Some of us were born into obesity.
Maybe not directly, but some of us have a link that ties us there, something that almost guarantee's our fate into being overweight.
A pre-dispositioning if you will.
Whether it be genetic or environmental, no one can say, but the fact is, there are over 60 million obese Americans with medical costs of over $140 billion annually, and that statistic is growing year by year.
Even so, it's very common for "thin" people to look down on obese people.
They look at the "fat" as though they are lesser humans.
They look at us as though we are bad people.
They point. They stare. They laugh.
They shout cat calls when they see a fat person walking or jogging or working out.
They giggle when a fat person can't fit into a restaurant booth.
They gasp when they see a larger person out dancing or riding a bike.
For a thin person, it's easy.
They look at an obese person and say "why don't you just put down the fork" or "why don't you just exercise".
They will never understand that it's just not that simple.
You see, we obese people have a lot to deal with.
Of course there's the physical aspects of just being obese - the health problems such as shortness of breath or swollen joints and ankles; the fact that it's difficult to fit into small spaces or sometimes to maneuver around obstacles.
But there's also some very deep psychological and emotional issues as well.
First we deal every day with societies views of the obese.
Second we deal with the reasons we are obese to begin with (for many of us, it stems from some form of trauma).
Third, we deal with an addiction that is stronger and more powerful than any drug or cigarette could ever be.
Yes. I said addiction.
See, this is my point - thin people don't understand the addiction, and they probably never will.
For a thin person, it's about
"eat when you're hungry, stop when you're not".
For a food addict it's about
"eat everything that tastes good until you feel sick to your stomach then eat a little bit more"
and then there's
"I'm sad . . . let's eat"
"I'm pissed . . . Let's eat"
"I'm happy! Let's eat!"
You see the pattern here?
This is not the way thin people think.
For thin people, celebrations include things like shopping, dancing, driving, swimming, fishing, etc.
For obese people, celebrations are all about the food.
So here's what thin people will never know:
Weight loss is a daily struggle against an addiction that many people either don't realize they have or can not control.
There is a lot more than just "putting down the fork" or "getting up off your butt" to it.
Each and every day is a struggle, sometimes to just get out of bed and face the sizest world we live in.
It is a struggle to make the choice to eat that piece of fruit, rather than that chocolate bar.
It is a struggle to NOT pick up the phone and call Pizza Hut, no matter what our bank account is.
It's a struggle to cook every healthy meal, to look at the scale, to just look in the mirror.
So, for my thin friends, I ask this favor.
When I am struggling, be supportive.
When I am hurting, be a shoulder.
When I am crying because I can't have chocolate, offer me a hug, and an apple.
When I'm whining about having to get on that stupid eliptical again, offer to go for a walk with me.
Don't look at me like I'm crazy.
Don't assume I'm being melodramatic.
And please, don't tell me to "just do it"
Because you will never know that it's just. not. that. easy.
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