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Round Woman
(clarita, Morguefile)

Obese Human
(DodgertonSkillhause, Morguefile)

Fruit Basket
(Pellinni, Morguefile)

Dog Walk
(pippalou, Morguefile)

Japan Bed
(Seemann, Morguefile)

Forest Path
(Ben_Kerckx, Pixabay)

Happy Weight
(clarita, Morguefile)

Losing Weight
(Tumisu, Pixabay)

Obesity graphic
(905513, Pixabay)
Round womanOverweight
Introduction

Historically, being a bigger person was valued, being a sign of wealth, fertility and ability to survive a famine. But in a modern Rich World with its plentiful supply of food, these plusses are lost.
In fact, obesity (excessive body fat) is regarded as one of the most serious health problems of the 21st century. It is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, with increasing rates in adults and children (Wikipedia, accessed 29 October 2017).

So, here is a simple and frugal lifestyle plan to handling weighty matters.
It worked for me.
It requires commitment and effort, as well as seeing the danger of doing nothing.

Obese human silhouette
Diet

In my experience, diet was the biggest factor to improving my body.
Humans are adapted evolutionarily to a wide range of diets (different proportions of protein, carbohydrate, fat), as we have populated vastly different places, and nature (unlike the supermarket) has its cycles. So be calm about proportions.
Try and deeply sense what your body needs. Consider:-

  • Added sugar is the villain. Probably the most helpful advice is reduce foods with added sugars (junk). Evolutionarily, the animal in us senses that sweet food is safe to eat, but in a modern world where so many foods are made sweet, we have messed up this helpful instinct. So, minimise foods with added sugar and fructose. In my experience, foods like fruit with natural (not-added) sugars are fine. Read more here, here, here
  • Fat is the innocent that has been unjustly vilified. Fat is necessary and good for us. Every human cell requires fat! The non-water part of the brain is 60% fat. Feeling full comes from adequate fats, not endless junk. Choose healthy fats like avocado, olive oil and coconut butter and eat plentifully! Example of successful high fat diet: Tyson Fury.
  • Eat organic food if you can afford it. I believe it should be a human right to access it. This reduces your intake of drugs, hormones and pesticides which may mess with your body's natural systems.
  • Begin to make dietary adjustments slowly and surely. For example, switch to darker chocolate.
  • Try eating less. Smaller plates may help. It better simulates our evolutionary past, where often food might be scarce. So, most meals, leave with a stomach 'not quite full' feeling. I know it is challenging, as you are fighting another evolutionary pattern: to feast when food is available/plentiful! 
  • Learn how to prepare food and cook from scratch. Avoid processed foods. Especially avoid ultra-processed food - see here, here, here. Cooking from scratch will take more time. You just need to prioritise it. You could start with one day a week of it. It can feel very satisfying and healthy.
  • Eat vegetables and fruit plentifully. Some advise avoiding fruit because of its sugar content, but I disagree as it is not added sugar. I love smoothies made with a Vitamix or Blendtec or similar - see GreenSmoothieGirl for inspiration.
  • Water is your friend. Cut out fizzy drinks, diet drinks, any drinks with added sugars. Tea, especially herbal tea, is good - but keep clear of added sweeteners. 
  • 'As Dr Orbach explains, this is one of the fundamental truths about all diets – or, indeed, ‘transformation’ plans. “The more we rely on advice from others, the more we lose touch with our own appetite and eating instincts. Then it becomes a cycle. Our bodies no longer know how to regulate their own mealtimes. We don’t get the normal hunger signals or fullness signals. And we don’t trust them when we do.” Basically, we become reliant on diets, and dieting becomes another coded habit we can’t quite kick.' (BBC, posted 28 September 2018, accessed 29 September 2018)
Fruit basket
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Exercise

Movement is life. Get moving.
Humans have become far too sedentary. Where possible and safe:-
  • Choose walking over the likes of cars, elevators, etc.
  • Try and daily take a brisk walk of 30 minutes. Maybe get a dog?
  • Stand rather than sit, whether in the office, public transport, or at home. Try and stand for three hours daily (e.g. only use your laptop when standing). If you must sit, take frequent breaks (e.g. every 30 minutes) and move! Learn more here
  • There are so many opportunities every day to practise mini-strength tasks, like carrying your shopping to the car. "The best overall workout program is the one the individual will actually use regularly." (Mike Mahler, undated, accessed 10 December 2017
"People are sitting down at work, then sitting in the car and then sitting down in front of the television. Your metabolic rate crashes to an absolute minimum. It isn't natural. Humans are designed to stand up and keep moving." (Dr John Buckley cited at BBCposted 11 December 2015, accessed 12 December 2015)

Human walks with dog
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Sleep & Body Clock

Throw out your body clock and you are likely to sleep badly, which means more chance of eating too much and gorging on junk food. See here, here.
Also, things like artificial light and technology gadgets will throw out your natural rhythms. So:-
  • When using gadgets in the evening, reduce exposure to blue light by using a program like f.lux or similar.
  • Avoid bright light and gadgets for at least one hour before bed.
  • Do not have any gadgets in the bedroom.
  • Realise how important sleep is to your well-being!
Japan-style bed
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Psychological Issues

- Stress: Excessive stress in your life will make you eat more, especially junk food.
'When the body is stressed it produces too much cortisol, which makes us more likely to over-eat - and not just any kind of foods, but those which are high in fat and sugar.' (BBC, posted and accessed 25/4/2020; also see here, here).
Can you simplify your life? A simpler life is likely to be a more relaxed life...

- PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder): Sometimes, extra weight acts as a barrier or protection against past harsh experiences. Ideally you need to gradually face and heal these dark experiences.
  • Counselling may help. But this may be costly.
  • Flower essences may help and cost little. Rescue Remedy (also called Five Flower Remedy) alone may achieve wonders! You can do-it-yourself, prescribing flower remedies for yourself (e.g. see here).
  • Be aware this could be a long journey, especially if, for example, you unearth serious childhood abuse. Read one such story here.
Forest path with blue hyacinths
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Other Considerations

- You can accept yourself as you are. Be proud of being big.
Katie (cited at BBC's helpful article on this issue, posted and accessed 22 September 2018) says: "I’m no longer trying to change myself to fit society. I’m trying to change society so it can fit me." [Also see here.]
- There is a genetic component to being a big person. Heritability of body weight is 40%, to 70%. In other worlds, you may be naturally large! Nevertheless, addressing world poverty will create less obesity, as heritability of obesity when poor is 70%.
- Strongmen and strongwomen and similar others need to be huge.
- Any drug you are taking may be messing with your body's natural systems. Try and demedicalise!

Woman happy with her weight!
But maybe it's best not to cheer the scale?
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Quotes

"Obesity has never been a ‘personal problem’. Healthcare professionals need to get wise to the fact that many individuals affected are powerless to overcome the obesogenic environment in which they live, notably the ultra-processed food which slick advertising and relentless encourages them to eat. They are invariably cash-poor and depend on this cheap but less than healthy food to live – an environment from which they have no escape." (Tam Fry, the chairman of the UK's National Obesity Forum, quoted in The Guardian, posted and accessed 10 August 2022)

Bohannon [Cat Bohannon] includes in her Introduction [to Eve] recent research into women’s “gluteofemoral” fat (on hips, buttocks, and upper thigh) — ie., the “stubborn” padding that a woman might turn to liposuction to remove — writing that it is composed of unique and essential lipids (accumulated since childhood) that are vital during pregnancy and breastfeeding to build a baby’s brain and eyes. But apparently no one, before the author, ever asked what the ramifications might be when a post-liposuction woman becomes pregnant. (Krista, review excerpt of Eve by Cat Bohannon, review posted 26 July 2023, accessed 10 October 2023)

A graphic that shows the silhouette of a very obese man from the side. He is shown four times, each time losing considerable weight to achieve a healthy body.
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Resources
A graphic of many interlinked words in green, yellow and orange on a black background. The biggest word is 'Obesity' and many interlink with it, e.g. diabetes, pain, stress. culture, junk food, misinformation, unhappy, medication, therapy, etc.

Also see:-

Eating Disorders

Physical Body

Diet articles

Health articles

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© Bruce Mitchell 2017-Now. All rights reserved.
Page last updated: 12 October 2023.