I am amazed how society is so hung up on a person's weight. When I was growing up the model, Twiggy, was the "ideal" woman. I never understood that concept as she was nothing but skin and bones. And things haven't changed much at all. I see the models on the magazines and television and not only are they all extremely young but they weigh like 98 pounds soaking wet. Is this our example that shows the average woman how they should look? I don't think so. Have you been to Wal-mart recently? The average woman is probably a size 12 to 14. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. But somehow and somewhere we have been told that size 0 or 2 is the right size. Who said so? I don't believe them. And, I don't like to be made to feel that if I am not a size 0 or 2 there is something wrong with me. I am average and I am a size 14. But, everyday I think that I need to lose weight because of some invisible standard that someone I don't even know has set. Why do I let that happen?
Society seems obsessed by this whole weight issue. One of the most popular television shows is "The Biggest Loser" and the tabloids are filled with pictures of celebrities and their cellulite. Then there are the "fat" shows. Fat teenagers, fat adults, fat couples...it goes on an on. I realize that being overweight can be a health issue. I am all for taking care of yourself and not compromising your health. But, I don't think you have to be a size 2 to be healthy. You can be average and still be alright.
What I don't understand is people that weigh so much that they cannot move from their bed. I truly don't understand it. I feel very badly for these people and I know that there is obviously a major health problem. A problem that needs to be addressed. But here is my question, if someone is so overweight that they cannot get out of their bed, then how do they get anything to eat? I promise that I am not being callous in any way. I just don't understand. You would think that if someone cannot get out of bed then they would waste away....not gain any weight.
So clearly someone is enabling this dangerous problem for the person who is so overweight they cannot move. Let's just say you have a male family member, say it is your son, and he is an adult and is on disability because he can't work due to his weight problem. And let's say, as his mom, you go to see him each day to make sure he is alright because you really love him ... he is your son. Let's call him Joey. So you go to see Joey and there he is in his bed. He has been in the bed for months and cannot get up. And you ask him what can you do to help him? And, Joey says, I would like 2 dozen fried eggs, 6 pieces of toast, a pound of bacon and a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Would you really give it to him? Really and truly? Why would you do that? Long before you got to this moment, wouldn't you have appealed to your son and the problem he was having and help him? This I really don't understand. If you really love someone then you should try and help them in a situation like this.
There isn't anything funny about it. This is quite a serious matter. Our society has gotten to the point that the food that is available to us has so much preservatives, fillers and injections. It isn't like it is real food anymore. It isn't really fresh and wholesome unless you really work at it and look. I mean these days you can even buy pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the frozen section at the market. Then there is all of the fast food. The amount of calories is astronomical in all of that food. The recent news story about Taco Bell needing to meet a requirement that the beef they use in the tacos must have at least 40% beef and it was found that Taco Bell was only using 30% beef. Question...what is in the other 70%? Kind of scary to me. Some years back I went to Denny's and ordered a steak. It looked like a steak but it wasn't. It was like plastic meat. I don't know how that happens but I saw it with my own two eyes. And then there are school lunches with pizza and fries on the menu for the day. What is that teaching our children about healthy eating?
I am not really one to preach about eating correctly because I don't always do very well. But, I can't help thinking about the person lying in a bed somewhere unable to move because of being so overweight. I wonder how that happened. I wonder who in that person's life allowed it to get that bad and do nothing. I wonder how they must feel being so isolated. I cannot imagine how it must feel for that person. I really can't.
I don't think we should allow some ideal set forth by society, whomever that is, to determine that everyone should be a size 2 or a 24" waist or look like someone gracing the cover of a magazine. Everyone should be themselves and not feel less than beautiful because of some unrealistic standard. What we should do is help those people that are isolated from life because maybe that unrealistic standard has impacted their life in such a negative way they cannot cope. Why do we have to be so judgmental? Why can't we just accept people for who they are and raise them up, instead of condemning them? Wouldn't the world be a better place if we took care of each other?
Until next time,
Anne
No comments:
Post a Comment