Is the Obesity Epidemic fact or fiction?

LCD

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

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

Gummy Panda

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

Fat-tion

djan

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

*looks down*


fiction, definitely fiction!

--Kaiser--

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

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

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

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

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--

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

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

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

syklops

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

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

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

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

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

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

marshbaboon

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

--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--

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--

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--

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

--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

--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

--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

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

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

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.

Jogathon

I think that it is a social problem. I have worked in different schools and have noticed a huge difference in according to area. In areas where there is a high proportion of lower wage or dole recipients (and the school would be designated disadvantaged) there are many overweight/obese children. There are also the stick insects of children who survive on sweets in these schools.

In the school where parents would both be working and earning good money the children are slim, not skinny and not overweight. However, there is always one that's a little chubby - pushing towards obese.

Sala

It's hard to know if people are "obese". Sometimes people seem to think obesity means you are huge but I know a few people I would have said are overweight have been told by their doctors they are in fact obese.

Wacker The Attacker

Its lipofiction?

Muir

I think people perceive obese as the really huge people. Like the kind shown on TV who can hardly leave their homes, when in fact people of a size 14-16 can be obese (not saying all are but from around that size you can be). Whereas I would say a lot of people would just think of it as a bit overweight & not actually obese.
Even many children who are slim are still eating junk which isn't good for them. I think there should be a lot more focus on healthy eating for children, and not on weight. I have a nephew who is skinny, but he has an awful diet. He doesn't like & refuses to try most foods, so he eats coco-pops, crisps, waffles, noodles & chips. No vegetables or fruit. He believes he wont like new foods (I was like that as a child too) so then wont try them or if he does try he'll say he doesn't like it without really giving it a chance.

From primary school children should learn about nutrition, try new foods and even be given some lessons in cooking healthy foods. And a greater focus on exercise also. In the school yard children often aren't allowed run incase they fall over, which is stupid. A few grazed knees never did anyone any harm.

dirtyden

Sappa wrote: »

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.

I have a problem with that word. He reckons because there is absolutely no way to know for sure. It is impossible to compare because 20 years ago when I was in primary school there was noone measuring BMIs etc. There was fat kids then and skinny kids same as there is now. I dont think body shape/sizes have changed significantly but i am also only reckoning.

What certainly has changed though is the widespread availabilty of convenience food. Fish and chips once a week would have been extravagant, wheras now it would be quite common to get takeaway 3 or 4 times a week. Soft drink portions have got bigger (you could only get 330 ml cans back then, now have 750 ml bottles). I do think we did eat healthier when i was young, sweets fast food were seen as a treat rather than common place.

Pace2008

marshbaboon wrote: »

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

Well, that can't be right since BMI is based on weight compared to height.

BMI is a pretty good guide fort the general population. It doesn't necessarily apply to people who do a lot of resistance training, but for the average Joe if your BMI is in the overweight range then you're probably carrying too much fat.

Sappa

dirtyden wrote: »

Sappa wrote: »

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.

I have a problem with that word. He reckons because there is absolutely no way to know for sure. It is impossible to compare because 20 years ago when I was in primary school there was noone measuring BMIs etc. There was fat kids then and skinny kids same as there is now. I dont think body shape/sizes have changed significantly but i am also only reckoning.

What certainly has changed though is the widespread availabilty of convenience food. Fish and chips once a week would have been extravagant, wheras now it would be quite common to get takeaway 3 or 4 times a week. Soft drink portions have got bigger (you could only get 330 ml cans back then, now have 750 ml bottles). I do think we did eat healthier when i was young, sweets fast food were seen as a treat rather than common place.

They have hard data to prove this targeting secondary schools not primary schools,should have made that clear sorry.
He couldn't believe the level of fitness when tested at a speed beep test.
Kids were dropping out after 20 beeps where the analysis from 10 yrs previously showed 60 odd being the worst performance,
Body fat bmi was taken consistently from 4 schools and the data is showing a huge jump in fat %.
I think it is down to a number of factors,ready availability of fast food,junk,extra money,clever marketing,over indulgence and lack of exercise or encouragement by the parents.

Angeles

I wouldn't say epidemic as that implies some form of disease, but yes, society as a whole are moving more and more towards our body's becoming overweight.
People blame food all the time, "too much sugar in this and that"
The real problem is our level of activity.

Walk to the shop half a km down the road? haha feck that. *Takes out car*
Cycle to work 8km away? haha as if - *hops on the luas*
How about a nice stroll on the beach/park... yeah right *my show is about to start*

Our General physical and mental activity is highly reduced because of advancements in entertainment and in the amount of ways we reduce the effort in simply getting from A to B.
Compare that to 80 years ago, the food more or less is the same. Infact in many cases now, healthier, we just simple don't move as much.
*typed while sitting motionless in a comfy chair in an office looking at a computer screen*

BraziliaNZ

Sea Filly wrote: »

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

Well you work in a lab, so probably educated middle class people you're surrounded by. They're the ones who eat healthy and exercise. Look at a typical pajama wearing type's grocery trolley, it's all coke and chicken nuggets, not roasted fennel and rocket salads etc!
So it's the uneducated poor people who are getting fatter it seems.

dirtyden

Sappa wrote: »

They have hard data to prove this targeting secondary schools not primary schools,should have made that clear sorry.
He couldn't believe the level of fitness when tested at a speed beep test.
Kids were dropping out after 20 beeps where the analysis from 10 yrs previously showed 60 odd being the worst performance,
Body fat bmi was taken consistently from 4 schools and the data is showing a huge jump in fat %.
I think it is down to a number of factors,ready availability of fast food,junk,extra money,clever marketing,over indulgence and lack of exercise or encouragement by the parents.

I should have read your post more thoroughly too, apologies! I guess it is hard to argue with numbers. Do you mind me asking where the school was? I would imagine depending on school or area large differences might also be seen. I am from a rural town where GAA is religion and every kid plays. I would imagine factors like that would also be key in the general fitness and activity levels of kids.

I would imagine general fitness may have dropped in some areas as past times for kids have in some cases become more sedentary. We spent school holidays outside, but we did not have games consoles apart form the C64 (and you still had to go out and play 2 hrs football while the game was loading). And also junk food is everywhere now. Sad to say, i can remember when a bag of chips was a real treat (although our local italian chipper back then was legendary).

Sea Filly

Angeles wrote: »

I wouldn't say epidemic as that implies some form of disease, but yes, society as a whole are moving more and more towards our body's becoming overweight.
People blame food all the time, "too much sugar in this and that"
The real problem is our level of activity.

No, believe me, sugar consumption has a HUGE amount to do with weight gain. Most of us eat far too much of it.

Sea Filly

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Well you work in a lab, so probably educated middle class people you're surrounded by. They're the ones who eat healthy and exercise. Look at a typical pajama wearing type's grocery trolley, it's all coke and chicken nuggets, not roasted fennel and rocket salads etc!
So it's the uneducated poor people who are getting fatter it seems.

Well, fair enough, we're not dole recipients but we wouldn't all be middle-class either. I and a few others in the lab would be from working-class backgrounds. But more traditional ones, I'd say, where chocolate was a Sunday treat when we little.

marshbaboon

To be honest it's not that hard a formula to work out. Consuming more energy than you use = weight gain.

If you can't see your neck anymore, it's probably time to put the fork down.

Dravokivich

Sea Filly wrote: »

No, believe me, sugar consumption has a HUGE amount to do with weight gain. Most of us eat far too much of it.

Well there's some truth to what Angeles is saying as well. All that energy and then doing nothing with it. A lot of people need to be more active.

It's easy to lump it all on people's diet, because for the most part that means no take aways and watching what you buy in the supermarket. It's generally harder for people to accept that they are lazy and then get them to start doing something about it. People become habitual in their activities/inactivities and these can be harder to break pass. Sometimes with a negative perception on someone if they are unable to do anything initially / short term.

It wasn't me!

It rose fast when I was in secondary school, and was predominantly down to a growth in inactivity. Among my year most stayed very active all the way through school. It would have been considered odd not to have at least one sport on the go at any stage. But we noticed it even a few years behind us. There were more fat kids and there just wasn't the same level of participation in sports. I'm not saying we ate brilliantly either. We ate pretty terribly really! But you can get away with that to a certain extent when you're a teenager playing two sports competitively. Since leaving school, a lot of guys dropped out of sports and have put on weight. Others have gotten more involved, and participation in individual endurance sports has increased, which emphasises the divide really.

wilkie2006

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 think that those people who are out running are the wealthier, better educated ones. They're fine and so are their kids, it's the people who are living in really deprived areas that are suffering with dangerous obesity. 60% might be statistically accurate but the 6/10 people it refers to are all clustered together, living where you won't meet them.

BraziliaNZ

marshbaboon wrote: »

To be honest it's not that hard a formula to work out. Consuming more energy than you use = weight gain.

If you can't see your neck anymore, it's probably time to put the fork down.

I looked to see if I can see my neck, but I can't!

wilkie2006

Phoenix Park wrote: »

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.

I absolutely agree that a tax should be levied on all fast-food, sweets, etc. However, the revenue it generates shouldn't go towards the national debt - it needs to be spent on subsidising healthier foods and teaching people how to cook properly.

fishy fishy

wilkie2006 wrote: »

I absolutely agree that a tax should be levied on all fast-food, sweets, etc. However, the revenue it generates shouldn't go towards the national debt - it needs to be spent on subsidising healthier foods and teaching people how to cook properly.

and what about the likes of muesli and most cereals - they have more sugar in them than sweets half the time.

--Kaiser--

fishy fishy wrote: »

and what about the likes of muesli and most cereals - they have more sugar in them than sweets half the time.

Muesli and most cereals are alos unhealthy