Claire Byrne: ''Obesity is a symptom of poverty''

yuppies · 17-01-2012 07:01PM

what a blessed age we live in where the poorest in our society don't go hungry.. seriously!

ps. perhaps poorer people are just, all other things being equal, more genetically predisposed than the rich to have a diminished capacity for delayed gratification or foresight.. hence their forbears were poor, leading them to be more likely to be poor etc..

cursai · 17-01-2012 07:05PM

Fast good is cheaper than fresh food.

Chuck Stone · 17-01-2012 07:05PM

I am a friend wrote: »

She is wrong because obesity is a symptom of laziness (with the exception of the 0.001% of people with a thyroid problem)... Lazy people can be poor or rich....

This is a very reductive, not to mention cold-hearted, view of a complex issue.

People over eat for all sorts of reasons. Often people who over eat are suffering from emotional issues too and take comfort in food.

Some will over eat because their thick ass parents stuffed them with rubbish as kids and childhood habits can be hard to shake off.

Complex issues like obesity can rarely be reduced down to a one sentence 'cause'.

Maximus Alexander · 17-01-2012 07:05PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Obviously people on both ends of the scale can be obese. But poorer areas have more obese people, and more fast food take aways also. This is old news that I though everyone was aware of years ago.

Are there any studies showing evidence that this is causation rather than correlation?

Perhaps some poor people are poor because they're lazy. Perhaps that is the same reason that they're obese.

Andromeda_111 · 17-01-2012 07:08PM

It's definitely a by product of poverty, just like a lack of education to nutrition, a focus on health and a willingness to spend time cooking healthy and nutritional meals. It's not exclusive to poverty of course but there's an obvious link.

Just go into any chipper or an Iceland shop and have a look at their regular customers.

KungPao · 17-01-2012 07:08PM

I treat myself to a chinese now and again. Usually get pork ribs or whatever but last time I bought some chicken balls, as I used to like them when I were a lad.

They were cold by the time I got home so I lashed them into the oven for 10 minutes and the amount of grease that bubbled out of them was shocking.

I shall not be buying them again.

mattjack · 17-01-2012 07:09PM

mariano rivera wrote: »

ROYSH

THE SOCIALLY LESS WELL OFF

LMAO !

What is this language you speak ?

Scanlas The 2nd · 17-01-2012 07:11PM

Sindri wrote: »

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

Couldn't agree more. I bought two pieces of lambs liver over the weekend which cost 75 cent and two lambs kidneys for 80 cent. That's some of the most nutritious food you can eat. You can buy half a kilo of mince for a few euro. Vegetables are cheap too. Fresh fish isn't even that dear, you can get a fillet of salmon for 2 euro.

Yes but it takes time to cook and prepare.

You don't have to cook a Michelin star meal, mince takes less than ten minutes to cook, and you can steam veg in less than twenty minutes. All that only takes ten minutes to prepare and clean up if you don't fukc around.

Defiler Of The Coffin · 17-01-2012 07:11PM

Very simplistic remark to make. Some context would be nice

iguana · 17-01-2012 07:21PM

KungPao wrote: »

I bought a good sized chicken, some rooster potatoes and carrots for around €7.50.

You can get it even cheaper than that if you buy several pieces of meat together. You could get a chicken, a piece of ham and a tray of pork steaks for €9 in Tesco from their 3 for €9. That's €3 for a chicken and then go to Aldi/Lidl where you can get a bag of potatoes for 39c and a selection of veg for similar prices. Follow up with a cheap apple/orange, or even one of those 18c melon/pineapples they were selling in December, for dessert. You'll have fed a family of 6 a nutritious, health meal and still have change from a fiver.

WoollyRedHat · 17-01-2012 07:27PM

Sindri wrote: »

Symptoms of poverty:-

A tendency to wear plastic as a clothing item.

Damn, and I was doing so well

c_man · 17-01-2012 07:28PM

Regardless of the merits of her thesis, I'd lamp it into her.

fatwarren · 17-01-2012 07:31PM

KungPao wrote: »

I treat myself to a chinese now and again. Usually get pork ribs or whatever but last time I bought some chicken balls, as I used to like them when I were a lad.

They were cold by the time I got home so I lashed them into the oven for 10 minutes and the amount of grease that bubbled out of them was shocking.

I shall not be buying them again.

chinese food is pure dirt, i wouldn't touch it if u paid me. full of absolute grease, tastes like poison. foreign ****e

Sindri · 17-01-2012 07:32PM

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

You don't have to cook a Michelin star meal, mince takes less than ten minutes to cook, and you can steam veg in less than twenty minutes. All that only takes ten minutes to prepare and clean up if you don't fukc around.

Not me poor people! I know loads.

TeddyTedson · 17-01-2012 07:37PM

LeighH wrote: »

Are there any studies showing evidence that this is causation rather than correlation?

Perhaps some poor people are poor because they're lazy. Perhaps that is the same reason that they're obese.

I don't have any links to studies but I've heard reports on the radio over the years.

This thread will go on for ever with people missing the point countless times (not talking about you LeighH btw).

Too see it for yourself go to an upper class take away some Monday night and then go to a working class area take away and you'll get your answer.

Spread · 17-01-2012 07:40PM

Watching her on TV is a symptom of stupidity. Remember Claire opened her perfectly formed mouth too much ...... and had a tilt at special needs? She obviously takes herself very seriously ......... she should try that with her relationships. Ivan insinuated some years ago that she should know why Irishmen are bad lovers and pissed the little vamp off bigtime. She has gone on public to say that, "IO'm not a bitch". Now what in the name of God put that into her head

So that is why Peter Suderland, DKS and a big percentage of captains of industry are poor!

Handsome Bob · 17-01-2012 07:45PM

hondasam wrote: »

Poor people do not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. People are not starving, but they are “food insecure.” If the only food available/affordable is fried foods, cheap /junk etc, then that is obviously what people are going to eat.

In that respect she is Blonde and right.

To live on a junk diet is actually pretty expensive, go into your local pizzeria and check out the prices.

To eat healthier is not expensive, but it is more time consuming than eating crap.

In sum, obesity is a symptom of laziness, not poverty.

Byrne makes yet another non-contribution to the obesity debate.

IM0 · 17-01-2012 07:46PM

Im betting she said something before and after that statement and you just published the bit the jurno's would?

later12 · 17-01-2012 07:48PM

Claire Byrne seems like a really smart woman actually; her hosting skills are less apparent on television, but she is excellent on the Radio when she's doing her more serious political hosting.

To be fair, she's not exactly prone to these mad outbursts. If her statement was as abrupt or as ill-placed as it comes across in the thread title, then of course she was wrong.

But I can see where she's coming from; I can see how income, lifestyle and education could play a role in poor health generally and yes, in obesity. Very much so.

hondasam · 17-01-2012 07:52PM

Handsome Bob wrote: »

To live on a junk diet is actually pretty expensive, go into your local pizzeria and check out the prices.

you can buy cheap junk food in supermarkets.

To eat healthier is not expensive, but it is more time consuming than eating crap.

I agree with this but depends on what you eat.

In sum, obesity is a symptom of laziness, not poverty.

Obesity is a symptom of many things including poverty, laziness, depression and boredom.

Byrne makes yet another non-contribution to the obesity debate.

I'm not her biggest fan.

Raging_Ninja · 17-01-2012 07:56PM

truly this is an age of marvels. we have come to a point in time where even poor people can be fat.

Handsome Bob · 17-01-2012 07:57PM

hondasam wrote: »

Obesity is a symptom of many things including poverty, laziness, depression and boredom.

I'll concede that, and I usually empathise that myself. Apologies for the generalisation.

Nichololas · 17-01-2012 07:58PM

She's not wrong, but she's only showing one side of the coin.. In relatively rich countries (for example, the US) the relatively poor in general have higher rates of obesity - because (fanfare) it's cheaper to buy in bulk from Walmarts and if you're working to hold down two jobs you're probably not a regular gym-attendee. Conversely, in relatively poor countries (say, Sudan) it's the relatively rich because the poor are -literally- starving. Both are due to a variety of cultural and socioeconomic factors, but lets just forget that for a moment and HURR de DURR compare apples (poor in US) and oranges (poor in sub-saharan Africa)..

hondasam · 17-01-2012 08:00PM

Handsome Bob wrote: »

I'll concede that, and I usually empathise that myself. Apologies for the generalisation.

That's ok handsome I did know what you meant, was just making a point, me bad:p

KungPao · 17-01-2012 08:02PM

fatwarren wrote: »

chinese food is pure dirt, i wouldn't touch it if u paid me. full of absolute grease, tastes like poison. foreign ****e

I know what you mean but Honey Spare Ribs are heavenly.

But yeah, chinese food in general is just bad bad news, yet people live on this rubbish.

As I said, I buy ribs as a treat now and again and while waiting for them I see some really unhealthy people in there. Ranging from chubby to obese and downright ill looking.

I make my own pizzas at home. The base and the sauce from scratch with very light cheese. They taste so good and light...I don't understand how people eat Domino's. All that grease and salt ain't good for ya. And it tastes rank at the best of times.

Teyla Emmagan · 17-01-2012 08:04PM

Do you remember those radio ads they had on a year or two back. I think they were run by the safe food campaign. Anyway, they each focused on a kid, with the parent doing the voice over saying 'Oh I'm cooking now for my Johnnie, he was getting a bit porky, but now he loves his veg, and he's started to walk to school and everything. Log onto blahblah.ie for more information on how to handle your porky kids'.

And that's all fine, but the parents always had a howya accent. Which offended me on behalf of howyas everywhere. As if you would only need to teach howyas how to feed their kids because they ALL feed their offspring nothing but takeaways and processed junk.

Anyway, that's an aside. In reality a lot of people from all backgrounds grow up in houses where they never see a home cooked meal, and I think that's a huge part of the problem. If you cook something from scratch you are going to have a hard time loading it up with the fat and crYp that comes in processed convenience food. Cooking takes effort though, and planning, and time. But healthy food can be made cheaply. Again, it's about educating people and enabling them to make the right choices. Even if they're not howyas.

frag420 · 17-01-2012 08:15PM

mattjack wrote: »

what's a knacker estate ?

It's a Toyota Starlet with extra boot space.

All the knackers drive em!!

Va va voom!!

Minstrel27 · 17-01-2012 08:28PM

Obese people in all walks of life

Chuck Stone · 17-01-2012 08:30PM

Minstrel27 wrote: »

Obese people in all walks mobility scooters of life

FYP. :pac:

Cantona's Collars · 17-01-2012 08:33PM

Poverty these days is across the board,no longer can we pick out a stereotypical 'poor person'.Her generalisation and sweeping statement was inaccurate and poorly thought out.

Still on one side there is a large estate in my town which would be deemed a deprived area with huge unemployment and social problems.The funny thing is that every evening the place is swarming with cars delivering take aways.Among some families there's a generation that have never had a home-cooked meal.How will they're kids fare?

Claire Byrne: ''Obesity is a symptom of poverty''

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