Published on 12, July, 2020
The NHS estimates that almost a third of adults in the UK are obese, and that one in five children aged 10 to 11 are obese. That's a lot of people eating way too much fast and doing little to no exercise (we're all sitting on our big fat behinds way too much). What makes people overweight? Are we more likely to be obese if we're autistic? BBC journalist Michael Buerk announced recently that fat people should be allowed to drop dead and no longer trouble the NHS with their chubby troubles. He said, "The obese will die a decade earlier than the rest of us; see it as a selfless sacrifice in the fight against demographic imbalance, overpopulation and climate change.'" (Michael Buerk)
I echo what Giraffe said - food is more than functional. We include food in a lot of life events, from birthday cakes to 'drinking away our sorrows'.
Food is a sensory thing from the texture and taste to the way the ingredients affect our bodies afterwards. Sugar and caffeine for a high or a rush, alcohol to numb us.
Yes, it's important to look at balancing energy input (food volumes) with our energy output, but food has a lot more meaning to us than that. Within our bodies, food does more than just provide energy, too.
The nutritional content of raw foods such as vegetables is not what it used to be compared with just a few decades ago (due to modern farming methods), and we have bodies that are asking for a top up of these nutrients, but we do not have brains capable of decoding the signals. We may reach for sugar thinking it's a sugar craving (as an example) when actually our bodies are asking for micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Sometimes a poor diet will give us a side effect that is addictive, making us think it's a nutrient craving, too. An illness may change our appetite or cravings, as well.
It's a complex bigger picture, especially when you add in the effects of our childhood experiences, memories & associations throughout life, food advertising, peers, stress, illness, lack of time to prepare meals, and so on (like some of what Plastic said).
I don't believe we're more likely to be obese if we're autistic, although I don't know this for sure. I suspect even if the figures looked that way, that it would be more complex than that underneath anyway. E.g. I maintain my weight between a certain range because I hate the feeling of being so skinny I feel fragile or when I'm bigger and my skin and body senses change as a result and drive me mad. I'm only able to keep between this weight range thanks to putting in years of effort learning about nutrition in general and also specifically to my needs. I suspect most people (autistic or not) do not have the time or motivation to invest that kind of effort. Even me, really - I didn't have a choice - my health depended on it in the beginning.
I believe there are some big changes that us, as a society, could push for (e.g. stop using sugar and salt as cheap flavour enhancers, basic nutrition education in schools, improved farming methods). But I think they need to be done all together and with an individualised approach, whether that's self-led (like I did) or via support.
The answer is much simpler, in my opinion. It's all to do with our sedentary modern lifestyles (we are 50% less active than our ancestors).
On the topic of junk food - I think it would be great if there was a tax on it, and no/lower tax on nutritious foods. I loved what Jamie Oliver was doing. He was educating kids AND government.
AND people need to choose to make these changes.
AND they're more likely to make changes when they're educated about them, they can afford them, they're not emotionally attached to the old ways, they're not physically limited from making the changes (e.g. unable to cook from scratch, reliant on fast food).
(I used 'junk food' and 'fast food' separately because some food can be prepared quickly and be nutritious, whereas some is just junk.)
Turtle said:vegetables, nuts, seeds. salad, lean meat or fish etc etc.
I had a fillet steak burger with sesame seed bun - does that count?
The diet of an athlete is usually a healthy balanced one ; cooking fresh food from scratch, lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds. salad, lean meat or fish etc etc.
I'm pretty sure it is not a diet based on junk food.
Turtle said:No I'm just pointing out that a lot of adulterated food is harmful to the body, takes longer for the body to break down and is generally bad for your health compared
Zero proof - all based on 20 years of high-power marketing from the organic industry.
I'm seriously ill - ulcerative pan-colitis - what I eat is incredibly important - I have a nutritionist working with me - the first thing she said was ignore all the marketing lies - we work with facts. I eat pragmatically - I eat mostly like an Olympic athlete - but I also treat myself to relieve the boredom.
My symptoms are mostly affected by stress.
JustMe said:A basic McDonald's burger had 6.6g of sugar and 1.2g of salt.
That's the tomato sauce.
JustMe said:Muller Lite yogurts, low fat - great - but full of sugar! I'd class that as junk food too!
That's all down to a political battle years ago where claiming that fat was bad - but that gives flavour - so food had tons of sugar and salt crammed in instead to give some flavour.
No I'm just pointing out that a lot of adulterated food is harmful to the body, takes longer for the body to break down and is generally bad for your health compared to fresh, local or organic food which will be much more beneficial to the body.
You are not surely suggesting that there is no difference if you eat junk food everyday or a healthy balanced diet ?
There's most definitely such a thing as junk food! Any food that gives you calories but very little nutrition is junk food. Plain and simple. And adding a bit of lettuce does not make a McDonald's burger any healthier. Most pre-made food is usually higher in calories, fat, sugar and salt. A basic McDonald's burger had 6.6g of sugar and 1.2g of salt. That's not good, no matter how you look at it. Adding lettuce doesn't make it any better either. The same ingredients, made by the same outlet, arranged differently on a plate, would still be bad. Similar ingredients, home made, on a plate or in a burger bun would be much better. Less fat, less salt, less sugar. Even shop bought, pre-made, 'healthy' food is often crammed with sugar and/or salt in order to add flavour. Muller Lite yogurts, low fat - great - but full of sugar! I'd class that as junk food too!
And they got a free meat ration with all the bugs and weevils in the biscuits too.
i watched some videos on hard tac after i wondered what pirates and sailors ate on long voyages... its like a cracker bread thing that was so hard they pretty much had to punch it to break bits off. it lasted months or years or whatever and had decent enough nutrition to get them by but its longevity was due to the fact it has no flavourings or sugar or anything in it at all to improve its flavour as anything to add taste or flavour would be adding things that would go stale or rotten and thus kill the longevity of the food. so it must have been very bland.