A woman was talking about her experiences during a bus trip: ‘In the bus there was already an atmosphere of irritation because one of the women took up a lot of space due to the size of her body. Upon arrival, the irritation grew even more as the hostess had to look for a chair that could support the woman’s weight. At one point, the woman asked if she could go to the toilet. One of the ladies whispered to the other: ”Oh mi Gado I hope that toilet seat can stand
against the weight of that big bum. The other attendees also radiated irritation, but they chose to remain silent’
This incident was an eye opener for me, it never occurred to me that being fat could be a source of irritation for others. I can fully understand that a heavy and deformed body is not a pleasant sight for both the person himself and others. Pot bellies, slack buttocks, thick thighs that rub against each other when walking, chins that run over into the neck, deform the body.
My thoughts were always: “Every person has to decide for himself whether or not he wants to walk around fat.” However, because of the negative comments of that lady, I have come to realize that being overweight can be a burden for someone else.
Still, I think that one should not lump all fat people with the accusation of gluttony. There is often no clear cause for obesity. Usually there is a combination of factors, such as excessive consumption, unhealthy food (lots of sugars and fat) and too little exercise. The environment in which the person finds himself often forms the basis for this. A number of other factors can also greatly increase the risk of being overweight:
e.g. use of medication, heredity, illness.
I recently heard on the news that two thirds of the Dutch population is overweight. Being overweight can have a major impact on people’s overall health and longevity. For example, being overweight can be a (partial) cause of various health problems and disorders, such as: Diabetes, gallstones, varicose veins, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, cerebral haemorrhage, heart attack, thrombosis, disorders of muscles and joints. The medical care of these people costs the state a lot of money. Severe obesity can also lead to sleep problems, sleep apnea, gout and breathing problems. In short, it is clear that being overweight contributes to a reduced quality of life.
Three aspects play a crucial role in the prevention of overweight, namely: diet, exercise and behaviour.
Basic knowledge of nutrition is therefore an important step towards a healthy diet. Consciously choose healthy products. Limit meals and do not indulge in snacks. Try to drink a lot.
Sufficient exercise is crucial to maintain weight.
It is important to eat at regular times. For example, breakfast is a meal that should not be skipped.
An unhealthy lifestyle often plays a role in the development of obesity. When it comes to lifestyle, people initially think of an unhealthy eating and drinking pattern and too little exercise. Less well known (but certainly no less important!) are also chronic stress and sleeping problems. In chronic stress, the stress hormone cortisol is elevated. Cortisol not only causes ‘snack appetite’, but also the accumulation of fat, mainly in the abdomen. In addition, cortisol causes the breakdown of muscles.
Prevention is better than cure. As soon as a person notices weight gain in himself, the character comes into play. One will do everything in his power to reduce that excess weight because he or she realizes it is for their own good and the other will be more indifferent and do nothing about it. It’s not just about losing weight, but a mind shift has to take place.
For example, many people don’t stop eating until their plate is empty, while they have to stop when their stomach signals that they are full. Continuing to eat causes the stomach to stretch. The bigger the stomach, the more you keep eating.
Whether or not to tackle your weight gain is your choice. But when making that decision, try not only to take into account yourself, but also to take into account some important points.
– Your medical care makes an extra financial burden on the state treasury.
– It can be a heavy burden on your environment, for example a firm chair, occupying twice the normal space in a bus or airplane.
– If you are ill, someone else cannot lift that weight.
Conversely, the environment will also have to try not to judge directly, because we do not know what is the cause of that weight gain. For some it may actually be eating too much and unhealthy food and exercising too little, but for others it may have a different cause, such as illness. So let’s take a little care of each other.
“To judge others is human. To keep your opinion about others to yourself, is having class.”
Josta Vaseur
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