This from 2 days ago:
Talk show host and comedian Bill Maher railed against the pro-obesity 'body positivity' movement, saying that not only is it pathetic, it's a national security risk...
"We’ve gone from fat acceptance to fat celebration. That’s new. That is new," Maher said. "To view letting yourself go as a point of pride? We used to at least try and be fit and healthy and society praised those who succeeded"...
"At some point acceptance becomes enabling, and if you’re in any way participating in this joyful celebration of gluttony that goes on now, you have blood on your hands," he said, adding "You can make believe you’re fighting some great social justice battle for a besieged minority, but what you’re really doing is enabling addicts – which I thought we decided was bad."
I see it all the time online nowadays, not so much in real life. Now, there is no reason to be mean about someone's weight, but fat overweight and especially obese people should be encouraged to lose weight and to try to lead a healthier lifestyle.
They shouldn't be told that they are "beautiful and gorgeous" or "fine the way you are" because it's emphatically not true, and neither are they healthy.
When you watch some of UTube vids where people show their grocery shopping, you realise that they don't get obese because of "seed oil" or "corn syrup" or "gluten" or even "meat" as vegans claim, or bad genes; but chiefly because of their love affair with processed food, snacks, fizzy drinks, and all sorts of cake, cookies, pies and other sugary junk.
The success of such diets as paleo or gluten free lies in a simple fact that they exclude this type of foods, not in some sort of "ancestral diet magic", and in portion control.
I should say it's especially typical for Americans, judging by these videos, that and the lack of fresh fruit and veg in the diet. Here we still have the dinner concept of meat/fish, potatoes and 2 veg; not an oversized burger plus a whole pile of French fries and 2 tomato slices, accompanied by Cola XXL and an ice cream.
If you are normal weight, you don't have to totally avoid this stuff, just minimise it and you'll be fine. This, and start moving. And for those who need a gentle nudge, avoiding such diseases as diabetes, cancer and heart attack should be motivation enough.
We certainly need to stop this "body positivity" nonsense. I agree. It is all too easy to eat overly processed, junky food. Also, few people cook anymore. Another problem.
ReplyDeleteWhile the federal government would do us a favor banning seed oils and HFCS, it's more of an intake and purchasing problem. Even before the food price increases, just about any grocery store in America is stocked with various vegetables for a reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteIf the elite are really trying to starve, at least I'll get to see fewer fat women and men as well. Not that I should be walking around in speedos at the beach, but some of these people are huuugggge! Even the young women in their 20s are rolly polly. I almost get excited seeing a slender woman of any age these days.
Unfortunately, we have many overweight people here, too, it's an international problem...
ReplyDeleteI guess what surprises me so much is that the women in the vids are housewives and say they cook and yet, half of the cart is stuffed with highly processed foods. I mean nobody really needs breaded chicken nuggets in some greasy and sweat sauce, just buy a chicken fillet and eat it with real boiled potatoes not some potato dish out of the deep freeze and real fresh veg. Add plain yogurt for dessert with some fruit or a tsp of honey/jam and you'll be fine. It tastes good, too.
Texan, there is corn syrup (called here fructose-glucose syrup) in jam I eat daily. I'm still not fat, though. Sugar is sugar, if you eat tons of it, you are bound to get health problems. Fedgov can be guilty of many things, but your health authorities do encourage people to limit their sugar and junk food consumption. I know because I mostly read American health sites anyway:) It's just that folks seldom follow the advice...
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that the so called healthy diet (lots of whole grains, fruit and veggies) is usually fatally high in carbs and low in protein (and healthy fats). That is the formula for fattening livestock. So people kind of think that I am eating what I am supposed to eat, not really connecting the dots with the ''official recommendations'' (as they are called here) and the reality that cannot be ignored.
ReplyDeleteAddiction is another thing, it is a coping mechanism (no matter what kind of addiction you have), and it cannot be ''cured'' if the person in question is not aware of his/her addiction and want to change it by dealing with the underlying issues. It is not about being lazy or stupid. I have noticed you have mentioned the jam you eat every day - so obviously you have no issues with corn syrup. That is not a proof for anything else.
I strongly do agree that the ''body positivity'' cult is dangerous. Being obese is a sign that something in your body is really wrong. If someone treated his/her pets with unsuitable fodder he/she would be sued for animal cruelty for making the animals malnourished. If you put wrong kind of fuel in your car the engine will break up. Nobody would state that it is a good car as it is.
I am old enough to remember that people did not eat huge amounts of fruit and vegetables. So I am not supporting that to the full. But learning to cook really from the scratch (not just heating up different ready to eat components) is the key in my opinion. And of course dealing with your stress, fears, addictions...