Log: Day 20
Here’s my truth: obese people have the right to be treated with dignity. Body shaming is inexcusable. And obese people should be supported in efforts to become healthier, inside and outside of weight loss. Without quesion. Today I’ve been thinking a lot about where to draw inspiration.
Everyone who is on a diet needs obvious and immediate returns for trimming the fat. I constantly read about fat and health and most seem to focus on medical conditions that can kill or disable. I know all of the medical scares – arterial plaque, cardiac arrest, pulmonary hypertension, stroke, cancers, diabetes. I’ve discussed the biomarkers with my doctor and what they indicate about my body. Glucose tolerance, triglycerides, cholesterol, kidney function, blood pressure … all measures of my health.
I also know that health is a direct function of my weight. I know that the years of carrying this much extra weight have harmed my body. I stumbled onto a website about the “health at any size” movement, suggesting that obesity is harmless. That it’s not bad for you – that having excess body fat is of no consequence if you exercise and eat healthy. Just about every research study would say otherwise.
I guess the hopeful feelings that “someday I’ll look great” inspire me, but it’s hard to sustain those feelings when I’m looking at long-term weight loss and then maintenance. Just a glance in the mirror reminds me how far I have to go.
So what are some good reasons for losing weight? I’ve been spending WAY too much time online lately, reading a lot about current, evidence-based, weight loss trends, quality-of-life studies and the reasons people are successful in the long-term. So here they are:
Reason #1: Osteoarthritis. When you’re healthy you don’t think much about osteoarthritis because it’s common. It’s likely you’ll experience some as you age. Everyone’s grandma has some kind of arthritis. So it seems normal. But it can be debilitating, and it’s a vicious cycle. I already have arthritis in some fingers and in my back. The problem is your joints hurt, so you move less. Moving less means your joints stiffen and the condition worsens. More osteoarthritis means more pain. My point? Obesity makes osteoarthritis more likely. I read one study that said the chance of getting osteoarthritis was 12 times more likely in heavy people. Declaration: I’m going to lose weight to reduce joint pain and improve my movement. These are things I can benefit from almost immediately. Keep reading . . .