Is the Obesity Epidemic fact or fiction?

LCD · 09-08-2012 12:01PM #1

Everything you read or see on TV these days tells us world is in the middle of an obesity epidemic, read somewhere 60% of Irish overweight. Then is all these programmes saying cause is not too much fat is too much sugar. Yet half the country seesm to be doing a 5km run or triathlon every weekend.

Question is, is it actually happening? I came across a local secondary mag the other day & flicking through the class photos (6years, 4 classes of +/-30 per year) was a few fat kids but something similar to my day. Looking round the place yet plenty of people with a bit of meat on the bones, but very few obese I reckon. When it come to US every since I was a kid, 30+ years ago you always heard that Americans tended to be fatter.

So is it real??

Gee Bag · 09-08-2012 12:04PM

Of course its not true, they just have big bones.

Gummy Panda · 09-08-2012 12:05PM

LCD wrote: »

Everything you read or see on TV these days tells us world is in the middle of an obesity epidemic, read somewhere 60% of Irish overweight. Then is all these programmes saying cause is not too much fat is too much sugar. Yet half the country seesm to be doing a 5km run or triathlon every weekend.

I noticed this as well. Asked a lad in work who is into running whats the story with everyone doing marathons and such now. He said its because they can't afford gym memberships due to recession and its cheap hobby.

I say we are still getting fatter on average though.

Birneybau · 09-08-2012 12:05PM

Fat-tion

djan · 09-08-2012 12:06PM

LCD wrote: »

Everything you read or see on TV these days tells us world is in the middle of an obesity epidemic, read somewhere 60% of Irish overweight. Then is all these programmes saying cause is not too much fat is too much sugar. Yet half the country seesm to be doing a 5km run or triathlon every weekend.

Question is, is it actually happening? I came across a local secondary mag the other day & flicking through the class photos (6years, 4 classes of +/-30 per year) was a few fat kids but something similar to my day. Looking round the place yet plenty of people with a bit of meat on the bones, but very few obese I reckon. When it come to US every since I was a kid, 30+ years ago you always heard that Americans tended to be fatter.

So is it real??

Having come back from a months holiday across many EU countries I have to say that Irish young people, especially girls tend to be fatter than their equivalents in mainland Europe.

I think that a lot of it has to do with the fact it's not as frowned upon in Ireland as in the rest of Europe if someone is fat they are not slagged per say but are made aware of it. Whereas here it's more of the US attitude that it's ok as long as you are happy.

hoodwinked · 09-08-2012 12:07PM

*looks down*

fiction, definitely fiction!

--Kaiser-- · 09-08-2012 12:08PM

Looking around my workplace I would guess about 50% are at least overweight if not obese (taking medical definition as overwight for men being over 20% bodyfat and for women being over 30% bodyfat)

AnonoBoy · 09-08-2012 12:09PM

Look at those tubby little kids eating breakfast rolls on the way to school.

Yup. It's going to get worse before it gets better I'd say.

Gee Bag · 09-08-2012 12:09PM

djan wrote: »

Irish young people, especially girls tend to be fatter than mainland Europe

Bigger than the the entire European land mass? They must be feckin enormous.

foxyboxer · 09-08-2012 12:11PM

The definition of obese or overweight is a loose one.
You could argue that say Chris Hoy is obese.

There is certainly a weight problem for sure.

As for people taking part in running/triathlon, there is evidence that participation in such events increases during recessions.

Phoenix Park · 09-08-2012 12:12PM

Wander round your local Dunnes/ Tesco/ Wherever. Most families are pushing round a trolley of diabetes. Fluffy white bread, cheap biscuits and fizzy drinks. No wonder kids are so fat, they'll eat what they are given if you start them early enough. Using sugar as a reward is another disaster. Can you imagine the rate of diabetes in Ireland in another 30/40 years time, it will be enormous, all the shhit we eat here. Pensions crisis+ Diabetes Crisis ....

Fruit and veg is expensive though. It goes off quickly too, bars of chocolate and cans of coke last forever (well, almost!). Its tough for families to eat healthily, but that doesn't mean zero effort can be made. The number of primary school boys walking around that are so fat they could do with wearing a bra is unreal :eek:

Its bizarre that its completely normal for every newsagent you walk in to to have so many bars of chocolate and fizzy drinks at the counter...maybe a Fat Tax is needed? Junk food is just so accessible, it almost standard for people to buy a bar and a bottle of coke with their newspaper at this stage.

--Kaiser-- · 09-08-2012 12:13PM

foxyboxer wrote: »

The definition of obese or overweight is a loose one.
You could argue that say Chris Hoy is obese.

There is certainly a weight problem for sure.

As for people taking part in running/triathlon, there is evidence that participation in such events increases during recessions.

It's not loose if it's based on bodyfat rather than BMI (which is nonsense for muscular types)

Fishooks12 · 09-08-2012 12:14PM

Phoenix Park wrote: »

Wander round your local Dunnes/ Tesco/ Wherever. Most families are pushing round a trolley of diabetes. Fluffy white bread, cheap biscuits and fizzy drinks. No wonder kids are so fat, they'll eat what they are given if you start them early enough. Using sugar as a reward is another disaster. Can you imagine the rate of diabetes in Ireland in another 30/40 years time, it will be enormous, all the shhit we eat here. Pensions crisis+ Diabetes Crisis ....

Fruit and veg is expensive though. It goes off quickly too, bars of chocolate and cans of coke last forever (well, almost!). Its tough for families to eat healthily, but that doesn't mean zero effort can be made. The number of primary school boys walking around that are so fat they could do with wearing a bra is unreal :eek:

Its bizarre that its completely normal for every newsagent you walk in to to have so many bars of chocolate and fizzy drinks at the counter...maybe a Fat Tax is needed? Junk food is just so accessible, it almost standard for people to buy a bar and a bottle of coke with their newspaper at this stage.

That post is brimming with hyperbole

Colmustard · 09-08-2012 12:14PM

Its true, you can tell by the increase in certain medical problems associated with it. The Diabetes figures are off the scale.

syklops · 09-08-2012 12:15PM

If you wacth TV Shows from the 80's there was the one fat kid in the class. Go into a school now and its more like 50-50.

OP, you don't need us to tell you whether it is fact or fiction, just look around you.

JohnMarston · 09-08-2012 12:24PM

Oh its very real. Speaking fom my own perspective for a moment, I was the fat kid in class and i can see in hindsight why i was borderline obese. It was down to lack of after school activity, poor eating habits during the day, and hobbies that promoted inactivity such as video games.

Now more than ever children are not allowed outside to run around after school for fear of their safety. More and more electronic devices that encourage just sitting and playing (granted motion control ie. the Wii are a step in the right direction but i stand by my point), and the relatively low cost of junk food and calorie rich meals with little nutritional value are storing up problems for the nations youth in later life. Poor lifestyle habits that result in obesity are more prevalent than ever.

Sea Filly · 09-08-2012 12:25PM

djan wrote: »

Having come back from a months holiday across many EU countries I have to say that Irish young people, especially girls tend to be fatter than mainland Europe.

I think that a lot of it has to do with the fact it's not as frowned upon in Ireland as in the rest of Europe if someone is fat they are not slagged per say but are made aware of it. Whereas here it's more of the US attitude that it's ok as long as you are happy.

I hope never to live in a country where it's ok to slag people ("or make them aware") for being overweight.

Phoenix Park · 09-08-2012 12:26PM

Fishooks12 wrote: »

That post is brimming with hyperbole

I've read through what i wrote. The last line may be brimming with hyperbole...but what else?

You don't agree we are becoming a nation of fatties?

Irish Guitarist · 09-08-2012 12:27PM

I think too many people use BMI (Body Mass Index) as a way of determining what's a healthy weight. A lot of rugby players would be considered obese based solely on their BMI.

I used to think 'obese' meant you had to be lifted out of bed on a crane but apparently it just means you're a stone or two overweight. I very rarely see anyone I would really consider obese. I'm sure a lot of it is scaremongering by doctors and dietitians trying to keep themselves in a job.

foxyboxer · 09-08-2012 12:28PM

*sneaks off to the jacks to down three mars bars*

marshbaboon · 09-08-2012 12:32PM

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I think too many people use BMI (Body Mass Index) as a way of determining what's a healthy weight.

BMI is nonsense. I'm apparently clinically obese because I'm 6'4.

Sea Filly · 09-08-2012 12:32PM

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Looking around my workplace I would guess about 50% are at least overweight if not obese (taking medical definition as overwight for men being over 20% bodyfat and for women being over 30% bodyfat)

I have to say my (predominantly) Irish workplace is very slim! 10 women, 1 man, (1 Spanish girl, 1 German girl, 1 Italian girl). The Irish girls in the lab are gym-mad and very slim. I was the previous lab fatty and I'm size 12. The Italian and Spanish girls are also slim, but don't eat particularly healtily (in common with the Irish girls). The German girl is quite overweight, size 16ish, I would say, so has taken over the baton from me.

The (Irish-Canadian) guy in the lab is V fit.

--Kaiser-- · 09-08-2012 12:33PM

Sea Filly wrote: »

I hope never to live in a country where it's ok to slag people ("or make them aware") for being overweight.

Whilst I'm not for people being slagged for weight problems, people in this country are far too complacent about the prevalance of obesity if you ask me. They have skewed ideas of what being overweight actually is. People seem to look at each other and go 'I weigh the same as that guy, I'm alright'. I'm regularly told I'm skinny, when I'm not, I'm just relatively lean

--Kaiser-- · 09-08-2012 12:34PM

Sea Filly wrote: »

I have to say my (predominantly) Irish workplace is very slim! 10 women, 1 man, (1 Spanish girl, 1 German girl, 1 Italian girl). The Irish girls in the lab are gym-mad and very slim. I was the previous lab fatty and I'm size 12. The Italian and Spanish girls are also slim, but don't eat particularly healtily (in common with the Irish girls). The German girl is quite overweight, size 16ish, I would say, so has taken over the baton from me. The (Irish-Canadian) guy in the lab is V fit.

Small sample size really, my workplace is significantly larger

--Kaiser-- · 09-08-2012 12:39PM

marshbaboon wrote: »

BMI is nonsense. I'm apparently clinically obese because I'm 6'4.

That makes no sense as it takes into account your height. It's a quick and easy measurement (as opposed to measuring bodyfat) and usually only falls down when it comes to those with high muscle mass

Sea Filly · 09-08-2012 12:40PM

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Small sample size really, my workplace is significantly larger

I wasn't presenting it as a statistic. But actually, extending that to the building as a whole, it's a generally slim place!

Sea Filly · 09-08-2012 12:42PM

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Whilst I'm not for people being slagged for weight problems, people in this country are far too complacent about the prevalance of obesity if you ask me. They have skewed ideas of what being overweight actually is. People seem to look at each other and go 'I weigh the same as that guy, I'm alright'. I'm regularly told I'm skinny, when I'm not, I'm just relatively lean

I see overweight people about, but I don't see the masses of obese people that others seem to. And yes, I know that obesity begins way before the morbidly obese category.

marshbaboon · 09-08-2012 12:43PM

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

That makes no sense as it takes into account your height. It's a quick and easy measurement (as opposed to measuring bodyfat) and usually only falls down when it comes to those with high muscle mass

I should have explained myself more clearly, my bad. Very tall for a guy usually means higher muscle density/larger bone structure. Two things impossible to take into account with the scale, it's so flawed it's not worth using.

You can get an accurate measurement of bodyfat if you're the member of a gym, or I believe a GP can do it?

guitarzero · 09-08-2012 12:48PM

I was thinking the same. I look at a lot of Irish lads between their teens and 30's and they are often skinny. Irish women may hold a few more extra pounds but nothing that suggests obese or even over weight. I do see over weight people but not that many in the younger bracket.

Irish women tend to have a belly but other than that....:D

I think this over weight problem probably goes for the over 40, mid age spread demographic.

AnonoBoy · 09-08-2012 12:52PM

guitarzero wrote: »

I think this over weight problem probably goes for the over 40, mid age spread demographic.

Unfortunately you see a lot of kids who are overweight these days.

Sure you see kids playing sports and they all look fine but it's the kids not playing sports, the ones eating the ****e food all the time and doing no physical activities that are the ones at risk.

When I was a kid in the 80's there was 2 fat lads in my primary school class of 35. There's a lot more than that these days.

Sappa · 09-08-2012 12:53PM

I an friendly with a sports scientist working at UL.
They do regular analysis of secondary school PE and gave data going back 20 yrs.
The difference in speed tests,beep test fitness and body fat % is alarming.
He reckoned 20 yrs ago maybe 5-10 percent of a class could be classified as obese where as now the data is showing the last 10 yrs the level of obesity for second level schools is running at 25-35 percent obesity.
We have only begun this battle,it's a huge problem here but also around the world.
I traveled to Asia 14 yrs ago you would rarely see fat kids now when I go back it's evident and speaking to the parents there who rarely eat processed food or junk the kids are down the 7-11 constantly snacking and choosing sweet over veg going against the traditional healthy food and it shows plenty of pudders about the place.

Is the Obesity Epidemic fact or fiction?

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