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Touchy subject

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
My friends and I are becoming concerned about a friend of ours. She's severly obese and was recently told she's wheat intolerant. But the doctor didn't advise her or refer her to a nutritionist and was basically told ''don't eat wheat, off you go.''
Anyway, since then she's been eating more and more rubbish. She eats rye bread but after that she eats loads of crisps and chocolate, pop etc. We're getting really worried about her, she doesn't seem to have a clue on what to eat. We want to help her but we don't know how to bring it up....any advice?

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe subtlely bring it into conversation... when she starts eating something, and you think may it affect her wheat intolerance, just casually say "Is that not bad for your intolerance then?" - if she says she doesn't know, casually suggest that she sees a nutrionist because "they'll know of loads of cool alternatives".
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well i think the reason she's eating crisps and chocolate is because they don't contain wheat....as far as i know. And she's using them as a replacement because there's so much she can't eat now.
    Her mum works in a nursery so is always bringing bugs home and she's currently ill with one now, and she always looks drained. So she needs to be helping her immune system now, especially as it's winter. It's just worrying to think that she's so big already, and she's only just turned 17, i dread to think what will happen in years to come if she carries on.
    I suppose we need to bring it up casually, one of our friends is already seeing one so maybe she can suggest it....she has no problems bringing stuff up either. :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Exactly what you need, someone caring, useful but undeniably blunt. That's usually me in my friendship groups. :lol:

    I'm not sure the doctor should have made her cut out all wheat with no supplements to help with what she's not gaining... is she having to take any vitamins/medications? I don't really know, I just know I get poorly when I've cut food gorups so harshly from my diet in the past, but I am a generealy ill person.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Do you like to cook?

    Maybe you and her can cook a healthy meal together. I know a lot of people who eat crap because they don't know how to cook.

    Maybe she binge eats because she's unhappy.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe she binge eats because she's unhappy.
    that's what i was wondering too, i know her mum and grandma don't help because they buy her rubbish

    i'm always dropping hints on healthy stuff, but it doesn't seem to work. I'm not sure what she eats at home but i doubt it's much better.

    And no, she's not taking anything. I'm not sure there is anything you can take in place of wheat. But that's all she was told.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think cutting out wheat leaves you deficient in anything, and I have to say it was suggested I cut out wheat and that was pretty much all the advice I got, and to come back if I had a problem.

    It sounds to me like she would be eating the junk any way, and the no wheat thing is just used by her as an excuse. Rye bread if she can eat that, jacket potatoes, rice and potatoes instead of pasta, rice cakes instead of bread are all pretty simple substitutes and very healthy alternatives.

    Gentle arm twisting to get her down the pool/gym/dancing/any other form of exercise would probably do her the world of good.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    She needs to go back to her GP for a referral to a nutritionist - it's the only way.

    No amount of telling her how to eat right is going to get her to eat right. She needs to hear it from a professional - someone she can respect.
    She also needs shocking into it. Obese people need their arses kicked before they actually take charge of their problem and actually see it is a problem. A lot of people are like 'I'm fat and proud' but they don't see that it's killing them.

    If you (she) don't get what you need on the first GP visit, go back and keep going back until you get what you need!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bite me! :yum:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think cutting out wheat leaves you deficient in anything, and I have to say it was suggested I cut out wheat and that was pretty much all the advice I got, and to come back if I had a problem.

    It sounds to me like she would be eating the junk any way, and the no wheat thing is just used by her as an excuse. Rye bread if she can eat that, jacket potatoes, rice and potatoes instead of pasta, rice cakes instead of bread are all pretty simple substitutes and very healthy alternatives.

    Gentle arm twisting to get her down the pool/gym/dancing/any other form of exercise would probably do her the world of good.
    they say wheat is good for the heart....but it can't be that vital if you don't need to replace it.

    I think it's an excuse too, because she's not really looked into alternatives. I've asked her to come to the gym several times, i'll try again when she's better. I think she's shy because she's so big, she's deffinatly not proud of it, but not motivated enough to do anything about it. But at the end of the day, everyone in the gym is there for the same reason.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ... sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whole wheat is good for all sorts, but it's not essential. The gym might be asking a bit much, I know I hate it with a passion, all those fit slim people in their lycra showing off is my idea of hell. Walking round town, home from college, up the stairs not the lift, beginners aerobics maybe.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whole wheat is good for all sorts, but it's not essential. The gym might be asking a bit much, I know I hate it with a passion, all those fit slim people in their lycra showing off is my idea of hell. Walking round town, home from college, up the stairs not the lift, beginners aerobics maybe.
    well our school is a sports college and we have our own sports center that's also used by the public out of school hours. We have a little gym and it's nice because it's never packed with loads of fit people. It's mostly middle aged folk and the odd footballer wannabe showing off their pecs but nothing drastic. She's used it before in p.e and we get a discount because we're pupils. It's a 2 minute walk from her house too. So maybe she needs some encouraging.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You know her, I don't so you'll have the far better judgement on this one, see what sort of exercise you reckon she's most likely to go along with. It's as much about exercise and lifestye as it is about diet.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You know her, I don't so you'll have the far better judgement on this one, see what sort of exercise you reckon she's most likely to go along with. It's as much about exercise and lifestye as it is about diet.
    tbh i don't think she's into any kind of exercise - i don't think she's ever done any sports or anything. There's a trainer at the gym that assesses you when you join and you tell her want you want to work on and she gives you a plan. So hopefully i'll get her to come along and talk to her.
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