shes a good looking lass who seems to be in the news/media at the moment for one reason or another. her personal persona could be far different from what we see/read about her so i cannot comment on her personally.

It appears Cheryl's autobiography doesn't mention Ashley at all. The only interesting thing she has going for her.

Funny how she's so uninteresting, yet you talk about her all the time

The average size may now be a size 16, but you have to take into account the women who are far below their ideal weight (Size 0) and those women who are far above their ideal weight (Size 22 and above) to get that average.

I was one of those that criticsed Josie because of her weight.  I stand by that.  She is NOT a healthy weight for her frame.  Nor is Victoria Beckham or Cheryl Cole.

I do know that the NHS is suffering due to an increase of overweight/obese people - diabetes and heart conditions being 2 of the problems brought on by unhealthy weight.

But to be fair we don't know what her frame was. She appeared quite tall to me.

As for the issue of overweight people being a burden on the NHS...
well yes BUT believe it or not under nutrition is also a burden.
One in three people admitted to our hospitals each year are malnourished or are at risk of malnutrition. This is on admission- NOT hospital induced. And there this is not just the elderly - a lot of younger people are malnourished as well.
Malnutrition costs the NHS 13 billion pounds each year.
The average length of stay for a well nourished person in hospital is 6 days - for one who is malnourished it is 13.
You are more likely to get a bedsore or wound infection  if you are undernourished.

Yes obesity is a growing problem but so is undernutrition - they are both as equally as bad,

So, what is the solution?  Education?  Jamie's "Ministry of Food"?

From my own experience, 3 times a week for over 2 years of going to hospital for treatment, I have seen it from a patient point of view.  I have seen nurses and staff having to bring in lifts to transfer people from their wheelchair to the bed (nothing wrong with their legs, their legs just couldn't support their weight), and other patients having to wait while 3 staff members were tending to one patient.

I have suffered with my weight for years and it's only been a real issue with me since my health has been so bad.  I was still able to do most everyday activities and now it's a struggle to do the most basic of tasks.  AND my weight i not nearly as bad as others that I have witnessed.  I'm a size 16-18.  I still need to lose more weight, but that's another issue.

Being a size 16-18, although average, is not the optimum weight, especially for a young woman.  Most women tend to put on a few pounds as they age.  So a young woman who is a size 16 now, will probably be a size 20-22 after a couple of babies.

Undernutrition/malnutriton is not only an issue for someone who is underweight but is also an issue for someone who is overweight.  A diet of crisps and biscuits is not a healthy diet - no matter if you are 8 stone or 20 stone.

The trouble is Suzi, as a nation we do not respect food. We rush it, we buy high fat ready meals... we think we are clever cos we don't eat breakfast. We eat sandwiches at our desk.
I am convinced that part of the reason for both under and over nutrition is the fact that cookery is not taught in schools any more -( well not what we would call cookery) and we do not cook from scratch as much. Supermarkets make it too easy for us.
Lives are too busy is the argument yet how long does it take to cook nourishing food?

I take your point as well about 16 not necessarily being the ideal weight - but then  neither is a size 8.

Perhaps there is no such thing as an ideal weight.

You are also spot on with your remark that obese people can be malnourished. They can and sadly the last thing a sick obese person needs to go on is a reducing diet..

What is the answer?
Well education is the key BUT people have to want to be educated....
Jamie Oliver is not the answer...too gung ho, too patronising.

 

It's funny, isn't it?  All these cookery programmes and yet no one cooks anymore.  I am addicted to cookery programmes - just tonight I was drooling all over Michel Roux, JR.

I have always cooked, and my meals are not Michelin star cuisine, but they are tasty and filling.  Even when I was really sick, I would explain to my son exactly how to cook something and it amazed me how well he picked it all up.  When you are in hospital for 2 months, having a well cooked meal is the best thing in the world.

We rarely get a take-away, and when we do, it's a treat.  Even the ready meal curries in th supermarket are treats.  BUT to many families, that is not a treat, it's their lifestyle.  Too many people can't even chop an onion.

The best convenient food in the world ever? jacket potato and beans and cheese.

Quick, filling and so nutritious.

Both my girls can cook. I,like you, rarely have a takeaway.
Cooking is so easy - and you don't have to aspire to be any of the greats...
My Mum had an expression...

"If you have an egg in the house, you have a meal!"

I wonder what Chreyl Coles opinion is on the expanding ans Shrinking Waistlines of the UK

Totally off on a tangent but the other night I was so knackered I put self raising flour in the mug instead of hot chocolate. I was, however, rather pleased I had self-raising flour in the cupboard.

But surely that applies to most women at that X Factor end of showbiz.  I think that she has done pretty well for herself. When you see the return of Sharon next Saturday you'll understand how much worse it could be.

Good looking people will always do well - it is just how it is..

Cheryl was dragged in cos she's done the audition thing for years, did the popstars thing and has made a *cough good PR cough* success of herself (despite not being the best vocalist on the block). I think it was more to do with her earlier experience rather than her abilities as a singer/recording artist.

I've always thought that was the case..

How is your back Karma? 

For someone who finds her so 'uninteresting' you don't half seem, well... interested in her, what she does and her opinion on things.

I think you're secretly a proper little fan I bet your bedroom walls are covered from top to bottom in Girls Aloud and Cheryl Tweedy posters and calendars

The patches have helped a bit but is still a major problem. Won't go into it all here but thanks for asking x

Well if they are at least she could see them. Not like yours that are stained

More like obsessed Crunchy...

No doubting she has done well for herself and as you say the return of Sharon will show how much worse it could be.

I'm under teh ideal BMI.  No matter what I do I always seem to be below. 

I don't mind Cheryl either.
I do like how she faces up to all criticism and has a backbone to shrug bitchy comments and jealousy  off.

I take my hat of to that trait.