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UK government obesity strategy

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Replies

  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    About time the elephant in the room was addressed. I'm all for giving people as many tools as possible to manage their weight and their health. The NHS is way too skewed towards cure rather than prevention and if government policy is changing then I, for one, am pleased. As for Eat Out to Help Out - many of our friends are restaurateurs and this initiative, plus the VAT cut is helping their businesses survive. Not everyone who likes a nice meal out from time to time needs to lose weight. I think it is most peculiar that a previous poster has suggested people are going to rush out and try to spend £20 per head in McDonalds so they can get a tenner off. I don't think people have got the spare cash to do such a bizarre thing. They'll eat what they normally do and get a bit off the bill. OK, a tiny minority might eat more because it's cheap but I'd venture to suggest that they are not the type who would consult calorie charts as a general rule.
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    Has any country had a successful programme at reducing obesity?
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    I had my GP give me a liver test (ALT and AST) without even mentioning he was putting it in the blood work - even though he wouldn't do a lipid panel because I've had one within 5 years and it was fine. He asked if I had a drinking problem, and started having concerns about my liver. I sent him links to clinical studies on how people that lift have elevated ALT and AST because it is also used by growing muscles.
    I more or less told, I drink like once a year or less, and I don't exactly have the body fat for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, I'll take my chances they're just raised because of exercise.
  • LockdownLoser23
    LockdownLoser23 Posts: 93 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔
  • LockdownLoser23
    LockdownLoser23 Posts: 93 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP

    Well of all the Multiple Gp’s and hospital consultants I’ve seen Since leaving the forces not a single one had a clue about nutrition

    Is that better
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,420 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP

    Well of all the Multiple Gp’s and hospital consultants I’ve seen Since leaving the forces not a single one had a clue about nutrition

    Is that better

    No offense, just curious. Do you have education/training in nutrition to objectively make that judgement or is is your impression?
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP

    Well of all the Multiple Gp’s and hospital consultants I’ve seen Since leaving the forces not a single one had a clue about nutrition

    Is that better

    No offense, just curious. Do you have education/training in nutrition to objectively make that judgement or is is your impression?

    None taken. I got my sports science degree a long time ago, same with my PTI courses. Never really used them, too busy focusing on my military career.

    Currently trying to justify the time and cost Of going back to do my masters in nutrition, mainly to keep my brain active as financially it makes no sense
  • freda666
    freda666 Posts: 338 Member
    edited August 2020
    I am all in favour of people who want to lose weight being helped to do so but some of this strategy seems a bit off to me.

    From what I have read a visit to the doctor will result in a "do you realise you are fat?" conversation. Perhaps there are one or two obese folks out there who are blissfully unaware of their state but I think for most of us we are very well aware that we are fat.

    So to me, this is simply going to put people off seeking health care at all unless the "you are fat" conversation can lead to actual, genuine and useful help, rather than a lecture.

    I have also read that one help option they will be able to offer is "cycling"and free access to a bike. This I find absolutely, completely and utterly, horrifying. There is no way on god's green earth anyone is going to get me on a bike and I have lost 7 stone. At 20 stone, the very suggestion would have sent me running for the hills as then even walking for more than a mile was an issue for me.

    But the very thought of my huge fat bottom on a bike saddle......

    So that one is truly bizarre and instead, in my opinion, they should be promoting walking and if they want to help us do this they can perhaps give out vouchers for money off decent shoes and waterproofs. And of course do more to keep cyclists off the pavements.

    But in any case, as I think most of us who are actually trying and succeeding to lose weight conclude - exercise is a side show - at first I mean. What really matters is what we put into out mouths. Exercise is good for health but for losing weigh, until you can do more, it is going to lose you very little.

    I have had doctors give me a "low fat diet sheet" before and it was completely pointless as it took no account of my personal needs, likes and dislikes, so of course it did me no good at all. Now, I have read they are thinking about offering subsidised Weight-Watchers for goodness sake. Sure, this works for some and my aunt swears by it every time she goes back to lose the weight she keeps putting back on.

    What is wrong with good old fashioned calorie counting????? And people being taught about how losing weight actually works rather than pushing people in the direct of "points" which promotes the idea of categories of foods you can gorge on and other categories that are "naughty".

    If the NHS really wants to help people they would be better offering subscriptions to THIS site. Or why not build their own centring on UK brands being calories counted?

    I guess we will see and personally I am grateful that I started my personal weight lose adventure a year ago so I am at least no longer obese so am slightly outside of being caught up in this unless I choose to be.

  • freda666
    freda666 Posts: 338 Member
    edited August 2020
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP

    Indeed - I do not see how a doctor eating crisps equates to him not understanding nutrition. Although I do think it is rather odd, unheard of in fact, for a UK doctor to be munching on food, and junk food at that, during a consultation. That would be all over The Daily Mail, surely? ;)

    Not saying it did not happen, but I do not see how in any shape or form that could be seen as a representative experience.

    But all that aside, I believe part of the spending allocated to this particular NHS drive was to give GPs more training.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    freda78 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP

    Indeed - I do not see how a doctor eating crisps equates to him not understanding nutrition. Although I do think it is rather odd, unheard of in fact, for a UK doctor to be munching on food, and junk food at that, during a consultation. That would be all over The Daily Mail, surely? ;)

    Not saying it did not happen, but I do not see how in any shape or form that could be seen as a representative experience.

    But all that aside, I believe part of the spending allocated to this particular NHS drive was to give GPs more training.

    I did put a complaint in to The practice manager be fair, I detest locum Dr’s With a passion
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,420 Member
    edited August 2020
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP

    Well of all the Multiple Gp’s and hospital consultants I’ve seen Since leaving the forces not a single one had a clue about nutrition

    Is that better

    No offense, just curious. Do you have education/training in nutrition to objectively make that judgement or is is your impression?

    None taken. I got my sports science degree a long time ago, same with my PTI courses. Never really used them, too busy focusing on my military career.

    Currently trying to justify the time and cost Of going back to do my masters in nutrition, mainly to keep my brain active as financially it makes no sense

    Thanks for the note and your service. Definitely have the background to make intelligent observations.

    Personally I don't have much of a problem with a doctor not having extensive nutrition training. Should they have the ability to recognized problems caused by poor nutrition and general recommendations, and refer out when needed, sure. However see the specialist for nutrition guidance. Just like I wouldn't expect an orthopedic surgeon to do brain surgery. I would expect them to refer out to a specialist if during an orthopedic exam there appeared to be brain/nervous system issues present.

    And IMO, despite what some people will say, the 2 weeks of nutrition training that in included in general med school studies is 2 weeks more than the vast majority of the population has
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Most uk GP’s haven’t a clue on nutrition

    I went in with a raised ALT liver reading
    The Dr informed me to cut my saturated fat
    While stuffing his face with a bag of walkers crisps. When I pointed out my total fats are .75grams per kilo of body weight he seemed totally lost.

    Only then did he check my bp which he said was perfect. Don’t think he appreciated me pointing out the amount of sat fat in his crisps

    Love it - 'I saw one gp eating crisps and now "most UK Gp's haven't a clue on nutrition"...'..lol

    An obese Dr stuffing his face attempting to tell me between mouthfuls I had it eat lower saturated fat diet, maybe slightly ironic 🤔

    Maybe just write 'My GP doesn't have a clue' and not 'most GP's' - bit of a false claim and just because he is eating crisps doesn't mean he doesn't know about nutrition. You shouldn't discourage people from seeing their GP

    Well of all the Multiple Gp’s and hospital consultants I’ve seen Since leaving the forces not a single one had a clue about nutrition

    Is that better

    No offense, just curious. Do you have education/training in nutrition to objectively make that judgement or is is your impression?

    None taken. I got my sports science degree a long time ago, same with my PTI courses. Never really used them, too busy focusing on my military career.

    Currently trying to justify the time and cost Of going back to do my masters in nutrition, mainly to keep my brain active as financially it makes no sense

    Thanks for the note and your service. Definitely have the background to make intelligent observations.

    Personally I don't have much of a problem with a doctor not having extensive nutrition training. Should they have the ability to recognized problems caused by poor nutrition and general recommendations, and refer out when needed, sure. However see the specialist for nutrition guidance. Just like I wouldn't expect an orthopedic surgeon to do brain surgery. I would expect them to refer out to a specialist if during an orthopedic exam there appeared to be brain/nervous system issues present.

    And IMO, despite what some people will say, the 2 weeks of nutrition training that in included in general med school studies is 2 weeks more than the vast majority of the population has
    Are people actually commonly saying doctors don't know more about nutrition than the average member of the population at large? I think you're disagreeing with an argument no one is making because it is trivial.
    The real problem is how much doctors are willing to believe their own authority and discernment versus the general populous. A general population person will try low carb, lose some water weight and say low carb worked for them. A doctor can try low carb, lose some water weight, and insist it works from some deep physiology they're ad hoc deluding themselves with.
  • stevehenderson776
    stevehenderson776 Posts: 324 Member
    Seems to me that having national health insurance and an obesity epidemic is a recipe for disaster. I don't think trying to gently educate people about diet and exercise is the answer. The best option is probably to just put massive anti tobacco style sin taxes on calory dense food and sugary drinks. That way the people that will be causing the strain on the healthcare system will at least contribute more fairly to paying for it.