You Must Understand Poverty Before Judging Obese Poor People: Ian Collins

6 March 2018, 15:48 | Updated: 6 March 2018, 16:52

Ian Collins has opened up about his life growing up, in a powerful monologue about why you must understand poverty before you judge obese poor people.

Earlier this week Jamie Oliver made headlines after he stated obese poor people think in a “different gear”.

He added that lectures about healthy eating that follow middle-class logic will not help them, and the disadvantaged should not be accused of lacking the willpower to eat less.

The Essex chef’s remarks were echoed by Ian, who revealed his childhood struggles.

“There’s not point in trying to understand the obesity crisis if you don’t understand the issue of social immobility,” he said.

“When your mum cannot buy any food, there is no money for your mum to buy food.

“When I was a kid, me and my sister emptied our money boxes because my mum couldn’t buy any food.

“There was no food, if there’d been a tin of beans and bread, that would have done - but there literally was no food.”

He continued: “You’d think ‘if you’re poor, how can you be fat?’ You’re eating the wrong things because your existence doesn’t depend on eating the finest, it just depends on eating something.

“There might be cheaper ways to eat, you can do you pasta, avocado mash-up… you’re not in the mood to do that, your brain isn’t in the right place.”

He finished: “When your brain is thinking about survival, then food is something that keeps you alive, not something you do to enjoy.”

Watch the full five-minute monologue above.