Ireland becoming most obese country in Europe

MagicMarker

Deleted User wrote: »

I watched a documentary on Netflix last night called "Fed Up". Fantastic insight into how this generation is being manipulated into thinking that high sugar foods are healthy (e.g. low fat cereal etc).

It was an upsetting thing to watch though, morbidly obese children who think they're making good food choices and who struggle daily with sugar addiction. Some of these kids are so active, but it's all in vain when they're eating sugar laden foods at every meal.

"Low fat" foods really do have a lot to answer for. We need to do away with the food pyramid (which they're still teaching in school) and educate society on the dangers of overconsumption of sugary foods and of what the right portion sizes actually are.

Exercise won't change the obesity problem, food choices are the only thing that will.

Just watched it there myself, great documentary.

Though right now I would murder someone for a quarter pounder, a big massive greasy, cheesy quarter pounder with fries. NOM NOM NOM.

MagicMarker

MagicMarker wrote: »

Just watched it there myself, great documentary.

Though right now I would murder someone for a quarter pounder, a big massive greasy, cheesy quarter pounder with fries. NOM NOM NOM.

Full of protein sure!

Alf Veedersane

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Full of protein sure!

Use Brennans bread for buns and you have a McProtein.

Or even a McBrotein.

Precious flower

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Main meals tended to be a bit better

Yeah, gotta give my mum props or that. Even though she was working full time along with my father she always came home and made a healthy, nutritious dinner for us. We had takeaways maybe twice a year and because of that I've no interest in fast food. A lot of parents now seem to lack motivation to come home from work and prepare a dinner and I can't judge them; I don't have children of my own so I don't know what it is like. But it does mean that children, as well as being more sedentary then we ever were are then offered quick, unhealthy food as a substitute. I'm sure this isn't always the case but I can imagine a few parents doing it. Because of my mother's attitude if I had children it would seem only natural that they get a healthy, home made meal every day. So I think what you see happening around you as a child is what you regard to be the norm as you grow into an adult and that's what is really going to change the obesity crisis. It has to start at the bottom when the child is young. Parents must be better informed of what they are giving to their children and how it will effect them in the future.

Gummy Panda

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I watched a documentary on Netflix last night called "Fed Up". Fantastic insight into how this generation is being manipulated into thinking that high sugar foods are healthy (e.g. low fat cereal etc).

It was an upsetting thing to watch though, morbidly obese children who think they're making good food choices and who struggle daily with sugar addiction. Some of these kids are so active, but it's all in vain when they're eating sugar laden foods at every meal.

"Low fat" foods really do have a lot to answer for. We need to do away with the food pyramid (which they're still teaching in school) and educate society on the dangers of overconsumption of sugary foods and of what the right portion sizes actually are.

Exercise won't change the obesity problem, food choices are the only thing that will.

I'm watching this now. The 12 year old at 212 lbs looked like she was in her 30s. Jesus!

How did her parents not stop at some stage and say something is going wrong here

Deer

Watching fed up is what started the alarm bells ringing and the lightbulbs flashing in my head. I decided enough was enough while watching it! 8 months later and my eating habits completely changed for better.

For family we have gone back to what my mum did with me - treat night once a week with pack crisps, chocolate bar and fizzy drink. No treats or juices rest of week apart from odd ice cream. I make everyones lunch including husbands so I know whats in it and no sugary cereal. No jars - only tins I have are fish, tomatos and coconut milk. If kids go to a party or get a lollipop it's no big deal to me as I know their sugar intake at home.

I am telling everyone who sees the change in me to watch it and watch the truth about sugar on YouTube.

I watched another doc on YouTube - I think it's junk food kids - I nearly puked. Watch it if you want to get angry.

Zillah

MagicMarker wrote: »

Just watched it there myself, great documentary.

Though right now I would murder someone for a quarter pounder, a big massive greasy, cheesy quarter pounder with fries. NOM NOM NOM.

Oh God I just started watching this now. The obese girl near the start whose Mom leads them around the kitchen pointing out all of the 'low fat' foods that she's bought to help her daughter lose weight...including breakfast cereal, which, because it is low fat, serves as a good choice for meal replacement! My heart broke, she's trying so hard.

Gummy Panda

At least some of kids started to make it at the end. Its always going to hard for them in america with the availability of fast food. Though we aren't far behind e.g. subway and Starbucks on every corner

MagicMarker

Gummy Panda wrote: »

At least some of kids started to make it at the end.

Did you watch till the very end? I don't think any of the kids were starting to make it.

Blacktie.

Yeah pretty sure they all lost some weight and then put it back on a few months later.

Gummy Panda

MagicMarker wrote: »

Did you watch till the very end? I don't think any of the kids were starting to make it.

They all put it back on? I seen three lose weight (one from surgery though)

Riverp10

The great unspoken truth about obesity is that it is highly correlated with income disparity and education levels. Address the inequality in those areas and watch the obesity problem diminish also

power pants

Riverp10 wrote: »

The great unspoken truth about obesity is that it is highly correlated with income disparity and education levels. Address the inequality in those areas and watch the obesity problem diminish also

s

not sure I agree fully. So many fatties in most offices in dublin

Zillah

Riverp10 wrote: »

The great unspoken truth about obesity is that it is highly correlated with income disparity and education levels. Address the inequality in those areas and watch the obesity problem diminish also

It's not an unspoken truth, it is frequently a feature of these conversations. It also leads to the false claim that eating healthy is too expensive. It is more a factor of education. A lot of poorer people engage in false economy, whereby they will, say, order a takeaway each night, because the number they see on each occasion is a much smaller number than a grocery bill, but if you add up all of the short term purchases it is actually a lot more than a week of groceries.

It is also not a given that lower income causes obesity. It could well be that poor decision making causes both.

coffee_cake

power pants wrote: »

s

not sure I agree fully. So many fatties in most offices in dublin

i am just big boned

Zillah

bluewolf wrote: »

i am just big boned

Yeah, well, your bones are spilling over onto my side of the desk so tidy yourself up please.

Gummy Panda

Zillah wrote: »

Yeah, well, your bones are spilling over onto my side of the desk so tidy yourself up please.

Mellor

Zillah wrote: »

It's not an unspoken truth, it is frequently a feature of these conversations. It also leads to the false claim that eating healthy is too expensive. It is more a factor of education. A lot of poorer people engage in false economy, whereby they will, say, order a takeaway each night, because the number they see on each occasion is a much smaller number than a grocery bill, but if you add up all of the short term purchases it is actually a lot more than a week of groceries.

Overeating on takeaways everynight might cost just as much in the long run.
And buying junk food and sweets from the supermarket is as expensive as buying ingredients for real food.

But at the same time, I can get two pepperoni pizzas for $9.90 next door ro my house. That's 2600cals, I don't think I could match that with real food. If I was in a position where I needed to get the most calories for my month, I wouldn't be buying healthy stuff.

Alf Veedersane

Mellor wrote: »

Overeating on takeaways everynight might cost just as much in the long run.
And buying junk food and sweets from the supermarket is as expensive as buying ingredients for real food.

But at the same time, I can get two pepperoni pizzas for $9.90 next door ro my house. That's 2600cals, I don't think I could match that with real food. If I was in a position where I needed to get the most calories for my month, I wouldn't be buying healthy stuff.

If you're trying to meet a calorie allowance then yes, you'll get there at much less expense.

But if you're over eating, then the money spent on pizzas, takeaways, other poor food choices (when they're all too regular) could quite easily be spent on much better food choices and result in lower calorie consumption.

Mellor

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

If you're trying to meet a calorie allowance then yes, you'll get there at much less expense.

Which means that it is often more expensive to eat healthy. Which was my point.

FWIW, the above only applies in terms of basic nourishment. I'm not suggesting that it's a factor for a random obese person who's eating too much.

But if you're over eating, then the money spent on pizzas, takeaways, other poor food choices (when they're all too regular) could quite easily be spent on much better food choices and result in lower calorie consumption.

Overeating is more expensive than not overeating. :cool:

Alf Veedersane

Mellor wrote: »

Which means that it is often more expensive to eat healthy. Which was my point.

But I don't think the rationale applies where you're talking about overweight people making bad food choices who consider eating more healthily to be prohibitively expensive. Which was my point.

Chemical Byrne

Buying fresh food ingredients is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying processed and fast foods. You only have to look at the price per kg to see that. The flip side though is that the consume more time to prepare. But even the time penalty can be seen in a positive light as it may be seen as a leisure activity some of the time at least.

I'm 28m. For about 2 or 3 years I was bad enough for takeaways and snacking on muffins and chocolate throughout the day while in college and work. I had started to notice a nice bit of chub around my belly so I called a halt at the beginning of this year. For the most part I buy fresh veg now and make my own lunch. No chips, no pizzas, no burgers, no shíte. I feel 10 times better and more energetic and actually have more money to spare, some of which I've used to join crossfit.

ByfocalPhoto

According to the Forbes index of fattest countries Ireland is 106 th of 195. Nine of the top ten are pacific islands. New Zealand and Australia are in the fattest 25. Let's not panic.

arayess

power pants wrote: »

s

not sure I agree fully. So many fatties in most offices in dublin

I'm in dublin most days and the office crowd around 8-9 in the morning look fairly decent in terms of weight . Sure there is a few obese folk but most are alright i.e. within reasonable parameters.
It's later in the day it kinda goes downhill.

I would agree on the socio-economic front - for kids esp for from my experience.

the aforementioned office crowd look ok mostly but I go swimming in a disadvantaged area at the weekends and the kids there are much larger and fatter than the kids playing in my local area. just something i noticed.

power pants

yeah, but if im standing in a lift for example - a fairly normal person on closer inspection always seems to have a pot belly, then you can see their love handles or double chin.

From a distance they looked in fairly average shape but as I say take a closer look and they are pretty overweight

Sheldons Brain

power pants wrote: »

yeah, but if im standing in a lift for example - a fairly normal person on closer inspection always seems to have a pot belly, then you can see their love handles or double chin.

That's because the fit folk are going up the stairs!

Chemical Byrne

I think basing your outlook on obesity trends by looking at people around your office would be misleading. You see office workers would, for a large part, be educated middle class. Conversely you will see loads of manual workers who would be physically active having enormouse beer bellys because of eating shíte meals like fry ups and chips and drinking heavily.

power pants

My point was that it is not really a class issue that determines if you are going to be rotund or not.

As you rightly say overweight people work in all industries, not arguing with that.

Incidently, I dont think Irish people as a nation are more obese or less than the UK for example.

I Dont take the stairs in the office as I dont know where they are but in every other job I always take them. I dont like closed spaces around other people coughing, sneezing and just giving off odours

MagicMarker

Your class doesn't determine if you're going to be fat, it's just the case that people living around the poverty line are more likely to be eating unhealthily, therefore more likely to be overweight.

It's also the case that people simply don't have a clue what to do with fresh ingredients. I eat healthy and I get really bored of rotating chicken/fish and salads/steamed veg every other night. I should really learn how to put ingredients together better to give myself more variety. But I'm lazy.

Now think of the working class mother feeding a husband and 3 kids while holding down a full time job, it's simply easier to stick on a frozen pizza one night, burgers the next, hot dogs the night after that and so on.

coffee_cake

Stir fry everything with spices and oil
Never gets old