Fat Hatred and Bashing the Obese October 2010

[Paul Murphy]

Paul Murphy

2010-09-30

Fat Hatred and Bashing the Obese

Our health care agencies are under attack, due to this impending obesity crisis. The issue could not be simpler, and yet we are losing the battle. Perhaps we
are misguided by special interest groups. Many heavily funded
programs continue to focus solely on physical activity, and very
little else. The root cause of obesity may be misinformation, and our
stats that continue to grow and grow are due to our misguided work
plan. How does addressing physical activity, successfully, address
the issue? Bashing the obese and spreading fat hatred is a regular
occurrence within the media. Programs such as The Biggest Loser, only
add to the already complex situation. The goal is to raise the level
of awareness, and try to promote the conversation about this
practice. Why are the obese the targets, and how can we begin to
address this issue?

The couch potato myth continues to be promoted by the media, food industry and weight loss industry. This myth continues to shift and scheme to avoid
accountability. All three have a major interest in suppressing the
environmental action plan necessary. The lifestyle tool has been
brilliant, because it shifts any notion of accountability away from
the food giants. Lifestyle is blame and blame restricts the
conversation. How can we sit by and allow a child be victimized for
obesity? Some of our children may never recover from the brutality
supported by the media. They have simply stopped trying, and this is
a tragedy. The try harder message heavily supported by the weight
loss industry continues to play loudly. Why is there so much pressure
to avoid discussing the food environment? The weight loss industry
has continued to flourish, and many programs are owned by the food
giants, and they continue to have a failing rate of ninety-five
percent. But it is you that are the one left with feeling like a
failure. If only you had more will power and a desire for a lifestyle
change.

There are many gifted and talented people working on the childhood obesity issue. However, a single pair of eyeglasses does effectively correct the vision of all
who need them. Each person has their own food experience and
relationship, and for some this has been a long standing struggle.
For many, obesity could not be simpler; spouting calories in and
calories out. No one can argue with this theory, unless your food
relationship is saturated with rage and self hatred. Add to the
experience of a drug like addiction to sugar or overeating we
suddenly obtain a better vision of the complex issue. Many can barely
stomach a thought of food intake in the morning, and for those who
suffer with body image distortion, the issue is even more complex.
What if we are framing the issue all wrong? How about an
environmental approach on the issue of childhood obesity? Let’s
build a community driven action plan, and open the lines of
communication.

A little ‘fat talk’ is a tool that is free, and it might create the impact needed to address childhood obesity. The concept of real health promotion must
include all aspects of the issue. Why not move past the established
media and host town hall meetings on the childhood obesity issue? The
antidote, or solution might be too close for us to actually see, and
lifestyle may be acting as a blind spot. Perhaps one day we can
examine the issue in an open free thinking forum, and as we conduct a
full and open investigation on the obesity crisis, solutions will
emerge. We can add integrity and dignity to the obesity action plan,
and those with a restricted ability will be flushed out, for their
activity, turn off the screen action plans. Children are the future
and if this food environment is hampering their health, it needs to
be changed. After all, obesity is the by product.

Attacking the obese and labelling people of size as lazy, unhealthy, unmotivated and have no willpower, is unacceptable. While the statistics continue to grow,
they reflect some real truth, and that truth might indicate that

we are missing the target. The media and food environment continue to distort any real, measurable targets that may create an impact on obesity. The time for
games is over, and we need to witness some real action that addresses
the issue of obesity. Our media needs to act like reporters, and
start investigating the obesity crisis. How can the media distance
themselves from the giants of the food industry, who have always
skilfully skirted any notion of accountability? Our governments have
created alliances with the giants of the food industry, and because
of these alliances, the physical activity crisis has been born.
Blaming the issue of obesity onto one single individual is just fine,
but how can you explain the recent Ontario statistics that identify
70 per cent of the population to be obese? Many have compared the
food industry to the tobacco giants that had to face legislation in
order to inspire a little accountability. With all the facts and
information out there, here us a thought: Is food our next tobacco?

www.obesitythunderbay.ning.com

[Paul Murphy]

Ontario Health

http://obesitythunderbay.ning.com/video/ontario-health-bullying

[Paul Murphy]

 

   Love your body video/Utah University

http://obesitythunderbay.ning.com/video/love-your-body-week-video-2011