One thing I love about this world is the diversity of opinions. After all, if we all agreed on everything, the world would be unbearably boring. Every once in a while, however, I come across opinions and beliefs that strike me as bizarre, and the latest is the growing belief by a band of people I call "obesity deniers" who are flat-out stating that obesity isn't bad for your health.
All the research linking obesity to diabetes, heart disease, early death and other disorders is just plain wrong, say these deniers. Apparently, somebody just made it all up. There's no proof that obesity is bad for your health, they say. Our "obession" with obesity is even being called "cultural hysteria."
When I first heard this, I immediately thought maybe these people were retreads from the Flat Earth Society -- a group that maintains the Earth is flat. But, no, these are everyday people. And what do they have in common? They're obese. That's right: the people who say there's nothing to obesity are turning out to be obese themselves. And they're tired of being blamed for their own medical problems, it seems. They'd much rather believe that their diabetes is just caused by chance. Their heart disease is just their "bad genes." Their shortness of breath is just a "lung deficiency." Their long list of medical symptoms has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they avoid physical exercise, consume large quantities of processed foods and soft drinks, and neglect to take healthy nutritional supplements, it seems.
And herein lies the answer to why the obesity deniers are so adamant about their position: they don't want to think they're responsible for their health condition. It's much easier to blame something else or deny there's a problem at all. It's quite difficult, on the other hand, to face your problem, accept responsibility for it, and starting making lifestyle changes that will produce a more positive outcome.
Look, I was once overweight. I know what it's like. I've been there. And then one day I looked in the mirror and told myself I would stop making excuses and start taking control of my body and my health. From that day on, things improved rapidly. But these obesity deniers haven't had that day yet. They're still in the denial stage, unwilling to have the courage to admit it is their own actions that made them obese in the first place, and unwilling to step up to the plate and do anything about it.
Basically, obesity deniers want to eat all the healthy foods they desire and avoid exercise while asking you and me to subsidize their sky-high long term health care costs. They want us to pay for their medical bills even though they could have prevented those problems by being responsible consumers in the first place.
Look, there's nothing wrong with waking up one day and realizing you're obese. The difference between the winners and losers in the world is that the winners take responsibility for their obesity and do something about it. Losers, on the other hand, blame everything else and want other people to fix their problems. Your current body weight does not make you a winner or loser: it's your level of personal responsibility and awareness of your control over your state of health that makes this determination. You could be the heaviest person on the block, but if you've taken even one step towards improving your diet and engaging in regular physical exercise, then you're a winner in my book!
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he has authored and published several downloadable personal preparedness courses including a downloadable course focused on safety and self defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In mid 2010, Adams produced TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Sunday, July 25, 2004
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