Losing Weight and Social Responsibility

Losing weight is not just something that you do for yourself. It is something that you need to do for others as well. Being obese is just not that socially responsible. It is putting our health system under an enormous strain because there are so many terrible health consequences to being overweight.

One of the problems is that obesity is not a condition that can be fixed in a few weeks or even a few months. There are no magic bullet solutions.  The diet that helps you reduce weight in the short term needs to be the same diet that creates and maintains your health over the long term.

It has always been a delusion to see obesity as a problem that is isolated from other health problems. The disorder should be treated as a problem that is integrated with other serious diseases like diabetes, a sick colon or a thyroid problem. Where there is obesity there is almost always a secondary health problem as well.

Another big issue is that of personal accountability and being responsible for your own weight gain. Nowadays people are blaming the “obesity gene” when fixing bad eating habits, exercise and other tactics could greatly improve their life This is because a big study was released a few years ago that gave us permission to perceive obesity as somehow “not being our fault” or the product of our genes.  This great discovery has been used as an excuse to not to do anything proactive about our weight.

Here is an idea of the health consequences that can result from carrying around excess weight. Imagine the cost of all of this to the health system and how much better off the economy would be if you would be a little more economical about gaining weight.

1. Carrying around excess body fat saps your energy level. Having just 10 pounds of excess body fat is like carrying around a 10 pound bag of lard that is tied to your waist.


2. Your heart and entire cardiovascular system has to work overtime to support the extra weight. Obesity has a harmful effect on your entire cardiovascular system. This includes your heart, your lungs, and all of your arteries and veins.


3. You may develop breathing problems. For example, sleep apnea is a breathing problem that causes you to stop breathing for short periods of time at night. It has a direct link to obesity.


4. You can become sleep deprived from sleeping in an uncomfortable way. Sleep apnea can also cause snoring which is inconsiderate and can keep your partner awake.


5. Obesity can cause infertility which can also put a burden on the medical system as the doctors look for a way to restore your child bearing abilities.


6. Type 2 Diabetes has been linked to obesity.


7. Extra weight will put you at a higher risk for certain types of cancer. Obese men have a higher risk of developing colon, rectum, or prostate cancer. Obese women have a higher risk of developing gallbladder, breast, uterine, cervical, or ovarian cancer.


8. Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression.


9. Being overweight can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination.


10. Being overweight may have an effect on your self-esteem that, in turn, will have a negative effect on your overall health.

As you can see, courting obesity is not only expensive for you but also to the society as a whole.

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