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Also, this might already have been touched on, but when your thyroid is out of whack, you often feel EXHAUSTED, depressed, and in pain. That doesn't exactly make you want to hop up off the couch and run a marathon. Kudos to those who persevere, but it's not easy.
I feel you, seriously, I've struggle with exhaustion as the result of being severly anemic/iron deficient and experiencing borderline hyperthyroidism (which, BTW, CAN result in weight gain).
No it's not easy, but that doesn't mean I give in. Instead I watch my calories and on days I can't bring myself to exercise, I watch them even closer. To top it off, I grew up in a household where a bag of Doritos, a pizza and a 2 liter was considered an acceptable dinner. This is comical considering that we were dirt poor...yet I spend less now buying apples, eggs and other health foods.
I was always told I had a big frame and I couldn't workout because asthma - it's all BS. Every single word.
I grew up, looked into nutrition and learned to eat better. Suprise! I dropped 50lbs (I have a small frame), I can run just like anyone else (and better than many if I train hard enough).
Now I don't care how much anyone else weighs, but don't play the blame game, just own it. For 99% of us the truth is, there are a million reasons to become overweight and a million and one excuses to stay overweight. But that's all they are - excuses.
On an individual level I agree that no one owes an explanation to others. However, that is a poor reason for bashing threads which seek to discuss the issue of obesity in our society. Obesity is an enormous problem in today's society in the United States. It affects us all, whether we are overweight or not, because it affects medical costs and hence the medical insurance rates for all of us.
Widespread obesity (no pun intended) is a sign of something seriously amiss in society as a whole. It goes against the conceptual paradigm of the continuous "improvement" of our species which was actually justified and legitimate in the 19th and first three-quarters of the 20th centuries. Airplanes flew faster and faster. Manned space travel became a reality. Medical science brought us amazing advances such as open-heart surgery and actual complete victory over a few infectious diseases (smallpox and polio). Longevity continued to climb due to a number of factors including better sanitation, medical advances, and declining smoking rates after about 1965 or so.
But now, many things are getting worse, not better and many medical epidemiologists fear a reversal of the gains in longevity; the main reason for that fear is obesity.
As a society we have a desperate need to hold a conversation about the general subject of obesity, of which this thread topic is one aspect.
I have no problem with having a discussion about the worldwide problem with obesity in humans and what the possible causes and solutions might be. What I have a problem with is the negative comments and assumptions that every obese person makes excuses for their weight and isn't trying to be healthier. (and yes I know that some people do these things, but not all) This is not the way to help. This problem is a lot more complex than I think most people who have not had this problem realize.
The OP posted a comment that was judgmental and unkind and in no way shape or form geared toward encouraging people to do better or suggesting helpful ideas. The thread was not meant to open a dialog that could be productive and helpful to obese people. It was posted just so the OP could feel superior and indignant toward people that they deemed inferior to their own view of what is or is not a healthy lifestyle. Not because they cared about the health of the obese people in their lives but likely because they don't like having to see obese people in their world, because it isn't their view of what is atheistically pleasing. They were looking for people to jump on the "bash fat people" band wagon. They were not trying to start a healthy discussion of a very big problem in today's world. So yes the negative reactions they have received were most certainly earned.
Also America has the BIGGEST refrigerators, pantries and kitchens in the world. That means we can have way too much food and not necessarily good food within easy reach. many Europeans go to the market every day for that night's food.
Americans go into shock when they look at housing in other countries. "You call this a kitchen?" "Where is the fridge?" "No pantry?" We are spoiled rotten.
The problem with the American diet is not that Americans only buy fruit and veg once a week, it's that they don't shop for fresh groceries at all, and live on processed and restaurant food. Restaurant foodtastes good because it's got way more salt, sugar and fat than you'd ever add to food you were cooking.
I've noticed a lot of very overweight and obese women like to flaunt their bodies and say things like "big is beautiful" and "skinny is unhealthy". I realize these women say things like this because it keeps their self esteem high but in all honesty it's just not the truth! Being very overweight and obese is NOT healthy and can cause an early death due to heart disease and diabetes. Being a little overweight is okay because most Americans have a few extra pounds. I think being too skinny is not healthy either, but there is a middle area between being fat and being too skinny. Very overweight men and obese men do not flaunt their weight like big women tend to do. The same health hazards apply to big men too.
I respect big men and women who put an effort into losing weight. I've seen some success stories among people I know who used to be big but lost all the weight through diet and exercise. Weight reduction surgery is always an option but I feel like that should be a last resort after everything else has failed.
I have no respect or sympathy for big people who whine about people being rude to them because of their weight yet they do nothing to try to lose weight. Instead they try to make it sound like being big is attractive and healthy.
I feel you, seriously, I've struggle with exhaustion as the result of being severly anemic/iron deficient and experiencing borderline hyperthyroidism (which, BTW, CAN result in weight gain).
No it's not easy, but that doesn't mean I give in. Instead I watch my calories and on days I can't bring myself to exercise, I watch them even closer. To top it off, I grew up in a household where a bag of Doritos, a pizza and a 2 liter was considered an acceptable dinner. This is comical considering that we were dirt poor...yet I spend less now buying apples, eggs and other health foods.
I was always told I had a big frame and I couldn't workout because asthma - it's all BS. Every single word.
I grew up, looked into nutrition and learned to eat better. Suprise! I dropped 50lbs (I have a small frame), I can run just like anyone else (and better than many if I train hard enough).
Now I don't care how much anyone else weighs, but don't play the blame game, just own it. For 99% of us the truth is, there are a million reasons to become overweight and a million and one excuses to stay overweight. But that's all they are - excuses.
But, as has been said before, it's nobody else's business, and people need to get themselves a life and stop snooping into the lives of others, and that includes the lives of people who are heavy.
The problem with the American diet is not that Americans only buy fruit and veg once a week, it's that they don't shop for fresh groceries at all, and live on processed and restaurant food. Restaurant foodtastes good because it's got way more salt, sugar and fat than you'd ever add to food you were cooking.
Very true, and it's very different from the way I saw people cooking and eating in Spain, when I lived there.
That's one of the many reasons they don't have a weight problem, while there is a weight problem in the U.S.
Also, even those that maintain their weight in the U.S. have to battle it by belonging to a gym, having to make time to go to a gym, having to watch what they eat all the time, etc.
Oh, I think western medicine in general also adds on to the obesity. So many issues can be controlled/prevented through healthy eating, exercise, adequate rest/sleep but doctors are often quick to prescribe the latest pharmaceutical trend.
Instead of encouraging a healthy lifestyle, they encourage gorging on pills. Granted, one could easily say that adults shouldn't have to be told that a healthy diet and lifestyle benefits them.
Sorry, I'm just not a big fan of western medicine. I believe in getting to the root of the issue and not simply masking it.
Not sure what the comparison between thyroid issues now and before. But over the last 50-70 years we have also made huge societal changes that have impacted our weight. We eat far more processed food, and we can't even get the government to approve accurate and transparent labeling on out foods. We have eliminated activity from daily life, redesigning our cities and towns to be car friendly and not people friendly. Many places don't have crosswalks or sidewalks even, so the only way to get somewhere is to hop in your car.
I happen to have thyroid issues, and when my levels are not in sync I am exhausted and tired all the time. I don't have the energy to workout or even enough to wake up on time (which if course is the time I would work out). Thyroid issues can also lead to deficiencies in both vitamin d and iron, which also impact your energy levels. My thyroid issues also cause period irregularity. And let me be honest, (this will be TMI) having a heavy period for 6 weeks does not exactly make it possible to workout due to unexpected flow issues.
I eat pretty healthfully most of the time, but for me it is 1 step forward, 2 steps back. A few years ago when my levels were out of sync I gained 25 pounds in 2 months even though I was actually more active than before. I ended up losing that plus more, and my levels got out of sync again and I regained 25. It is really obnoxious to say the least. It is much much harder to lose weight with thyroid issues, and very easy to gain weight.
So maybe for you weight loss is easy. For people with thyroid issues it isn't easy to lose (and thyroid issues are very common in women, particularly as you age).
And as for hypothyroidism? There is no consensus on treatment, the current official accepted TSH levels are a range of .5-4.5. But many endocrinologists recommend the ideal results are a level below 2, but many doctors will not treat people with levels above 3 or 4 even if someone has symptoms. And the symptoms are pretty subjective. Things that could be easily caused by many other health issues or even just stress.
I believe the AACE changed that range in 2002 to .3-3.0. And I totally feel ya on ALL of that!!
In this day and age, it seems like every fat person makes excuses for their weight and claim they don't eat a lot. Obesity is glamorized these days and I don't understand why. I'm not saying we should make fun of fat people, but accepting that it's okay and healthy to be overweight is not okay.
Why does every fat person claim they have a thyroid issue or can't lose weight no matter what they do? Not everyone can be stick thin, but being obese is not natural. I think a very small percentage of people are fat because of a thyroid problem or other medical condition. Most of them are fat because they just eat too much.
And overweight people are so defensive when someone tries to tell them that they are not healthy. Just look at the comments in this article, http://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyando...-is-redefining.
Very few people were fat 100 years ago, so I refuse to believe that suddenly we have all these thyroid issues that are making us fat. Do you agree or do you think I'm being too insensitive?
Glamorized? Where do you live? Fat people are shunned for the most part unless a fatty club meets up weekly at some local eatery.
100 years ago people didn't exist on processed and fast food as they do today. A rule of shopping I have come to understand is stay on the perimeter of a grocery store as that is where the bulk of unprocessed foods are. I have learned to knock out sodas - sugar - bread, pasta, pizza, cookies and cake. Those types of carbs turn to sugar and then to fat. Do I ever eat them? Of course but not as I once did. I no longer buy bread or pasta though I eat some when at people's house for dinner parties. Pizza is a rarity as are cakes or cookies. I like Greek yogurt, vegetables/fruit, meat and eggs. Those are all on the perimeter in most grocery stores.
I used to be fat, and complained that it was just due to my genetics and some medication I was taking, and there was nothing I could do. It's true that I have a slow metabolism, and it does make it difficult to lose fat. But I finally decided to start counting calories, and was shocked to discover that I was eating over 2500 calories a day, even though I thought I had barely been eating 2,000. So I adjusted my exercise and diet so that I had a caloric deficit, and surprise surprise, the weight started coming off.
99% of the people I see who complain about being fat never do anything about it. For the 1% left, yes, they truly do have an excuse. Quit making excuses, stop eating processed carbs, and get off your butt and exercise. I used to weigh 270 pounds and had a bodyfat percentage over 45%. Now I body build and weigh a little over 200 and have a bodyfat percentage under 15%. It took years of hard work to get to where I am now (my genetics made it a very difficult journey, but I did it), and the only way I did it was that one day I decided to stop making excuses, and just do it!
Oh, and did I mention I deal with severe major depression and chronic fatigue? If I can do it, (almost) anyone can.
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