I love Ricky Gervais - I know his comedy is not for everyone, but I like it. As part of his live shows - do check them on Youtube if you desire - he has a section on "overweight people", and ironically it is about obesity not being a disease.
Now, before I get any comments about various medical conditions that can cause weight to increase in the body - there is dysmorphia, hypothyrodism, insulin issues, etc. I get that, and that can be controlled with medical supervision.
We are talking about the average person - no overriding condition - just the fact they are either overweight or obese, caused by a lack of exercise and a love of food.
I do get it - I am in the process of losing weight - and that is because i was using food as a comfort due to stress and other issues. It was my fault, my responsibility, and it was up to me to take action - and I have lost 6.5kgs since the start of February - Yay!!!
It is about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which means you can have treats. Nobody got clim by eating an apple. Nobody put on weight by eating a doughnut. Even a fatty cut of delicious steak is healthy in moderation. (please don't comment if you are vegan).
The current level of obesity in this country is the highest it has ever been. We cannot solve this challenge without individuals taking responsibility for their nutrition and fitness. Research shows that social prescribing of activity and exercise classes - even things like gardening and walking - can lead to greater outcomes than using drugs. HMHB has been saying this for years, and is desperate to offer free opportunities for lower income people to get that intervention.
But obesity is not a disease, and people can feel helpless if they think that, and it may even stop them empowering themselves to actually make a difference in their lives..
No comments:
Post a Comment