Kevin Smith thrown off airplane

As I told oscar, I don't mean to speak for everyone like me (I can only hope there's only a few out there *quite* like me). But in my own experiences, I've definitely inconvenienced normal-sized people because of my size. And that's just not right.

 

1. You're eating more calories than you are expending.

2.




somebody help me out here


Somewhat related encounter that just happened a few minutes ago:

Wife bought me a chocolate cheesecake for V-Day yesterday.

We each ate a piece yesterday.

She had two more this morning. I had none.

She comes home today, sees that there is still half a cake left, and (somewhat playfully) blames me for not eating the rest and "forcing" her to eat more because it's sitting there, teasing her.

Ridiculous, I say. Just don't eat any more of it, or those clothes you just bought and made for yourself won't fit anymore.

Or does this somehow fit into one of the other "factors" WriteThinking is referring to?

To me it's all of an extension of No. 1 --- You are eating more calories than you are burning. So stop.

 

To be fair, you could have medical conditions that keep you from expending at the rate you should.

 

Yes, but the decision not to dive is pretty much yours. No one has to know you have a condition that precludes you from doing it, or would presume to stop you in a public, socially unacceptable way.

This really is such a relatable problem, at least in terms of prevalence if not its complexity, that it makes it somewhat surprising to me that people are sometimes so virulent about it.

Granted, this is an issue that is close to my heart. But it is NOT just a matter of simple caloric math. If it were, this country would not be in the midst of an obesity epidemic.

Kevin Smith's blogging about it simply puts a recognizable name and face to it.

 

Absolutely.

And 10 years ago my wife had an operation for appendicitis. After the operation she was no longer expending calories at the rate she was before (not exactly sure of the medical explanation why).

That being said, she is still in control of what she eats and the amount of exercise she gets. It's "more difficult" to stay slim, but it is by no means impossible or even terribly difficult at all. You just have to want it enough. This afternoon, she wanted the cake more. Her choice.

And finally, this "medical condition" is really the exception among the high percentage of obese people in this country. And if you have such a condition, you KNOW you should exercise more and eat less to get the result you desire. Sucks, but that's the hand you are dealt. How you play it is still up to you.

 

At its core? Yes it is. And it's why the country IS in the middle of an obesity epidemic.

Are there other factors at play? Of course. Restaurant portion sizes that are out of control, the considerable relative expense of healthy food, chemical additives that are surely taking years off our lives.

But for the vast majority of people, it IS possible to maintain a healthy weight. That so many people aren't making that choice points to a lot of deep cultural issues. But the core result is that people aren't making the right choices.

And I say that as someone who weighs more than he should (but, of course, can play the 'well, at least I'm not THAT guy' game).

 

Oh, totally. And please don't think I mean to ascribe my fatness to medical problems. My being fat is totally and unequivocally on me.

 

Understood. Appreciate your honesty and candor.

 

Stay mature, hondo.

 

Anytime he has ever felt slighted he has bitched about it on his blog, his fans lapping up every last drop. He has a habit of being wrong about those things, as he's wrong about this too.

 

With whatever health, cultural and emotional mechanisms that are in play (and there are many), however, we shouldn't really speak in terms of what is possible when it comes to dealing with such a pervasive, chronic, complex and long-term/ongoing problem.

There is a core explanation, a root problem, to any issue. Of course. But there also is a need to think realistically, and in terms of what is probable.

Otherwise, you're being too simplistic, and making it sound like I do when I say, "I'm going to win the lottery."

Sure, it's possible. But is it likely? No.

Just because I buy a ticket, or even multiple tickets, every week, in order to give myself a chance, doesn't mean that it's going to happen. And I'm not planning on it, because I can't.

Believe it or not, that is the position that many overweight people are in, for whatever reasons. The ongoing white-knuckling that's done in attempts to control eating, and the constant yo-yo dieting, and repeated losses and gains of the the same pounds, are all proof of that.

And, short of some Biggest Loser-esque time spent, or some other drastic, expensive or unlikely step, the vicious cycle is unlikely to change for many of the people who need it to happen most.