Obesity - Who's fault is it?

In the UK, obesity costs the NHS £6 BILLION of taxpayers money & 64% of adults (thats nearly 2 in every 3) are classed as being overweight or obese. But who's fault is it that England (and the US) as a nation are becoming fatter, lazier and unhealthier? Who is to blame?

Is it society? Well we live in a world where exercise is considered to be obsessive, and eating healthy is considered to be tasteless, so yes, society plays a big part. How can you stick to eating healthy when everyone around you in the office wants to give you cake? How can you stick to an exercise regime when those around you are calling you boring and no fun? It's tough. It is like we are constantly battling with today's society. But hang on a minute, this is the same society that says eating healthy is expensive, but will spend over £8 for a packet of cigarettes. The same society that will spend £90 on a booze filled night they will probably throw up down a toilet and regret the next day. So why should we listen to these people and allow them to stop us becoming healthier, happier and fitter? Who's to say today's society is the right one!? 

Another big factor is the food industry. From McDonalds, to Coca-cola, to even Kellogg's, they are all to blame. Fast food restaurants are everywhere, down every high street selling nutrient-poor foods stuffed with additives & preservatives, and we are keeping them in business! We are funding them, helping them grow bigger, richer and for what? 3 minutes of satisfaction followed by 30 minutes of guilt! Some of you may be wondering why I linked Kellogg's with McDonalds, but it is also these "health conscious" companies that act like they care for our health, but in reality, they care for what is in your wallet.

Cereals, breakfast bars, low fat products, most of these products are filled with added sugars that go unnoticed. There are 9 kcal's per gram of fat, and only 4 kcal's per gram of carb (sugar), so what these companies do is remove the fat and add sugar so they do not lose out on taste, but can now release a product that is lower in calories and fat and market it as "healthy".

So why is all this sugar bad? Well this is a huge topic in itself, but to put it in the most basic way, consuming too much of this sugar in one go will cause a spike in your blood sugar levels, your body then releases extra insulin to bring your blood sugar levels back to normal by storing excess sugar as fat. This is why you get a sugar high, then crash shortly after eating lots of refined sugary snacks/sweets.

My next point is one that I believe to be very important and that's the lack of education given to parents & children. We are getting fatter as a nation because people are not equipped with enough knowledge on how to live healthier. The cost of living is increasing each year so people are becoming more conscious of how they spend their money. Unfortunately, people think that junk food is the only way you can eat on a budget, again this is false.

Parents are looking for convenient foods to feed their children and these are often nutrient poor, unhealthy meals that they have picked up from the local supermarket/takeaway. Due to parents not knowing how to cook or shop smart, the children are suffering and child obesity rates are also rising. Education is needed!

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for life. If you give someone a set diet, they may see short term results. Teach them about food, health, fitness and they will forever make progress"

We've talked about society, the food industry and education, but who else is to blame? The media! Probably one of the biggest culprits in the cause for rising obesity rates. They purposely show advertisements for unhealthy snacks around 3.30pm onwards as this is when children start arriving home from school. When a child see's something on TV that they like, they will do what they can to get it. "Mummy, mummy, I want that for my school lunches!", and how is Mum supposed to know that the low fat snack bar contains over 30% sugar? Well she doesn't. So the child gets his sugar loaded snack bar and Mum thinks she's making her child healthier. It's sad, but that's the media for you. Again, this is why education is important!

However (and here comes my unpopular opinion), at the end of the day if you are overweight/obese (and do not have a medical condition that causes this) the only person you can truly blame is... YOURSELF! Why? Because it is you that puts food into your mouth, it is you that goes to the shop to buy unhealthy snacks, and it is you that decides it's too much effort to do exercise. No one is holding a gun to your head saying, "eat that extra slice of cake NOW, or I will kill you", the fact of the matter is, you are responsible for your own actions. We as a nation need to stop looking for excuses, we need to stop sugar coating everything and we need to get up, eat healthier and move more.

I can hear you all shouting at me saying, what about those who upset you and make you feel like rubbish. Firstly, you should immediately distance yourself from these types of people as you should allow no room for people that do not have a positive impact on your life. Secondly, they did not pick up a fast food burger and force it down your throat. What they have done is upset you, what you have done is turn to food for comfort. Why is this a bad thing? Because fast food does not love you back, it does not give you productive advice and it certainly doesn't make you feel good in the long run! And thirdly, why not use those hateful comments as motivation to make positive changes to your lifestyle and prove all those who doubt you wrong! This is why I always say, 

"Instead of turning to food for comfort, use that emotion to fuel a workout and confide in a best friend or someone you trust"

You'll get the full benefit of a workout, be able to catch up with a close friend, de-stress and do wonders for your health all at the same time. Doesn't that sound a lot better than turning to junk food that will make you feel even worse within the space of 4 minutes? I think it does!

To finish this post off, I want to ask you, how do you think we should beat obesity? I believe we must take responsibility for our own actions. I believe in offering support and guidance to those who need it. I believe in better education for both parents and children. It's important children grow up with a positive mindset about health and fitness. They are the future, but they can only learn from those who teach. 

The following video is by performance nutritionist Ben Coomber. He has been an obesity statistic and he has hit the nail on the head with his latest video "Diet: The disease of our generation". He is proof that if you really want to change, you can! Enjoy and share...

"Obesity happens one pound at a time, so does preventing it!"

Do you agree, or disagree? Please send me a tweet @GymForWomen with your view!

Hadee.