I'll stick with 'obese people' rather than 'people with obesity' as though fat people have a disease. Fat people have no self-control, and that's not a disease. There are a few exceptions, of course, but as a rule, fat people are just gluttons. Why should we spend billions on fat bastards?

//I'll stick with 'obese people' rather than 'people with obesity' as though fat people have a disease. Fat people have no self-control, and that's not a disease.//

On the flip side to the fatties we have the anorexics. That it is considered a disease, and it does kill people. Mind you, so does being obese.

I wonder why it is that when people starve themselves that's severe mental illness, but when they're eating themselves to death it's a 'lifestyle disease'. Bugger off: if your grasp on reality is so tenuous that you don't think it's a good idea to lay off the pies when you can't see your toes anymore, then you're barking.

We need to recognise obesity for what it is: an eating disorder. Sorry, Gary, but mental illnesses are still diseases. And we need to encourage the fatties to get all the counselling they need to address their mental illness.

Also, we should ban the use of mobility scooters for fatties. They just use them as an excuse not to walk.

An interesting Topic for sure. In my old job we all had to pass a very strict medical examination before we were even allowed in for training, we had to be a minimum height, our weight had to be in proportion to our height, etc.

Theoretically at least, we all should have been in peak physically fitness for the rest of our lives. Yet over the years most of us started to put on the weight. I was reasonably lucky because I used to take part in six and eight rounds fights, at 'Souths Juniors' back in the early to mid - seventies, so I had some motivations to stay fit in order to fight.

I should admit before I go any further, I was a journeymen pug fighting in the light-heavy and occasionally heavyweight Division, so I had no real claim to be a boxer, merely a fighter, to earn a little extra 'mullah' in order to supplement my coppers salary. And to be honest, I suppose to stay fit as I was a foundation member of the newly formed TRG all of whom were supposed to be inordinately fit !

After I gave away the fights I did start to slow down, no more road work nor the oval, and Tom Lemmings Gym, at Glebe didn't see my 'ugly dial' for months at a time. And sure enough the weight started coming on because of my sloth like existence except for the TRG training every Monday and Friday at the Redfern Barracks.

In my industry we usually had two distinct anatomical 'shaped' members; the fit and the unfit; most of my colleagues are of the latter grouping - hence the image of the big fat, cranky ol' sergeant who's massively overweight, because of his constant idleness, sitting down for long periods, too much booze, not enough sleep and far too much fast food, all the while sitting in his little cubby hole and doing very little for his entire eight hour shift. They were the days, we're all candidates for Heart Attacks I suspect ?

I don't understand the deliberately skinny ones, either. I think certain sections of the medical/drug industry are now call anything they can a disease: there is money in it. Some benefit from calling alcoholism a disease, but it is no more a disease than illicit drug taking is. It's an addiction that only the addict can stop. Perhaps eating too much is also an addiction? Body building and body image has been described as an addiction. Lot's of fancy diagnoses are actually addictions, weaknesses if you like. I was addicted to nicotine until 23 years ago, before patches, therapists and taxpayer-funded TV commercials. It took 2 hard years, but I kicked the habit without outside intervention. I'm sure many other people have done the same thing. Same with alcohol. I thought that I could never live without the stuff, but I did, and I do. Surely the fatties can do something similar. They don't have to give up anything completely! As for the anorexics, I don't understand that well enough to know if it is a genuine disease or something that a good kick in the bum could fix. When push comes to shove, we individuals are the only ones who can do something about our own problems. Other peoples' money should not be spent on us.

I have a lot more sympathy for people with health issues that were no fault of their own than I have for people that contributed to their own health issues themselves.
I have little respect for those who won't help their situation but a lot of respect for those who do.
If I see a big person on the beach or at the pool I will not treat them shamefully or disrespectfully.
I treat them the same as anyone else, maybe even show them just a little extra friendliness if I cross their path simply because I'm proud they had the guts to get out there and face the world and try to do something about it.

I don't like it that people with weight problems can win prizes and cash and fame on their own TV shows though for doing little more than putting themselves in that situation.
People with cancer or leukemia don't get prizes.

But hey, whats new?
Generally there's a trend where our society now celebrates the useless and the ones with the most social problems whilst at the same time attacking the good people.

As someone who has struggled with my weight over the past few years I have to admit this article struck a bit of a nerve. I also felt a bit of a twinge of recognition in your description of the working lives of desk-bound coppers, o sung wu.

I had a very active working life until 5 years ago, when I closed my business. I took on a job driving trucks for a couple of years, simply because I didn't want something too mentally demanding and that's when the rot set in. Truck stop food and an appetite built around supporting a body working hard combined to start piling on the weight. The following 3 years of uni haven't helped.

I eat very well; I'm a good cook and enjoy it. It's not the quality or quantity of food that's a problem, it's the quality and quantity of exercise. It doesn't help that I really, really don't enjoy exercise for its own sake.

I don't seem to be suffering any medical problems as a result so far, although my blood pressure has crept up a little, as has my cholesterol, but still within acceptable limits so far.

Thanks for the article, I'll take it as a timely warning.