10:13 am - 01/27/2007
My Big Fat Blog Ranting
Wow. It turns out that obesity increases surgery risks in children.
Why is this news? Are we as a society so stupid and/or in so much denial that we haven't quite twigged to the fact that obesity isn't healthy? Are the little things like getting out of breath from ordering at the drive-through just not enough of a clue? Holy shit, you mean if little Johnny or I need surgery and the doctor has to cut through forty pounds of fat to reach our internal organs, that might be an issue? Well no one told me about THAT part when I decided it'd be so much fun to be obese! Sweetie, put down that sundae and go play outside.
I'm not making fun. (Okay, maybe just a little bit. I do have a reputation to uphold.) But it does seem to me that the little "gentle reminders" we keep seeing are a tad wasted. If people haven't figured it out by now, they're not really likely to do so. I don't like the obesity epidemic any more than the next antisocial bitch, and I especially hate that parents aren't teaching their children good eating and exercise habits--likely because they themselves never developed them--but c'mon. It's a little insulting to keep having these things pointed out.
It's not like fat people don't know they're fat, or that it's not considered a "good" way to be. They know about the health risks of obesity, the ways it can interfere with everyday life, and--god knows--the social stigma. I can say this with some authority, because I used to BE a fat person. Trust me, it's not necessary to beat them over the head with the facts; if their doctors haven't already done so, there's already been more than enough media coverage.
Of course, this in no way implies that I know what to do about the problem, or even that I believe anything can be done on a wide scale (and for once, no pun is intended there). It's obvious that reaching and maintaining a healthy weight and activity level is possible, but that's a highly individual decision and path, and I cannot quite believe that PSAs and nudging little newspaper articles are really making that much of a difference.
Until and unless we find a way to change human nature, American food companies and restaurants will continue to get rich by feeding people ever-larger portions of tasty, fattening crap, and consumers will continue to ignore what that crap is doing to their bodies because it's a) easier, b) cheaper, c) more pleasant, and d) inside their "comfort zone" to do so.
[Yes, I'm known for my cheerful and optimistic nature. Read.]
Furthermore, Americans in general will continue to avoid getting enough exercise, because after they've worked all day, the last thing they want to do is hit the gym--and yet they can't work any fewer hours because of the mortgage, the car note, the various kid-related expenses, and the almighty cable bill. And besides all that, I can personally attest to the fact that once you reach a certain age/weight/lack of fitness, exercise just plain fucking HURTS. It gets better after a while, sure, but those first few weeks or months are a bitch...which is why so many of us don't stick with it...which is why we just keep getting fatter and doing less and less...which is one of the reasons we'll end up needing surgery in the first place.
World without end, amen.
Now try to avoid stress-eating after reading THAT little burst of sunshine and hope. I love you too.
