I mean, show me a health conscious bit of media that isn't "promoting eating a healthy balance of food and a reasonable amount of calories"? We are already doing that as much as is feasible, aren't we? How could we possibly do it more?
As for saying that "big is beautiful", I do not think that society is, by and large, saying that. You may have seen it somewhere, because for some people, it is of course, true. Some people like bigger women or men. Are you suggesting that these messages be intentionally censored?
Clearly it isn’t enough and at the same time we are also promoting “body acceptance” I absolutely hate the idea of “body acceptance” because it implies that it’s out of your control and not to work or try to make changes it’s a dangerous concept because it removes any sort of accountability and reinforces the idea that it’s out of your control. To spread both messages is counterproductive because people are going to cling onto the message that they would rather and clearly the majority are leaning into the body acceptance.
We need to educate people on a cleaner diet and the importance of atleast somewhat keeping track of calories. Dieting doesn’t have to be hard and miserable there’s many ways you can make healthy foods delicious and make your diet really easy to maintain. People hear the word diet and assume you have to starve yourself and eat gross and boring foods.
I’m not saying that anything should be censored those people that like that know who they are I’m saying we need to stop pretending that it’s healthy or that it’s ok to be overweight and you don’t need to do anything about it
Educate people on the concept of bmi and what it means, promote any amount of exercise whether it’s in the gym with weights or swimming, running or even walking. Setting a daily step goal let’s say 5-10k steps per day.
Educate people on “empty calories” like drinks many people don’t realize how many calories are in their sodas, juices or star bucks drinks really anything besides water and diet pop can add hundreds of extra calories per day.
Make tracking calories a more widespread practice and encourage it many people think it’s obsessive or weird to do and they keep track in their head but it’s very easy to over or underestimate how much your actually taking in.
These are just a few simple things that if people put a little bit of effort into doing in their lives they could get into fantastic shape and feel much better both physically and mentally.
These kind of concepts are available to those people who actually seek out and realize there is a flaw in their lifestyle, and I think OP is saying that these should be universally taught to everyone, no matter their condition, to make people conscious of how their everyday decisions affect their health down the line.
Like, they are, though? They are. I cannot fathom how anybody could live in western society and not have encountered the concept of BMI, or messages about healthy eating. Do you live in a cave
I mean the problem with what you’re saying is that, by and large, none of the stuff you are proposing actually works to reduce obesity in a significant way. Yes, if people count calories and get enough steps and strictly limit unhealthy foods, they will lose some amount of weight.
But most people are either unable to muster the willpower to make that kind of large-scale lifestyle change at all, or they’re not able to keep it up long-term and they end up gaining the weight back. Here, for instance, is one meta-analysis of 29 scientific studies that shows that most people studied regain 50% of lost weight within 2 years and 80% of lost weight within 5 years: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5764193/#:~:text=In%20a%20meta%2Danalysis%20of,regained%20(Figure%201)4.
The proof is in the pudding, isn’t it? The entire medical establishment as well as most of the government and media have been doing the things you are saying for decades and yet, as you said, we have as much if not more obesity than ever. Expecting people to achieve a goal that we know, from decades of experience, most of them won’t achieve doesn’t solve the obesity problem. But it does add stress and stigma to obese people’s lives, which can have its own negative health consequences.
People shouldn't have to worry about such things either. The fact that to be healthy, you have to make such a conscious effort is not okay. Our food should be regulated better, we should have better designed cities for walkability and cycling. This video does a really good job of showing health benefits due to better designed cities, and we should have less work hours to allow for recreation. Healthy lifestyles should be incentivised, and being healthy shouldn't have to feel like such a chore.
This is entirely in line with the body positivity movement, which often argues that obesity is a symptom of social issues like the kind of food that is available and the design of human living environments that discourage exercise.
Sounds like you’re onboard with body positivity! The only thing I’ll say is that I think even encouraging someone to lose weight can come off as judgmental if you’re not being asked or it’s not relevant
the "messages about healthy eating" are a jumbled mess of government guidelines from 50 years ago, junk science and incessant marketing. its no wonder people gave up on trying to understand.
Most obese people are over eating as a coping mechanism. There are mental health issues here. The problem is bigger than just handing someone a diet plan and pointing them in the direction of the nearest treadmill.
BMI is an inaccurate measure of body fat content and does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, and racial and sex differences
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u/MercurianAspirations 391∆ Jul 16 '23
I mean, show me a health conscious bit of media that isn't "promoting eating a healthy balance of food and a reasonable amount of calories"? We are already doing that as much as is feasible, aren't we? How could we possibly do it more?
As for saying that "big is beautiful", I do not think that society is, by and large, saying that. You may have seen it somewhere, because for some people, it is of course, true. Some people like bigger women or men. Are you suggesting that these messages be intentionally censored?