**This is Part 2 of a 2-part Point/Counterpoint discussion. Click here for Part 1.
If there's anything positive to come out of Maura Kelly's disgusting dig at the "fatties" on Mike & Molly in Marie Claire last week, it was a national dialogue about how Americans treat the overweight.
But while the rest of the blogosphere has handily responded to the cruelty within her rant, the reason Kelly felt she could go out guns blazing at the overweight remains a problem for the fat acceptance movement.
Fat, people reason, is something the overweight can do something about. And if they aren't fixing it, well gosh darnit, they must be lazy.
Just look at Kelly's lame attempt at being "sympathetic," shoved at the end of her original piece:
I'm happy to give you some nutrition and fitness suggestions if you need them -- but long story short, eat more fresh and unprocessed foods, read labels and avoid foods with any kind of processed sweetener in them whether it's cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup, increase the amount of fiber you're getting, get some kind of exercise for 30 minutes at least five times a week, and do everything you can to stand up more -- even while using your computer -- and walk more. I admit that there's plenty that makes slimming down tough, but YOU CAN DO IT! Trust me. It will take some time, but you'll also feel so good, physically and emotionally. A nutritionist or personal trainer will help -- and if you can't afford one, visit your local YMCA for some advice.
Oh, go to the YMCA! Walk! Excise the high fructose corn syrup. And the pounds will simply melt away! Why didn't I think of that? Oh wait ... did it, tried it, and yup, still fat.
If only it were so easy, Ms. Kelly.
What she -- and thousands of other skinny minis like her -- have glossed over are the myriad reasons 68 percent of American adults are either overweight or obese. They're reasons that thousands of other Americans have pushed for a focus on fat acceptance instead of fat shaming, a focus on the realities of the overweight rather than condemnation.
Until we change our society to make losing weight possible, society must adapt. So what makes Americans fat?
Our Jobs.
Welcome to an America where the 40-hour work week is just a baseline, and saying no to extra hours is tantamount to saying, "I don't want to work here." We're scared even to use our vacation days -- and the mounting stress is packing on the pounds. On the flip side, Americans have little extra time for going to the YMCA or taking a walk because they're working. Hard.
While they're there, the computerization of the American marketplace means they're likely to be sedentary. Even a mechanic who once dropped to the ground and slipped under a car to assess the damage now stands idle while a computer diagnoses the problem.
When they're home, there's no time for anything else. It's too dark to go walking. Too late to hit the gym (if they can afford it).
Our Economy.
Gone are the days when one parent stayed home while the other went to work. Which means also gone is the time for one stay-at-home parent to have a healthy meal on the table at 6 p.m. Now there are two parents rushing home to help the kids with homework and get them off to bed, meaning there's an awful lot of chicken nuggets thrown on a pan and baked in the oven while Mom does bath and Dad does math with Junior.
The weekends are devoted not to spending time as a family, playing a game of catch in the backyard, or walking the neighborhood, but rushing around town doing the myriad errands you couldn't do during the week. That includes grocery shopping -- in bulk -- and skipping the freshest foods in favor of items that will last the week.
That's if you have jobs. With unemployment hovering at 9.6 percent, factor in the cost of "good, healthy food" over the starchy, nutrition-deficient foods that fit into a budget. Sure, you can take your food stamps to the farmers' market these days, but what's a fresh $4 tomato when you can buy four bags of ready-to-eat noodles with the same $4?
Our Medicines.
Technology has given us the wonders of life-lengthening drugs. But for every two steps forward, there's another step back. Which for people with depression, diabetes, and schizophrenia can mean the medicine that's saving their lives is also making them pack on the pounds.
Our Genes.
The Dove ads have won consistent praise for showing "real" women of varying body types. But it's an idea that's less novel than it is simply observant. Put two newborns on the same diet for their first year, offer them the same opportunities, and one is going to hit the year mark several pounds heavier than the other.
People are not made the same, and no amount of starving is going to make the wide hips that require a wider chair go away on a big-boned girl. On the other side of the coin, eating fast food day in and day out will not make certain teeny tiny women balloon.
Our Families.
It's not just the propensity for thunder thighs you got from dear old Dad. He's now taken up residence in your guest room, and he's taking up your time. The sandwich generation is alive, but they're not doing so hot these days.
According to a federal study of work-life balance, "In 2008, approximately 43.5 million Americans served as unpaid caregivers to a family member over the age of 50. Nearly one-fifth of employed people were caregivers who provided care to a person over age 50." Which adds stress -- already indicated above as a risk factor for weight gain -- and again sucks time away from the pursuit of exercise.
Until we can fix these five problems, Americans don't need to hear someone else telling us it's easy to lose weight. We need a way to make do with what we've got.
Image via CBS.com
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Comments 28
Sorry but I'm one of those mean people who agree with Maura on this issue. Unless there is something terribly wrong with your thyroid, being obese is PREVENTABLE. Not only that, but allowing yourself to become obese is a long process that doesn't happen overnight. Neglecting your own health in this fashion, in my opinion, is no less horrible than never cleaning your house, or brushing your teeth. I don't feel sympathy for those people who choose to neglect themselves to the point of ruining their own health. And I don't want to watch skinny or fat people making out.
This article is a terrific insight into the REAL problems behind obesity. I particularly agree with the idea that fast food fits in with the socioeconomic status and daily lives of MOST of America - and statistically fast food restaurants are built intentionally in poorer areas. Coincidence? Not saying all overweight people are poor or vice versa, but these are the people that lack the means for sufficient nutrition And often do not have health insurance. It's a sad situation.
I'm about 40lbs overweight but not obese. And as much as I want to eat healthily, it costs twice as much at least to buy fresh produce and organic grains, etc, as it does to buy processed frozen meals for example. The choice most of America is having to make is either buy a few fruits and veggies that last a few days, as the article mentions, or spend the same amount on enough food [albeit unhealthy food] to stock up for the week and feed the family. And considering that most of our society resides in the lower to middle classes, not many people can afford Option A. It's sad.
Again, great article.
I too agree that all of these things can be overcome. No one said it was incredibly easy or simple. It's about prioritizing your life. If you can't afford to eat right, you're spending too much money somewhere else. What is more important than your health? I don't understand the thought process that food - the resource that is solely responsible for keeping you alive - should be as cheap and easy as we can make it. It's an investment in yourself. It's the most important thing you can do for yourself.
Me and my family have cut out about 60% of the food additives and preservatives just by reading and understanding labels and ingredients, and just plain giving up a lot of fake foods. Did you know that MSG 1) makes you want to eat more 2) is a neurotoxin and 3) is disguised in an ungodly number of foods under the guise of different names? Go to your pantry and see how many foods contain yeast extract or hydrolyzed protein...even "natural flavoring." If you have a computer, all the information you need is at your fingertips. You just have to look for it. You also have to shop around. We go to three different stores to get all of our weekly groceries. Take responsibility.
Some of us don't eat chips & cookies, we eat veggies & go without dessert, try to walk when we can ... and still don't lose weight. Go on 1000 calorie a day diet, no weight loss. Even a doctor-monitored regimen that cost me double the usual grocery bill, no weight loss. Fresh groceries cost a bloody fortune - apples cost more per pound than hamburger meat, and don't stick with you as long. And knfisch - I don't know where you shop, but bagged frozen veggies here are a lot more than $2! You want to eat cheap around here, it's a whole lot of rice, potatoes and beans to stretch a bit of meat and whatever veggies are on sale that week that might last until next Saturday's shopping.
I think the factors listed in this article are valid. And I also think being obese is an elective condition for almost all obese people - obesity doesn't sneak up on you, and it isn't the product of healthy living. However, that doesn't mean that everyone who isn't overweight is in a postion to judge and give advice. Obesity goes hand in hand with medical conditions and medications to handle those conditions. So no matter how disgusted you are by someone you deem lazy and/or undisciplined, your layman's recommendation of getting off the couch and eating better isn't at all helpful, useful, informed or even relevent because you know nothing about the person's health.
Wanted to add that by "your", I'm speaking generally, and not to any of the commenters in particular.
Puter Prsn, you live in Ft. Worth? I clicked on your profile. Anyway, I checked out Kroger's weekley ad in Ft. Worth and they have "lunchbox" apples 4/$1, Frozen steam fresh veggies for a little over $1, and Kashi frozen pizzas (which are on whole-grain crust and topped with lots of veggies) for under $4. Just sayin'.