The Fattest Town In Britain: “We Send Kebabs To The Same Address Three Times A Day”

do you think there's a lot of fat people around here yeah here we go so I hope you're hungry geez Louise that is been overweight for a very long time still am I still got a long way to go yeah I went to the doctor and I had high blood pressure high cholesterol and take two diabetes somebody's ordering Kebab shop food every day and twice a day I have seen three times a day you know how many calories is in this thing the Welsh Valley's famous for its proud history of coal mining steel works and stunning scenery it was among the beating hearts of British industry before thousands of jobs were lost and today it's facing another big issue people's expanding waistlines obesity rates in the southwest area of Blind Eye gwent are the highest in the country four out of five people here are overweight or obese putting an increasing strain on the Health Service and making it Britain's fattest Borough this is Rio Britannia [Music] welcome to ebbuvvale it's the biggest town in Blind Eye gwent and the people here are the largest in the country takeaways are everywhere you look so much so that if you search online for local healthy restaurants the second result is McDonald's so you've got customers who come here every single day yes we do see a address every day and sometimes same address twice a day somebody's ordering Kebab shop food every day and twice a day I have seen three times a day you know it's getting busier actually compared to before yeah we go regular customers someone who do order every single day every single day they eat fast Kebab someone of the customer yeah for adults in the UK those with a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 are classed as being a healthy weight over 25 but under 30 counts as overweight a BMI between 30 and 40 means you're obese and 40 plus morbidly obese in Blaine gwent figures from NHS prescription service now patients suggest almost 80 percent of the population here are overweight or obese far higher than the Welsh average of 62 percent [Music] one of those who struggled with his weight is Ian the owner of Joe's Fish Bar income been overweight for a very long time still am I still got a long way to go but for quite a little many years I was just sat home because I couldn't find work and in the end I had to get up and find something and I started selling everything shut so there's no work around here at all they closed the steelworks close all that down so basically we're people in Wales worked they've all closed down so there's nothing the pits have all been closed there's nothing here at all but how does that translate into having more people who are overweight and obese because it was at a home lyric probably eaten more because if they're out working and everything if they had something to do they just found it hard so they just struggling they're coming in comforting I would say to stress not much it's just Comfort eating because I was for a very long time so this is the this is where we um prepare and cut the chips and uh we keep our frozen food as well and uh fridge the freezer freezer and this is where we keep our potatoes so these are the 23 pound sacks of potatoes then they are indeed and how much was that before uh this time last year seven pound fifty Ian says a lack of jobs and embedded deprivation is the root cause of the problems facing Blind Eye gwent and while takeaways in the Town Center appear to be thriving the cost of living means he's facing closure we owe about sixteen thousand pounds on electric and about eight thousand pounds on gas if not more I've had to put myself into a Iva to help sort it all out because it's just got so high in we've got ourselves in debt trying to get out of it so what led this small area of Southeast Wales to this point Blind Eye gwent was once a pillar of the Industrial Revolution at one point there were over 600 mines across Wales including 38 pits in Blaney gwent alone it was a physically demanding and dangerous job and today the guardian of the valleys statue in abertillery commemorates the 45 miners who lost their lives in the six bells pit disaster here in 1960. things have rarely gone right at the ebbw vale steelworks during the Depression years of the 30s it closed entirely for nine years but in Abu Vale it was steel which put the town on the map opened in 1790 and spanning several miles the Abu Vale steelworks was a Powerhouse employing over 14 000 people today this is all that's left of the original building and after its closure in 2002 all those jobs were lost some of those who helped shape this area's history say both the town and its people have never recovered since what do you see today in Abbeville is gone dead there's nothing here at all the steelworks has vanished and unfortunately where the steel Works was used on a beam today is nothing I am sad of what's happening to the children today yes of course yeah of course the advantages though the money was nothing I brought my wife up on six pound a week but I had a job and we made it and everything was everything was happy then it's not so happy today all has gone now it's all gone you look at the Town one of four shops have we got in there we got nothing you've got to move there are they supposed to be the most deprived area they've got a lot more than we've got and yet they supposed to be one of the most deprived area so what's going wrong with blind it went it's nothing like we used to know employment is mostly non-existent the feeling that you hearted being a volleyballian which I'm proud to be is dead it's dead but here in the self-titled birthplace of the NHS officials are aware of the challenge the an iron Bevin Health Board has a specialist Weight Management Service to support anyone looking to lose a few pounds we asked to speak to them on camera but no one was available shrug your shoulders backwards nicely done guys perfect tackling obesity requires a multi-layered approach and getting people active is one way to start [Music] hello Wales is National exercise referral scheme is the only program of its kind in the UK and sees gp's prescribed patients regular exercise at classes like this it's open to those with a health condition or anyone who wants to keep active and the best way to get a feel for the class was to get stuck in Dance With Somebody excellently done nice backward rotation perfect I've lost weight by coming here 13 stone I make friends at this place to hang out and enjoy myself and it's Fitness and it gets me out of the house so I don't feel alone since I've been doing this I've got more energy and breathing easier I'm doing a lot more and I can walk without AIDS you must feel so proud I am yes guys it's a lot of hard work but I've done it I've lost both my parents since I started coming here and this is a great uh the the friends I've made and the staff here you know it's really good really really good you really got other people there you know by yourself I everybody's enjoying themselves it's worth it I went to the doctor and I had high blood pressure high cholesterol and take two diabetes so I started coming to class and since come in in over a year my blood pressure is normal my cholesterol is normal and I'm out to the range for type 2 diabetes so yeah really pleased thank you very much [Applause] the overwhelming reaction from people here seems positive and the benefits seem more than just dropping a gene size Phil obviously it's amazing seeing some of the results that has happened there was one woman that I suppose the other thing her name is Bobby Rose she's just 13 stone yeah yeah she's done marvelous in all fairness to it [Applause] um the transformation when she first came to us she would do the class at the whole time sat in the chair um wasn't very confident about doing the exercise either but as as the years have gone by you can see completing that the transformation basically they enjoy it it's a social side as well you know some of them now will go and have a uh go up to the cafe and have a coffee and all the rest of it you've got out of the house for a good few hours you know you've had a giggle you've had a laugh you've had a catch up with your friends it's not just about the exercises it's it's the social side that it brings as well so on the whole yeah yeah I think it's um having quite a big impact what exercise is only one form of attack and the fight against obesity doesn't stop there politicians here are coming after junk food too every day Millions of people up and down the country enjoy a meal deal for their lunch but from 2025 you might struggle to get your hands on something like this in Wales combos high in fat sugar and salt are said to be restricted by the devolve government here new laws will also restrict retailers from running promotions on the unhealthiest of foods yet that doesn't extend to restaurants and at the Mountain Air Pub in tredegar not many diners go hungry it's famous for its Giant food challenges that only one person has ever completed but how would I fear against a mountain of meat here we go so I hope you're hungry oh geez Louise that is that is insane we're not done yet and set the timer right yep start best of luck all right thanks a million [Music] calories is in this thing is my face after this this is it how you getting on how how long has it been come out 20 minutes I feel like I'm going to be sick but I'm going to burp and like I'm gonna pass out with sweat I think next time just our ultimate mixed grill would maybe be more suited to you yeah on a serious note though this is more of a marketing ply for you guys yeah it's it was designed to try and bring in um maybe some of the competitivitos you know they're big on social media so the marketing we get off the back of that we get a lot of people then coming in but I wouldn't recommend Joe blogs coming in and ordering one of these but you are as the sign says at the beginning of the the restaurant you are home to the 35 ounce steak now that's a kilo of meat almost we used to do a 16 ounce rump steak and then we found a couple of people who were asking if they could order two so from that then we decided to become a home of 35 ounce we've even got a slimming wheel consultant that comes in sometimes once a week sometimes every Fortnight he'll come in and have one there'll be some people who look at this and look at the 35 ounce steak and they'll say no wonder this part of Wales has got one of the high or the highest rate of overweight people and obese people some might say that restaurants like this are causing that and fueling that and actually you guys should be more responsible and you know make smaller portions what would you say to that this is something a bit extreme um the 35 ounce like I said if a Slimming World consultant can come in eat it and hit his Target weight that week or even lose weight it's not completely bad while no one expects to take on challenges like this every day the food options here are striking Blind Eye gwent was once named Britain's takeaway Capital with fast food making up over 70 percent of the options tackling obesity costs the NHS around six and a half billion pounds a year all funded by the taxpayer by 2050 that's expected to shoot up to 10 billion pounds for what some experts are calling for is more cash now obesity is is definitely one of the biggest strains on the NHS you know it's it's a huge problem in terms of its prevalence how many people are suffering with obesity we have 60 000 people with severe obesity in Wales alone with 600 000 with obesity in Wales and those people living with this disease they're normal people They have all the health problems that we have and they have additional ones on top of it related to their obesity if we can take away some of the burden of the Obesity then we can improve their health we can reduce the costs is there enough money by the Welsh government by the UK government to tackle this huge crisis that we're facing with obesity in other words no there isn't enough money at all in the UK or the world and especially here in Wales given to obesity management and Weight Management Programs there'll be some people who are watching this who say well it's the obese people's fault they shouldn't be eating so much they can lose the weight if they just skip a meal is that really the case or some people predisposed to being larger you know stigma is one of the biggest challenges as a professional in obesity is that people have that attitude and they look around them and they judge immediately based purely on appearance it's very politically easy and and convenient in fact for a government to say well actually you should exercise more and you should eat less that's not my problem as a government and speaking to some locals it doesn't take long to notice the Prejudice larger people face do you think there's a lot of fat people around here yeah with him Dave we are in the depraved area and cheap food is fatty food but it is quite shocking really do you think people around here are too fat yes you included me no I think so I look at some of the young ones they're really obese do you feel sympathy for people who are obese overweight or do you think that they brought it upon themselves they brought it them on themselves it is what it is you can't do anything about it they can't can it except for the people themselves to do what they want to do in some parts of society it seems like fat phobia is still considered harmless fun but words can cause huge hurts [Music] hello it's Ollie from talktv oh yeah you're right yeah Rachel Meredith lives in ebbw Vale with her two children she says she struggled with her weight ever since she was a teenager and knows firsthand just how cruel people can be I basically I took my children down to um to a beach um swanseaway and we've been there many many times before it was a lovely lovely day um we parked and made our way to the beach I very very literally very quickly just changed my top so I had a bikini top underneath and very quickly changed my top it was done in a matter of 20 seconds the kids didn't even notice me do it and I saw there was a couple to my left and they just started laughing um and I just you'd excuse me I was like yeah do you mind keeping it up on they just kept on at me oh it's disgusting you're disgusting and at that point I just felt so threatened and so I was shaken at this point because I was thinking they're not going to leave me alone so I actually did phone the police are real and then I phoned my partner um and I just said you wouldn't believe what's just happened to me and I told him and a group of ladies had overheared me and they just came up to me after I finished the corn call I just burst into tears and they said are you okay I said no I'm not at that point I felt so isolated and so alone it was horrendous I mean does it still bring you the TS do you still really get upset about it or have you managed to find a way to move on past it um at the moment um I have a quite a lot of other I wouldn't say more important well yeah more important things going on with with family and we've had some devastating news within the family um and I'm really struggling with it um my dad is gonna pass away no I'm so sorry just found out he's got brain cancer I'm so sorry Rachel so yeah the um the waiters um it's gone it's at the moment my my father is more important what's your message what's your message to people remember that other like what's happening with me and my family at the moment there are other things there's more important things going on in life we are our biggest critics so we don't need you making that worse we just don't need you making it worse Rachel's experience is not unique and conversations around weight loss and obesity can be sensitive whether it's tackling deprivation encouraging exercise and a healthy diet or managing the stigma around plus size people but there's another word we heard repeatedly which could add a new perspective [Music] I lowered my A1C CV risk and lost some weight are both brand names of the drug semaglutite a medication used to manage sugar levels in type 2 diabetics the weekly injection can help patients lose weight by reducing appetite and slowing digestion but privately people are using some maglutide as a silver bullet for weight loss and this buying up of supply has led to Global shortages meaning those who need it can't get it I've been on a weight loss injection just found out today by the doctors today you've now taken it off I think there's no longer you can't have it no more withdrawn it so the injection I've been having for the last nine months which has helped me lose 22 kilos in weight I can no longer have because they've taken it off the market and they're not going to replace it with nothing else and doctors say Ian's not alone across the country people's medication is being pulled so there's two components to this the first is that the supply just isn't there you know there are other Healthcare Systems which have been prioritized over the UK but the supply of the physical injections the drug itself just isn't there you can't find a pharmacy around the place even if you pay high prices privately that has it in stock to be able to physically give it to you so the injections are just not available now so the government has had to say that we can't give something that we don't have and that's the reason that I understand is behind the fact that people aren't getting the thing that they usually get we reach out to the Welsh government who told us that this was a uk-wide decision affecting all patients they said due to supply disruption anyone prescribes to maglutid would see their medication reviews and could be offered alternative treatment so where does all of this leave Blind Eye gwent before we came here I'll admit that I was skeptical of the statistics I honestly didn't believe that 80 of people could be overweight or obese but walking around the towns meeting local people the challenge weighing heavy on this community really is noticeable and while steps are being taken to move forwards it feels like a long road ahead at the end of divorce there you go I know five Kebab shops in one town by it and obviously well should we like rugby and people think oh yeah we will get big fur rugby but you know a lot of people this is why we have chronic art disease and stuff like that just because stuff like that I'm addicted to uh the feeling food gives me when I'm down and depressed and lonely and life can be tough sometimes so yes I would say I am addicted to food in that respect that it makes me feel better and that's sometimes the only thing that does make me feel better in order for the wider Society to understand that actually this is a disease and warrants treatment like any other disease we need to address stigma and we need to start to challenge people who are saying that actually it's patient's fault but if obesity is a disease which symptom do you treat first the lack of healthy food unemployment deprivation inactive Lifestyles or prejudice experts say it's not a choice of one or the other everything needs to be tackled now [Music]

Channel: TalkTV

Views: 3,400,734

Keywords: talkradio, talk radio, news, uk, politics, debate, free speech, freedom of expression, talk tv, live, live news, talktv live, talk tv live, talktv, fat, fat people, britain's fattest families, britain's fattest man, britain's fattest, obesity problem, uk obesity rates, obesity in uk, obesity documentary, obesity documentary uk, ozempic, weight loss

Id: m8_KrLGp3vg

Length: 23min 38sec (1418 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 26 2023