Health & Fitness
Free Will, Addiction, or Manipulation?
Do you think obesity is a matter of will power?
This week, the AMA (American Medical Association) declared obesity is a disease. Much discussion followed, including huge numbers of comments I read on Facebook, Twitter and various news publications and blogs. Many people were aghast at the declaration.
Most remarks revolved around the costs associated with defining obesity as a disease. Advocates understand obesity causes many other health related illnesses. Obesity cause hypertension, diabetes, ulcers, gallstones, back pain, high cholesterol, some cancers, infertility and more.
The number of comments opposed to the decision appeared to stem from the idea that fat people don’t have to be fat…they choose to be fat. All I can tell you is my own experience:
I am 60 years old. I have been obese nearly all of that time. At various points in my life I've lost weight, as much as 100 pounds, but invariably, I’ve been unable to keep it off. I have always been physically active. I am not lazy. I understand about food, nutrition, diet and exercise. If this isn't a medical condition, then it is a mental condition. if it’s neither, it’s an addiction. No matter, my insurance does not pay for treatment of obesity.
Obesity feels like an addiction to me. I once was a smoker, addicted to nicotine. I smoked two packs a day for more than 40 years. Then, my brother developed COPD and his doctor prescribed Chantix. My brother and I both quit smoking with the aid of that drug over five years ago.
I don’t think there is one reason why people are fat. I think it is a combination of conditions. It may not be the same for everyone. Tobacco companies continued to increase the amount of nicotine to keep smokers addicted and food manufacturers enhance their products the same way. If you aren’t familiar with the addictive combination, I recommend this book:
Salt Sugar Fat:How the Food Giants Hooked Us
I also think the increased volume and type of chemicals in food is a contributing factor. Animals are treated with hormones and antibiotics to make them grow plump. We eat those and ingest the same hormones. We’ve seen the result as early onset of puberty, but I feel certain these hormones contribute to obesity. The pesticides used on crops and the genetic manipulation of produce are also, in my opinion, contributors to obesity. There are also a number of mental and emotional causes of obesity, as well as genetic. The easy availability and the advertising of food is probably a factor.
None of that matters to me. What matters to me is that there are very few treatments that actually have any impact at all. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on gym memberships, Weight Watchers. diet books, etc. None of those things work long term...if those things did work, 1 out of 3 people would not be fat.
Simple ideas like having fresh fruit available in schools, parks and pools may help reduce the amount of addictive foods consumed. Throwing away the remote control and turning off the TV may help. Of course, increasing exercise may help, and always consuming less calories may help, but consider this:
If there was one pill to control obesity, what would be the economic impact? Is it possible only fat people really want to see that happen?
