Obesity jabs

I loved your last paragraph about the doughnut because it's precisely what I do - every few months. Unfortunately, all carbs are eventually converted into sugar and I can hardly eat any of them. Not only do I not eat cakes, biscuits and pastries, but I avoid starchy carbs too. I've eaten like this for over 30 years and it's hard. I'm not self-righteous about it, but I don't like pain. I have diabetic neuropathy in my hands and feet and high blood sugar affects it in hours. Quite honestly, it's just not worth it - apart from that occasional doughnut!

Good post Lizzy. I battled hunger at the beginning of my new eating regime, it was not easy but worthwhile. I often feel hungry at 4.30 and I have a few glugs of light ginger beer filled up with water and it immediately takes the hunger away.

A friend gave me this book recently and it is excellent and written in a clear unfussy way.

I too am hooked on nuts and seeds. 😀

LovelyLady

I’m overweight - obese, and it’s not through choice.
I’m a Granny and will not live for another 25years. I therefore would like to enjoy the time I have left. I would like the weight loss injections but although my GP feels it would be a great idea for me, the NHS is unable to pay.
This most likely will result in my having other weight related health issues. Or I could buy it on line but the supplier is not regulated.
If anyone says ‘Just have smaller portions and exercise more’ I’ll scream
If it was that simple, I wouldn’t be this overweight for most of my adult life.
Please please be kind, it’s such a sensitive issue for me.

Doodledog

As one of the 'some people', I agree that many don't want to hear the truth, as it means their halos slip a bit.

I don't wish ill health on anyone, but if you developed an underactive thyroid and a respiratory condition that meant you couldn't exercise you might not be so insufferably self-righteous.

So true. I think I said something along the same lines. I have a couple of health conditions and I am on medication, both of which are known to contribute to weight gain, and make it far harder to lose the weight too. These smug self-righteous people have absolutely no idea how that makes you feel. I have absolutely NO self-esteem as it is and believe me, if I could take a knife and chop off all the flab, I would. I'm an educated, intelligent woman, but I'm sure these 'saints' on here would look at me and just see a fat, lazy slob who needed to eat less and move more...

Viceverser thanks for explaining your feelings. It makes me realise that perhaps I should keep my advice for my usual thread called Pears.

I know some of the feelings you mention. Some years back I was looking at a photo of someone with my oldest friend. I wondered who her fat friend was and then horrified I realised it was me 😳.

Weight loss/gain is an emotive subject.

lizzypopbottle

*Losing weight is not easy. It's hard. You have to be determined.*

When my blood sugar started creeping up I decided to give up added sugar. I'm a decisive person when it comes to my health so I went cold turkey. I gave up chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries etc. However, I didn't go hungry! I still ate bread, pasta, rice and had a glass of wine. I lost a stone in weight within a few weeks!

Here are some suggestions if you are determined:

1. Never shop for food when you are hungry. You will crave a quick fix and buy something it would be better to avoid. Eat a healthy, filling meal before you go shopping for food.
2. Don't go down the chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries or fizzy drinks aisles in the supermarket. Tell yourself NO! and move on past.
3. Avoid 'friends' who will try to sabotage your efforts with unhelpful comments e.g. "Come on! One biscuit won't hurt you!" They only do it to make themselves feel better about eating sugary stuff. Be strong!
4. Read the labels on foods to wean yourself off sugar. Look only at the values per 100g for carbohydrates and sugars so you can make informed comparisons. For example: jumbo oats are approximately 60% carbs but only 1% sugars. Oats are good! Marmalade is 62% carbs but all 62% is sugars! Jam and marmalade not good! Tagliatelle pasta is approximately 33% carbs but only 1.5% sugars. Pasta is good! Heinz baked beans per 100g are 11.7g carbs of which sugars 4.7g. One slice of Sainsbury's wholemeal sourdough bloomer has only 1g of sugars. Baked beans on toast are good! Nature Valley Oats and Honey crunchy bars 27% sugars. Not good! I
5. Don't go "low fat". Foods promoted as low fat are often ultra processed and have added sugar instead. Full fat dairy is good e.g. Authentic Greek yogurt. Add fruit if you wish.
Butter your toast (but don't go mad!) Eat nuts and seeds. I confess I'm obsessed with nuts and seeds!

See what I mean? Educate yourself about food!

Both of my sisters and I each have an underactive thyroid. Our mother did too. It tends to run in families. We are all on thyroxine medication. None of us is overweight.

Good luck! It can be a hard slog but you can do it if you are determined!

Finally (I promise) Ask yourself, "Do I want this doughnut more than I want the health benefits of giving up sugar?" If your answer is yes, buy the doughnut, take it home, make a cuppa and enjoy. You've made your decision.

So. My clinically obese friend died because she wasn't determined enough to live then. I don't believe that, she certainly wasn't determined to die.

Maybe she just didn't have enough good luck.

Some of the comments on this thread are unbelievable.

Doodledog

Maybe she just didn't have enough good luck.

Some of the comments on this thread are unbelievable.

So what do you want to be done about obesity?

Done about it? I'd like to see less judgement and more people minding their own business, really. There is nothing wrong with education for those who don't understand that chips and cake will make you fat, but really - do people think that others don't know that?

What it seems that many people don't know is that there are factors other than greed and stupidity that contribute to people being overweight or obese, and that the constant judgement can add low self-esteem to the health conditions and/or genetic factors from which fat people often suffer. Maybe more education about that would be helpful, but it wouldn't make more millions of pounds for the diet industry.

I'd also like to see a breakdown of the amount of tax raised on the sale of diet foods/books/magazines/apps/classes etc, not to mention the low sugar/low fat/low calorie 'alternatives' that keep people on the merry-go-round of dieting, and see how that compares to the cost of obesity to the NHS. I'd also like to see who benefits financially from the diet industry, and where they fit into the messaging around obesity.

I won't hold my breath though.

Thank you for your reply. Does that mean you don't want to lose weight? Given that obesity is a health risk, I was hoping you could give suggestions about how people could be helped to lose weight in a sensitive way.

I have no intention of bearing my soul on here.

That is another example of how people take absolute liberties when talking to the overweight. FWIW, I have said several times that I am not obese, incidentally.

growstuff

Thank you for your reply. Does that mean you don't want to lose weight? Given that obesity is a health risk, I was hoping you could give suggestions about how people could be helped to lose weight in a sensitive way.

Unbelievable

OldFrill

growstuff

Thank you for your reply. Does that mean you don't want to lose weight? Given that obesity is a health risk, I was hoping you could give suggestions about how people could be helped to lose weight in a sensitive way.

Unbelievable

Why is it unbelievable? I don't expect anybody to bear their soul, but it is a fact that many people are obese and don't want to be. I'm genuinely interested in what can be done to help them lose weight.

Doodledog

I have no intention of bearing my soul on here.

That is another example of how people take absolute liberties when talking to the overweight. FWIW, I have said several times that I am not obese, incidentally.

It was a genuine question. Fine! I won't do anything to try and understand why people are overweight or obese.

growstuff

OldFrill

growstuff

Thank you for your reply. Does that mean you don't want to lose weight? Given that obesity is a health risk, I was hoping you could give suggestions about how people could be helped to lose weight in a sensitive way.

Unbelievable

Why is it unbelievable? I don't expect anybody to bear their soul, but it is a fact that many people are obese and don't want to be. I'm genuinely interested in what can be done to help them lose weight.

Seriously? Do you not think that if I had the answer to that I wouldn't be overweight? And that the 'many obese people' wouldn't also just do [whatever it is] and not get the sort of idiotic questions and judgemental assumptions that are par for the course?

I have never been judgmental. You're imagining that.

Ok, that's possible, but telling me about vegetarian food not necessarily healthy, and asking what I would like to see done for the obese does seem to be based on a presumption that I don't know fairly obvious facts about nutrition and that I have no wish to change things myself.

I have explained that the reason I am overweight is because of health, yet you are asking what I want to see done about obesity. Can't you see why that is, at best, er, impolite?

growstuff

Thank you for your reply. Does that mean you don't want to lose weight? Given that obesity is a health risk, I was hoping you could give suggestions about how people could be helped to lose weight in a sensitive way.

Do you think we “fatties” are too stupid, ill educated or even illiterate?

Most of us know full well what to eat and when and how important movement is.

Many of us have many other “issues”, medication, health problems, even emotional problems.

We know about carbs and sugars, we understand about fats, good and bad, we get our health might be damaged.

We don’t need advice, we need a bit of support, some understanding and left to help ourselves in any way we feel best.

Being obese isn’t healthy but it’s also not a mortal sin or a henious crime.

I save my judgement for those who truly deserve it.

I’m off now to stuff my fat, lazy, face with 20 doughnuts and a couple of loaves of bread!

Enjoy, Cossy.

Stumbled across this discussion but have to say that weight loss jabs from a reputable provider who v carefully assessed my health have transformed my life.
Better social life, new hobbies and no longer comfort eating.

Not for everyone but definitely worth exploring as an option.

Happy to share more - just drop me a message.

I am not judgemental about weight in the least but I am judgemental about any get slim quick schemes for people who are struggling and at the end of their tether, suddenly there’s this expensive (to some) answer popping up everywhere
There have been deaths and complications
There is no magic pill… are people going to stay on these injections the rest of their lives, a good earner for some

Yes I m dubious and not confident that they are the way forward
If a doctor is providing them for a definite reason other than over eating and lack of exercise and the patient is fully medically monitored maybe they will prove to be a great addition to our welfare but from an over the counter or online source no I don’t agree at all

growstuff

I have never been judgmental. You're imagining that.

I totally get what you are saying and it makes absolute sense. Thank you. How unfair to call you judgemental.

I am overweight, have an underactive thyroid and despite being very active, I have gone from borderline diabetic to well controlled diabetic (Type 2) with both metformin and insulin. I cannot understand how people become so defensive about their weight and any advice given- as being obese has very severe and life threatening side-effects.

So much money is spent on 'curing' or 'treating' diseases, be it diabetes or many forms of cancer- but so little is spent on addressing the emotional, psychological, behavioural, societal and environmental issues linked to those, and often major factors.

If a doctor tells you that your regular bouts of severe bronchitis are linked to your smoking, and offers help rather than more antibiotics- do you call her or him judgemental or helpful? Same for joint pain if you are severely overweight? and so many other issues. Accepting that being overweight, or smoking or heavy drinking, etc, are major factors for ones health is key to getting better, with medical advice, surely.

About those injections, I totally agree with BlueBelle that they are NOT the best way forwards and probably a long-term disaster. And VERY concerned that current advice is to ensure not getting pregnant as effects on unborn foetus not assessed properly. I know several women who are NOT very overweight but are obsessed with being thin, who take the drug which they buy privately. Serious concern.