Stop Blaming the Overweight for Everything
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.
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).
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- Jeanne Sager
Categories:General | Lifestyle | Advocacy
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