Preparedness for when

Doveling

"They came first for the communists........"

[Deleted User]

Maybe George Orwell had the right of it?

Perhaps we'll be known in the future as homogenised britain?

VJsmum

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I will say that I think it would be very useful to have a scientific study as to the causes of obesity. Because, right at this moment, its being said on the one hand that every single case is the persons own fault on the one hand v. it being something that is imposed on them by factors not under their control on the other hand.
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I found this very informative - this and the other 4 parts - particularly parts 4 and 5. There definitely is something in the "factors outside of their control" about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exi7O1li_wA

nuatha

thriftwizard wrote: »

Mentioning this very quietly, because I know the tin hat brigade elsewhere will give the usual knee-jerk reaction of "bl**dy scroungers don't deserve anything anyway" but I find this story somewhat disturbing. Almost Nazi-ish, in fact., and very thin-end-of-the-wedge. It doesn't take much imagination to see where else they could go with this kind of idea, if they can get away with this...

Remember when the focus was on anyone who was long term sick or disabled, Cameron has obviously decided that he can win this debate with a narrower focus.
A few days ago I was reading something from a US Senator that big business wants the government to raise the eligibility age for medicare and social security to 70, cut forces pensions and benefits, raise general taxes and cut large corporate's taxes. My first thought was sounds like the Tory manifesto for the next but one election.
Yes, there are people who would rather claim benefits than work and at least two examples are seriously over weight (they were on a news program/documentary a couple of weeks ago - I have to assume the program was honest and that these were not actors) But penalising the rest of society...
Cameron's constant othering and targeting groups is no better than blaming immigrants for the ills of society - its certainly not honest, given that the governments own figures show the current financial crisis is not caused by the unemployed or by benefit spending in general.
Apologies, rant mode engaged.

I suspect any planned reliance on state benefits, including pensions is a bad move, I'm 52, I don't expect to be able to claim the state pension that I've paid for. But I'm used to government breaking its promises and planning which relies on an honest government is doomed unless we could actually get an honest government. How we plan for that future is as much prepping as anything else we can do.

At least we have an example from history that is worth paying heed to Doveling is right.

moneyistooshorttomention

VJsmum wrote: »

I found this very informative - this and the other 4 parts - particularly parts 4 and 5. There definitely is something in the "factors outside of their control" about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exi7O1li_wA

Must watch that to see what they have to say.

In a nutshell though, am I worrying unduly about those articles implying being fat is something that can be caught:eek:? (ie the virus theory). I do sorta like having a social life.....

Perplexed_Pineapple

I don't think you need worry too much, if being overweight is something you can catch it can't be that transmissible or we would all have it. I have heard the argument that we are evolved to be fat because someone with a genetic tendency to gain weight would have the advantage in times of famine, which would have been a periodic problem for a large part of human history.

nuatha wrote: »

Remember when the focus was on anyone who was long term sick or disabled, Cameron has obviously decided that he can win this debate with a narrower focus.
A few days ago I was reading something from a US Senator that big business wants the government to raise the eligibility age for medicare and social security to 70, cut forces pensions and benefits, raise general taxes and cut large corporate's taxes. My first thought was sounds like the Tory manifesto for the next but one election.
Yes, there are people who would rather claim benefits than work and at least two examples are seriously over weight (they were on a news program/documentary a couple of weeks ago - I have to assume the program was honest and that these were not actors) But penalising the rest of society...
Cameron's constant othering and targeting groups is no better than blaming immigrants for the ills of society - its certainly not honest, given that the governments own figures show the current financial crisis is not caused by the unemployed or by benefit spending in general.
Apologies, rant mode engaged.

I suspect any planned reliance on state benefits, including pensions is a bad move, I'm 52, I don't expect to be able to claim the state pension that I've paid for. But I'm used to government breaking its promises and planning which relies on an honest government is doomed unless we could actually get an honest government. How we plan for that future is as much prepping as anything else we can do.

At least we have an example from history that is worth paying heed to Doveling is right.

I think Cameron is being more cynical than that. He wants to be seen to be cutting the government's budget - he knows that they can't spend more than they receive indefinitely. He knows that most of the welfare budget goes on pensioners, but pensioners vote more than any other group in society so he daren't offend them. Instead he picks on a small group who probably don't vote anyway to appease the Daily Mail reading prejudiced right wing voter.

Checking out free ebooks, found this free kindle book that looks good for anyone with a Dutch oven (the kind you cook with, Bob).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IDTX9PS/

pachycephalosaurus

Doveling wrote: »

"They came first for the communists........"

I couldn't agree more .
Being of the stringy persuasion I have no vested interest in whether a high BMI is self made or caused by outside circumstances , but note that much controversy has been whipped up in the past debating if nature or nurture determines IQ ( a rather dodgy measurement anyway ), sexual orientation, and goodness knows what else. Once the dust settles and the opposing sides of the debate calm down a bit ( and have received their research grants) it turns out that the cause is actually ... a bit of each.

I'm trying desperately to stop myself saying that maybe overweight people make a particularly easy target for the politicians , but I'm sorry, I just can't resist

thriftwizard

Thank you for that, VJsmum, it ties in very much with what I've believed for many years. But I also believe that the height/weight thing is misleading; I know a number of people who are definitely well into the overweight, possibly even the lower end of the obese, bracket, who are extremely fit - dancers, swimmers & rugby players, mostly, but also people who just walk/cycle everywhere & do a lot of gardening - and others who are in the "healthy" bracket who most definitely aren't; TDiL for example, who is a slender little thing who goes to the gym three times a week, catches every cold that goes round & suffers terribly with coughs & lung infections after every one. The rest of us, somewhat heavier (though none of us any more than a bit overweight) shrug infections off.

Presumably, though, we'd be sanctioned if we ever claimed anything, if Mr. Camoron's ideas ever come to fruition...

jk0

thriftwizard wrote: »

Thank you for that, VJsmum, it ties in very much with what I've believed for many years. But I also believe that the height/weight thing is misleading; I know a number of people who are definitely well into the overweight, possibly even the lower end of the obese, bracket, who are extremely fit - dancers, swimmers & rugby players, mostly, but also people who just walk/cycle everywhere & do a lot of gardening - and others who are in the "healthy" bracket who most definitely aren't; TDiL for example, who is a slender little thing who goes to the gym three times a week, catches every cold that goes round & suffers terribly with coughs & lung infections after every one. The rest of us, somewhat heavier (though none of us any more than a bit overweight) shrug infections off.

Presumably, though, we'd be sanctioned if we ever claimed anything, if Mr. Camoron's ideas ever come to fruition...

That's interesting about your TDiL. I'm similarly slim, and dread getting a cold, as I usually suffer for two months. I wonder if you're on to something.

DawnW

nuatha wrote: »

I suspect any planned reliance on state benefits, including pensions is a bad move, I'm 52, I don't expect to be able to claim the state pension that I've paid for. But I'm used to government breaking its promises and planning which relies on an honest government is doomed unless we could actually get an honest government. How we plan for that future is as much prepping as anything else we can do.

I am 61 Nuatha, and to be honest I am also sceptical as to whether state pensions will be available to people like me who have a modest work one, by the time I reach the age when I would expect to receive it. That age keeps getting pushed back, and I would not be at all surprised if some kind of means test were also introduced over the next few years.