LBC host Nick Ferrari sparks furious debate as he claims it’s ‘always’ someone’s own fault if they’re obese and isn’t down to ‘child abuse’ or ‘gene problems’: ‘I don’t exercise and I enjoy red wine so I am fat’

Nick Ferrari sparked a furious debate as he claimed it is ‘always’ someone’s own fault if they’re overweight. 

The British TV presenter, 65, appeared on Tuesday’s episode of This Morning, where he debated the causes of obesity with ITV News deputy political editor Anushka Asthana. 

The debate was spurred by recent comments from 90s fitness guru Mr Motivator, who said he thinks people now take criticism of their weight ‘too personally’ despite levels of diabetes and obesity going ‘through the roof’. 

Encouraging debate on the topic, host Cat Deeley asked Nick and Anushka: ‘Have we gone a bit too soft?’

But Nick sparked fury from both Anushka and the British public by implying that ‘child abuse’ and ‘gene problems’ are not valid reasons for being overweight – as those on social media said they were ‘disgusted’ at the remarks. 

The LBC presenter said: ‘I’m fat! Of course I am – there’s no point denying it. It’s not because I was abused as a child or I have gene problems or whatever it might be. 

‘I don’t exercise enough and I enjoy red wine so I am fat, I am overweight. I don’t care! And I accept that is my issue. 

‘Having said that, I probably should go down to the gym, but I don’t get upset if anyone calls me that.’

Anushka was quick to point out that ‘it’s not always someone’s fault that they are fat’ – something that Nick again disagreed with, arguing: ”Of course it is! I should run up and down a hill!’ 

Anushka continued: ‘As if! People have different metabolisms, they have different chemicals that make them hungry or not hungry. 

‘My weight bounces up and down and some people find it very easy, some people don’t.

As Nick scoffed, she added: ‘It’s not just laziness though, loads of people try really hard to lose weight’. 

The comments also caused outrage online, as one viewer said they felt ‘disgusted’ by the segment: ‘Phone @NickFerrariLBC if you were abused as a child and just as disgusted as I am with his comments just now.’

Others said: ‘I’m fat, however it’s well known that being rude to overweight people and telling them to lose weight doesn’t spur them into doing so, it often does the total opposite’;

‘Why do people care so much about what other people weigh… not everyone’s just lazy?’;

‘Ah yes Nick, everyone who is overweight should run up a hill.’ 

Mr Motivator – who sparked the original debate by arguing people are too sensitive about weight – appeared on the show via video link, adding that people are ‘lazy’ for not moving enough.  

He said: ‘Everything starts from the inside. When it comes to me saying people are lazy, they are! 

‘If you spend all your time watching television and you have not moved, that is lazy. If you buy convenience food rather than preparing it yourself, you are lazy. 

‘In Jamaica, if you’re fat they call you fat! No one takes objection from it. I’ve never fat shamed anyone, at the end of the day you need to take responsibility. If you love you, who am I to say any different?’

Host Ben Shephard concluded the segment with an attempt to cool the fiery debate, saying: ‘Really important that we point out – there are people that have medical conditions.’ 

Born Derrick Evans, 71, but known for his unitards and colourful spandex outfits, Mr Motivator said levels of diabetes and obesity have ‘gone through the roof’ because Brits spend too much time in front of the TV.

Speaking on the Loose Ends podcast, he said: ‘In those days you could actually say someone was fat if you wanted to, no one really took it that personal.

‘You could prod someone in the belly and say ‘you need to deal with that’, but we’re talking about the early 90s.

‘Now, times have changed you don’t do that because everybody should have the right to be any size you want to be.

‘But I believe my job is to say to you ‘listen, you can be a size 20 if you want, but you can be a fit 20.’

He said that he has always liked to ‘dress it up in sugary coating’ and make getting into shape ‘bright and colourful’ and ‘fun.’

He added: ‘Our obesity levels, our diabetes levels in this country have gone through the roof.

‘It’s gone through the roof because people have become lazy, we spend too much time in front of the television, we don’t actually think about the fact that we’re a wonderful specimen and we need to look after that.

‘So, my drive now is to say, ‘listen I’m 71 years of age and as far as I’m concerned I want to be the living example of someone who is going over the hill but picking up speed’.

NHS figures show that 64 per cent of British adults are overweight, with more of us predicted to grow fatter in the future.

Obesity is also problem for British kids with one in 10 youngsters in England are now obese by the time they start Reception, with the rate rising to one in five by Year 6.

Obesity doesn’t just expand British waistlines but health care costs, with the NHS spending an estimated £6.1 billion on treating weight-related disease like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers between 2014 to 2015.