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The truth about obesity

13567…15

Comments

  • #62
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 13,839 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Caliden wrote: »
    Why put off tomorrow what can be done today?

    If you don't you'll end up costing the taxpayer to keep you alive while you have another stint put in or another bypass.

    You have a condition that's completely preventable if you just get on with it.

    If I saw you in the gym I wouldn't bat an eye lid and would commend you for your effort (silently of course, otherwise it could be construed as patronising).

    You don't even need to go the gym, operation transformation on tv is a great idea. Exercises in the comfort of your own home, go for a 30 minute walk/jog and measure/weigh yourself. As soon as you see a difference you'll be addicted and you will thank yourself for it.


    Just to add to this. I know there are many overweight people who feel uncomfortable at the thought of going to the gym, others may not be able to afford it.

    There is a channel on Sky lifestyle called fitness tv. Loads of different workouts, yoga, etc. They even have chairobics! Sky+ a load that take your fancy then try them out and stick with the ones that you enjoy. I had a few pounds to lose and wanted to tone up. Caroline Pearce and Jillian Michaels were brill.


  • #63
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    Balmed Out wrote: »
    Some of the healthiest eaters I know have a propensity towards putting on weight very easily while most of those I know who regularly eat take aways, crisps, sugary snacks and fizzy drinks are what would be called scrawny.

    I see this kind of thing a lot, but it ignores the simplicity of the physics involved and the other factors involved in people's lifestyles and eating habits.

    The people you know who are "healthy eaters" putting on weight easily are actually not healthy eaters. They are eating too much. If you see them eating plenty of salads, fruits and lean meats, for example, it doesn't mean they're not horsing biscuits, chocolate and other snacks into themselves throughout the day and sitting idle most of the time.

    On the other hand, people that you see eating plenty of take aways, crisps, snacks and fizzy drinks whilst remaining slim might be eating little else when you're not around - or may run, cycle, play sports or hit the gym regularly, in which case they actually need those calories.

    There is a simple, indisputable reality that if you take in less calories than you burn, you can't gain weight.

    Now I'm not saying it's right to judge or abuse people for their weight - that's their own business, leave them at it. But we might as well be transparent about the facts, there is no magic at work here, they are eating too much and exercising too little.


  • #64
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,079 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Did anyone watch the Horizon Documentary last night?

    It was about 'How we make Decisions'

    It was based mostly on the work of Daniel Kahneman, who is famous for his work on cognitive biases which is the foundation for the field of Behavioural Economics

    He wrote an excellent book 'Thinking Fast and Slow' which I highly recommend. (Best book I have read in years)

    Basically, he demonstrated that there are multiple cognitive biases that are hard wired into our brain and are extremely difficult to overcome.
    Most of the time our brain operates on a kind of autopilot (System 1) where we act on intuition, impulse, learned behaviour and habit without really thinking about what we are doing. However, this part of our brain favours shortcuts and simple solutions and instant gratification and this introduces congitive biases into our thinking. A lot of these biases affect people's decisions on eating and exercise and lifestyle.

    The vast majority of people are not aware of these biases unless we deliberately consciously make an effort to think about them, but conscious thought is a scarce resource. The deliberative part of our brain (system 2) has limited capacity and it is impossible to give every decision we make this much attention.

    Probably the best strategy we can use to overcome the worst effects of these biases (we can not possibly overcome them all, they are an essential part of how our brain works) is to deliberately train ourselves so that the optimum behaviours become habitual. ie, so that system 1 automatically chooses options that are in our own long term interest. This kind of training is resource intensive (ie: hard) and therefore it involves opportunity cost and is never guaranteed to succeed.

    Another option is to make decisions as a society that promote public health. If we understand how System 1 makes decisions, we can use that to optimise regulations such as restrictions on marketing and sale of certain products. Public programs to encourage exercise and healthy eating etc.

    Ban billionaires



  • #65
    NyOmnishambles
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 907 ✭✭✭NyOmnishambles


    Thread needs more Bacon!


  • #66
    Bacchus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,172 ✭✭✭Bacchus


    Duck Soup wrote: »
    Here's a thing. Nearly 1 in 3 of all A&E admissions are alcohol-related.

    Another thing. Smoking will kill 1 in 2 of all smokers.

    Between the two, the cost to the Irish health service runs into billions and billions of euro annually.

    And yet we never have a "Truth about alcohol" or a "Truth about smoking" thread where non-smokers and non-drinkers berate the boozy and nicotine-stained.

    I can't figure out whether abusing fat people is the last acceptable prejudice or Irish people have a blind spot the size of a fat person's arse when it comes to their own vices.

    I can't remember the last time a fat person, high on kebab and fries, kicked someone to death on a Dublin street. But it must happen, because apparently the drinkers and smokers have the moral high ground over them.

    Clever, can't make argument on actual topic... attempts to derail thread by pointing to smoking and alcohol. You should have mentioned road safety too.


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  • #67
    donegal__road
    Closed Accounts Posts: 953 ✭✭✭donegal__road


    There is little or no nutritional value in much of the processed food that supermarkets are selling today, so people have to eat more to obtain their daily requirement of nutrients.

    For example, 1 organic carrot has the equivalent nutritional value of 40 supermarket carrots (according to a food documentary I watched before Christmas).

    This coupled with the increase in sugar consumption through soda drinks and processed food than ever before, means that diabetes and obesity rates are skyrocketing.


  • #68
    Balmed Out
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,710 ✭✭✭Balmed Out


    Maximus Alexander wrote: »
    I see this kind of thing a lot, but it ignores the simplicity of the physics involved and the other factors involved in people's lifestyles and eating habits.

    The people you know who are "healthy eaters" putting on weight easily are actually not healthy eaters. They are eating too much. If you see them eating plenty of salads, fruits and lean meats, for example, it doesn't mean they're not horsing biscuits, chocolate and other snacks into themselves throughout the day and sitting idle most of the time.

    On the other hand, people that you see eating plenty of take aways, crisps, snacks and fizzy drinks whilst remaining slim might be eating little else when you're not around - or may run, cycle, play sports or hit the gym regularly, in which case they actually need those calories.

    Obviously the total calories is what counts. My point is that different people have different appetites. Many of those that eat mostly healthy foods eat a lot more and are consequently heavier then those that have terrible diets but have small appetites.
    Of my friends the thinnest would be those with terrible diets but small appetites though now in our mid 30's they are all beginning to put on a belly. The rest of us have nearly all been a little over weight at some point in the last 15 years but would all exercise a lot and mostly eat fairly well.


  • #69
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,079 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Frank Lee Midere wrote: »
    Hard for this theory to explain the working classes being fatter than the rich, a clear reversal of 2-3 generations ago.

    It doesn't explain it by itself. It is one factor amongst the multiple factors involved (and the studies are not conclusive, they're very interesting but much more research is required into the whole area of epigenetics)

    Ban billionaires



  • #70
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,424 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Frank Lee Midere wrote: »
    The "thin" metabolism clearly exists. Unless less people eat the exact same amount every year they would put on weight at some stage. This isn't an excuse to get fat though.

    I think metabolism is down to output requirements, rather than input.

    As an expansion on something Wibbs said above about appetite and perception of what people eat. A mate I used to live with was astounded by the rather large food portions I'd have, but my weight would rarely fluctuate by more than half a stone. He was concentrating on that one meal and visualising it as what I'd have with every meal. Where as all I was doing was having one big meal a day and a few small meals / snacks through out the day.


  • #71
    Bacchus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,172 ✭✭✭Bacchus


    Balmed Out wrote: »
    Obviously the total calories is what counts. My point is that different people have different appetites. Many of those that eat mostly healthy foods eat a lot more and are consequently heavier then those that have terrible diets but have small appetites.
    Of my friends the thinnest would be those with terrible diets but small appetites though now in our mid 30's they are all beginning to put on a belly. The rest of us have nearly all been a little over weight at some point in the last 15 years but would all exercise a lot and mostly eat fairly well.

    The key there is that the "healthy eaters" (as vague as that is), eat a lot more. Education around nutrition is appalling. You may think you're picking all the right foods but 1. you're probably not and 2. you're eating too much of them. Simple things like white rice/pasta/bread vs brown catch a lot of people out.


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  • #72
    Duck Soup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭Duck Soup


    Czarcasm wrote: »
    Three days ago -

    When do you have your first ciggie of the day?

    Loads of 'em DH, just in AH alone! I did a quick search.

    I have a spooky feeling we're not going to agree on this, but that's hardly the same thing is it.

    "When did you have your first fag" is not the same as "What about them smelly, hoiky bastards clogging up the hospitals and killing children with their second hand smoke".

    In fact, the conversation is quite convivial on the subject.

    On the other hand, a thread on obesity gets down to the 'gutty slobs' rhetoric before you can say "Batter burger and curry chips."

    Nice.


  • #73
    WesternZulu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,057 ✭✭✭WesternZulu


    donegal__road wrote: »
    There is little or no nutritional value in much of the processed food that supermarkets are selling today, so people have to eat more to obtain their daily requirement of nutrients.

    For example, 1 organic carrot has the equivalent nutritional value of 40 supermarket carrots (according to a food documentary I watched before Christmas).

    This coupled with the increase in sugar consumption through soda drinks and processed food than ever before, means that diabetes and obesity rates are skyrocketing.

    I call BS on this!

    Most of the research states there very little nutritional difference between organic and conventional food.

    1 organic carrot being the equivalent to 40 conventional ones seems mad.


  • #74
    Duck Soup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭Duck Soup


    Bacchus wrote: »
    Clever, can't make argument on actual topic... attempts to derail thread by pointing to smoking and alcohol. You should have mentioned road safety too.

    I'm perfectly willing to engage on the subject. I'm also free to comment on the tone of debate. Which is what I'm doing.

    I'm also pointing out that people have blind spots where their own weaknesses are involved. In Ireland, the one around alcohol consumption in particular is huge.


  • #75
    jane82
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,590 ✭✭✭jane82


    Sorry about your weight gain large people. Here is some questions though.
    When people ask you to write down what you eat for the day why do you always refuse?
    Your appetite gets smaller after a while when you lose the weight. It gets bigger when you put it on. Thats why pregnant women never lose the babyweight. They go up and then havnt got the will power to go back down.
    Its not metabolism, hinduism or anything else you can blame it on. About 3 months of will power will set you free.
    The stomach gets smaller. You will only then want a smaller amount of food. Skinny people arnt walking around starving they are used to that amount of food.
    You are depressed because you overeat. You cant exercise because you overeat. You dont want to leave the house because its close to the food.
    These excuses are so obvious to anybody who has interest in keeping themselves fit.

    WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU EAT EVERYDAY if you want to lose weight. Start lowering the amount.
    ITS THAT EASY


  • #76
    dark crystal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,962 ✭✭✭✭dark crystal


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    it's not my concern if you never have any weight related health problems, but that's unlikely so it becomes everyone's concern if we have to pointlessly waste taxpayer monies on treatments that would otherwise not be required.

    Obesity is one of the biggest social issues of this generation and the cost of it to societies is HUGE.

    Just out of curiosity, do you also have a problem with your tax money going to fund people with HIV and AIDS? How about people with skin cancer?

    Do you believe their conditions are a waste of your tax money too?


  • #77
    Says I To Bridey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 140 ✭✭Says I To Bridey


    Czarcasm wrote: »

    I don't go around slagging off fat people, but I do genuinely care about people who mean something to me. I care about their happiness as well as their mental health, and if their mental health is being affected by their physical health or their physical appearance, then that is a cause for concern, not scorn, and it's best you try not to confuse the two.
    It's not just that, the quality of food you eat can directly affect your mental health. The brain uses about 20% of the bodies energy, if thats coming from poor quality junk food you can be sure it affects mental health directly whether your fat or skinny, and not just as a side effect of being self-conscious about your body
    circadian wrote: »
    Isn't one of the biggest factors the likes of KFC, Iceland and other cheap/fast food places being predominantly in lower wealth areas?

    Have you seen the deals in Iceland(don't know the Irish equivalent)? Two packs of breaded chicken breast for £2. Sure throw in two kilos of chips for a quid. Max it out with some Swede that's heavily salted. That's a few dinners less than a fiver and a calorie count that's through the roof.
    I'd also wager there's an Aldi/Lidl in the same vicinity, and they have great deals on healthy food, particularly vegetables
    Cork selfbuild wrote: »

    Plus one last point - why do people believe that they are entitled to an opinion on other people?
    People form opinions on everything, its human nature :confused:
    Duck Soup wrote: »
    Here's a thing. Nearly 1 in 3 of all A&E admissions are alcohol-related.

    Another thing. Smoking will kill 1 in 2 of all smokers.

    Between the two, the cost to the Irish health service runs into billions and billions of euro annually.

    And yet we never have a "Truth about alcohol" or a "Truth about smoking" thread where non-smokers and non-drinkers berate the boozy and nicotine-stained.

    I can't figure out whether abusing fat people is the last acceptable prejudice or Irish people have a blind spot the size of a fat person's arse when it comes to their own vices.

    I can't remember the last time a fat person, high on kebab and fries, kicked someone to death on a Dublin street. But it must happen, because apparently the drinkers and smokers have the moral high ground over them.

    There are several threads on drinking and smoking. All 3 will cost the country billions. I'd imagine there's some crossover between them two, particurlarly drink and weight


  • #78
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    I think metabolism is down to output requirements, rather than input.

    As an expansion on something Wibbs said above about appetite and perception of what people eat. A mate I used to live with was astounded by the rather large food portions I'd have, but my weight would rarely fluctuate by more than half a stone. He was concentrating on that one meal and visualising it as what I'd have with every meal. Where as all I was doing was having one big meal a day and a few small meals / snacks through out the day.

    I have the same experience - people regularly comment on my appetite vs weight and can't understand how I'm not far more rotund.

    That's because they see me eating liberally at lunch or dinner time. The reality is though, that those are the only two meals I eat in a day and I almost never snack. I'm also reasonably active.

    I don't necessarily think that the way I eat is particularly healthy, but it works for me. It seems to gives people the impression that I eat that way all the time though. They see me ravish an enormous dinner and think that I am doing that for every meal, whilst snacking like them throughout the day.

    I also tend to be aware of the difference between needing to eat and wanting to eat, so I generally just don't indulge the latter.

    It's pretty easy for me to maintain a 'healthy' weight, but despite that I can empathise with people who struggle with their weight.

    There have been a couple of times in my life where my weight has taken a significant upswing, usually during times of particular stress or anxiety, and I've been fortunate enough to catch it and actively do something about it pretty quickly because it makes me feel like a stranger in my own body, very uncomfortable. But I can see how, if let continue, it would be harder to tackle and become a vicious cycle.


  • #79
    Balmed Out
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,710 ✭✭✭Balmed Out


    Bacchus wrote: »
    The key there is that the "healthy eaters" (as vague as that is), eat a lot more. Education around nutrition is appalling. You may think you're picking all the right foods but 1. you're probably not and 2. you're eating too much of them. Simple things like white rice/pasta/bread vs brown catch a lot of people out.

    What are you smoking? Im not over weight. I do know what foods are good and not good for me. I dont eat bread ever. I dont eat pasta. I dont eat much rice. I dont have potatoes too often and half of what Ii do are sweet potatoes.


  • #80
    donegal__road
    Closed Accounts Posts: 953 ✭✭✭donegal__road


    WesternZulu wrote: »
    I call BS on this!

    Most of the research states there very little nutritional difference between organic and conventional food.

    1 organic carrot being the equivalent to 40 conventional ones seems mad.

    ok, I'll go and see if I can dig out the link to the film. Might not be today, but I'll find it.


  • #81
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,079 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Wibbs wrote: »
    Hmmm that's interesting. My family are all skinny feckers, but when you look at old photos of us as babies, we're effin huge. Like swapped at the hospital by mistake out of place butterball babies. It's a running joke in the family.

    I've read breastfeeding has an impact too. Breastfed kids are less likely to be fat as adults. Again in a personal non scientific way, I know a guy whose siblings were all breastfed but he wasn't for some reason. They're all thin, he's struggled with weight from puberty on.
    There TED talk a few years ago that discussed how the birth weight of babies makes a big difference on their future health. Basically, the higher the birthweight, the better. Higher birth weights gave protection against obesity and diabetes.

    The 'thin-Fat' baby is one that has a low birth weight but a higher body fat to muscle ratio and this ratio is maintained (at least in part) into adulthood. If someone is born malnourished or under weight, and this person then goes on to over-eat in later life, he is much more likely to develop Diabetes (this is a big problem in India at the moment)

    The possible mechanism for this is that in times of famine, it's better to have a store of fat than an excess of muscle. Adults who were low birth weight have higher insulin resistance and are also more likely to store sugar as fat.

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  • #82
    Bacchus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,172 ✭✭✭Bacchus


    Duck Soup wrote: »
    I'm perfectly willing to engage on the subject. I'm also free to comment on the tone of debate. Which is what I'm doing.

    I'm also pointing out that people have blind spots where their own weaknesses are involved. In Ireland, the one around alcohol consumption in particular is huge.


    Yet you haven't engaged in the subject (unless I missed a post). You're merely trying to derail the thread by ignoring the topic and pointing at smoking and alcohol as the real problem in Ireland. You're not wrong about your comments on those two topics but they've little to do with the topic of this thread.
    Balmed Out wrote: »
    What are you smoking? Im not over weight. I do know what foods are good and not good for me. I dont eat bread ever. I dont eat pasta. I dont eat much rice. I dont have potatoes too often and half of what Ii do are sweet potatoes.

    :confused: I was speaking in general terms when I gave an example of rice/bread/pasta. How would I know what you eat or don't eat based on a single post where you made a vague comment about you and your friends? Don't take it so personally.

    The only thing I can actually kinda glean from your post about your habits is that you "eat a lot more" of healthy foods. One of my two points there was that often this is something people don't think is important, because the food is "healthy".

    Sweet potatoes are awesome btw :)


  • #83
    Duck Soup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭Duck Soup


    Says I To Bridey wrote: »
    There are several threads on drinking and smoking. All 3 will cost the country billions. I'd imagine there's some crossover between them two, particurlarly drink and weight

    Here's the thing. I've been a heavy smoker in the past (now a non-smoker). I've drank to beat the band (was in alcohol rehab twice). And my weight's been up and down between 12 stone and 23 stone.

    For all my vile behaviour when I was jarred, there was never any censure. If anything, it was a hoot.

    Smoking I never got a comment on one way or the other.

    But weight? Strangers and family alike feel free to comment. If nothing else, apart from being rude and hurtful, it's just plain stupid.

    Why do people overeat? Why do people smoke? Why do people drink? In essence, it's the same thing - stress relief via oral gratification. Different ways of suckling at the same imaginary teat.

    If you want someone to give up smoking or drinking, the worst possible way to go about it is to berate or belittle them. An ounce of encouragement is worth a ton of criticism. This self-evident truism seems to go out the window when talking about the overweight though.

    I agree with you that obesity, smoking and drinking are the horrible trinity of health issues and costs in Ireland. Personally, I think often they have the same stress-induced roots and it would be helpful occasionally perhaps to take a step back and consider the typical lifestyle and how it contributes to stress. An adaptation in how we deal with stress or just simply reducing it could bring down rates of all three health issues.


  • #84
    eviltimeban
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,194 ✭✭✭eviltimeban


    Caliden wrote: »
    You don't even need to go the gym, operation transformation on tv is a great idea. Exercises in the comfort of your own home, go for a 30 minute walk/jog and measure/weigh yourself. As soon as you see a difference you'll be addicted and you will thank yourself for it.

    I hate going to the gym, I'm aware of people around me and I'm actually in good shape, but I still hate going. However, I still want to work out. So, I did it the simplest, cheapest way - I got a pair of dumbells. So I work out at home, plus I do crunches / star jumps / push ups - none of those exercises requires equipment or cost anything.

    And you can do all those things while still watching TV, listening to music, etc. So what you could do is replace the eating with activity.

    The other thing is, when you're in the supermarket, don't buy the foods that you find yourself eating when you are down. If they aren't in your house, you can't eat them. And if someone else does the shopping, ask them to not buy those goods or hide them somewhere if they do buy them.

    Carrot sticks and hummus is a good snack, your jaw gets tired from all the chewing plus you've got nice flavours in the dip. Pretty soon you'll get fed up with it and you won't want anything.

    Another idea (and I heard this from someone into this stuff) is that if you are really hungry for a snack, a spoon of peanut butter is a good option. Sounds ridiculous, but I've tried it and it works. Staves off hunger for a while.


  • #85
    Duck Soup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭Duck Soup


    Bacchus wrote: »
    Yet you haven't engaged in the subject (unless I missed a post). You're merely trying to derail the thread by ignoring the topic and pointing at smoking and alcohol as the real problem in Ireland. You're not wrong about your comments on those two topics but they've little to do with the topic of this thread.

    Read my post that follows yours. I think the three issues are intimately related. I also think that there's a free pass, particularly in Irish society, given to alcohol.

    I also think that the level of vituperation levelled at the overweight generally is astonishing. Eat too much and you're a disgrace and people feel blissfully free to comment on it. Drink until you puke and you're a mad fella and great craic altogether. Welcome to Ireland.


  • #86
    sadie06
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,706 ✭✭✭sadie06


    carzony wrote: »
    I kinda believe in the fast metabilism thingy. I only eat fast food, don't excersize and never had any intrest in sports and yet i'm only 11 stone. 21 years of age and i'm just over 6ft..

    Don't know how i'm so skinny considering..

    My point is everyone has different circumstances.

    Report back in at age 31!:D


  • #87
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,079 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    donegal__road wrote: »
    There is little or no nutritional value in much of the processed food that supermarkets are selling today, so people have to eat more to obtain their daily requirement of nutrients.

    For example, 1 organic carrot has the equivalent nutritional value of 40 supermarket carrots (according to a food documentary I watched before Christmas).
    All the studies that I have seen show the opposite actually. The nutritional value of organic food is not measurably better than food produced using industrial farming methods.

    Ban billionaires



  • #88
    Balmed Out
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,710 ✭✭✭Balmed Out


    Until you can swap consciousness with another person and actually walk in their shoes its wrong to judge someone for being obese or whatever else. For all I know with someone else's appetite rather then my own I could be twice the size as Ii am.


    Bacchus I never mentioned my diet only my friends. Read the thread. The op is about obesity and proposes its always all their fault, not deserving of sympathy and generally only exists as some lack the common sense and back bone that others possess etc etc.


    My whole point is people should not judge others. We all have different appetites, different problems, diseases etc.


  • #89
    Bacchus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,172 ✭✭✭Bacchus


    Duck Soup wrote: »
    Read my post that follows yours. I think the three issues are intimately related. I also think that there's a free pass, particularly in Irish society, given to alcohol.

    I also think that the level of vituperation levelled at the overweight generally is astonishing. Eat too much and you're a disgrace and people feel blissfully free to comment on it. Drink until you puke and you're a mad fella and great craic altogether. Welcome to Ireland.

    Fair enough your last post there is a bit more relevant. I don't want to get too much in to talking about alcohol or smoking but you are right about alcohol. It's another major problem and doesn't carry the same stigmas that obesity does. I guess it's just not as visible unless you are out a lot... in which case you are probably drinking too.

    Smoking though (you mentioned it earlier too) is not what it was 10 years ago, it's a lot less socially acceptable and that trend will continue. What happened with smoking over the past 10 years needs to start happening with food (and alcohol). People need to be better educated about what they are putting in their mouths. Until that happens, nothing will change.


  • #90
    Bacchus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,172 ✭✭✭Bacchus


    Balmed Out wrote: »
    Bacchus I never mentioned my diet only my friends. Read the thread. The op is about obesity and proposes its always all their fault, not deserving of sympathy and generally only exists as some lack the common sense and back bone that others possess etc etc.

    My whole point is people should not judge others. We all have different appetites, different problems, diseases etc.

    Again :confused: Why the aggression? You act as if I've personally insulted you or something. Fine your post was about your friends not "you and your friends". Splitting hairs there TBH. And I said already my post in response was about the general perception on what healthy eating is. There is no education about this in schools (well there wasn't in my day) and even for people trying to make healthy choices, it can be difficult to get it right.

    Why do you feel the need to explain the OP's point btw?

    You're point seems to be that we should stick our heads in the sand to a major problem and let people eat themselves to an early grave, putting our health system under severe strain just to save some hurt feelings? You are right that everyone is different and there can be other issues at play but that doesn't mean obesity gets a free pass and we should just ignore this growing problem.

    Simple things like better education in schools about nutrition in schools would be a great benefit.... or would that be insulting to overweight people?


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  • #91
    Jasmine Victorious Thunderstorm
    Posts: 6,645 ✭✭✭ Jasmine Victorious Thunderstorm


    The reason people moan about obese people, unless they're just nasty bullies who dislike anyone different, is that they tend to invade your space and make you uncomfortable. I had to endure a 10-hour flight next to a man who took up about 1/2 my seat, leaving me with awful back pain (have a bad back anyway) and a stiff neck from being forced to twist in my seat because I didn't have enough space. I asked cabin crew (out of his earshot) if I could move and they said there were no other seats and that I should think about his feelings...well I'm sorry, but how was he thinking about my feelings or physical health? I don't give a sht about what people look like, but when you're affecting my wellbeing, it's my business.

    Secondly, obese people I know have a tendency to moan that it isn't fair that other people are thin. Most thin and fit people I know are that way because they go to the gym multiple times a week, watch what they eat and take care of themselves. I know some people are obese for reasons beyond their control such as illness, but the vast, vast majority are obese because they take in too many calories and don't exercise enough to burn them off.


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