It's All Big Fat Lies
Popular media can not only shape your view of the world - but it can shape your view of yourself.
For a number of years now the "obesity epidemic" has made headlines. The fat frenzy has been spurred on by movies like Supersize Me, fast food lawsuits, and reality shows about fat people getting thin.
It seemed that being overweight was simply the worse thing in the world, almost like a contagious disease. Our culture has grown ever more polarized - celebrities, models, and film stars are thinner than ever, but the rest of us - well - we're all fat and unhealthy.
After posting about the CDC's latest study the other day, I've noticed that the newspapers too, have just begun to report a different slant. A number of news items over the past week have exposed considerable flaws in our perception of the evils of being fat.
First, it seems that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has got it's statistics woefully wrong. As we dig further we see that this new study (published in the JAMA) has shown that being overweight (but not obese) has a lower death risk than normal weight. Being very thin is ALSO worse than being overweight. This has been picked up in the NYTimes and BBC World News and many other sources.
Other studies add more fuel to the fire. For example another new study points to an increase risk of fracture in old men losing weight:
"...sustained modest weight loss in older men is a strong clinical risk factor for hip bone loss," the authors conclude.
So are we arriving at a balance? Being fat is not the worst thing in the world - but eating right and remaining active are in our interests.
Who is pulling our strings, or calling the shots? What is it that motivates us to lose weight?
Not a day goes by on Diet-Blog in which a teenage girl (or sometimes boy) posts a comment about not being at their "ideal weight". To them the ideal is a number on the scales. Some of these commenters are near frantic at not being a certain number. Few of them mention health, fitness, or energy.
Wanting to lose weight is legitimate - and there will always be a need for dietary guidance. Whether it's the woman who struggles to play with her children (due to her weight), or the man that has sleep apnea (due to his weight) - losing weight is in their best interest. But how can we truly ever classify who is "overweight". Over what? Normal? Who decides what is normal?
Normality is difficult to pin down in today's diversity. The so-called apple and pear shape for example - a genetic blueprint of female body shape. If we were all "normal" then all women should be androgenous carbon copies of one another. People are individual. Weight and BMI (more than ever) seem poor indicators of health.
my main reason for wanting to lose
Replyweight is my health.
yes,i to want to do thing,i can not do,because of my
weight.like walk without getting out of breath.
how do i find the best diet for me?
ReplyI think the best thing to do about selecting a diet is to go to a book store, get several of the books, go directly to the sections describing menu plans. One will jump at you more than others as being food you like. Buy that book. You won't even think you are on a diet. I can't recomend any particular one because we all have different tastes. The opinions are so diverse I think there is something for everyone. They will all advise that you check it out with your doctor.
ReplyI might add to the above comment to avoid any advice of "diet" food products.
Reply