Is "obesity" really such a big deal that the government needs to warn on it and it has to be on the news.

Question

What is so terrible about people being fat. I think they are trying to relate the term "obesity" to people who are just plump too.
I am not fat myself (12 stone and 5 foot 7) but I feel the government and medias obsession on this issue makes those who are into social outcasts and young girls into anorexics.
The government claims it is equal to climate change in its importance - what a load of bollocks.

If it is unhealthy to be obese what business is that of other people, the only people it affects is the person themselves - why should they be turned into social outcasts. There are too many health fascists about. How will this affect the self esteem of children?

My ex girlfriends daughter was a lovely child who was a bit plump and she had a lovely personality but she was lacking greatly in self confidence because she was always seeing herself as fat because of societies obsession with weight, no matter how much I tried to reassure her. It saddened me.

Big people cannot help being big I believe so it is cruel to ostracise them and go on about it.

Answer 1

Obese people die early from heart failure amongst other things.It is unhealthy to be obese.

Answer 2

First you have to recognize that obesity is the far end of the weight spectrum. As you move up from "normal," you'll hit "overweight," then "fat," then "obese."

Even though some studies have shown that you don't have to be more than a little overweight to impair your long-term health, the real threat is obesity. In addition to putting excess strain on your heart and other organs, an obese person has a huge increase in the risk of diabetes and other diseases.

I'm overweight, and my weight goes up and down by fifteen pounds a year. I find I feel much better when I'm lighter. Can you imagine what an extra thirty or fifty would do?

As long as the media and the public recognize that normal weight is healthy and attractive, and only obesity is a threat, then it shouldn't put pressure on young people to be too thin or insecure because of a few extra pounds.

Answer 3

Technically I am obese, but whenever I tell people that, they don't believe me - however, it is obvious that I need to lose weight, and I don't deny that.

Although being overweight is bad for my health, I am not totally unfit. I ride 3.5 - 4 miles a day to Uni (depending on the campus) and the same again to get home. By the time I get there, I'm a bit tired - but then a lot of it IS uphill! (If it was flat I reckon I'd be fine because I enjoy riding!). I know a few people who are an average, healthy weight, and yet they would be too unfit to do that (I'm not saying all, just a few of the people that *I* know).

The media makes me feel like I am ugly, lazy and obsessed with eating junk food - which I am not. I like chocolate, but try not to eat too much of it, and crisps - well I can take them or leave them. Sometimes I do over-eat - maybe a couple of hundred calories over the recommended daily amount. However, other days it is the opposite, and I eat less than the recommended amount.

I get self-conscious about myself, yet when I really think about it, I do not look that bad. I wear clothes that fit me, so I don't have overhanging rolls, and I have a boyfriend who loves me and is not disgusted by my appearance! The media is what tends to make me feel bad, along with a few nasty relatives!

And climate change is much worse than obesity. Obesity affects the person with the problem, and perhaps their family. Climate change affects the world.

Answer 4

The thing I can't understand is that it seems to be open season on obese people and smokers. They are being denied hospital treatment and operations because of their 'lifestyle' yet alcoholics and drug addicts aren't mentioned. Surely their lifestyle is at least as destructive, and they're probably at least as likely not to have a good outcome from an operation.

It is a serious matter when government single out some sections of people for criticism, and not others. Clearly it's cool to be homosexual, with the attendant health risks to young people, you can even begin aged 16, but not to be a bit on the plump side with a 5 a day habit. Madness!

What really p****s me off are all the TV programmes about fat people eating enormous amounts of food every day. It's obviously untrue. Anyone on an average income or less could never afford to buy that amount of grub, especially takeaways (as so often depicted) in the first place.

Answer 5

I don't believe we should all be size '0' (I am about 20 lb overweight myself and have always struggled with my weight) as that's unrealistic and unhealthy, but when i see the size of many young people today I am really worried for them. Massive girls, not just big but so flabby and out of shape with it--what will they be like once they've had kids themselves? Young guys with man-boobs and double chins--men have actually feminised since the 80's; it's been shown that they no longer have broad shoulders and slim hips but are getting large bottoms and hips more like women.
There is higher levels of heart disease amongst larger people, as well as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. If lots of fat is eaten the gall bladder can be affected too.
I knew 2 American ladies who were both massively obese. By 40 both had acid reflux, gall bladder removal,and knee and back problems.

Answer 6

In some cases, obesity (morbid obesity - not plumpness) may be caused by physical problems, but in most fat people, it is due to lack of discipline regarding eating.

The 'terrible' thing is that obese people have serious health issues that they have brought upon themselves and that the overburdened health care system must now deal with.

Answer 7

That's the price you pay for living in the spot light. The media jumps on every bit of gossip they can. No it's not a big deal at all. If it were any one else, just a regular "commoner" no one would even notice or hear about it, nor even care if they did hear about it.

Answer 8

I don't think the question of people being large to use the political term these days, but I think when you see some many young children in such a state grossly over weight and they can hardly walk is concerning. To many computers, games xbox, PlayStations and not enough playing outdoors.

Answer 9

Next acne will be as big an issue as the war in iraq! 'ohh noo my son has a face like a pizza...this is terrible!'

And I agree they trying to put the slightly over weight peopel in with the obses. There's is a thick long line between the curvy and the obses. The obses suffer healthy problems the curvy do not!

They are labelling it all wrong! Promote health! Good health. Forget sizes weight etc. Are you healthy? Are you getting the right vitimins? This should be the target healthiness not weight.

XxX

Answer 10

obese ppl pay their taxes the same as smokers, drug takers, speed freaks, extreme sports enthusiats, etc etc. we all have to go the same way, 'short of breath', imagine if those obese ppl who do not have their lives cut short went on to live to a ripe old age, where would the money come from for their pensions and healthcare ??

i take everything the government says with a pinch of salt, so long as you still enjoy life does it really matter whether you are 7 stone or 17 ? it really is no-one else's business.

Answer 11

I don't want to have to be paying taxes just so that some person can have treatment- which they need only because they are fat. They chose to be fat, but I still have to fund it. It brings a lot of problems to people in later life.
They are making it sound like a big issue because if they don't it will become a big issue. England is on the point of becoming USA weight-wise, and they are trying to stop it before it becomes reality.
And hey, it is equal to climate change. Climate change is a load of bollocks caused naturally, and little difference we can do. Temperature makes CO2, not the other way round. So, we can't do much about climate change, but we can do something about obesity. Although I get your point; putting it on as something majorly important is odd, because there are bigger things happening. Unless it's just filler that they are using while waiting for another war to talk about.