obese people on the news

[toller-girl]

Does this bug anyone else?

Obesity is on the tv every other day, and it feels like the last thing you allowed be prejudiced against, with Thingy from Dragons Den openly saying he would never hire an overweight person. Would he feel the same about a smoker I wonder? Or someone who binge drinks at the weekends?

Every time there is a news story there are shots of people's tummys and bums, just in case we forget what overweight people look like. What is the benefit of that? Do they really think people wont recognise themselves (or other people wont recognise them) because they have cut their head off? Or there are always shots of larger people eating. EVERYBODY eats! If you followed posh spice around you'd find her shoving something in her mouth!

I wonder if they realise that this is contributing to the problem? I see stuff like that and I feel less like a person, and more like a social problem or some kind of sub-human. Low self esteem is a major factor in weight problems, so why do the powers that be think that treating people like scum is going to help?

Sorry, felt the need to rant! Finished now

 

[mandy-1975]

You Rant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel exactly the same!!!!!!!!! Not sure what they think they will achieve by doing it!

They need to look at the effects of what they do and say are doign to us obese or overweight people!!!!!

 

[BIG BIRDY]

At the other end of the scale, what about all the skinnies out there? Do you watch that super size/superskinny programme on Tuesday? The skinny ones to me don't look much different to what you see in the streets or plastered all over magazines. In fact the one this week looked 'normal' to me, that was until her stats were revealed. Society has alot to answer for.

 

[toller-girl]

I don't watch supersize/superskinny any more, I saw it once and it seemed nothing more than a freak show. I don't see what swapping diets is supposed to achieve? Neither diet is healthy after all.

I do love to complain! hehe

 

[Barb]

My OH is sick to death of the preaching! He does not have a weight problem, is chunkier than he was as a youngster but still looks great and finds all the media frenzy about fat really ridiculous.

I think we all need to calm down about it a bit - magazines (womens) in particular feature week after week people who've gained/lost weight as though there is nothing else to interest our minds. I am insulted by it. ( but yeah, I read it so I'm part of the problem)

Imagine the outcry if it was suddenly decided that ginger haired people had ginger hair because they gorged on carrots! ( yeah, I know ridiculous but I'm thinking on my feet here) There would be articles about how to dye your hair and wean yourself off carrots, their would be 'carrot awareness clinics...(I'm warming to this)

The truth is we are human beings who come in all shapes, sizes, colours, heights weights.... lets live and let live. We are all valuable in our own right and that value has NOTHING to do with what we weigh.

Finally, I am guilty of watching supersize/skinnysize. Can someone please SHUT UP that awful McKeith woman. If she came near me with her loudhaller I shudder to think what I'd stick down it!!!!

My bum may be big but it is none of her business! She just feeds the 'right' to ridicule plump people.

 

[Bea]

Here, here!! totally agree.......well said all!

 

[Eclipse]

Totally agree. As for that McKeith woman, she is like a deformed dwarf and I wish she would get off our screens!

 

[toller-girl]

If nothing else she is proof that being thin don't make you pretty

Oh, and the correct way to refer to her is"Dr" Gillian McKeith, the air quotes emphasis the fact she's a fraudster!

I don't like her much, does that come across? I did buy her cookbook though, cos I struggle to find nice, vegetarian, healthy recipes. Obviously not gonna need that for a while tho!

 

[Sappho]

Just had to add my twopenneth cos it really makes me cross aswell, especially when it is just people going about their normal business that get honed in on by news cameras! The other thing that bugs me is that nobody seems to publically recognise overeating / food addiction as an eating disorder. It seems if you have a disorder that makes you too thin you are the victim and get loads of help (quite rightly), but if you have a disorder that makes you too fat you are the cause (like you were just too lazy to do anything about it) and people just judge you. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!

 

[toller-girl]

Exactly!!

I'm pretty sure binge eating is now recognised as a 'proper' eating disorder.

The thing is, people deal with their issues in lots of different ways. Some drink, some smoke, some go for a run, and some eat. Eating is seen as a socially acceptable way to deal with feelings I think. The problem is that some people have more feelings to deal with, and others take it to extremes.

There are also other factors, portion sizes are generally way too big, a lot of people aren't educated about healthy food.

It's obviously a really complex issue, but alienating and demonising certainly doesn't help.

I even had someone at work mention that proposed bill in the states to stop serving obese people, he started telling us by saying 'ha ha', which reeeeeally offended me! I work from home online so he doesn't know I'm overweight. I felt like rubbish, that would've sent me to the cookie jar a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Deb G]

People think that anyone who is overweight is just lazy and greedy. What I love about LL is that they recognise that we have eating disorders/food addiction/emotional issues - whatever you want to call it, and try to deal with the reasoning behind our choice to dive for the biscuit tin - rather than just saying "Don't eat biscuits!".

I think this period of abstinence is amazing - because for the first time in my life I have lived without the constant torture in my head between not eating and over eating. I can't wait to get to RTM so I can try out my new technqiues for dealing with (what I call) my food addiction. My weight was just a symptom of my problem......not the problem itself!

 

[lucasflu]

I believe the media are correct on this issue.
You should not be on this diet because you are influenced by the media but hopefully because loosing weight has countless benefits for you as the individual.

Someone said "why don't they discriminate on people with ginger hair" but that is not a reflection on your personality. Being overweight is a reflection on your personality that you have a lack of discipline like a gambler, alcoholice.t.c its just unlucky that this addiction is visable.

Also there is a lot of emphasis on health related issues and i fully concur that this issue needs to be sorted out in the UK.

The difference is here that we are the ones stuck in the middle, overweight but willing to do something about it and im afraid that there is no category in the media for us and thats why you will feel aggrieved.

 

[toller-girl]

Please dont' tell me why I hold the opinions I have.

I have always felt the same about this, even when I was slim. I also know many slim people who share my thoughts.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but this is a weight loss SUPPORT forum and I've read a few posts from you that are anything but.

 

[lucasflu]

Jesus it was just my view i was not having ago at you i couldnt even remembered whether you agreed or disagreed with the post. Its a national subject people will have different views dont bite my head off!!!

 

[Kitteh]

I would have hated that Gillian mceeth woman (however you spell her name).. to tell me ihave a fat bum. I know i have a fat bum.. but to be put on telly.. Urrgh.. to make money from the embarrasment on others (i know that they must have agreed).. its just.. some of those girls had small bums.. lol..

x x

 

[Sweetpea]

I don't watch supersize/superskinny any more, I saw it once and it seemed nothing more than a freak show. I don't see what swapping diets is supposed to achieve? Neither diet is healthy after all.

That's exactly what the programme is about - showing that neither has a diet that is healthy and the two I have watched have shown both parties realising that.

I must admit it is a bit of a freak show and it is amazing how I often think the super-skinny one isn't that far off normal. It isn't the flab on the super-sized one that shocks me - it's the volume of food they eat. I'm just amazed that they can afford their food bills. The amount of food the skinny one eats seems more than adequate to me and probably more in terms of volume than I ate to put weight on.

I think it is one of those programmes that'll be interesting to see a few times but then you've seen it all. I'm sure there isn't any intention to offend by it and they hope to educate people but it's not really that educational either!

 

[Sweetpea]

I think we all need to calm down about it a bit - magazines (womens) in particular feature week after week people who've gained/lost weight as though there is nothing else to interest our minds. I am insulted by it. ( but yeah, I read it so I'm part of the problem)

I'm sick of seeing the same celebs in every magazine showing how much weight they've lost, how they did it and how they're maintaining it. Who cares?

These celebs are the biggest part of the problem. They should stop being so egotistical and if they want to lose weight just get on and do it for themselves.

 

[Russiandoll]

These celebs are the biggest part of the problem. They should stop being so egotistical and if they want to lose weight just get on and do it for themselves.

Ahhh yes - but if they did it quietly and privately, they wouldn't be able to promote their latest diet ("Follow my diet and lose 14st in a day") and the fitness DVD that accompanies it!

Cynical? MOI???

 

[Sappho]

. Being overweight is a reflection on your personality that you have a lack of discipline like a gambler, alcoholice.t.c its just unlucky that this addiction is visable.

I am pleased to know that it is just a simple lack of discipline and not a physical and psychological addiction to the effects of foods on my body and mind. I must remember to be more disciplined in future. I must also tell the very close relative of mine who has been suffering the devestating effects of alcoholism for over 30 years that she should be more disciplined.

 

[Sweetpea]

I am pleased to know that it is just a simple lack of discipline and not a physical and psychological addiction to the effects of foods on my body and mind. I must remember to be more disciplined in future. I must also tell the very close relative of mine who has been suffering the devestating effects of alcoholism for over 30 years that she should be more disciplined.

Things are get a bit heated on here aren't they?

What the other poster said is actually true. It may be that addictive personalities cause us to over-indulge in whatever appeals to us (food, drugs, cigarettes, Alcohol) but it is down to our lack of control around that thing and lack of discipline. It's no big deal - so many people on here admit everyday that they binged because they couldn't help themselves. Nobody is judging them. We all want the same thing on these forums. Sometimes people who are over-weight can be perhaps a little over-sensitive to comments but maybe it is because they are true.

I admit though that we don't need to be constantly reminded of our shortcomings. Unfortunately it's probably us lot on here who buy the magazines about diets and celebrity fitness DVDs and who watch all those TV programmes so maybe we are perpetuating it?