SE23 Forum

I went into Lewisham Borough Council's Health web site yesterday. I was shocked to discover that over 19% of the good citizens are obese. Am I alone in being shocked.

No. Do you not see them all waddling around?

Seems fairly low to me.

What? The percentage, or the comments?

The percentage but now that you meantion it.........

What category are you in, Brian? The 19% or the 81%?

You are not alone.
Electro-shock is the latest in pie-aversion therapy.....

does that mean 81% are the right size - you could have fooled me!

and how do they know anyway? As far as I can remember, no council officer has ever weighed me

The UK obesity rate is 23%*, so Lewisham is thinner than the rest of the country. Statistics without context is like a cheeseburger without a bun.

*Source http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_ob...th-obesity

Hi Roz
I think most people would put me in the 81% . I realise there are more large people arround these days but did not realise it was that bad.
I remember thinking back to the days of Hattie Jacques ( not sure how many of you will remember her ). Her main claim to fame was her size as she really stood out. I doubt if anyone would notice her today .

I have to say that I find the methods used to judge obesity odd. Whilst in my dotage I am well over weight I can still tie my shoe laces (no slip on's for me yet). When I was in my prime and playing rugby at six foot two and sixteen and a half stone of pure brawn I was considered obese??

You are only as fat as you feel.

I love the sketch in Little Miss Jocelyn with the obesity nurse and her range of charts- very funny.

When we went to the States a few years back we were amazed to see so many hugely overweight people, and I mean very large indeed. I have rarely seen this here.
It is not very hard to qualify as ' obese' in the UK with the one size fits all ( Ha ha) BMI charts which dont really adjust for muscle or bone type. I know women who seem thin to me but who are deemed obese or overweight. But them I am probably deceiving myself about a lot of things...