When it Comes to Health, They Aren’t Our Saviors
I was recently in attendance for a lecture on obesity by an obesity and nutrition “expert.” This expert advised the audience that we should no longer use the offensive term weight loss and replace it with anti-obesity treatment, as it implies that weight loss is not merely a medical treatment. Additionally, the term weight loss insinuates that losing fat may be done for appearance and cosmetic reasons. Interestingly, this researcher then continued on as if both statements were absolutely true. Being overweight, we were told, is a medical issue only, requiring medical treatment only, and nothing else. Finally, we were told obesity stemmed totally from genetics, further implying it could only be fixed through some high-level medical treatments.
There may not have been a lot of data to back up the above comments, but that seems to rarely stop individuals from making bold remarks. I have found that many academic discussions, particularly recently, more closely parallel a political rally or bizarre scene from a dystopian movie than scientific discussion, particularly when it comes to anything health-related. As for the above presentation, apparently obesity is purely a medical and genetic issue that can only be helped by medicines, surgery, and medical personnel. It has nothing to do with personal behaviors, societal and cultural norms and standards, or lack thereof. It is apparently by genetics that immigrants that move to the US gain more fat the longer they are here and their children get even fatter as they adopt our customs. Interestingly, rates of depression follow.
There is also, apparently, no interplay between weight and personal appearance and we do not attempt to lose weight to look better (this of course, ignores the existence of a multi-billion-dollar weight loss industry that literally advertises “lose weight to look and feel better”). Most importantly, apparently, we are overweight due to a medical condition outside of our control—we are poor helpless souls. This is actually what academics believe, or have convinced themselves to believe, and I have heard it repeatedly within the hallowed walls of academia and most often by somewhat angry theorists that seem to have little skin in the game.
But, according to them, we are not helpless as medicine and academics can fix us—we are in the hands of our saviors and their pills and potions. We do not even need to change our habits, and we can keep opposing our bodies and how they are meant to function. Our saviors may often have a poor track record with their own health, and an even more dismal record with societal health over the past 50 years, but trust them, worship them, and swallow their medicines (or injections) whole. Oh, and make sure to grab some candy and Pepsi at the vending machine on the way to their office.
Culture and Society Matter
When academics try to pretend that behavior-related issues have nothing to do with our behaviors, it may hurt our feelings less than the truth and provide our overlords with a fake sense of power, but it also offensively views us as helpless half-wits. Forget resistance training to build muscle and eating real food to obtain minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. None of it matters. To them, we can only be saved by academia and their science, drug manufacturers, and their fleet of drug dealers.
I, of course, raised my hand and questioned such comments, stating that social and cultural aspects of society are highly likely the major player with obesity, particularly considering the data revealing that when lean cultures move to the US and abandon their traditional cultural views about consumption and food, they gain much weight, while those that stay behind remain slim. Did their genetics magically change? Do we actually believe that a typical American (i.e., Homer Simpson) that follows the food pyramid, stays up late watching TV, never exercises, and spends 8 hours a day on their device should be anything but overweight?
The typical academic mixture of mental gymnastics and a gobbley gook of word soup followed, along with the obligatory straw man argument of “well isn’t some of obesity genetic?” Yes, of course some of it is genetics, and certainly genetics leaves some of us with a greater propensity to gain weight and makes some of us more strongly crave the addictive foods that society parades around in our face. This, however, is a far cry from all obesity being caused by genetics.
The absurdity of this message and the absurdity that academia would support such an absurd message, while not surprising, illustrates just how far from patients academia and medicine has strayed. While pretending that appearance and social factors has nothing to do with obesity is another bizarre ploy to over medicalize all aspects of our lives, it is one of the many examples where academics tend to ignore the reality around them to support their bizarre far-from-reality views (and also, not coincidentally, their careers and research). Ever been to many of the much-less-obese countries than the US, like Italy? Ever hear of fare bella figura? People care about their figure (or figura) and they always have and part of this is an extension of cultural safety nets. Some even care so much that they dress nicely, wash their cars because they like them shiny, and keep their yards well-manicured. People have tried to show their best for all of eternity and some even use manners and etiquette when in public! My great-grandfather Leonardo would tell his family to always look, act, and be their best in public, even though they were poor at home. Yes, some people care too much and go overboard and even get cosmetic surgical procedures to remove excess adipose tissue. However, this is all well established and pretending it does not exist and pretending that losing weight is never motivated by appearance is one of many instances where academics use words and other bizarre mechanisms to escape the reality around them and dismiss those things that everybody knows and can see with their own eyes. And I mean everybody.
Data from OECD in 2000 shows an interesting look at obesity in America and some of the ethnicities that now make it up.
Countering fare bella figura is the change that happens in individuals that immigrate to the US. For instance, Mexican immigrants eat less sugar and fast food than Mexicans born in the US, who lose their cultural diet in one generation. In a country where premade foods and eating out is king, immigrants cook more often than natives. The crusade against McDonald’s in France existed due to the fact that these fast foods restaurants are a direct violation of their cultural norms (the same norms that keep Frenchmen slim and healthy). I love the US, but our current culture (or lack thereof) and our current lack of societal views that would promote health (i.e., avoiding massive consumerism and consumption and some basic standards) leaves a lot to be desired. However let’s not make this a medical issue fixed by medicines when there are clearly major cultural underpinnings, and such medicines would do nothing to approach the cause of the problem (like most medicines).
For instance, if you have food over-consumption problems, it is probably best to cook your own food and not buy it premade or prepackaged. Yet, a society that promotes a lifestyle where we pretend we can consume all our problems away will tell us the opposite. When that goes south, the same society will tell you to consume some medicine to fix whatever issues it caused. We don’t need any academics or medical doctors to fix the problem, and certainly no companies pushing their products will save us, the deeper issue is societal and cultural and needs to be addressed within our local communities; but first we need to put down our devices and pay attention.
We live in a society where it is considered OK by our overlords to be surrounded by addictive and obesity-promoting foods and ads promoting them at a very young age (and at our public schools, cancer centers, you name it.) But not only do they OK it, they promote it. They also tell us that nutrient-dense foods are bad for us, to eat plenty of those foods that fatten us up, and that pasteurized sugar water should be given to our kids at school. When all else fails buy more. And when health fails, buy more healthcare from our saviors, further burying the root of the problem.
I get it, our society has made the environment we live in very hard to navigate without over-consuming and packing on the pounds. Certainly some people will have more challenges within our current culture and society that showers us with obesity-promoting foods and tells us to eat more, and certainly some of this may be related to genetics. However, if you are sleeping 6 hours a night, sitting in front of a device for 7+ hours per day, eating 300 grams of carbs daily, not getting enough protein, and never exercising, would you expect not to be obese?
I asked the above question to the academic, who actually agreed. I guess it is not “all genetics” and we are not all helpless half-wits. In fact, the good news is that with small changes we can largely improve our health. We can put down those devices, go to bed early and sleep longer, start focusing on nutrient-dense foods that supply our bodies with the required vitamins and minerals, and hit the gym—no surgery, doctor, and medicine required. Perhaps just simply doing some of the things your grandparents did—you know those cultural aspects that were brought here from afar—may help you to be healthier.
It seems like maybe we are not all genetically doomed helpless half-wits requiring a medical or academic savior. While we should not judge others, perhaps it is time we start being honest with them and ourselves, and then we can grow and improve on our own, feel good about our accomplishments, and enjoy the benefits of greater health…and looking and feeling better.
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