papers were provided by a number of posters on this thread showing the latest research.

So as Safe Food are advising that folks follow this outdated information to help control their weight, it would be my opinion that discussing "the science, the food pyramid and all that other important stuff" is legitimate feedback and should be allowed on the thread, though I will accept that it may not be feedback that Safe Food want to hear or deal with.

However if Safe Food have a problem with the feedback they received, then maybe they should have stipulated that the competition was only open to advocates of the food pyramid or those who provided positive feed back.

Tirabaralla

cailin_donn wrote: »

Hi Dermot,

I remember first seeing this ad on telly one night and it's very effective. I actually felt a bit sick. It guilted me into going for a walk, so I do think it's a great ad and it's about time awareness was raised for weight issues in Ireland, I've been to Australia before and there's not half as many obese people there as over here. They have a much healthier lifestyle and attitude, my relations over there get up early to go to the gym, i don't know any Irish person (myself included) who's that committed!

...

I find this slightly disturbing...I don't want to know the mass effect on 13/14 yo girls...

And about Australia: Australia is the 21st "fatter" country in the whole WORLD, Ireland the 103rd... and they have a major obesity problem, just saying.

Darragh

TommyKnocker wrote: »

Hi Darragh

While as the communications Manager for Boards.ie you are entitled to moderate threads as you see fit and I respect your decision, it would be my opinion that the decision to split this thread to remove the debate pertaining to the food pyramid was a bad decision.

The OP contained 2 videos from the campaign from Safe Food with regard to the rise in weight issues within the Irish population. The second video invited viewers to log on to the Safe Food web site for "more to do"

When you log on to their site you find that the advice being given is based on the Food Pyramid, a fact confirmed by the safe food reps on this thread.

It has been shown by scientific research that the food pyramid is actually not the best advice to follow to combat weight issues for the majority of people. Further more looking at the weight related issues in the countries that advocate the use food pyramid, which has beeen around now for 20+ years, shows that it doesn't work. Nobody who posted on this thread engaged in bashing the food pryamid just for fun. Links to research papers were provided by a number of posters on this thread showing the latest research.

So as Safe Food are advising that folks follow this outdated information to help control their weight, it would be my opinion that discussing "the science, the food pyramid and all that other important stuff" is legitimate feedback and should be allowed on the thread, though I will accept that it may not be feedback that Safe Food want to hear or deal with.

However if Safe Food have a problem with the feedback they received, then maybe they should have stipulated that the competition was only open to advocates of the food pyramid or those who provided positive feed back.

Okay, I understand and accept that but I do think the conversation about the Food Pyramid issue (and it seems to be just that issue)_was dominating the thread and suddenly that was all people were talking about - that's why I split the thread to be a dedicated one.

There is no effort on behalf of ourselves or safefood to have this thread only for people saying positive things, and I'm actually (perhaps unfairly) a bit insulted to have it thought we'd do that. What people in this thread and forum need to accept is that they're probably more "up on" topics like this than the average person - be that better read, better educated, better researched or whatever. That's very daunting and formidable and I would respectfully argue that a thread like this one, which is meant to be an introduction and awareness for the campaign is not the place for that argument. It is, for me, like saying "Sugar is bad for your teeth" - discuss. Well yes it is, but it's also necessary in your diet, etc. Perhaps a bad example, but still...

The other thing is - imagine you were on the receiving end of all those comments on your first venture into Boards.ie?

One of the most important things about this thread for me is this quote from El_Dangeroso

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Dermot, I never imagined I'd get to speak with government nutrition authorities on boards!

and that's what I'm trying to do here. There's no effort at censorship - I haven't removed negative comments nor have safefood asked me to. I just think there's a clear distinction between what this thread originally set out to do and what the other discussion was becoming.

safefood know - and definitely know after this thread - that they have an interested audience and they're getting a lot of feedback that they will have to go away with. We're working with them on it. It will take some time but both of us are willing to improve it so that we're all happy with it.

I hope that answered your question. I'm not trying to hide the other thread - it's there, it's linked in the first post and in the one above and now right here - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056307124 - it's just there's a time and a place for it!

Darragh

Doolee

I feel that the first video, shot in a more threatening, stalkerish, horror style would have more of an impact on the viewer than the second one. People need to be frightened into actually hearing the facts because they have not been listening, so its time for a new tactic.
The second video, though nicely animated and scripted is too gentle in my opinion and I feel a more visually realistic slant might be more worthwhile.

I think people are used to HEARING words like "obese" and "overweight", but I think they are not actually SEEING it enough. They are not being forced to look at the folds in the stomach when an overweight persons sits, or the wobble of an obese persons walk as the inner thighs rub together, or the condition of these peoples feet/skin etc as a result of their weight.

Thanks!

...
I am a fitness fanatic but was overweight at one time in my life and turned a corner some time ago...thankfully! I also work in film so fitness, health, nutrition and film are my major loves in life so I realise the importance of a project like this, and the opportunity to save so many people from the impacts of obesity is enormous. I encourage any attempt at getting people to change their bad habits and wish you the best of luck!

Cookie_Monster

On a lighter note...

why are the waist measurements given in inches given that we are officially a metric country? Are government agencies not required to use proper measurements yet?

Lola92

I would imagine its because most clothing go by imperial waist & leg measurements. Don't think that I have ever seen a pair of jeans sized in cms! :eek:

TommyKnocker

@ Darragh

The last paragraph of my post above was not meant to insinuate that either Safe Food requested the removal of certain posts or that either yourself or boards were pandering to Safe Foods.

The point I was trying to make is that Safe Food came on here requesting feedback, therefore they should be prepared to take the bad with the good.

Unfortunately, due to the fact that the information they are providing on "Healthy Nutrition" is not the most up to date, they received quite a lot of feed back on that point, and I still think that this is a legitimate topic to provide feedback on.

I am sorry if Safe Food did not find their first Foray onto Boards to be a more positive one, but if they are truly interested in providing the Irish population with useful information on healthy nutrition, then I think that the fact that there are so many ordinary Jane & Joe Soaps who are well up on the latest nutritional advice should be seen as a positive.

But I would respectfully suggest that this feedback was provided by posters who agree that there are weight related issues in this country and who would like to see help provided to educate people and give them the proper information to help them tackle any weight related issues they may have. It is therefore understandable that these posters may be disappointed to see that at this present time information which has been proven to be inaccurate is still being provided to people, when the updated information is freely available.

Tigger

your ad has changed how i live
i measured my waist and now i'm gonna eat lots of bread and past (i was only getting about 30g of carbo a day) and cut right back on the protein (i was eating over 190g a day)

Smokeyskelton

Am I insane, and / or unable to use a tape measure?

The reason is ask is thusly: I wear jeans and trousers with a 32" waist and have done so for many years. Notwithstanding the above, I measured my waist and it appears to be 37" i.e. on the cusp of obscenity obesity for a man.

Have I been lied to by clothing manufacturers for all these years, or am I in possession of a faulty tape measure/faulty measuring technique?

I appear to be a lardy man living in a lean man's body. Can I now sue my clothing manufacturers, tape measure vendor or indeed safefood for all the distress this has caused me?

Blatter

Smokeyskelton wrote: »

Am I insane, and / or unable to use a tape measure?

The reason is ask is thusly: I wear jeans and trousers with a 32" waist and have done so for many years. Notwithstanding the above, I measured my waist and it appears to be 37" i.e. on the cusp of obscenity obesity for a man.

Have I been lied to by clothing manufacturers for all these years, or am I in possession of a faulty tape measure/faulty measuring technique?

I appear to be a lardy man living in a lean man's body. Can I now sue my clothing manufacturers, tape measure vendor or indeed safefood for all the distress this has caused me?

You don't fit into 32" jeans if your waist is 37". Umpossible.

It's either the measuring tape or your technique.

Tigger

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

You don't fit into 32" jeans if your waist is 37". Umpossible.

It's either the measuring tape or your technique.

they measure the belly the jeans people measure the hips ie under the belly

Zamboni

The advert is getting a lot of criticism because it may offend people.
I have to be honest and say it is the un-pc nature of the ad with the disease connotations that impressed me.
I don't care for political correctness when there is a serious issue that needs to be resolved.
Having read the minutes of the various safe food committees I can see that perspectives on body composition comes up and there can be a reluctance to offend so I do applaud that element of the adverts production.
Personally I would rather see ads of this nature more aligned to car crash/smoking adverts with full on, shocking graphic images of the consequences of obesity.

I’d like future campaigns to revolve around three points.
Our bodies evolved to crave calorie laden food, salt, sugar and various nutrients within food.
Because of the ability to mass produce foods cheaply, our food supply is now out of kilter with our physiological requirements.
A level of self control must be exercised by each individual as we are all personally responsible for our food consumption and ultimately our body composition.

This does not need to be about blame.
But it does need to be about personal responsibility.

Eoineo

An interesting ad but I think it misses the mark on a couple of points. Using stickmen & women removes the viewer from reality so it's harder for them to relate to the message that you're trying to put across.

Some comments about how hospital beds, cars etc in the 1990s were smaller are relevant but you're missing the element of perspective. How many people have picked up a bag of crisps and thought "they were bigger when I was younger, weren't they?" And then carried on to eat a second because of their perspective that items are smaller now so they "can" eat a second.

I'd love to see your focus shift to portion sizes and lack of fresh food in peoples' diets. Both of which I see to be the downfall of the modern cook. When younger it was common place for us to eat off a tea plate, and dinner sized plates which are huge are now the norm.

Tirabaralla

It is not a matter of politically correct, it is a matter of destroying self confidence and lifes.

D-FENS

I’m really pleased about this ad campaign , I seen it on TV a couple of weeks ago and the first thing that struck me about is the way it presents obesity firstly as a disease and secondly one that can be cured.
I really think this ad could be a wakeup call for a lot of people but also make them feel less like an outsider of society as regards being overweight and how they can help themselves. This is how I feel anyway. I’ve always found that being overweight is looked on as an almost taboo situation for a lot of people, both overweight and slim, I know the first step is wanting to help yourself but it’s nice to think that people out there may be a bit more appreciative of how hard it can be for some people to lose weight and are offering constructive help. This is a hard hitting campaign but it’s one that was needed I think.
I’ve nearly 35 and I’ve been mostly overweight my whole life, for as long as can remember I was a chubby kid, than an overweight teenager and finally obese, although at the time I don’t remember that word being used very often.
When I left school and starting socializing in pubs/clubs, I finally got sick of being the fat guy sitting on his own without a girlfriend so decided to do something about it, I totally changed my diet, cut all things I loved like crisps, coke and chips almost completely and ate as much fruit and veg as I could and took up swimming a couple of times a week. I also done a lot of dancing when out, exercise when you’re drunk is definitely the easiest!
I can’t even remember how much I lost but I know it was 3-4 stone, when people starting remarking on how much I lost it motivated me more.
That was over 15 years ago now, I met a wonderful girl in 2000 who I’m now married to, I have three kids, a mortgage, decent job and all the stress that goes along with it, slowly over the last 10 years I put weight back on.
I slowly stopped going out as often, with my family life I wasn’t bothered, but I was actually shocked when I weighed myself at Christmas time, I knew I was big, but I was almost 21 stone. I’ve no idea what my BMI was/is, but I’m exactly 6ft tall so people can obviously work out that’s not good. My youngest daughter was born in February and I got really worried about being unhealthy for her and my other children, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I thought I ended up influencing them into being unhealthy. I started a diet the week after she was born, bought an exercise bike (trying to use it using it 2-3 times a week) and started trying to walk as much as possible, to the shops, home from work (if not all the way then getting off the bus a few stops early) and with my kids in the evening time.
I’m now down to 18 stone and I would like to lose at least 3 more. Like previous posters, I do think BMI is a bit misleading and all people are different in regards to how much weight they can carry and still be healthy, but as guidelines I find them very helpful.
I know I’ve still a hard road any of me, both losing more weight and keeping it off, but I definitely think adverts like this can only help.

Davei141

Tirabaralla wrote: »

It is not a matter of politically correct, it is a matter of destroying self confidence and lifes.

Lets get real here. Obesity is destroying lives and self confidence all over the country, not this ad.

sambuka41

Davei141 wrote: »

Lets get real here. Obesity is destroying lives and self confidence all over the country, not this ad.

No doubt that your statement is true in respect of the damage of obesity but really do you think this ad helps that or makes people feel even worse about themselves? How likely are they to do something based on this ad? And if they do something, is it for the right reasons, how long is the change likely to last when it is motivated by fear of not fitting in or not being accepted as opposed to change because someone feels empowered?

Tirabaralla

Davei141 wrote: »

Lets get real here. Obesity is destroying lives and self confidence all over the country, not this ad.

Anorexia and bulimia and eating disorders due to psycologic causes one of the strongest being the social pressure of "fitting in" on physical models (often completely un-obtainable) are very very REAL. Maybe not to you, I guess you are a young to mid age male (I could be wrong) but to a lot of people and the fact that you are dismissing this as a minor issue in this discussion I find it offensive for a first and secondly silly.

cc87

Tirabaralla wrote: »

It is not a matter of politically correct, it is a matter of destroying self confidence and lifes.

Obesity has done a good job of destroying self confidence and lives as well.

The PC, emotional, lets give them a hug plan of action hasnt worked.

Many times when I hear of people who have lost huge amounts of weight, its not because they felt empowered or loved or whatever you want.

Its because something happened to make them feel guilty, embarressed, ashamed or any other number of negative emotions.

Recently I heard one man say it was when he started hearing his family discuss the fact that he would have to be cremated when he died as he was too heavy for a coffin was what made him start to lose weight.

Tirabaralla

cc87 wrote: »

Obesity has done a good job of destroying self confidence and lives as well.

The PC, emotional, lets give them a hug plan of action hasnt worked.

Many times when I hear of people who have lost huge amounts of weight, its not because they felt empowered or loved or whatever you want.

Its because something happened to make them feel guilty, embarressed, ashamed or any other number of negative emotions.

Recently I heard one man say it was when he started hearing his family discuss the fact that he would have to be cremated when he died as he was too heavy for a coffin was what made him start to lose weight.

To a certain extent obviously feeling "guilty" is part of a process of "redemption", you can do it for your family (like the case you bring), you can do it for your other half (cause you think they deserve a healthier/happier etc partner), you can do it for your kids (to be able to be a better parent, be there for longer, etc) but not for this idea that if you don't slim down you are gonna give a sickness to someone else and you are unacceptable to society!


If someone is willing to just take a look "around", apparently people with eating disorders in Republic of Ireland are estimated to 200.000, I think it is an awful lot of people compared to the total population (not to consider people that have an eating disorder but hide it, refuse any medical help, etc). And if you google "anorexia" on your google.it toolbar the first or second result is "anorexia tips", you really want this? Is your mind sick as well? Time to reconsider something maybe?

Cookie_Monster

Tirabaralla wrote: »

If someone is willing to just take a look "around", apparently people with eating disorders in Republic of Ireland are estimated to 200.000

while many of that number may be valid IMO eating disorders are as over prescribed as the likes of ADD. It's easy to just label somebody with it and be done rather than look into what's actually going on.

And if you google "anorexia" on your google.it toolbar the first or second result is "anorexia tips"

why are you using google.it instead of google.ie :pac:

D'Agger

Tirabaralla wrote: »

And if you google "anorexia" on your google.it toolbar the first or second result is "anorexia tips", you really want this? Is your mind sick as well? Time to reconsider something maybe?

Perhaps I'm reading this wrong (apologies if so) but where did cc87 state that anorexia was the answer.

No right minded individual would want anorexia tips to be the first hit on a google search.

cc87

Tirabaralla wrote: »

To a certain extent obviously feeling "guilty" is part of a process of "redemption", you can do it for your family (like the case you bring), you can do it for your other half (cause you think they deserve a healthier/happier etc partner), you can do it for your kids (to be able to be a better parent, be there for longer, etc) but not for this idea that if you don't slim down you are gonna give a sickness to someone else and you are unacceptable to society!


If someone is willing to just take a look "around", apparently people with eating disorders in Republic of Ireland are estimated to 200.000, I think it is an awful lot of people compared to the total population (not to consider people that have an eating disorder but hide it, refuse any medical help, etc). And if you google "anorexia" on your google.it toolbar the first or second result is "anorexia tips", you really want this? Is your mind sick as well? Time to reconsider something maybe?

Well the problem is i have looked at eating disorders in ireland and those 200,000 include people whose disorder is binge eating and they overeat, many of them are obese. It also includes people who are addicted to exercise and people who constantly think their muscles are tiny and have to make them bigger. There are far more eating disorders than just anorexia and bulimia, they are just the 2 that receive the most publicity.

Its too easy to be overweight and not have people say this to you. While saying obesity should be unacceptable in society is going to far, at the moment it is far too accepted in society.

Zamboni

sambuka41 wrote: »

No doubt that your statement is true in respect of the damage of obesity but really do you think this ad helps that or makes people feel even worse about themselves? How likely are they to do something based on this ad? And if they do something, is it for the right reasons, how long is the change likely to last when it is motivated by fear of not fitting in or not being accepted as opposed to change because someone feels empowered?

Fear of fitting in?
Please bear in mind that it is the population that are not overweight under 65 that is the minority.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0401/1224293540851.html

sambuka41

cc87 wrote: »

Many times when I hear of people who have lost huge amounts of weight, its not because they felt empowered or loved or whatever you want.

Its because something happened to make them feel guilty, embarressed, ashamed or any other number of negative emotions.

How likely is that change to stick? Or is it more likely that there will be a symptom subsitiution and some other aspect of their lives will suffer, telling someone that its not acceptable to be fat, change it, doesn't address the multitude of reasons why their are over weight in the first place.

Highlighting the issues of health in Ireland is noble but I don't think safe food have done that. They have dragged out a one size fits all campaign, when it clearly doesn't. Its automatically equated fat=unhealthy and skinny=healthy, which is flawed, and makes no provisions for actually helping people. Every one is different, there are some things that cannot be dealt with at a national level, nor should they be. Being overweight is has way too many variables to take account for in 1 ad.

sambuka41

Zamboni wrote: »

Fear of fitting in?
Please bear in mind that it is the population that are not overweight under 65 that is the minority.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0401/1224293540851.html

Yes but this is putting out there on national television that being over weight is equivalent to a disease that you are spreading to your family and friends. It is encouraging people to stop spreading it around. Who wants to be that person, they want to fit in quietly and not pass on deadly diseases. :rolleyes::rolleyes:If your skinny and unhealthy thats fine cause no one will point that out to you on national tv, just if your fat and unhealthy.

marmart

I think that it would be useful to teach children to cook at an early age.Messing about in the kitchen is the only way to get kids to try out what they cook.Also,
there are many parents who are quite happy to feed their children burgers,nuggets,crap as it is cheap and quick but who eat well themselves.
I also think that the vending machines have to go in schools and hospitals etc.

cc87

sambuka41 wrote: »

How likely is that change to stick? Or is it more likely that there will be a symptom subsitiution and some other aspect of their lives will suffer, telling someone that its not acceptable to be fat, change it, doesn't address the multitude of reasons why their are over weight in the first place.

Well we can hardly tell them its acceptable to be fat but can they lose a few pounds.

sambuka41 wrote: »

Highlighting the issues of health in Ireland is noble but I don't think safe food have done that. They have dragged out a one size fits all campaign, when it clearly doesn't. Its automatically equated fat=unhealthy and skinny=healthy, which is flawed, and makes no provisions for actually helping people. Every one is different, there are some things that cannot be dealt with at a national level, nor should they be. Being overweight is has way too many variables to take account for in 1 ad.

The campaign has equated excess fat carried around the midline of your body to unhealthy. Which it is. This a fact. Many studies have proven this.