Last week, user Pale Cold wrote a diary entitled I am a Fat Lady in a Thin Lady's Body. The responses to this diary were, for the most part, overwhelmingly sympathetic. People thanked the diarist for sharing her story. People shared similar feelings and stories about their struggles with obesity and body image. Then, one individual, in what struck me as a very genuine, heart-felt comment shared his story and some advice. He said that he, too, had struggled with obesity for much of his life. And that the only way he got healthy was by taking control of his life: by watching what he ate, and by ensuring that he exercised regularly.
The response? In classic DailyKos fashion, a poster lashed out at the aforementioned individual for his "bootstrapping" approach, and quipped that he was acting like a - yes - Republican. So let me get this straight. If a diarist at DailyKos says that people have to take control of their health... monitor their diet.. get regular exercise... then he's a Republican? Right. Way to go.
When I was a kid, I was fat. If you've ever seen the movie The Sandlot, I was the catcher. Sure, I had brown skin. And I didn't have red hair. But that was me. The fat kid who played catcher. One summer, my little league baseball team - Orange Medical - sold Reeses Peanut Butter Cups as a fund raiser. I didn't actually sell them. I ate them all, hid the wrappers behind the couch, and then told my mom that the dog got them. A few weeks later, when my mom was cleaning the living room, she pulled out the couch and found all those wrappers. In my family, that story still gets told two or three times a year. Along with the story about how I would go on a diet each year about 2 days before my annual check-up.
The point is, I was fat. Chalk it up, in part, to genetics. While my parents were fit, my grandparents, aunts, and uncles were not. But it was certainly not just genetic. I ate lots of peanut butter cups, and peanut butter cups have consequences. In the years that followed the Orange Medical peanut butter cup controversy, I grew up, I got smarter about what I ate, and I kept active. I played football and did track throughout high school. I played rugby in college. After college, I coached high school football, then worked as a personal trainer in Las Vegas. Along the way, I sought out fitness and health knowledge anywhere I could find it. I've studied a variety of philosophies related to diet, training, healing. And you know what? I firmly believe that each and every person has to take responsibility for his own health.
Since this is DailyKos, and lots of wackjobs are around, let me offer one caveat to head off some of the bullshit from the stands: I am particularly concerned about the intersection between nutrition and poverty. As a former high school teacher in inner-city Baltimore, I know first-hand that many young people from poor families simply don't have access to healthy, nutritious food. That's a serious issue, and that needs to change.
But when you're a professional adult who has enough money to do a Weight Watchers program, and you spend your free time writing a blog on DailyKos... I'm going to assume that you (1) are capable of understanding how to eat healthy and exercise (2) have at least the minimal financial resources necessary to eat healthy.
So, in short, for most of you people, I believe that your health is your responsibility.
Am I saying that you need to weigh a specific amount, look a certain way, and conform to a particular media image of fitness? No. But, again, given the idiots around here, someone will no doubt make that comment below. BMI, for example, is a terrible indicator of health and fitness because it completely disregards muscle mass. My BMI puts me near the border of super obesity, but as anyone will tell you I'm an absolute gym rat.
It's about health. You can be active at any size. But being fat is simply not healthy. Any number of studies from the Mayo Clinic will tell you that fat - particularly excessive stomach fat - puts you at greater risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, sleep apnea...
So, maybe for a small percentage of people, their struggles with obesity owe to some underlying medical condition. But for the most part, fat people are fat because of lifestyle choices. There you have it. Personal responsibility. I know that's a dirty word around here, but in some cases, it's the only way. The only person putting the doughnuts in your mouth is you.
And for those of you who want to proffer some study saying otherwise, I'll tell you this: Self-reporting is a fundamental flaw in many of the studies that suggest fat people don't eat any more than people of a healthy weight. The only full-proof research design involves keeping people in-patient and monitoring their entire intake.
And that's that. You're adults. You're largely professionals. You're internet savvy: you write on a blog for God's sake. If you want to get healthy, you can find a way. Hell, if you need help, I'm always willing to give people health/fitness advice. Because it's not just about obesity. It's about health.
Everyone has their own individual journey to health. Sometimes, that journey involves obesity. Some people choose never to set off down their path. Some have a shorter journey. Some struggle with it for years before finding their way. Some people will get healthier, but won't ever drop that much weight. Sometimes, it's not fair.
Several years ago, I messed up my back deadlifting too heavy. Just last spring, I tore my ACL playing rugby, after my doctor had already told me not to play because of a preexisting knee injury. Guess what? I take responsibility for all of this. I'll deal with it. It's my path. I'm healthy and always striving to get healthier. It hasn't been easy, but it's been good.
Go get yours.