Are Irish people fat? If so why?

Leftist wrote: »

Yep, who needs nice parks and walking trails. And while we're at it lets close galleries too, this genius can just walk along a motorway looking at pictures on his mobile phone.

Your really not getting the picture are you?

Why do you need a park to walk around? Why do you need a trail to get healthy?

Why cant you just walk as part of your daily life?

I'm no skinny minnie but what I have found to try to keep things under control the following helps

1. Get a dog, you have to walk them everyday, come hail, rain or shine. We get out so much more than we used to, up the mountains, Dun Laoghaire Pier, the strand, and yes on normal days, around the housing estate.
2. Cook your own food, from scratch. I have to as tinned sauces and stuff give me heartburn. That way you know what you are eating.
3. Reduce your portion sizes. I don't need the same amount of food as my hubbie.
4. Don't be afraid to leave stuff on the plate. Again the dog works here as you can give it some leftovers. But remember to reduce the real food then to compensate, you don't want an obese dog
5. Eat a little of everything, including bread and chocolate.
6. Only eat what you truly actually like. It's amazing how many of us love that first five or six hot vinegarry chips from the chipper, but then you know what by the end of the bag we don't enjoy them as much. So maybe share a bag rather.
7. Chocolate and crisps are NOT food groups and we don't need 5 a day. A nice choccie or two after dinner is so yummy and more appreciated than a bar at lunch time, another on the way home, and maybe one in front of the TV
8. Be aware but not obsessed with calories. I love real butter, real mayonaise etc. and prefer to have less than substitute for low calorie alternatives.
9. Stay away from diet foods, they are filled with chemicals and sugar and make a complete mess of your body.


The reason why we have the obesity epidemic I think is

• Education or lack of, including how to cook. Every kid should have to do Home Ec to Junior Cert.
• Lack of exercise
• The Diet Industry. Dieting is damaging, you mess with your metabolism and then put on more weight.
• Our body obsessed culture, encouraging kids to diet, feeding on the point above.

I know I qualify as obese even with all this, I'm a healthy size 14 at 5' 7" and I would like to drop a size, but I am happy, my doctor is happy, I look and feel attractive most of the time, and my hubbie adores me. I am down from a size 16 and I think if I keep on with this thinking I'll get to 12 before Easter. Without following the guidelines above I would be far bigger.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2012