So, the last couple of days have been a true test of my dedication to health and wellness. The AMA announced that obesity is officially a disease, and is a fact that I cannot agree with. The definition is as follows:
1. A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.
2. A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.
Well, by definition, it is a condition regarded as harmful and characterized by an identifiable group of signs and symptoms.
THe AMA states that more people will die from disease associated with obesity, such as cardiac disease and diabetes, that people have died from starvation. This is likely very true.
Well, this is bothersome, because the cause of said disease, is essentially, our own fault.
We no longer work manual labor jobs, technology has taken the place of many of those jobs.
Our food are produced in manufacturing plants and loaded with preservatives so that it can make the trek across the country. Our fruits and vegetables are picked before they are ripe, lessening the nutritional value of them.
Furthermore, we have become used to and our tastebuds have been trained to eat fast food, and we crave it. We want it. Any given hour, you can pass a McDonalds or Jack in the box, and the line in the drive through is several cars deep.
Have we really got too lazy to get out of the car and go in? Why, yes, we have.
We eat calorie and fat laden food, as the norm, as it's inexpensive and produced in huge quantity. Fillers and sugars are added to make the "food" more palatable.
And we eat it!!
We choose this over fresh food because of many things, and cost is one of them. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that eating healthy is more expensive.
And it's true. Salad and fruit can be more expensive than that $1 double cheeseburger. But think about something. The leaner meat at the grocery store is much more expensive than the fatty one, so how can they make a double cheeseburger for a buck, and still make profit??
Because the amount of beef is likely marginal and it's filler.
There are circumstances where obesity can be a result of disease. And obesity can cause a disease. Think thyroid problems, glucose issues, and joint disease. They are all related to obesity. But the obesity itself, is in most cases, a result of a sedentary lifestyle and less than optimal dietary choices.
It goes back to simple math, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you do this continually, your body will respond negatively, storing fat, and placing taxing efforts on your body, your heart, your lungs, your liver, pancreas and your joints. This is the problem.
SO, I will not agree that all obesity is a disease. It's a result of poor choices and lifestyle in most situations.
BUT, it's a personal choice, and it's personal responsibility. It is not the job of the government, or the doctors to cure or take care of it. It is the INDIVIDUAL"S decision to make the necessary changes.
I have seen too many people have weight loss surgery and guess what, if they don't follow a regimen, prescribed by the Doctor, then they gain weight back. PERIOD.
Will people hold the surgeon who did the weight loss surgery responsible if they gain it back? Will people blame the grocery stores who sold them the food that contributed to their weight gain? Is Mcdonalds and Burger king to blame?
No, we have choices everyday, and we can choose healthy food, if we want it. But it's an individual choice.
I have chosen my decision, to eat lots of fruits, vegetables and less meat and bread. It works. I feel great, I am an appropriate weight for my build and because of it, I am looked at like a freak in my workplace. Because I exercise and eat healthy. I am the oddity because I am following a healthy diet.
This should not be. I never thought that I would be looked down on, because I choose to take care of the only body I have. Even some of my closest friends and relatives, say I am overboard.
But, in the end, I have great numbers, normal cholesterol, Blood pressure and a strong heart.
I am not a freak, I am taking care of the body that God gave me and cherishing all the great things it does for me. I hope you do the same, and if you need help, you know where to find me!
In Health,
Barb
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