Fatphobia

So, this is a slightly different topic from my standard nutrition- and fasting-based posts, but it's an important topic to talk about. 

Fatphobia is one of the last, completely unchallenged areas of prejudice out there. People attempt to mask their hatred of overweight people as "concern", but it's a "concern" that unfailingly comes with contempt and a whole lot of judgement. It's a "concern" that extends only to weight issues, but not to unhealthy dietary habits in thinner people, not to smoking, lack of adequate hydration or sleep. It's not concern, so let's stop calling it that. It's thinly-disguised prejudice - and one that the overweight people in your life or surroundings definitely see through. 

Let's debunk some of the stereotypes. Here are some things to consider: 

• It's in the genes: Obesity is hereditary. Dr. Jason Fung says, in The Obesity Code: "Seventy percent of your tendency to gain weight is determined by your parentage. Obesity is overwhelmingly inherited." (Page 24). Seventy percent is a lot, and it's a huge disadvantage to start with. 
• Calories in vs calories out: Dr. Fung discusses at length the myth of the old "calories in vs calories out" assumption - aka the notion that overweight people are simply eating too much and exercising too little. There are dozens and dozens of studies now proving that this simply isn't the case. Furthermore, the notion that overweight people just need to exercise more is flawed. Dr. Fung puts the balance at 95% what you eat (and when you eat it) and 5% on exercise. Exercise is important, but it's not as important as what we eat. 
• Poverty: There is a huge link between poverty and weight gain. That's easy enough to see: good, real food is expensive. What's cheap? Carbs. Especially refined carbs: pasta, bread, white rice. Cheap, chemically-modified, sugar-enhanced carbs. 
• The insulin problem: As insulin levels rise, the blood cells become less and less receptive to its attempts to move glucose into them. The result is the person feeling less and less energy, while the backed-up insulin turns the calories it wasn't able to store in the blood cells as glucose into fat. The person feels less motivated or able to exercise, the high insulin kills off the person's ability to feel full after eating, and the brain pumps out more and more ghrelin, the hormone responsible for feelings of hunger. It's a vicious cycle. 

Then there's the whole notion that another person's body and health are any of your business. These expressions of "concern" simply should not be expressed, unless you're that person's primary health care provider, or that person asks for your opinion. Otherwise, zip it. 

Heavy people are generally aware that most of our society considers their entire existence unacceptable in the first place. It's something we assume as a given in any situation. Lately, I've been troubled to notice that some of the worst offenders when it comes to fatphobia are people who used to be overweight themselves, or who are currently in the process of losing their own excess weight. I find that particularly dismaying. Personally, when I see an overweight person, especially a woman, considering that society tends to place an undue amount of a woman's value on her physical appearance, I tend to feel compassion. Compassion, and a hope that she'll see the need to make a change and be able to implement it. It's hard. It's really, really hard. But it's none of my business, so unless I'm asked, I'll keep my mouth shut, too. But there's absolutely no need to be cruel. We all have our own choices to make. The same thing comes up even among people who are in the same boat: trying to change the ways they eat and live and following the same methods - there's that temptation to advise one another when we haven't been asked. Personally, I'm more than happy to talk about this stuff with anyone who's curious and wants to know. 

The bottom line is: even if your concern is genuine and it's about someone you care about deeply, it's still not your place to decide how they live. Every person's body is their own to do with as they choose. Don't tell women who have children that they "owe" it to said children to be healthy, either. Women don't exist solely for the purposes of other people. Don't tell your buddy at the bar that he has to lose his beer gut, even as a "joke". On top of that, it's probably not going to help. Your voiced concern is more likely to make the other person feel attacked and defensive, so just don't. It just isn't your business. And if you're currently making healthier choices about your own life, that's fantastic - just remember that your decisions are your own and no one else's. And for goodness' sake, be kind. That's all you really have to do. Be kind.