I’ve been noticing growing trends such as #fatshaming and #bodyacceptance that keep insisting that anyone who states that being overweight or obese is dangerous gets automatically labeled a body bully.  That’s like a smoker or an alcoholic accusing someone of being mean because they are being told that smoking and excessive drinking is killing them.  Unfortunately, these are just plain facts.  I’m not saying that “fat shaming” or bullying of any type is okay, everybody has different genetics and all healthy bodies should be accepted and loved. However, I don’t ever want to be an enabler that encourages bad, even deadly, habits just to be pleasant and avoid the truth of the matter.

When it comes to fat shaming, and I know this is an old article, but I agree with Jennifer Lawrence, I don’t think you should ever use the word “fat” as an insult to hurt someone’s feelings, being “fat” is a relative term and I feel like every one of us could potentially be considered “fat”.  If you compare your legs to someone else’s legs, and they’re larger, someone could say you’re “fatter” than them.  I’ve dealt with my fair share of body bullying myself with people saying that I’m too muscular and so on.

On the other hand I think that “fat shaming” getting a lot of attention in the media could be considered a good thing because it helps starts conversations about obesity.  Obesity, is a killer that can and should be avoided.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t sympathize and understand the struggles involved in being overweight.  Of course I do, I’ve heard a lot of people say that when it comes to weight loss, losing weight is hard and gaining weight is easy.   This battle with obesity is not a pleasant one, it’s challenging and sometimes embarrassing to talk about, but the solution is education, determination and a strong support system.

Speaking of truth and education… lets go over some facts regarding obesity.  Women are 93 times more likely to develop Type II diabetes with a body max index (BMI) of 35 or higher compared to women whose BMI is 22 or lower (A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).  Obesity is related to a bunch of cardiovascular illnesses as well.  From stroke to heart disease to high blood pressure, obesity is the major cause of these avoidable illnesses.  In fact, the leading cause of death in women is heart disease!

I think one of the most terrible aspects of obesity is not just the physical toll it takes on an individual, but the mental and emotional suffering it causes.  Researchers have long known that obesity shares a terrible relationship with depression.  Obese individuals have a 55% higher risk of developing depression.  Ironically enough, people suffering from depression had a 58% higher risk of becoming obese.  All the more reason that consistent exercise is vital to our wellbeing.

I know for many of you guys, reading about the dangers of obesity might be old news.  Most of us are familiar with the idea that being overweight, especially severely overweight, is a danger to our health and being.  Obesity has become so commonplace in this day and age, the media talks about it quite often, but you know what….. we need constant reminders about this until this problem is no longer a problem.

Sorry if I’m ranting but this really is a problem, even if none of this is new information for you, hopefully it still stands as a reminder to stay healthy and happy!  I’ve received a lot of email from people recently that have friends and family members who are in desperate need of help due to their weight.  I can only imagine how sad and frustrating that must be.  I’m here to help, that’s why I love what I do at the ZGYM, I try to help inspire everyone to maintain a healthy, fit lifestyle on a daily basis.

If you or anyone you know struggles with being overweight, you’re not alone.  Leave a comment below so myself and other members of the community can give our support!