So let’s talk about obesity.
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There was this essay today in the New York Times:
I re-read it twice and didn’t understand much. Anti-fat bias, a weight-inclusive approach, and so on. But I get the gist of it: let’s be very careful discussing and combating “obesity”.
I already wrote about this topic:
I’m not here to judge people struggling with weight. Indeed there are many circumstances that result in weight gain. Besides, we all struggle with something. I’m all proud of my lean weight and running ninety miles a week but I have other problems and struggles. Someone “obese” can be much sounder in their mind and life more generally.
However, I do want to discuss the fucking hypocrisy of “guidelines”. Sorry, not sorry for injecting the f word.
Mask mandates?
Vaccine mandates?
Careful about using the word obesity?
How about sticking a label on every aisle with processed and sugary foods and on every item there that says. This highly processed product is rich in added sugar. Processed foods and excess sugar have been shown to cause… I’m not here to come up with the exact wording or list all the scary health conditions. Diabetes. Heart disease. Obesity. Cancer. The regulators should do it — come up with these labels.
It doesn’t matter that Oreo cookies are an iconic brand. Marlboro is too. Or maybe was.
Yes, obesity. Put that word on the labels. It wouldn’t be individual-specific. No one to offend.
How about other measures too? A mandatory healthy nutrition class at every school.
One more thing. I feel strongly about this one: healthy nutrition is not a financial privilege. Maybe I’m narcissistic about my lifestyle — so be it. I burn one and a half thousand calories on most days just from running. My nutrition requirements are far greater than of an average person. Yet I…