Obesity

[Rollo Tamasi]

Many people today want to categorize obesity as a disease.
In some ways it qualifies to be called a disease.
But obesity can be prevented and should not be called a disease.
If we call it a disease, we take away our own responsibility concerning it.

Obesity is a side effect, not a disease.
Obesity can cause hypothyroidism, not the other way around as we once thought.

Some people considered obese can live a long healthy life.
Very muscular fit people may fall into an obese category because muscle outweighs fat.
Obesity is the result of wrong way eating.
A poor diet can lead to obesity.

Obesity is the result of sedentary lifestyles.
As we sit at our computers and don't include exercise in our daily routine, obesity may be an end result.

While we judge smokers and drinkers and gamblers and drug abusers, we often overlook obese people.
It is a choice to be fat.
Yes, it's difficult to lose weight, as it is difficult to quit any vice.

We are judgers more than anything else.
It's easy to judge a fat person if you've been thin all your life.
Judging others is the worst vice of all.

 

[reba]

as with any addictive behaviour

 

[evenifigoalone]

Well, health conditions and even genetics can and do influence weight. PCOS for example, a disease that women can have, one of the known symptoms is difficulty losing weight due to the body producing too much of a particular hormone.

 

[JohnDB]

Well, health conditions and even genetics can and do influence weight. PCOS for example, a disease that women can have, one of the known symptoms is difficulty losing weight due to the body producing too much of a particular hormone.

Yes,
PCOS is a horrible disease that causes people to gain extra weight.
Also there are mental health problems that cause people to over eat as well. (Not self inflicted mental health issues either)

It's not always sloth, gluttony and laziness as the OP has claimed. The reasons the OP claimed may or may not be true for himself. Self depreciation is obvious.

We live in a nation where food is plentiful and cheap.

 

[Free]

We live in a nation where food is plentiful and cheap.

Where highly processed, very low nutritional quality food is plentiful and cheap.

Just started reading an interesting book on the significant health benefits of intermittent, alternate day, and extended fasting. Quite something actually and has even been known to cure type 2 diabetes. It was known to be a very healthy thing to do in the BC era but fell under the radar in the 1960s or so.

 

[isamorgan]

Criticism never ends, I remember being bullied before because I am thick. I lost the confidence but then I have started to love all my flaws. I have work-out to lose some weight, the people who once throw me their judgments have served as a motivation. I am against body shaming.

Proverbs 19:8 To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.

 

[gerbilwoman]

Also some medications have weight gain as a side effect.

 

[GodsGrace]

Also some medications have weight gain as a side effect.

My granddaughter has this problem.
She takes a med that increases the appetite and it's also very difficult for her to cut back on eating.

Sometimes we could think that overweight persons are people who don't care how they look.
This is not true.
Oprah comes to mind. She fought obesity all her life.
A woman I know had her stomach reduced and lost a lot of weight.
We might ask...why didn't she just eat less?
The answer?.......?

 

[JohnDB]

Criticism never ends, I remember being bullied before because I am thick. I lost the confidence but then I have started to love all my flaws. I have work-out to lose some weight, the people who once throw me their judgments have served as a motivation. I am against body shaming.

Proverbs 19:8 To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.

Now see,
Everyone has a different idea as to what is a perfect figure. Some like Hollywood and some like runway models. Brazil has a different standard. So does Africa. European tastes vary as well.
Asian tastes (to me) seem almost androgynous.

But what matters most is the heart. And where appearance somewhat reflects your attitude...not completely. From indifference to hyper focused... neither is acceptable in my world.

And as an adult, I've never been in a long term relationship with anyone without a lot of post-secondary education. (Masters degree min) And their weight has run the gambit from trim to overweight. So has their hair length. Same with makeup.

Weight is not God's standard...it's man's.

The prophet Obadiah was so heavy that he broke his arm after laughing so hard he fell. It turned into gangrene and died. His widow was the one with the oil jar miracle with Elisha.

The beauty pageant winner in the Bible died husband less.

 

[Corn Pop]

I do find it amazing how it's ok to say how tall someone is but its offensive to say how wide someone is.

 

[Edward]

We are judgers more than anything else.
It's easy to judge a fat person if you've been thin all your life.
Judging others is the worst vice of all.

We have to be careful not to look down on anyone. Remember, the last will be first and the first last in Heaven. So the very least of us shall be the greatest in heaven. We're not to look at the (seen) outside of people, but rather the (unseen) inside. I have noticed over the years that many fat people have beautiful spirits.

 

[Edward]

We live in a nation where food is plentiful and cheap.

Huh? Where do you live, I'm packing up, lol. Real food is very expensive.

 

[Corn Pop]

Huh? Where do you live, I'm packing up, lol. Real food is very expensive.

Its a load of garbage. Take all the import anything with import ingrediants off the supermarket shelves and you would be surprised with what you are left with. If your lucky you might even get a loaf of bread, but maybe not.

 

[JohnDB]

Huh? Where do you live, I'm packing up, lol. Real food is very expensive.

Average person brings home around &700 /wk and only spends $100-200 per week eating. (Depending upon how much is fast food)

Most other countries food is still the same price (commodity price) but the earning is much less and a larger significant portion of their salaries go towards groceries.

Food has not kept pace with inflation. It's gotten cheaper over the decades while only having modest price increases.

Housing has kept pace by far comparison. House prices have gone to 10X their original price for now a "used" home. Groceries haven't kept the same pace.
Where the prices for groceries is volatile it really hasn't been on the same increase track over the years as other goods.

In the early 70's you could buy a great new car for around $5,000-6,000. Today you have to spend close to $35,000-45,000 for a similar class product.
Bread jumped to $1.00 a loaf in the 70's and people complained (it was over sugar prices). Today I can get that same loaf of bread for $2.50 and not $9.00. That's hardly keeping pace with inflation at all. Other foods (Especially processed foods) have barely had any price increases over the decades while wages have surpassed inflation.
Food is cheaper today than ever before. Especially in America.

 

[Edward]

Uhhhh...I have to agree with that. I don't make near as money as I used to so I don't eat as well. (I do fast more though!!!)

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Average person brings home around &700 /wk and only spends $100-200 per week eating. (Depending upon how much is fast food)

Most other countries food is still the same price (commodity price) but the earning is much less and a larger significant portion of their salaries go towards groceries.

Food has not kept pace with inflation. It's gotten cheaper over the decades while only having modest price increases.

Housing has kept pace by far comparison. House prices have gone to 10X their original price for now a "used" home. Groceries haven't kept the same pace.
Where the prices for groceries is volatile it really hasn't been on the same increase track over the years as other goods.

In the early 70's you could buy a great new car for around $5,000-6,000. Today you have to spend close to $35,000-45,000 for a similar class product.
Bread jumped to $1.00 a loaf in the 70's and people complained (it was over sugar prices). Today I can get that same loaf of bread for $2.50 and not $9.00. That's hardly keeping pace with inflation at all. Other foods (Especially processed foods) have barely had any price increases over the decades while wages have surpassed inflation.
Food is cheaper today than ever before. Especially in America.

Uh, I remember when cans of black olives were 5-6 cans per dollar.
It's possible to pay $2.59 a can these days.
Chocolate has always been a standard for inflation.
The bars get smaller, then they get a price increase.
Then 2 size bars, then the smaller bar costs what the larger bar cost, etc....
Always judge inflation by the cost of a candy bar.

 

[Christ_empowered]

ive read that a lot of the "obesity epidemic" is related to poverty, the slide out of the middle class, stagnant wages, and growing inequality. im trying to lose weight now. not easy, but...its much, much easier w/ my parents' support and such. your typical "mental patient" in the US actually dies 10-20 years younger than the "normal" controls, largely because of poverty (the psych drugs do a number, too, over the long haul).

I"m finding that losing weight is...a good thing, really, for where I am now. I'm learning to cook better meals for myself (more plant based food, whole grains, etc...always a good thing...) and eat more fruit, too. I've even stocked up on a variety of dried fruits. Not ideal, I guess, but...better than candy, chocolate, etc. for taming the ole sweet tooth.

Of course...again: I have my parents' ongoing support. Most people--especially most "mental patients"--don't get that.

I don't know if there really is a "medical solution" to obesity. Various forms of amphetamines were once popular, then the FDA cracked down on that in the 70s. Now...if you have $$$, you can get some flavor "diet pills," whether its old school amphetamine tablets or the newer options (they're apparently safer...and more expen$ive, too....), but if you're poor or working class...yeah...good luck with that.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

ive read that a lot of the "obesity epidemic" is related to poverty, the slide out of the middle class, stagnant wages, and growing inequality. im trying to lose weight now. not easy, but...its much, much easier w/ my parents' support and such. your typical "mental patient" in the US actually dies 10-20 years younger than the "normal" controls, largely because of poverty (the psych drugs do a number, too, over the long haul).

I"m finding that losing weight is...a good thing, really, for where I am now. I'm learning to cook better meals for myself (more plant based food, whole grains, etc...always a good thing...) and eat more fruit, too. I've even stocked up on a variety of dried fruits. Not ideal, I guess, but...better than candy, chocolate, etc. for taming the ole sweet tooth.

Of course...again: I have my parents' ongoing support. Most people--especially most "mental patients"--don't get that.

I don't know if there really is a "medical solution" to obesity. Various forms of amphetamines were once popular, then the FDA cracked down on that in the 70s. Now...if you have $$$, you can get some flavor "diet pills," whether its old school amphetamine tablets or the newer options (they're apparently safer...and more expen$ive, too....), but if you're poor or working class...yeah...good luck with that.

You can't go against the sugar industry.
They are too big.

 

[Edward]

You can't go against the sugar industry.
They are too big.

Yeah, the book is called
"Sugar Blues" It's a good read. When you read it then you wont use sugar anymore.

 

[Creative]

It's not always sloth, gluttony and laziness as the OP has claimed. The reasons the OP claimed may or may not be true for himself. Self depreciation is obvious.

I read the OP and I do not see any of the words sloth, gluttony, or laziness there. I also think your post is less than generous making an observation of self depreciation.

I think that overall, I agree with the OP. the main root cause of obesity is over eating and does not qualify as a disease.