Should we stop calling people "Overweight"?

The world has gone mad. There's a growing movement to get doctors and other public health professionals to stop using words such as "overweight" and "obese" when describing fat people.

MPs think the terms have a negative impact on body image and self-esteem, and want doctors to promote broader health and lifestyle messages instead.

A study by the University of Pennsylvania in January found the word "obesity" offensive, while Liverpool City Council considered banning the word in its literature aimed at children in 2010.

Isn't this just ridiculous? What is wrong with this country? Rather than these fatties kicking up a fuss at being labelled fat, why don't they try and lose the blubber?

Natasha, why are you describing the University of Pennsylvania, MPs and Liverpool City Council as fatties?

I've never heard of a fat person complaining about the existence and usage of terms such as "overweight" and "obese".

There's simply nothing to discuss.

largehat wrote:Natasha, why are you describing the University of Pennsylvania, MPs and Liverpool City Council as fatties?

I've never heard of a fat person complaining about the existence and usage of terms such as "overweight" and "obese".

There's simply nothing to discuss.

Are you on drugs? The government are on the verge of instructing doctors and nures not to use the terms fat, overweight or obese.

Bloody hell world war III.

Quite honestly i don't care what they call overweight people.

But doctors don't use the term "fat". As for "overweight" and "obese", they are clinical terms.

Come on Natasha, you're better than this. There's nothing happening. It's a thread about nothing.

largehat wrote:But doctors don't use the term "fat". As for "overweight" and "obese", they are clinical terms.

Come on Natasha, you're better than this. There's nothing happening. It's a thread about nothing.

Go on the BBC website, this is real. Doctors are going to be told not to use those words, clinical or not.

It's "mock outrage" the kind you get in the daily mail.

except its not a very good attempt, this time anyway.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

largehat wrote:But doctors don't use the term "fat". As for "overweight" and "obese", they are clinical terms.

Come on Natasha, you're better than this. There's nothing happening. It's a thread about nothing.

Go on the BBC website, this is real. Doctors are going to be told not to use those words, clinical or not.

Find me a quote on the BBC website from a fat person who objects to the terms "obese" and "overweight". That's what your post was about.

I believe ' portly ' or ' stout ' is the PC term.

Big boned!

Overweight and obese aren't offensive terms.

RT, haven't you done enough 'fat bashing' on here over the last day or two?

gravitationally challenged

Cuddly (if it's a woman).

Although you will have to have long arms.

How about 'calorie hoarders'


- or just ask Coyle how he addresses his brother-in-law.

The most suitable and accurately descriptive term is 'Fat Bastards' . I use the term for others as well as myself. Even more so now that my new diabetes medication is allowing me to lose weight at quite a remarkable rate. I hate fat bastards

'Salad dodgers' or ' Diet butchers' are quite polite terms.

Overweight people's (particularly children) lives can be made pretty miserable by narrow-minded people, in the same way that black/asian people's would if there weren't laws controlling what people are allowed to say about them. Same applies to gingers. Isn't it funny that it's hilarious to victimise somebody for the colour of their hair but when it's skin colour, the perpetrator is the scum of the earth!


But the problem with political correctness is where do you draw the line? There'll come a day when there's nothing we don't have to address politely!

P.S. Don't get me wrong - ginger hatred is all good as long as it relates to former Bolton Wanderers managers.

I think fat people should make a beeping noise when they move backwards.

doffcocker wrote:Overweight people's (particularly children) lives can be made pretty miserable by narrow-minded people, in the same way that black/asian people's would if there weren't laws controlling what people are allowed to say about them. Same applies to gingers. Isn't it funny that it's hilarious to victimise somebody for the colour of their hair but when it's skin colour, the perpetrator is the scum of the earth!


But the problem with political correctness is where do you draw the line? There'll come a day when there's nothing we don't have to address politely!

P.S. Don't get me wrong - ginger hatred is all good as long as it relates to former Bolton Wanderers managers.

I think there's a difference between mocking fat people and mocking gingers/asians. You are born ginger or asian, you are not born fat. You can do something about being fat.