BBC News Story : Over half of women's waists 'too big'

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Ricardodaforce

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Have you seen this story on the BBC today? More than half of British women's waists 'too big'

Nuffield Health examined data from more than 30,000 women and found 57% had a waist larger than the healthy size. :eek:

Do you guys perceive this to be a real problem, or something the media likes to stir up from time to time?
 
First up, BMI is a bit of a farce tbh and doesn't take into account someone who is muscular but from what I've read, waist size as an indicator to potential health issues is a good pointer.

As a kid I can't remember seeing as many fat people as I do now. When I say fat, I'm not talking about a little bit overweight, I'm talking about carrying that much excess weight that moving quicker than walking pace would be problematic.

The media do like these scare-monger type stories but I think there is some substance behind this one.
 
BMI is horlicks.

but i think otherwise the article is probably right in this case, the amount of "glandular/big boned/low metabolism" people around these days does seem to be increasing. and as mentioned the illnesses surrounding those people will be putting load (no pun) on the NHS.
 
neil_g said:
BMI is horlicks.

but i think otherwise the article is probably right in this case, the amount of "glandular/big boned/low metabolism" people around these days does seem to be increasing. and as mentioned the illnesses surrounding those people will be putting load (no pun) on the NHS.
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In the words of Al Murray, Pub Landlord esq.....

"So why are you so fat fella? Slow metabolism and fast pie arm?"
 
Whilst I have no doubt half of women do have larger waists than is totally healthy [guilty as charged m'lud], I also imagine a significant percentage of men do too. We all know it isn't good for us and don't need the latest media article to tell us that.

However, Richard, I think it's also fair to say that a good percentage of women would find your title of this thread mildly offensive too. :|
 
Yv said:
However, Richard, I think it's also fair to say that a good percentage of women would find your title of this thread mildly offensive too. :|
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Awww c'mon Yv it's all tongue in cheek. :thumbs:
 
There are far far more larger women today than when I was young (1970s) Especially those females under say 25/30, Ladies have always gained a little weight after having children and maturing in age, but even teenage girls are getting very over weight today.

I will say that the problem is very different in parts of the country and can be seen starkly between economic groups ( I'm afraid to say it, but those from a less fortunate financial, or lower educational background do look to be getting fatter faster)
 
new2me said:
I think they just hid it better back then :shrug:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jxzv8/The_Men_Who_Made_Us_Fat_Episode_1/

Interesting programs showing how the food industry in the UK introduced 'snacking' in the 70s and 80s.
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There's that and the fact to generally speaking we're a lot less active too.......

Mum's used to have to walk the kids to school and back every day, kids would spend more time playing outside and men would be working in more manually intensive jobs.

Now the car is king for transport, kids play on games consoles/internet and a lot of jobs are desk-bound.

Guilty as charged really, I fall into the category of "desk job" and after passing my driving test at the age of 18 (having used a bike or roller boots as my prefered methods of transport) I got heavier. OK, I know you will naturally get heavier as you mature but I was only around 11st when I left school at 18, I think I was around the 13st mark in my mid 20s and at the beginning of this year (nearly 35 years old) I was nudging 16st.

I don't eat particularly badly but unless I go to the gym, my activity levels are pretty low.

With the exception of a few that have medical problems causing weight gain, we all make choices. In January I made the conscious decision to change my diet and go to the gym more instead of going for the next size in trousers.

As a result I've lost just over a stone.

I think a lot of people take the easier option ;)
 
It's a disgrace, they need to take a leaf out of our book.

2903125449_9dc0a0182f.jpg
 
The men that made us fat series is very interesting. It also pointed out activity levels amongst children hadn't actually dropped as they had been checking them for years. It's the eating habits that are the issue.

People just eat too much and get fat then buy bigger sized clothes rather than having the intelligence to lose some weight and fit what they have. I also think the rise in plus size shops has a lot to do with it. If the serious fatsos couldn't get clothes in their size they'd have to do something or stay at home out of the chips shops and take aways. When you couldn't get a size above an 18 you had to do something! Women's clothes sizing has also changed. It's got bigger so I think lots think they're the same size as the '10 still fits' but if they checked their much older clothes they'd find they weren't.

It's not environment as there are plenty of people that aren't fat. It's all down to those that are overweight eating too damn much. I have sedentary life now. I used to walk a couple of miles a day. I've not piled on the pounds as I realised if you do less you have to eat less. It isn't rocket science. I am the laziest person I know and I can manage it!

If you snack you eat less at the next meal. Doesn't seem that tricky to me.
 
srichards said:
If you snack you eat less at the next meal. Doesn't seem that tricky to me.
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That's the problem though isn't it. The marketing for 'a finger of fudge is just enough' being typical. People see that little snack as something to keep them going to meal time, but do not subtract that calorie count from the meal.
 
I did find it odd though that the skinny bird on the BBC breakie prog though was over the limit... jeez.

No wonder they said that a very high proportion of women were over this limit.
 
And this will do nothing for the teenagers who believe size 0 is the healthy option, and will increase the number of young teenagers with eating disorders, really sad state of affairs
 
Spot on Dave
 
Yep, being too skinny is just as big a problem, especially for the youngsters looking at the 'fashion' mags etc.
 
Can you tell I am speaking from experience? My 13 year old got diagnosed with bulimia last year and what has come or with her is that even though she knows that all the photos in magazines are photoshopped and what they do to them, she still thinks it is obtainable and is the normal, the media has so much to answer for.

Rant over, carry on as normal, thank you.
 
Anorexia is a minority illness compared to being overweight.

Stick thin models have been around for 50+ years. Twiggy? There is nothing new. Dior in the 50s had models with tiny waists. 22 inches or so.

If you want to look like a famine victim you're wrong in the head.You're just as wrong in the head if you want to be enormous and waddle around with fat slopping round your organs. Neither will do you any good. Both situations need to be tackled and not tackling obesity which is going to lead to more people starving as the West has eaten all the pies isn't on in my book either.
 
srichards said:
Anorexia is a minority illness compared to being overweight.

Stick thin models have been around for 50+ years. Twiggy? There is nothing new. Dior in the 50s had models with tiny waists. 22 inches or so.

If you want to look like a famine victim you're wrong in the head.You're just as wrong in the head if you want to be enormous and waddle around with fat slopping round your organs. Neither will do you any good. Both situations need to be tackled and not tackling obesity which is going to lead to more people starving as the West has eaten all the pies isn't on in my book either.
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Yes you are right, there have been thin models about for years, but the images back then weren't photoshopped as they are today.

Your third paragraph also shows how little you know about eating disorders, and tbh find it a little offensive, as most if not all eating disorders are mental illnesses

You attitude may just change if you had to live with someone with an eating disorder I certainly know mine has, I went from how the how to patents not know their child has a problem to oh ****, my daughter has got a problem. Fortunately she came to me at a relative early stage and wants to beat it.
 
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I think the main point is the most people who want to be stick thin are more likely to be suffering from a mental illness where as most obese people aren't and bury their heads in the sand.

It can't be easy for you or your family Dave. Not on the same scale as what you're going through but my niece used to love spagbol, it was her favourite meal.

That was until she was about 7-8 years old and they did a lesson on good foods and bad foods. That lesson convinced her that spagbol would make her fat so she hasn't eaten it in the last 5-6 years!!!

It's a very delicate situation and the balance between education and causing some serious problems is difficult to achieve. I can't help thinking that parents should be responsible for this kind of education as they should be in the best position to know how to address it with their own child, rather than a one size fits all approach a school would have to take.

The problem with that is a lot of over-weight people don't see how over-weight they are and send the wrong messages to their kids and the opposite could happen with parents who are over sensitive about their appearence.

It's definitely a toughie!
 
Sonriendo said:
peope don't wait until they are hungry to eat, nor stop when they are full.
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there's a bit in those programs that describe how the brain/liver communication is broken down by certain chemicals in foods and therefore the eater is kind of tricked into thinking they need more
 
BMI is a load of rubbish, im 6ft 1, 19.7 stone and my doctor told me i had to go on a sever diet or run the risk of meeting a box early.

So i stood in fromt of her and took of my top and asked her to find some fat on me and she looked a bit shocked.

Doctors read to much by books sometimes..
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Awww c'mon Yv it's all tongue in cheek. :thumbs:
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I don't doubt it, doesn't bother me at all, simply pointing out that even tongue cheek, some would rightly take offence

Ricardodaforce said:
Then I have no doubt that Marcel will close it like he usually does :thumbs:
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I think Marcel is definitely one person entitled to close as many threads as he sees fit, but reminding him of that fact might not be the best move :p
 
Mmmm - sweeping generalisations by some who obviously take offence, or even who are offended by overweight people.

Wish we were all so perfect. Or perhaps we should accept fat people walking about with no clothes on - way to go!

Ultimately we all have choice agreed, education or the lack of - perhaps, marketing choices - definitely. Bad attitude - won't work.

Agreed it is an issue - but I'm not a psycologist and don't pretend to have a 'cure'. Jamie has tried, and probably got paid a lot of money for it, to name but one 'celebrity', about the only level of intelligence a good percentage might understand.

The cause needs to be attacked - not the individual, they just need help,(perhaps), especially without insulting remarks.

And Dave - you don't need to apologise to anyone
 
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Sonriendo said:
:lol:



Totally agree with this peope don't wait until they are hungry to eat, nor stop when they are full.
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There are some interesting gene mutations that actually mean this system doesn't work properly in some people. The hunger/full hormones don't function. I've also noticed if over eat for a couple of meals then hungry/full signals are affected. You eat but full seems not to be such a strong signal as it was. It needs a reset. I can only assume that if you constantly over eat then the actual amount of energy available is high enough that your body thinks you don't really need any so it is a bit meh about another meal but you eat because it is meal time rather than because you're genuinely hungry and could have potentially forgotten what feeling properly hungry is like.

I also read about diet drinks having a noticeable effect in making people over eat!

My cousin's daughter also seems to have hollow legs and is always hungry. She would literally eat from dawn to dusk if allowed. Her other sister isn't like that at all and neither are her parents. Her aunt is enormous now and has always overeaten. Aunt's mother was stick thin anorexic in later life as she feared being like her mother. Aunt's mother's mother was enormous and could eat full xmas dinner and a dozen mince pies. That line of the family seems to have some serious issues around keeping a normal weight. Whether it is a genetic issue or some weird environment issue who knows. I'm not like any of them but share some of the genes.
 
Russ77 said:
I think the main point is the most people who want to be stick thin are more likely to be suffering from a mental illness where as most obese people aren't and bury their heads in the sand.
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This little nugget of wisdom based on any impirical evidence or research Russ?
 
49Clicks said:
BMI is a load of rubbish, im 6ft 1, 19.7 stone and my doctor told me i had to go on a sever diet or run the risk of meeting a box early.

So i stood in fromt of her and took of my top and asked her to find some fat on me and she looked a bit shocked.
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Let me guess

marshall.jpg
 
Yv said:

However, Richard, I think it's also fair to say that a good percentage of women would find your title of this thread mildly offensive too. :|
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I have to say while I'm not female I still find the title of this thread rather offensive, it strikes me as a title decided upon to cause offence :shake:

I'm fat guilty as charged, I don't need telling about it again in such a rude way :shake: do you think that I don't have a mirror in my home :thinking:

Matt
MWHCVT
 
I'm not offended in the least by the title. It seems humorous to me. But I'm not overweight so I wouldn't take offence to the term as it cannot be directed at me.
 
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