Irish men rank first in Europe for BMI

lawlolawl · 01-04-2016 10:28AM

Irish people are by and large lazy as fook and will only eat right and exercise if they have something like a wedding coming up or if it's the beginning of the year and they are "doing Operation Transformation"

Plus, the boom-time mentality of 'excess in everything' never fully went away during the recession and it is already starting to come back with a bang.

munster87 · 01-04-2016 10:30AM

Esel wrote: »

8 lbs is a good weight for a baby.

Thanks. I had been working out for over 10 hours

FlowerPower1 · 01-04-2016 10:31AM

Esel wrote: »

8 lbs is a good weight for a baby.

It's funny because I'm pregnant at the minute and had my anamoly scan last week. The midwife was giving out that babies are just getting bigger and bigger with more complications than she's ever seen in her career, obviously making her job more difficult.

RDM_83 again · 01-04-2016 10:32AM

I wonder has anybody checked if there is a correlation between working hours and levels of obesity, definitely seems like this to me (for peoples from European stock anyway).

Also its literally all to do with class here and in the UK, in my carriage on the tube today into the city doubt there was a person under 40 that was overweight.

For those crying sexism on some of the focus on women, if your looking at overweightness and a rise in BMI the female figure is both more worrying and more interesting socially.
There is a significant and likely rising minority with the current muscle culture trend of men who are likely "bmi overweight" due to carrying a lot of muscle, the same can't be said for the vast vast majority of women.
Socially its interesting too, men are presumed to be less judged on physical appearance than women, if this effect is as socially corrosive as many commentators say surely female levels of obesity should be far lower.

SEPT 23 1989 · 01-04-2016 10:35AM

I am still using stones and ounces so i'm grand

Bongalongherb · 01-04-2016 10:35AM

lawlolawl wrote: »

Irish people are by and large lazy as fook and will only eat right and exercise if they have something like a wedding coming up or if it's the beginning of the year and they are "doing Operation Transformation"

Plus, the boom-time mentality of 'excess in everything' never fully went away during the recession and it is already starting to come back with a bang.

But there is another thing though with putting on the flab, and that is beer. I eat reasonably healthily myself but I have a fetish with beer and that really does put the pounds on after time. So just because you might see an over-weight guy walking up the road doesn't mean he eats the country dry.

One More Toy · 01-04-2016 10:36AM

We win! Well done lads couldn't have done it without you

lawlolawl · 01-04-2016 10:47AM

Bongalongherb wrote: »

But there is another thing though with putting on the flab, and that is beer. I eat reasonably healthily myself but I have a fetish with beer and that really does put the pounds on after time. So just because you might see an over-weight guy walking up the road doesn't mean he eats the country dry.

That's part of the 'excess in everything'.

"De few pints" as a weekly or bi-weekly occurrence is pretty much the norm for a lot of Irish adults.

fuzzby100 · 01-04-2016 10:53AM

In general the irish diet is dreadful and it appears that a lot of people don't care what they eat. Just take a look in shopping trolleys /baskets, people shopping in convenience stores particularly at the deli counters. What is more worrying is the fact that many young people seem to be heading the same direction. What's the answer is really hard to say - more education in schools, educating parents, sugar taxes etc, etc. One thing is for sure if we keep going the way we are now, the health service wont be able to cope and resources will be tied up on otherwise preventable medical conditions.

kevohmsford · 01-04-2016 10:54AM

God I'd love a Pop-Tart.

fuzzby100 · 01-04-2016 11:08AM

Have two.

maudgonner · 01-04-2016 11:08AM

Esel wrote: »

8 lbs is a good weight for a baby.

Small turkey though.

Broken Hearted Road · 01-04-2016 11:09AM

I think something else that plays a part is a long, busy and hectic schedule.

I've been on the big size since my teens. I was a size 14 to 16 in secondary school. I'm now a size 20. So what changed for me? Work. I'm on the go from early morning til late evening and I'd be lucky if I'd be home at 8pm. When you're in home so late there's little time to yourself before before you fall into bed to do it all over again the next day. Weekends then are catching up with jobs around the house that should have been done all week. And that's weekends when I'm free. Some weekend I work.

I have an aunt who is obese too and she has similar busy and hectic schedule all week long.

A grocery shop for me, doesn't contain junk except for white bread for toast and sandwiches. Fast food and take away - I never go there. A lot of my diet consists of eggs - for breakfast and it's great for dinner too - like scrambled eggs for dinner. That's if I'm not too tired for dinner. There's definitely room for improvement in my diet like I enjoy a can of coke a day for a boost.

Minderbinder · 01-04-2016 11:12AM

FlowerPower1 wrote: »

It's funny because I'm pregnant at the minute and had my anamoly scan last week. The midwife was giving out that babies are just getting bigger and bigger with more complications than she's ever seen in her career, obviously making her job more difficult.

jaysus she's very comforting

conorhal · 01-04-2016 11:14AM

biko wrote: »

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"

That skinny bitch Kate Moss has never tasted my Texas Red beer chilli.

waffleman · 01-04-2016 11:17AM

I'm fat coz I'm sad

I'm sad coz I'm fat

Majority of fatties wont change unless they are forced

A flat sugar tax is unfair - there should be the regular shop price and an obese price

double sounds about right

VisibleGorilla · 01-04-2016 11:22AM

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

I think something else that plays a part is a long, busy and hectic schedule.

I've been on the big size since my teens. I was a size 14 to 16 in secondary school. I'm now a size 20. So what changed for me? Work. I'm on the go from early morning til late evening and I'd be lucky if I'd be home at 8pm. When you're in home so late there's little time to yourself before before you fall into bed to do it all over again the next day. Weekends then are catching up with jobs around the house that should have been done all week. And that's weekends when I'm free. Some weekend I work.

I have an aunt who is obese too and she has similar busy and hectic schedule all week long.

A grocery shop for me, doesn't contain junk except for white bread for toast and sandwiches. Fast food and take away - I never go there. A lot of my diet consists of eggs - for breakfast and it's great for dinner too - like scrambled eggs for dinner. That's if I'm not too tired for dinner. There's definitely room for improvement in my diet like I enjoy a can of coke a day for a boost.

This is simply making excuses for the excess amount of calories you eat on a daily basis to maintain a weight that has you at size 20.

It's pure and utter laziness, simple as that.

SarahMollie · 01-04-2016 11:29AM

VisibleGorilla wrote: »

This is simply making excuses for the excess amount of calories you eat on a daily basis to maintain a weight that has you at size 20.

It's pure and utter laziness, simple as that.

Little harsh. Its true of course that her diet is going wrong somewhere but I think its often lack of knowledge thats causing a real problem. There are lots of foods out there masquerading as healthy when in fact they're laced with sugar. Cereal bars, anyone?

@Broken Hearted Road - The white bread and can of coke stick out to me. White bread does nothing for you nutritionally and will only spike your sugar levels, which will make you crave more unhealthy choices. This is somewhere you could switch to a healthier alternative quite easily just by making a better choice at the supermarket.
The can of coke is another problem. I've a quick rule for myself - never drink your calories (obvious exception to this is alcohol, as I do like me some red wine or a vodka, soda and lime!). Routinely pouring sugar down your throat like this will lead to weightgain without question. It shouldn't be a daily habit.

VisibleGorilla · 01-04-2016 11:33AM

SarahMollie wrote: »

Little harsh. Its true of course that her diet is going wrong somewhere but I think its often lack of knowledge thats causing a real problem. There are lots of foods out there masquerading as healthy when in fact they're laced with sugar. Cereal bars, anyone?

Perhaps harsh but true. I've had periods of excess weight gain throughout my life and it was caused by nothing but my own laziness.

I'd agree lack of knowledge can cause it but we live in the information age, everything need to be known is at your fingertips for free.

Calories out > Calories in = Weight loss. Easy.

beach_walker · 01-04-2016 11:33AM

One More Toy wrote: »

We win! Well done lads couldn't have done it without you

Wahey! Who's heading to the chipper for lunch?

Broken Hearted Road · 01-04-2016 11:34AM

VisibleGorilla wrote: »

This is simply making excuses for the excess amount of calories you eat on a daily basis to maintain a weight that has you at size 20.

It's pure and utter laziness, simple as that.

The average work day can be anything from 8 to 12 hours a day but sometimes it can go over and have weekends thrown into the mix too. A few weeks ago there was one night when I didn't finish up til 10.30 at night and that's in work since morning and another night not finishing up until after 9pm.

Get back to me next time you work 3 weeks solid with 8 to 13/14 hours a day and let me know how you get on. You won't be bouncing around with energy that's for sure.

rubadub · 01-04-2016 11:35AM

SarahMollie wrote: »

We've come from being the skinniest in western Europe (granted, half starved) to where we are today.

This is part of the problem with these studies and projections. There was one a few years ago saying the Irish were currently lower than the UK, but the projection was that we would be higher. This was since they were say 5% obese in 1980 and 15% in 2000, but in the UK it was say 10% in 1980 and 16% in 2000. So they wrongly conclude that we are rapidly rising and will continue at this fast rate, and quickly pass out the UK, as though its 2 cars accelerating.

There were studies done decades ago feeding prisoners huge amounts of food, like 10,000kcal per day, their weight stabilised, even though they ate huge amounts the body gets used to it and does not just continue to put on weight.

Not sure if anybody bothered to examine the graphs on that link.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/ireland-s-obesity-rate-among-world-s-worst-1.2594266

In the first you see the Irish men & womens are not increasing at the same rate at the end. While the world women & men are rising at the same rate. On the second graph they appear to be rising upwards at a great angle.

If you transposed the first graph and its angle on the second the Irish men would be maybe 30% in 2025.

The bottom axes shows 50 years, slap another 50 years on the end and use the same angle they have and in 2075 it would predict maybe 100%+ of men will be obese.

It reminds me of that simpsons episode with lisas teeth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49MkKpmRW6Y

SarahMollie · 01-04-2016 11:36AM

VisibleGorilla wrote: »

Perhaps harsh but true. I've had periods of excess weight gain throughout my life and it was caused by nothing but my own laziness.

I'd agree lack of knowledge can cause it but we live in the information age, everything need to be known is at your fingertips for free.

Calories out > Calories in = Weight loss. Easy.

If it was that easy, everyone would do it. Congrats that its worked for you but some people struggle.

Also, yes there is a lot of information out there, but the food industry and its lobbing and advertising are conspiring to confuse the consumer.

Charles Babbage · 01-04-2016 11:36AM

Irish men have repudiated Ryan Tubridy.

Bongalongherb · 01-04-2016 11:41AM

kevohmsford wrote: »

God I'd love a Pop-Tart.

There's always one isn't there. Well that's pop-tarts on the shopping list for today, it must be 2 years since I had a few of those. This thread really is making me hungry now, a very unhealthy thread indeed.

jobbridge4life · 01-04-2016 11:41AM

Not terribly surprised by this. Reasons I suspect we may be doing poorly.

Poor diet and food culture, though this is improving.
No gym culture/less male beauty standards, though I think this is changing fairly rapidly as well.
Poor participation in sports and exercise in adulthood. Irish people love sport... down the pub with pint in hand.
Poor PE and body education in school generally. If you weren't in GAA or team sports in lots of schools you may as well have been paralysed.
Poor infrastructure and design. Our cities and rural areas are not particularly conducive to non-exercise activity. Cycling is still quite dangerous, in the country everything is too far to walk etc.

BlibBlab · 01-04-2016 11:42AM

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

The average work day can be anything from 8 to 12 hours a day but sometimes it can go over and have weekends thrown into the mix too. A few weeks ago there was one night when I didn't finish up til 10.30 at night and that's in work since morning and another night not finishing up until after 9pm.

Get back to me next time you work 3 weeks solid with 8 to 13/14 hours a day and let me know how you get on. You won't be bouncing around with energy that's for sure.

It's tough, but you can still make time if you really want to. I had a job that had me working 11-12 hours a day and out of the house even longer, physical work outside. I still cooked dinner and made lunch for the next day 90% of the time despite being knackered. Looking back the lunches weren't always the healthiest but if I knew what I know now I'd just make something healthier rather than make an excuse

kuntboy · 01-04-2016 11:43AM

Kev_2012 wrote: »

I find that Irish people make fun of others who don't eat the same as or drink the same as them. That's a massive issue, and it all starts with learning from a young age.

Irish people make fun of others for EVERYTHING. Its one of our worst traits. We brush it off as "only a bit of craic" or whatever but as Bertrand Russell said ridicule is actually a form of aggression hidden as a "joke". It's small village mentality and it holds us back as a country imo.

BlibBlab · 01-04-2016 11:45AM

rubadub wrote: »

This is part of the problem with these studies and projections. There was one a few years ago saying the Irish were currently lower than the UK, but the projection was that we would be higher. This was since they were say 5% obese in 1980 and 15% in 2000, but in the UK it was say 10% in 1980 and 16% in 2000. So they wrongly conclude that we are rapidly rising and will continue at this fast rate, and quickly pass out the UK, as though its 2 cars accelerating.

There were studies done decades ago feeding prisoners huge amounts of food, like 10,000kcal per day, their weight stabilised, even though they ate huge amounts the body gets used to it and does not just continue to put on weight.

Not sure if anybody bothered to examine the graphs on that link.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/ireland-s-obesity-rate-among-world-s-worst-1.2594266

In the first you see the Irish men & womens are not increasing at the same rate at the end. While the world women & men are rising at the same rate. On the second graph they appear to be rising upwards at a great angle.

If you transposed the first graph and its angle on the second the Irish men would be maybe 30% in 2025.

The bottom axes shows 50 years, slap another 50 years on the end and use the same angle they have and in 2075 it would predict maybe 100%+ of men will be obese.

It reminds me of that simpsons episode with lisas teeth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49MkKpmRW6Y

Might be something to do with an aging population? The number of people overweight seems to shoot up once people hit their mid-30s.

livedadream · 01-04-2016 11:45AM

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

I think something else that plays a part is a long, busy and hectic schedule.

A grocery shop for me, doesn't contain junk except for white bread for toast and sandwiches. Fast food and take away - I never go there. A lot of my diet consists of eggs - for breakfast and it's great for dinner too - like scrambled eggs for dinner. That's if I'm not too tired for dinner. There's definitely room for improvement in my diet like I enjoy a can of coke a day for a boost.

while i agree with you on principle, it is harder to shlep to the gym after a long day and prep a proper dinner for yourself i was the same.

i work mental hours, however was 20 stone (not a size 20 literally 20 stone 2 lbs) it was horrific i'm 5 foot and was as wide as i am tall, to be honest i got fed up of people telling me i have a pretty face of such a nice personality and all that ****e people spill out when your fat.

eventually my GP refused to prescribe me my pill unless i dropped weight he said i was a blood clot or stroke waiting to happen because of my weight. I cried he said that he had seen my weight climb and climb and i needed to cop on, eat less move more. (the eat less is ridiculous because to be fair now i actually eat more food its just better nutritionally)

i got my ass in gear as well as keeping up the hours at work because i had to, fat people arnt always sad. i wasnt but i was fed up not in a vanity way of clothes dont fit im not attractive etc etc but more in a jesus christ i cant walk up the stairs in my house without being out of breath.

i was kidding myself and i hate to be harsh but so are you. drinking coke is a death sentence, it is pure sugar and does nothing but give you a lovely 30 minute sugar high then you crash. White bread offers nothing nutritionally and is backed with sugar as well.

I know its hard! and it sucks and you will hate people who eat cake and drink coke and look slim and healthy. those people are anomalies.

ive lost 6 stone 1.2 lbs in a year and a half and it was killer, it ment alot of early mornings in the gym, alot of late nights pounding the roads running on m lunch break but now im a size 14 on bottom and a 12 on top, im turning 30 this year, ive completed a triathlon (i was like 6th last or something but didnt care) im doing a half marathon this year and by jesus i wont be near the back of the pack.

yes a busy schedule makes it hard to get healthy, but so is being fat.

i prep my food on a sunday, (sometimes when i know im going to have mental busy week i get it delivered by a food delivery company that offers healthy balanced meals) i still have a treat once every week or two but thats it one treat and it has to still stay inside my calorie allowance

my manta last year was: you are sick, good food and exercise is the prescription to make you better.

i hope you get the help you need or find it within yourself because being overweight sucks. we have normalised it in Ireland for some reason to make ourselves feel better about it,

sorry for the long post but im officially one of those people thats out the other side (yes is till have a way to go weight loss wise but im also normal size now so its easier) and it frustrates me when people give up on themselves.

Irish men rank first in Europe for BMI

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