We're All Fat

Yep, today we are going to talk about FAT. In both terms of the word - Fat as in something we consume and are made of, and Fat as in what some of our nation are becoming.

*Please note, that this is not meant to cause any offence, it is simply a musing of articles I have read and assumptions based upon them.*

What does the word Fat mean to you? A cruel jibe? Is it Controversial? Rude? An essential part of our regular diet? Something that can actually aid weight loss?

I read a very interesting 33 page spread in a recent issue of Women's Health Mag and thought I would highlight some of the topics they discussed, and results of a survey they held with Men's Health Mag...so here goes, of those surveyed;

72% of women think they are fat each time they look in the mirror and.....

62% of those women know they aren't fat, but tell themselves they are anyway...

 

65% of men think they are fat..... and 68% have avoided going out because they felt it.....

 

43% of women and 28% of men think about their weight EVERY HOUR....

 

46% of women and 57% of men would rather date someone short, rather than fat....

 

 

These statistics alone are shocking - is it me, or do they highlight what an incredibly shallow and judgemental society we live in?! No one can say they are perfect, but when someone refuses to consider a possible relationship with someone because they don't live up to some idealistic, (usually) unattainable standard, then I am sorry, that person should take a long, hard look in the mirror themselves.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not going to go all Feminist on you here, this refers to men and their body confidence as much as it does women. I know of several friends of both sexes who have used an excuse like the one above to avoid dating someone who doesn't have a rippling six pack...

 

Given the clip at the start of this blog, wouldn't you agree, we are all fat? We are made of the stuff aren't we? That fleshy stuff around our bones has an essential fat layer within it...

 

But what is responsible for our fatness? The fat we eat? The sugar? The Carbs?! Is fat in our food really that bad, or is it something we should embrace in moderation?

 

Here are just a few quotes from various celebs as part of the article, discussing the different aspects of the word "Fat"

 

" Fat is neither good nor bad, but a compound essential for human life....I don't believe in one single definition of human desirability."  Victoria Pendleton, 33, retired athlete

 

"Fat is not a good thing.....I think there is less pressure for people to be slim...we have got used to people being bigger" Rosemary Conley, 67, Dietician

 

"Fat is essential...I try to embrace it....I won't touch anything Fat Free, it's usually replaced by chemicals and fillers" Robyn Lawley, 24, plus sized supermodel

"Fat is delicious!...You may not realise it, but men feel the same pressure as women about their bodies" Jason Atherton, 42, Michelin-starred Chef

"Fat is the most loaded word in the English Language!...Fat has the onomatopoeic quality of being slapped!" Adam Richman, 39, TV personality - Man Vs. Food

"Fat is one of my biggest fears...eating it or being it....I'm often accused of Fat-Shaming, it seems you can't use the F word if you're skinny" Emma Woolf, Journalist

I have used the above examples as I feel they highlight quite a vast difference in opinions when it comes to the word 'fat' - again, remember, we are talking both fat in out diet and being considered overweight...

Speaking of being overweight, has anyone ever had their BMI taken and told they were on the 'wrong side of healthy' or actually 'obese' when you look anything but?

Well this might be because the good old BMI Test was created around 180 years ago...so you might argue that this method is somewhat outdated. Even a leading specialist, Dr Francisco Lopez Jimenez, a professor of medicine, has ''lost faith in BMI as it does not identify those correctly at risk...Change is needed"

Most damaging is when the BMI refers to children and athletes. A news article a few years ago stated that the parents of a 4 year old boy had been informed of his 'clinical obesity' for being 3lb over the recommended weight range - he was just pretty tall for his age!

 

 

Plenty of female boxers and strength athletes has also fallen victim to the cruel labels BMI gives out, simply for being a bit shorter than average but with more muscle than most - can you see the point that BMI really isn't a good indication of what is healthy? And they wonder why there is a growing epidemic of Eating Disorders within the female athlete world....

Out for dinner last night with a few old work colleagues sparked our ritual conversation about food and exercise, pretty standard! One of them shared a story about her eight year old daughter who's friends at school had already been called "fat" by the other kids, and her daughter couldn't understand why this was. How awful is it that eight year olds are already using the F word to describe their peers? Even more so if they child clearly isn't overweight? It's so sad to hear stories like this.



I feel even more strongly about educating our younger generation on the importance of a healthy diet, body image and lifestyle, and I am not even a parent yet! I recently looked into the Active Kids Scheme that Sainsburys run (Beckham being one of the ambassadors no less!) to see which schools in my area collect these vouchers and I was pleased to see even a couple of preschools are part of the scheme...so encouraging to hear! So I will be donating vouchers to a couple of my local schools, doing my bit for the kids :) But Becks, if you need an ambassador for the Basingstoke area, let me know ;-)







What do you think about "Fat"? How do you think we can help reduce the statistics I have quoted above? We're you shocked by these, or think they are pretty accurate for todays' society?

Anyway, to round off on a lighter note, the article included an A-Z of fat and fat loss, so here is a quick acrostic to give you some of them;

F - Fifty Billion. The amount of fat cells in your body...see, I told you we are all fat! ;-)

R - Reduced Fat. This means there is typically 1/3 less fat in the product, but this is made up for in sugar...and we know what sugar does...

A - Average. The average lifespan of a fat cell is 8.5 years. And it is replaced as soon as it dies...

N - Normal. It is common for our body compositions to fluctuate throughout the month through water retention, muscle mass gain or loss and general eating habits

K - Ketones. Compounds produced when your body converts fat into energy - commonly found in raw coconut oil - get using it in your cooking!!

I - Intervals. In which ever form of exercise you take, be it cardio or strength training, try to incorporate some sort of interval training within it. It's easier than it sounds!


Again, I would like to stress, I did not set out to offend or "fat shame" (?!) , so I do hope this doesn't come across negatively! Hopefully you can take something from this blog that will help you; whether it be to regain lost focus, given you an idea of changes to make, or encouraged you to help support your local school in a quest to make your kids healthier!

Till next time...

Franki x
 

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