The vocabulary of the 21st century: Toning up, Love Handles Workout, diet-friendly treats, metabolism boost, natural cellulite remedies, Body Mass Index, fat loss, exercise-induced growth hormone, active vacations, refreshing lite beer, The Official Oprah Diet, Adidas ClimaWalk, cholesterol level, hydrating fitness belt, eating disorders, celebrity bodies, etc., etc., etc.
We are, on a daily basis, bombarded with headlines, ads, magazine articles, billboards and rear bus panels on “the fat issue”. Even reality shows follow intimately each step of the long road from hell to heaven: Shedding anything between nine and 28 kilo’s in front of a TV-watching nation cannot be easy. However, if that is what it takes to become a celebrity… And, of course, the bigger the loss, the higher the status.
To complicate matters, much has been said lately about being too thin. Most celebrities are fashionably thin and regarded as bad role models for young girls who could become anorexic, bulimic or even die in their quest to become a “perfect size zero”. The recent top model controversy was proof of the many attempts to change this.
One thing is certain: The fat issue has become THE issue on the mind of every women, mother, educator, adolescent and, yes, guy on the globe. One can even find a diet for your overweight pet on various websites. (After all, did someone famous not recently say that fat pets have fat owners?) Has it always been this way? Have we, up to recently, simply not noticed or paid attention? Has the human anatomy (at least) stayed the same? What is the relation between weight and fat? Between weight and exercise? Weight and health?
If u r just a little worried that u might be missing something important or perhaps even start to feel somewhat uncomfortable when a friend obviously means something entirely different from a pack of ice-cold Tui when he or she uses the term “six pack”, u can google, say, “diets” for a start. Response? 24 000.000 hits. “Health issues” turns out 2 080.000 hits and u can choose from at least 800 health clubs anywhere in NZ if u feel empowered enough to consider a workout.
Health control is no longer the prerogative or even choice of the individual. The NZ government, together with Fitness NZ, has issued an extensive set of health guidelines and even rules to promote a healthy nation. Body fat, exercise and lifestyle have become daily topics of conversation. Schools may no longer sell in their tuck shops what their clientele desires. Some accepted this interference without question; others rebelled. Who should be blamed if a child is overweight? Some say the educational system is failing its objects. Parents, as always, are regarded huge culprits. Even before the birth of a child, its fate could be decided. Is the Kiwi lifestyle to be blamed? The Western lifestyle? How does NZ compare to other nations? How do different ethnic groups differ? Much research has been done and some results are interesting; others shocking. Alzheimers, Asthma, ADHD, obesity, heart attacks, knee problems, high cholesterol levels and inability to taste are only the start of an unhealthy person’s problems. It is even suggested that we are poisoning ourselves and that the food we eat daily can lead to suicide.
And then, just when we have done some homework on this topic and think we know enough to at least step out the front door, kitted out in our Reeboks and heart rate monitors, we read that it – as everything else in life in the 21st century - boils down to this: The ozone layer. The debate is an ongoing one. Is the so-called health nut who works out daily (also read: showers more often), constantly counts kilojoules, sips ice-cold mineral water and limits her alcohol intake to locally produced organic wine contributing more to the greening process than an unfit, overweight chain smoker? U may consider reading “Fighting Globesity” by Mills and Mills (He is the son of Les Mills of the trendy health club fame); u can also choose to grab a (full-bodied) beer from the fridge and, like Buzz Aldrin, decide that “every human has a finite number of heart beats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercise.”
We are, on a daily basis, bombarded with headlines, ads, magazine articles, billboards and rear bus panels on “the fat issue”. Even reality shows follow intimately each step of the long road from hell to heaven: Shedding anything between nine and 28 kilo’s in front of a TV-watching nation cannot be easy. However, if that is what it takes to become a celebrity… And, of course, the bigger the loss, the higher the status.
To complicate matters, much has been said lately about being too thin. Most celebrities are fashionably thin and regarded as bad role models for young girls who could become anorexic, bulimic or even die in their quest to become a “perfect size zero”. The recent top model controversy was proof of the many attempts to change this.
One thing is certain: The fat issue has become THE issue on the mind of every women, mother, educator, adolescent and, yes, guy on the globe. One can even find a diet for your overweight pet on various websites. (After all, did someone famous not recently say that fat pets have fat owners?) Has it always been this way? Have we, up to recently, simply not noticed or paid attention? Has the human anatomy (at least) stayed the same? What is the relation between weight and fat? Between weight and exercise? Weight and health?
If u r just a little worried that u might be missing something important or perhaps even start to feel somewhat uncomfortable when a friend obviously means something entirely different from a pack of ice-cold Tui when he or she uses the term “six pack”, u can google, say, “diets” for a start. Response? 24 000.000 hits. “Health issues” turns out 2 080.000 hits and u can choose from at least 800 health clubs anywhere in NZ if u feel empowered enough to consider a workout.
Health control is no longer the prerogative or even choice of the individual. The NZ government, together with Fitness NZ, has issued an extensive set of health guidelines and even rules to promote a healthy nation. Body fat, exercise and lifestyle have become daily topics of conversation. Schools may no longer sell in their tuck shops what their clientele desires. Some accepted this interference without question; others rebelled. Who should be blamed if a child is overweight? Some say the educational system is failing its objects. Parents, as always, are regarded huge culprits. Even before the birth of a child, its fate could be decided. Is the Kiwi lifestyle to be blamed? The Western lifestyle? How does NZ compare to other nations? How do different ethnic groups differ? Much research has been done and some results are interesting; others shocking. Alzheimers, Asthma, ADHD, obesity, heart attacks, knee problems, high cholesterol levels and inability to taste are only the start of an unhealthy person’s problems. It is even suggested that we are poisoning ourselves and that the food we eat daily can lead to suicide.
And then, just when we have done some homework on this topic and think we know enough to at least step out the front door, kitted out in our Reeboks and heart rate monitors, we read that it – as everything else in life in the 21st century - boils down to this: The ozone layer. The debate is an ongoing one. Is the so-called health nut who works out daily (also read: showers more often), constantly counts kilojoules, sips ice-cold mineral water and limits her alcohol intake to locally produced organic wine contributing more to the greening process than an unfit, overweight chain smoker? U may consider reading “Fighting Globesity” by Mills and Mills (He is the son of Les Mills of the trendy health club fame); u can also choose to grab a (full-bodied) beer from the fridge and, like Buzz Aldrin, decide that “every human has a finite number of heart beats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercise.”
8 comments:
Your blog is quite interesting especially for woman like me. When I was younger I used to weigh about 60kg. back in my home country, onced I have travelled to Australia and I lived there for one year I gained weight 12 kg. First, I went to see the diet clinic back home and the doctor gave me some medicines to take for 3 weeks which I needed to take before meal but when I took them I didn’t feel hungry at all. My weight was incredibly reduced to 55 kg. in 3 weeks from 72 kg. I was too skinny(comparing my height is 172 cms at the time) so I stopped going to see the doctor. Within 2 weeks after not taking the medicines my weight has gained back which I didn’t understand what went wrong so I went to see the doctor again. Of course the doctor talked me into it, I had to pay for more medicines to reduce my weight back. Do you know that when you go to see the doctor you only nod your head whatever the doctor says! That was me…. So I took the same medicines again this time for 3 weeks, my weight was reducing too fast that I could notice the skin under my upper arms and legs are hanging like an old lady. So I stopped the medicines and no longer go back to see the doctor. I have read exercise, detox, and diet magazines, searched for what have caused me to become like that. After I stopped the medicines I gained weight almost twice as what I lost. It’s called YO-YO effects. My skin was like an old lady ….how come? The medicines didn’t make me feel hungry or thirsty at all so my body didn’t get enough water as it should have. A few years after that these kinds of clinics were banned.
This topic is pretty common concern for many people including me. I think I gained about 5 kg in weight since I came to NZ, which was this February. I guess it's because I tend to eat a lot when I feel stressful (this is my first time to stay abroad so...). But usually, after I get over the stresses, my weight used to be reduced to the weight as before without doing anything because I stop eating a lot. But here, it remains as I gained weight.
I don’t know if it is because NZ food, which is different from my country’s. However, compare with the time when I live in Japan, I suppose I eat high calorie food more often such as pie, hamburger, and fish and chips.
Or it might be because of my age. I have heard that it’s getting hard to reduce weight as you get old. Do you think it’s true?
But anyway, we have many many high calories staff nowadays like snack so it’s not surprising that this is big issue today. I’m really interested in your next post. I wondered how we can deal with this as individual and on a world scale.
What can I say dolls? I have sympathy with you but no good news: There is no easy solution. The yo-yo dieting that u mentioned, Jan, has become quite serious these days as that is the start of lethal illnesses like anorexia and bulimia. As for age, Chie, u r still quite safe - the watershed age is 40! After that women get a menopot - fat around the middle, arms, thighs etc. - and have to work really hard to get rid of it. Spoke to a personal trainer a few weeks ago who said that he'd much rather work with a woman who would be regarded as "big" by some people but who has muscle and is healthy, than someone who is underweight. I do not speak of personal experience but have heard that it is sometimes more difficult to gain weight than to lose a few k's.
Jan, the concept of detoxing is fascinating - tx for bringing that up. Am going to do some research on that and will keep you posted l(literally?!) ttul
Hi Christel.
Finally I'm here.
I must say it's very interesting, although i really hate reading, i did enjoyed reading this for sure.
U r right, i agree with u on the junk and high cholesterol food we eat will lead us nothing to but to a short unhappy life.
Although there are case like children are born overweight but i've come across parents knowing there are overweight, still doesn't care about their diet and buy em and feed em all the sweets, chocolate and junk foods form burgers to pizza. And at the end of the day it gets worse and the poor child has to take bullies from other kids. Wot i'm tryin to say here is that if the parents be a lil bit more conscious about wot they are doing to their kids, life will be lot better and happier for em.
It's just wot i think, i know there are cases of overweight problems genetically.
And now these days, the more junk and unhealthy food is advertised on the media, the more products for losing weight is advertising as well, so people who r in need of help for weight losing get really confused, the sellers are doing an awesome job market them, and at the end of the day the particular person who buy the product tries it and it doesn't work as it shown on tv lose hope and go back to be the same overweight person. Coz most of the people who are in need of losing weight are already depressed about how they look. So this kinda thing makes them lose hope easily. So i think it's better to get help of a good physican and plus a dietician and start the weigh losing program with a healthy low fat diet. Coz this is i believe will be best for people in need of losing weight. Coz these people knows well how the human body and it works and react on wot we eat, and do. And how the human body differs from person to person, after they exam and they'll know wot's best for the particular person. So why people waste money and time and get easily tricked by the ads that are shown on tv. There's a much better way they can do the right thing.
Hehehe, Said quite a lot ey?
But this wot i really think is the best for people who are in need of a change and be fit, and get rid off all the access fat they stored in their body. Do it the healthy way and stay healthy and happy.
Cheers :)
Hi Di ablow,
After falling off my chair to c that u have accepted my invite to this blog, I got myself a nice half-bottle of sav to accompany me while reading ur lengthy comments. It's nice to read a "different" perspective. One matter that u brought up was that one should GET HELP - and from professionals. To lose weight is so much easier than people think. The biggest obstacle seems to be perserverance. Sometimes it is just impossible to do things alone.
Have spoken to a personal trainer a few days ago and to people in their profession, the ultimate satisfaction is apparently that they see how their clients' personalities change altogether and that they become happy people - as the weight melts away. How about we chuck BA English studies and do a personal training course instead? Hey, we might make loads of money and meet celebrities! Anybody out there interested? Seriously!
Hi christel~ your tipic is quite similar to mine. Eevry women no matter what age wnats to lose weight because of self-satisfaction. But i think most of them are not doing diet proper way. They want to lose a lot for a short time. That's the problem. They skip meals don;t even drink water. One of my friend said like " i am a person who gains weight although i only drink water." i think everyone does know the best way of diet which is... excercise !! But, people are getting lazy and they just want to weight quickly and easily...
If they love themselves they wouldn't do bad things for their health.. i think.
Hi Kirsty,
The "water" issue that u mention, is quite interesting, hey? It has increased from 8 glasses (2 litres?) per day to 3 litres per day and now there r people out there who have done research and proven that one can drink too much water - there is even a scientific name for this type of "poisoning". I think I have mentioned the book by Pamela Peek somewhere before, but according to her one should eat at least six times per day! The portions and quality is of course important. She doesn't really "pull a hare from a hat" (IS there such an idiom in the English lang? How about in Japanese/Korean?) Anyway, in my mother tongue it means that she doesn't say much that we haven't heard before) What I DID find interesting was the emphasis that she puts on psychological factors - if one does not have the right attitude and even circumstances, you should not even start on her regime. The right attitude is important, otherwise, according to her, u will fail in ur lifestyle change. If one thinks of it, it kinda makes sense though - surely if one has abused one's body 4 many years, it cannot be corrected without some hard work. PS. I am considering becoming a vegetarian. Have u done any research on this when u did ur blog?
ttul
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