The Student Room Group

My view on obesity.

There seems to be a disparity in opinions to the drug addicts and the obese person. People say that the drug addict did it to themselves and people say that they don't need help yet obesity is done largely by the person as well. Take for example hyperthyroidism which is supposed a factor for obesity, it is supposedly responsible for 0.1% of the cases of obesity.

Now overweight people dislike the facts, but it's simple calorie intake vs calories burnt. If you're eating dense calories like grilled chicken, brown rice, beans etc. over fried beef, burgers, biscuits, coca cola and beer you will lose weight or not gain weight as you will feel more full. This low metabolism stuff makes less sense because you will increase your metabolism regardless if you exercise more.

These are the facts. Disagree with them all you want but doesn't make them any less correct than they are.

I will include a poll to see people's views on obesity. I also would like to say that people's threads on disapproving of multiculturalism go on far longer than a thread with much less discriminating opinions(that overweight people do this to themselves and should lose weight).

Food for thought definitely. Let me get a banana.

Scroll to see replies

The thing is, people don't like facts, they don't like the truth. They would much rather say "I have a slow metabolism" and pig out every day. It's laziness to go to the gym, it's easy/cheap food options which make their lifestyle.

People say that "diets don't work" , they want an overnight fix and get annoyed and give up if they haven't lost a stone by the end of the week, even though this is years and years of unhealthy food.

Those who are drug addicts, smokers, alcoholics etc seem to get a worse time because it's seen as rude to openly berate an obese person. They will say "urgggh...smoking is disgusting! Do you know what you're doing to yourself?" and then say absolutely nothing when the fat person at the table orders dessert.
Reply 2
Original post by stargirl63
The thing is, people don't like facts, they don't like the truth. They would much rather say "I have a slow metabolism" and pig out every day. It's laziness to go to the gym, it's easy/cheap food options which make their lifestyle.

People say that "diets don't work" , they want an overnight fix and get annoyed and give up if they haven't lost a stone by the end of the week, even though this is years and years of unhealthy food.

Those who are drug addicts, smokers, alcoholics etc seem to get a worse time because it's seen as rude to openly berate an obese person. They will say "urgggh...smoking is disgusting! Do you know what you're doing to yourself?" and then say absolutely nothing when the fat person at the table orders dessert.

:hi5:

I agree entirely. Now I'm not the most amazing of bodybuilders but I take care of my shape. The thing is that the healthy food isn't even bad in taste, it's just that its a bit more effort to make.

People use the argument that it costs a lot to make healthy food, that's if you're getting a salad from Tesco but you can get an 8 pack of large tomatoes for £1.50, whole bundle of Lettuce for 65p, a bag of onions for a pound etc which can do for more than one meal. Add that to the meat you want to have with it(e.g. some chicken or some mackerel) and you'll have enough lunch meals for an entire week for under 6 pounds. If you're getting a burger and chips from the pub or chicken and chips that's about a fiver for each meal.
Reply 3
there should be laws about fat people. Not only are they a drain on society but they are disgusting to look at.
Reply 4
Anybody else?
I think the food industry needs to be considered as well. In the West, food companies constantly strive to find the bliss point.

I'm trying to alleviate that by making homemade wraps and burgers with the same bliss point that I get from chip shops. But at least my homemade stuff are fresh, smaller and have lower calories and fat.

It's difficult to do the same with chain brands like KFC though.
Well yes, weight is mostly about calories in vs calories out. There are plenty of other things which affect weight, metabolism included, but they are far less significant factors than calorie intake and expenditure, particularly if we ignore bodybuilding and people at extreme ends of the BMI spectrum.

Losing weight is a challenge for us because we like routines and develop habits. When you're used to getting chips from the canteen for lunch, it can be hard to get into the habit of making sandwiches the night before, remembering to take them in, resisting buying chips as well as the butties, etc.

That's why diets often work for people - they provide instructional, demonstrable, evidenced weight loss techniques, even if they are effectively just trying to reduce calorie intake.

I'm in the process of losing weight, and since starting each month have either maintained or lost weight and reduced BF%. I'm purely doing it on having a flexible calorie limit. I eat whatever food item I want and just make sure not to go over my calorie limit more than a couple of times a week.
Reply 7
I don't understand how people can let themselves get obese. Whenever I eat something mildly unhealthy ie fry up in the morning I feel like I must go for a run or a cycle.
However I guess lifestyle has a big part to play, I was born out in the country and had to work at a young age. I guess if you're from a town life is sitting around and eating watching TV where the food that you eat is not worked for.
Reply 8
Original post by SecretDuck
I think the food industry needs to be considered as well. In the West, food companies constantly strive to find the bliss point.

I'm trying to alleviate that by making homemade wraps and burgers with the same bliss point that I get from chip shops. But at least my homemade stuff are fresh, smaller and have lower calories and fat.

It's difficult to do the same with chain brands like KFC though.

Tbh like with smoking it's simple supply and demand. I'm not at all saying that you should ban chicken shops as what you gonna eat when you're hungry at 11pm in the night and there's no food in the fridge?

Yeah KFC it's hard unless you're bothered to make batter or if you have a deep fryer. But that's effort to clean and you have to use the oil eventually. Plus it's unhealthy regardless. They do have southern fried chicken from iceland and that kind.
Original post by jam278
Tbh like with smoking it's simple supply and demand. I'm not at all saying that you should ban chicken shops as what you gonna eat when you're hungry at 11pm in the night and there's no food in the fridge?

Yeah KFC it's hard unless you're bothered to make batter or if you have a deep fryer. But that's effort to clean and you have to use the oil eventually. Plus it's unhealthy regardless. They do have southern fried chicken from iceland and that kind.


There are ways to approximate KFC with a frying pan. It tastes pretty good and less fat.

I'm saying that the general advice when it comes to fast food is to try to usher it out. But I do miss the bliss point from it. People become fat because they crave it and don't want to make it themselves at home.
Reply 10
Original post by SecretDuck
There are ways to approximate KFC with a frying pan. It tastes pretty good and less fat.

I'm saying that the general advice when it comes to fast food is to try to usher it out. But I do miss the bliss point from it. People become fat because they crave it and don't want to make it themselves at home.

Hmm with the batter and everything? That just seems like effort, will probably just use the oven/grill.

I can see what you mean with making your own fast food. Also add some veg to whatever you're eating.
Original post by jam278
Hmm with the batter and everything? That just seems like effort, will probably just use the oven/grill.

I can see what you mean with making your own fast food. Also add some veg to whatever you're eating.


With the butter and everything. Still not identical but I anyway don't want an exact match anyway.

I usually have salad with my clone wraps, sometimes I add Old El Paso salsa to make it approximate a spicy wrap. :smile:
Original post by jam278
There seems to be a disparity in opinions to the drug addicts and the obese person. People say that the drug addict did it to themselves and people say that they don't need help yet obesity is done largely by the person as well. Take for example hyperthyroidism which is supposed a factor for obesity, it is supposedly responsible for 0.1% of the cases of obesity.

Now overweight people dislike the facts, but it's simple calorie intake vs calories burnt. If you're eating dense calories like grilled chicken, brown rice, beans etc. over fried beef, burgers, biscuits, coca cola and beer you will lose weight or not gain weight as you will feel more full. This low metabolism stuff makes less sense because you will increase your metabolism regardless if you exercise more.

These are the facts. Disagree with them all you want but doesn't make them any less correct than they are.

I will include a poll to see people's views on obesity. I also would like to say that people's threads on disapproving of multiculturalism go on far longer than a thread with much less discriminating opinions(that overweight people do this to themselves and should lose weight).

Food for thought definitely. Let me get a banana.



I'm not sure I see the point of this thread.

Yes I did this to myself, it's my own fault.

What does that have to do with anyone else?

Drugs and food aren't the same thing, I smoke (well, vape) and I have a pretty massive nicotine addiction, I'm not addicted to food, I know what it feels like.
I agree. I think it's often an addiction to food, in the same way someone might be addicted to drugs. It's a psychological process. I think both parties need help and intervention, but both are equally responsible for their situation (disregarding special cases).
Original post by DasSnipez
I'm not sure I see the point of this thread.

Yes I did this to myself, it's my own fault.

What does that have to do with anyone else?

Drugs and food aren't the same thing, I smoke (well, vape) and I have a pretty massive nicotine addiction, I'm not addicted to food, I know what it feels like.


When you start having health problems and you go to the NHS it becomes everyone else's problem.
Original post by ELITE MATHS
When you start having health problems and you go to the NHS it becomes everyone else's problem.


When you have a heart attack, a stroke, a brain aneurysm, dementia, parkinsons disease, break your leg, break your spine, cut your hand off with a table saw these all become everybodies problem, the moment you step foot in a&e it becomes everybodies problem.

We all pay in we and we all get treatment.

Do I get to complain if your injury is your own fault?

No.

Because you have paid just as much as you (proportionally) have to have access to that service.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by DasSnipez
I'm not sure I see the point of this thread.

Yes I did this to myself, it's my own fault.

What does that have to do with anyone else?

Drugs and food aren't the same thing, I smoke (well, vape) and I have a pretty massive nicotine addiction, I'm not addicted to food, I know what it feels like.


The younger generations are exposed to these habits and they too may become obese. Also, what is wrong with people showing enough compassion to encourage others to lose weight and stay healthy?
Reply 17
Original post by DasSnipez
When you have a heart attack, a stroke, a brain aneurysm, dementia, parkinsons disease, break your leg, break your spine, cut your hand off with a table saw these all become everybodies problem, the moment you step foot in a&e it becomes everybodies problem.

We all pay in we and we all get treatment.

Do I get to complain if your injury is your own fault?

No.

Because you have paid just as much as you (proportionally) have to have access to that service.

If more people are ill, the NHS has to find more money, where is that money going to come from? Yes the taxpayer. If you have needless illnesses from obesity etc.

Original post by DasSnipez
I'm not sure I see the point of this thread.

Yes I did this to myself, it's my own fault.

What does that have to do with anyone else?

Drugs and food aren't the same thing, I smoke (well, vape) and I have a pretty massive nicotine addiction, I'm not addicted to food, I know what it feels like.

Quite funny here. I was watching bbc news and a fat lady who just had a gastric band and is starting to lose weight said that people don't realise that we're addicted to food and that while she did it to herself she shouldn't be berated as it's an addiction, it's not so simple to just lose weight.

While I believe there is some level of food addiction, I don't see why the drug user is berated at every opportunity and not the fat person. Smoking well again that's your fault. Don't smoke too often. Levels of addiction are different anyway. Clearly you are addicted to eating copious amounts of bad food if you're fat. These are the facts, deny them all you want, doesn't make it any less true than it currently is.
Original post by jam278
If more people are ill, the NHS has to find more money, where is that money going to come from? Yes the taxpayer. If you have needless illnesses from obesity etc.


Quite funny here. I was watching bbc news and a fat lady who just had a gastric band and is starting to lose weight said that people don't realise that we're addicted to food and that while she did it to herself she shouldn't be berated as it's an addiction, it's not so simple to just lose weight.

While I believe there is some level of food addiction, I don't see why the drug user is berated at every opportunity and not the fat person. Smoking well again that's your fault. Don't smoke too often. Levels of addiction are different anyway. Clearly you are addicted to eating copious amounts of bad food if you're fat. These are the facts, deny them all you want, doesn't make it any less true than it currently is.


So you watched the bbc news and "believe" there is some level of food addiction and your going to claim that these are facts?

You know what, I'm done, you don't even seem to understand what a fact actually is.
Reply 19
Original post by Ade9000
The younger generations are exposed to these habits and they too may become obese. Also, what is wrong with people showing enough compassion to encourage others to lose weight and stay healthy?

Lets not talk about it. The NHS will sort them out by needlessly wasting money on them to have free gastric bands, when it could be used to actually solve much less avoidable conditions that they don't have the money to provide the procedure and the taxpayer has to then pay even more tax in order for the NHS to get their money. :rolleyes:

Add to that they make it hard for you to have an enjoyable experience on the plane.

Quick Reply