It seems to me that there is an increase in the use of gastric bands in the UK, following a trend of the operation in the US.
My question is - is it the answer?
There is no question that there are overweight people in the UK who are significantly unhappy with their weight, or suffer from medical conditions which make weight loss a necessity. In these cases it is of course important to address the issue and try to slim. In my opinion this is usually due to an unhealthy diet, lack of execise and an unhealthy relationship with food - will a drastic operation solve these problems? In some cases maybe, but I feel that it is now becoming common place and seen as a quick fix by the medical profession where other measures should be taken first.
Will this put further pressure on the public to conform and feel they have to reach the "accepted" size?
Curvy women shouldn't feel pressured to conform and lose weight if they are healthy, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet and are confident with their curves. One size certainly doesn't fit all!
There is also a growing trend in the US for the operation to be performed on young teens, bodies which aren't yet fully developed & minds which are young enough to be re trained towards a healthier relationship with food. I think it would be a terrible shame for the UK to follow suit.
Showing posts with label obese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obese. Show all posts
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Heart Disease and Obesity not Linked
Finally, research to back it up, being overweight does not mean you are doomed to be unhealthy!
A survey by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US has confirmed that more than half of overweight people and almost a third of obese Americans do not have a higher risk of cardiac disease. These results defy conventional belief on the subject of obesity - that fat is the root of all evil!
'We kind of got it into our heads that obesity is automatically bad for you,' said Rachel Wildman, a principal co-author of the report. 'But this study shows that there is a subset of obese individuals who don't develop adverse effects.'
Government data was taken from 5,440 people who filled out questionnaires and whose levels of risk factors were measured between 1999 and 2004. They discovered that 51% of overweight adults, translating to 36 million people nationwide, have mostly normal levels of heart disease indicators. Almost 32% of obese individuals, or nearly 20 million people, were likewise found to be 'metabolically healthy.'
Obviously this research ONLY looks at cardiovascular disease and doesn't imply that there are no health risks with being overweight. As a plus size woman, my belief is as long as you eat a healthy and balanced diet and take regular exercise you're on the path to a healthy life whatever your weight.
A survey by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US has confirmed that more than half of overweight people and almost a third of obese Americans do not have a higher risk of cardiac disease. These results defy conventional belief on the subject of obesity - that fat is the root of all evil!
'We kind of got it into our heads that obesity is automatically bad for you,' said Rachel Wildman, a principal co-author of the report. 'But this study shows that there is a subset of obese individuals who don't develop adverse effects.'
Government data was taken from 5,440 people who filled out questionnaires and whose levels of risk factors were measured between 1999 and 2004. They discovered that 51% of overweight adults, translating to 36 million people nationwide, have mostly normal levels of heart disease indicators. Almost 32% of obese individuals, or nearly 20 million people, were likewise found to be 'metabolically healthy.'
Obviously this research ONLY looks at cardiovascular disease and doesn't imply that there are no health risks with being overweight. As a plus size woman, my belief is as long as you eat a healthy and balanced diet and take regular exercise you're on the path to a healthy life whatever your weight.
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Plus Size & Fighting Fit
As an active & healthy person who exercises daily despite being overweight, I am a firm believer that how fit you are is more important than your weight. Until now popular belief would say otherwise, but now research is coming to light that proves weight & health are not necessarily linked.
A US study that followed 2,603 people over 60 years old for an average of 12 years found that those who were very unfit were most likely to die - regardless of whether they were overweight. The participants all received an initial medical check, underwent fitness tests and had their fat levels measured. They found that while the degree of fatness was not associated with an increased risk of mortality, being unfit was. Those in the fittest 20% of the sample suffered an annual death rate of 8.1 per thousand people, while those in the least fit 20% experienced an annual death rate of 32.6 per thousand. The results are reported in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
'It is possible to be fat and fit - and if you are, your risk of dying is substantially reduced. It is cut in half,' said Blair.
So, stop worrying about your weight and make sure you include at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day to ensure a longer, healthier life. If you don't already include this in your routene you will definitely notice the difference in your fitness levels in just a few weeks and you'll be brimming with energy. Why not treat yourself to a new outfit in celebration of your fit & curvy figure from Curvety.com
A US study that followed 2,603 people over 60 years old for an average of 12 years found that those who were very unfit were most likely to die - regardless of whether they were overweight. The participants all received an initial medical check, underwent fitness tests and had their fat levels measured. They found that while the degree of fatness was not associated with an increased risk of mortality, being unfit was. Those in the fittest 20% of the sample suffered an annual death rate of 8.1 per thousand people, while those in the least fit 20% experienced an annual death rate of 32.6 per thousand. The results are reported in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
'It is possible to be fat and fit - and if you are, your risk of dying is substantially reduced. It is cut in half,' said Blair.
So, stop worrying about your weight and make sure you include at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day to ensure a longer, healthier life. If you don't already include this in your routene you will definitely notice the difference in your fitness levels in just a few weeks and you'll be brimming with energy. Why not treat yourself to a new outfit in celebration of your fit & curvy figure from Curvety.com
Friday, 23 November 2007
New Zealand Bans the Obese
Doctors in New Zealand recently campaigned to ban fat people from entering the Country. How, I hear you say, can this not be discriminatory. Well it has been successful and has now happened.
35 year old Rowan Trezise has been rejected from entering New Zealand when her husband applied for a work visa. He chose to lose weight to get admitted himself. His employer backed skills visa was initially rejected by immigration officials when they discovered his BMI was 42, making him morbidly obese under New Zealand regulations.
Mr Trezise, a submarine cable specialist and a former soldier, said: 'My doctor laughed at me. He said he’d never seen anything more ridiculous in his whole life. Not every overweight person is unhealthy or unfit.'
But Robyn Toomath, a spokesman for Fight the Obesity Epidemic and an endocrinologist, said the BMI limit was valid in the vast majority of people. She said she was opposed to obese people being stigmatised. 'However, the immigration department’s focus is different,' she said. 'It cannot afford to import people into the country who are going to be a significant drain on our health resources.
So what I can gather from this is that discrimination is fine as long as it is justified by preventing possible additional use of public services, regardless of the ACTUAL health of the individual, which can be ascertained fairly easily. I am sick of discrimination being allowed in certain circumstances. Why is it publically thought of as ok to judge someone by their weight but not their race, religion or sex?
Well, I'm not planning a move to New Zealand so the urgency to lose a few pounds has definitely wained until the new year. I'm enjoying plus size shopping at places like Curvety.com far too much this season.
35 year old Rowan Trezise has been rejected from entering New Zealand when her husband applied for a work visa. He chose to lose weight to get admitted himself. His employer backed skills visa was initially rejected by immigration officials when they discovered his BMI was 42, making him morbidly obese under New Zealand regulations.
Mr Trezise, a submarine cable specialist and a former soldier, said: 'My doctor laughed at me. He said he’d never seen anything more ridiculous in his whole life. Not every overweight person is unhealthy or unfit.'
But Robyn Toomath, a spokesman for Fight the Obesity Epidemic and an endocrinologist, said the BMI limit was valid in the vast majority of people. She said she was opposed to obese people being stigmatised. 'However, the immigration department’s focus is different,' she said. 'It cannot afford to import people into the country who are going to be a significant drain on our health resources.
So what I can gather from this is that discrimination is fine as long as it is justified by preventing possible additional use of public services, regardless of the ACTUAL health of the individual, which can be ascertained fairly easily. I am sick of discrimination being allowed in certain circumstances. Why is it publically thought of as ok to judge someone by their weight but not their race, religion or sex?
Well, I'm not planning a move to New Zealand so the urgency to lose a few pounds has definitely wained until the new year. I'm enjoying plus size shopping at places like Curvety.com far too much this season.
Friday, 16 November 2007
No IVF for the Obese
Are you fed up with hearing that every health problem is related to your weight? You go to the doctors with a bad leg, it's because you're overweight, you've got flu, it's because you're too heavy!
The newest health advice from experts is to deny anyone with a BMI of over 35 fertility treatment until they lose weight. Both privately and on the NHS! With about 25% of women in the UK falling into to overweight category is this fair?
'Obesity reduces the chances that a woman will conceive naturally and decreases the possibility that fertility treatment will be successful,' said Mr Tony Rutherford, the chair of the BFS's policy committee. 'It also increases the risk of complications during fertility treatment and pregnancy and endangers the health and welfare of both mother and child.'
The complications listed include the difficulty of providing safe anaesthesia for obese women during procedures, as well as problems with viewing ovaries on an ultrasound scan.
The BFS guidelines have no legal weight, but they are referred to by many professionals working in the field.
The chairman of the National Obesity Forum, Dr Colin Waine, said he found the new guidelines 'troubling'. 'Weight loss may improve the success of treatment, and women should be made aware of that, but to deny treatment outright is discriminatory,' he said. 'We are getting ourselves onto an increasingly slippery slope of rationing on the basis of weight, even when overweight people may benefit immensely from treatment.'
Happy with your weight as it is - or recently gained or lost a lot of weight and need a new wardrobe in your new size? Try Curvety.com.
The newest health advice from experts is to deny anyone with a BMI of over 35 fertility treatment until they lose weight. Both privately and on the NHS! With about 25% of women in the UK falling into to overweight category is this fair?
'Obesity reduces the chances that a woman will conceive naturally and decreases the possibility that fertility treatment will be successful,' said Mr Tony Rutherford, the chair of the BFS's policy committee. 'It also increases the risk of complications during fertility treatment and pregnancy and endangers the health and welfare of both mother and child.'
The complications listed include the difficulty of providing safe anaesthesia for obese women during procedures, as well as problems with viewing ovaries on an ultrasound scan.
The BFS guidelines have no legal weight, but they are referred to by many professionals working in the field.
The chairman of the National Obesity Forum, Dr Colin Waine, said he found the new guidelines 'troubling'. 'Weight loss may improve the success of treatment, and women should be made aware of that, but to deny treatment outright is discriminatory,' he said. 'We are getting ourselves onto an increasingly slippery slope of rationing on the basis of weight, even when overweight people may benefit immensely from treatment.'
Happy with your weight as it is - or recently gained or lost a lot of weight and need a new wardrobe in your new size? Try Curvety.com.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
UK Obesity Epidemic
Recently there has been much media speculation about the supposed obesity epidemic plaguing the UK. Jane Feinmann of the Independent interviewed Professor Patrick Basham to get to the fact in this argument. He says there is no real evidence to back up the claims.The claim, which states that half of the British population will be obese in 25 years time, makes many assumptions which have yet to be confirmed as fact. For example every overweight child will have to become an overweight adult and every overweight adult will have to progress to obesity for the figures to be true. There has been no research to prove this is the case.
So what about the adults that will all become obese? In 1997 the BMI classification of being overweight was changed from 27 to 25. Overnight millions of people previously classed as normal suddenly sat in the overweight category, and based on the epidemic claim they will all become obese. So although it is true that Body Mass Index statistics show a significant increase in overweight adults over the past decade this is an extraordinary case of moving the goalposts.
Although I am under no illusion that being severely obese can cause certain health problems, there is a common misconception that being overweight means you are automatically unhealthy. At a size 20 I exercise daily and eat a balanced and healthy diet which involves very little junk food. I am overweight and fighting fit. I purchase my clothes mainly online from the growing number of quality plus size clothing specialists like Curvety.com and take pride in looking great - and turning heads!
So what about the adults that will all become obese? In 1997 the BMI classification of being overweight was changed from 27 to 25. Overnight millions of people previously classed as normal suddenly sat in the overweight category, and based on the epidemic claim they will all become obese. So although it is true that Body Mass Index statistics show a significant increase in overweight adults over the past decade this is an extraordinary case of moving the goalposts.
Although I am under no illusion that being severely obese can cause certain health problems, there is a common misconception that being overweight means you are automatically unhealthy. At a size 20 I exercise daily and eat a balanced and healthy diet which involves very little junk food. I am overweight and fighting fit. I purchase my clothes mainly online from the growing number of quality plus size clothing specialists like Curvety.com and take pride in looking great - and turning heads!
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