Why is the north fatter than the south?

674 published comments with 43 censored.

There is a significant north-south health divide, data shows. Why?

People in the north of England are more likely to be obese, more likely to die from a smoking-related disease and have lower life expectancies than their southern neighbours, government figures show.

The report also shows the UK has the highest obesity rate in Europe. Tony Blair says the government will risk being seen as a "nanny state" as it attempts to get the health message to the public.

Have you noticed a north-south health divide? Should the government risk the "nanny state" tag and tell people how to get healthier? Why are we the fattest nation in Europe? Do we simply not know how to eat well?


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The following comments were censored from this thread on the BBC's 'Have Your Say' section of their news website.

Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Isitjustmeor on Tue Oct 10 15:08:09 UTC 2006. 1 recommendations.

BATTER, when I was in Leeds everybody has everyting battered, even ....mars bars!!!!!

Ben, Gillingham


What a pointless, ignorant post - it's Glasgow you're thinking of ...

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by whackyracer on Tue Oct 10 15:44:07 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Who cares what Northerners do provided they stay in the North.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by cyberThunderHawk on Tue Oct 10 15:49:12 UTC 2006. 1 recommendations.

ALL fat people are ugly and disgusting no matter where they live. So why focus on fairly minor regional differences?

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by praderboy on Tue Oct 10 14:47:09 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Judging by the comments here obesity is mainly due to poverty, lack of food labelling, availability of produce and affordability of gyms?

Following this logic the majority of people in the developing world would be hugh!

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by tebitt on Tue Oct 10 15:05:33 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

The people in the North don't use their brains as much as those in the South, so don't burn as many calories. Simple.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by pottiervincent on Tue Oct 10 15:14:10 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

It is because it is further away from France.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by janwal on Tue Oct 10 16:21:44 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Cos all their Mums went to Iceland ... and fed them cheap, fatty food.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by bluebelljoy on Tue Oct 10 16:27:35 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Obvious isn't it? They eat more junk food (very expensive, fresh food is much cheaper), and smoke more cigarettes.Quite honestly I don't know how they can afford it, but it seems they can. The result of course is obesity and smoking related illness.
Sylvia Berks

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by MLHCFC1977 on Tue Oct 10 16:25:15 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

It's gravy.......Northern Boys LOVE gravy....

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by mhusen on Tue Oct 10 16:41:24 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Lower house prices in the North
means lower mortgage related outgoings
means less desire to work/work harder (less spent energy)
& more money available for large portions of Fish/Pies/Sausages and chips, booze & fags
and colder wet weather
means less desire to venture out
turns them into couch potatoes.
The result is fat pot belly neighbours.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by sobemike on Tue Oct 10 17:56:38 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Maybe because there's nothing to do up north than eat and watch TV.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Hisnibs on Tue Oct 10 18:17:48 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

You have more junkies down south, that's why you're all scrawny (thin).

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by RedRaider on Tue Oct 10 18:57:40 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

"Fat and happy, thin and snappy"

Thats the North - South divide in a nutshell really.

:-}

You Southerners should give yourselves a break and enjoy life a little. No use living forever, if life is no fun.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Davids-choice on Tue Oct 10 19:42:02 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

hmmm... I take it self-control is yet still a mystery in medieval England.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by IvannaBlackhawk on Tue Oct 10 19:54:38 UTC 2006. 1 recommendations.

To Tom Banks,

shut it fat boy!

Ivanna.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by thinbanksy on Tue Oct 10 19:50:49 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Maybe the stats came from the ratio of head to body size in the north south divide. Southerners must appear SO skinny!

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by IvannaBlackhawk on Tue Oct 10 19:50:45 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

I suppose you Notherners need to be fat in order to keep warm up there? Ivanna.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by magicalways54 on Tue Oct 10 20:04:16 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Southerners, bless them, can't afford a decent meal 'cause their 'ouses cost so much. When me whippet dies, I'll sent it down to ya and yow can have a nice barbi.
Max Headroom, East Midlands, United Kingdom

Well, this Southerner’s ‘ouse’ is now fully paid for cause 'daddy' won the lottery AND an accumulated bet on the races (he was dubbed the luckiest man in Britain by the Sun newspaper). I’ll send you the newspaper clipping so you can have a nice read while I feast on the barbi - thanks.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by sickOfBlair2 on Tue Oct 10 20:11:18 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Interesting how the fattest people seem to be in the Labour voting areas. Maybe voting Labour is bad for your health!

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by cybernewsaddict on Tue Oct 10 20:17:40 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

You're all thinner down south because you're all French, and all they eat is frog's legs and snails.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by cybernewsaddict on Tue Oct 10 20:14:30 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

We're fatter up north because we eat Lard sandwiches while you're thinner down their from chasing your relatives around to add to the inbred stock.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Martin-C on Tue Oct 10 20:29:13 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Denise Kettle, Romford, United Kingdom

Ah, there really is nothing like humility, is there?

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by magicalways54 on Tue Oct 10 20:45:08 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Denise Kettle, Romford, United Kingdom

Ah, there really is nothing like humility, is there?
Martin Connolly, Glasgow

I'm truly humble & happen to love all things British North, south East & West. My father is a northerner & I've always wanted to visit Scotland cause it seems a beautiful place. However, I felt the urge to respond to someone on here who I felt was just being too nasty to the people on this forum.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by GentlemanKenThompson on Tue Oct 10 20:49:49 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

If I want to be a fat bustard, then what's it got to do with you pal!!

Answers on a postcard with a fiver for more pies!!!

What a ridiculous post!!

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by GawBlimey on Tue Oct 10 20:53:31 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Is it any coincidence that Boston, the fattest place in the UK, shares its name with a town in the USA?

I think I've stumbled across something here. And no don't get excited northerners - its not a sticky cream bun

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by gavin_in_kingston on Tue Oct 10 21:17:20 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

The northerners think it is their birthright to eat their weight in fat food each week, downed by a few pints. The working class attitude is killing them. Claiming poverty whilst smoking and eating themselves to death and expecting the rest of the country to pay.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by 0xdeadbeef on Tue Oct 10 16:25:32 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Dave, we in the South just look at the millions being pumped into the North. In fact statistics show you get 3 times as much money spent on you as we do.
Stuart Robinson, Bedford, United Kingdom

I wonder how much gets spent on people from Bedford after all that sulphuric acid from the brickworks dissolves their lungs?

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by wydeville on Tue Oct 10 19:13:52 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

I absolutely love this debate, it is so light hearted and reinforces my opinion that most people really don't give a toss..I think it was a chief in TOGO who recently died weighing 33 stones, he was only 88, bet he ate like a real pie muncher lived in a mud hut and was happy as a pig in poo...come to the serious west die early having worked yourself to death for the state and fed yourself on oceanstix and nastyburgers wot a life...hahaha

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by mattio111 on Tue Oct 10 22:55:43 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Because when all you have around you is crime, muck, foulness and poverty, a pie dulls the pain for them.

Its the grimness of the north that prevents Great Britain from being Perfect Britain. The sooner a revamped Hadrian's wall is knocked up round Northants way,the better.

You can keep your crappy pies, chips and gravy, and your unemployment, high crime rates, chav kids, fat women and knackered Ford Escorts.
While we are at it, can they be banned from international travel???

Please?

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by dirtmay on Wed Oct 11 09:09:35 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Einstine????? Enlighten me! Who was that exhaulted person who need not attend?

In that one comment you have just settled the whole argument.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Duderoo on Wed Oct 11 10:19:53 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

I blame womens rights, if we made them stay at home they would have more time to bake and cook healthy foods, come on lasses get home and get the Mr Ben book owt.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by stubooth on Wed Oct 11 11:57:26 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Could it be becuase in the north, the beer is proper, not like these shandy dinking southern puffs - of course they are thinner, their gay life partner might not approve if they became tubby!

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by wellmiffed on Wed Oct 11 12:01:10 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

They are fatter up north because they have John Prescott as a role model.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by verwoodspring on Wed Oct 11 12:21:40 UTC 2006. 1 recommendations.

John Prescott is from the North....

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by lifejazzy on Wed Oct 11 12:45:02 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

some one should have a word with Cherie Blair she looks like a whale in her holiday pics

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by stmatt on Wed Oct 11 13:14:24 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Possibly due to the fact people in the south work while those in the north eat pies.

(and other relevant sterotypes)

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Stove11 on Wed Oct 11 13:40:57 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

And here we are again with the North moaning the South is much richer. Why don't you do something about it then you pie eating work-shy monkies!

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Len_Day on Wed Oct 11 14:23:24 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

The reason why there is a North/South divide in obesity is quite simple. It reflects the relatively low intelligence of the very people who sustain this Labour government. For 9 years the nanny state has benefitted this group who by nature do little or no exercise, are the least hardest workers, have a greater percentage out of work, and are the least educated.

Bill Oakey, Canterbury, United Kingdom

Dear oh dear, Bill! You did get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, didn't you?

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Duderoo on Wed Oct 11 14:32:49 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

I never knew we lived in such a disunited Kingdom. Although what do I care - I come from and live in the South! As for your comments on the Nanny State, it's not Southerners keeping them in No. 10. It's you lot!

[politico-junkie-SE1]

And who kept Thatcher in for years because she was feeding YOU LOT cash while bleeding the rest of the country dry, I find this board really sad to see, yes I dont much like southerners as they are rude and impersonal while northers are more friendly.

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by al_yrpal on Wed Oct 11 17:30:57 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Cos they're all trying to emulate John Prescott

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by D6equj5 on Wed Oct 11 19:13:10 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Northerners are meant to be fatter than southerners - its just the way of things. Try saying "I'm a fat b'stard" firstly in a southern accent and then a northern accent - see what I mean?

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by TahoeTraveller on Wed Oct 11 19:51:26 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

Tracy Lankester, Church Stretton, Shropshire makes many excellent points.

Tracy, I know and love Church Stretton and how very sad that the beautiful Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge are not used far more for exercise.

Forgive me for being facetious but I am inclined to think that there are more people who simply visit the "Secret Hills" museum in Carven Arms than actually get out and walk amongst those secret hills.....

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Why is the north fatter than the south?

Written by Laura on Thu Oct 12 10:47:01 UTC 2006. 0 recommendations.

I have lived my whole life in the lovely South-East, and I can't say I meet many obese people. They do exist though. I've only ventured up norf once, and that was to Sheffield and there were quite a few overweight folk. Maybe it's simply because there are more people up north...?

Also, whoever said Northeners have different values and beliefs, is right.

One last thing, people from the South-East aren't rude, we're just posh.

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