Obese people?

Question

Is it a modern day cultural/social problem, a symptom of a more complex psychological disorder or are they just fat, lazy, greedy ba stards with no concept of moderation?

Discuss...

Styce. It's occupying a great deal of coverage, is apparently putting a strain on the NHS (which I contribute a canny amount to every month) and apparently the diseases and debilitating disorders assosciated with it shorten the life span considerably. However, nobody has any concrete answers as to the causes of it but plenty of people have opinions on the subject. You, however, only seem bothered about an easy 2 points.

To everyone: The last fat lazy ba stard thing isn't an opinion I hold. I am merely facilitating a discussion based around the comments I have witnessed and overheard when people have been discussing such issues. I thought that was pretty obvious but some people seem a little sensitive.

Answer 1

in this modern day, unhealthy high-calorie food is a lot cheaper than healthy organic food, and our jobs require us to sit down more and more.

i think, though, that people don't like taking reponsibility for their own problems and make a lot of excuses. If you're 10 pounds over-weight, then get some damn exercise before you gain any more weight!

greed has nothing to do with it, and let's not pathologize EVERYTHING into a "psychological disorder..." i think it's human nature to take the easy way out.

Answer 2

I wouldn't call it a disorder unless it was an actual eating disorder, ie: compulsive overeating disorder and binge eating disorder. But the reason for obesity is different for everyone. Some use food to feel better emotionally (eating disorders and just plain comfort eaters). Some eat about the same amount as fit people but don't exercise as much/can't exercise as much due to health problems, a very few have gland problems (ah, the old standyby excuse), and others really just couldn't care less. They want what they want and don't care how they look.

But for most, it's a different reason on a different day. Several, in fact. Not surprising. You can't really expect to put such a widespread probem into a box only big enough for one explanation.

I myself am obese. Even as a child, when I was eating healthy and was insanely active, I was overweight. Family trait, I suppose. Pretty much every woman in my family is overweight. So when I was a child, there was nothing I could do about it. And now? I could certainly lose the weight. It's by no means impossible - I've lost 20 pounds before, so obviously the weight can come off. But there is a slight hitch: if you've ever tried to lose even ten pounds, you'll know that it's really not as easy as it looks. Now think of how hard the ten pounds was and imagine losing over a hundred. That's enough to discourage anyone.

Me? I'm not lazy or greedy, and I'm certainly not a bastard. =P I'm just someone who's finding it a little difficult to climb her way out of a hole. Granted, it's a hole I dug myself, but there you have it.

Answer 3

listen my friend, if u have taken up this topic then it is only just that u take into consideration all the aspects of obesity.
although obesity is a social problem and most of them are obese due to sideeffects of medicines or probably due to over pampering but obese people are NOT fat, lazy, greedy bastards. Obesity requires rehab and will power to overcome.
so do not go about making harsh comments on something u do not know.

Answer 4

I reckon its cause their parents are arrogant and they dont think of the conseqences when they try and shut their kids up with sweets. Its a joke. I blame the parents who make children like that, who then grow up to have babies and do exactly the same thing to them as thats all they know. Its the first generation who are going to die before their parents. Its scarey but true. People should try and think before they do things.

Answer 5

People are obese for different reasons,nothing to do with being lazy, greedy but about being unhappy, I think obesity is an illness

Answer 6

probably an extremely complex problem. 1] some form of obscessive compulsion, 2] probably not lazy as you mean it, most likely not greedy, 3] probably not a bastard. (this one word means that you have some sort of negative connotation with overweight people). And why 'greedy"? You're obviously not an objective person. What is your motivation?

Answer 7

its evolution. We no longer need to run after our prey . We now need to sit in our cars to go and sit at a desk at work, then come back home to sit in front of TV. So we now need big arses for more comfortable sitting, and big belly for holding more food and drink which we confume sitting down.

Answer 8

i think that the world is generally just becoming more greedy and there are more types of food that are readily available for people to eat. i hate seeing children that are obese. they obviously dont understand what foods are good and bad etc and so the parents are to blame!!

Answer 9

Moderation is praiseworthy in all things.
With abundant training materials on the Internet, more people will learn and practice this golden rule.

Answer 10

I think its simply that there is so much choice and availability of food today that causes obesity. This and living sedentary lifestyles, cars,buses and more household gadgets make it easier to take less excersise.