The Real Obesity Crisis

I've been struggling to find the motivation to start this post. I know what I want to say but it can be so hard to put these things into words. I've spent today pointlessly arguing online after seeing an Independent article titled

"Obese could be ordered to 'lose weight or lose benefits' if Conservatives win General Election"

It astounds me how overweight people are so dehumanised in society. They are literally referred to as 'The Obese' as if they are some separate breed of a subhuman society and not just fellow humans with more weight on them than others. And then of course comes the online arguments or debates with friends and colleagues on whether these people are 'worthy' of our help. When will we as a society get off of our high horse. We all have problems and need help sometimes. Obesity is usually caused by overeating, which more than often stems from depression and stress - and if not by overeating then by a medical condition, in which case we definitely should not judge.

I watched the documentary Fat Sick and Nearly Dead which featured a man, Phil Staples, who was SEVERELY overweight. close to death. He Juiced, exercised, etc. and lost so so much of the weight that he had gained after going through a bad divorce and being unhappy for a long time (as well as being a truck driver in America, which is famous for being full of huge corporations that profit from promoting an unhealthy lifestyle).  It was inspiring. You felt so moved, so proud of him watching it. It reminded you that anyone can change their life with a healthy diet and a lot of work and willpower.

But, life goes on after the documentary ends unfortunately

"I Was The Poster Boy For Weight Loss ... Then I Gained 200 Pounds."

Phil fell in love and got married after losing the weight. The marriage ended badly and he felt heartbreak again, it set off major depression for him and he felt isolated at work, lost touch will all friends and well wishers, all the while gaining weight and feeling ashamed about it.

This might be an unusual case as it involves Juicing and a famous TV documentary, but it is not an isolated one. I'm sure most of us can relate, whether we are overweight or not that after a bad day we'll eat some chocolate, or order a pizza. Now just imagine that on an extreme scale.

It's a well known fact that our eating habits are linked with our emotions. Some will not eat at all when upset about something they 'lose their appetite'. As a society we recognise that Anorexia, Bulimia etc. are serious eating disorders but we do not demonise these in the same way we demonise overweight people, Even if they do cost the economy 15bn.  I say this because that is the most common excuse for fat-shaming that I see on a day to day basis. Taxpayers Money!! The NHS!! I'm just trying to help them be healthy!! Don't take my money away and just eat it!!

But of course these people are constantly talking about the issues in society that encourage eating disorders and an unhealthy body image (particularly in women I may add)... Oh? They're not? They're just in fact finding an excuse to justify demonising and shaming someone for how they look? To feel better about their healthy lifestyle and skinny waist? Oh.

Unless you're living in a cave somewhere you will probably have seen this ad.

Most likely, you will have seen people either critiquing this ad or defending it. I saw this ad before I saw all the campaigning online and the first thing I thought was just a plain and simple "eugh, not again". I didn't think much else of it, I mean as women we're constantly told how to look so being asked if I was 'Beach Body Ready' was just another kick in the teeth. It pissed me off but I didn't think twice about it. But the feminists around the world internet came online and to my rescue to remind me we're not supposed to ignore things that make us feel horrible. We're supposed to make a fuss.

If you're not completely sold on the critique of the ad I can probably understand. I mean the model herself is not particularly unhealthy, like the models we see in the fashion industry every day. She is a fitness model and really she looks great. But nobody would be protesting if we had a fitness model selling adidas trainers for example. That would be appropriate. The issue isn't really with the model itself, It's with the question "Are you beach body ready?". Its just encouraging a view that you have to be aesthetically pleasing to do something as simple as go to the beach. Forgive me if i'm wrong but I don't think I need to take Protein World's Weight Loss Pills in order to lie on a towel and do literally nothing for hours.

If you've never genuinely felt 'fat' you should be able to empathise. I've spent a lot of my life feeling too fat to do things. Too fat to go dancing. Too fat to run. Too fat to wear a short skirt or a crop top. Too fat to wear shorts. Too fat to talk to boys. The list goes on, and realistically, I might not look like the model in the ad, but i'm not fat.

But worse than the ad itself, were the people defending it.
"Throw donuts at the protesters"
"I think I speak for everyone here in saying that beaches would be better if people were more fit"
"Being fat is like smoking, it's a health issue, except we don't glorify smoking" - I had to put this one in there because just ??? what ??? we do glorify smoking as a society?? what are you talking about??
"People have done it before. Actually they lived off less. They lived on Rations."

My favourite is always "Men don't like fat chicks" because thats what it comes down to in arguments with ignorant people. What Men Like.

But lets not forget the way Protein World responded. "Why Make your insecurities our problem?" Maybe because as a company you are trying to profit on peoples insecurities and taking advantage of a standard imposed by society? Oh... Yep. I went there.

Before you start shaming fat people and talking about the NHS or the economy (or any other excuse you can find to make yourself feel like a good person, when really you're probably just being a ass) take a step back and check yourself. Are you fighting to make sure these big companies profiting off of an unhealthy lifestyle pay more tax (or any tax if they are probably getting away with avoiding it under the current government)? Are you protesting the use of underweight models in the fashion industry, where a size 12 is seen as 'Plus Size' and by that logic 'Normal Size' is generally a size 4-6 (or under). Oh and P.S. don't be a size 8-10 because you don't even exist according to the fashion industry! Are you trying to discourage eating disorders, whether they are over eating or underrating. Are you trying to help severely overweight people to get better because you care about them? If you answered no to any of these things you then I'm sorry but i am 99% sure you are just being nasty. Unless you are actively protesting the things that cause Unhealthy lifestyles (fat or not), you don't actually care about anyone except yourself and your shallow-as-a-puddle views.

When it comes down to it, there is a difference between encouraging unhealthy eating habits and encouraging the love of ones self. In the same way, there is a difference between promoting a healthy lifestyle, and shaming those who appear unhealthy to you.

The same people who talk about Parents bringing up their kids on junk food will be making fun of these kids for being fat when they grow up. They don't care about peoples health, they probably don't even care about the cost to the NHS. They just want someone to laugh at.

Whatever you think about the Fitness, or the Protein World advert or anything at all, lets just encourage everyone to be a little bit nicer. Lets not Set the dogs on people we think to be lesser than us just yet. You do not need to put other people down to make yourself feel better about your achievements. Lets not push anyone further into poverty or depression and then complain that they aren't living up to our standards. Lets all love each other please. We're all people at the end of the day.

Nadia x