I can't believe some of these people are for real!

[Nearly Sane]

I make no apology for this posting thread. We hear a lot about people going hungry in this country, and food banks being set up to help them. Grossly overweight people are eating a HUGE amount of food to get to this size, I think it is immoral when others are going hungry. If they have a food addiction they can get help for it.

so why post a video that is apparently of the U.S.  with pictures of people who apparently have given no approval for their images to be used?

[Aruntraveller]

I make no apology for this posting thread. We hear a lot about people going hungry in this country, and food banks being set up to help them. Grossly overweight people are eating a HUGE amount of food to get to this size, I think it is immoral when others are going hungry. If they have a food addiction they can get help for it.

Simplistic in the extreme. You are ignoring the fact that poorer people buy cheaper foods which are usually laden with fat and useless calories. Their choices are limited by income in a way that mine thankfully are not. And even I have trouble maintaining my svelte figure given the temptations put in my way. After all I can resist anything but temptation.

You don't on this occasion seem to be able to put yourself in other people's shoes.

[Aruntraveller]

Anyhow, this might be of interest. You put in a few details and find out how fit you are obesity-wise:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43697948

[Steve H]

You don't on this occasion seem to be able to put yourself in other people's shoes.

Whaddya mean, "on this occasion"?

[Aruntraveller]

Whaddya mean, "on this occasion"?

Well I was just staying with the point being discussed.

I'm sure we all have our little areas where we show less empathy than others would think is acceptable.

I for example have no empathy whatsoever with Tory ministers. Mea Culpa. Or not.   

[Steve H]

If you think they're bad, look at the sort of person you meet in Waitrose...
Twat.
Prat.
What?

[Rhiannon]

I make no apology for this posting thread. We hear a lot about people going hungry in this country, and food banks being set up to help them. Grossly overweight people are eating a HUGE amount of food to get to this size, I think it is immoral when others are going hungry. If they have a food addiction they can get help for it.

You make no apology for posting a link of people who have been filmed without their consent and then sticking it on Youtibe for people all over a globe to point at?

Do you have no compassion for these people at all?

How do you know that the fat person you pass in the street doesn’t have a thyroid issue, doesn’t have weight gain due to taking steroids to cope with chemotherapy?

Cheap food is high fat, high sugar. It doesn’t take a lot of it to make someone overweight. How many times do you need this explaining to you?

And as for your comment about how easily food addiction can be treated, you mentioned that CBT did nothing for you. Not so easy to treat these things at all, is it?

[Maeght]

I make no apology for this posting thread. We hear a lot about people going hungry in this country, and food banks being set up to help them. Grossly overweight people are eating a HUGE amount of food to get to this size, I think it is immoral when others are going hungry. If they have a food addiction they can get help for it.

I think you should.

[Harrowby Hall]

Wasn't trying to be clever. Just wasn't sure what point you were making. Given the sound of the link in the OP, you post might be taken in a number of ways

OK NS - Apologies.

The main thrust of the programme is that more than 50% of adults in the UK are overweight - or worse and asks "Why?". It starts with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall having a consultation with his GP.

It looks at the influences on food buying (eg go to WHSmith and see if you can get out without being tempted to buy a bar of chocolate).

It has a sequence in which children are taken to supermarket, given a trolley and told to fill it.

It looks at the way high streets have become fast food streets.

It considers information available at the point of food purchase and the reluctance of major companies like Kelloggs and Nestle to provide information in a generally accepted way.


... and more.

[Nearly Sane]

OK NS - Apologies.

The main thrust of the programme is that more than 50% of adults in the UK are overweight - or worse and asks "Why?". It starts with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall having a consultation with his GP.

It looks at the influences on food buying (eg go to WHSmith and see if you can get out without being tempted to buy a bar of chocolate).

It has a sequence in which children are taken to supermarket, given a trolley and told to fill it.

It looks at the way high streets have become fast food streets.

It considers information available at the point of food purchase and the reluctance of major companies like Kelloggs and Nestle to provide information in a generally accepted way.


... and more.

Thanks, apology accepted. Will look out for programme.

[Maeght]

If someone is overweight because of a health condition then of course I feel sorry for them, but definitely not if they are overweight because they overeat.

If some people find this thread offensive the Mods can remove it, I have no problem with that.

No, it shouldn't be removed but should remain for all to see and comment on. Maybe then you might see why it was a mistake to post the link.

[Maeght]

I don't see it as a mistake, but obviously others do. I have had my say and will leave it at that.

Of course you don't, at least 'in public'. Maybe in time though .......

[Nearly Sane]

Moderator We don't remove posts or threads simply because some members might find it offensive. Also while, the OP link might be seen as offensive, it looks like there is a good discussion about obesity.

[Steve H]

I don't think it should be removed, and I'm not as outraged by it as some, but LR's narrow-minded judgementalism "does her no credit" (as she would say).

[Gordon]

If someone is overweight because of a health condition then of course I feel sorry for them, but definitely not if they are overweight because they overeat.

If some people find this thread offensive the Mods can remove it, I have no problem with that.

The problem with the link though is that it isn't actually about the subject of obesity at all: it is no more than a tasteless exploitation of females who patronised Walmart. 

It is to the credit of some here that the discussion of it has been more sensitive than the link in the OP is. 

[Rhiannon]

Moderator We don't remove posts or threads simply because some members might find it offensive. Also while, the OP link might be seen as offensive, it looks like there is a good discussion about obesity.

I’m getting that; my unease is around the people in the link in the OP not consenting to being filmed. Offence isn’t an issue; privacy is and even if it’s within the rules of the web I’m not sure it’s what I want to see on a forum such as this. It feels... seedy.

[Rhiannon]

Thank you. I didn't set out to offend anyone, and actually my main reason for posting it was not so much about obese people, but the totally inappropriate clothes some of the people featured were wearing which didn't do them any favours at all and were offensive, imo.

Why, because you could see parts of their bodies? Would it be ‘offensive’ on slim people where the clothing did do them ‘favours’?

[Robbie]

I’m getting that; my unease is around the people in the link in the OP not consenting to being filmed. Offence isn’t an issue; privacy is and even if it’s within the rules of the web I’m not sure it’s what I want to see on a forum such as this. It feels... seedy.

That's how I felt plus the suggestion that it should not be watched with young children present - as if young kids would be interested in people walking around a supermarket anyway. I suppose they might be if the adult with them was exclaiming with shock horror, other than that I doubt they'd notice.

Regarding the clothes, I think we already made the point that a lot of people can't afford good clothes, they'll buy cheap stuff from market stalls which are not a good fit and soon go out of shape in the wash; better off people who are on the large side are able to buy quite smart clothes. Gok Wan (who was obese as a youngster) has been marvellous with his designs for larger women in the generally affordable TU range but even those are too expensive for many people, certainly for everyday wear - like for going shopping.

Cheap food is usually more fattening than more expensive & stretching the budget is very hard for some. I see plenty of that in my job & am full of admiration for the efforts made, I wouldn't think of criticising someone for their weight or their dress. People do what they can with what they have.

(StevenH I didn't realise there was snob value in shopping at Waitrose! Surely not, I shop where I happen to be regardless of the brand, love Lidl & Co-op, but Waitrose is near where I live. They have lots of special offers. I remember years ago people speaking about M&S in much the same way as in your links but that has died down in recent times. I suppose Waitrose has taken over. Seems silly, it's not Harrod's food hall.)

[Maeght]

Moderator We don't remove posts or threads simply because some members might find it offensive. Also while, the OP link might be seen as offensive, it looks like there is a good discussion about obesity.

And of course, no one actually asked for it to be removed.

[Rhiannon]

And of course, no one actually asked for it to be removed.

I sort of did. At least I said that it makes me uncomfortable, not because of any perceived offence but because of the breach of privacy.

[Maeght]

I sort of did. At least I said that it makes me uncomfortable, not because of any perceived offence but because of the breach of privacy.

So you did.

[jeremyp]

Try getting enough calories on benefits.

Being fat isn't about not having enough calories, it is about having too many.

[Rhiannon]

Being fat isn't about not having enough calories, it is about having too many.

But the cheapest foods are often the most calorie dense. So it is hard to buy affordable food that doesn’t go over what people need.

[jeremyp]

But the cheapest foods are often the most calorie dense. So it is hard to buy affordable food that doesn’t go over what people need.

No, it's quite easy to buy affordable food without going over the calorie "limit" you just buy less of it. What is difficult is to buy cheap food that provides a generally healthy diet. Well it's probably just as easy as it was 30 years ago but you probably have to be prepared to do your own cooking.

[SusanDoris]

Faecal transplants may help with the physiology of weight control but unless behaviour is changed they will only be a short-term measure. Eating habits - continuing to consume foods which will encourage the modified biome to revert to its previous state must be tackled. Appropriate learning is as important as clinical intervention.

I would be grateful for a link to the programme, please,  rather than my trying to find it. I hope it includes the fact that generations need to be taught to cook  appropriate - and often cheaper - foods in order to provide better quality calories and probably spend less. This used to be done by parents, but seems to have gone by the board a long time ago.