Why are so many fat?

LirW

_Dara_ wrote: »

People are very dismissive of medical issues, I find, when it comes to weight problems. They are roundly treated as an excuse. People don’t take into account that medical issues can have knock-on effects like making a person much less physically active, for example. I was on a medication in the last few years that seriously stymied my ability to keep weight off even when I was eating really well. AND my physical activity was severely curtailed. Health problems are messy and their influence can be far-reaching.

Since women getting the majority of flack for weight, I'd like to bring up that they are the vast majority to experience severe hormonal issues and also thyroid issues. Both are incredibly chaotic to deal with, it takes years to get a diagnosis and most likely another while to find treatment that works. I was always a size 8-10 and suffered terrible pain that had an severe effect on my everyday life. Now I'm on medication and almost pain-free but a size 14 and sometimes even 16 with bottoms, not much changed in my lifestyle.
I'm trading weight for a massive improvement in my quality of life. I didn't choose this but I never ever wanna go back to the dark place I've been before. Most people will never know how painful and frustrating a situation like this is, when they look at me it's rather easy to think "ah well skip the scones then". I TAKE SO MUCH GODDAMN CARE and thanks to this issue it is almost impossible to lose weight, especially if it gets worse. I eat so much better than a lot of people I know, for my own sake and well-being but I still have an awful lot of work to do to shed even 3 kilos.

Female medical issues are a not insignificant factor in contributing to weight and as a nice bonus this sh1t is usually chronic too.

_Dara_

LirW wrote: »

Since women getting the majority of flack for weight, I'd like to bring up that they are the vast majority to experience severe hormonal issues and also thyroid issues. Both are incredibly chaotic to deal with, it takes years to get a diagnosis and most likely another while to find treatment that works. I was always a size 8-10 and suffered terrible pain that had an severe effect on my everyday life. Now I'm on medication and almost pain-free but a size 14 and sometimes even 16 with bottoms, not much changed in my lifestyle.
I'm trading weight for a massive improvement in my quality of life. I didn't choose this but I never ever wanna go back to the dark place I've been before. Most people will never know how painful and frustrating a situation like this is, when they look at me it's rather easy to think "ah well skip the scones then". I TAKE SO MUCH GODDAMN CARE and thanks to this issue it is almost impossible to lose weight, especially if it gets worse. I eat so much better than a lot of people I know, for my own sake and well-being but I still have an awful lot of work to do to shed even 3 kilos.

Female medical issues are a not insignificant factor in contributing to weight and as a nice bonus this sh1t is usually chronic too.

I’m sorry about the weight gain, it must be tough after being slim your whole life. But I’m glad that the medication has improved your quality of life in other ways. You never know, new meds might come along in the future that will help you stay feeling well but also lose weight!

EmmetWhitey

dhaughton99 wrote: »

I’m looking out the window at 10 houses and the 2 with overweight people are the same ones where the take away drivers arrive up 5 days a week.

For Christ sake, I told you to stop spying out your window at me :mad::mad:

kylith

_Dara_ wrote: »

And as a cancer patient, it simultaneously amuses me AND boils my piss to hear people make definitive statements about health-eating and health: “this diet prevents cancer”. No, it might reduce your risk, but that’s it. What, did we cancer patients bring it on ourselves? Something like 60% of cancer cases are not related to lifestyle.

It’s a form of magic thinking. If they can blame someone for getting cancer; they ate, drank, smoked, touched, looked at, whatever the wrong thing, they they can protect themselves from getting cancer if they don’t do that thing.

_Dara_

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

Slightly, but perhaps not totally off topic...

when people say they can't lose weight - either due to medication or some other circumstance, is this nonsense?

Distilling it down to its most basic form,
Food = Fuel, and if you burn more than you take in, you lose weight, either from fat or muscle.

otherwise, how exactly are you hanging onto the weight? Are people just deluded as to how much they actually eat? If you weigh out a 'recommended serving size' of breakfast cereal, its hardly enough to cover the bottom of the bowl.

No, for me, it most definitely wasn’t. And this is the kind of dismissiveness I’m talking about.

Medication very noticeably caused weight gain for me (and I was told that it would - my oncologist knew it would happen) and the reduction of physical activity due to the medical issue was a contributory factor. I had to quit exercising and even normal everyday activity had to be curtailed.

Sigh, I really hope you naysayers never have to find this out for yourself.

_Dara_

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

Slightly, but perhaps not totally off topic...

when people say they can't lose weight - either due to medication or some other circumstance, is this nonsense?

Distilling it down to its most basic form,
Food = Fuel, and if you burn more than you take in, you lose weight, either from fat or muscle.

otherwise, how exactly are you hanging onto the weight? Are people just deluded as to how much they actually eat? If you weigh out a 'recommended serving size' of breakfast cereal, its hardly enough to cover the bottom of the bowl.

No, for me, it most definitely wasn’t. And this is the kind of dismissiveness I’m talking about.

Medication very noticeably caused weight gain for me (and I was told that it would - my oncologist knew it would happen. It’s more complicated than calories in, calories out. We’re not bomb calorimeters) and the reduction of physical activity due to the medical issue was a contributory factor. I had to quit exercising and even normal everyday activity had to be curtailed.

Steroids are another med that almost always cause weight gain because they stimulate the appetite very noticeably.

Sigh, I really hope you naysayers never have to find this out for yourself.

_Dara_

kylith wrote: »

It’s a form of magic thinking. If they can blame someone for getting cancer; they ate, drank, smoked, touched, looked at, whatever the wrong thing, they they can protect themselves from getting cancer if they don’t do that thing.

And the thing is, most of these folks will make it to old age statistically, so you can’t actually disprove what they are saying either. :mad:

It’s when they prey on vulnerable people that it gets dangerous.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Too much processed and fried food consumed on average.

ford2600

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

when people say they can't lose weight - either due to medication or some other circumstance, is this nonsense?

Distilling it down to its most basic form,
Food = Fuel, and if you burn more than you take in, you lose weight, either from fat or muscle.

All mammals have a near identical system to regulate body fat. In a lean person like me, wild animals, past generations that system worked well. Kept us lean enough to be athletic and fat enough to survive food shortage.

For a male somewhere in the 8-14% body fat range would be typical of pre industrial males would be normal. Whatever an individual set point is, say 10%, their body will defend it when it moves above it or below it significantly. For example if it dropped to 7% expect to feel very hungry, cold and recurring thoughts of energy dense foods.

It's a system which was critical for our survival.

In an obese person the set point is very high 20/30/40%. When they diet and drop some weight, the defence mechanism to stop a lean person from starving will kick in, even though they have a huge surplus of energy.

According to Donal O Shea about 90% of obese patients under clinical supervision cannot lose more than about 10% body weight; certainly in long term.

Very often the 10% who can lose weight love preaching to the rest what they need to do.

It's rather depressing and will only get worse.

LirW

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

Slightly, but perhaps not totally off topic...

when people say they can't lose weight - either due to medication or some other circumstance, is this nonsense?

Distilling it down to its most basic form,
Food = Fuel, and if you burn more than you take in, you lose weight, either from fat or muscle.

otherwise, how exactly are you hanging onto the weight? Are people just deluded as to how much they actually eat? If you weigh out a 'recommended serving size' of breakfast cereal, its hardly enough to cover the bottom of the bowl.

Medical issues are complex, and at something so complex a simple rule like "eat less than you burn" can't be used as a standard. Also many issues work differently for different people.

Medication for example can have a huge effect on your stamina, you might be fatigued really fast. I for example was a passionate hiker, now I can't do the same level anymore because my heart starts racing and I get tired a lot faster.
Some medication causes high blood pressure and you can't do as much physical activity anymore.
Diets and food allergies can change when taking medication.
Often people have a chain reaction when they find out about one condition.

Especially hormonal and thyroid medication can pile on a huge amount of water in the body which effects your stamina and activity, you aren't active anymore and weight doesn't go away anymore.
Especially hypothyroidism can cause such a mess in your body that people eat little because they aren't hungry but still gain weight because of complex processes in the body.

This is a case of "if you never experienced it, you won't understand." Sounds like a crap excuse but it's not. It is a really handy excuse for people who are oblivious about their health, weight and lifestyle.

Stone Deaf 4evr

_Dara_ wrote: »

No, for me, it most definitely wasn’t. And this is the kind of dismissiveness I’m talking about.

Medication very noticeably caused weight gain for me (and I was told that it would - my oncologist knew it would happen. It’s more complicated than calories in, calories out. We’re not bomb calorimeters) and the reduction of physical activity due to the medical issue was a contributory factor. I had to quit exercising and even normal everyday activity had to be curtailed.

Steroids are another med that almost cause weight gain because they stimulate the appetite very noticeably.

Sigh, I really hope you naysayers never have to find this out for yourself.

I'm hardly dismissing or naysaying, I'm making a genuine inquiry in an effort to gain an insight.

I've highlighted your comment re: steroids above - this is where my confusion stems from - is the failure to lose weight down to overeating as a result of increased appetite / cravings & reduced physical activity or is it down to some other chemical imbalance?


Edit - while typing this, LiRW has replied eloquently.

Cleopatra_

_Dara_ wrote: »

And the thing is, most of these folks will make it to old age statistically, so you can’t actually disprove what they are saying either. :mad:

It’s when they prey on vulnerable people that it gets dangerous.

My mother is the worst for this. As a child it was always my fault when I got a cold or a chest infection, I was wrapped up like an eskimo and friends were running around jumperless but it was my fault for daring to undo a button. When I was finally diagnosed with CF it was still my fault, it was because I didn't do enough treatment or because I didn't have a glass of orange juice with brown bread for my breakfast. As if orange juice and brown bread would magically cure a genetic disease that is progressive and degenerative. Does my head in. I'm overweight but my lungs function at about 48% of normal. Of course if I was thinner it would be easier to get around but you try to exercise with lungs like that and also joint and bone pain related to my condition as well as other chronic health problems. Throw in depression and a life expectancy in the 30s and you have me reaching for the chocolate cake. I'm too ill to work, too ill to have children, to have a normal life. Let me have my bloody cake and leave me alone.

_Dara_

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

I'm hardly dismissing or naysaying, I'm making a genuine inquiry in an effort to gain an insight.

I've highlighted your comment re: steroids above - this is where my confusion stems from - is the failure to lose weight down to overeating as a result of increased appetite / cravings & reduced physical activity or is it down to some other chemical imbalance?


Edit - while typing this, LiRW has replied eloquently.

All kinds of factors depending on the medical issue and medication. You can’t neatly sum it up. Steroids were just one example - the increased appetite is a very real side effect. There are myriad factors depending on the health complaint.

greenspurs

Anyone mention Yoga pants and lycra leggings yet ?!?!? YECH !!!....

I was in france for 3 weeks and didn't see one female wearing them...
landed back in Dublin loads of all sizes (mainly big) females walking around in them !!!

JUST STOP !!!!!

_Dara_

Cleopatra_ wrote: »

My mother is the worst for this. As a child it was always my fault when I got a cold or a chest infection, I was wrapped up like an eskimo and friends were running around jumperless but it was my fault for daring to undo a button. When I was finally diagnosed with CF it was still my fault, it was because I didn't do enough treatment or because I didn't have a glass of orange juice with brown bread for my breakfast. As if orange juice and brown bread would magically cure a genetic disease that is progressive and degenerative. Does my head in. I'm overweight but my lungs function at about 48% of normal. Of course if I was thinner it would be easier to get around but you try to exercise with lungs like that and also joint and bone pain related to my condition as well as other chronic health problems. Throw in depression and a life expectancy in the 30s and you have me reaching for the chocolate cake. I'm too ill to work, too ill to have children, to have a normal life. Let me have my bloody cake and leave me alone.

I’m so sorry. Yes, it’s incredibly frustrating. The whole woo science thing really boils my blood. Smug, healthy folks telling you that your health problems are your own fault because you don’t follow a particular diet to a tee. Of course, some illnesses are down to lifestyle but many are not. And yeah, health problems can really curtail your physical activity.

Check out the very dangerous cancer comments made by a health blogger, Olivia Budgen, a while back.

ford2600

ford2600 wrote: »

..............

In an obese person the set point is very high 20/30/40%. ................

And they were born with that set point?
Their eating habits in their late teens and early 20s didn't contribute to it?

Just to point out, when folk mention "fat people" they aren't on about folk with terminal illness etc who are carrying extra weight.

LirW

Augeo wrote: »

Just to point out, when folk mention "fat people" they aren't on about folk with terminal illness etc who are carrying extra weight.

But that's the thing, how can you tell them apart? On the streets could you tell if I'm just eating too much or having an underlying issue that makes my life hell or I just have a year or two left to live?

_Dara_

Augeo wrote: »

Just to point out, when folk mention "fat people" they aren't on about folk with terminal illness etc who are carrying extra weight.

But you don’t have to be terminally ill for health problems to affect your weight. What we’ve been saying is that there are myriad issues why medical problems can cause weight gain: reduced activity and medication being the biggies. Many chronic illnesses can bring those problems.

Yeah, many people are just overweight because they overindulge but can you tell the difference between them and people who have genuine reasons just by looking at them? I doubt it.

Surely it’s better to err on the side of not passing judgement? And even if they do just overindulge - well, we’re all flawed.

LirW

And nobody mentioned yet the effects that can have on your mental health. It's not unusual for people who gain weight in a short amount of time because of medical issues that they fall into a deep hole of self-consciousness. It can be bloody hard working your way out when the body simply says no.

LirW

LirW wrote: »

But that's the thing, how can you tell them apart? On the streets could you tell if I'm just eating too much or having an underlying issue that makes my life hell or I just have a year or two left to live?

_Dara_ wrote: »

But you don’t have to be terminally ill for health problems to affect your weight. What we’ve been saying is that there are myriad issues why medical problems can cause weight gain: reduced activity and medication being the biggies. Many chronic illnesses can bring those problems.

Yeah, many people are just overweight because they overindulge but can you tell the difference between them and people who have genuine reasons just by looking at them? I doubt it.

Surely it’s better to err on the side of not passing judgement? And even if they do just overindulge - well, we’re all flawed.

You don't need to tell them apart.
If you see 100 overweight folk over the course of your day or week or whatever you can be sure that 80/90% of them are lazy, overeating fat fnckers rather than folk who are ill.

the topic is "Why are so many fat?", that's IMO querying why are so many folk without ailments, who aren't on meds fat.

_Dara_

Augeo wrote: »

And they were born with that set point?
Their eating habits in their late teens and early 20s didn't contribute to it?

Of course eating habits contributed. Being long-term obese brings about physiological changes that are irreversible unfortunately. It makes it very, very hard for anyone who is long-term obese to keep weight off in the long run. I’ve read scientific journal articles on this before but I’m far too lazy to look them up.

Realt Dearg Sec

Augeo wrote: »

You don't need to tell them apart.
If you see 100 overweight folk over the course of your day or week or whatever you can be sure that 80/90% of them are lazy, overeating fat fnckers rather than folk who are ill.

And if they are what business is that of yours?

(Let me guess, you're worried about taxpayers money paying for medical bills? Not just feeling better about yourself by mocking other people with God knows what going on in their lives?)

_Dara_

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

And if they are what business is that of yours?

(Let me guess, you're worried about taxpayers money paying for medical bills? Not just feeling better about yourself by mocking other people with God knows what going on in their lives?)

Yup, people love to use that as a shield, as if they give a hoot.

LirW

Augeo wrote: »

You don't need to tell them apart.
If you see 100 overweight folk over the course of your day or week or whatever you can be sure that 80/90% of them are lazy, overeating fat fnckers rather than folk who are ill.

the topic is "Why are so many fat?", that's IMO querying why are so many folk without ailments, who aren't on meds fat.

I don't know, I got a good few comments if I liked cake more than I should recently but none suggesting I might be on medication now. And I'm not even a morbid size.
Same goes for the funny lad a few pages back posting a picture of a girl and making comments about how attractive she is. How could you tell apart that she's just eating a lot or has a medical issue?

Realt Dearg Sec

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

And if they are what business is that of yours?

(Let me guess, you're worried about taxpayers money paying for medical bills? Not just feeling better about yourself by mocking other people with God knows what going on in their lives?)

My BMI was 33 two months ago so it's not as if I'm skinny.
Who's mocking anyone?

Again, topic is why are so many fat. The answer is laziness, poor diets and over eating for the mostpart.

That will upset many fat fnckers, no doubt.

LirW

LirW wrote: »

I don't know, I got a good few comments if I liked cake more than I should recently but none suggesting I might be on medication now. And I'm not even a morbid size.
Same goes for the funny lad a few pages back posting a picture of a girl and making comments about how attractive she is. How could you tell apart that she's just eating a lot or has a medical issue?

Why would I need to ?

Augeo wrote: »

You don't need to tell them apart......

Captcha

I just got back from Orlando and in Disney Parks theres whales going around on mobility scooters.

Thought Wall E was sci fi based until I saw how many of them, Disney clearly got inspired by their own crowds! Huge yolks of things.

LirW

Augeo wrote: »

Why would I need to ?

Well some people don't leave out a single opportunity to comment on someone else's lifestyle or appearance.
My MIL constantly comments on my partner's perfectly normal shape in a pretty blunt way. It's simply hurtful to some.

Not saying you're doing it and not dismissing that there are simply a lot of unhealthy people out there but in plenty of cases it's more complex than "haha that girl lives off spice bags".

Realt Dearg Sec

Augeo wrote: »

My BMI was 33 two months ago so it's not as if I'm skinny.
Who's mocking anyone?

If calling someone a lazy, overeating fat ****er isn't mocking someone, then the concept of mocking has no meaning. If you talk about another human being who has done you no harm that way, you have a bigger problem than they do.

Stone Deaf 4evr

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

And if they are what business is that of yours?

(Let me guess, you're worried about taxpayers money paying for medical bills? Not just feeling better about yourself by mocking other people with God knows what going on in their lives?)

I doubt theres any genuine worry about the cost to the state, but personally (and I say this as someone who has trouble with my own weight) I do have an issue with the whole 'healthy at any size' or fat acceptance movement.
I think its a dangerous failure to address an actual issue that will have long term health implications in favour of not hurting someones feelings in the short term.

LirW

LirW wrote: »

Well some people don't leave out a single opportunity to comment on someone else's lifestyle or appearance.
My MIL constantly comments on my partner's perfectly normal shape in a pretty blunt way. It's simply hurtful to some.

Not saying you're doing it and not dismissing that there are simply a lot of unhealthy people out there but in plenty of cases it's more complex than "haha that girl lives off spice bags".

Indeed, there's plenty more cases where it's not more complex though

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

If calling someone a lazy, overeating fat ****er isn't mocking someone, then the concept of mocking has no meaning. If you talk about another human being who has done you no harm that way, you have a bigger problem than they do.

You misunderstand. The reason why many folk are overweight is because they are lazy, have poor diets and overeat. That results in them being fat, aka a fat fnkcer.

mentioning that on boards.ie on a topic called "why are so many fat" isn't mocking anyone.

How Soon Is Now

The thing is i understand it can be unhealthy etc etc but if someone is fat they as adults have as much right to be that way then they would be if they where skinny.


I dont agree with kids being overweight down to basic laziness and ignorance by there parents but as adults we can be any shape or size we wanna be *Within obvious reason* once where looking after ourselves and no one else is.

Realt Dearg Sec

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

I doubt theres any genuine worry about the cost to the state, but personally (and I say this as someone who has trouble with my own weight) I do have an issue with the whole 'healthy at any size' or fat acceptance movement.
I think its a dangerous failure to address an actual issue that will have long term health implications in favour of not hurting someones feelings in the short term.

I'm not in favour of encouraging weight gain either. I think it's the notion that making fun of and insulting people who are overweight is somehow helping them, or even meant to help them, or is somehow supposed to be contributing to solving the problem of obesity, that I find so ludicrous. It's just people wanting to feel better about themselves by looking down at others.

If you're encouraging someone to keep working at losing weight, praising them for the sacrifices they make or the effort they put in, that's good, and probably very helpful. If you're sneering and calling someone insulting names and making them feel bad about themselves, that's bad, and probably making the person's issues with food and body image much, much worse.

It's not complicated.

Pogue eile

Augeo wrote: »

My BMI was 33 two months ago so it's not as if I'm skinny.
Who's mocking anyone?

Again, topic is why are so many fat. The answer is laziness, poor diets and over eating for the mostpart.

That will upset many fat fnckers, no doubt.

I like the irony of labelling fat people as lazy

McCrack

LirW wrote: »

Since women getting the majority of flack for weight, I'd like to bring up that they are the vast majority to experience severe hormonal issues and also thyroid issues. Both are incredibly chaotic to deal with, it takes years to get a diagnosis and most likely another while to find treatment that works. I was always a size 8-10 and suffered terrible pain that had an severe effect on my everyday life. Now I'm on medication and almost pain-free but a size 14 and sometimes even 16 with bottoms, not much changed in my lifestyle.
I'm trading weight for a massive improvement in my quality of life. I didn't choose this but I never ever wanna go back to the dark place I've been before. Most people will never know how painful and frustrating a situation like this is, when they look at me it's rather easy to think "ah well skip the scones then". I TAKE SO MUCH GODDAMN CARE and thanks to this issue it is almost impossible to lose weight, especially if it gets worse. I eat so much better than a lot of people I know, for my own sake and well-being but I still have an awful lot of work to do to shed even 3 kilos.

Female medical issues are a not insignificant factor in contributing to weight and as a nice bonus this sh1t is usually chronic too.

I don't subscribe to that

I have visited other countries eg Eastern Europe and South Eastern Asia and women are generally not overweight/obese - in fact it would be unusual to see an overweight or obese woman in these countries

It's lifestyle and diet (excess calories)

kylith

Augeo wrote: »

You don't need to tell them apart.
If you see 100 overweight folk over the course of your day or week or whatever you can be sure that 80/90% of them are lazy, overeating fat fnckers rather than folk who are ill.

Yeah, but how do you tell which are the 10-20% of 'good' fat people? You'd hate to waste your ire on the wrong ones.

GarIT

kylith wrote: »

Yeah, but how do you tell which are the 10-20% of 'good' fat people? You'd hate to waste your ire on the wrong ones.

You don't, you just don't do anything about it.

Personally though I would discriminate against a fat person. I would be much less likely to trust anything health or science related that they say. I'd be reluctant to hire them because of the proven health affects of being overweight and because they take more time off work as a result.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

I doubt theres any genuine worry about the cost to the state, but personally (and I say this as someone who has trouble with my own weight) I do have an issue with the whole 'healthy at any size' or fat acceptance movement.
I think its a dangerous failure to address an actual issue that will have long term health implications in favour of not hurting someones feelings in the short term.

It's a tricky balance, I agree that it shouldn't be valorised, but at the same time it arose out of a context where it was reasonably socially acceptable to be a dick about a stranger because of their appearance.

You see people who are overweight talking about how when they start exercising in public to try and lose weight, people give them shít. If someone's fat and very confident, high-self esteem, has fun with their appearance then yeah I do think fair play to them because that must be very hard.

Anyways, I've been trying to eat healthy and exercise for about the last year or so. I used to have about three takeaways a week, that's down to one or two a month. I was fairly sedentary, now I walk 18k a week and do about an hour of yoga. Cut way down on pints from often 15-20 in the week. Cut out any processed sugar, cooking way more at home from scratch, no more sitting down with a family pack of crisps or chocolate just for me.

I've lost about five pounds. Because I was slim to begin with, despite my diet and lifestyle, from pure genetic luck. I remember at one point walking back from the off licence with a bag of cans and being out of breath, and a woman about two stone heavier than me went past on her evening run. If I'd dropped those cans and tried to chase her, I could not have caught her, and I'd hazard a guess she was eating healthier (or at least making the effort, education and upbringing are such big issues there) than me too.

I'd also hazard a guess which one of us got more people saying, and thinking, that we were a lazy, excuse-making, greedy pig This shít IS mostly about appearance, and it IS mostly aimed at women, despite the fact that in this country and most others more men than women are obese and overweight.

_Dara_

GarIT wrote: »

You don't, you just don't do anything about it.

Personally though I would discriminate against a fat person. I would be much less likely to trust anything health or science related that they say. I'd be reluctant to hire them because of the proven health affects of being overweight and because they take more time off work as a result.

I’ve never noticed overweight people I’ve worked with being absent more.

Electrobitch makes a good point - nobody judges the unfit slim person who might be swimming in organ-surrounding fat. Meanwhile, many people in the overweight rather than obese category can be quite physically fit.

And I’ve seen overweight people trying to get into shape being laughed at. It’s tough. Losing weight takes mental fortitude. Imagine being mocked whilst trying to do so?

GarIT

_Dara_ wrote: »

I’ve never noticed overweight people I’ve worked with being absent more.

Electrobitch makes a good point - nobody judges the unfit slim person who might be swimming in organ-surrounding fat. Meanwhile, many people in the overweight rather than obese category can be quite physically fit.

And I’ve seen overweight people trying to get into shape being laughed at. It’s tough. Losing weight takes mental fortitude. Imagine being mocked whilst trying to do so?

You probably wouldn't notice it's only a percent or two in the difference. On average an unhealthy person would probably take a day or less more per year than a healthy person, but that's still an extra €100 a year to be paying out per employee. And a fat person is much more likely to be affected by anything that would keep them out of work long term.

I'm completely guessing this bit but I'd imagine the average fat person would probably work slower than the average fit person.

It's probably not that I wouldn't hire them but if I had two similar candidates it would be the deciding factor.

I'd never mock someone for trying to sort themselves out though.

LirW

McCrack wrote: »

I don't subscribe to that

I have visited other countries eg Eastern Europe and South Eastern Asia and women are generally not overweight/obese - in fact it would be unusual to see an overweight or obese woman in these countries

It's lifestyle and diet (excess calories)

That's more anecdotal evidence, the statistics speak another language though. Obesity in some Countries in SE Asia reached epidemic levels, the poor countries are doing well in that regard but all countries with a significant uptake in economy have higher obesity numbers.
This statement is similar to the "all Swedes are tall, slender and pretty".

Sal Butamol

When was the last time you heard a fat person admit they are the size of a hippo because of what they eat?

Fat people are lazy, this extends to every aspect of their life including their thinking.

It's always a lazy excuse.

Never -"I'm fat because I'm a lazy overeating lardass"

Which is the case with the vast majority of land whales

Duck Soup

I'm fat. I mean, a proper wobbly lardy blimp. Morbidly obese, topped with clotted arteries.

Thing is, in the past I've been both a heavy (if you'll pardon the expression) smoker and a heavy drinker. When I smoked, no one really made a comment one way or the other. When I was drinking, to have a large capacity for alcohol was actually admired (not so much when I was in booze rehab twice).

But fat? Jesus wept, apparently it's always open season on the land whale. I've had complete strangers shout at me. It seems to stir some deep, psychic animus in people. Perhaps it's just a reflexive primal disgust related to bad genetic specimens that need to be expelled from the herd. I dunno. Who knows what goes through the mind of skinny fückwits?

As long as I can go into the cancer wards of Ireland and berate the terminally ill smokers and pïss in their ears, I'm okay with it all. I mean, fair's fair. They have only themselves to blame.

Atoms for Peace

Patww79 wrote: »

Not bad if the women are skinny :pac:

?...oh

Sal Butamol

Sal Butamol wrote: »

When was the last time you heard a fat person admit they are the size of a hippo because of what they eat?

Fat people are lazy, this extends to every aspect of their life including their thinking.

It's always a lazy excuse.

Never -"I'm fat because I'm a lazy overeating lardass"

Which is the case with the vast majority of land whales

It's not hard to discuss this issue without firing out the insults, you know.

Junkyard Tom

Only eating small meals when you're genuinely hungry really helps prevent weight gain. Constant hunger is not natural and neither is eating every time we feel the urge to.

Fasting is shown to have a lot of benefits and, when you think of it, our not-so-distant ancestors would have naturally gone long periods of time without food.

Wibbs

LirW wrote: »

Well some people don't leave out a single opportunity to comment on someone else's lifestyle or appearance.

Especially on the interwebs... I don't agree with that. For me it simply boils down to bad manners.

My MIL constantly comments on my partner's perfectly normal shape in a pretty blunt way.

One thing I have noticed is what we tend to see as "normal" has gone heavier over the last generation or so. I look back at my old school daguerreotypes photos and the "fat lad" was a bit pudgy, but no way would he be noted as being particularly overweight nowadays. The photo of the woman a few pages back would be seen as decidedly heavy and yes "fat" pre the 1980's(especially for her age). Today, she'd more likely be labelled as "curvy".

Aadhya Short Pub wrote: »

This shIS mostly about appearance, and it IS mostly aimed at women, despite the fact that in this country and most others more men than women are obese and overweight.

+1. Personally I know more men with "middle aged spread" (even when they're not middle aged) than women. Which is backed by the stats. Men I've known who were about the same weight at 40 that they were at 20 are in the small minority. And unless a guy has an actual medical condition, then men have far fewer excuses for piling on the bellies. They don't have the hormonal stuff that encourages fat deposition, nor any sudden drop off in hormonal production as they age and they have more lean tissue.

McCrack wrote: »

I have visited other countries eg Eastern Europe and South Eastern Asia and women are generally not overweight/obese - in fact it would be unusual to see an overweight or obese woman in these countries

It's lifestyle and diet (excess calories)

Well yes and no. A while back I was reading stats into weight and obesity in the EU and what stood out in women's dress sizes was yes, say Italian and Spanish women at 20 were indeed thinner and by a couple of dress sizes or more than say Irish and UK women at 20, by 40-50 they were the same weight, with the Latin countries actually slightly higher. It's not quite so simple. EG Spain has the highest percentage of eating disorders in the EU and currently the fattest children. The latter does seem to be a lifestyle shift as a generation ago they had some of the lightest.

kylith

kylith wrote: »

Yeah, but how do you tell which are the 10-20% of 'good' fat people? You'd hate to waste your ire on the wrong ones.

I don't need to tell them apart.
A question was asked, I provided a plausible answer that explains why 80% ish are fat.

I don't have ire towards fat, obese people.

Duck Soup

Duck Soup wrote: »

I'm fat. I mean, a proper wobbly lardy blimp. Morbidly obese, topped with clotted arteries.

Thing is, in the past I've been both a heavy (if you'll pardon the expression) smoker and a heavy drinker. When I smoked, no one really made a comment one way or the other. When I was drinking, to have a large capacity for alcohol was actually admired (not so much when I was in booze rehab twice).

But fat? Jesus wept, apparently it's always open season on the land whale. I've had complete strangers shout at me. It seems to stir some deep, psychic animus in people. Perhaps it's just a reflexive primal disgust related to bad genetic specimens that need to be expelled from the herd. I dunno. Who knows what goes through the mind of skinny fückwits?

As long as I can go into the cancer wards of Ireland and berate the terminally ill smokers and pïss in their ears, I'm okay with it all. I mean, fair's fair. They have only themselves to blame.

I'm sorry that happens you.

I have ongoing health issues arising from being underweight, but no one ever called me unhealthy or expressed concern for my health even when my collarbone looked like a couple of chisels. Not once.

People pretend they're insulting overweight people out of some concern for their health, but really it's because they're bullies who think they have an easy target.