Wow, some folks are having quite the freak-out that I suggested that there's something wrong with being obese. Let's take a look at a few numbers first:
- As of December 2001, over 300,000 people die every year just in the United States of obesity related illnesses. The only thing that kills more people is smoking, and smoking deaths are dropping while obesity deaths are climbing, with national obesity levels rising by 5% or more yearly in most Western countries.
- Obesity in children has doubled in the last decade. Type II diabetes has also approximately doubled in the same time period.
- As much as 50% of all cases of cancer are directly related to obesity, 70% of all cardiovascular disease is related to obesity, and so on.
- The average American eats 400% more fat than they need to be healthy (about as much as a whole stick of butter every single day). In addition, almost 50% of all food spending in the US is on fast food and junk snack food.
- About 80% of Americans are not meeting basic activity level requirements to maintain a healthy body, with over a quarter being completely sedentary.
- Obese people are at dramatically higher risk of osteoarthritis (ie. joint problems), hemorrhoids, varicose veins, strokes, kidney stones, high blood pressure, asthsma, and so on, to say nothing of the significant psychological impact leading to much higher rates of depression and related illnesses.
So, to put it simply, an obese lifestyle statistically results in dramatically reduced life expectancy as well as quality of life in regards to general health, both physically and mentally. Conservative studies show an average of six to seven years lost, with some studies indicating numbers as high as fifteen years of life lost — to put it another way, if obesity is chosen it's no different from committing suicide.
Now, I think it's also important to immediately rule out from this conversation those people who understand these risks and have consciously chosen it. It's also important to rule out those who have absolutely no medical recourse (which is extremely rare). Finally, I think it's also very very important to understand that this is a health issue, not a fashion issue. I'm specifically referring to people who are overweight enough for it to start negatively impacting their health, not people who've simply chosen to be slightly outside our ludicrously thin “ideal”.
Also, a few people have said that they don't want to be “judged”, that IAM is a place where people should be allowed to be whatever they want. To step back a little, usually when I kick off a neo-Nazi, they say something along the lines of, “I thought IAM was supposed to be non-judgmental! How can you support this freaky modification stuff that most people think is sick and kick me off for being a 'racist'? I'm not hurting anyone, it's just my beliefs!”
Sure, the average racist doesn't directly hurt anyone — but they do support a larger culture of racism that does hurt and kill many. And the corporate culture of obesity that pushes us to eat enormous quantities of processed sugar and never exercise (and then swallow huge quantities of anti-depressant drugs) is one that kills far, far more people than any of these racist former members could.
Obesity is a serious problem in our culture — it's killing good people for no good reason — and it's one that we need to tackle immediately. When you look at the numbers of children that are obese that should be obvious. If this was just a debate over beauty, I'd agree 100%, but the fact is that we're talking about an illness that's killing a lot of people.
So what can you do? The obvious answer is of course “eat better” and “exercise” but as someone who's struggled with both weight and fitness for their entire life I know that's not easy — especially when the thought of going to the gym brings back memories of being teased at your public school's swimming lessons, and sugar gives you solace. Here's some really simply stuff that I think works:
- Cook as much of your own food as you can. Even if you eat just as much (or more) you'll become conscious of what you're eating which I think is one of the biggest steps. When you're eating prepared stuff from a store, be in microwaved form or be it at a fast food place, you tend to have no idea what you're actually consuming — and unfortunately it's almost always processed sugar and a lot of it.
- Instead of eating out at McDonald's, try bringing a lunch from home or having a picnic in the park with friends. It'll get you moving, and shift you away from fast food (and it's more fun)… plus you'll save a lot of money.
- When you're eating at a restaurant, try picking the items that aren't covered in cheese or sugar — still be sure to pick stuff you like. It's very important to enjoy eating healthy.
- One day a week, turn off the TV. It'll shift you away from the couch and get you doing stuff. Hey, while you're at it, turn off the computer too!
- Obvious little things like “take the stairs” or “walk a block instead of hailing a cab” of course work too, but just make sure you keep them fun — they're not a punishment. Learn to enjoy them. And remember, if you like eating (I know I do), the more you exercise, the more you can eat!
- Find a workout buddy if you can and start going to the gym. Most people live in areas with community gyms that are inexpensive, and for parents, many gyms even have daycare, so it's a good excuse to get out with(out) the kids and have some fun. I should add that my experiences at the gym have been that the worse shape you're in, the nicer people are to you because they're happy to see you there making a positive change in your life.
- Use the things you enjoy as an advantage — don't just try and change your life. Just try and take your life and integrate healthy living into it. Do you like nature? Go for walks in the biggest park you can find. Are you competitive? Make your exercise routine a contest. Hell, just make your sex life more vigorous. Anything! Cook healthy meals with your family as a bonding and learning experience. There are so many fun ways…
Whatever you do, exercise and healthy living should not be work — it should be fun! If it's not fun, then it'll probably be a mission that fails, so just learn to make it a good part of your life. If you enjoy being alive, then being healthy will allow you to enjoy that for longer and more positively (and if you don't enjoy being alive then you should deal with that ASAP). The benefits of being fit aren't just limited to eliminating the problems above; the other benefits include (among many others):
- Your tattoos and piercings will heal much faster.
- Depression and anxiety levels go down dramatically in most cases (although if you're making a radical body shift rather than just minor improvements you may have to “get your bearings”).
- Improving your sex life both physically and mentally.
- Helping stop smoking and cut back on drugs and alcohol.
- Reduce headaches and improve sleeping.
Seriously, it's worth giving a try, and if you're anything like me you'll be kicking yourself later saying, “why didn't I do this years ago?”
And don't think that people who make derogatory statements about obesity hate or think less of you, any more than someone who thinks depression or cancer or drug-addiction is bad hates those who are afflicated by it — it means that you have a support structure on IAM. There are a number of forums you may find helpful as a starter (and many others too):
- Bigwave's Fitness Forum
- Kilean's Health and Fitness Forum
- IAM Curvaceous
- Depression Forum
- IAM: Vegan Recipes
Anyway, the point is there's a support structure here for you. If you want to address your weight, there are lots of people who'd love to help, and do it with you. If you don't want to, that's cool, but please understand that it's very much a battle worth fighting.
