The 11 "beautiful" girls on The Saturday Night Show Last Night.

All this concern for good role modelling and healthy living makes me wonder why heavy drinkers and smokers aren't the subject of many, many more threads discussing how disgustingly unhealthy and unattractive reeking of drink and vomit and smoke is and the consequences for children of that example, never mind long term health.

Seems drink and smoke acceptance is quite advanced in Ireland.

kjl

Look, I know overweight people, and I give them advice on how to lose weight all the time.

But a lot of them just lack motivation to do anything about it. I know a guy who does this cycle where he says he is going to start a new diet on Monday. So Sunday night he gives himself a send off by eating 2 packets of biscuits. Then the next day he gives up on the idea of dieting.

I don't put on a pick of weight and I eat LOADS of food. I eat about 200g of protein a day in the form of Salmon, Chicken, Turkey, Egg white, I eat loads of Carbs but things like brown rice, whole grain bread, Oats. And to top it all off, I eat tons of vegetables, the best ones are the frozen assortments packs, very cheap and cook in the microwave in 2 minutes and taste pretty good and I wash it all down with about 4-5 liters of water. I never feel hungry and I stopped craving the crappy foods years ago.

I also workout 4 times a week and try to get at least 2-3 hours of cardio a week.

It's not hard, it just takes dedication but after a while you feel really strong and get natural high from it, and anyone can do it, just watch the biggest loser.

Tarzana

Candie wrote: »

All this concern for good role modelling and healthy living makes me wonder why heavy drinkers and smokers aren't the subject of many, many more threads discussing how disgustingly unhealthy and unattractive reeking of drink and vomit and smoke is and the consequences for children of that example, never mind long term health.

Seems drink and smoke acceptance is quite advanced in Ireland.

I know, it seems there's a "OMG, let indulge in fat people hand-wringing" thread every week.

And people always say "It's fine to lambast a smoker for smoking, why can't I comment on someone's weight to their face?"

When is the last time any of you ever saw someone being confronted over their smoking? I actually cannot think of a time in my life where I witnessed that happening. Not once in my 30 years.

ahnowbrowncow

Candie wrote: »

All this concern for good role modelling and healthy living makes me wonder why heavy drinkers and smokers aren't the subject of many, many more threads discussing how disgustingly unhealthy and unattractive reeking of drink and vomit and smoke is and the consequences for children of that example, never mind long term health.

Seems drink and smoke acceptance is quite advanced in Ireland.

Are there groups out there stating it's acceptable to get so drunk you vomit or to smoke around children?

RobertKK

Candie wrote: »

All this concern for good role modelling and healthy living makes me wonder why heavy drinkers and smokers aren't the subject of many, many more threads discussing how disgustingly unhealthy and unattractive reeking of drink and vomit and smoke is and the consequences for children of that example, never mind long term health.

Seems drink and smoke acceptance is quite advanced in Ireland.

I don't find that attractive either.

cloud493

Meh its much easier when you've for example, had a bad day, and you go the chippy or get a pizza than cook something. Once you get into the habit of non ****e food, its great.

Pwindedd

Talib Fiasco wrote: »

Getting thin and healthy isn't hard. Fat people must like being fat. Each to their own but respect goes out the window with fat people in my eyes. Yes I am a ****, deal with it.

D you know what, your perfectly entitled to feel that way. Some people feel the same way about smokers, drinkers, recreational drug users etc. and these are all groups who excuse their own behaviours. It's human nature. Those things I mentioned though are not usually too evident from someone's appearance. Fat is there all the time - maybe it's wrong to try and glamourise or promote bad health, but there has to be some level of acceptance that bigger people whilst possibly at risk health wise are also entitled to a basic level of self esteem.

the occasional group of chubbies saying "woohoo look we're gorgeous too" is not going to vastly change our perceptions overnight. Remember when those plus size mannequins were in the news. Well last time I looked down the highsteet all the mannequins were all still stick thin and frankly alienesque.

It's like another poster said, they're working as models I beleive. There's a market for it obviously. To be honest we come in so many shapes and sizes theres probably a market for everything.

Who is healthiest the size 18 woman who doesn't smoke or drink or the size 10 ideal who's out on the piss all weekend and smokes like a trooper. Size is not always an indicator of health.

NIMAN

Losing weight is simple, eat less, exercise more. That will work for 99% of the population.

Its all to do with willpower, few people have any.

Lyger

NIMAN wrote: »

Losing weight is simple, eat less, exercise more.

*takes notes*
"Six instead of seven pizzas per week and two extra minutes of strolling every day."

Thanks for that!

One eyed Jack

Tarzana wrote: »

I know, it seems there's a "OMG, let indulge in fat people hand-wringing" thread every week.

And people always say "It's fine to lambast a smoker for smoking, why can't I comment on someone's weight to their face?"

When is the last time any of you ever saw someone being confronted over their smoking? I actually cannot think of a time in my life where I witnessed that happening. Not once in my 30 years.

Ohh it happens alright, even more so since the smoking ban and the rising popularity of those e-cigarette gadgets. From another quite recent thread on here -

One eyed Jack wrote: »

How is it a prevalent attitude in society when smoking is banned in more public areas than ever before? There are far more non-smokers in Irish society than smokers, and it's a rare occasion now I can light up and smoke without someone asking me "Would you ever try e-cigarettes?". I tried them, I didn't like them.

I'm not impolite about it until they tell me about all their relatives and friends that died from smoking related illnesses, or how I'm going to die from a smoking related illness, etc. It's not as if I'm not already aware of the facts regarding smoking, it's not as if I'm going out of my way to be rude, but honestly - would you take time out of your day to listen to a Jehovah Witness tell you that you need to find Jesus in your life?

Then what makes you think I need to hear about dead people while I'm enjoying a smoke? There's plenty worse ways to die, I try not to think about death anyway as I'd be a miserable shìt if I spent all day thinking about how every cigarette is shortening my life by five minutes, etc.

People are far, far less tolerant of smoking, and even drinking, as they once were, and that's a good thing certainly, but it's also one of the reasons I invested in a good set of earphones!

Shenshen

Candie wrote: »

All this concern for good role modelling and healthy living makes me wonder why heavy drinkers and smokers aren't the subject of many, many more threads discussing how disgustingly unhealthy and unattractive reeking of drink and vomit and smoke is and the consequences for children of that example, never mind long term health.

Seems drink and smoke acceptance is quite advanced in Ireland.

You tend not to get threads about how Dara O'Briain is a bad role model for being clearly overweight, or Eamon Gilmore, or Jack Black...
No, it's the handful of females who decided to earn their living as plus size models. The ones you'll see on a talk show and then never again or TV.

beks101

Didn't read the whole thread, didn't need to tbh. Love a good aul rant about how disgusting and deluded overweight women are around here.

I'm attracted mainly to fit, athletic men. If an athletic man and an overweight man are standing side by side, without knowing a single thing about either of them I'm going to be drawn to the athletic guy.

And yet I don't feel the need to make a song and dance about how unattractive overweight men are, how they have no right to advertise themselves as sexy and attractive and have no right to be OK with being overweight. Or to chastise them and mock them for not maintaining their health and fitness and for 'costing the taxpayer millions' etc. Because it's absolutely none of my business and no-one is forcing me to be attracted to them. And these men exist, as do their female counterparts. In huge numbers. (Pardon pun). More than 50% of our population is overweight.

I don't think these women are claiming to be shining beacons of health and fitness. They're simply saying "hey, we can be attractive too". Not necessarily to you. To someone. To lots of people maybe. Who can dispute that? I'm sure any one of those girls will tell you they're not short on male attention.

You'd swear from these sort of threads filled with OTT outrage and fury that these women were going to spark some sort of revolution, where every woman who watches them is going to nose-dive into morbid obesity in an effort to emulate their 'sexiness' and body confidence.

No, most women would choose a slim, fit, toned figure over what these ladies have on display. But it might encourage them to look at themselves as more than a number on a scale or in a narrow prism of "slim = sexy" and "fat = disgusting", which is sort of the only option we're subconsciously or consciously faced with pretty much every day.

ahnowbrowncow

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

Are there groups out there stating it's acceptable to get so drunk you vomit or to smoke around children?

Deary me. You must not see the threads where people laughingly talk about their epic hangovers and others rush to sympathise. It's not tacit acceptance, it's explicit acceptance. And it's a huge problem in Ireland. Never has there been a thread talking about how disgusting smoking is, and how people who smoke are dogs kidding themselves, even though smoking has a detrimental effect on others, and fat does not.

Those women can say whatever they want and the entire world still knows that being slim is preferable in all kinds of ways to being obese. The same cannot be said of smoking or drinking in a society where both are accepted as not only normal, but desirable. It's been stated with adamance on threads here that some people don't trust, or want to socialise with non drinkers!

I don't smoke, I don't drink, I'm underweight and very small. None of these issues affect me but I've always been an interested observer when it comes to people relationships with smoking, or drinking, or food.

And my personal conclusion is that people (mostly men, in my observation) find fat infinitely more repulsive than any other kind of unhealthy trait, because it is obviously unattractive (to most). That's what fuels this faux concern for society and it's fat-fuelled breakdown into ugliness on the back of individual obesity.

Tarzana

Candie wrote: »

And my personal conclusion is that people (mostly men, in my observation) find fat infinitely more repulsive than any other kind of unhealthy trait, because it is obviously unattractive (to most). That's what fuels this faux concern for society and it's fat-fuelled breakdown into ugliness on the back of individual obesity.

So well said. The faux concern for society is the nauseating bit. As if they could give a crap. Many people just love any opportunity to feel superior despite their own shortcomings. A fat person is a visible target.

Hitchens

why are gym bunnies always so miserable compared to normal people?

TheBeardedLady

beks101 wrote: »

Didn't read the whole thread, didn't need to tbh. Love a good aul rant about how disgusting and deluded overweight women are around here.

I'm attracted mainly to fit, athletic men. If an athletic man and an overweight man are standing side by side, without knowing a single thing about either of them I'm going to be drawn to the athletic guy.

And yet I don't feel the need to make a song and dance about how unattractive overweight men are, how they have no right to advertise themselves as sexy and attractive and have no right to be OK with being overweight. Or to chastise them and mock them for not maintaining their health and fitness and for 'costing the taxpayer millions' etc. Because it's absolutely none of my business and no-one is forcing me to be attracted to them. And these men exist, as do their female counterparts. In huge numbers. (Pardon pun). More than 50% of our population is overweight.

I don't think these women are claiming to be shining beacons of health and fitness. They're simply saying "hey, we can be attractive too". Not necessarily to you. To someone. To lots of people maybe. Who can dispute that? I'm sure any one of those girls will tell you they're not short on male attention.

You'd swear from these sort of threads filled with OTT outrage and fury that these women were going to spark some sort of revolution, where every woman who watches them is going to nose-dive into morbid obesity in an effort to emulate their 'sexiness' and body confidence.

No, most women would choose a slim, fit, toned figure over what these ladies have on display. But it might encourage them to look at themselves as more than a number on a scale or in a narrow prism of "slim = sexy" and "fat = disgusting", which is sort of the only option we're subconsciously or consciously faced with pretty much every day.

Always so wise.

One eyed Jack

Hitchens wrote: »

why are gym bunnies always so miserable compared to normal people?

Are they? I hadn't noticed?

Would you care to give a few examples, or are you just stirring?

Aubrey loves Joe

They wouldn't let you on the boat with them in your trailer.

Lyger

Tarzana wrote: »

So well said. The faux concern for society is the nauseating bit. As if they could give a crap. Many people just love any opportunity to feel superior despite their own shortcomings. A fat person is a visible target.

Honestly, I genuinely would prefer more of a healthy living culture - it's nothing to do with making overweight people feel crap; I have zero interest in that - if anything I'd like to see overweight people become more confident in their abilities to get healthy.
It would make us a happier society I think. Having been overweight and miserable, getting the weight off and getting fitter and feeling better is like a drug it's so good and euphoric (I'm certainly not some sort of perfectly bodied being by the way ).
It needs to be reinforced positively though - the "Just get up off your arse and eat less" thing is useless, and very negative/aggressive.
The fact it's so dark and rainy and crappy in this country for nearly six months per year doesn't create great conditions for it either. But I do genuinely think it would be better for people not to be complacent about being overweight.

Tarzana

Lyger wrote: »

Honestly, I genuinely would prefer more of a healthy living culture - it's nothing to do with making overweight people feel crap; I have zero interest in that - if anything I'd like to see overweight people become more confident in their abilities to get healthy.

For many, it is.

Though, the weather thing doesn't make sense to me, exercising is way more enjoyable in cold weather than warm, far less sweaty.

It would be better for people to be less complacent but it's nobody's concern other than the overweight person.

The Drunken Destrier

Main lesson I take from this thread is that hardly anyone watches the Saturday Night Show.

Lyger

Tarzana wrote: »

For many, it is.

For sure, but don't think concern for the health aspect is always just a ploy to make overweight people feel like sh*t (not saying you specifically do, but I just mean in general).

Harder to get out and exercise when it's dark and rainy.

Hitchens

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Are they? I hadn't noticed?

Would you care to give a few examples, or are you just stirring?

you probably mean celebrity examples I take it? it's a long shot that we move in the same social whirl

humbert

Candie wrote: »

Deary me. You must not see the threads where people laughingly talk about their epic hangovers and others rush to sympathise. It's not tacit acceptance, it's explicit acceptance. And it's a huge problem in Ireland. Never has there been a thread talking about how disgusting smoking is, and how people who smoke are dogs kidding themselves, even though smoking has a detrimental effect on others, and fat does not.

The posters of after hours are very unlikely to be role models to even the most misguided sole and I've yet to see anyone say, here or less likely still on TV, that heavy drinking was an acceptable life choice and shouldn't be criticised.

One eyed Jack

Lyger wrote: »

It needs to be reinforced positively though - the "Just get up off your arse and eat less" thing is useless, and very negative/aggressive.

This, so much, should be the foundation of any approach to encouraging people to get interested in their own health and welfare, and it should be the foundation of an holistic approach, not just "I can do it, so you can do it too!" nonsense.

It requires a very individualised approach, certainly, but if even half the people criticizing these V Plus models were actually genuinely concerned for these women's health and welfare, as opposed to merely their aesthetic appearance, this approach might lend their criticisms some credibility as opposed to just dismissing them as preaching to people who really couldn't care less for their opinion.

These women KNOW they're fat, they celebrate it, they thrive on it and they want everyone to know it. They feel validated in their idealism because peoples OTT reactions are classed as being merely aggressive and bitter and you might as well be aiming such drivel at a brick wall. It gets you nowhere.

Take the time to find out what's beneath the surface of the aesthetics, and then you may have sone hope of changing their attitudes towards themselves, and their attitudes towards you.

Lyger

humbert wrote: »

misguided sole

A lost fish you say?

(Just kidding!)

One eyed Jack

Hitchens wrote: »

you probably mean celebrity examples I take it? it's a long shot that we move in the same social whirl

Not at all, just examples of unhappy gym attendees would do, even anecdotal?

We don't have to move in the same social circles at all (not sure how that's relevant either).

You made a statement, wedged it in there out of the blue, and I was just interested to see where you were coming from, as that hasn't been my experience. Most gym atendees I know are highly motivated individuals that are both physically healthy and mentally happy in themselves.

That's why I questioned the veracity of your claims.

Hitchens

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Not at all, just examples of unhappy gym attendees would do, even anecdotal?

We don't have to move in the same social circles at all (not sure how that's relevant either).

You made a statement, wedged it in there out of the blue, and I was just interested to see where you were coming from, as that hasn't been my experience. Most gym atendees I know are highly motivated individuals that are both physically healthy and mentally happy in themselves.

That's why I questioned the veracity of your claims.

let me get this straight, you want their names?

One eyed Jack

Hitchens wrote: »

let me get this straight, you want their names?

No, I said anecdotes. Anecdotes. It's a discussion forum, I would like to discuss your perspective. You asked a question, and I would like to know why you asked the question, as we obviously have very different experiences.

I can't force you to discuss how you came to such a conclusion, I regret bothering to engage with you at this point tbh.

RDM_83 again

Candie wrote: »

All this concern for good role modelling and healthy living makes me wonder why heavy drinkers and smokers aren't the subject of many, many more threads discussing how disgustingly unhealthy and unattractive reeking of drink and vomit and smoke is and the consequences for children of that example, never mind long term health.

Seems drink and smoke acceptance is quite advanced in Ireland.

As a society we have some taken a lot of strong methods to make smoking unappealing, I went through them earlier, I'm currently staring at a pic of some lads cancerous swollen throat because of those methods.

AFAIK I know there is an ever decreasing amount of people smoking, alcohol consumption is also down from its peak.

Fat bashing is definitely a thing on AH, I've called people out on it in some stupid thread about airplane seats, this doesn't change the fact that the biggest issue in health care (with our model of health care funding it effects everybody not just those overweight, and smoking and drinking for all there problems are possibly cost neutral in terms of health funding) is obesity and the vast majority of it is avoidable.

Can I ask the sensible posters here what methods they would use to tackle the obesity crisis because the evidence is there that peoples view point on what a 'normal' or healthy body shape is has became skewed
Take a look at this image
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/9/8/1410187036571/African-American-women-bo-001.jpg

Which body shapes do you think are normal, overweight and underweight.

1 is underweight, 2,3,4 are normal, and the rest are overweight to obese