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All I know is that when we went to the UK last year most of the people looked like people here USED to look back in the 1960s-70s. The men, especially--I had forgotten that men used to look like that. They looked good.
Then, at the airport on the way home, you could tell the American men as they looked like big blocks. I mean, there were as wide as they were tall. No shape to them just blocks.
The only fat people I ever saw in the UK were those who were coming out of MacDonald's with their arms full of junk food.
It's the junk food, both fast food chains and the junk that's available in the grocery stores. That's what's done it. Over in the UK I never saw that much in the grocery stores and at least a lot of the unhealthy additives are banned.
It's mostly the junk food here in the US and the long hours with hardly any vacation--no time to cook, always too tired. So they get take out junk food or nuke some frozen junk food.
What you say is true....... British people are not as fat as Americans - yet. But, the situation is deteriorating, and we are seeing increases in things like type 2 diabetes. Kids and adults are fatter than they used to be. I have lived long enough in this country to know this is a fact. I have group school photos of mine from the sixties. Every single child is slim. Our grandson showed us a photo taken of his class a few years ago. Many of the children were overweight.
I agree fat shaming is wrong, and can cause problems, especially with children. Our grandson was overweight as a child, and it concerned me, but I kept my mouth shut. He got to 16, and fortunately decided to do something about it. He went to a gym, and changed his diet. The weight fell off him quickly, and he is now 17 years old, over 6 feet tall, and slim. We are so proud of him, and his determination to change. Not all young people have this motivation, and once you become a fat adult, it becomes more difficult to lose the weight.
This is not about image, but a health issue. I do understand the modern way of life is partially to blame for this. With most parents both working, coming home, to start preparing healthy meals is time consuming. The sheer amount of quick to prepare foods is mind boggling. Bad habits have become ingrained, and turning things around will be difficult. But, I applaud governments who refuse to put their heads in the sand. We must try and help folks lead a more healthy lifestyle, and try to show them ways of eating better foods. Many people don't know how to do even basic cooking. It was taught when I was at school, but like many things, isn't anymore.
Last edited by in_newengland; 05-01-2016 at 02:52 PM..
What you say is true....... British people are not as fat as Americans - yet. But, the situation is deteriorating, and we are seeing increases in things like type 2 diabetes. Kids and adults are fatter than they used to be. I have lived long enough in this country to know this is a fact. I have group school photos of mine from the sixties. Every single child is slim. Our grandson showed us a photo taken of his class a few years ago. Many of the children were overweight.
I agree fat shaming is wrong, and can cause problems, especially with children. Our grandson was overweight as a child, and it concerned me, but I kept my mouth shut. He got to 16, and fortunately decided to do something about it. He went to a gym, and changed his diet. The weight fell off him quickly, and he is now 17 years old, over 6 feet tall, and slim. We are so proud of him, and his determination to change. Not all young people have this motivation, and once you become a fat adult, it becomes more difficult to lose the weight.
This is not about image, but a health issue. I do understand the modern way of life is partially to blame for this. With most parents both working, coming home, to start preparing healthy meals is time consuming. The sheer amount of quick to prepare foods is mind boggling. Bad habits have become ingrained, and turning things around will be difficult. But, I applaud governments who refuse to put their heads in the sand. We must try and help folks lead a more healthy lifestyle, and try to show them ways of eating better foods. Many people don't know how to do even basic cooking. It was taught when I was at school, but like many things, isn't anymore.
I hope the British don't become more like the Americans. Every time I go over, it seems it's getting more and more that way. This last time I saw lots of men who were thin as a playing card, something you hardly ever see here anymore.
I agree that the government should step in. Probably if you said that in the US, you'd be called a Communist or a Fascist--but some of us think that it's the only way to stop this serious health issue. It's a needless drain on healthcare and for those of us in the US who PAY for everything medical, our insurance premiums are going to go up because of these people who need special surgery for obesity and who need other help for the health issues associated with obesity.
Congrats to your grandson for losing the weight. My skinny husband's son in England is fat and I wish he could lose weight. He was one of the few fat people I saw over there last year.
People are fat because they eat too much and take no exercise.
A friend of mine is a provider in a clinic. All the time patients come in wanting a pill to help them lose weight. Claim (mostly women) it's not their fault as they "hardly eat anything". It's got to be hormones or something. So he asks them to tell him what they had to eat in the last 24 hours and come to find out, day is started by stopping Hardees and getting a sausage, egg cheese, biscuit & hash browns. They went out with co-workers at lunch to the Chinese buffet. Had drinks after work, and ate a substantial dinner. Day is spent in mini-van, at computer, yakking on phone, and looking at TV. LOL.
I think people get fat for a variety of reasons. A friend of mine took in her sister's son when he was 4, his mother was mentally ill and the father a drug addict. The child was underweight and malnourished. Once he started eating he never stopped. He is 14 now and very heavy. None one else in the family is overweight and they are all very fit. This child is food obsessed, he hides food, he hoards food, he begs other kids in school for their lunches. She has sent him to fat camp, taken him to several nutritionists and even a psychologist. Nothing works. I think there's something in this kid's head that makes him think he has to eat constantly because he remembers what being hungry was like.
I honestly think Americans are overall genetically less likely to be thin, since most immigrants here were survivors who had to live off of little, they had to be metabolically thrifty.
Not that they *can't* be thin, just that they really have to rough it compared to today's standards of living in order to be thin. That's why they used to be thin, but aren't now.
I understand what the OP is saying. When I was in school in the 60's and 70's there might have been one or two kids in the entire school who were overweight and I don't mean obese, I mean like they needed to lose 20-30 pounds. I went to a water park a few weeks ago and I saw kids there who were under 12 years old and already had bellies hanging over their bathing suit bottoms. These are the kids that will wind up with serious health issues in about 20 years. Most likely their future children will also be fat. I would say at least 75% of the adults I saw there that day needed to lose weight and some were morbidly obese.
This "fat acceptance" is not helping anybody. No we don't need to fat shame people but nowadays it seems anything goes. Years ago you would never see a 300 pound woman at the pool in a bikini, now I see it on a regular basis because it's "accepted" and we are supposed to glorify this obese woman because she is not ashamed of her body. If you are fat because you eat too much and exercise too little you should be ashamed; ashamed that you are cutting your life short and setting yourself up for a lifetime of health issues caused by being obese.
Obesity rates in children in the UK are falling, in terms of adults in the UK the rates of obesity have actually flatlined and have not risen since 15 years ago in 2001.
The term epidemic is also questionable and makes obesity sound like some form of disease.
Europeans have a loooong history of looking down their noses at America and frankly we return the favor on occasion. (like calling the French surrender monkeys)
I think it's just basic psychology of pointing out what's wrong with "others", maybe some tribalism thrown in on top.
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