A new study (Journal of the American medical Association) confirms what any overweight kid already could have told you: being heavy makes for a very unhappy life. While the children report a much lower overall quality of life compared to kids with healthier bodyweights, their parents seem oblivious to their problems.
The obese kids in the study reported the lowest quality of life in the survey. Physical and social functioning was rated lowest, with emotional and school-related issues not as severely impacted.
Think about it: the fat kids always got teased in school, picked last for games/sports, didn't get dates in high school, and so on. At every level, elementary to adulthood, fat kids are descriminated against, made fun of, and excluded. The emotional wounds from having to endure that throughout your childhood must be deep and sometimes crippling. Imagine feeling excluded from life, and knowing that food can numb that pain. Then imagine trying to lose the weight, to give up the one thing in your life that provides comfort.
I'll say it again: for many people, the emotional elements of being overweight are what prevent them from getting into the gym and/or eating a healthy diet. If you don't deal with the wounding, no diet plan or gym membership will make a difference.
And this isn't a victimization stance. Yes, to a certain point these people are victims of our cultural values and insensitivity. But in the end, they must take responsibility for their lives and seek the healing they need, both physical and emotional. Along the way, it would also help to understand how the cultural values supported their eating patterns in some ways. It's an integral approach, and it's the only approach that will work in the long term.
[Click the header to read the WebMD news story.]
No comments:
Post a Comment