Louise McSharry Moaning Michael her brows are a fright, views so left, she's always right

[Idon'twanttobehere]

I never really gave this whole issue much thought until I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
I was a size 10 when I got pregnant but because I was over 40, I was booked in for a glucose tolerance test at 28 weeks based on my age alone.
Went in that morning and did the test and got a call from a midwife that evening to say I had gestational diabetes and booked me in to see a dietitian the following week.
She was SO snotty with me on the phone, eg I asked ok well what do I need to do between now and the dietitian appointment and she actually said "well lay off the Mars bars now".
As it happened, I had a routine midwife visit the following day, and as it happened it was the same midwife who had called me the evening before. She calls me in and was like a different person, nice as pie and says oh god love you, you're having an awful time of it with the diabetes, "and you're not big at all".
I'm assuming the implication there was that if I was overweight it would have been my own fault.
I'm often sorry I didn't speak up at the time and pull her up on it.

What a witch!!

 

[Jollyolly]

What a witch!!

I know.
I ended up being a bit of a weird case as the diet wasn't controlling my sugars yet I was losing too much weight. Because of that I ended up on insulin and was booked in to see a consultant endocrinologist. When the midwife (a different one) was organising the appointment she actually warned me that this particular consultant had quite a brusque manner and "some ladies get quite upset after seeing them".
Ok that's weird I think, but I was heavily pregnant and grumpy at this point so I was determined to take no tit so in I go, ready to f them out of it if they started being brusque with me but again, nice as you like, you poor thing and you're tiny too...
So again, one must assume anyone who was overweight was "blamed" for developing gestational diabetes

 

[Idon'twanttobehere]

I know.
I ended up being a bit of a weird case as the diet wasn't controlling my sugars yet I was losing too much weight. Because of that I ended up on insulin and was booked in to see a consultant endocrinologist. When the midwife (a different one) was organising the appointment she actually warned me that this particular consultant had quite a brusque manner and "some ladies get quite upset after seeing them".
Ok that's weird I think, but I was heavily pregnant and grumpy at this point so I was determined to take no tit so in I go, ready to f them out of it if they started being brusque with me but again, nice as you like, you poor thing and you're tiny too...
So again, one must assume anyone who was overweight was "blamed" for developing gestational diabetes

How infuriating and so so wrong. What is wrong with these medical "professionals", how can they be so ignorant!? You're already so vulnerable when your pregnant nevermind dealing with that unnecessary tit.

 

[Jollyolly]

How infuriating and so so wrong. What is wrong with these medical "professionals", how can they be so ignorant!? You're already so vulnerable when your pregnant nevermind dealing with that unnecessary tit.

Honestly I was almost hoping the consultant would get snotty with me because I was ready to erupt and scream at them that I was pig sick of eating McCambridges brown bread and NO, a rich tea biscuit with Philadelphia and sugar free jam* is NOT a bleeping cheesecake

*As per the booklet provided by the dietitian entitled "Enjoing Christmas with Gestational Diabetes"

 

[starryeyed10]

That is horrendous the stories I've heard about how fat people are treated by medical professionals are just shocking.

 

[Blahblahblahblah45]

I know.
I ended up being a bit of a weird case as the diet wasn't controlling my sugars yet I was losing too much weight. Because of that I ended up on insulin and was booked in to see a consultant endocrinologist. When the midwife (a different one) was organising the appointment she actually warned me that this particular consultant had quite a brusque manner and "some ladies get quite upset after seeing them".
Ok that's weird I think, but I was heavily pregnant and grumpy at this point so I was determined to take no tit so in I go, ready to f them out of it if they started being brusque with me but again, nice as you like, you poor thing and you're tiny too...
So again, one must assume anyone who was overweight was "blamed" for developing gestational diabetes

This is just a small idea of how your treated when your over weight. Everything is your fault from whatever your being treated for to the climate crisis and third world hunger.
I also had gestational diabetes and was losing too much weight and was sent to the dietitian 3 or 4 times, and even though my numbers where coming out ok they weren’t happy with the way they baby was growing so I ended up on insulin. The endo consultant accused me of lying about my numbers and took my monitor off me to go through it to make sure what I put in The book matched my monitor.

 

[Idontevengohere]

It's really frustrating to read all of these stories. I've had struggles with weight my whole life. Was very underweight as a child and teenager. So much so, I was seeing a dietician, and after I had ortho surgery in my early 20s it was like a switch flipped and I've struggled with weight gain. I have pcos and an underactive thyroid and my weight goes up and down. I've stopped taking my medication for thyroid (since my 2nd was born as I've struggled with pnd) and even though I'm now in a better place I don't want to go back to my Dr because I know I'll get a lecture about my weight. (I'm a size 16). Maybe I'm just over sensitive, but before covid kicked off I was a size 10/12, I had two small kids one under a year and was bf not looking after myself and as a result ended up in hospital with bacterial pneumonia. I was very sick and my bloods were showing an issue with my liver (this has happened before but its always, you need to lose weight.) On discharge I was told to get follow up bloods in 2 weeks with my Gp, so I did with the nurse and when the Dr called with results he said its probably weight related. (hadn't seen me at this point since baby 2s 6 week check). This was when I was meant to last get back on my prescription for thyroid and I just didn't bother. I just don't want to go back and god help us if I ever get sick with anything. I know ultimately I'm responsible for my own self and health, but when you've been told your whole life, your too thin, now you're too fat. It's just wearing. Apologies for the essay.

 

[Kittenpanda7]

I never really gave this whole issue much thought until I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
I was a size 10 when I got pregnant but because I was over 40, I was booked in for a glucose tolerance test at 28 weeks based on my age alone.
Went in that morning and did the test and got a call from a midwife that evening to say I had gestational diabetes and booked me in to see a dietitian the following week.
She was SO snotty with me on the phone, eg I asked ok well what do I need to do between now and the dietitian appointment and she actually said "well lay off the Mars bars now".
As it happened, I had a routine midwife visit the following day, and as it happened it was the same midwife who had called me the evening before. She calls me in and was like a different person, nice as pie and says oh god love you, you're having an awful time of it with the diabetes, "and you're not big at all".
I'm assuming the implication there was that if I was overweight it would have been my own fault.
I'm often sorry I didn't speak up at the time and pull her up on it.

Sorry I have nothing useful to add but Jesus Christ, the way pregnant women (and women in general) are treated in this country sometimes...

 

[Stillwater]

I’m a size 16 and never, ever considered myself fat.

It‘s possible I grew into this mindset with my age and the times which are a-changing. I make efforts to be body accepting and eschew the obsession with being a certain size and dieting. I am fortunate not to have a great deal to do with the medical profession because if I had any comment about my weight I’d be truly shocked.

 

[girlygirl774]

I’m a size 16 and never, ever considered myself fat.

It‘s possible I grew into this mindset with my age and the times which are a-changing. I make efforts to be body accepting and eschew the obsession with being a certain size and dieting. I am fortunate not to have a great deal to do with the medical profession because if I had any comment about my weight I’d be truly shocked.

and that is truly wonderful!! Exactly how it should be. But unfortunateLy, your experience is nowhere near the norm.

 

[Stillwater]

I probably do live in a propaganda bubble but it’s effective - saturate your feeds with bodies you recognise who are dressing fabulously, mute diet and weight loss talk. I haven’t weighed myself for over 20 years. Incrementally you can change your view. Until of course, the medical world potentially bombs through it all which is maddening and upsets me on behalf of people just looking for fair treatment.

I am really live to fat phobia despite being a straight size. I just went and learnt all about it and it really opened my eyes.

Watch Shrill!

 

[JillZarin]

So much going to read through. I think Louise's IGTV has definitely opened up a conversation (at least here anyway!)

Fat is not a feeling or an emotion. Fat is a thing, it is tangible and you can touch it. You don't "feel fat". Your clothes feel tight, you feel lethargic etc. Equating "fat" to "bad" is a problem. If you say you "feel fat" today cos you ate lots over the weekend it simply isn't true.

 

[girlygirl774]

Totally agree- this conversation alone means her Instagram has value in my mind. Regardless of what you think of her!!

 

[Idon'twanttobehere]

Totally agree- this conversation alone means her Instagram has value in my mind. Regardless of what you think of her!!

Nah not willing to give her that much credit. She's still a dose in my opinion

Nah not willing to give her that much credit. She's still a dose in my opinion

But this has been a good conversation, definitely learnt something here, not from her stories though

 

[Sooz]

I do think she has made me think a lot about these things. Which frankly I had not thought about before.

I feel a bit uncomfortable on the Jess on the Plus Size thread now - yeah, half the criticism is because she is a bit fast and loose with hygiene and showering and can be very crude - but the other half is a bit gleeful about her weight. "Oh now she's given up her job she's gonna be HYUUUUUGE!" I didn't even used to really notice? But now I do. And I don't like it.

So I do give credit to Louise for sharpening my antennae to just pure unadulterated fat shaming bitchery.

 

[girlygirl774]

Boom! Love it “pure unadulterated fat shaming bitchery”. Let’s all not do that

 

[Cáca_Milis]

I’m a size 16 and never, ever considered myself fat.

It‘s possible I grew into this mindset with my age and the times which are a-changing. I make efforts to be body accepting and eschew the obsession with being a certain size and dieting. I am fortunate not to have a great deal to do with the medical profession because if I had any comment about my weight I’d be truly shocked.

I hear ye! I'm mid/late 40s and am now a 16 after being a 10/12 most of my adult life. I'm almost 6 foot so carry it. According to my BMI I'm in the overweight category..... But you know what? Not an airborne duck do I give and BMI can get in the bleeping bin!!

 

[Stillwater]

Ah mate, *high five*!

 

[delialoves]

I hear ye! I'm mid/late 40s and am now a 16 after being a 10/12 most of my adult life. I'm almost 6 foot so carry it. According to my BMI I'm in the overweight category..... But you know what? Not an airborne duck do I give and BMI can get in the bleeping bin!!

I’m the same, I’m 5’10 and size 14 for years so never really felt ‘big’ as my height meant I can carry it well, but I’ve definitely put on some weight over the last year. I was feeling down about it a few months ago and getting fixated on the fact that my BMI classes me at overweight. But honestly I’m getting over it now and just trying to eat relatively healthy and staying active everyday ie one walk a day in the evening to clear the head.

Am I right in saying BMI has been proven as fairly meaningless in terms of measuring health anyway?

 

[HumphreyB]

Am I right in saying BMI has been proven as fairly meaningless in terms of measuring health anyway?
[/QUOTE]
Yes and no. BMI can be misleading lets say in the case of a person who has a muscular body. Their weight and height can = a BMI that indicates they are obese but they could have a really healthy body fat %. So the BMI says unhealthy but the body composition says otherwise. Its also only one aspect.

Its a really useful tool to indicate where someone is but should also be used in conjunction with other assessments.