Obese people are greedy

[AB Asks]

Obesity is being treated as a medical condition when the reality is people are eating too much and exercising too little. These opinions have been expressed by the head of the British Medical Association. He said obesity is not only a problem for doctors but also a societal problem. What do you think? Should obesity be treated as a medical problem? Or will pills and operations not get to the roots of the cause of obesity � an unhealthy lifestyle?

[johnlambert]

Society is to blame,
when I was growing up I walked to school, I wasn't driven there by parents,
I played outside, in all weathers with my friends, computers were not available
McDonalds was a clan name,
I could go on but it would take all day

[Octavius]

Personally I believe that Dr Hamish Meldrum is far better qualified than I to propose medical opinion on obesity in the UK.

But if bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are medical conditions, then shouldn�t the reverse?

[nannon]

Isnt obeseity sometimes caused my a medical condition though? Or herdititry condition?
Or brought on by depression or something?
I know that probably the high majority do just over eat though....
(sorry am totally incapable of actually spelling today!)

[Shadow Man]

Whilst I accept there are a few conditions that make people fat (thyroid probles etc) I agree that most obese people are lazy and greedy.

I like a bird with some meat on her bones and admit to carrying a few extra pounds myself.

Q) Why am I overweight?

A) Because I eat and drink too much!!!!

Simple as that.

I am not obese however, and exercise daily and although have a high calorie intake eat all the right foods. If I wanted to lose 20lb (the figure these bloody medics tell me I am overweight by) I could lose it in two or three weeks no problem at all.

So yes, obese people are ultimately lazy and greedy. Fatties are just comfortable people, obese people only have themselves to blame.

[Gromit]

Dr Hamish Meldrum is a General Practitioner from East Yorkshire. He has no background in medical research, and his only qualification for making this statement seems to be based on meeting the fatties that come to his surgery and not on any scientific basis.

His other claim to fame is that he was elected as the BMAs Chairman a month ago. Good way to announce yourself to the country.

Needless to say, this rubbish was in the Daily Mail.

[Octavius]

Even so, as a GP his medical opinion rates slightly higher than mine, surely?

[Gromit]

Octavius

My post wasn't in answer to you, it was meant to add some detail which wasn't in the question.

Odd that the tens of thousands of other GPs (who must then be similarly qualified) have not reached the same conclusion as Dr Hamish Meldrum.

[eyeshade]

I thought lots of Doctors did think that way?

[fine,thanks]

god forbid that in todays society some people may be obese, drug addiction and alcoholism gets more funding and sympathy than obesity. p s i am not obese !

[eyeshade]

The trouble is they stop people with cancer getting their medication and stop people with Alzheimers getting their medication becaue its too expensive, and yet when selfish people who know full well that burgers, beer and crisps are bad for them, they then expect treatment for bad hearts and swollen ankles, it does seem stupid to me? But then you can also argue where do you stop, they still treat smokers with lung problems and bad hearts why should obese people be any different to the long list of abusers of the system.

[johnlambert]

a lot of health trust will only treat smokers if they stop smoking first eyeshade

[Octavius]

Dr Meldrum believes an obsession with medical labels may be stopping overweight people addressing their own problems. He said the obesity epidemic is being mistakenly targeted with medical treatments and doctors' appointments. More than a million anti-obesity prescriptions were issued in England in the last financial year at a cost of �47million. It means about 88,000 people could be on a course of treatment. His �headline� comment was:

Obese people are often simply greedy and should not always be treated with pills.

[bensmum]

Have to agree with eyeshade really. I know that doctors like people to have stopped smoking before they offer treatment but there are many who carry on. And what about people who end up with serious illness as a result of smoking when they have known that it could kill them. Same can be said for drinkers - A&E is always full of people who have overdone the booze or drugs but they get treated. And what about people who need treatment for sporting injuries? They're self-inflicted - the list could go on.
I don't condone obesity - I am overweight because I eat too much but I haven't been to a doctor for several years now. I think the problem is we are in an addictive society - people don't seem to take any responsibility for themselves.

[zig_zag]

maybe sheep shagging should be deemed an international sport as it may burn off the excess calories.
does one possibley make money from their idea efforts? lol

[jno]

alas, johnlambert, I did all that too, whereas my son grew up on junk. I'm fat. He's not. Go figure.

(In fact, I think there's clearly a genetic link. I come from the fat side of my family; he comes from the thin side of his. The resemblances aren't just in kilos.)