Should we stop calling people overweight? (Article on BBC News Today)

I'm classed as obese on the BMI scale, despite being 14 stone and 5 ft 4 inches, a lot better than I was last year when looking back at before pictures. But I think its nice of a doctor to say 'overweight' or 'weight problem' doesn't sound as bad somehow rather than fat or obese.
 
Some nice people out there :rolleyes:

Honestly - I think it's going a bit PC mad banning the word. We need to stop concentrating on the labels and DO something about the children that are sadly growing up fatter than any other generation before. I'm paranoid about my daughter, I'm morbidly obese but her father can pack away whatever he wants and stays 10stone, he has an active job though, an impressive appetite if he's been working hard and does only see food as fuel most of the time. I don't :mad:
 
Can't click on the link cos I am on the iphone and it jams up - but I am guessing something like people don't like the terminology used at the docs ? Tbh I think obese and morbid obese sound both dramatic and horrible. Maybe they use them to shock us!??? I am classed as obese on that rotten Bmi thing which I personally think is a load of Bobby Logs!!! I am fitter, more toned and muscled than I have ever been - plus since goin veggie I have eaten what I consider to be a fab varied diet. I hardly drink alcohol - cheap 2% lager!!! Not hard stuff..... I also drink mainly water and rarely have tea or caffeine these days. However, my friend who is same age and height is two stone lighter and classed as perfectly healthy weight. Despite the fact that she chain smokes, drinks gin or wine in copious amounts every night, and can barely walk a flight of stairs without moaning or being out of breath! Crazy or what?!! She eats rubbish fatty foods too. Makes me angry because often Gp surgeries do not look at the whole picture. I ride twice aday mosy days and do at least 3 miles walk daily plus horse chores and such. Does not add up that my friend will not be told off - yet I always leave feeling disgruntled! Sorry for the rant!!!
 
Trewsers said:
Can't click on the link cos I am on the iphone and it jams up - but I am guessing something like people don't like the terminology used at the docs ? Tbh I think obese and morbid obese sound both dramatic and horrible. Maybe they use them to shock us!??? I am classed as obese on that rotten Bmi thing which I personally think is a load of Bobby Logs!!! I am fitter, more toned and muscled than I have ever been - plus since goin veggie I have eaten what I consider to be a fab varied diet. I hardly drink alcohol - cheap 2% lager!!! Not hard stuff..... I also drink mainly water and rarely have tea or caffeine these days. However, my friend who is same age and height is two stone lighter and classed as perfectly healthy weight. Despite the fact that she chain smokes, drinks gin or wine in copious amounts every night, and can barely walk a flight of stairs without moaning or being out of breath! Crazy or what?!! She eats rubbish fatty foods too. Makes me angry because often Gp surgeries do not look at the whole picture. I ride twice aday mosy days and do at least 3 miles walk daily plus horse chores and such. Does not add up that my friend will not be told off - yet I always leave feeling disgruntled! Sorry for the rant!!!
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Spot on! Healthy lifestyle is the most important thing the rest will take care of itself. To many statistics flying about.
 
Gosh just read me post back - have rather gone on a bit and off at a tangent! Sorry!!! lol I can live with being told the truth about my weight but still gets me going over that Bmi scale.....Will shush now....
 
Personally speaking, its not words themselves that hurt, it's intention, or at least perceived intention.

Baning a word doesn't stop the thought or intentions behind the behaviour of some. Therefore I think its ridiculous to try and ban a term.
 
Trewsers said:
Can't click on the link cos I am on the iphone and it jams up - but I am guessing something like people don't like the terminology used at the docs ? Tbh I think obese and morbid obese sound both dramatic and horrible. Maybe they use them to shock us!??? I am classed as obese on that rotten Bmi thing which I personally think is a load of Bobby Logs!!! I am fitter, more toned and muscled than I have ever been - plus since goin veggie I have eaten what I consider to be a fab varied diet. I hardly drink alcohol - cheap 2% lager!!! Not hard stuff..... I also drink mainly water and rarely have tea or caffeine these days. However, my friend who is same age and height is two stone lighter and classed as perfectly healthy weight. Despite the fact that she chain smokes, drinks gin or wine in copious amounts every night, and can barely walk a flight of stairs without moaning or being out of breath! Crazy or what?!! She eats rubbish fatty foods too. Makes me angry because often Gp surgeries do not look at the whole picture. I ride twice aday mosy days and do at least 3 miles walk daily plus horse chores and such. Does not add up that my friend will not be told off - yet I always leave feeling disgruntled! Sorry for the rant!!!
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totally agree! I'm still obese yet I can go for walks with my dogs and not get breathless at any time even running up the hill with the trotting carriage ponies. The only thing that's stopping me at the moment is pain from whip lash but that's due to a car accident, not my weight.
 
Lot1983 said:
So equally they must be banning the word 'underweight' then?!
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Or skinny as that's the word that tends to get used with the same force of feeling (but for the opposite reason) as fat.


I find it amazing how differently I'm treated in life as a normal/slim person as to how I am when I'm obese.
 
My hubby and I are both just about in the obese category.

He is 6'5" and regularly does 50 miles bike rides at the weekends and half marathons. He has a little tummy but the rest is muscle.

I walk 45min - 1hr a day with the dog, swim 3 times and week and ride 3 times a week. I drink very little, have never smoked, and have a very healthy diet, everything is made from scratch. We have the odd takeaway treat and cream cakes on a saturday but we are very healthy. I have no idea why I am the way I am. I have tried every diet over the years, my mum is the same. I am 5'10" and a size 16. If I do serious amounts of exercise like in the gym everyday or hard running everyday I can lose about a stone but honestly I hate it and have to continue doing it to keep the weight off.

We have a healthier lifestyle than nearly all our friends yet I have to sit at the doctors and now midwife having them lecture me about diabetes and all sorts.

I guess the problem is that the only way to categorise people is with a standard measure e.g. weight vs. height. I can tell the doctor till I'm blue in the face about how healthy I am but why should he believe me and I guess most people will lie about how much they drink/smoke.....! Not sure what the answer is really
 
I'm 5' 3'' and 'overweight' on the scale. OK, I'm probably not my fighting weight, but I've got a large chest, and can fit in a 16 inch saddle in comfort. I feel OK at this weight, and don't think I look too bad,(except in jodphurs obvs.) I dont get out of breath or anything, and haven't had to buy new trousers lately.

But if I'm a bit too fat, I'd rather be called a 'bit too fat' than some other euphemism. If I was really too fat, then 'you are really too fat and need to loose x amount' would be fine with me.

I know what it means, every body else knows what it means, honesty and plain English = clear communication.

But then I do have a bit of a rep for calling a spade a bl%*dy shovel. :wink: So I accept some people might not be OK with this.
 
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I think we all get a bit too hung up on what other people say. Who cares what you are, be happy. If you are alive isnt that enough, there are a lot of people in the grave yard who would swap places with someone who is over weight.
 
pinkheather said:
I think we all get a bit too hung up on what other people say. Who cares what you are, be happy. If you are alive isnt that enough, there are a lot of people in the grave yard who would swap places with someone who is over weight.
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Yes I agree with this, everyone is different, that's what makes things interesting. To much media hype goes on and people making money out off diets etc. No one is perfect, we have to learn to live with ourselves, its all rubbish really. If you don't die of one thing you will die of another. I have 'fat' friends, 'thin friends' in between friends ' ugly Friends' 'good looking Friends' young and old, some intellectual some not so, what does it matter, it is inside that counts.

If you feel ok and you can get around ok and achieve what you want why worry?

Just stive as best you can for a healthy lifestyle.
 
What surprises me is that people in the same shoes can be judgemental of others.
Drives me nuts. For example my husband is morbidly obese. So much that he has 'outgrown' his horse and no longer rides with me. :(
I am in the ideal weight range (according to the charts). When I took our baby to swim lessons there sometimes were heavier moms in the pool with their babies and he would give me that 'OMG can you believe that?' look through the window. Like he was one to throw the first stone...
What a jerk right? As if it's okay for guys to be overweight but there's a different standard for women?

Anyway... back to the topic.
 
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