Overweight seen as the norm, says chief medical officer

[Northerner]

Being overweight is increasingly seen as the norm, England's chief medical officer says.

In her annual report on the state of health, Dame Sally Davies said this was concerning, pointing out many people did not recognise they had a problem.

Parents of overweight children were also failing to spot the signs too, she said.

Dame Sally blamed the way weight was being portrayed by the media and clothes industry.

"I have long been concerned that being underweight is often portrayed as the ideal weight, particularly in the fashion industry.

"Yet I am increasingly concerned that society may be normalising being overweight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26765078

 

[HERE TINTIN]

Oh dear, is this why I am lets say chubby (fat !) and actually deep down I dont mind ? Its a worry but I think she is correct, it does feel normal to look around you and not be surprised or bat an eyelid at the amount of people (me included) who are overweight.

 

[Copepod]

Just what a Chief Medical Officer needs to say - it is an unpopular, but true, message.

 

[Hanmillmum]

I observe the children on the school run today and in retrospect to when I was at school 30 yrs ago there are more over weight children now than then, we had the odd one per class year who may have been a little or too heavy but there are certainly more now I see in our area which would correspond with the percentages in these findings unfortunately .

 

[Pete H]

I observe the children on the school run today and in retrospect to when I was at school 30 yrs ago there are more over weight children now than then, we had the odd one per class year who may have been a little or too heavy but there are certainly more now I see in our area which would correspond with the percentages in these findings unfortunately .

I think the school run has a lot to do with it, children do not walk to school any more, were I work is right by a school and the last 5 years it has become a massive problem, and customers say that by the time they find somewhere to park because of the gridlock they would be quicker walking the children to school but they never do, they even come at 2-30 to get a parking space and they don't come out till 3-20.... And 30 years ago 90 percent of kids walked to school, plus played outside after school .

 

[Northerner]

Yup, when I was at school there was usually one or two overweight kids per class, which probably suggested that it was a genetic thing rather than a diet thing. Too much processed food available these days. We used to get potatoes that still had dirt on them when you bought them! 🙂