Overweightness: Chunky-Fat-Obese
I apologize for this brief interruption to the theme of this thread ... with this FYI
There's a difference between being just overweight and being obese, and black women (and women in general) tend to struggle more with weight issues. Whether one
elects to address his/her overweight issue is a choice
for a while, however, one should
want to know where their body is relative to their scale of overweightness, because the issues of being grossly overweight change as a person gets older and/or adds more weight.
- diabetes
- high ******* pressure/vision
- joint breakdowns/aging
- stress/depression/personality changes
- physical limitations & disabilities
- heart attacks, strokes, and cancers
- inter-relationships with others (personal & professional)
Medical technology uses a Body Mass Index (BMI) scale to determine a person's stage of over/under weightness. This takes into consideration one's height & weight, as well as the density of fat in the body. A BMI of <20 usually indicates normal body mass, 21-30= overweight, 31-40 = obese, and >40 = morbidly obese.
I really encourage everyone, who struggles with weight issues, to at least get a BMI assessment done at their doctor's office, because once the body begins breaking down (ie. the pancreas goes insulin crazy), its hard to reverse the problems. My wife and I deal with this topic on a daily basis ... me in the health insurance industry, and my wife in the health care industry. Thing is, it is not all that hard to cut out huge amounts of sugars/carbohydrates from a diet which will usually result in a 10-20% weight loss by choosing better foods to eat. And folks, fast foods are enemy #1, trust me. So, the earlier you address it, the longer and higher quality of life you'll have with those you love and with those that depend on you.
OK, sorry for the info spillage, but if I didn't care I wouldn't have posted all this. Love you all!
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I know that you come from a place of caring, compassion and concern, and I thank you for that, but not everyone who is overweight, obese, chunky, or fat has an "issue" with it, nor do they struggle with it. It is the societal assumption that we do, that I have a problem with. Believe it, or not, it is possible to be fat, and still be healthy and love oneself ASIS.
Up to this era in human evolution, the ability to store fat efficiently has been an evolutionary advantage ensuring the perpetuation of our species. (Our ancestors were world champs at fat storage!) It has only been within the last 100 years, or so, that humanity traded a life of working in the fields for a life sitting an office staring at a computer screen for hours on end. Fat is also a buffer which provides the body with a layer of protection from toxic substances. When humanity traded in our pitchforks and plows for keyboards and fast food, we traded whole food, clean water, and fresh air, for toxic garbage. It's not just the food supply that is toxic, but in the water/soda we *******, and the very air we breathe that is laced with poison too. Is it any wonder our bodies ramp up their efforts to protect us from this onslaught by increasing fat production on such a massive scale? The human body was created to endure and survive, and will do whatever is necessary to do so!
It is a fact that society is fat, getting fatter, and there are serious health concerns associated with it, but to answer the question of why/how, nobody looks at these environmental factors. Instead, there is a basic assumption that if one is fat, they must be lazy, gluttonous, slovenly, or lacking in someway, which is simply not true. I run 5K races, (am training to run my first 10K this fall, with a goal to run my first half-marathon within a year and a half), lift weights 3 days a week, and take Zumba and Nia dance classes for fun. I start my day with several Sun Salutations, and meditation, eat a sensible, predominantly Paleo diet, with no fast food, no soda, no processed food. Fat does not fall off my body, it drifts off very, very slowly! Over the course of the last 8 years, or so, I have lost around 100lbs (give or take.) I am constantly on the go, and have so much energy that family and friends get exhausted trying to keep up with me. What I do, I do because I love myself, not because I hate my body, have an issue with my weight, or want to change a thing about myself. I don't get on the scale, obsessively track my BMI (I once did so religiously until I drove myself insane) have no "goal" in mind, but trust that my body will settle wherever it's healthiest to do so. I'm not the only large woman who does this either, and our numbers are growing every day!!
We are all shades of light and dark. People come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors, and every single one of us is an expression of Intelligent Creation. It is my fondest wish that society evolves to the point where we can look into the eyes of another Being, and see their Beauty and inherent worth, NOT their flaws, size, race, religion, nor ourselves (for it is themselves that most people see when they look at another, particularly when they feel the need to judge.)
