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LARGE LADIES
We’re a pair of ‘fatty’ sisters but it’s not our fault we’re overweight… our town is the UNHEALTHIEST in the UK
Residents have had their say on what they think is to blame
TWO sizeable sisters say they are “living proof” their town is the unhealthiest place to live in the UK.
The self-confessed “fatties” blame the number of fast food chains and lack of gyms in the local area as the cause of their binge eating.
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Shocking new figures show 64 per cent of the nation have been classed as overweight or obese, with Stoke taking the top unhealthy spot.
Sarah Lidbury and Alison Middleton, who both work as security officers and have lived in the busy Staffordshire city for 10 years, have branded it "run down and depressing".
But the siblings have vowed to change their unhealthy lifestyle, with Sarah saying: "We both need to lose weight and start going to the gym.
"Look at us. We’re living proof that people in Stoke are overweight."
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Reacting to the latest research conducted by ZAVA, she added: "I'm not surprised... there’s plenty of us around!”
Her elder sister chipped in: "We’re trying to do something about it, that was our resolution at the start of the year, but it’s hard."
Sarah, who suffers from heath issues and needs to use a mobility scooter at times, said they both had gym memberships but struggled to travel for workout sessions.
She said: "There are no decent gyms in the city centre or near the home we share so we have to get in the car and drive there - nothing is within easy walking distance.
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"We both need to lose weight and start going to the gym again."
Alison added: "There's a lot of comfort eating here, there’s so many fast food places and no healthy options.
I’m an unemployed ‘proud fatty’ - humiliating skinny jab gimmicks to get us back to work are a green light for trolls
"There’s not a lot to do, it’s run down and depressing, and people eat out of boredom and for comfort."
The sisters, who both declined to give their ages, are determined to "cut out sugar" and shed a few pounds.
Care assistant David Burber agreed there is "an obesity problem" in Stoke, adding: "There’s too many pie shops!"
The local resident, who is a diabetic and has mobility issues and struggles to exercise, admitted: "I’m carrying extra weight myself."
He added: "The city’s gone downhill.
"I’ve lived here all my life. It’s not a very good place to live any more but you get used to it.";
David, 64, also described the decline of high-street outlets meaning there is "nothing" for young people.
He continued: "They hang around town getting bored and eating junk food.
“There is a park nearby with outdoor gym equipment but I’ve never seen anyone use it.”
His wife said: ";It’s dead here! I’m overweight but it’s difficult to eat healthily because I’m borderline diabetic and have another illness which means I can’t eat what I want to."
Another resident and mum-of-three described the city as "poor" with "a lot of overweight people".
Linda Bennett suggested comfort eating and the cost of healthy food was behind the local crisis.
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The 52-year-old added: "I don’t think I’m overweight but I could be healthier and I don’t work out.
"When you don’t have a job, chips is a cheap option and satisfying!"
Sitting in a KFC, Linda was very close to both a Greggs and Chopstix noodle bar.
Both packed at lunchtime, those who seemed to not have enough time to sit opted for a burger on-the-go instead.
School leaver James Anderson, 18, blamed individuals not looking at their exercise routines over the number of food outlets.
But Turkish Veysel Ali, 41, who runs Potters Jacket Potatoes revealed there are few upmarket restaurants and a range of fast food sites in Stoke.
Adam Beswick said: "I can see how some people get unfit and unhealthy living here. There's little green space, it’s all ugly brown space."
A spokesperson for ZAVA has suggested the data shows "the urgency" of wanting to embrace healthier lifestyles is "easier said than done".
To rank the towns, factors such as limited green spaces and low numbers of gyms were considered.
High pollution scores were linked to residents’ ability to lead healthy lifestyles.
Stoke-on-Trent has a population of more than 373,000 and is one of the biggest cities in the Midlands.
Ranked the overall unhealthiest, it was followed closely by Sunderland, Blackpool, Wolverhampton, Hull, Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester, Derby and Leeds.
The findings revealed that Stoke offers 0.23 parks per 1,000 people - 93% fewer than Edinburgh.
Fitness facilities are equally scarce with 53 per cent less than Leicester.
Adding to the problem is Stoke’s high pollution score of nearly nine out of ten, severely impacting air quality and overall public health.
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A spokesperson for ZAVA added: "These factors combine to create a challenging environment for residents striving to lead active and healthy lives.”
It follows Stoke being voted the stinkiest place in the country to live according to research and views from residents.
BRITAIN'S OBESITY CRISIS
BY SAM BLANCHARD, Health Correspondent
OBESITY is one of the UK’s biggest health threats in the 21st Century.
In 2014, then-chief executive of NHS England, Sir Simon Stevens, called it “the new smoking” and said it would be a “slow motion car crash of avoidable illness”.
Obesity is now seen by many doctors as a disease, where the body gains so much fat that it disrupts hormones and damages internal organs including the brain.
It is measured as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher – equal to about 14st4lbs for a 5’9” man or 12st12lbs for a 5’4” woman.
Obesity rates in UK doubled for women and tripled for men between 1990 and 2022, with it now affecting around three in 10 adults.
Although many very overweight people appear to live healthily for years, it wears out hips and knees faster, overworks the heart and damages the delicate insides of the blood vessels, liver and kidneys.
Studies have found obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, dementia and more than a dozen types of cancer, including breast, bowel and prostate.
Many of these risks can be reversed by weight loss through healthy eating and calorie control, regular exercise, and medication.
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