There are a 2 issues here I would like to address:
Powerfully discriminating
It was unfair of the airline to suggest it was the passenger's fault they were obese
Powerfully discriminating: Yes it is. There are many reasons why the concept of body weight is painfully misleading & inaccurately judgmental.
Many of us in the health & fitness field implore people to look beyond BMI - a number based on weight. As much as the airline is altruistically contributing to fighting obesity (NOT) how about: very tall people, muscular builds, pregnancy, medical treatments... weight is not directly correlated with body fat. How bout skinny fat people - higher body fat, low body weight - yes I get it a kilo is a kilo - but don't say its to bring awareness to the obesity epidemic.
Fault: Why do we live in a world obsessed with fault - Sorry - fault leads to scapegoating, finger pointing & absolving ourselves of responsibility & the opportunity for personal growth & self betterment. Yes, there are many contributing factors to obesity, and yes, there are options for dealing with obesity. Fault is irrelevant - finding a go forward plan is very relevant.
Obesity is a chronic illness - as cancer, heart disease, alcoholism, arthritis... and yes there is always a silver lining... obesity is no exception. Chronic illnesses have medical & behavioral solutions. Hopefully we would not try & treat cancer or heart disease by ourselves - we seek guidance from health professionals.
We know obesity is a major contributor to all of our top lifestyle killers. Not only is it physiologically deadly, but obesity can be emotionally mortifying as well. As much as an obese person says "I have tried everything" yes - they easily could have tried everything they know - but the fact is...
there are many contributing lifestyle factors to obesity undiscovered, and is within personal power to lose the fat, get healthy. Help is needed to discover these issues.
We wouldn't treat cancer ourselves, please find out treatment options for obesity. People usually do think they are doing everything possible - just not true. Fact is, most people do not know what clean nutrition is, portion size, physical activity & what other lifestyle factors are fat loss saboteurs. That paradigm of diet, starve... not helping here.
Sustainable fat loss is a science to cure a diseased state, and should not be left in the hands of pop trends & fads. Understanding the fat cell is key here - but remember:
Fat cells do not go away, they only shrink
Fat cells give new meaning to "be fruitful & multiply"
Fat cells secrete nasty toxins, making sustainable fat loss very challenging
If an oncologist told us we needed surgery to remove a cancer or we would die, we do it. There are many circumstances where weight loss surgery is mandated equally to tumor removal. Again, obesity is a chronic illness - treat it accordingly. Get evaluated by an obesity surgeon who knows the many types of procedures available - because chances are there are many more procedures than you know, and many more procedures out there, but not available through local bariatric surgeons. Obesity is the leading cause of heart disease, cancer, diabetes... Treating obesity with the same passion & vigilance as cancer - that will save many thousands of lives. And yes... our health is our responsibility.
So let's ditch the guilt, blame, shame game. And Samoa airlines - please don't hide behind the gravity of the obesity epidemic as the noble excuse for higher revenues. Given current obesity numbers, yes it makes sense mathematically you would profit from such a policy. Your guilt of obesity is as shameful as the tobacco companies saying they are committed to reducing smoking - while their ways insidiously ensure increased addictions and profits.
Shira Litwack, Medical Fitness Professional... proud creator of thousands of health enthusiasts & corporate health cultures world wide...
Designing personal & corporate health coaching programs determined by your medical risk factors, lifestyle demands & health saboteurs.
Employee Appreciation... Engagement... Camaraderie... the real measures of success!
Medical Fitness Professional,Lifestyle & Weight Management Health Coach,Fitness & Nutrition for chronic illness recovery, Smoking Cessation Counsellor
Radio Talk Show Host/Producer bestinhealthradio
Director of Health Mentoring & External Resources Canada For International Center of Excellence The Obesity Control Center with Dr. Ariel Ortiz
Cancerfitcare Provider & Regional Director
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