Quote:
Originally Posted by crumpet
I think that as more and more people get fat it is actually less stigmatized. Obesity and it's resulting illnesses (acute and chronic) are a huge strain on the healthcare system, moreso than smokers because there are more obese people than regular smokers. But people still aren't as quick to villify overweight people because most of them are overweight themselves or close to someone who is. If I hear one more person say "The average woman is a a size 14" I will fucking scream. Yes, the average woman is also 5 ft 5 or something so that means the average person is overweight. It is only 'normal' in the sense that it is commonplace, not normal in the sense that it is healthy. I also want to punch everyone who acts like the only alternative to being a porker is to be 'anorexic' or to 'starve' themselves.
I think the biggest culprits are:
Portion control: portions are waaaay too big and most of us aren't educated about what an acceptable portion size is.
Sedentary lifestyles: a terrible circle because once you get fat you get slow and your energy decreases so you are less likely to want to engage in any physical exerting activity.
Fast food: no explanation needed, except that it isn't the food itself but the fact that it is consumed too frequently and by too many people who are already overweight and inactive.
Difficulty delaying gratification: When people try to lose weight, they give up when their muscles initially get sore from exercise or when giving up that 20 oz latte and Big Macs for 2 weeks hasn't resulted in a 30 lb weight loss. It seems hopless and useless, but of course it takes a long time to reprogram your metabolism and burn off 40 lbs of fat from your body. It didn't get there overnight..........
Being 'too busy' to eat better or exercise sufficiently: Probably the biggest bs excuse there is. Everyone is just oh so busy, but they manage to watch Amercian Idol and Oprah even though they 'don't have time' to work up a sweat. And no, chasing after your 2 yr old isn't sufficient. If it was you'd be thinner by now. The fact is people will always have other things to do when trying to avoid something they don't find pleasant.
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I agree it is ridiculous.
I'm all for tolerance but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. It's like smoking, obesity is clearly linked to a variety of deadly illnesses and diseases and whatnot. Shouldn't it be a priority for each person to be as healthy as they can be relatively speaking? I understand not all of us are at 5% body fat or have the time to work out 8 hours a day like these deluded celebs. And we all have that little bit of excess shape and weight. But that doesn't excuse us stuffing our faces 6 times a day and becoming so overweight it becomes not only a liability to us, but also our family and our healthcare system.
And yet I still see the restaurant and food industry pushing, pushing, pushing, 24/7, the message that more is better, bigger portions are a given. The other day I went to Taco Bell to try a volcano meal box my friends were raving about. I could only eat one taco and a burrito and couldn't eat the other taco and the cinnamon twists. Back in my heftier days, I'd wolf that down and eat maybe an extra double decker taco.
Also, we all need to slow the f**k down. Our society has conditioned itself to rush everything, rush work, rush TO work, do this and do that, we are so wired to do everything fast and instant gratification (thanks in no part to the internet) that we even eat fast. And we all know that when we stuff our faces really fast, our brain does not get the message that it is satisified until at least 20 minutes or so after eating. That's why we overeat. Slow down, take extra time to chew and enjoy your food.