Ten-year gulf in life expectancy across Hull

“Have you seen the price of the tat they sell in Iceland??? It is cheap processed cr*p and if you're on a low income it's a cheap option. Poor health is linked to poverty. It's obvious.”

“@alleyfish. Quite true. The number of pre-teenage children who literally waddle around the town is amazing. Even some of the boys look as though they should be in training bras. When I was at secondary school in the late 60's -early 70's there were only three fat children out of 900 pupils. Mind you they were popular come sports day and were the first picked for the tug-o-war team. And they weren't villified for being large either.”

“To blame lifestyle is a bit naive. I would consider air quality (diesel/petrol fumes) to be a very important factor. In London, a recent study showed that more people die prematurely from poor air quality than did in the smogs of the 1950's that led to the smokeless zone legislation (clean air act)...”

“It isn't the laws of physics being defied but the'laws' of biology.”

“I agree completely with allyfish. As usual, the beardy, pony-tailed, Jesus Sandal brigade blame poverty, which when you think about it is ridiculous. I work and couldn't afford to smoke even if I wanted to. I also get a takeaway maybe once a month, not every night as lots of lard asses do. It shows how affluent we are as a society if fat people who smoke & drink are pleading poverty!”

“I can see the gap between average life expectancy rates between the healthiest and unhealthiest of Hull's population widening over time. I will not say 'richest' and 'poorest' areas, as while wealth may be a factor, health is a lifestyle choice - your socio-economic circumstances do not pre-ordain you to be either obese & unhealthy or average weight & healthy. That's just a handy excuse latched onto by far too many.

I look at some of the kids walking around Hull today and I can scarcely believe their size; when I was a kid (70s into 80s) you never saw an adult their size never mind a pre-teen. It's truly shocking - these kids will not reach 50 if they do not radically alter their lifestyle. They are diabetes cases in waiting. The trouble is, if their parents are of a similar morbidly obese build, to them it's normal. Schools don't send them outside in all weathers to run 20 times round the soccer field like they used to. I fear some of these kids will only realise how serious a problem it is when they are looking down on themselves in the mortuary slab.

You don't have to be a salad junkie or fitness freak to stay a healthy BMI, it's just about applying some common-sense and a little will-power: don't smoke, ever, period. Drink in moderation, eat balanced home cooked not processed cr@p meals, don't skip breakfast – the most important meal of the day, don't snack between meals, if you must, fruit or nuts, walk/cycle rather than take the bus into town or get some similar exercise daily. I love a cooked brekkie, a few pints, a ****gy take away, a pizza or some processed McRubbish, but I don't live off them. Nor do I go to a gym, why pay to exercise when you can do it for free?

Of course some people find it easier to keep a healthy weight than others, so the level of commitment and effort varies. Some people are lucky, maybe I am, but I don't put it down to my economic circumstances. There are people out of work on benefits who have a hell of a lot more free time (and seemingly more disposable income too) to prepare a proper cooked meal than my wife and I.”

“Lynette_C

"so I don't see how this divide is purely about diet and lack of exercise"

I don't think it is, it just keeps somebody in a job, compiling figures that mean ZILCH”

“Right thats it then
Stuff the diet/fitness regime
I'm just gonna flit and live longer”

“by sgihlag

Wednesday, June 27 2012, 11:13AM

"Seriously though, are you telling me that all that excess fat is solely from carrying a child quarter of a year ago??"

Quite possibly, yes. I put on a lot of weight whilst I was pregnant - exercising is pretty difficult with a bump, you know - and it took me around 6-8 months to get from 13 stone down to 9.5 stone.

As this article is about life expectancy across different areas of the city, I'd like to point out that I see just as many overweight people on Chanterlands Avenue as I do on Hessle Road, so I don't see how this divide is purely about diet and lack of exercise.”

“Chicken protein is a very lean meat good for dieting ... unless you buy it from a supermarket, then it is packed full of sugar and added carbohydrates from re-injected fat (don't believe me, check the ingredients) and they wonder why we have an obesity epidemic when cheap bulking ingredients like sugar and salt are "hidden" in small print of our food.”