SilverStrivers: Holiday Hits and Misses- Growing passengers (3)

As we get older we are supposed to benefit from all our knowledge and experience and hence become so much wiser.

This assumption was really tested on holiday.

With so much information about obesity and sun protection you would have thought that the people on board would be mindful of this. However a significant number of passengers had thrown caution to the wind. Approximately 50% were significantly overweight and about 20% seriously obese.

I know many of us struggle to maintain a healthy weight and it is even harder when on holiday. However what I am referring to here is a whole different ball game.

When you go on a cruise, there is so much food available all the time. You can choose to eat formally and informally. We tended to go for the buffet meals for breakfast and lunch and formal for dinner. It is in the buffet that the real excess takes place and you can't help but observe the greed and gluttony.
Some seemed to have no control at all. Instead of getting a normal portion and then returning for more some decide to heap their plates to avoid having to make a possible return trip.

One person at breakfast had a pile of eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, mushrooms and hash browns and then noticed that the speciality that day was gammon and so this unfortunate piece of meat was selected and balanced on the top of the mountain of food. This was accompanied with toast, bread buns and a couple of muffins.

This was not an unusual occurrence. Others over indulgenced with cereals - 3 packets poured into a bowl with a second to house the overspill. On top of this loads of fruit and berries and then finally 3 pots of yoghurt. A cooked breakfast would follow this.

These same people complained about their ailments which included shortness of breath, lack of mobility, aching joints, indigestion, swollen ankles, diabetes, hip and joint replacements. Many opted for buggies even if they could walk. Exercise didn't feature in their daily plan. When one person found that there was a buggy free she was over the moon - it saved walking!

The topics of conversation over dinner would often include observations of excess that day. A bone of contention often mentioned was the priority given to large people when everyone else had to take their turn. Delays were caused on coaches going on excursions as people struggled to squeeze into seats. There was a humorous moment which many of us had witnessed when an obese woman in a buggy spied a free table in the bar. What followed could only be described as a "Little Britain"moment. She leapt out of the buggy to claim her prize. We had all assumed she was disabled and couldn't walk.

There must be many reasons why intelligent people are eating themselves to death however one thing is clear the NHS hasn't got a prayer! How can it cope with all the problems associated with over eating to this extent? How can it cope providing all the mobility apparatus?

This morning on the TV paper review an article was mentioned outlining the problem we have with obese children. With parents and grandparents setting such a poor example there doesn't seem much point in the proposed banning of fizzy drinks. Its like putting a sticking plaster over an open wound

I don't have the solution to this but it is clear that the problem is growing and something has to be done. Maybe not going on a holiday where the temptations are so great would be a start.

More in next Post on the sun worshippers!